ISSUE NO. 689 NOVEMBER 16, 2016
FREE Now picked up at over 1,600 places across Sydney and surrounds. thebrag.com
MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE
INSIDE This Week
BIL LY BR A GG
A musical journey across the great American railroad.
M Ă?A
A chart-topping pop star turned independent advocate.
NE OBL I V IS C A R IS
They've established themselves at home, and are set to take on the world.
C A R SE AT HE A DR E S T
Music comes easily to Will Toledo, but the challenges lie elsewhere.
Plus
RYA N HEMS WOR T H A R T B A NK S OCI A L CL UB MODER N B A SEB A L L T HE SE T T L E MEN T A ND MUCH MOR E
SLAYING THE DEMONS
ALEXISONFIRE 19.1.17 • HORDERN PAVILION ON SALE NOW
Also playing UNIFY
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the BRAG presents
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Chris Martin, Ariana Norton and Anna Wilson
JOEL LEFFLER
Brass Monkey Thursday November 17
five things WITH
JOEL SENA
Slyfox Thursday November 24
SHAWN HALL FROM THE HARPOONIST AND THE AXE MURDERER In Cook County Jail I was completely captivated by his relationship with his audience, and always have been. It’s a level of joy, respect and comfort that very few artists exhibit. Your Band The band is Matt 3. Rogers on guitar and
‘Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes’ with my neighbours. I was in choir at the time and in grade four and realising the world that existed in my parents’ record collection was far more exotic than my school choir. Their
collection eventually taught me to blow harp when I was 14. Inspirations The Three Kings hold a tight court: Albert, B.B. and Freddy. They’re all powerhouse frontier bluesmen of guitar and vocal prowess. The first time I heard B.B. King Live
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explores the collective pain and the longing of human desire with a Telecaster, voice, harp and foot drums. We love the melodic inclusiveness of bands like Dr. Dog and Royal Canoe, the push and pull of Shovels & Rope, and the historical hysterics of JD McPherson and Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, to name a few. Our live show differs greatly from our albums – for one, I get to tell jokes, and we grunt more and generally gyrate uncontrollably till one of us falls off our stools. Music, Right Here, Right Now We have too many shoegazer bands withholding valuable
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emotions from their fans. Having said that, we also have a greater variety than ever before, which makes it harder to find the jewels in the rough – but they are out there. We always have to overcome our egos and feed the soul. This can be very tricky to do as the ego is needed to perform; to get in front of a crowd of strangers. Andy Shauf has inspired us in his attention to narration, as has Anderson .Paak for being so damn filthy on the kit and vocals.
TURIN BRAKES
Where: Play Bar When: Tuesday November 22 And: Also appearing at Mullum Music Festival 2016, Saturday November 19 – Sunday November 20
Oxford Art Factory Monday April 17
Newtown Social Club Monday April 10
CORRINE BAILEY RAE Metro Theatre Sunday April 16
NIKKI HILL
Newtown Social Club Monday April 17
THE STRUMBELLAS ST PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES Metro Theatre Wednesday April 19
The Strumbellas photo by Josh Goldman
Growing Up I remember lip1. syncing to Paul Simon’s
drums, me on vox and harp, and Andrina Turenne on background vocals. We’re connected by a series of vacuum tubes wired together through speakers of all sizes and vintages, where the sound is then bottled in whisky distilleries and shipped worldwide for people’s consumption with the sole purpose of raising the dead and/or bringing a dull marriage back to life. It ain’t always pretty but has a lasting effect.
The Music You Make 4. Trench-deep soul that
St Paul and The Broken Bones photo by David McClister
music news
HELLO TO GOODNIGHT
MANAGING EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ONLINE EDITOR: James Di Fabrizio SUB-EDITOR: Joseph Earp STAFF WRITERS: Adam Norris, Augustus Welby NEWS: David Burley, Harriet Flitcroft, Ariana Norton, Anna Wilson ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHER: Ashley Mar ADVERTISING: Tony Pecotic - (02) 9212 4322 tony@thebrag.com PUBLISHER: Furst Media MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr - patrick@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 / 0402 821 122 DIGITAL DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING: Kris Furst kris@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATOR: Sarah Bryant - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties) AWESOME INTERNS: Anna Wilson, Ariana Norton, Harriet Flitcroft, David Burley REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Arca Bayburt, Prudence Clark, Chelsea Deeley, Christie Eliezer, Matthew Galea, Emily Gibb, Jennifer Hoddinett, Tegan Jones, Sarah Little, Emily Meller, David Molloy, Annie Murney, Adam Norris, George Nott, Daniel Prior, Tegan Reeves, Natalie Rogers, Erin Rooney, Spencer Scott, Natalie Salvo, Leonardo Silvestrini, Jade Smith, Aaron Streatfeild, Rod Whitfield, Anna Wilson, 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.
Martha Wainwright, the acclaimed singersongwriter, will return to Australian shores next year with a string of tour dates up her sleeve. The folk rocker will performs songs from the justreleased Goodnight City, an intense album that represents her first offering in four years, as well as tracks from her critically and commercially praised debut self-titled record. Melbourne-based Oh Pep! will join her onstage, their catchy acoustic melodies set to complement Wainwright’s powerful sound. She’ll hit Oxford Art Factory on Sunday March 12.
MOO YOU BLOODY CHOIR
Groovin The Moo is back in business for another year, announcing its hotly anticipated return. The festival will be taking over six regional centres for 2017, as well as the nation’s capital for a seriously huge trilogy of weekends. “We’re thrilled with the tour schedule for 2017,” said promoter Steve Halpin. “We can also continue to deliver a diverse lineup to all GTM events, avoiding scheduling clashes with other international festivals.” Halpin hinted this would mean some international heavyweights are on the cards. “Not only does this give a number of amazing Australian artists the opportunity to play GTM and be billed on international festivals, it also allows us to bring some great talent from overseas.” GTM 2017 rolls into Maitland Showground on Saturday April 29.
TROJAN HORSES
Sydney progressive meltalcore outfit Trojans have just announced a heavy new single called ‘Dead Eyed Stare’, due for release on Friday November 25. To celebrate its release, the five-piece will also be playing a Sydney show come December. Their five-track debut EP The Blissful Hollow is scheduled for release in the early months of 2017 and will feature guest vocals from Mark Poida of Aversions Crown. The EP will be accompanied by a national tour in 2017. Trojans will play Hermann’s Bar on Saturday December 17.
Musica Copa
COPA LOAD OF THIS
Aussie music’s beloved five-a-side charity football tournament is back again with What So Not, Nina Las Vegas, Paces, Swick, Montaigne, Dena Amy, Motorik Vibe Council, Third Floor, Klue, Winston Surfshirt and members of Set Mo, I Know Leopard and The Delta Riggs all set to hit the pitch. They’ll join the 21 teams competing in the tournament, including teams from BMG, I Oh You, Pandora and Select Music, among others from all over the industry including radio, production and management. The Loop’s Scott Tweedie will play host as the teams battle it out for their chosen charities. Since its beginning four years ago, Musica Copa has nearly doubled in size and raised over $30,000, with a new-look format featuring seven teams competing across three group stages. The event is open to the public for a $10 donation at the door. Musica Copa will be held at the KIKOFF Soccer Centre, Marrickville on Friday December 2.
BLUESFEST GOES MAD
Bluesfest 2017 has added even more acts to its ever-growing lineup. English ska icons Madness lead the charge, alongside the all-star Miles Electric Band. Elsewhere, Patti Smith and her band will take to the stage once more for an acoustic set and Billy Bragg and Joe Henry will join forces. Rounding it out come Slightly Stoopid, Rhiannon Giddens, Tony Joe White, Max Jury, The Record Company, The Mountain Goats,
James Vincent McMorrow
The Californian Honeydrops and Trevor Hall. Meanwhile, the festival has also made its annual blues-only announcement, with a lineup including Eric Gales, Mud Morganfield, Devon Allman, Experience Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Lang, Ray Beadle and The Silver Dollars, Lloyd Spiegel, Glenn Cardier and The Sideshow, Davy Knowles, Blind Boy Paxton and Melody Angel. Bluesfest will go down from Thursday April 13 – Monday April 17 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm.
Jimmy Eat World
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JOY FOR JIM
Irish heartbreaker James Vincent McMorrow will return to the Sydney Opera House in 2017. McMorrow last visited Sydney’s most famous venue for Vivid LIVE in 2014, where he performed songs from his album Post Tropical. This time he’ll bring new material from the LP We Move, as well as his four-piece band, to the Concert Hall stage. Expect an intersection of classic folk songwriting with retro synth sounds and contemporary grooves. McMorrow plays the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House on Tuesday March 7.
EATING UP THE BLUES
Following up on their last sold-out run across the country, Jimmy Eat World are returning to Australia. The news comes off the back of their latest and ninth album, Integrity Blues, which has been hailed as one of their finest releases to date, and has been warmly embraced by fans old and new alike. It’s all going down on Wednesday January 18 at the Enmore Theatre.
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James Vincent McMorrow photo by Prudence Upton
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Buy your tickets at eventcinemas.com.au or at the box office
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live & local
free stuff
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Harriet Flitcroft, David Burley and Ariana Norton
head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
on the record WITH
DAVE LARKIN FROM DALLAS CRANE The Last Record I Bought I just bought all four of The 2. Budos Band albums. Love that shit. Daptone gold. Beautiful recordings with amazing arrangements and performances.
we decided to make a new Dallas record a couple of years back, and we always liked it but just didn’t have it in good enough shape for the album. We got to live out our ‘guitarmonies’ dream with big, rosy chorus vocals to boot.
The First Thing I Recorded I used to make crappy 3. The Record That Changed recordings on my tape deck My Life 5. at home, which happened to It’s hard to isolate one album. Sgt.
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The First Record I Bought Technically it was probably something like Bert And Ernie’s Sesame Street Classics, but
you know, for the benefit of your readers I think The Beatles’ Let It Be might have been the first vinyl I bought as a wee tacker.
The Last Thing I Recorded The last thing Dallas Crane 4. recorded was a song called ‘Cheyenne’, which only just got left off last year’s Scoundrels album. It was one of the first songs Pete [Satchell] and I worked on when
Pepper and Born To Run got me through my childhood. Appetite For Destruction and The Cult’s Electric and Nirvana’s Nevermind got me through the teens. Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs, Captain Beefheart’s Safe As Milk, Television’s Marquee Moon, the Wipers’ Over The Edge – things like that drove the Dallas thing. It’s impossible to name one I’m afraid. All were kind of life-changers. Where: Captain Cook Hotel When: Saturday November 19
Iconic singer-songwriter, percussionist and superstar collaborator Sheila E. has worked with big names such as Lionel Richie, Kanye West and Beyoncé, but she’s perhaps bestknown for her several years playing with the late, great Prince. Earlier this year she provided the drums for the DC blockbuster Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice and confirmed her status as one of the grooviest talents on the music scene. We have two double passes to give away to her headline show at the Metro Theatre on Sunday December 11 as she showcases new songs and new sounds. To get in on the Sheila E. experience, head on over to thebrag.com/freeshit.
The Lulu Raes
TOPO OF THE POPS Gang Of Youths
JACK’S GOT A GANG
A bit of Southern hospitality comes to Sydney next week. Legendary whiskey makers Jack Daniel’s are getting the Thanksgiving celebrations off to a start with food, booze and music, and the final tickets have just been released. Food will come in the form of a Southern BBQ from Zac Parker (one half of hickory hunks Scott’s-Parker’s) with sides coming fresh from the team at Three Blue Ducks as they tackle some of the Southern staples. A party’s not a party without some music, and bringing the rock’n’roll roughness will be Pat Capocci, while Sydney indie idols Gang Of Youths have also RSVP’d to play a set. Tickets are free with registration at jdthanksgiving.rsvp360.co, with the event taking place in Roseberry on Tuesday November 22.
COOL TUNES FOR COOLER PEOPLE
After a successful launch in Melbourne, Music For A Warming World is coming to Sydney to provide beautiful music and engage with the issue concerning our environment today. Green Music Australia is an organisation devoted to making the
world a greener place to live in through harnessing the power of music and musicians, and Music For A Warming World is its latest initiative to achieve this goal, providing a powerful visual and music presentation to help engage with the issues, even if you are aware of them already. See sets from Simon Kerr, Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan at Django Bar on Sunday November 27.
Basement Fridays is soon to be the place to go to catch great young Aussie bands on a weekly occasion. Starting this week, El Topo Basement at The Eastern in Bondi will be showcasing some of the most promising artists and DJs at a new night dedicated to live and local talent. So far, organisers have booked in The Lulu Raes (Friday November 18), WildHoney (Friday November 25), Matt Sav (Friday December 2), Ocean Alley (Friday December 9), The Vanns (Friday December 16) and Bad Pony (Friday December 23), as well as a bunch of supporting acts. Doors will open at 9pm each week, and if you get in before 10pm, entry is free.
MONKEY BUSINESS
After touring rural New South Wales, rebel rockers The Urban Guerillas are returning to Sydney for three big sets. The pub rock stars will join Spy vs Spy at the first two dates, as the latter bring their Brazilian-influenced rock and signature lyrics of social change to Sydney pubs. For their final 2016 show, the Guerillas will take on Christmas at the Carols By Blowtorch event, which is sure to change the way you hear Christmas classics. See The Urban Guerillas with Spy vs Spy at the Caringbah Hotel on Saturday November 19 and Beaches Thirroul on Friday December 2, or catch Carols By Blowtorch at the Union Hotel on Thursday December 8.
ROCK AROUND THE CLOCKWISE
Singer-songwriter Andy Clockwise is set to play a one-off gig at Brighton Up Bar this month after returning from two sold-out tours of North America. The Sydney-born and LA-based artist has spent the year recording and travelling, with his latest EP The Good Book released in April. Having collaborated with Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint) and spread his musical wings across genres from indie folk to electronic, the selfproduced Clockwise will wrap up a busy 2016 on home turf. Clockwise will play Brighton Up Bar on Saturday November 26.
CHRISTMAS AT THE ROCK MARKET
Sydney Rock ’N’ Roll & Alternative Market
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Rock and roll your way through your Christmas shopping this year with the Christmas edition of the Sydney Rock ’N’ Roll & Alternative Market. Part market, part music festival, part meeting place, what could be a more fun and unique way to get through that shopping list? The market includes stores selling rock’n’roll, alternative and vintage clothing, jewellery, accessories, posters, cult DVDs, homewares, art and collectables as well as the Massive Record Fair for music lovers to flip through vinyl till their little heart’s content. You’ll also find a cafe, bars, international food, a vintage and classic vehicle display and kids’ outdoor activities with a soundtrack of stellar live music from The Detonators, The Morrisons, Cruisin’ Deuces and The Drey Rollan Band as well as DJs Rod Almighty, Andy Travers, The Crimplenes and Solid Gold Hell DJs. The Sydney Rock ’N’ Roll & Alternative Christmas Market is on at Manning Bar on Sunday November 27.
Apes
MATES WITH APES
If you want it, Apes have got it. It’s been a busy two years for these four Melbourne indie rockers, who locked themselves away in the studio to work on new material before reemerging for a headline-grabbing Bigsound performance. The first fruits of their labour have blossomed in the form of ‘If You Want It’, the single they’re launching in Sydney this weekend alongside a taste of their upcoming record. See them at Brighton Up Bar on Saturday November 19.
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Dallas Crane photo by Jay Hynes
have a mic input. I didn’t have a microphone back then so I used a bent-back set of headphones to do the trick. Shitty little songs but I got to hear where I was going wrong pretty early on!
SHEILA E.
Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer
FBI MUSIC DIRECTOR GOODHEW DEPARTS
After four years as FBi Radio’s music director, Stephen Goodhew is leaving in January. During his time at the station, Goodhew expanded its music content, curated the inaugural FBi SMACs festival, and welcomed the likes of Gang Of Youths, Cloud Control and Tkay Maidza to a new live-to-air performance space launched at the station in early 2015. Managing director Clare Holland stated, “Stephen has such a great set of ears, and is one of the hardestworking people in the industry. He has ensured that FBi remains a steady force in a shifting music landscape and has been a champion for local talent.” Applications for a replacement will be open until Thursday December 1 – go to fbiradio.com/jobs/ in order to apply.
TWO CHANGES AT UNIVERSAL AUSTRALIA
Universal Music Australia has made two executive changes, both effective immediately. Liam Dennis has been appointed the new head of marketing, while Nicole Richards will be taking over as head of Australian artists and continuing to co-manage the marketing and media teams, overseeing all direction and strategy for the UMA Australian roster in the process.
ADELE IS BRITAIN’S RICHEST STAR UNDER 30
Adele has toppled One Direction, taking the top spot in Heat magazine’s list of Britain’s richest stars under 30. She doubled her estimated worth to £92 million – only last year she was at the number four slot with £38.1 million. Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe occupied the number two spot with £74m, Ed Sheeran made his debut on the list at number three with £45m, Zayn Malik came in at four with £38m and former bandmate Harry Styles took fifth place with £37m. The remaining One Direction members took up the next series of slots on the list, with Liam Payne sitting pretty at number seven with £34m, Niall Horan ranking eighth with £34m, while Louis Tomlinson was last but not least of the boys, placing ninth with £33m.
LICENCE FEES CUT FOR COMMERCIAL RADIO
Following an announcement in its May budget, the Australian Government has passed a licence fee cut for commercial radio licence holders. The sector called it a “welcome relief” and looked forward to getting more cuts from the
Lifelines Expecting: Pink and motocross champ Carey Hart, their second. Engaged: two Guns N’ Roses fans during the band’s show in Porto Alegre, Brazil, While the band played ‘November Rain’, a superfan proposed to his Gunners T-shirtsporting gal. Dating: Drake confirmed he and Taylor Swift are an item by buying accessories for her cats Meredith and Olivia. Dating: following the news that Ruby Rose and The Veronicas’ Jess Origliasso are back together, it’s been revealed that Rose flew out Origliasso’s sick mum to New Zealand to watch them shoot their new music video. Hospitalised: a 22-year-old woman after being run over at a dance party near Byron Bay. Police say she was lying under a Nissan utility and was crushed when the driver moved his vehicle. In Court: S Club 7’s Hannah Spearritt’s ex-fiance Adam Thomas was acquitted on charges he assaulted her, after the trial collapsed. In Court: Jordan Duffy, 19, pleaded guilty to supplying his girlfriend Janie Panton Roberts, 21, with a fatal dose of MDMA at a music event in Petersham. He faces Newtown Local Court in December. Not Dead: controversial X Factor UK rapper Honey G was the victim of an internet hoax claiming she’d been shot 17 times.
pollies in the future. Over the 2013/14 period, commercial radio paid $24.83 million in broadcasting licence fees.
CHAMBERS, MORRIS, HOPE ON SONGWRITING PANEL
Award-winning songwriters Kasey Chambers, Jenny Morris and LA-based 22-year-old Alex Hope will come together for a panel during ARIA Week, a discussion titled Smash Hits: ’80s - NOW!, presented by APRA AMCOS. The trio will join host Chit Chat to mull over and examine what it takes to write music that inspires, connects and endures. It’s all going down on Sunday November 20 between 5pm and 7pm at Cell Block Theatre, National Art School, Darlinghurst. It’s free for APRA AMCOS members and $10 for the general public.
WONDERLICK SIGNS AMY SHARK
Sydney-based Wonderlick Entertainment, along with its label partner Sony Music Entertainment, has signed Gold Coast-based singer-songwriter, filmmaker and producer Amy Shark. Last Friday, Shark celebrated by heading into triple j’s Like A Version studio and performing a cover of Silverchair’s ‘Miss You Love’ and her own breakthrough single ‘Adore’, which topped Spotify’s local and viral charts.
AUSSIES REMEMBER LEONARD COHEN
On the passing of Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave said, “[He was] the greatest songwriter of them all. Utterly unique and impossible to imitate no matter how hard we tried.” Michael Gudinski, whose Frontier Touring company brought Cohen out in 2009, 2010 and 2013 referred to his “life-defining shows”. A few years ago, when this columnist served as a contemporary music judge for the Helpmann Awards, we were discussing nominating Cohen’s performance “because his shows reminded us why we got into the music industry in the first place”, said Don Elford of Qudos Bank Arena. In the mid-’70s I did a pre-tour profile of Cohen in Juke. When Cohen read it after he arrived in Melbourne, he called me immediately to thank me and discuss some of the points I had brought up. As ever, Cohen loved to communicate.
announced via social media he had acquired the Hopetoun seven years after its closure, and was planning to undertake 12 months of renovations costing $900,000 to get it ready to become a music venue again. However, a lawyer for the current owner said no transfer of ownership had taken place. We’ll update you as this story develops.
UNCOMMON CORD SETS UP OVERSEAS OFFICES
Six months after stepping down as the Sydney-based CEO of Chugg Entertainment, Matthew Lazarus-Hall has set up an overseas office for his new events consultancy group Uncommon Cord. Aside from its office in Sydney, Uncommon also has offices in Los Angeles, London and the Asia-Pacific. Some of the projects undertaken by Uncommon will be launched in partnership with Chugg.
PARCELS SIGN WITH PARIS LABEL
Byron Bay funk-pop duo Parcels, who’ve been living in Berlin for the past year, have signed with cool Paris label Kitsuné. In addition to the good news, they have released new single ‘Gamesofluck’ to coincide with their return here for shows over the summer.
BODY TYPE JOIN OUR GOLDEN FRIEND
Our Golden Friend’s latest roster addition is Sydney-based outfit Body Type. They formed six months ago, and played their first gig in September, after which they scored support slots for international acts. The label has issued a special edition seven-inch vinyl of first single ‘Ludlow’ and new track ‘264’.
LET THE PEOPLE DANCE
Let The People Dance is a new enterprise dedicated to promoting Australia’s EDM scene through a series of podcasts featuring Danni B, Brohn, Matt Weir, Amháin, Ben Nott, Kerry Wallace, Gabby & Shamus and ELIA. Check it out at soundcloud.com/let-the-people-dance. LTPD are committed to putting 50 marginalised students from different backgrounds through a workshop at the Electronic Music Conference.
• Was the cancellation of the inaugural Australian hard rock festival Legion due to the fact that the organisers are involved in an international event in late 2017? • Is a long-term festival partnership about to end? • Are Foo Fighters to return to touring, starting in Europe? • What do Snoop Dogg, Mac DeMarco, Miley Cyrus, Lena Dunham and Amy Schumer have in common? They all want to emigrate to Canada before the new US President Donald Trump takes office. Meantime, Chance The Rapper’s Grammy-nominated trumpeter Donnie Trumpet has reverted to his real name of Nico Segal in order to avoid being confused with the president-elect. • Ahead of their ARIA Hall of Fame induction on Wednesday November 23, Crowded House have landed all eight of their albums in the top 100. • The second This That festival on Newcastle Foreshore drew 15,000 people, with a bill headlined by Peking Duk, Hermitude and LA’s ScHoolboy Q. • Seal is returning as judge for The Voice Australia next year, along with Delta Goodrem. There is no word on Ronan Keating’s plans, while rumours are circulating that The Veronicas will replace The Madden Bros. • New Zealand’s best-known teenager Lorde is no longer an adolescent. Her bestie Taylor Swift threw her an extravagant 20th birthday in LA. • In the latest Wollongong radio ratings, i98FM was at the top. • King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard have five albums scheduled for release through 2017.
HUGO’S TO RETURN
One of the first casualties of the Sydney lockout laws, Hugo’s Lounge in Kings Cross, is returning next year. It’s now owned by Eric Jury, who currently runs Casablanca in Double Bay, which itself will close next year to make way for apartments. According to the Daily Telegraph, Jury, who believes the Cross is a nicer place these days, will test the waters by starting Hugo’s out as a pop-up venue in February, and then looking at the possibility of making it permanent in August. He’s already begun soundproofing to get over strict midnight noise restrictions. Former Hugo’s owner Dave Evans closed the venue in mid-2015, complaining that lockout laws had brought revenue down drastically. Evans moved to Manly to run a restaurant.
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$5 DRINK specials Thursday 17
COOKING VINYL AND EPITAPH PARTNER IN AUSTRALIA
Cooking Vinyl Australia and Epitaph Records are setting up a new label services partnership, one that will see Epitaph’s Dave Jiannis join the Cooking Vinyl team in the newly created role of senior product manager. Distribution of Epitaph products will remain with ADA in Australia and New Zealand, while the newly formed partnership will see the local Cooking Vinyl team provide dedicated marketing and promo expertise to priority Epitaph and Anti- releases. Epitaph’s recent successes in this country have included A Day To Remember’s Bad Vibrations, which debuted at number one, along with other charting albums from the likes of I Killed The Prom Queen, Refused, Millencolin and Falling In Reverse.
STRONG ATTENDANCE FOR MOVEMENT SYDNEY
Now in its second year, the five-day MoVement Sydney event (which ran from Wednesday October 19 – Sunday October 23) set a new attendance record, drawing 11,000 punters to 25 EDM events including club nights, warehouse parties and workshops. EDM hub Stoney Roads claimed a new Guinness World Record with 147 DJs mixing tracks back-to-back over 12 hours for the Largest B2B DJ Relay at 107 Projects.
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HOPETOUN MYSTERY
A question mark hovers over the future of one of Sydney’s major music venues. Early last week, Blind Records owner Adrian Bull Tuesday 22
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THINGS WE HEAR
43-49 Goulburn St, Sydney NSW 2000 scruffymurphys.com.au BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16 :: 9
REMI DEMON DANCE
BY DAVID JA MES YOUNG
“ W
hat’s going on?” says Remi producer/drummer Justin ‘Sensible J’ Smith. He’s repeating the question he’s just been asked by way of introduction, as he sits down with MC Remi Kolawole to talk music. “What’s going on? We’re just trying to be awake on a Friday morning, man. What’s going on with you?” There’s laughter – genuine yet borderline delirious, as it becomes apparent that you’ll rarely catch either Smith or Kolawole up before noon on days they don’t have to be. “We’re getting there,” Kolawole assures. “I’ve got coffee and pancakes on the way – I’m a hospitable guy, bro!”
“Sometimes, the way that we work involves Rem recording vocals over the top of some
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Naturally, Kolawole was facing challenges of his own – opening up about dark parts of his personal life, leaving no stone unturned as he delved further into the outer reaches of introspection. When it came to putting pen to paper for Divas & Demons, the end result was worth any moments of reticence or indecision. “As far as articulating my problems, there were times where it definitely got really hard to do,” Kolawole confesses. “That said, I think that’s the case with any issue in your life that you might come across. You have no reference point for new issues – it’s something you have to digest on your own. There were a lot of hazy nights when it came to writing this album.” He laughs. “I’m a pretty stupid person. I don’t think I was really thinking about the consequences or anything like that when I was writing lyrics. I think I’ve always been real to the point of it being my detriment. Even so, I think the stuff that’s hard to say is the stuff you need to hear the most.”
“THE STUFF THAT’S HARD TO SAY IS THE STUFF YOU NEED TO HEAR THE MOST.” One of the more interesting effects that Divas & Demons has had on listeners is inspiring a direct relation through empathy. Despite Kolawole writing from what he believed to be a personal standpoint, he has been inundated with messages about how others have gone through the exact same things. “I’m genuinely surprised by it sometimes – it’s like, ‘Really? That was your experience as well?’” he says incredulously. “I suppose that, as far as things like depression go, you can forget that it’s honestly so normal for people to feel this way. I’m glad that people have heard what I have to say and have connected with it on any level. It was like a form of therapy for me, so if that’s what this album can be for others, then I’m extremely grateful for that.” Both members of Remi have immigrant history in their lineage – Kolawole’s father is Nigerian, while Smith’s parents are originally from South Africa. The pair are representative of a greater focus on multiculturalism in contemporary Australian hip hop. Migrants and people of colour such as Tkay Maidza, L-Fresh The Lion, Sampa The Great and B Wise have been making a considerable impact on what has been a predominantly
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Remi photo by Michelle Grace Hunder
Despite their age difference – Kolawole is 25, Smith 37 – the two interact as if they’ve known one another their entire lives. The Melbourne-based duo are about to see out what has been a remarkably busy 2016 with a final national tour in support of the second album to bear the Remi name, September’s Divas & Demons. The record has been one of the most rapturously received Australian albums in the entire calendar year, with critics praising Kolawole’s forthright, blunt depictions of lust, depression, addiction and racism. Of course, the Remi project has shifted into a two-way street of sorts, which begs the question as to how Smith initially reacted upon hearing the nature of Kolawole’s words.
random beat that he likes and sending the demo back to me,” says Smith. “When I was getting those demos back for the first time, it really hit me that he was putting his soul out there. It made me want to step up myself – I wanted to match what he was doing in terms of the music that I was making. It takes a lot to be that honest. I had to make sure that I had beats that were emotional enough to carry Rem’s singing and his rapping. Any time that he wasn’t just coming up with stuff on the spot after hearing a beat, or he didn’t just take home one of my beats and write over it, that was the challenge.”
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white genre for much of its time in the Australian mainstream. Although Smith – who has been performing in bands since the late ’90s – is appreciative of the tide turning, he also rightfully points out that a collection of oppressed minorities making a name for themselves in a genre ostensibly built from oppression makes perfect sense. “It really shouldn’t come as a surprise – they’ve been a part of this the entire time,” he says. “Still, it’s getting more attention and more time in the media. It’s taking over festival bills. It’s so great to see. That representation has been in the hip hop demographic of Australia since the early ’90s – maybe even before. It just seems to be getting the coverage that it deserves now.” Although . i as e ns arrived well into the second half of 2016, several tracks from the album have been in Remi’s live set all year. These include the funk-tinged collab with the aforementioned Sampa The Great, ‘For Good’, as well as the mantralike ‘Hate You’ and the open-book honesty of ‘Substance Therapy’. It is getting to the point where material from i as e ns is equalling the reception to that of the duo’s Australian Music Prize-winning 2014 debut, a nfi ni – something that is not lost on either Kolawole or Smith as they continue to tour. “It’s been good to see things moving forward,” says Kolawole. “When you’re independent, trying to find your own place
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within hip hop in Australia, it can be a slow trajectory sometimes. To have people almost instantly getting behind these songs and really getting into them when we’re playing them live – it’s just been so great to see.” The world is Remi’s oyster from this point onward. Further inroads to European touring are in the works for 2017, as well as leaving the option open to strike while the iron is hot and begin work on another studio album. For now, however, the focus is on the i as e ns tour, which kicks off in Ballarat this week and proceeds through Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart and wraps in Melbourne a month later. With several shows already sold out, now is the opportune time to catch Remi in action. “We just try and do right by the people when we select what songs we’re gonna play,” says Smith. “If it feels wrong to cut out a song, we’ll do whatever we can within our power to keep it there. Of course, with the new material working its way into the set, there are sacrifices that have to be made. You can rest assured that it’s going to be a lot of fun.” What: i as e ns out now through House Of Beige With: Baro Where: Newtown Social Club When: Thursday December 1 and Friday December 2
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Ne Obliviscaris Spreading The Shadow By Augustus Welby
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t’s been two years since Melbourne sixpiece Ne Obliviscaris released their second LP, Citadel. While listeners may be growing impatient waiting for album number three, the progressive/extreme metal act has spent the ensuing period spreading its message across the globe. The band is currently wrapping up a seven-week European tour before a run of Australian headline shows in late November. “The [European] tour started off with a performance at Euroblast in Germany and we had a couple of quick shows with Enslaved in Switzerland and Germany,” says violinist/vocalist Tim Charles. “Then we had a two-week headline tour through the UK and went up to Scandinavia and did headline shows in Denmark and Finland before joining back up with Enslaved to do a month-long tour with them.” Building a solid European fan base was high priority when planning the release of Citadel, and Charles speaks with accomplished determination about the results. “This is our fourth time coming to Europe in the last 18 months,” he says. “The first two were festival tours mid-2015, then at the end of last year we did an extensive club tour with Cradle Of Filth. This once again is another very extensive tour with a mixture of a couple of festivals and a couple of weeks of headline shows and a month supporting a fantastic band in Enslaved. “Everything’s going really well and we’re really excited. Then hopefully next year we can come back with album number three and do the whole thing again, but as the headliner.” Europe’s not the only territory they’ve targeted – while their following in Australia continues to
“WE LOVE MAKING RECORDS, BUT THE MOST FUN THING ABOUT BEING IN THE BAND IS DOING THE SHOWS.”
Modern Baseball Ghost In The Machine By David James Young
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ake Ewald is currently on the tour of a lifetime. It’s both a crowning achievement for his band, millennial miserablists Modern Baseball, and a reflection of how far they’ve come in a relatively brief time as a touring group. Ewald and co. are currently the opening act on a national headlining tour through North America for Brand New, who are celebrating the ten-year anniversary of their seminal LP The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me. For Ewald – one of the many teens who had their lives changed by that record – it’s nothing short of a dream come true. “They were a big influence for us,” he says. “The first night of this tour was my first time ever seeing them live – it felt like a total out-of-body experience for me. That, paired with getting to actually meet them, was so awesome. They actually ended up being really chill and really cool people.” Ewald adds that he and his bandmates have become fast friends with The Front Bottoms, their fellow support act, whose trajectory from best-kept secret to cult emo heroes is not entirely unlike that of Modern Baseball’s. “When we were in college, we used to drive a couple of states over to Virginia to go to this thing called Stay Sweet Fest,” he says. “It was this three-day thing where something like 200 people would go and watch bands play in the back of a restaurant somewhere. One of those bands was The Front Bottoms, and we’d seen them a couple of years in a row. They really impressed us – and now they’re on tour with us and playing to 3,000 people who know every word to every one of their songs. It’s the coolest thing in the world.” Mid-2016 saw Modern Baseball release their third studio album, Holy Ghost. It’s since gone on to become one of the year’s most critically
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acclaimed LPs – and that’s not just within the immediate bubble of their genre, either. Although Ewald has agonised over details on the band’s previous albums – 2012’s Sports and 2014’s You’re Gonna Miss It All – he has a reserved confidence in what Modern Baseball have achieved on the latest record. “This was the first album in which we all wrote our own parts and we worked on every song together as a band before we went in to record,” he says. “The record’s been out for about six months now, and it still feels like something that we consciously created – something we achieved together. I haven’t had any moments where I wish I’d done something differently, which is definitely something that I’ve had to deal with upon listening back to records in the past. We’re still really excited about this record, and it’s been great to see so many people feeling the same way about it.” Holy Ghost is an album that makes full use of the band’s dual frontmen – Ewald and Brendan Lukens share lead vocals, guitar and lyric writing. This time around, the lyrical and vocal duties were neatly split between the record’s side A (Ewald) and side B (Lukens). In this case, it allowed for Ewald to serve – for half the record at least – as a cog in the proverbial wheel, as opposed to driving the car alone. It took a moment of adjustment, but the end results speak for themselves. “Before Holy Ghost, I used to write entire songs for the band,” he says. “I would write out parts, note for note, for everyone in the band, teach it to them and then critique them on how they were playing it. Ian [Farmer, bass] and I were always the ones that would record everything, too. Going into this record, I promised myself I would take a step back. By writing all the songs on this album together, as well as using an outside producer [Joe Reinhart], I feel like I was able to
achieve that. It gave me a chance to appreciate everyone’s talents and to let everyone do their own thing. This is my favourite Modern Baseball record – I’m really glad that I made those decisions and made this an equal experience for everyone involved.” After a rapid-fire Australian visit in April this year, which saw the band promptly sell out shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Modern Baseball are set to return over the New Year period, seeing out 2016 and welcoming in 2017 with appearances at Falls Festival. The Pennsylvanians are also set to play two headlining dates in Sydney and Melbourne with indie rock trio Camp Cope. The latter appeared at both of Modern Baseball’s last Melbourne shows, and a rapport was struck up straight away. “We’d heard good things about them, so it seemed like a no-brainer to ask them to play the show in Melbourne,” says Ewald. “Once we met them on a personal level, though, we hit it off instantly. They totally killed it – their songs are so special, and they have this special energy between the three of them. The songs feel very human and very vulnerable, as does the way that they play off one another. We fell in love with them for that, and as soon as we found out that we were coming back, they were the first band that we called. We’re really stoked.” What: Falls Festival 2016/17 With: Childish Gambino, London Grammar, The Avalanches, Violent Soho and many more Where: Lorne, Marion Bay and Byron Bay When: Wednesday December 28 – Monday January 2 And: Also appearing at the Metro Theatre on Wednesday January 4 More: Holy Ghost out now through Run For Cover/Cooking Vinyl
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blossom, Ne Obliviscaris have also made it to North America and through parts of Asia. “The idea was to try and branch out everywhere and anywhere that we could,” Charles says. “We had become a very established band in Australia, but we had only ever toured once internationally and that was a short Asian tour in 2013. So with the second album under our belts and with a bigger record label [Season Of Mist] handling Citadel, it gave us an opportunity to start looking to North America and Europe and India and Asia. And we’ve thankfully had opportunities now to tour to all of those places multiple times, which has been a very exciting couple of years.”
Bree Tranter photo by Bryce Jepson
A 24-month touring cycle is a demanding workload, exceeding Charles’ expectations at the tour’s outset. The band’s primary intentions, however, were always clear. “The main thing that we did know was that we really had to get to Europe and we really had to get to North America because we needed to give people an opportunity to see us play live,” says Charles. “We view ourselves as above all else a live act. We love making records, but the most fun thing about being in the band is doing the shows. So that’s something that we really wanted to give our fans across the world an opportunity to see.” The music of Ne Obliviscaris is hugely elaborate. The six interconnected compositions on Citadel are highly dependent on dynamic contrasts, with sections of hushed respite or ornate tranquillity leading into moments of intimidating aggression. It’s essential to illustrate this dynamic range in the live show, and the band confidently achieves this without having to employ surrogate technology. “We don’t really have any backing tracks. The only stuff we do, there’s a couple of string sections in ‘Painters Of The Tempest (Part II)’, a bunch of violins and cellos – we have them on a backing track – and I think there’s one third
guitar part in ‘Pyrrhic’ that we have. But aside from that, everything’s just played as is, live by us. It’s something that has never really been an issue because it’s always been a big priority within the band to make sure that everyone practises their parts as much as possible.” Integral to the Ne Obliviscaris live experience is sound engineer and producer Troy McCosker, the band’s unofficial seventh member. “He works with us as a producer on the albums,” says Charles. “So he helped us record Citadel and then comes out on the road with us, which means he’s able to give the audience a mix that is extremely similar to the album. That’s something that’s really important, because our music is complicated, and so if you don’t have a good front-of-house mix then it’s going to make it less enjoyable for the fans. That’s something we really prioritise so that everyone can have the same experience with the music but in a live setting with all that added energy, which hopefully makes it even better.” Ne Obliviscaris are also very particular about what gear they use in order to get the live show sounding just right. The equipment utilised on this tour has ensured that the sounds heard on record can be replicated. “Both of our guitarists are now touring with Fractal AX8s, so they don’t use traditional guitar amps and heads. They just tour with these Fractal AX8s and have all their sounds dialled into that, which means that no matter where we go we can have the same guitar tone coming out of the PA. The same with Brendan [Brown] our bassist; he has a DI so he doesn’t use an amp. I’ve just got a DI for my violin and a few pedals. Basically we have a completely selfcontained set-up.” With: The Ocean Where: Manning Bar When: Thursday December 1
Bree Tranter Night After Night By Benjamin Potter
“THE RECORD’S BEEN OUT FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS NOW, AND IT STILL FEELS LIKE SOMETHING THAT WE CONSCIOUSLY CREATED – SOMETHING WE ACHIEVED TOGETHER.”
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or any musician, the studio is a sacred place – an inspirational environment where ideas come into fruition and take fl ight with wings of their own, after days of hard work and dedication. What most will tell you, though, is that being on the move and changing studio spaces is not recommended – it can disrupt the creative process, which in turn can lead to delays, and ultimately writer’s block. But not for Sydney’s Bree Tranter, who for her stunning debut album Another Night On Earth had the privilege of recording in a whopping nine studios across Australia – something the young singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist regards as a blessing in disguise. “It’s not that I was intentionally trying to do that, it just kind of naturally happened,” she says. “I’d have a skeleton of a song and because I’m so blessed with having so many friends around me that are musicians, they’d just offer to help me write my album in their studio, and it was great because at that time I was producing the whole thing on my own. It’s cool that it’s not just me and is a collaborative effort from everyone I’ve met along the way. It opened me up much more musically and I’ve certainly had a lot of fun.” Another Night On Earth has spawned a new fl air in Tranter – a former member of the now-defunct Australian band The Middle East – featuring beautiful electronic production as well as live instrumentation under soulful vocal melodies and fl ute sections. While it’s scored her rotation on triple j and Double J, Tranter says she never intended for the album to be so electronic-based, but the collaborative efforts at the time just made so much sense. “It was a bit of a saga I guess. I decided unconsciously I would write and produce all the songs myself, but my housemate who does electronic music would always end up putting a beat and synth to it, and it just kind of worked every time. At that time I knew I didn’t really want to put out electronic music, and it was really all over the place, but I think that was all part of the fun and experimentation.
“I defi nitely didn’t think it would get picked up by any radio stations because it’s not a radio album at all. I’m not online enough to know how well the album is going or anything, but I’ve been completely surprised from everyone I’ve talked to, including strangers. It’s really been pleasant, and I love that people are accepting it and taking it in.” Between working extremely hard on her own material, Tranter also dedicates a large amount of her time to touring with Australian golden boy Matt Corby, whom she says was a massive infl uence on her album and has not only taught her how to mature as a musician, but how to mature personally following a tumultuous few years after the break-up of her former band. “I love working with Matt, he is really just a brilliant musician,” she says. “Being on the road all the time with him has taught me that it takes a lot of responsibility to be a leader. It’s kind of an interesting journey when you realise that this actually can be your job and you can tour the world and actually have money. I most certainly have changed as a person.” Tranter will embark on her first headline tour later this month, and is putting a massive emphasis on live instrumentation and trippy visuals from her own archives to connect the audience with her album’s core themes of love, sex and identity. “There’s going to be a full band lineup, which is exciting, and I’m putting together a live video I’ve created from footage I’ve taken from the last couple of years,” she says. “It’s all pretty personal, but I’ve tripped it out so it kind of gives the audience two things to feel while listening to music. I’m extremely excited.” What: Another Night On Earth out now through Gaga Digi With: Alby Where: Oxford Circus When: Thursday November 24
“I DEFINITELY DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD GET PICKED UP BY ANY RADIO STATIONS BECAUSE IT’S NOT A RADIO ALBUM AT ALL.” thebrag.com
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Billy Bragg & Joe Henry Cutting Tracks By Augustus Welby folk and blues standards recorded alongside American songwriter and producer Joe Henry. As the title implies, the album is made up of what Bragg refers to as “railroad songs”, including those written or popularised by Lead Belly, The Carter Family, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. It’s a covers album, which makes it even more unexpected considering Bragg’s long-standing affiliation with political activism and his punk rock approach to folk music. But he assures us that Shine A Light isn’t a harbinger of fading intent. “I think it’s very important when you’re doing a covers record that you bring another perspective,” Bragg says. “What’s the point of making art if you’re not going to offer a new perspective on something? That’s what’s always driven my songwriting. Whether it’s a love song or a political song, it doesn’t really matter; I’m trying to impart something that I can see that I don’t think anybody else has picked up on. “The most you can do with any art is send someone away with a different perspective. You can’t change things, but you can change people’s perspective.” The record is a stripped-back affair, featuring just two voices and two acoustic guitars. Correspondingly, Bragg and Henry haven’t vastly restructured any of the selected railroad songs, but their overarching ambitions are quite pointed.
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n September this year, Billy Bragg received the Spirit Of Americana/ Free Speech In Music Award at the Americana Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s undoubtedly a big honour for anyone, and particularly
so for a British musician. But Bragg’s suitability for the award couldn’t be denied. He’s perhaps best known for his contemporary protest songs, while his admiration of American folk icons Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan
has never been a secret. Additionally, his 2013 LP Tooth & Nail was conspicuously indebted to Americana and country music. However, Bragg’s Englishness has
long been a significant aspect of his artistic identity. So, Americana award aside, it would’ve be hard to foresee his latest release, Shine A Light: Field Recordings From The Great American Railroad – a collection of 13 American
“A lot of the songs we recorded are songs that people are vaguely familiar with – ‘Midnight Special’ and ‘Waiting For A Train’ – but it’s a long time since anyone’s brought them back into the light and said, ‘Look, there’s another
Car Seat Headrest Teenage Dreams By Joseph Earp less conscious process,” he says in his deep, slow rumble. “I’m just generating material without thinking about it too much – just trying to make it sound good. But when I’m writing lyrics, it’s more of a mental process. I’m thinking about the larger strokes and what I want to be saying.” To that end, Teens Of Denial, released early this year, is a diligently and obsessively constructed work: every single one of the record’s multicoloured tracks was planned out long in advance. “My original vision of it was achieved, which I think is one of the reasons why it took so long to make,” Toledo says. “It took almost three years from when I finished the last record [Nervous Young Man] and when I finished Teens Of Denial. “I knew that I wanted it to be this classic rock record,” he continues. “I wanted shorter songs with simpler arrangements than I had been working on previously. So it just took quite a long time to generate the kind of content that I wanted to fit with that. I had to get used to a new way of working. This one in particular was one where … the strictness of those limitations meant it took a while to fi nish.”
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ill Toledo makes music the way the rest of us eat and sleep: daily, as though doing so is the most natural thing in the world. Despite the fact he has only released two studio albums under
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the Car Seat Headrest moniker, to take a trip over to his Bandcamp page is to stumble down an overstuffed rabbit hole, and he has a dizzyingly packed back catalogue of self-released records.
Given how long he’s been playing this particular game, it’s perhaps understandable that he talks about his writing process with consideration and care. He is a man who thinks a lot about his work, and even though
he argues his approach to writing melody is free-form, he has a deep understanding of the way his own brain operates. “For me, making music is sort of a
Though it would be a stretch to describe Teens Of Denial as a concept record, it does feature a named character, ‘Joe’, and it mines Toledo’s usual thematic territory – getting drunk, feeling lonely, depression and anxiety – within a more precise framework. “There’s definitely an overarching concept to it,” Toledo agrees. “I try to design all of my records like that, to a
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“THE MOST YOU CAN DO WITH ANY ART IS SEND SOMEONE AWAY WITH A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.” way of looking at this,’” says Bragg. “These aren’t some dusty things on a shelf. This railroad is still here, still functions. We’re trying to say to people, ‘This is really still there. You can still do this.’ Because the Americans don’t really think so much about riding on the trains.” Midway through the 20th century, cars supplanted trains as the primary means of transportation in America. Owning a car is viewed as a symbol of freedom, but in Bragg’s reckoning, the advent of the car was far less significant than the introduction of the train. “The railroad obviously played a huge part in connecting their country,” he says. “It connected the disparate parts of the United States of America in a way that was perhaps more transformational than any other technology that has come since – much more than the internet. The internet connects us, telephones connect us, but the physical connections of the railroad – coming after millennia where people could only travel as fast as a horse could gallop or a ship could sail – that transformation [was far greater].” Along with successfully recontextualising the source material, there’s a great narrative behind the making of Shine A Light. Bragg and Henry recorded it during a threeday cross-country rail journey from Chicago to Los Angeles, cutting tracks on the train platform, in station halls and inside train carriages. It’s an admirable creative approach – the musician’s equivalent of method acting – but more importantly it’s resulted in a compelling 13-track album that plays like a united body of work. “People only listen to tracks now, and
we wanted to take people on a journey with the album,” Bragg says. “The vinyl is a gatefold sleeve and it has a map in the middle of it. We wanted people to get on with us in Chicago and stay with us all the way until the end – to listen to the album in its entirety, not just listen to a track here and a track there.” Not only does the record have an impressive sonic quality, highlighting the complementary dynamic between the two folkies’ voices, but the ambience provided by the recording locations enhances the impact. “What you’re hearing on the record is the environment that we’re in,” says Bragg. “If you listen closely on headphones, never mind the extraneous noises, I think you can actually hear the space that we’re in. When we’re on the train recording ‘Lonesome Whistle’, you can hear the padded sleeper car. You can hear when we’re in El Paso that we’re in a cathedral of a railroad station. You can hear Alpine is a large room, the waiting room there. “We had a mic each and we faced each other as we sang, but then we had another two mics at right angles to us that were picking up the environmental sounds and that was really, really important.” What: Shine A Light: Field Recordings From The Great American Railroad out now through Cooking Vinyl Where: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House When: Wednesday April 19 And: Also appearing at Bluesfest 2017, Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Thursday April 13 – Monday April 17
“IT’S BEEN A VERY EVENTFUL YEAR FOR ME, SO THAT MEANS THERE’S BEEN LOTS TO WRITE ABOUT.” degree. Both musically with themes that I repeat, and lyrically as well. There’s a little bit of a narrative to it, I think, even if it’s just a mental or conceptual one. It’s a year in a life, and it’s definitely got that specific structure to it.” Such an approach is markedly different to Toledo’s label debut, Teens Of Style, a sort of ‘best of’ collection in which the musician re-recorded versions of songs he had put out independently over the years. “That one was a little looser, but stitching all the songs together, I did try to generate a cohesiveness to it,” he says. “There are lyrical changes that reflect that – the record was about me just getting into the music industry and experiencing it for the first time. It was a crossroads for me, that record. There’s a conceptual link on that record: it’s about feeling both the aged quality of the older material and looking on towards something.” Indeed, Toledo says the machinations of the music industry have affected a lot of what he does these days. “My career has changed in general, which has affected the way that I write,” he says. “I try not to let it change my artistic ideas, my ideas of what art should be. But, I mean, I think artists should try and write something appropriate to the phase of career that they’re in. Now I’m kind of in a boom time, so my writing is reflecting that and I’m working with an intentional commercial appeal right now. It seems like a good time for that. “Actually, this month I’ve been working on a couple of radio edits. I just did a radio edit for [Teens Of Denial’s] ‘Drunk Drivers’ and we’ll
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Mýa Ex-Lives By David James Young
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round the turn of the century, an influx of new pop sensations made their way into the collective consciousness in a blaze of boob tubes, bellbottoms and tilted hats. Once such performer was Mýa Marie Harrison – known mononymously by her forename – who cemented a place on 2000s nostalgia playlists to come thanks to the biting ‘Case Of The Ex’ and an appearance as part of the ensemble cast reworking ‘Lady Marmalade’ for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, alongside Pink, Christina Aguilera and Lil’ Kim. Harrison was barely out of her teens at the height of her popularity, having originally been discovered at the tender age of 16. This inevitably leaves one wondering how the former major label pop star navigates the music from her past at age 37, long after her initial spotlight faded away. “I own every song that I’ve put out,” Harrison says. “Everything I’ve said in any song I’ve sung – even stuff that was written for me – resonates with me now. I make it my own. It comes from a real place, whether it was three years ago or 18 years ago. It means so much more, because when you live life you experience all these different things. I am more of a woman onstage now, and that surfaces more now than when I was a teenager. The things I talk about in my songs – I’ve actually lived it. I’m better as a person and as an artist for that. Nothing is choreographed or directed by someone else. Everything’s just natural.” For those unaware, Harrison has spent the last seven years working as an independent artist. As the head of her own label, Planet 9, she has released several EPs, mixtapes and albums – including Smoove Jones, her seventh studio album, which was released on Valentine’s Day this year. Despite an influx of recent activity, Mýa still constantly finds herself part of various ‘whatever happened to…’ listicles and online galleries. Although she
understands how these things happen, her primary goal is to focus on getting her new music out there. “Initially, it was hard for me to digest,” she confesses. “You have to understand that I’m doing all of this without radio support or television support – which is very expensive, by the way. Major labels take care of all of that sort of thing. People always get this idea that you’ve quit – they’ll ask, ‘Are you married now? How many kids do you have?’ None of it’s true, of course. It just comes down to perception – out of sight, out of mind. The reality is that I’ve been working harder now than ever before. Rather than get angry at anyone who approaches me and asks me where I’ve been, I just pull a CD out of my purse and give it to them. I know it comes from a good place – they hit me up on Instagram or Twitter the next day and they’re loving what I’ve shown them. I’m glad to have them back!” Since Harrison’s independent detour, another generation of pop artists have made themselves known in the 2010s. Among them are a myriad of young women who were likely in their tweens or even younger when ‘Case Of The Ex’ was the number one song in the world. When asked if she sees herself in any contemporary pop singers, Harrison avoids naming names. Rather, she empathises with their scenario – noting, in particular, that the ride doesn’t stop once you’ve dropped off the charts. “I know what it’s like to be unsure of who you are as a very young woman, as a teenager, watching the world watch you,” she says. “I see that among many females, and it’s a long journey. You have to give yourself patience. I’m in my 30s, but I’m still growing. It’s an ever-evolving process. You have to be very careful in the world of celebrity and pop music, especially in relation to promoting something – as far as your personal life goes, you have to learn to separate the two. This career holds a lot of
“I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE UNSURE OF WHO YOU ARE AS A VERY YOUNG WOMAN, AS A TEENAGER, WATCHING THE WORLD WATCH YOU.” responsibility, and that’s something that you might not even be aware of at such a young age. The image that you project has the potential to change some young person’s life forever.” This week sees Harrison returning to Australia as a part of the RnB Fridays tour, which has sold out arenas across the country. In addition, she will be performing as part of a triple-header bill that features her tour mates in Blackstreet and 112. Along with veterans like Nelly and TLC making appearances, it’s guaranteed to be one of the biggest parties to hit the country in a long time – and Harrison could not be happier to be returning. “It’s going to be a bit like a family reunion for a lot of us,” she says. “Some of us have actually toured together and worked together in the past, so it’s going to be great to see everyone. All of the acts on the bill are such great performers – to share the stage with them is truly such a treat for me. I finally made it out about four or five years ago, and we had a ball. Every time I’ve come back, it’s been even better. I’m really looking forward to this run.” What: RnB Fridays With: Nelly, TLC, 112, Blackstreet and more Where: Qudos Bank Arena When: Friday November 18 And: Also appearing at RnB Live, Enmore Theatre, Wednesday November 23 More: Smoove Jones out now through Planet 9
see what happens with that. It’s just about exploring ways of intersecting art with a more commercial project. That’s something that has been interesting me more lately.” Ultimately, such alterations to his writing style haven’t at all affected his productivity. To talk to Toledo is to talk to a man who is finally getting paid well for something he would do for free. “Generating the content hasn’t been the problem,” he says. “It’s been a very eventful year for me, so that means there’s been lots to write about. “I mean, the lifestyle in general has been kind of exhausting. When I’m on tour I’m just thinking about when I can get back to Seattle, and when I’m back in Seattle I’m thinking about the next time I go on tour. I mean, in some ways it’s actually more stressful being at home ’cause I’ve always got a lot of planning and little things to deal with.” He laughs, perhaps remembering all the shit he’s currently meant to be doing. “I’ve got emails, and flights to book and hotels to book. When I’m on tour I can let it slide a little more.” What: Laneway Festival 2017 With: Glass Animals, Tame Impala, Whitney, Sampa The Great and many more Where: Sydney College of the Arts When: Saturday February 4 And: Also appearing at Oxford Art Factory on Wednesday January 25 More: Teens Of Denial out now through Matador/Remote Control
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Blow A Breath Of Fresh Air By Anna Wilson
B
low’s lead guitarist Claude Poffandi is a deeply passionate man who conveys nothing but charisma and ardent love for his band, his music and pure Aussie pub rock. Blow are all about playing music and having fun, and since 2005, where other groups in the genre have come and gone, they’ve been keeping on strong with tradition. “When we got this together, it wasn’t really about being a party band, rocking it and whatever,” says Poffandi. “It developed for me with people’s yearning for writing, for originals, and the band got its own sound and things developed from there. “Some of us came through that pub rock era, just out of school and playing all those gigs, and that’s the way things were done. We were doing covers, starting to get itchy, because if you were a creative sort of person you wrote some songs. I guess we’re doing it the way bands used to do it.” Even when they’re performing other people’s songs, they still manage to put a personal twist on them – as Poffandi describes them, Blow are an original band that plays covers. “Everything we do, we ‘blow’ – as in we don’t just play the songs, it becomes us. If we do ‘Superstition’, it’ll not be how Stevie Wonder plays. You’ve gotta work – we’re not one of these bands that sits back.”
of where the places are,” says Poffandi. “But that’s not to say that we don’t appeal to the younger ones. As a matter of fact, I play in a duo with my 26-year-old son; his age group has acquired a taste for the sort of stuff that we play, like The Doors and that.
And it’s that personal spin and the hard work they put in that gets Blow’s fans going, bringing people from all ages to their shows. “[The audiences] vary from mid-to-late 30s to 60s, but generally because
“The delight we’ve had playing these gigs, putting our songs in it, is that people keep dancing, people keep singing along with it, and that was a big thing for us – we love that we can put hooks in our songs, that
people can sing choruses and that sort of thing. It fits into the classic rock thing quite easily.” Blow have carried their version of the classic rock sound onto their new record, When I’m Gone, under the direction of renowned producer Steve James. The collaboration was a fruitful one, says Poffandi. “Steve doesn’t do stuff if he doesn’t wanna do stuff, so we were delighted – we started off with a few songs and once he got into it,
he’s done a fantastic job and the album sounds great, we’re very blessed to have him on board. Steve brought out the songs the way they should be out there; he was able to capture what we were trying to do and it was along the ideas of what he had. Sometimes you sit there and it’s good because he says it’s the way it always should have sounded, it’s how we pictured it in our minds. “When you write a song and start working it into a band, it has a
The Settlement
certain sound as a band, then by the time you get to the time where it’s put down, the mixing can make it or break it sometimes. With Steve, he made our songs sound how we wanted them to sound.” What: When I’m Gone out now through MGM Where: Sharkies Leagues Club / South Hurstville RSL When: Saturday November 26 / Saturday December 3
“TRYING TO WRITE TO A GENRE OR TRYING TO STAY RELEVANT TO A SCENE … IT ISN’T HONEST.”
This Is Not A Love Song By Joseph Earp
That kind of honesty is particularly evident throughout ‘She’s Alright’, which combines wormy pop hooks and touchingly open lyrics – it doesn’t try to hide behind anything, and wears its heart plainly on its sleeve. And yet despite the song’s romantic overtones, Calvano stresses that it isn’t a love song. “It’s more of a battle between your little angel and little devil, and how when someone special comes along they can squash that little devil,” he explains. “So the song reflects on some of the wilder times and how things have changed.”
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drian Calvano has taken a bit of a beating recently. Not on the creative front, mind you – his work with his band The Settlement has been championed by critics, and audiences are lapping up the group’s latest single ‘She’s Alright’, a rollicking slice of tunage designed to get feet stomping and heads nodding clean off their necks come the band’s national tour. So no, on that front, things are absolutely aces. Calvano’s scrapes are more literal than artistic: the musician
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is currently nursing his own very distinct set of wounds, and it’s driving him ever so slightly mad. “I’m still recovering from broken ribs and a punctured lung,” he says. “It’s really giving me the shits.” One can see why. And yet such is the Victorian’s very obvious enthusiasm for his art, if there’s one muso who can battle through wounds in order to hit the road, it’s him. The Settlement isn’t just some casual project – it’s Calvano’s driving force, and has been an important creative outlet for him since 2013.
Unlike the musicians who stumble into their profession, Calvano has been drawn to performance and song since he was young. “Ever since I can remember, music and the people who create it have absolutely captivated me,” he says. “When I was young, during the day, Ma would be spinning Creedence, Dylan, The Stones… then, during the evening, Dad would sit and play his squeeze box, playing everything from The Beatles to old Italian standards.” Such a broad mix of influences is reflected in The Settlement’s sound
– the band is hard to pigeonhole, and Calvano’s tunes buck easy categorisation. That distinct strand of genre hybridisation isn’t accidental either, and Calvano is at pains to stress that he and his collaborators avoid taking direct cues from specific musical categories or performers. “That’s been a trap in the past,” he says. “Trying to write to a genre or trying to stay relevant to a scene – yeah, you might produce something catchy and grab a spin on some mainstream radio, but it isn’t honest.”
‘She’s Alright’ represents a sweet taste of The Settlement’s upcoming album, and though Calvano won’t be pushed into a specific date, fans of the band should prepare for an exciting 2017, particularly come, say, February. Wink wink. “Some of the songs on the album have been written for five years,” says Calvano. “Others were written in the studio. We’ve been working with the team at Footstomp Music and the rumour is the album could be dropping February 2017 with a tour organised by our agent Will [Watson].” Until then, Calvano will be at home, nursing his wounds, writing his songs and dreaming, slaving away towards a future that he feels is both difficult to attain and yet utterly essential to everything he wants out of life. “My dream is to make music my full-time job but at the moment that just ain’t possible,” he laughs. “Unless I go and play covers every weekend.” Where: Leadbelly When: Friday November 25
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BRAG’s guide to film, theatre, comedy and art about town
arts in focus
artbank social club
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up close and personal also inside:
SPIEGEL'ESQUE / KHALED KHALAFALLA / ARTS NEWS / ARTS GIVEAWAY / ARTS REVIEWS thebrag.com
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arts in focus
free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Harriet Flitcroft, Ariana Norton and David Burley
five minutes WITH
ANGELIQUE CASSIMATIS FROM MACK AND MABEL And Mabel beforehand, only that it has an amazing score by Jerry Herman (‘I Won’t Send Roses’, ‘Wherever He Ain’t’, ‘Time Heals Everything’, ‘Look What Happened To Mabel’). It’s very exciting to get to sing those amazing songs – who doesn’t love a big old-school belt number! Add some super exciting oldschool tap dancing and you’ve got something pretty special.
start that it won’t be what she truly wants. But I guess it’s that age-old story about always wanting the thing you can’t have. Did you ever harbour dreams as a youngster of growing up to perform in a show set in Hollywood’s golden age? I absolutely love that era of music! I didn’t know much about Mack
DYSMORPHIA PLAYGROUND
We live in a world surrounded by advertisements of impossible bodies, and Alun Rhys Jones’ new exhibition brings this issue into focus via his highly detailed charcoal drawings. His images of youthful, athletic male bodies are drawn onto shopping bags, where they inevitably fold and crumple, morphing and distorting the depictions. Jones graduated from the National Art School in 2011 and has continued to make his mark all over the world in public and private collections since then. His new exhibition, Dysmorphia Playground, will challenge the fashion industry’s constant push for perfection in a skilful display from a homegrown talent. The exhibition opens on Thursday November 24 at the Kensington Contemporary Art Gallery and will run until Sunday January 22.
DOUBLE BARD BILL
Montague Basement, the young and fresh theatre company that sprung from the minds of Imogen Gardam and Saro Lusty-Cavallari, will stage two iconic works: Macbeth (directed
by Lusty-Cavallari) and The Taming Of The Shrew (directed by Caitlin West). Both will feature leads Hannah Cox and Robert Boddington in what the company hopes to be an exciting and fresh take on perceived gender norms in Shakespeare’s plays. The venue for the double bill will be the PACT Centre For Emerging Artists from Wednesday November 30 – Saturday December 10.
What’s on your schedule for 2017? This is the first time in a while I have no idea what I’m doing next, but I guess that’s part of the fun of this industry. Some months you have absolutely nothing then all of a sudden something pops up.
BAD SANTA 2
Billy Bob Thornton is back as the anti-hero Willie Soke in Bad Santa 2, which opens in cinemas on Thursday November 24. Also starring is legendary comedian Kathy Bates as Willie’s mother Sunny, joining him and angry sidekick Marcus (Tony Cox) in their salacious behaviour. Christina Hendricks is the cherry on the cake as Prim, the object of Willie’s affections. To celebrate the release of Bad Santa 2, we’ve got 20 in-season double passes to give away. If this sounds like your kind of prize, head on over to thebrag.com/ freeshit.
What: Mack And Mabel Where: Hayes Theatre Co. When: Friday November 18 – Sunday December 18
Mack And Mabel photo © Kurt Sneddon
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ell us about the romance at the heart of Mack And Mabel. It’s definitely a complicated one. On one side you have Mabel, who wears her heart on her sleeve, and on the other side you have Mack, who’s very closed-off emotionally. Mabel chooses to pursue this relationship with Mack even though she knows from the
Mack And Mabel was nominated for eight Tony Awards when it first opened. Is it difficult to bring a new flavour to such a well-known show? It’s a big challenge, but with our director Trevor Ashley and choreographer Cameron Mitchell leading the way, I think this production will hit all the right notes. The show itself comes so beautifully off the page, so I think that we’re being as true to that as possible, but we’re also finding a great balance of adding new interpretations and clever ways of restaging classic numbers.
You’ve been on the musical theatre scene for several years now. How strong is musical theatre in Australia today? I feel musical theatre is getting a little bit more popular in Australia, especially with the increasing amount of shows that are being produced and the great talent that we are producing here. I don’t think it will ever be competing directly with the football, but we’re building a very dedicated following.
THE LION’S ROAR Sir David Attenborough
PINNED BUT NOT DEFEATED
Mixed media artist Susan O’Doherty is preparing a new exhibition, Pinned To The Wall, to highlight domestic violence and inequality within the family. By using discarded domestic items, she hopes to stimulate important conversations about family dynamics. O’Doherty aims to put a face to the name and stories to the statistics by humanising everyday objects. Three years in the making, this collection will tell a story as you move through it, as the facade slips and the home becomes a darker place. It runs from Wednesday November 23 – Sunday December 4 at Spot 81 Gallery, Chippendale.
The St. George OpenAir Cinema will commence for the summer on Saturday January 7 with Lion, which won massive acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara, Lion is directed by Emmy-nominated Australian filmmaker Garth Davis and tells the true story of a lost boy adopted in Kolkata, who is taken over to Australia. Years later, he heads back to India to find his family. The full program will be released on Monday December 5, and the cinema season will run until Friday February 17. Calamity Jane
The Testament Of Mary
A NATURAL TREASURE
The man with the golden voice, Sir David Attenborough, will appear in Sydney for two special dates next year. His Sir David Attenborough – A Quest For Life show will cover a career dedicated to the natural world, the changes he has witnessed since first fi lming Zoo Quest in the 1950s right up until today, and the environmental challenges the world now faces. The shows will see Attenborough appear in conversation with renowned Australian broadcaster Ray Martin at the State Theatre on Wednesday February 8 and Thursday February 9.
MARY’S LAST TESTAMENT
The first show on the bill for Sydney Theatre Company in 2017 is The Testament Of Mary, a reworking of one of the oldest stories from Irish author Colm Tóibín. Nominated for the Booker Prize three times, Tóibín has received outstanding reviews across the board for his work. In this Australian premiere, Mary witnesses the crucifixion of her son and years later lives alone, pondering on life, water and wine, and her loss. Alison Whyte (Travelling North, Love And Information) will star, with Imara Savage (who directed this year’s Hay Fever) at the helm for her first show as the resident director with the company. The Testament Of Mary plays Friday January 13 – Saturday February 25 at STC’s Wharf 1 Theatre.
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Milingimbi artists are being recognised at the Art Gallery of New South Wales this summer. Back in the 1950s, a group of artists based on the island of Milingimbi, just off Arnhem Land, produced exquisite art that captured the essence of the land, sea and sky. Now, this new exhibition refl ects the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Curator Cara Pinchbeck has worked closely in conjunction with Milingimbi elders to identify and classify pieces and give the community the chance to reclaim its culture and pass it on to future generations. Take it in at the gallery until Sunday January 29.
Legendary frontierswoman, notorious daredevil and profane storyteller, Calamity Jane is an instantly recognisable and integral part of the legend of the Wild West. With irrepressible spunk and a fierce disregard for gender expectations that was centuries ahead of her time, Calamity has captivated audiences for decades – and she’s coming to Sydney in March. Directed by Richard Carroll (Side Show), the reimagining of Calamity Jane stars Virginia Gay (TV’s All Saints and Winners & Losers; Hayes Theatre Co.’s High Society) as the rough-and-tumble heroine. Audiences can expect an unruly and unpredictable ride as they’re immersed in the ridiculous world of raucous spontaneity and the Golden Garter Saloon. Calamity Jane will play at Hayes Theatre Co. from Wednesday March 8 – Saturday April 1.
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The Testament of Mary photo by James Green
FROM THE TOP END
CALAMITY STRIKES
arts in focus
Artbank Social Club
FEATURE
[VISUAL ART] An Open Day For The Arts By Anna Wilson
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riginally established as a support and leasing program for Australian artists, Artbank is at the forefront of the contemporary art sector in this country, providing direct benefits to local talent through the acquisition of their work and promoting the value of homegrown art to the broader public. Since 1980, Artbank has built a phenomenal collection of Australian artworks, and today it’s a crucial (albeit unsung) institution in an otherwise challenging era for the arts.
Artbank Social Club’s expansion will see the introduction of a new flea market initiative to its program at Waterloo. It’s a novel rethinking of the open studio concept, allowing the public to interact directly with emerging Aussie talent, and creating a unique marketplace. “For the flea market, we have curators based in Melbourne and Sydney, so we could get a representative mix, drawing artists from every state and territory,” Stephens explains.
Director Tony Stephens explains the organisation’s goals. “Back in 1980, we were gifted 600 works from the national collection and have now grown to have a collection of 10,000 artworks from around the world,” he says. “For works we acquire into our collection, we have a team internally who research and make recommendations for acquisitions, obtaining between 200 and 400 artworks a year.
Don’t be fooled into thinking Artbank Social Club will be another stuffy meet of gin-and-tonic-swilling members of the old boys’ club, or of 20-something hipsters finding the chic in the obscure. The Social Club offers art for all, building on Artbank’s service of engagement. “We call it a flea market and that’s so people understand it’s not an event where you’re standing around sipping champagne,” says Stephens. “This is an event where everyone can come, where artists can engage – some will perform, speak, and offer workshops and such, all while having things from their studios they want to sell.”
“Artbank was built on the idea of being a support program and we’ve gotten a little something of everything – the collection represents every form of visual arts practised, with indigenous art making up 20 per cent of our collection.” Artbank’s modus operandi involves acquiring works by living Australian artists, and making those works available to the general public through lease. All fees go back into supporting those artists. In order to spread the word on what Artbank does, it holds an annual event in Sydney; an opportunity to showcase Australian art in an accessible and engaging manner for the artists and the public alike. The festivities also include a food truck, a pop-up bar, a garden party and vintage tunes from Rolling Records. “Artbank Social Club is our open day,” says Stephens. “It’s a way to engage people in Australian art, making it accessible – our [Social Club] collection is some of the more democratic. You can come in and see work you like and take it home for as little as $160 a year. “The Social Club is in its fourth year, and we’ve been playing with concepts and expanding more to see what its potential is – 32 artists are given a voice in how they’re represented, they decided what they’re going to display and get people involved in.”
Tony Stephens
Indeed, Artbank and its Social Club offer a wonderful opportunity for exposure for artists from around the country. Stephens reaffirms that the eclectic representation of works Artbank has acquired across its history has often led directly to a successful result for the artists in question, some of whom have even made the transition into the mainstream. “Our collection represents every artist that has been in practice for the last 35 years – Del Kathryn Barton, Ben Quilty, they’re all in our collection,” he says. “Past names include John Brack, all in our collection – over the years we’ve acquired things early in their careers and we’ve continued to follow them to acquire work.” The wave of fresh talent at this year’s Artbank Social Club really will feature the broadest range of mediums and people, with visionary artists like Amala Groom and Nicole Monks, OK Yeah Cool Great (Anna McMahon and Kate Beckingham), Big Ego Books (Emily Hunt and Raquel Caballero), Brad Harkin, Steaphan Paton and Chantal Fraser all set to interact with everyone from art connoisseurs to passers-by. After working with masses of artists over the years, Stephens still
“IT’S A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE ARTISTS IN A PARTICULAR WAY. WE’RE NERVOUSLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THE RESULTS ARE GOING TO BE.” anticipates fresh ideas and exciting new things at Artbank events. “I don’t like to pick favourites; I’m excited for all of them,” he says. “I think it’s a unique opportunity to see artists in a particular way. We’re nervously excited about what the results are going to be – it’s a little unexpected and a little bit fun as well. Tony Stephens photo by Alana Dimou
“The Artbank events we do are really for everyone. We want to break down barriers, we want to encourage people to engage in whatever way they want to experience art, in a fresh and equal way.” What: Artbank Social Club 2016 Where: 222 Young Street, Waterloo When: Saturday November 19
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arts in focus
Spiegel’esque [CABARET] Mirror Mirror On The Wall By Joseph Earp
I
t’s never easy for a performer to find themselves overshadowed by a co-star, but one can imagine that pain might feel particularly acute when the scene-stealer in question is completely inanimate. That’s the predicament veteran performer Wayne Scott Kermond is currently mired in, thanks to his involvement in a multi-disciplinary cabaret performance named Spiegel’esque, due to hit Sydney this month. Sure, Kermond might have a rich theatrical background and years of experience, but he’s got nothing on the 97-year-old venue he’s going to be performing in. The Spiegel Zelt has survived a world war and years of theatrical wear and tear, imbuing it with a rich sense of history. “I worked in her … for the first time two years ago,” says Kermond of his illustrious co-star. “I’m looking forward to going back to working in her again. She’s a very special venue. “Being a Spiegel Zelt, she’s actually a mirrored tent,” he explains. “She has a wonderful history of courting. Many years ago, when young people were courting, they weren’t actually allowed to have eye contact. The Spiegel Zelt was a lovely way of young people meeting each other and they could look at each other in the mirror rather than looking at each other directly.”
Though the show juggles a range of theatrical styles, incorporating
“It’s good in a way, because it helps us to create a theme,” Kermond says. “Obviously the Zelt is a beautiful old tent, so we try to work within those parameters. People who walk into the tent will obviously be taken up by the ambience and the history and how beautiful the look of the tent is. So we try and enhance that with the show and try to take people back to that time period. People of that time would have enjoyed the tent and seen cabaret of that period – we draw on that. “Of course, we also create a contemporary feel too. But we want to utilise the romance and the history. So it is an experience, not only for people walking in and experiencing the tent, but also the way in which the show will reflect that history. We work from that. That makes it kind of easy in a way.” For Kermond, the mix of old and new styles also serves as a touching nod to his own personal history, adding a vague sense of autobiography to the performance. “My family were all brought up through that whole vaudeville variety cabaret era, coming through the ’30s through to now,” he says. “There was a lot of change in the theatres, while working in cabaret through the ’50s and ’60s and in nightclubs. I went through a little bit of that history with my parents, touring and working with them. I try and utilise all those experiences and bring them to the show.” What: Spiegel’esque Where: Spiegel Zelt, Leichhardt When: From Wednesday November 23
“PEOPLE WHO WALK INTO THE TENT WILL OBVIOUSLY BE TAKEN UP BY THE AMBIENCE AND THE HISTORY AND HOW BEAUTIFUL THE LOOK OF THE TENT IS.”
Khaled Khalafalla [COMEDY] Cheek To Cheek By Joseph Earp
K
haled Khalafalla is a lot of things: he’s a stand-up comic, an actor and an award-winning cultural commentator. He is also, by his own admission, most resoundingly not a morning person, and the pre-9am timeslot selected for his interview with the BRAG means he has to wake up earlier than he might normally. Even more unfortunately, it’s the second time in the space of a week that his sleep schedule has been disrupted by bloody media types. “I was in Adelaide yesterday, and I was staying with Amos Gill, another comic,” Khalafalla says, chirpy despite the hour of the call. “He’s one of the breakfast hosts on the radio. And because he does breakfasts, he’s always waking up at 4am and doing the shift till eight. So, because I was staying at his house I had this thought where I was like, ‘Ah fuck, I better wake up when he wakes up.’ It was Saturday and I was like, ‘If he wakes up at four usually, his sleep-in will be early – six or seven.’
A lot of Khalafalla’s comedy relies on a very specific persona, one he has written and honed over the years – the fact his new show is titled Jerk may well give newcomers to his craft an insight into the belligerent nature of his onstage character. And yet Khalafalla argues that performing in this way fulfils a desire more primal than creative.
“IT’S THE OLD ADAGE THAT YOU CAN’T BE CREATIVE WITH A GUN HELD TO YOUR HEAD. BUT THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT COMEDY IS.”
“So I kept waking up periodically, checking to see if he was awake too. I had this horrible sleep from six till like nine. And then finally he woke up at like midday. I was like, ‘Dude! I thought you’d be up at six?’” Khalafalla laughs. “But he says he has this amazing ability to force his body to sleep. He just resists waking up. You’ve just got to fool your body into not waking up – it’s like a hack.” Even though Khalafalla might not feel 100 per cent early in the morning, he certainly talks like a man very much awake. It doesn’t take long before the comic is keenly examining his own craft, reflecting on the bizarre contrast between the hours comedians have to put into their work 20 :: BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16
and the finished product, a fluid, seemingly casual work of art. “What does it look like to work hard writing jokes?” Khalafalla asks. “It’s a paradox. What does it look like working hard at something that is fun? It’s the old adage that you can’t be creative with a gun held to your head. But that’s exactly what comedy is.”
“Sometimes I wonder whether it’s a basic human social need to mimic,” he says. “Or just to pretend. Comics are hyper-aware of the characters that they play every day. That doesn’t mean that they’re the only people who do it. Everyone does it, they just don’t realise it when they do it. Like, when someone goes to work, they’re a different person in the office than they are when they are at home.”
The wearing of such a mask requires constant adjustment, something that Khalafalla makes look seamless. “As I get better, a lot of the audience members can’t tell, but I feel that every time I get up onstage, I’m a different person,” he says. “Sometimes I’ll be like, ‘I’ll try this, maybe that will make me more comfortable?’ Or like, ‘No, I’ll try this.’ It’s about constantly readjusting your butt on a seat.” He laughs again. “Everyone’s looking at this seat I’m sitting on like, ‘Wow, that looks really comfortable.’ But when nobody’s looking I’m just constantly reshuffling one butt cheek to another.” Where: The Comedy Store When: Saturday November 26
thebrag.com
Spiegel’esque photo © Paramount Studios
Kermond isn’t only set to act as the show’s MC, he’s also Spiegel’esque’s producer, and though there are many who might find the juggling of both onstage and offstage roles difficult, Kermond is an old hand who has adapted to such pressures with a genuine ease. “We’re currently doing quite a lot of pre-production,” he says. “We’re still writing and we’re still learning. Particularly in terms of producing the show, it’s obviously quite demanding. But that’s the fun of it. That’s part of the challenge.”
dance, cabaret and comedy, Spiegel’esque is saved from being a total mish-mash by its incorporation of a strong thematic through-line. That’s where the Zelt comes in, yet again – the venue has deeply informed the production’s mix of the old and the new.
arts reviews ■ Film
THE FOUNDER In cinemas Thursday November 24 The n er, the latest creation from director John Lee Hancock, sees us journey through the rise of the most pervasive food empire the world has ever seen, McDonald’s. Smack bang in the midst of it all is the story of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) and how this over-the-hill, 52-year-old milkshake machine salesman conquered more territory than the Roman Empire. McDonald’s now makes over US$25 billion a year, and The n er shows how one man’s persistence set all the burgers in motion. Well, kinda – we’ll get into that. The film opens with Kroc failing to sell milkshake machines, before we’re swiftly taken through his contact with Dick and Maurice McDonald, who have just opened a revolutionary new BBQ restaurant in San Bernardino called McDonald’s.
■ Theatre
MY FATHER’S LEFT TESTICLE Reviewed at the Depot Theatre on Thursday November 10 In light of the last few days, it may feel to those on the progressive side of politics that we’ve seen and heard enough; that our fragile, empathetic hearts couldn’t possibly take another blow. Balls to that, say Murray Lambert and co., blustering in on a tragicomic dervish so galling that, had its knife-edge gallows humour not been performed with such commitment and skill, would shred the soul completely. A boatload of Australian refugees is found taking on water in the national waters of a new land, and its passengers are quickly tossed into ‘Camp Assimilation’, a processing facility for new arrivals. But before our heroes reach that dreaded place, we are introduced to the country’s parliament and the gaudy, overt physicality of commedia-style clowning. The air of the recently departed Dario Fo hovers close over proceedings – the grand old provocateur would surely smile to see his style so cleverly applied to contemporary issues. So, too, is Antonin Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty invoked; arguably a necessity. Lambert and his cast lure in an unsuspecting crowd with flippantry and buffoonery before slamming them with harsh expressions of abject emotion. “If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry,” remarks Matthew Lausch early in the play, setting the stage for a secondary performance where a poorly timed laugh or a discomfited walk-
out can make an audience member seem openly complicit in our country’s ills.
The McDonald brothers are painted as hardworking, conscientious men of business, and tensions rise between their ideals and Kroc’s approach to expansion. Soon enough, the
film baits us to take a side. Are you a Kroc or a McDonald? Does the end justify the means? What would you be willing to do to have your name etched into history as an underdog who won against the pack? The n er is an enthralling watch. Keaton performs phenomenally as Kroc – every twitch, savvy move and beguiling turn of phrase has you reeling either into or away from his aura. Hancock challenges you to consider Kroc’s motives: is he to be acclaimed, feared, emulated? The crisp soundtrack, too, swiftly transports you back to the ’50s with the impeccably tailored costumes dazzling at every turn. At the end of the day, whether you like him or not, The n er delivers a sharp and satirical take on Kroc’s dalliance with McDonald’s. Now someone pass the McNuggets. Amy Henderson
Subtlety is not in this ensemble’s repertoire – as evidenced by the gigantic scrotum that is the play’s central prop – but it excels at extravagance. Each performer takes on dual roles as both victim and oppressor. Watching Nicholas O’Regan, one could be forgiven for mistaking him for a rejuvenated Jim Carrey, albeit with a sharpened tongue; Emily McGowan dives spectacularly between deep sorrow and deep silliness; and Robert Carne’s range and potency are impressive. The enormous bollock onstage is, like the play, deceptively complex: it opens to provide a range of set pieces and a backstage area in an otherwise exposed stage. John Sullivan’s ingenuity and devotion to gonad detail are worthy of applause. Lambert’s show milks comedy out of genuine nightmare fuel – one slapstick sequence involves two men accidentally sewing their mouths to each other while on hunger strike – but never loses sight of the humanity of those in pain. It is blatant, abrupt and confronting, and it damn well should be. It’s also very, very funny, thanks to the bravery of the cast. The time for sensitivity in the asylum-seeker issue has passed; this production is a welltimed kick in the nads. David Molloy
What's in our diary...
arts exposed
Glebe Street Fair 2016
1155 Ma 11 Marricickv k ille l Road,, Marrickville 22044 (02)) 95569 2668
www.ga ww g so soliline nepo pony ny.c .com om
PLANNING YOUR END-OF-YEAR PARTY OR EVENT? TALK TO US!
Live Music THE GLAMMA RAYS
FRI 18 NOV
BLEEDING GUMS MURPHY
WED 23 NOV
QUEEN PORTER STOMP
FRI 25 NOV
SUGAR BOWL HOKUM
SAT 26 NOV
+ MINDI SOTIRI
The Glebe Street Fair returns this week for its 33rd instalment and will feature over 200 street stalls, food, fun and an excellent music lineup. Headlining will be local hip hop favourites Coda Conduct and roots collective The Strides. Glebe Public School will be on hand to keep the kidlets entertained with face-painting and dinosaur rides. There’ll also be talks from deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek, local MP Jamie Parker and founder/director of Vivid Ideas, Jess Scully. The fair will be raising funds through gold coin donations for a variety of community projects, such as the Glebe Youth Service. To see what’s in store, visit glebe.com.au/streetfair.
thebrag.com
Marrickville small bar & live music venue BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16 :: 21
BARS BRAG
SCRUFFY MURPHY’S
bar
OF
ADDRESS: 43-49 GOULBURN ST, SYDNEY PHONE NUMBER: (02) 9211 2002 WEBSITE: SCRUFFYMURPHYS.COM.AU OPENING HOURS: MON – SUN 7AM-2AM (GAMING 9AM-6AM)
The ArtHouse 275 Pitt St, Sydney CBD (02) 9284 1200
TH
EK
B R A G ’ S G U I D E T O S Y D N E Y ’ S B E S T WAT E R I N G H O L E S
A Work In Progres King St, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Mon – Fri noon-2am; Sat 5pm-2am
E E W
Mon noon-midnight; Tue – Wed 10am-midnight; Thu 10am-1.30am; Fri 10am-3am; Sat noon1.30am
Ash St Cellar 1 Ash St, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Mon – Fri 8.30am-11pm Assembly 488 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9283 8808 Mon noon-midnight; Tue 5pm-midnight; Wed – Sat noon-midnight The Australian Heritage Hotel 100 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 2229 Mon – Sun 11am-midnight Bar Eleven Lvl 11, 161 Sussex St, Sydney CBD (02) 9290 4000 Mon – Thu 4-9pm; Fri – Sat 4-11pm The Barber Shop 89 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 9699 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 4pm-midnight
bar
Barrio Cellar Basement Level, 58 Elizabeth St, Sydney (02) 9232 7380 Mon – Sun noon-late Basement Bar Basement, 27-33 Goulburn St, Sydney CBD (02) 8970 5813 Mon – Thu 5pm-10pm; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight The Baxter Inn Basement 152-156 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9221 5580 Mon – Sat 4pm-1am Beta Bar First Floor, 238 Castlereagh St, CBD (02) 8599 8970 Wed – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri midday-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight
Tell us about your bar: Scruffy’s is your go-to for a lunchtime beer, after work drinks, nights out and a good bite to eat. Transport yourself to Ireland at our sports bar and enjoy watching your favourite games on our collection of TVs. We have tonnes of Irish beers and ciders on tap to quench your thirst, and a vast drinks menu to appeal to all. You might think you’ve stepped off a Sydney street straight into a Dublin bar! Head on down to The Vault for a night to remember with our live DJs. Get comfortable in a booth with your group and make new friends on the dancefloor.
Bulletin Place First Floor, 10-14 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thurs – Sat 4pm-1am; Sun 4-10pm Burrow Bar De Mestre Place, Sydney 0450 466 674 Tue – Sun 4pm-midnight
What’s on the menu? Our classic menu will satisfy all of your pub favourite cravings, from a pizza to a schnitty, a steak or a burger – even salads if you can make friends with them. We have affordable, tasty dishes that won’t hurt the pocket and will fulfil your stomach’s desires.
Sounds: Scruffy’s caters for a large variety of audiences – we have live music, DJs and themed nights. Stay tuned for our summer events.
makes you dance. Tune in for all your favourite sports games: UFC, football, tennis, motorsports, rugby and many more – you won’t miss a game whilst you’re away from home.
Care for a drink? Heineken, Guinness and Jägermeister – classics are a staple here at Scruffy’s.
Highlights: Our multi-level venue appeals to all audiences, with classic food, great drinks and even better music that
The bill comes to: Under $15 – you shouldn’t have to hurt the pocket to have a great time and get a good meal.
The Captain’s Balcony 46 Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 3526 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight deVine 32 Market St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 6906 Mon – Fri noon-11.30pm; Sat 5.30-11.30pm Easy Eight 152-156 Clarence St, Sydney (02) 9299 3769 Tue – Sat 4pm-midnight El Camino Cantina 18 Argyle St, The Rocks (02) 9259 5668 Mon – Sun noon-midnight Frankie’s Pizza 50 Hunter St, Sydney CBD Sun – Thu 4pm-3am; Fri noon-3am Gilt Lounge 2/49 Market St, Sydney CBD (02) 8262 0000 Wed – Friday 5pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight The Glenmore 96 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 4794 Mon – Thu, Sun 11am-midnight; Fri – Sat 11am-1am
22 :: BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16
Grain Bar 199 George St, Sydney CBD (02) 9250 3118 Mon – Sun noon-midnight Grandma’s Basement 275 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9264 3004 Mon – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 5pm-1am The Fox Hole 68A Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 4369 Mon 7am-3pm; Tue – Fri 7am-late The Grasshopper 1 Temperance Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 9947 9025 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri noon-1am; Sat 4pm-midnight Hacienda Sydney 61 Macquarie St, Sydney CBD (02) 9256 4000 Sun – Thu noon-10.30pm; Fri – Sat noon-midnight Harpoon Harry 40-44 Wentworth Ave, Sydney CBD (02) 8262 8800 Mon – Sat 11.30am-3am; Sun 11am-midnight Hudson Ballroom 53-55 Liverpool St, Sydney CBD Wed – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri 5pm-3am; Sat 6pm-3am Kittyhawk 16 Phillip Ln, Sydney CBD Mon – Thu 3pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 3pm-2am The Lobo Plantation Basement Lot 1, 209 Clarence St, Sydney CBD 0415 554 908 Mon – Thu, Sat 4pm-midnight; Fri 2pm-midnight The Local Bar 161 Castlereagh St, Sydney CBD (02) 9953 0027 Mon – Wed 7.30am-10pm; Thu – Fri 7.30am-11pm The Loft (UTS) 15 Broadway, Sydney (behind 2SER) (02) 9514 1149 Mon – Thu 2-10pm; Fri 2-11pm Mojo Record Bar Basement 73 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 4999 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu 4pm-1am; Fri – Sat 4pm-1am The Morrison 225 George St, Sydney CBD (02) 9247 6744 Mon – Wed 7.30am-11pm; Thu 7.30am-midnight; Fri 7.30am-2am; Sat 11.30am-2am Mr Tipply’s 347 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 4877 Mon – Thu 11.30am-10pm; Fri 11.30am-midnight; Sat 10pm-4am The Palisade 35 Bettington St, Millers Point 9018 0123 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat – Sun 11am-midnight Palmer & Co. Abercrombie Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Sun – Weds 5pm-3am; Thu – Fri 3pm-3am; Sat 4pm-3am Papa Gede’s Bar Laneway at the end of 348 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 5671 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight Peg Leg Pyrmont 11a Pyrmont Bridge Rd,
Pyrmont Mon – Thu 3pm-midnight; Fri – Sun 11am-midnight
PS40 40 King St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern 199 Elizabeth St, Sydney CBD Mon – Fri noon-midnight Rockpool Bar & Grill 66 Hunter St, Sydney CBD (02) 8078 1900 Mon – Fri noon-3pm, 6-11pm; Sun 5.30-10pm The Rook Level 7, 56-58 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 2505 Mon, Sat 4pm-midnight; Tue – Fri noon-midnight The SG 32 York St, Sydney CBD Tue – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight Shirt Bar 7 Sussex Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 8068 8222 Mon – Fri 8am-10pm Since I Left You 338 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 4986 Mon – Tue 4.30-10pm; Wed – Fri 4.30pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight Small Bar 48 Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0782 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight The Smoking Panda 5-7 Park St, Sydney CBD (02) 9264 4618 Mon – Sat 4pm-late Stitch Bar 61 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0380 Mon – Tue 4pm-midnight; Wed – Sat 4pm-2am The Swinging Cat 44 King St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 3696 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Tapa Vino 6 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay (02) 9247 3221 Mon – Fri noon-11.30pm; Sat 5-11.30pm Tuxedo Bar 195 Gloucester St, The Rocks Tue – Wed 3-9pm; Thu – Sat 3-10pm Uncle Ming’s 55 York St, Sydney CBD Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 4pm-midnight York Lane 56 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 1676 Mon – Wed 6.30am-10pm; Thu – Fri 6am-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight
121BC 4/50 Holt St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 1582 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight Absinthe Salon 87 Albion St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 6632 Wed – Sat 4-10pm Arcadia Liquors 7 Cope St, Redfern (02) 8068 4470 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Bar Cleveland Cnr Bourke & Cleveland St, Redfern (02) 9698 1908 Mon – Thu 10am-2am; Fri – Sat 10am-4am
thebrag.com
Bar H 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 1980 Mon – Sat 6pm-11.30 Bellini Lounge 2 Kellett St, Potts Point (02) 9331 0058 Thu – Sun 6pm-late The Bells Hotel 1 Bourke St, Woolloomooloo (02) 9357 3765 Mon – Sun 10am-1am The Beresford 354 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 8313 5000 Mon – Sun noon-1am Big Poppa’s 96 Oxford St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sun 5pm-3am Black Penny 648 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 9319 5061 Mon – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm
Gardel’s Bar 358 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 8399 1440 Tue – Sat 6pm-midnight Gazebo 2 Elizabeth Bay Rd, Elizabeth Bay (02) 8070 2424 Tue – Sun noon-midnight Golden Age Cinema & Bar 80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1556 Wed – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat – Sun 2:30pm-midnight Goros 84-86 Mary St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 0214 Mon – Wed 11:30am-midnight; Thu 11:30am-1am: Fri 11:30am-3am; Sat 4pm-3am
Button Bar 65 Foveaux St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1544 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight
Hinky Dinks 185 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6379 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 2-11pm
Café Lounge 277 Goulburn St, Surry Hills (02) 9016 3951 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sunday 4-10pm
Hollywood Hotel 2 Foster St, Surry Hills (02) 9281 2765 Mon – Wed 10am-midnight; Thu – Sat 10am-3am
Casoni Italian Bar & Eatery 371-373 Bourke St, Darlinghurst Tue – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5pm-10pm
The Horse 381 Crown St, Surry Hills 1300 976 683 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm
Central Tavern 42-50 Chalmers St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3814 Mon – Sat 10am-2am; Sun 10am-10pm Ching-a-Lings 1/133 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 3333 Wed 6-11pm; Thu – Sat 6pm-1am; Sun 5-10pm The Cliff Dive 16-18 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst Fri – Sat 8pm-3am The Commons 32 Burton St, Darlinghurst (02) 9358 1487 Tue – Wed 6pm-midnight; Fri noon-1am; Sat 8.30am-1am; Sun 8.30am-11pm Darlo Bar 306 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst (02) 9331 3672 Mon – Sun 10am-midnight Darlo Country Club Level 1, 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 9380 4279 Wed – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 5pm-2am Dead Ringer 413 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 3560 Mon – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-midnight Della Hyde 34 Oxford St, Darlinghurst Thu – Sat 5pm-late Eau-De-Vie 229 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst 0422 263 226 Sun – Fri 6pm-1am; Sat 6pm-midnight The Exchange 34 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9358 2311 Mon – Sun noon-late The Forresters 336 Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 Mon – Wed noon-midnight; Thu – Sat noon-1am; Sun noon-10pm thebrag.com
Jangling Jack’s Bar & Grill 175 Victoria St, Potts Point Tue – Wed 4-11pm, Thu – Sat 4-1am, Sun noon-11pm Hustle & Flow Bar 3/105 Regent St, Redfern (02) 8964 93932 Tue – Thu 6pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 2pm-midnight Li’l Darlin Darlinghurst 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6100 Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight Li’l Darlin Surry Hills 420 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills (02) 9698 5488 Mon – Fri noon-11pm; Sat 4pm-midnight LL Wine and Dine 42 Llankelly Place Potts Point (02) 9356 8393 Mon – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 11am-10pm The Local Taphouse 122 Flinders St, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 0088 Mon – Wed noon-midnight; Thu – Sat noon-1am; Sun noon-11pm Love, Tilly Devine 91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst (02) 9326 9297 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5-10pm Low 302 302 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9368 1548 Mon – Sun 6pm-2am Mr Fox 557 Crown St, Surry Hills 0410 470 250 Tue – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm Moya’s Juniper Lounge 101 Regent St, Redfern 0431 113 394 Tue – Sat 4pm-11pm; Sun 2-10pm The Noble Hops 125 Redfern St, Redfern
0431 113 394 Mon – Fri 4pm -midnight; Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 3pm-10pm
The Norfolk 305 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 3177 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Old Growler 218 William St, Woolloomooloo 0458 627 266 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm The Oxford Circus 231 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 0457 353 384 Wed – Sat 6pm-3am The Owl House 97 Crown St, Darlinghurst 0401 273 080 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight; Sun 6-10pm Peekaboo 120 Bourke St, Woolloomooloo 0403 747 788 Tue – Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight Play Bar 72 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 0885 Tue – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight Pocket Bar 13 Burton St, Darlinghurst (02) 9380 7002 Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight The Powder Keg 7 Kellett St, Potts Point (02) 8354 0980 Wed – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4:30pm-midnight; Sun 5pm-midnight The Print Room 11 Glenmore Rd, Paddington (02) 9331 0911 Thu – Fri noon-midnight; Sun – Wed noon-10pm Queenie’s Upstairs 336 Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 Tue – Thu 6pm-late, Fri noon-3pm & 6pm-late; Sat 6pm-late Riley St Garage 55 Riley St, Woolloomooloo (02) 9326 9055 Mon – Sat noon-midnight Roosevelt 32 Orwell St, Potts Point (02) 8696 1787 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Rosie Campbell’s 320 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9356 4653 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sun 11am-midnight Shady Pines Saloon Shop 4, 256 Crown St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight The Soda Factory 16 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills (02) 8096 9120 Mon – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu – Fri 5pm-3am; Sat – Sun 6pm-3am Surly’s 182 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 3705 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Sweethearts Rooftop 33/37 Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point (02) 9368 7333 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sun noon-midnight This Must Be The Place 239 Oxford St, Darlinghurst
(02) 9331 8063 Mon – Sun 3pm-midnight
The Tilbury Hotel 12-18 Nicholson St, Woolloomooloo (02) 9368 1955 Mon 9am-10pm; Tue – Fri 9am-midnight; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm Tio’s Cerveceria 4-14 Foster St, Surry Hills (02) 9368 1955 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Tipple Bar 28 Chalmers St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 0006 Mon midday-10pm; Tue – Sat midday-midnight Vasco 421 Cleveland St, Redfern 0406 775 436 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight The Village Inn 9-11 Glenmore Rd, Paddington (02) 9331 0911 Mon – Sun noon-late The Wild Rover 75 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 2235 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight The Winery 285A Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 0833 Mon – Sun noon-midnight
Anchor Bar 8 Campbell Pde, Bondi (02) 8084 3145 Mon – Fri 5pm-late; Sat – Sun 12.30pm-late Bat Country 32 St Pauls St, Randwick (@ The Spot) (02) 9398 6694 Mon – Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-10pm Beach Road Hotel 71 Beach Rd, Bondi Beach (02) 9130 7247 Mon – Fri 11am-1am; Sat 10am-1am; Sun 10am-10pm Bondi Hardware 39 Hall St, Bondi (02) 9365 7176 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri noon-midnight; Sat 9am-midnight; Sun 9am-10pm The Bucket List Shop 1, Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive (02) 9365 4122 Mon – Sun 11am-midnight The Corner House 281 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 8020 6698 Mon – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat 9am-midnight; Sun 9am-10pm Fat Ruperts 249 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 1033 Tue – Fri 4-11pm; Sat – Sun 2-11pm Jam Gallery 195 Oxford St, Bondi Junction (02) 9389 2485 Wed – Sat 7pm-3am
game on Gaming news and reviews with Adam Guetti
NOV 2016
NEWS THE BOX TO BEAT
In a great turn of events for Microsoft fans, the Xbox One has become the best-selling video game console in Australia since the launch of the Xbox One S in August. The refreshed system features High Dynamic Range (HDR) gaming, 4K streaming and a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. “We’d like to thank our fans for their continued support and passion for Xbox in Australia. It’s great to see such enthusiasm for the new Xbox One S,” said Jeremy Hinton, Xbox business lead at Microsoft Australia. “With the upcoming launches of Dead Rising 4 this December and Halo Wars 2 in February 2017, there has never been a better time to be an Xbox gamer.” Also worth noting is that the Xbox One S is now
also the highest-selling 4K Blu-ray player in Australia.
PLAYSTATION GOES PRO
Been holding out on buying a PlayStation 4? Well now’s the time to jump on board, as Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro has hit store shelves. Retailing for $599, the system “supercharges” the console you know and love with features designed to boost your gaming experience. That includes double the GPU power, HDR to make visuals more realistic and 4K support, both in terms of games and video streaming services like Netflix. If you already own a PS4, an upgrade is not essential, but developers are planning on making the most of the extra power for future titles.
Review: Battlefield 1 (PS4, XBO, PC)
W
ith the majority of shooters going down futuristic roads lately, Battlefi eld 1 changes the pace a little by taking things back to the First World War, and the result is a wonderfully refreshing experience. A large part of that stems from the formula changes that DICE has injected into its shooter. The singleplayer campaign is a perfect example, presenting six well-crafted short stories that focus on different aspects of the Great War and elevate the game’s storytelling well beyond the franchise’s last few attempts. Destructibility is also back in full explosive force, helping constantly change the battleground and how you act within it. Needless to say, with an incredibly solid and entertaining multiplayer suite to back everything up, Battlefi eld 1 has shot for success and nailed it.
Review: Titanfall 2 (PS4, XBO, PC) The original Titanfall was a fast-paced experience that was hamstrung by a couple of factors. The first was it being exclusively tied to Microsoft platforms, preventing mass market adoption across both major consoles. The other was a lack of single-player campaign, which meant those looking for a more focused experience were left disappointed by a purely multiplayer affair. Titanfall 2 addresses both of those issues, transforming itself into 2016’s must-have shooter. In the incredibly impressive campaign you fill the futuristic shoes of Rifleman Cooper – a pilot in training who, after an ambush by an evil corporation, is left stranded on a mysterious planet. Once he comes to, Cooper eventually finds himself in control of a Vanguard-class Titan BT and is charged with finishing a secret mission involving something called The Ark. It’s not necessarily a highly engaging plot, but much like competitors such as Call Of Duty, it’s an excuse to funnel you from one location to the next completing various objectives. Yet while Call Of Duty presents very closed-off spaces, Titanfall 2 often presents open playgrounds with multiple ways to tackle your problems. It also leads you to some truly jaw-dropping set pieces, many of which take you to unexpected places and employ unexpected mechanics. You will be amazed how well one idea works, only for it to be tossed out the window for a brand new idea in the next level. It’s brave, bold and makes for one of the greatest FPS single-player campaigns in recent memory. Not to say the multiplayer isn’t enjoyable. With eight multiplayer modes and some great maps, Titanfall 2 certainly expands and improves upon its predecessor. Possessing a larger amount of customisation options like more abilities and weapons, new grenade types, better perks and a slew of new Titans only breathes more life into proceedings. You can even give your Titan a paint job to add an extra layer of personalisation. Hopefully, with all these improvements and a little luck, the online community will have longer legs this time around. Regardless, here is a game that is incredibly worthy of your shelf space for the single-player component alone. Titanfall 2 faces some stiff competition this holiday season, but rest assured, if you give it the time of day you won’t be disappointed.
The Phoenix Hotel 1 Moncur St, Woollahra (02) 9363 2608 Mon – Wed 4-11pm; Thu – Fri noon-11pm; Sat – Sun 8am-11pm The Robin Hood Hotel 203 Bronte Rd, Waverley (02) 9389 3477 Mon-Sat 10am-3am; Sun 10am-10pm Selina’s at Coogee Bay Hotel 253 Coogee Bay Rd, Coogee (02) 9665 0000 Selina’s Thu 8pm-midnight; Coogee Bay Hotel Mon – Thu 7am-3am, BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16 :: 23
out & about Fri – Sat 7am-6am; Sun 7am-midnight
Queer(ish) matters with Arca Bayburt
On Those Who Think Differently
D
onald Trump is President-elect of the United States. Political analysts – and indeed, everyone who would call themselves leftleaning – are stunned and trying to figure out how this bigoted juggernaut came to be. Fundamentally, we need to be more compassionate to people who think differently. This requires stepping out of echo chambers and engaging with them as people, not as automatic enemies or idiots. The Left likes to think of itself as benevolent and just and correct – but so often it comes across as smug, arrogant and condescending. The Left likes to demand respect and compassion and open-mindedness from the Right and centrists, but baulks at the prospect of treating them with that same respect, because Leftists believe they are so right about everything that their behaviour has immunity. Just because you might be correct about something doesn’t mean you’ve permission to wield your righteousness as a weapon against those who either oppose you or don’t understand you. Lefties like to think they’re above this, but they’ve demonstrated that they aren’t. The US election results and the political climate across the globe have only reinforced that this attitude and approach need reformation. There are, of course, those bigots who won’t ever change, even if you jam an ice pick of logic into their skulls. These people usually benefit from the status quo, and their diatribe should be treated accordingly, especially if they’re virulent in their expression. About two weeks ago, I met this 20-yearold guy at my local cafe and we got to chatting. Our conversation occasionally became heated, but for the most part, we managed to talk for about two-and-ahalf hours about a range of topics within politics. He was very earnest about his opinions and his worldview. He’s studying politics at university and talked proudly about his job assisting a Liberal MP. His ambitions are rooted in tradition, he said. He wants a good career
and a big family. He also thinks gay people are unfit parents, that we shouldn’t be allowed to marry, that refugees should be returned and that the Syrian crisis is a load of horseshit and is destroying Europe. He talked about gangs of rapist refugees prowling the streets of Germany, and the awful stories he’d heard of gay parents abusing their children. He said the only newspaper worth reading is The Australian. He votes Liberal, is devoutly religious and thinks abortion should be illegal. In short, we have diametrically opposed worldviews and beliefs – yet we managed a civil conversation. He even seemed to come around a little to the idea that perhaps homosexuals aren’t deranged child abusers whose only reason for wanting to adopt or have children is to recruit them or prey on them. I was the first gay person he’d ever met. I’m sure he’d run into a few. I doubt any of them felt comfortable enough or cared enough, considering his views, to reveal themselves to him. Throughout our entire conversation, I felt myself getting angry – but I also figured, he’s young, he’s open-minded enough to be talking to me and asking me questions about my life. He liked to think of himself as philosophically minded – I can only hope that leads him to continually and critically evaluate his views and beliefs throughout his life. I saw him again a few days ago; he stopped me on the street to say hi and ask how I was. The people who the Left like to label as idiot savages are actually capable of reason and understanding, if only given the chance. Beating someone over the head repeatedly and wearing them down into submission never works for long. The fatigue becomes anger, the divide deepens, and through that shattered fissure emerges a charismatic narcissist, poised to fan the flames and ride a wave of populist rhetoric into power. It’s happened so many times throughout history. It’s a shame the Left doesn’t do enough to practise what it preaches. I’m not suggesting you should let people stand on your neck for the sake of peace – I’m saying that it’s not enough to be impotently angry, you need to align your behaviour with your ideals or stop fucking talking.
The Trans List
Speakeasy 83 Curlewis St, Bondi (02) 9130 2020 Mon – Sat 5-11pm; Sun 4-10pm Spring Street Social 110 Spring St, Bondi Junction (02) 9389 2485 Tue – Sat 5pm-3am Stuffed Beaver 271 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 3002 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm
Bar-racuda 105 Enmore Rd, Newtown (02) 9519 1121 Mon – Sat 6pm-midnight Batch Brewing Company 44 Sydenham Rd, Marrickville (02) 9550 5432 Mon – Sun 10am-8pm
On Wednesday November 16, head over to Slyfox in Enmore for Birdcage Rewind, a free party celebrating 20th century queerness with DJs Cunningpants, Teen Spirit, Nicholas Birdcage and more bringing you hits of the ’90s and ’00s. On Saturday November 19, Heaps Gay is hosting its secret Carpark Party somewhere in Marrickville. The venue will be announced a day before
on the event’s Facebook page. There won’t be any presale; tickets are $15 on the door. Artists, DJs and musicians will all be announced right before the party, and there’ll be a special surprise international guest attending too. On Sunday November 20, The Gender Centre is hosting the Transgender Day of Remembrance at Harmony Park in Surry Hills. It will be an occasion to commemorate transgender and genderdiverse individuals who
have been murdered or suffered violence and discrimination as a result of transphobia. The event aims to empower the community and promote greater empathy and understanding while challenging prejudices and stereotypes, in an attempt to provide the chance for greater understanding in a safe, respectful space. There will be an outdoor film screening of The Trans List, hosted by Queer Screen, followed by a candlelight vigil and walk to Taylor Square, led by Trans Sydney Pride.
The Gasoline Pony 115 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville 0401 002 333 Tue – Thu 5-11.30pm; Fri – Sat 3-11.30pm; Sun 3-9.30pm The Grifter Brewing Co. 1/391-397 Enmore Rd, Marrickville (02) 9550 5742 Thu 4-9pm; Fri – Sat noon-9pm; Sun noon-7pm The Hideaway Bar 156 Enmore Rd, Enmore (02) 8021 8451 Tue– Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4pm-1am
Bauhaus West 163 Enmore Rd, Enmore (02) 8068 9917 Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight The Bearded Tit 183 Regent St, Redfern (02) 8283 4082 Mon – Fri 4-11pm; Sat 2-11pm; Sun 2-10pm
Kelly’s On King 285 King St, Newtown (02) 9565 2288 Mon – Sat 10am-11pm; Sun 11pm-midnight
Blacksheep 256 King St, Newtown (02) 8033 3455 Mon – Fri 4pm-11pm; Sat 2pm-11pm; Sun 2pm-10pm
Kingston Public Bar & Kitchen 62-64 King St, Newtown (02) 8084 4140 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sun 2pm-midnight
Bloodwood 416 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 7699 Mon – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm
Knox Street Bar Cnr Knox & Shepherd St, Chippendale (02) 8970 6443 Tue – Thu 4-10pm; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight
Calaveras 324 King St, Newtown 0451 541 712 Tue – Wed 6-10pm; Thu 5-11pm; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5.3010pm
Kuleto’s 157 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 6369 Tue – Sat 4pm-3am; Sun 4pm-midnight
Cornerstone Bar & Food 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh (02) 8571 9004 Sun – Wed 10am-5pm; Thu – Sat 10am-midnight Corridor 153A King St, Newtown 0405 671 002 Mon 5pm-midnight; Tue – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sun 3pm-midnight
Deus Sydney Bar + Kitchen 98-104 Parramatta Rd, Camperdown (02) 9519 0849 Mon-Tue 8am-3pm; WedSun 8am-11pm
Leadbelly 42 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 9409 Sun – Thur 4pm-midnight; Fri-Sat 4pm-1am The Little Guy 87 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 8084 0758 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 1pm-midnight; Sun 3pm-10pm Mary’s 6 Mary St, Newtown (02) 4995 9550 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-midnight The Midnight Special 44 Enmore Road, Newtown (02) 9516 2345 Tue – Fri 5pm-noon; Sat 1pm-midnight Miss Peaches 201 Missenden Rd, Newtown (02) 9557 7280 Wed – Sun 5pm-midnight
Different Drummer 185 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9552 3406 Mon 4.30-11pm; Tue – Wed 4.30pm-1am; Thu – Sat 4.30pm-2am; Sun 4.30am-midnight
Mr Falcon’s 92 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9029 6626 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun 4pm-10pm
Doris & Beryl’s Bridge Club and Tea House 530 King St, Newtown Mon – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat – Sun 3.30pm-midnight
Newtown Social Club 387 King St, Newtown (02) 9550 3974 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-2am; Sun noon-10pm
Earl’s Juke Joint King St, Newtown Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight
The Oxford Tavern 1 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham (02) 8019 9351 Mon – Thu noon-midnight;
Forest Lodge Hotel 24 :: BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16
Freda’s 109 Regent St, Chippendale (02) 8971 7336 Tue – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4pm-10pm
Hive Bar 93 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville (02) 9519 1376 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm
Cottage Bar & Kitchen 342 Darling St, Balmain (02) 8084 8185 Mon – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu – Sat noon-midnight
this week…
117 Arundel St, Forest Lodge (02) 9660 1872 Mon – Sat 11am-midnight; Sun noon-10pm
Fri – Sat noon-3am; Sun noon-10pm
Lord Raglan 12 Henderson Rd, Alexandria (02) 9699 4767 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon10pm
Your bar’s not here? Email: chris@thebrag.com
55 North Steyne, Manly (02) 9977 6963 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sun 11am-2am
The Record Crate 34 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9660 1075 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun 3-10pm
Firefly 24 Young St, Neutral Bay (02) 9909 0193 Mon – Wed 5-11pm; Thu 5-11.30pm; Fri noon11.30pm; Sat noon-11pm; Sun noon-10pm
The Royal 156 Norton St, Leichhardt (02) 9569 2638 Mon – Thu 10am-1am; Fri – Sat 10am-3am; Sun 10am-midnight
The Foxtrot 28 Falcon St, Crows Nest Tue – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu 5pm-1am; Fri 4pm-2am; Sat 5pm-2am; Sun 4-10pm
Secret Garden Bar 134a Enmore Rd, Enmore 0403 621 585 Mon – Tue 7am-5pm; Wed – Fri 7am-11pm; Sat 7am-10pm; Sun 7am-11pm
The Hayberry Bar & Diner 97 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest (02) 8084 0816 Tue – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri & Sat noon-midnight Sun noon-10pm
Staves Brewery 4-8 Grose Street, Glebe (02) 9280 4555 Thu 4-10pm; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm Temperance Society 122 Smith St, Summer Hill (02) 8068 5680 Mon – Thu 4pm-11pm; Fri – Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Thievery 91 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 8283 1329 Mon – Thu 6pm-11pm; Fri 6pm-midnight; Sat noon3pm & 6pm-midnight
Hemingway’s 48 North Steyne, Manly (02) 9976 3030 Mon – Sat 8am-midnight; Sun 8am-10pm The Hold Shop 4, Sydney Rd Plaza, Manly (02) 9977 2009 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Honey Rider 230 Military Rd, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 8880 Tue – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4pm-10pm
Timbah 375 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9571 7005 Tue – Thu 4-10pm; Fri 4-11pm; Sat 3pm-11pm; Sun 4pm-8pm
InSitu 1/18 Sydney Rd, Manly (02) 9977 0669 Tue – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 9am-midnight; Sun 9am-10pm
Vernon’s Bar L2. One Penny Red, 2 Moonbie St. Summer Hill (02) 9797 8118 Mon 4-10pm; Tue – Thu 4-11pm; Fri – Sat 4-midnight; Sun 4-10pm
The Hunter 5 Myahgah Rd, Mosman 0409 100 339 Mon – Tue 5pm-midnight; Wed – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon- 10pm
Wayward Brewing Co. 1 Gehrig Ln, Annandale (02) 7903 2445 Thu – Fri 2-10pm; Sat noon-10pm; Sun noon8pm
Jah Bar Shop 9, 9-15 Central Ave, Manly (02) 9977 4449 Tue 5pm-midnight; Wed-Fri noon-midnight; Sat 8am-midnight; Sun 9am-10pm
Websters Bar 323 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 1511 Mon – Sat 10am-4am; Sun 10am-midnight
Manly Wine 8-13 South Steyne, Manly (02) 8966 9000 Mon – Sun 7am-11pm
Wilhelmina’s 332 Darling St, Balmain (02) 8068 8762 Wed – Fri 5-11pm; Sat 8-11pm; Sun 8am-10pm The Workers Lvl 1, 292 Darling St, Balmain (02) 9555 8410 Fri – Sat 5pm-3am; Sun 2pm-midnight Young Henrys D & E, 76 Wilford St, Newtown (02) 9519 0048 Mon – Fri noon-7pm; Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-7pm Zigi’s Wine And Cheese Bar 86 Abercrombie St, Chippendale (02) 9699 4222 Tue 4pm-10pm; Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Sat 3pm-midnight
Crooked Tailor 250 Old Northern Road, Castle Hill (02) 9899 3167 Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight Daniel San
Miami Cuba 47 North Steyne, Manly 0487 713 350 Mon – Sun 8am-4pm Moonshine Lvl 2, Hotel Steyne, 75 The Corso, Manly (02) 9977 4977 Mon – Thu 9am-3pm; Fri – Sat 9am-2am; Sun 9am-midnight The Pickled Possum 254 Military Rd, Neutral Bay (02) 9909 2091 Thu – Sat 9pm-1am SoCal 1 Young St, Neutral Bay (02) 9904 5691 Mon – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu 5pm-1am; Sat noon2am; Sun noon-midnight The Stoned Crow 39 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest (02) 9439 5477 Mon – Sat noon-late; Sun 11.30am-10pm The Treehouse Hotel 60 Miller St, North Sydney (02) 8458 8980 Mon – Fri 7am-midnight; Sat 2pm-midnight thebrag.com
Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...
ALBUM OF THE WEEK CLIENT LIAISON
politically charged number, with an explosive ending that’s more than a little catchy.
Diplomatic Immunity Dot Dash/Remote Control
Client Liaison’s debut full-length is a quirky, sexy, experimental offering. Diplomatic Immunity is teeming with bright bursts of energy, sprinkled with colourful percussion, guitar licks and the infectious vocals of Monte Morgan.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD The Stage Capitol/EMI
Abbey Lew-Kee
HAMMERFALL
BEN LEE
BON JOVI
I BUILT THE SKY
Built To Last Napalm/Rocket
Freedom, Love And The Recuperation Of The Human Mind ABC/Universal
This House Is Not For Sale Universal
The Sky Is Not The Limit Independent
As with so many bands from Bon Jovi’s era that are still releasing new material, time has ravaged them – and it shows. Gone is the rasping range and tone of Jon Bon Jovi’s voice, gone are the screeching guitar solos, gone are the imaginative thematic anthems we still rock out to today.
The second release from one-man music machine I Built The Sky (AKA Rohan ‘Ro’ Stevenson) is nothing short of a powerful production. The Sky Is Not The Limit, with its tracks named after cloud formations, immerses the listener into everything from metal to intricate punk.
Instead, in This House Is Not For Sale, we’re treated to a plethora of Auto-Tune, overproduction, samey melodies and sickly sweet ballads that all induce but one thought: do Bon Jovi really need the money?
This album has it all: experimental guitar runs, synthesizers, crashing hi-hats. ‘Radiatus’ in particular is demonstrative of Stevenson’s amazing guitar talent, with guitar runs so fast you’re left imagining if he ever takes his hands away from the instrument.
As far as the secret release of a concept album goes, perhaps it was a good thing the latest drop from Avenged Sevenfold was kept hushhush – the lead-up hype if it were an ordinary release might have led to disappointment.
Roaring out of Gothenburg since the early ’90s, credit where credit is due for HammerFall’s ceaseless energy and seemingly never-ending stream of releases – but unfortunately, Built To Last is a laughable addition to their discography.
That being said, Avenged Sevenfold aren’t an ordinary band. They deserve credit for their consistent attempts at pushing boundaries: The Stage is an impressively original concept record rife with themes of artificial intelligence and sci-fi. It’s also their most lyrically serious album by far – ‘Creating God’ in particular is a powerful illustration of how the world is crafting its own demise.
No, really. With tracks like ‘Dethrone And Defy’ and ‘Twilight Princess’ all centred around stereotypically Swedish metal themes of swordwielding, fire-breathing dragons and unobtainable damsels, you can’t help but giggle as you listen. ‘Hammer High’ in particular conjures up cheesy imagery of black-clad, blue-eyed warriors, not helped by some very basic riffs and cringe-inducing falsetto vocals. Nevertheless, it’s still got a fist-pumping anthemic edge that will surely appeal to all the mead-swilling swarms out there.
Efforts at whimsical concepts and futuristic imagery apparent, The Stage still proves to be a return to form for the band – the impressive guitar work is back, catchy hooks are littered throughout almost every track, and the addition of drummer Brooks Wackerman (Bad Religion) proves a great move, particularly on ‘Simulation’. And that’s the thing: perhaps The Stage is a little too classic. Though the instrumentality is largely excellent, nothing is particularly innovative.
There’s an unapologetic nature to the way Client Liaison go about their work, with the lyrics in ‘Do It My Way’ saying it all. Morgan belts out the words, “All your foolish thoughts can kiss my arse / Because suffice to say, I’m going to do it my way,” and we can’t really argue with that.
Now, I love metal as much as the next metalhead, but I really couldn’t take this seriously. It’s a fun little gimmick of a record – a little cheese, a little hook, adept performances across the band – and it’s great HammerFall are still going strong. Indeed, with a defiant title like Built To Last, maybe HammerFall are trying to tell us they’re not going anywhere.
Folks, Ben Lee has something to say. Apparently – and, may I take the opportunity to note how genuinely striking it is that nobody has ever discovered this before – human beings are unkind to each other. They are this way for a number of reasons, Ben Lee posits: sometimes because they are chasing money and sometimes because they’re chasing fame. But here’s the kicker: sometimes people aren’t unkind to each other. This is the case because they understand, as Ben Lee does, that there is more to life than money and fame. In fact, as Ben Lee has it, the world is actually bigger than you and I. Ben Lee has many songs about this on his new album, songs like ‘Bigger Than Me’ that – get this – suggest that if more people were like Ben Lee, there would be less grief in general. Given Ben Lee’s discovery, then, a Nobel Peace Prize is surely incoming. How satisfying it is to learn that Ben Lee isn’t the self-righteous bore we always assumed, but is instead a genuine martyr.
Prepare for intergalactic adventure aboard Starship Sevenfold, but be ready to voice a resounding ‘meh’ if you were hoping for something new.
But could they maybe come back when they’ve recorded something that reinstates them as leaders of Nordic metal, and not mere followers?
And how fitting that it was Ben Lee himself who showed us the light, and definitively proved that the entire Ben Lee discography shouldn’t be ceremonially buried at a crossroads come next full moon.
Anna Wilson
Anna Wilson
Joseph Earp
INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK The story of Shirley Collins has been one of 2016’s most unexpected tales – one of a celebrated folk hero from the ’50s and ’60s, long consigned to cult status due to not singing for nearly 40 years. At 81, Collins has finally returned to the world of music – and if Lodestar is anything to go by, said world will embrace her once again with open arms.
SHIRLEY COLLINS Lodestar Domino
thebrag.com
xxx
The Melbourne retrophiles do things their own way on their debut LP.
You’ve only got to look at the business meetingesque cover art to know there are political undertones bubbling throughout this record. It opens with a blatant poke at our capital, ‘Canberra Won’t Be Calling Tonight’, filled with jungle sounds imitating our pollies. ‘A Foreign Affair’, featuring the one and only Tina Arena, is another
Client Liaison’s genre-crossing ways touch on notes of disco, pop, techno and house with absolute ease. There’s no trouble getting into the bouncy rhythm of each track, though clearer distinctions of colour and character would be welcome.
A collection of traditional songs and ballads that stem as far back as the 1700s, the album gently guides Collins’ weathered and foreboding voice through sparsely populated arrangements and fluttering ambience. It launches forth in considerable fashion, making up for lost time with the 11-minute medley, ‘Awake Awake/The Split Ash Tree/May Carol/
Southover’ – a piece full of haunting mandolins, a wash of bagpipes and a gorgeous assembly of folk instrumentation. Elsewhere, the creaking tragedy of ‘Cruel Lincoln’ is smartly contrasted with the chirp of birds and the rustle of trees, while the playful ‘Old Johnny Buckle’ gets a proverbial cherry on top as Collins gently chuckles to herself at its conclusion. For an album released in the 21st century, Lodestar has an otherworldly timelessness to it, making it very easy to lose oneself in. A breathtaking journey.
This record flits about, hopping from one style to another. The title track lacks anything particularly heart-rending. ‘Knockout’ is just daft, an example of Bon Jovi trying to stay edgy in their advancing years, as is ‘We Don’t Run’. ‘Living With The Ghost’ is quite moving, but it’s the exception: with 17 songs on the tracklist, this set is just far too long. Each song hovers between four and five minutes, and with no real ball-grabbing moments in sight, it all makes for a tedious listen. If Bon Jovi are still in it for the love of music, then This House Is Not For Sale comes over a little sad. Anna Wilson
The only thing The Sky Is Not The Limit is lacking is vocals – after three or four tracks, it just feels like it needs some lyrics. The impressive prog-rock experimentation loses its wow factor and you find yourself humming your own imaginary vocal lines. Even if Stevenson were to record his own voice, in keeping with his one-man show mantra, it would give several of these tracks that tiny little tip over the edge they need. Listening to the mystical ‘Humilis’, you can just imagine some gnarly screamo vocals; likewise with ‘Cumulus’. The sky is in no way the limit for Stevenson, and he’s absolutely tapping into something with his sound. Anna Wilson
OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... LEONARD COHEN - Live In Dublin GANG OF YOUTHS - The Positions HOLY HOLY - When The Storms Would Come
WASHINGTON - There There LEONARD COHEN - You Want It Darker
David James Young
BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16 :: 25
live reviews What we’ve been out to see... PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR
DOPE LEMON, JACK RIVER Metro Theatre Friday November 11
The second week of November 2016 has gone down as a big one for the history books. Whether it was the most contentious presidential election in history or the death of a musical legend that consumed your interest, Dope Lemon’s debut Sydney performance was the right slice of escape from the mad world outside. With Angus Stone echoing his final words of the night – “We gon’ be alright” – as the band jammed languidly, the lyrical sentiment felt like an intuitive reassurance. The Mid North Coast’s Jack River, AKA Holly Rankin, was also in town to play her first Sydney show “of many”, as she quietly yet confidently told the room. It also happened to be the first gig she’d played with her band – not that you could tell. The
tight crew of four supported Rankin with skilful balance as she belted out vocals sounding like a mix of Gwen Stefani and The Jezabels’ Hayley Mary. The set only lacked an energy that ultimately arrived after an acoustic dedication to the late Leonard Cohen in ‘Head To Stars’, written by Rankin when she was 17 years old. As a crystallised prism pendant and a string of outdoor lights slowly illuminated the stage, Dope Lemon instantly created an intimate, cosy air. It lasted only a few seconds before an illustrated lion flashed behind the band and Stone’s own ‘River Love’ struck its crescendo. The musicians remained shrouded in a moody darkness, creating ample peaks and lulls as they worked through numerous guitars and song selections.
Communication was minimal until Stone introduced the big single ‘Marinade’, while other non-Dope Lemon tunes ‘Crash And Burn’ and ‘Little Whiskey’ proved to be real highlights. During a trio of fi nal tunes, Stone casually collected an item of clothing from an audience member (which he proceeded to twirl around his fi nger and hold between his teeth), before the prism above the stage was spun back and forth for the concluding moments. As symbolic as his last words, the pendant mirrored the energy of the show itself – unwinding and refl ective, transparent yet full of light. Emily Gibb
CITIZEN, ENDLESS HEIGHTS, DEATH BELLS Factory Theatre Thursday November 10
NEWTOWN FESTIVAL 2016 Camperdown Memorial Rest Park Sunday November 13
As always, Newtown Festival proved why the suburb is still the breeding ground of Sydney’s emerging music scene. It is one of the few festivals that boasts a vibe that is both deeply cool and family-friendly. The atmosphere this year, as you might expect, was a little politically charged. Most people walked through a Trump protest rally to enter the festival, and it was a topic of murmured conversation right across the vast Camperdown Memorial Rest Park. Still, there was music to be played and artisanal food to be eaten. The programming represented the diversity of Australian music and talent, hopefully exposing the substantial crowd to lesserknown gems. Kicking things off early were King Tide and their notoriously grooveinducing beats. It was good to see a fair crowd at what might be one of the most underrated acts in the country. Baltic Bar Mitzvah put on as excellent a gypsy-inspired set as you are likely to find anywhere. Meanwhile, All Our Exes Live
26 :: BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16
In Texas hit their achingly good harmonies near-perfectly on the main stage. A little while later, L-Fresh The Lion pulled a huge crowd for a frantic (and occasionally windy) set. It’s safe to say no one else sounds like him, which is perhaps what makes him an excellent embodiment of Newtown Festival as a whole. The Griswolds got down on their knees (literally) to deliver a massive closing set. You’d be forgiven for forgetting it was only 5:30pm by the time all of this had gone down, but luckily the street party continued nearby thanks to the occupants of one terrace, who had managed to install a DJ on their balcony. It was comforting to see and experience the irrepressibility of Newtown on a full Sunday of celebration. It seemed like the kind of day out a lot of people needed – one filled with love, a touch of insanity, and of course, music. Emily Meller
Death Bells present a maximal front – three guitarists, two keyboardists, three vocalists – yet they execute relatively minimal arrangements of their hazy, sneaker-staring tracks. Taking equal cues from initial waves of post-punk and the icy gloom of ’90s noise rock, these guys are more about gradual builds from the depths of their cavernous ambience than an instant accessibility. This ends up working in their favour, allowing for the sparse early arrivals to draw themselves closer and even dance along when the tempo calls for it. If the idea of melancholia you can sway to appeals at all, give Death Bells a ring. Endless Heights have fought tooth and nail to be recognised in their reinvention. The Sydney-based musicians have incorporated indie rock, post-hardcore and grunge in their later material, although it should be noted they still perform with the boisterous belligerence of their youth centre matinee days. Frontman Joel Martorana spins about the stage, attacking his vocal delivery with the utmost conviction and even throwing himself into the crowd during ‘Teach You How To Leave’. Two new tracks – ‘Drain’ and ‘Pray I Fade’ – also impress greatly on their debut outing. True to their name, Endless Heights are continuing their steady ascent.
It was April 2015 when Citizen arrived on Australian shores for the first time, in a state of limbo between the end of touring in support of their excellent 2013 LP, Youth, and the imminent release of its follow-up, the darker and more downtempo Everybody Is Going To Heaven. It’s a difficult balancing act between two very different stages of the band’s trajectory, and yet tonight’s setlist is comfortably able to appease fans of both. Charging out of the gate with three tracks from Youth – ‘Roam The Room’, ‘The Summer’ and ‘Figure You Out’ – sets the audience in motion, pushing toward the front and atop one another in a flurry of crowdsurfing. It’s nicely complemented by material from Heaven: ‘Cement’, despite a false start due to a broken kick drum, earns an emphatic response, while a stripped-back ‘Yellow Love’ is resplendent in its solitary beauty. Citizen end the evening by expressing gratitude at people coming out to fill “what feels like an arena” to them, while also staunchly expressing their opposition to the recent election results. To them, it’s being able to do things like the former that allows them to take their mind off the latter. David James Young
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up all night out all week . . . PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR
PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR
DISTURBED, TWELVE FOOT NINJA Hordern Pavilion Sunday November 13
The hype was real as the sweaty masses gathered for a night of hypnotic rock, ready to get well and truly down with the sickness as American heavy metalheads Disturbed hit town on their highly anticipated return. Twelve Foot Ninja are one of those bands who you may have heard about but never really caught on to – you could call them Disturbed’s Aussie equivalent, and though they’ve not been around as long as their US counterparts, seeing them is a sight to behold. Frontman Kin Etik oozes subtle swagger; he’s a charismatic guy whose cheeky ways added a boyish charm to the performance. A cavalier blend of reggae and rock lace the unique metal these guys bring – ‘Shuriken’ and ‘Collateral’ stirred up an impatient crowd well enough, so that come closer ‘Sick’, many of the audience were discussing seeing Twelve Foot Ninja again on their upcoming headline tour. It was never going to be anything less than a fiery spectacle with Disturbed. Literally. Pyrotechnics and laser lights overwhelmed the stage in an explosion of guttural energy with ‘The Eye Of The Storm’, and you couldn’t call it a party – it was more like one massive leap, with people jumping in unison, fists raised as high as temperatures
as the floors shook and voices screamed. It was a sign of the times when the crowd was directed to get out lighters and smartphones to hold in the air through ‘The Light’ (sigh), but still, a beautiful sight it was to see hundreds of hands raised through such a powerful song, like fireflies frozen in a moment of unity. But when did Disturbed get so… reserved? Though he can certainly pull off the more ambient and pensive numbers, singer David Draiman has taken on a more sombre persona of late. ‘The Sound Of Silence’ gave the band a platform for a powerful ballad that brought everyone together – though were it any other group, such a bold number among so heavy a set would have garnered some questioning looks. However, this was Disturbed, and the band impressed with the stripped-back sound. For the encore of ‘Voices’, ‘Ten Thousand Fists’ and the immortal ‘Down With The Sickness’, the audience drew on its remaining energy reserves for a sickening and twisted display of fervent enthusiasm. What’s that, sonny? You’ll have to speak up, I’ve been deafened by Disturbed. Anna Wilson
DEFTONES, KARNIVOOL Hordern Pavilion Saturday November 12
Deftones are an anomaly. Having weathered trends for close to 30 years, the band has sailed through waves of skate punk, nu metal, emo and now even prog rock, coming out the other end unscathed and still relevant. It’s hard for a band to simultaneously act as godfathers to a scene while still being at the forefront of it, yet somehow this brand of melodic experi-metal has been unchallenged both musically and within the culture. Karnivool took the main support duties, though they could probably headline in their own right, with their melodic prog rock making a good addition to the lineup. With frontman Ian Kenny’s ‘other’ band Birds Of Tokyo taking over, it’s good to see these guys back (albeit briefly) – though it’s interesting to see how the two acts have morphed into very similar territory in recent times. Nevertheless, the crowd was amped by Karnivool’s presence in what was almost a double bill. With Deftones now on their eighth tour of Australia, it was refreshing to see a promoter finally recognise the strength of a band that has mostly played smaller
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venues when not on festival duties in previous years. The size of this room was testament to Deftones’ aforementioned staying power – it may have been a surprise to the band, but not to the crowd, who were mostly die-hards who’ve stayed the course of the Californians’ career. They ripped through a career-defining setlist, opening with ‘Diamond Eyes’ before heading straight into 2000’s ‘Digital Bath’, then covering material from the bulk of their career. New album Gore was only featured twice, with the title track and ballad ‘(L)MIRL’ getting a run-through. Energetic as ever, frontman Chino Moreno bounced around the stage and into the crowd, playing 20-year-old songs like this was their first public outing. Tight and professional, Deftones still have a love for the road, feeding off the crowd and giving it their all. It might be 21 years since their debut, but through the storm they’ve come out on top and keep getting bigger. Julian Ramundi
BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16 :: 27
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
pick of the week Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18
St. Stephen’s Uniting Church
Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen 6:30pm. $82.66.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Manu Low Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $10. Salsa Wednesdays - feat: DJ Miro The Argyle, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. The Gypsy Art Club
Django Bar @ Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. $10. Wailing Wednesdays feat: Live Reggae Acoustic Rosie Campbell’s, Surry Hills. 7pm. Free.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Folkswagon Cafe Lounge Bar, Surry Hills. 7pm.
Free. Jim Finn Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 7:30pm. Free. Manouche Wednesday - feat: Gadjo Guitars Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Elko Fields + Satellite Sky + Mikey’s Mate Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. Free.
Mark Travers Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Miranda Carey Tokio Hotel, Sydney. 7pm. Free. Shining Bird Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $14.59. Songbook - feat: Katie Noonan + Leroy Lee Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $42.90. Underfoot Records And Friends The Hideaway Bar, Enmore. 4pm. Free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Covers For A Cause Movember Motown Edition Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. Free. Garfish Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $10. Jali Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:25pm. $16.50. Jordan C. Thomas The Temperance Society, Summer Hill. 7pm. Free. Nina Ferro Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $27.90.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Anthony Charlton Australian Arms Hotel, Penrith. 7pm. Free. Balmain Blitz Band Comp Bridge Hotel, Rozelle. 7pm. $15. Danielle Deckard + Stockley Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $16.50. Dionne Warwick The Star Event Centre, Pyrmont. 8pm. $110. Done N Dusted Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Echo Deer + Maia Marsh + Ben Horder Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8:30pm. Free. Harbourview Hulabaloo - feat: Russell Neal + Kenneth D’Aran + Monica + Chris Brookes Harbourview Hotel, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Julz Marie Tokio Hotel, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Kingswood Imperial Hotel,
Holy Holy Erskineville. 8pm. $28.60. Live Band Karaoke Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain. 9pm. Free. Moonshine Thursday - feat: Sons Of The East Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 8pm. Free. No Refunds The Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 8pm. Free. Roadhouse Rockabilly Night - feat: The Drey Rollan Band + DJ Rockin’ Marc Rondeau Miss Peaches Soul Food Kitchen, Newtown. 7pm. Free. Rosie Burgess Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 7:30pm. $12.50. Special Guest - feat: The Lazy Colts Selina’s @ Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 8pm. Free. Upstairs Live The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free. Whispering Jackie + Operation Ibis + Disclaimer + Billy Puntton Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.
8:30pm. Free. Folk At The Lodge - feat: John Vella + Leroy Lee + Friends Forest Lodge Hotel, Forest Lodge. 7pm. Free. GC O’Connor Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 8:30pm. Free. Jim Finn Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. Free. Joel Leffler + Josh Johnstone Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $14.30. Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen St. Stephen’s Uniting Church, Sydney. 6:30pm. $82.66. Stormcellar Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9:30pm. Free. The Old Brown Boot Band + Moonlighters The Hideaway Bar, Enmore. 8pm. Free.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Dave Tice Trio With Jim Finn & Ross Ward Orange Grove Hotel, Lilyfield. 8pm. Free. Laura Jean + Nadia Reid + Georgia Mulligan Newtown Social
Anthony Charlton Australian Arms Hotel, Penrith.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Club, Newtown. 4pm. $18. Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen St. Stephen’s Uniting Church, Sydney. 6:30pm. $82.66. Ramblin’ Nights feat: Emilee South + Bill Jackson + Brielle Davis Django Bar @ Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 6pm. $11.50. The Slowdowns The Old Growler, Woolloomoolo. 8pm. Free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Annick’s Jaime Paris - feat: Annick Gouw + John & Yuki Well Co. Cafe And Wine Bar, Glebe. 8pm. Free. Brazilian Music Extravaganza feat: Matanza Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $22.90. One Rhythm - feat: Rhythm Hunters + Si Mullumby + Direwolf One Space HQ, Bondi Junction. 7pm. $30. The Starr Sisters Foundry616, Ultimo. 8pm. $21.50. Twentysomethings Tokio Hotel, Sydney. 7pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL,
five things WITH Growing Up KV: Growing up, music was 1. everything at my house. My dad is
a musician and our home was built around the jam room and the record player. I remember a lot of Beatles, Doobie Brothers, 10cc, Billy Joel, Chicago, Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac… I’m not sure how much of that has influenced the music I make though. Inspirations KV: I’m a big fan of women 2. in rock. Stevie Nicks, Alison
Mosshart, Lindsey Troy, Patience Hodgson… My list of favourite musicians changes all the time, but a frontwoman holding her own and demanding attention onstage has always been very inspirational for me. TS: I think a lot of our inspiration also comes from places other than music
28 :: BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16
KELLA VEE AND TOM STEPHENSON FROM ELKO FIELDS
– we’re both keen travellers and find a lot of our music comes from introspection, landscapes and stories from the road. Your Band KV: We met a few years 3. through other Brisbane bands and
just started sending demos back and forth. We each play a handful of instruments, so it was pretty easy to bounce ideas around. Pretty soon we had an EP’s worth of music and started playing some low-key shows around Brisbane. TS: Just after our first show, I sent a mixtape of our rehearsals around to a few labels and was fortunate enough to hear back from Ian Haug (Powderfinger, Airlock Records) who really dug our stuff. Within a few weeks we were in the studio recording our first record.
The Music You Make TS: Elko Fields is pure scuzz4. rock. We’re an authentic two-piece
in the vein of DFA1979, Deap Vally, et cetera… though we tend to weave in a few darker elements à la Nick Cave. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. KV: We’re a relatively fresh band
and the local scene has accepted us with open arms. We’ve had some incredible opportunities in the first year of our existence and there’s even more exciting things planned for 2017. It’s killer to see so many Brisbane/Australian bands just dominating right now. There’s a lot of momentum. Where: Frankie’s Pizza When: Wednesday November 16
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Paul Kelly and Charlie Owen photo by Steve Young
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 16
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
Northlane
Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8pm. $20. Nadya, Zoran & The 101 Candles Orkestra Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $32.90. Paul Sun + John Mackie Well Co. Cafe And Wine Bar, Glebe. 6pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS PUNK & COVERS
A Night With Janis Joplin & Joni Mitchell - feat: Liza Ohlback + Rainee Lyleson Eastern Lounge Roseville, Roseville. 7pm. $35. Basement Fridays - feat: Lulu Raes + S.Kape The Eastern, Bondi Junction. 9pm. $10. Bleach Girls + The Strums Waywards, Newtown. 8pm. Free. Body Touch + Holy Balm + Tees + Cody Munro Moore The Chippo Hotel, Chippendale. 8pm. $8. Botany Idol feat: Karaoke Competition Botany Bay Hotel, Banksmeadow. 9:30pm. Free. Cub Sport + Bec Sandridge Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $17.90. Départe + Lo! + Rise Of Avernus + Gvrlls + No Haven The Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 8pm. $15. Factory Fridays feat: The Syphons + Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. Free. Fridays - feat: New Horizons Band + M7 & DJ Marty Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 7pm. Free.
Fridays - feat: Dorsal Fins Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. Free. Garry Gray And The Sixth Circle + Leadfinger + Chickenstones Factory Floor, Marrickville. 8pm. $20. Glamma Rays The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $10. Gypsy Dub Sound System Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 8:30pm. Free. Holy Holy + I Know Leopard + Alex L’Estrange Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $34.60. Ian Moss Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $44.90. Lime & Steel Leadbelly, Newtown. 4pm. Free. Lorenzo La Cava + Guests The Hideaway Bar, Enmore. 8pm. Free. Mac The Knife feat: Forest Hall + Disclaimer Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8:30pm. Free. Melancholy Flowers The Chatswood Club, Chatswood. 7pm. Free. Metal Night + Black Reign + Enter IV + Lethal Vendetta + Necrostalgia Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.
Reckless Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 10pm. $5. The Adele & Amy Winehouse Songbook The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $34.50. The Harry Heart Chrysalis Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $15. The Vernons Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $13.50. Tiny Little Houses Hudson Ballroom, Sydney. 8pm. $13.80. Trouble In Paradise + Chicanery The Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 8pm. Free.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Joel Leggett The Lair @ Metro Theatre, Sydney. 4:45pm. $15.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Immy & The Hook Up Tokio Hotel, Sydney. 7pm. Free. Kinsky
Aftershock Warriors Of The World - feat: Steelswarm The Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 8pm. $12. Andy Baylor The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7. Apes + Creo + Wasters Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $13.50. Cub Sport Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 1pm. $17.90. Dallas Crane Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8:30pm. Free. Geoff Yule Smith Sir Stamford Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. Free. Get Rocked The Bunker, Coogee. 8pm. Free. Ian Moss Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $44.90. Jessica O’Donoghue + Pheno The Newsagency, Marrickville. 8pm. $16.50. Katcha Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 8:30pm. Free. Men With Chips + Enderie Nuatal + Sinkhead + Sachet Black Wire Records, Annandale. 7:30pm. Free. No Rest In November - feat: The Cult + DJs S.H.E. + Action Ant + Xertoskitte + Many More Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $5. Northlane + Polaris
+ Hellions Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $39.90. PJ Michael & The Banditas + Sam Newton + Maia Marsh The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. $7. Rob Henry Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 5:45pm. Free. Sobie + Lazy Byrd Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $15. Spy Vs Spy + The Urban Guerillas Caringbah Hotel, Caringbah. 8:30pm. Free. Sundown State Leadbelly, Newtown. 4pm. Free. Sworn Enemy + Daemon Pyre + Staunch + Straight To A Bomb + Absolution Factory Floor, Marrickville. 7pm. $22. The Finalists + Trent Marden Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 8pm. $5. Wildcatz Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 10pm. $5.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Heath Burdell Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain. 3pm. Free. Hootenanny Sundays - feat: Mark Lucas Miss Peaches Soul Food Kitchen, Newtown. 8pm. Free. Lazy Eye Django Bar @ Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 6pm. $22.90. Performing Brazil Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7pm. Free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN
& WORLD MUSIC
Caiti Baker + Bleeding Gums Murphy The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 5pm. $7. Homayoun Shajarian Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $87.70. Michael Griffin With Strings The Basement, Circular Quay. 6:30pm. $29.20. Oblique Strategies (The SSO At Carriageworks) Carriageworks, Eveleigh. 5pm. $35. Sundays Roots & Reggae - feat: Caribbean Soul Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 4pm. Free. Sunshine Sunday Sound System feat: DJs Bossman + Prince Vince + Guests Rosie Campbell’s, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free. Taiko Party - feat: Yunion Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. $15. The Squares Moya’s Juniper Lounge, Redfern. 6pm. Free. The Unity Hall Jazz Band Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain. 4pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Broads Golden Barley Hotel, Enmore. 6pm. Free. Caligula’s Horse + Hemina + Sevsons Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 6:30pm. $21.45. Cover Notes Duo Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. Grenadiers + Cereal Picnic + War Hawk + Blind Man Death Stare + Bad Moon Born Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. Isotopes +
Amodeus + Last Days Here + Chaos Warrior + Ghosts Of Pandora + Prophecies Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 1pm. $10. Laura Stitt Tokio Hotel, Sydney. 5pm. Free. The Troggs Bridge Hotel, Rozelle. 5pm. $59.30. U2 Elevation Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 3:30pm. Free.
MONDAY NOVEMBER 21 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Bucket Lounge Presents – Live & Originals Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7pm. Free. The Harpoonist And The Axe Murderer Play Bar, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Frankie’s World Famous House Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Jonathon Jones Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. Julien Baker + Emma Russack + Elizabeth Hughes Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $40. The Monday Jam The Basement, Circular Quay. 8:30pm. $6.
Ben Harper And The Innocent Criminals Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 6pm. $101.90. Julien Baker + Emma Russack + Elizabeth Hughes Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $40. Karaoke Party Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 7:30pm. Free. Open Mike Night The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. Free. Press Club Band Tokio Hotel, Sydney. 7pm. Free. Songsonstage feat: Stuart Jammin Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 8pm. Free. Tom Trelawny Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
John Maddox Duo Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Chin Suzuki Foundry616, Ultimo. 8pm. $21.50. Latin & Jazz Open Mic Night The World Bar, Kings Cross. 7pm. Free. Veena Rao Tokio Hotel, Sydney. 7pm. Free.
Alma Music Presents: Michael Duchesne Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $10. Tim Rollinson Foundry616, Ultimo. 8pm. $16.50.
five things WITH
KEN STEWART FROM THE URBAN GUERILLAS
Urban Guerillas photo by Alec Smart
Growing Up Inspirations The popular view is My inspirations are 1. 2. that musicians are kids that Huddie Ledbetter, Pete never grow up. Given some of the things that ‘adults’ get up to, there is a very good reason why not to. I grew up in a family of nine with six brothers. I saw myself as a bit different but found I could defi ne myself through the music and songs that I related to. My dad played the tea chest bass in a jug band and my grandfather was the lead trumpet in a municipal brass band. Phil’s father, now retired, was a music teacher, composer, choirmaster and cathedral organist. Mick’s uncle taught him 4/4 time and a paradiddle.
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is quite fulfi lling to harness the rock beast, fire it up and ride it with attitude and passion. It’s really about communication, presented in the most dynamic musical sense to create entertainment.
Townshend, Ronnie Lane, Billy Bragg, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Jethro Tull, Sex Pistols, The Clash and Midnight Oil. Phil likes The Beatles. He loves good melodies and harmonies. He also likes ’70s rock. Mick’s inspirations come from life and literature. His favourite musicians are Rush, King Crimson, Living Colour, Nile, Ihsahn, Mike Patton, Philip Glass, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Jethro Tull. Your Band The Urban Guerillas 3. is a three-piece with myself
on guitar and vocals, Phil Paviour on bass and vocals
The Music You Make The Urban Guerillas 4. have released 13 albums in
and Mick Elsley on drums and vocals. I met Phil when he responded to an ad in 1992. Mick joined the band in 2000 after being
recommended by a friend. What unites us all is the passion to play energetic, socially relevant music with intent and attitude. It
various formats; our latest is the My Kind EP which is available in stores and online. We record at Damien Gerard Studio with Russell Pilling to capture that live feel in the studio. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. The success of venues seems more than ever to be driven
by the band’s capacity to bring people rather than any core clientele ready for new entertainment. That puts a bit more of the onus of a successful night on the bands themselves. We mostly see the bands who we support and the bands that we chose to support us at shows. Spy vs Spy is the obvious standout. What: My Kind out now through Waterfront With: Spy vs Spy Where: Caringbah Hotel / Beaches Thirroul When: Saturday November 19 / Friday December 2 And: Also appearing at Carols By Blowtorch, Union Hotel, Thursday December 8
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g g picks gig p up all night out all week...
Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals
wed
16 Nov
thu
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
17 Nov
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
fri
18 Nov (10:00PM - 1:40AM)
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
SUNDAY AFTERNOON 3:30PM 6:30PM
sat
19
5:45PM 8:45PM
Nov
sun
Elko Fields + Satellite Sky + Mikey’s Mate Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. Free.
20 Nov
(10:00PM - 1:15AM)
mon
(8:30PM - 11:30PM)
tue
21
22
Nov
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 16
(8:30PM - 11:30PM)
EVERY SATURDAY
Party DJs GROUND FLOOR - AFTER BANDS
The Vernons Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $13.50.
Shining Bird Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $14.59.
Tiny Little Houses Hudson Ballroom, Sydney. 8pm. $13.80.
Songbook - Feat: Katie Noonan + Leroy Lee Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $42.90.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19
Nov
(8:30PM - 11:30PM)
One Rhythm - Feat: Rhythm Hunters + Si Mullumby + Direwolf One Space HQ, Bondi Junction. 7pm. $30.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17 Danielle Deckard + Stockley Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $16.50. Dionne Warwick The Star Event Centre, Pyrmont. 8pm. $110. Joel Leffler + Josh Johnstone Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $14.30. Kingswood Imperial Hotel, Erskineville. 8pm. $28.60. Moonshine Thursday - Feat: Sons Of The East Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 8pm. Free.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18 Cub Sport + Bec Sandridge Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $17.90. Fridays - Feat: Dorsal Fins Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. Free.
Apes + Creo + Wasters Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $13.50. Dallas Crane Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8:30pm. Free. Jessica O’Donoghue + Pheno The Newsagency, Marrickville. 8pm. $16.50. Northlane + Polaris + Hellions Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $39.90. Spy Vs Spy + The Urban Guerillas Caringbah Hotel, Caringbah. 8:30pm. Free. Sundown State Leadbelly, Newtown. 4pm. Free. Sworn Enemy + Daemon Pyre + Staunch + Straight To A Bomb + Absolution Factory Floor, Marrickville. 7pm. $22.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20 Caligula’s Horse + Hemina + Sevsons Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 6:30pm. $21.45.
Holy Holy + I Know Leopard + Alex L’estrange Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $34.60.
Grenadiers + Cereal Picnic + War Hawk + Blind Man Death Stare + Bad Moon Born Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free.
Ian Moss Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $44.90.
Homayoun Shajarian Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $87.70.
Laura Jean + Nadia Reid + Georgia Mulligan Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 4pm. $18.
The Troggs Bridge Hotel, Rozelle. 5pm. $59.30.
MONDAY NOVEMBER 21 Julien Baker + Emma Russack + Elizabeth Hughes Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $40.
en
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22
en ar er an The nn
Julien Baker
ann
Ben Harper And The Innocent Criminals Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 6pm. $101.90.
ri ina s h
The Harpoonist And The Axe Murderer Play Bar, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free.
in h
30 :: BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16
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brag beats
BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture
on the pulse club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Martin, Tom Parker and James Di Fabrizio
on the record WITH
Kid Ink
PEZ
YOU MUST BE KID INK
LA-based rapper and producer Kid Ink is returning to Australia next year. A frequent collaborator with Pusha T, Usher and Tinashe, Kid Ink first turned heads in 2012 with his independently released album, Up & Away. Kid Ink has been a producer since the age of 16, and his current tour comes in the wake of his 2014 full-length, My Own Lane. Catch him at the Enmore Theatre on Saturday February 25.
The First Record I Bought 1. The first record I bought
was The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death, which was a double album. It was the album that got me into hip hop and eventually led me on the path to wanting to rap myself. The Last Record I Bought 2. Ed Sheeran – X. His
first album is one of my favourite releases in recent times and I was curious to see how he’d follow it up. I love some of his more soulful songs and I love
that Van Morrison is one of his favourite artists, ’cause he is one of mine too. The First Thing I Recorded 3. The first thing I recorded
was in my bedroom on a program called eJay Hip Hop with a little handheld dynamic mic. It was hilarious then and I’m sure it would be even more hilarious now. So yes, I definitely cringe when I hear my first attempts at trying to rap. Last Thing I Recorded 4. The
The last thing I recorded was my album Don’t Look Down, which just came out. It was a long journey making the record with my close friend and producer aKidCalledJay, so it feels good to have it finally see the light of day! I was fortunate enough to work with some amazing artists like Paul Kelly, Paul Dempsey, 360 and more on it, so hopefully people will dig it. The Record That Changed My Life 5. The record that changed
my life was that first album
Randomer
RANDOMER ACTS OF KINDNESS
London-born DJ and producer Randomer will make his escape from the northern winter for his debut Australian dates this month. The techno up-and-comer landed on the scene in 2015 with ‘Bring’, which catapulted him onto the world stage with help from supporters like Aphex Twin, Ben UFO and Len Faki. He’s become a regular on the festival circuit, but you’ll see him in more intimate surrounds courtesy Darkroom at the Portugal Medeira Club on Sunday November 27.
What: Don’t Look Down out now through EMI Where: Supporting Thundamentals at the Metro Theatre on Saturday December 17
WALKER ON THE WILD SIDE New York duo Walker & Royce will make the trip across the Pacific Ocean for the first time this summer. Dance veterans Sam Walker and Gavin Royce made the decision to collaborate in 2011, and they hit it off immediately. They secured the attention of those in the know with
their remix of Saarid’s ‘Future Lately’, then penned the house anthem ‘Connected’. They’ve been as prolific as ever in 2016, and you can see them at Chinese Laundry on Saturday December 17.
IT’S TIME FOR TIM
Hailing from the heartland of modern dance music, Germany’s Tim Engelhardt will visit our shores before Christmas. Engelhardt trained as a pianist before transitioning into production, but the harmonic and melodic influences of his youth haven’t left him. He crafts an endearing style of deep and tech house, which you can hear on his 2015 release Enigmatism. Then experience the enigmatic Engelhardt at Slyfox on Saturday December 17.
Bliss N Eso
AN EMC WONDERLAND
Electronic Music Conference 2016 is just around the corner, and now organisers have announced the final round of speakers, as well as 16 more acts for EMCPlay, the showcase arm of the event. Homegrown dance star Alison Wonderland has been added to the EMC bill as a keynote speaker, alongside the previously announced Night Mayor of Amsterdam, Mirik Milan, who will no doubt be able to share an idea or two about revitalising our city’s late-night culture. Other EMC speakers include Martin Phillips (Bionic League), Nic HP (Majestic Casual), Jimmy Edgar, Patrick Donovan (Music Victoria) and Raj Chaudhuri (Boiler Room). Meanwhile, joining the EMCPlay program of 26 artists performing across five venues on Wednesday November 30 are Aeroa, Dena Amy, ELSZ and Fvturistic. EMC 2016 takes over the Ivy complex from Monday November 28 – Friday December 2.
PRYDZ OF CENTENNIAL PARK
The 2017 Electric Gardens Festival has lifted the lid off its headline act – and it’s a doozy. The legendary Eric Prydz will be hitting the stage in a hotly anticipated set, promising
BLISS N ESO ARE BACK
Australian hip hop legends Bliss N Eso are about to embark on a tour in support of their new single, which will see them perform in some of the country’s most intimate venues. ‘Dopamine’ is their first new track in over two years and embodies the “feeling of someone pulling you from the darkness and leading you back to the light”. It’s the first taste of the group’s hotly anticipated sixth studio album, billed for release in early 2017. Their previous release Circus In The Sky debuted at number one on the ARIA Album Chart and featured collaborations with the likes of Daniel Merriweather, Nas and Ceekay Jones. Expect to see some prized collaborations on their forthcoming LP. Bliss N Eso take over the Metro Theatre on Thursday February 16. xxx
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I bought by Biggie. I was really spoilt growing up in a household that played all of this incredible music from the ’60s and ’70s (The Beatles, Van Morrison, et cetera) so hip hop became the first music that I had to seek out myself. And I think that was part of what made it feel special to me.
an extended performance as he travels the country with the festival. One of the world’s most in-demand producers, Prydz has played iconic venues including Madison Square Garden as well as retaining underground and mass appeal, evident on his first full-length album, Opus. The festival is going down at Centennial Park on Saturday January 28.
BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16 :: 31
Ryan Hemsworth Never Alone Again By Joseph Earp thing, and I have to be a bit like, ‘Oh shit, I don’t know what to do with this now.’ So I just put that somewhere else for later.” Such a scattershot approach is not new for Hemsworth, and he often finds himself taking odd creative left turns that he can’t quite predict. “The more and more you work, the more it turns into something else,” he laughs ruefully. “I’m a bit all over the place when I get into making music, I guess, so if I go in thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to make a solo song,’ it’ll probably just end up being something totally different. It’s just about preparing for whatever might happen throughout that process.” Of course, such a process means that occasionally Hemsworth finds himself barking up the wrong tree sonically. But he’s learnt to deal with such dead ends, and adapt his style rather than giving up entirely. “Writing is about hoping that it will end up somewhere good,” he says. “Sometimes you just spend hours or days on something and then you’re just like, ‘This kinda sucks.’ And then you just have to leave it and move onto the next thing.” As a result, as much as Hemsworth loves the writing and recording processes, he obviously derives a great amount of joy from debuting his work to audiences, and adores the moment when a song stops belonging simply to him. “It’s great, the process where everyone hears [a song] for the first time and at the same time,” he says. “It’s very different from when you release it on SoundCloud or Spotify or whatever, and you just put it out there like, ‘Hopefully people will like this, I guess?’”
F
or many touring musicians, ‘home’ is a strange word – one that often refers less to a location and more to a nebulous, hard-to-define concept. After all, the life of a performer is a migratory one, and the demands of the road are ceaseless – one need only briefly scan the schedule of DJ and beatsmith Ryan Hemsworth to realise that few who make music full-time ever really stay still. “I’m out in Europe right now,” says Hemsworth, his strong Canadian accent still intact after so many years travelling the globe. “I’ve been out here for a week or so. I’ve just been spending a
little time back and forth between Canada and here, recording and being out on the road pretty regularly.” Such intensive touring has helped Hemsworth keep up his forward momentum following the release of his second long player Alone For The First Time back in 2014. Though he might not have dropped a great deal of material since then, he’s more than made up for that dearth by treating his international fans to show after show. That said, life hasn’t exactly been easy, and the demands of performing have been creeping up on Hemsworth a touch.
“It used to be a little easier for me to go and stay out all night and then just work on stuff all day the next day,” he says. “But now I just go out and play and then come home and sleep the whole next day after.” Although it might have been a while since fans got anything substantial in terms of a release from Hemsworth, that’s all set to change sometime in the near future – if he can keep his focus, that is. “I’ve been working on a rap album for the past six months or so. But I’ll sit down and go, ‘OK, I’m going to make a beat really quick.’ And then it just turns into a whole other
“THE MORE AND MORE YOU WORK, THE MORE IT TURNS INTO SOMETHING ELSE.”
Ultimately, for Hemsworth, hitting the stage isn’t just about receiving a pay cheque, or about fulfilling obligations in order to keep recording – it’s an opportunity to learn. “[Playing live] is something that I’ve had to pick up quite quickly,” he says. “But I think that’s the way with quite a lot of people who make stuff at home in their basement and then they’re just sort of thrown out into the world and know exactly what to do. You’ve just got to kind of work it out on the road.” What: Field Day 2017 With: Chance The Rapper, Childish Gambino, Broods, Alison Wonderland and more Where: The Domain When: Sunday January 1
Off The Record Dance and Electronica with Alex Chetverikov
T
here are some awfully good ideas bubbling away in the proverbial melting pot of Australian electronic music at the moment. For even the most ardent and obsessive of DJs, music listeners and nerds (I use this term very affectionately), it’s increasingly difficult to keep tabs in a now globally recognised music marketplace.
For those reluctant to dip a toe into the crystal waters of dance, I’d highly recommend looking at the local scene for introduction or inspiration. With an incredible array of digital radio shows now available, along with a steady plethora of live music and the resurgence of vinyl in recent years, the context is rich and ripe with talent. I’ve picked out three of the brightest-burning local talents for a Snapshot Series feature, with plenty more to come in the months ahead.
BEST RELEASES THIS WEEK:
Release recommendation: Dro Carey – Journey With The Heavy
LUCY CLICHÉ
Arriving at electronic music along the proverbial road less travelled is Lucy Cliché, who featured at Red Bull’s Analog event earlier this year, and was a highlight at that. Her past projects, which have encompassed no-wave group Naked On The Vague, lo-fi band Knitted Abyss and drone duo Half High, have demonstrated the Melbourne producer’s wonderfully versatile approach to her overall craft, with 2015’s Drain Down release on local label Noise In My Head leaning heavily on Detroit electro and techno influences. Release recommendation: Lucy Cliché – Drain Down
DAN WHITE / RINGS AROUND SATURN / 2200
Dan White’s impeccably produced EPs range from the moody, synthy acid techno of his 2200 alias, to the ambient washes of house project Rings Around Saturn, to the progressive jungle, crystalline house and jilted acid produced under his own name. His work is informed especially by an outstanding education in hardware and analogue; touches of tweak, nudges of noodling, and an artisan’s approach to the musical process. Release recommendations: 2200 – Killed By Deaf, Rings Around Saturn – Erosion
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FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18
Bradley Zero, Chaos In The CBD, Prequel TBA
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19
TUFF SHERM / DRO CAREY
While his output as Tuff Sherm angles towards a crunchier, lo-fi techno aesthetic with a housey undertone, it’s under his predominant Dro Carey moniker where I feel his idiosyncrasies and character really shine through. He achieved a remarkably early maturity into production at 18, with a slew of releases showcasing grime and house music. 2011’s Journey With The Heavy simultaneously draws one in and out of its multitude of glitches, throbs and warm buzz. Six years on, and he’s still very much an artist to look out for.
RECOMMENDED
Marcel Fengler Burdekin Hotel
Picnic One Night Stand: Simon Caldwell Jam Gallery
Benedek’s Coolin for some flawless sunshine funk; he has been absolutely spot on this year. And check out Four Tet’s Far Away mix in Los Angeles, because who doesn’t love brilliant musicians with impeccable taste curating five hours of funk, house, disco, techno, soul, and much, much more?
Suzanne Kraft, Jamie Blanco Freda’s
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20
Soul Of Sydney 5th Birthday: Brown Sugar Secret location
MONDAY NOVEMBER 28 – FRIDAY DECEMBER 2
EMC Conference Sydney 2016 feat. Leftfield, Bradley Zero, Honey Dijon and more Ivy
SATURDAY DECEMBER 3 Scuba Goodbar
SATURDAY DECEMBER 10
Circoloco: Ben UFO, Seth Troxler Greenwood Hotel
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club guide g
club picks p up all night out all week...
send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com
club pick of the week Elizabeth Rose
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19 Parramatta Park
The Plot
A.B. Original + Elizabeth Rose + Nicole Millar + Paces + Montaigne + more
1pm. $79. WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 16 HIP HOP & R&B
TLC Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $91.65.
CLUB NIGHTS
Sbw Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Sosueme - feat: Torren Foot + Mossy Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free. Wet Wednesdays Scary Canary, Sydney. 9:30pm. Free.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17 CLUB NIGHTS
Femme Fetale The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. House Keeping Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. House Of Bacardi - feat: Phile + Jon Watts + Ben Drayton + Dusty Fingers + Jimmy Sing + Marcus King + Jayteehazard + Nes + Raph + Bad Ezzy B2B Kato & Luen + Champion Lyf + More TBA The World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. Free. Yo/ Da Fu/ Nk - feat: thebrag.com
Resident Funk DJs The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free.
HIP HOP & R&B
Argyle Thursdays feat: Mike Champion + Moto + Nino Brown + Tubz + A-Game The Argyle, The Rocks. 12pm. Free. Keep Hustling - feat: Syntax Vernac + Illis It + Jake Izzy + DJ Maniak Hustle & Flow, Redfern. 7pm. $10.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18 HIP HOP & R&B
De La Soul Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 8:30pm. $58.70. Fatback Hudson Ballroom, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Flirty Fridays - feat: DJs Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 10pm. $15. RnB Fridays Live feat: Nelly + TLC + Mya + 112 + Montell Jordan + Blackstreet + Blu Cantrell + Dante Thomas + Fatman Scoop + Kevin Lyttle + DJ Horizon Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. 5:30pm. $101.75.
Role Modelz Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.
CLUB NIGHTS
Argyle Fridays The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Ben Morris Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. Free. Frankie’s Pizza Friday - feat: Rock DJs Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Friday Frothers Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Hole Of Fame - feat: Suzanne Kraft + Jamie Blanco + Hole Of Fame DJs 77, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $16.50. Leftfield + U-Khan + Ben Nott Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 9pm. $28.95. Nina Kraviz + Stephan Bodzin + Bjarki + Robbie Lowe + Vivi + Persian Rug + Andy Bird B2B Micky Price + Higbeam + Jermaine Jones Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $63.80. Old Skool Fridays - feat: DJs On Rotation St Johns Park Bowling Club, St Johns Park. 8pm. Free. Peoples Club Weekly - feat: Sampology + Mike Who + Preacha + U-Khan + Andy Lowe + David Bangma + Florida
Dad Goodbar, Paddington. 8pm. $15. Raw - feat: DJ Nycks + Richie Haynes + Mark Simonds Tatler, Darlinghurst. 8pm. Free. Safia + Set Mo + Running Touch Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:45pm. $45.90. Subsonic Music Festival Warm-Up - feat: Madmotormiquel + Cabal DJs + Venda + Wild Fox + James Hopping + Jackson Winter B2B Cosmic Ken + Yew Know It + Thalice Movement + So Greasey + Maru Proud Mary’s, Erina. 8pm. $10. TGIFreda’s - feat: Chubby Take-Over Freda’s, Chippendale. 6pm. Free. Welove - feat: Hobo Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $25.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19 HIP HOP & R&B
Black Milk Hudson Ballroom, Sydney. 8pm. $27.80. Boom Bap Sessions Newcastle Takeover - feat: Talakai + Mac Davillain + Scotty B + Kid Lyrical + DJs Cost + Codeks + Platterpush Hustle & Flow, Redfern. 7pm. Free. Gabreal + The Yung Dready Bastrd + Lowgrind + Neo Pitso + Ravin + Steady Bill$ + Tyrøne The Chippo Hotel, Chippendale. 7pm. $11.80. Ivan Ooze Hudson Ballroom, Sydney. 8pm. $16.90. The Plot - Feat: A.B. Original + Alex Lahey + Allday + The Belligerents + The Bennies + Bootleg Rascal + Buoy + Dorsal Fins + Dylan Joel + E^st + Elizabeth Rose + Gold Fields + Indian Summer + Ivan Ooze + Japanese Wallpaper + Lanks + Luca Brasi + Mallrat + Montaigne + Nicole Millar + Ocean Alley + Paces + Pierce Brothers + Running Touch + Tash Sultana + Thelma Plum + Tired Lion + Vera Blue + Ziggy Alberts Parramatta Park, Parramatta. 1pm. $79.
CLUB NIGHTS Argyle Saturdays feat: Tass + Tap-Tap + Minx + Crazy Caz The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Clique Sydney Cruise Bar, Sydney. 8:30pm. $20. Floorbreaker - First Sequence - feat: Cop Envy + M.O.B + Sonderr + Dormir + Morgan Wright + W.R.X + Malchance + Jemma Cole + Pilpress + Gia Luvera + Edie Virelli Secret Location, Sydney. 8pm. $22.
Frat Saturdays Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Graham M And Brenny B Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 6pm. Free. Habourlife 2016 feat: Fred Falke + Gabby + George Fitzgerald + Hayden James + MK + Nina Kraviz + Young Franco + More Fleet Steps, Sydney. 2pm. $127. Hot Dub Time Machine Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:15pm. $52.95. Lndry X V MoVement - feat: MK + Boogs + Avon Stringer + Friendless + Vats + Mike Hyper + DJ Just 1 + King Lee + Offtapia + Oscar De Lima + Circa87 Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $38.20. Mashd N Kutcher Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $27.70. Miguel Bastida + Cadence + Chris Kyle + 64 Collective + Jez Sands + Torbynik + Ron Maran + Jack Love + Dylan Sargent + Scruby & Aron Chiarella + Summit DJs Civic Underground, Sydney. 10pm. $27.60. MK & Boogs Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $28. Monica Ross + Secret Guest + Nick Reverse + Mantra Collective + Db + Nine One + Hoten + Fernanda Pistelli Zoo Project, Potts Point. 10pm. Free. Moody-Town - feat: Moodymann + Dan Shake Cake Wines Cellar Door, Redfern. 3pm. $70.90. Moonshine Saturdays - feat: DJs Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 8pm. Free. Mystery Mark feat: Joel Fletcher + Bombs Away + Yolanda Be Cool + Uberjak’D + Scndl + Brooke Evers + Who Killed Mickey + Seek N Destroy + Tenzin + Tom Budin + Kate Foxx + DCup Sydney Showground, Sydney. 3pm. $79. One Night Stand feat: Simon Caldwell Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9pm. $11. Pacha - feat: Mashd N Kutcher Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $27.70. Precious Cargo feat: Special Guest DJs Cargo Lounge, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Pukka Up Australia Pool Party - feat: Micky Price + Dillan Joseph + Alex Low + Lucas Agra + Leukas + Hoten + Gaz Kempster Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 12pm. $35. Radio Slave + Ben Nott B2B Robbie Lowe + Cassette + Aaiste + Eclipse + Scott Rotton + Dan Bayton + Paul Gawne + Mark Spence + Alex Ludlow
Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $44. Rimbombo Warehouse feat: Otologic + Rimbombo + Paul Jextra Secret Location, Sydney. 10pm. $16.50. Sangria Latin Saturdays St Johns Park Bowling Club, St Johns Park. 9pm. Free. Saturdays With Mary - feat: Go Freek + Jake Edwards + Kyhl Fraser + Steve Pike + Lewshi + Shibui + The Brains Trust + Un-Ti + Vicious Beats + Geordie Proud Mary’s, Erina. 8pm. Free. Selecta Saturdays feat: Cool Jerk DJs + Special Guests Rosie Campbell’s, Surry Hills. 8:45pm. Free. Soda Saturdays feat: Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Something Else feat: Marcel Fengler + Adam Swain + David Bangma + Harry Sanger + Katia Avorodis + Dave Stuart Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $16.50. Sydney Harbour Sunset Cruise - feat: Miguel Bastida + Cadence + Chris Kyle + 64 Collective + Jez Sands + Torbynik + Ron Maran + Jack Love + Dylan Sargent + Scruby & Aron Chiarella + Summit DJs Sydney Harbour, Sydney. 5:30pm. $53.10. Syncron City - feat: Steez + Shepz + Subsense + Senka + Many More Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 10pm. $10. The Sweet Escape feat: Stereogamous Imperial Hotel, Erskineville. 9pm. Free. Tribe - feat: Questionable + Mi77enz + Exoh + Mosby vs Gldspk + Liquid Sunshine + Kris Grace + Y Magnetik Zu The Hideaway Bar, Enmore. 7pm. Free. Yolk Warehouse feat: Sam Weston + Benj + Statz Secret Location, Sydney. 8pm. $16.50. Yours - feat: Klue Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20 HIP HOP & R&B
Rooftop Sundays Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.
CLUB NIGHTS
Marco Polo - feat: Superlover + Colour Vision Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 1pm. $22.90. Miss Bondi 2016
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 16 TLC Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $91.65
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18 RnB Fridays Live - Feat: Nelly + TLC + Mya + 112 + Montell Jordan + Blackstreet + Blu Cantrell + Dante Thomas + Fatman Scoop + Kevin Lyttle + DJ Horizon Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. 5:30pm. $101.75. Leftfield + U-Khan + Ben Nott Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 9pm. $28.95. Nina Kraviz + Stephan Bodzin + Bjarki + Robbie Lowe + Vivi + Persian Rug + Andy Bird B2B Micky Price + Higbeam + Jermaine Jones Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $63.80. Safia + Set Mo + Running Touch Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:45pm. $45.90.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19 Black Milk Hudson Ballroom, Sydney. 8pm. $27.80. Habourlife 2016 - Feat: Fred Falke + Gabby + George Fitzgerald + Hayden James + Mk + Nina Kraviz + Young Franco + More Fleet Steps, Sydney. 2pm. $127. Hot Dub Time Machine Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:15pm. $52.95. Mystery Mark - Feat: Joel Fletcher + Bombs Away + Yolanda Be Cool + Uberjak’d + Scndl + Brooke Evers + Who Killed Mickey + Seek N Destroy + Tenzin + Tom Budin + Kate Foxx + DCup Sydney Showground, Sydney. 3pm. $79. Radio Slave + Ben Nott B2B Robbie Lowe + Cassette + Aaiste + Eclipse + Scott Rotton + Dan Bayton + Paul Gawne + Mark Spence + Alex Ludlow Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $44.
Heat 1 - feat: DJs Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 2pm. Free. Owt. Day Party 2 - feat: Kato + Strange Associates + Debelak + Steven Williams + Owt. DJs + Cable Kidz DJs Cargo Lounge, Sydney. 2pm. $25. Rees Hellmers Tokio Hotel, Sydney. 5pm. Free. S.A.S.H By Day Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 1pm. $15. S.A.S.H By Night Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 9pm. $15. Shady Sunday feat: Retro DJs Imperial Hotel, Erskineville. 4pm. Free. Sin Sundays The Argyle, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Tim Boffa And Cam Adams
Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 4pm. Free. Tropical Sundae The World Bar, Kings Cross. 5pm. Free.
MONDAY NOVEMBER 21 CLUB NIGHTS I Love Mondays Side Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free.
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22 CLUB NIGHTS
Coyote Tuesdays The World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. Free. Propaganda Tuesday Scary Canary, Sydney. 9:30pm. Free. Side Bar Tuesdays Side Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free.
BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16 :: 33
live review What we’ve been out to see...
snap
VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT
up all night out all week . . .
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I WENT ON A THREEDAY PARTY CRUISE WITH THE HOFF AND HERE’S EVERYTHING I CAN REMEMBER
It’s difficult to find a coherent point to start describing the strobe-lit gamut that seemed to only sleep between the hours of 10am and early afternoon. My notes are filled with snatches of overheard comments scrawled between tequila shots and dancing. “Jake, don’t you remember, you met this guy last night!” “…Oh yeah! You were the dude with the bucket on his head!” “I was?” I spent my days and nights wandering the 14 decks trying to find the beating heart of this great ocean-faring beast, and gave up after I realised there was simply far too much to see and do. The only way you could have a bad time here was if you went so far out of your way to avoid festivities you never left home in the first place. Even a storm that swept in late on the second night couldn’t stop the party; through fancy 11thhour footwork, the main stage was transported below decks to the hastily converted ice-skating rink, while those enjoying the Hot Tub Time Machine stage likely never noticed the rain to begin with. Livescape, the folks behind these shenanigans, really can claim to run a tight ship. Their crowning achievement was our stopover in Penang. There, an entire street was closed off and transported into a sprawling version of It’s The Ship – the cruise DJs took over the line of clubs (including guest appearances from our very own captain, David Hasselhoff) while the street itself became a dance floor of shipmates, stilt-
34 :: BRAG :: 689 :: 16:11:16
After spending some time there in a club called Mois, I wandered through the throng until finally reaching the men’s room at the back. Stepping in, I found a fellow Aussie at the urinal in serious debate with the guy beside him. “Dude, don’t touch my dick. You do it again, and I’ll cowpunch you. I’m laughing, but I’m not. Do you know what that is? I’ll cowpunch you. And you, dude, will die. Trust me. I’m from Penrith.” To give the dick-whapping patron his due, not only did he probably not know Penrith, but casual nudity wasn’t exactly scarce on board. Sure, as those two dinoriders discovered after standing on columns by the pool and stripping down to their birthday suits, if you crossed a certain line security was going to rock up and lock you in your stateroom (though those guys also earned my reluctant respect for getting so loose that all of this unfolded before we’d even left port at Singapore). But I’ve also never seen so many string bikinis in my life, and some of the action in and around those hot tubs left little to the imagination.
sosueme – feat: elliphant
PICS :: AM
It wasn’t all weirdness and debauchery aboard the threeday EDM cruise It’s The Ship 2016 – but by God, it sure had that in spades, and what a wonderful ride it was. Departing from Singapore, it was a throng of uninhibited strangers dancing and drinking long beyond dawn as we sailed the Malacca Strait, diving from hot tub to casino to gala dinner to a private street festival on the island of Penang; it would be impossible to experience such an extended bacchanal again anytime soon. The music, the people, the Hoff.
walkers, mobile dentist chairs (where you could sit back and relax while a friendly assistant poured straight vodka down your throat), and ‘butterfly ladies’ vying for patronage.
09:11:16 :: Beach Road Hotel :: 71 Beach Rd Bondi Beach 9130 7247
Of course, it was decadent, but from what I could see it also seemed fairly safe. A friend who found herself on the other side of tipsy was intercepted by security as she tried to reach her boyfriend, so conscious were they of preventing something untoward. I never saw any fist fights or major injury (though Melbourne artist Lucille Croft did manage to fracture her foot and found herself being interviewed on crutches). The real revelation came from asking all and sundry what had brought them to It’s the Ship in the first place. The vast majority were here to enjoy the music, but first and foremost they were hoping for something crazy. They wanted to step from their elevators and find themselves swept away in a stampede of Playboy girls, or wedged between the Hoff and Far East Movement while waiters poured never-ending flutes of Moet; or stand in one of the hot tubs dancing to Raiden while strangers spouted Bollinger from the above decks for them to try and catch like thirsty baby birds. They wanted to see Dada Life lead us into the largest pillow fight at sea as guys dressed as nuns danced with girls in luminous dresses, all aglow like Christmastime, like neon sirens who’d clambered up from the sea. It’s pure and perplexing experience that we’re all hoping for, when it comes down to it. In that regard, I still have my sea legs. Adam Norris It’s The Ship 2016 was reviewed aboard the Mariner Of The Seas from Friday November 4 – Monday November 7
vengaboys
PICS :: AM
I
step onto the upper deck and look down at the main pool and dancefloor, where a lumbering tyrannosaurus is being double-teamed by two drunk Australians. The shirtless pair are swilling from litre bottles of Grey Goose and Johnny Walker, thrusting away at the poor costumed creature as it tries to cheerfully dance along. It’s a remarkable sight, trumped only by the T-Rex’s final outing during the much-anticipated midnight set from MaRLo. There, the dinosaur finds itself in a shoving match with an adversary in a Great White Shark costume while a midget dressed as Iron Man sneaks up from behind, mounts its tail, and starts thrusting; as T-Rex spins around, the unseen mounted midget spins too, cackling wildly as he is carried humping away into the crowd…
08:11:16 :: Big Top Sydney :: Luna Park, 1 Olympic Dr Milsons Point 9033 7640 thebrag.com
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