Metior Magazine - Edition #8

METIOR

Murdoch Empire Telegraph & Indian Ocean Review

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Edition #3 May 2013

HAPPY PLACES

Murdoch Empire Telegraph & Indian Ocean Review – Since 1975 Edition 3, May 2013 Metior acknowledges that this is and always will be Aboriginal land.

Metior is a Murdoch University student publication.

For latest Guild news, events and info go to www.the-guild.com.au Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/metiormagazine Want to catch up on previous issues? Go to www.the-guild.com.au/metior Editor Olivia Gardner

Cover Photo Phoebe Phillips

Sub-Editor Madura McCormack

Photographers Alex Bainbridge Ben Peric Hayden Strzina Phoebe Phillips Piotrek Ziolkowski Robbie Partington Zachary Tilghman

Graphic Design Karmen Lee Our undying everlasting gratitude to...

Maria Bergwitz Aaron Rutter Mathew Gardner Ben Wright Michael Cadby Cecilia Allen Pia van Straalen David Salvaire Red Moire Emma Thatcher Sarah Ross Jez

Visual Artists Krause Komics Luisa Hansal

Metior’s deadlines for the next three editions of 2013 are 12th July, 2nd August & 6th September If you’d like to contribute writing, photography, poetry, illustrations or ideas please email us at metior@the-guild.com.au Editor Olivia Gardner

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Email metior@the-guild.com.au

Phone 9360 2158

Address Murdoch University Guild of Students 90 South Street, Murdoch WA 6150

Email A.Bellotti@the-guild.com.au

This magazine is printed using vegetable based inks onto paper stock which is manufactured from pulp sourced from plantation grown timber.

Both paper manufacturer and printer are certified to ISO 14001, the internationally recognised standard for Environmental Management.

Disclaimer Metior is published by the students of Murdoch University, under the governance of Murdoch University Guild of Students.

Content should not be regarded as the opinions of the Guild unless specifically stated.

1 The Guild accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any of the opinions or information contained within the magazine.

CONTENTS From The President ����������������������������������������������������������������������3 Editorial �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3 Features 5 Ways to Study ����������������������������������������������������������������������������6 Humans vs. Zombies ��������������������������������������������������������������������7 Campus Comedy ���������������������������������������������������������������������������7 Refugee Rights National Convergence ����������������������������������������8 Jeff Green ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������10 G ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������11 Down the Tracks �������������������������������������������������������������������������12 Seth Sentry ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������14 Lemaitre ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������15 The Great Skate Debate �������������������������������������������������������������22 Promise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������24 We Are All At Risk Of Becoming Potatoes! ��������������������������������26 Robots Vs Art ������������������������������������������������������������������������������27 In the Pines ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������28 Reviews Music �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������30 Screen & Stage ���������������������������������������������������������������������������31 Comedy ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������32 Fashion ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������32 Fiction Bedroom Dialogue ����������������������������������������������������������������������18 Photography Robbie Partington �������������������������������������������������������������������������4 Alex Bainbridge ����������������������������������������������������������������������������9 Ben Peric �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������13 Phoebe Phillips ���������������������������������������������������������������������������16 Hayden Strzina ����������������������������������������������������������������������������19 Zachary Tilghman �����������������������������������������������������������������������20 Piotrek Ziolkowski �������������������������������������������������������������24 & 29 Visual Art Krause Komics ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 23 Luisa Hansal. �������������������������������������������������������������������������������25 2

FROM THE PRESIDENT Words by Bec Thompson I had to spend two months in India to find my happy place. Fortunately for all you cash-strapped, time-poor readers, turn by turn of its recycled pages, this edition of METIOR does it for you.

So, what else makes you happy? For me it’s finding time to do all the mundane domestic stuff that gets missed every time things at the Guild get crazy. Last time I cleaned out the stove I found (I kid you not) five different cooking utensils in the electric wiring down the back, none of which anyone was willing to claim.

Share houses make me happy. Where we’re all at the point that owning property is so far beyond reach, we’re happy to make do with a rental built before the last century, where if it had one more ‘quirk’, it would fall over. But that’s part of the charm.

Ok, last one. Driving down South Street, there is a certain point over the hill where you see the ocean panoramic in front of you, a few boats, maybe a sunset, and it just shouts - we are so unfathomably lucky to be in this little corner of the world. And that is a wonderful feeling.

EDITORIAL Words by Olivia Gardner Today my happy place involved a pile of eggs and bacon; yesterday it was a day of friends, family, and meeting a few surprising new people. While last week, the highlight was an evening spent with a friend who indulged me with cheese and wine as the rain beat down on his old tin roof. It’s the little things.

The idea of a happy place is universally subjective. For some of us it’s enjoying the company of friends, and days fancifully wasted away. For others, it could be imagining that light at the end of the tunnel, or a fond memory from someplace distant.

It might just be a sense, or a smell, or even a smile that triggers it, but regardless of what it might be we all have a little happy place that we like to go to every now and again.

With the semester dragging on and assignments piling up, we thought that we would give everyone a bit of aid in escapism, and publish our little book all about happy places and things that can take your mind far away.

From the secret places in our city that you can get away to with the chime of a train door closing, to experiencing another person’s passion about a topic that might remind you of your own, we’ve got plenty awaiting your distraction inside.

Our photographers have offered you the most outstanding visual aid while our writers have found it within them, despite their own list of countless distractions, to bring you something exciting on every page.

So, it is at that, that I encourage each and every one of you to take a little time out from your day and see where your imagination can take you. Or at the very least just do something nice for yourself (eggs and bacon is a great place to start).

SHOW US WHAT YOU’VE GOT! We absolutely love seeing new and exciting work from photography to Fiction. If you would like to be a part of our ever-growing team, check us out on Facebook www.facebook.com/metiormagazine for updates on upcoming editions, themes, meetings, and deadlines. Alternatively, you can shoot us an email at metior@the-guild.com.au

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PHOTOGRAPHY Robbie Partington

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5 NEW WAYS TO STUDY (You’ve never heard of before) Words by Red Moir 1. Strip Study.

For this method and some others, you’ll need to create a series of short but relevant quiz questions for the topic you’ll be studying. Each member of the group brings their own set of questions, to avoid any one person knowing all the answers. Ask the questions around the circle, and getting a question incorrect means that person must remove an item of clothing. Avoid potential embarrassment and get your answers right!

Potential fun rating: 2. Assassin Skill Development.

For this method you’ll need the quiz questions as mentioned before, some paper, and one or more Nerf guns. Ask your little brother. Or indeed, your older brother. My brother is 22 and he still has them. (They never really grow up.) What you’ll need to do is tape the answers to your questions written on small slips of paper, to the outside of the foam bullets. Make sure they’re put into the gun in order, or you’ll confuse everyone and yourself. Basically you quiz each other on the questions, if someone gets one wrong, you get to shoot them with the right answer. (Maybe let out some bottled-up pre-exam aggression at the same time.) Ideas to make this more fun: Get some aim practice with a moving target! Get up and run for your life if you don’t know the answer.

Potential fun rating: 3. The Speed Study Method.

You’ll need your study notes, and your computers for this one. Sit opposite your ‘opponent’ and have someone else from your group start the race. Have a blank word document open at your disposal, and make sure each member gets to read the same set of bullet pointed study notes prior to the ‘race’. Have the referee start the time for forty seconds, and make sure each player has put away his or her notes! Each contestant speed-types as many of the bullet points they can remember within the time limit, once it’s over they are added up and the person who remembered the most wins. This is great for competitive students, the more they want to win; the more they’ll study!

Potential fun rating: 4. The Hawk-Eye Training Program.

For this you’re going to need a pack of balloons (99c in Kmart). (I knew working there would come in handy one day.) And some darts. (Ask your Dad.) Write the answers to some quiz questions on small slips of paper and fold them into the balloons before blowing them up. Pin the knots of the balloons to a corkboard, preferably outside. Each balloon should be numbered, in correspondence to the question the answer pertains to.

Try and write down the answers to every question first, but to see if you were right first you have to have good aim! Use the darts to pop each balloon and receive your answer.

Potential fun rating: 5. The Trick Question Conundrum.

Like before, each member of the group creates a set of question relevant to the topic. However, unlike before, the answers will be in multiple-choice format and there will only be two to choose from. One answer is correct, the other sounds like it’s saying the same thing but is, however, worded slightly differently to make the concept ultimately incorrect. Only the person who wrote the questions will know which is which. Only the members who really have their head wrapped around the study concepts will be able to distinguish the difference in answers! This works well with science based courses, the more complicated the terminology, the better.

Potential fun rating:

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HUMANS VS ZOMBIES Words By Emma Thatcher Humans versus Zombies was run a little differently this year with Murdoch University taking part in the first cross-campus game in Western Australia. Joining forces with Curtin University students, the game unfolded over a week in April, taking over hallways, bushland and open grass areas on both campuses.

about the reasons to join with Curtin saying that “We decided to run a cross-campus game as we had established a working relationship with Curtin’s team after they asked for some help in getting their game organised.”

Talking to a few players along the way I asked what the motivation to play the game was. Murdoch Zombie Andrew David said that “the main appeal was basically just stress relief, just having a good time meeting a bunch of people, and then just running around and looking like idiots.” Humans were seen around campus with guns strapped to their backs and war paint streaked across their faces whilst zombies covered themselves in fake blood, dressing up for the occasion, and adding to the fun. Players were still expected to attend classes and juggle assignments, not an easy feat whilst trying to avoid traps and ambushes walking between lecture theatres and classrooms, and making it to the safe zones.

For those who don’t know, Humans versus Zombies is pretty self explanatory, the humans try to out-live and out -run the zombies that are plaguing the student population. Zombies (marked by purple bandanas) attempt to kill all the humans through a process of tagging and collecting their brain cards.

Humans (marked by orange bandanas) can protect themselves with Nerf guns and socks, aimed at stunning the zombies for long enough to make an escape. The result is an energetic and slightly more complicated game of chasey.

The team of moderators had their hands full this year with the coordination over two campuses and over 350 players signing up. There were a few hiccups with rules and players found it difficult to navigate different campuses whilst trying to avoid the zombie horde. Moderator Julian Flakemore spoke

After watching the excitement unfold throughout the game, I think next time I might find myself joining in the battle instead of standing on the sidelines.

CAMPUS COMEDY Words by Madura McCormack The dreaded exam season is lurking behind the next corner, waiting to jump out and suffocate the student population. Essays, quizzes and projects are piling up while extension requests flood the inboxes of lecturers. It’s a time where nervous breakdowns, empty coffee canisters and sleep deprivation run rampant through the dorms.

funny man says he’ll be bringing his self-described brand of ‘junkyard dog delivery’ comedy to Murdoch on the hopefully laugh-a-minute night. According to Sean, he’s been playing around with clean material and will be “off the chain and going for broke”.

Murdoch University is Campus Comedy’s first stop and while UWA and Curtin hash out their humour priorities, the laughter movement has three subsequent slots already scheduled in Murdoch for the next semester. Other featured comics include Raw Comedy state finalist Sam Cribb, Rachel Mills, Julian Canny and Ayden Doherty as emcee.

Before you contemplate putting the final touches on that spectacular noose you ordered online, let’s take a breather and head down to the Tavern for a few (dozen) pints of well-deserved beer and an equal amount of well needed stress relief.

Mark out the 22nd of May (that’s a Wednesday) on your cluttered wall calendar for Campus Comedy. A new concept in Perth, whose primary goal is arguably to reduce anxiety related medical emergencies.

Free for Murdoch University students and $5 for non-students, Campus Comedy will open its doors at 7pm on the Wednesday. Just enough time to leave the stress baggage at the door, hover around the bar and find a good comfy perch before the laughs kick off at 7:30pm. Sense of humour and identification are essential.

The evening will see 10 up-and-coming professional Perth funnies, head-lined by WA’s Raw Comedy Competition winner Sean Conway. The regions newest

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Refugee Rights National Convergence Words by Sarah Ross & Photography by Alex Bainbridge It is a surreal experience driving to Yongah Hill, a remote immigration detention centre situated in the country town of Northam. The hour and a half drive down the Great Eastern Highway through the bush covered landscape will take you past Acacia Prison and Wooroloo Prison Farm until you finally reach the detention centre. A high security prison with an electrified double perimeter fence adorned with methodical rows of barbed wire. This prison is not used to detain people who have been convicted of any crime – but instead refugees, people who have attempted to seek asylum in Australia and as a consequence, have been indefinitely detained without charge or trial.

and within the confines of barbed wire fences. This is the nature of detention.

Over the Anzac weekend, 150 activists from all around Australia converged on Yongah Hill to protest against the policy of mandatory detention. There was a mixture of around 50 local, state, and federal police including police mounted on horses.

On the Friday night of the convergence there was a candlelight vigil co-hosted by Amnesty International on the hill opposite the centre. We held candles and floated helium balloons with lights inside them in the hope that those inside could see us. This was confirmed when I received a phone call from one of the guys I visit, during the vigil, who told me that they could all see the lights. Two Hazara refugees who had been previously detained in Australia delivered a speech about the ethnic cleansing of Hazara people in Aghanistan and Pakistan and expressed gratitude towards the Australian community for mobilizing to support Hazaras in detention.

The only permanent looking structures to the centre are the fences. All of the other buildings look removable and impermanent. This reflects the situation of many of the guys inside – caught in limbo – caught between two places, but trapped.

I have visited refugees inside Yongah Hill every weekend for the past six months. To visit my friends I must apply in advance. When I arrive I must provide two forms of ID, place my belongings in a tray to be put through a security scanner and I have to walk through a metal detector. From there I go through more locked doors, through a metal cage and then into a room where one door must close for another to open, before finally, the visitor’s room. The guys enter through another door on the opposite side of the room, and before that, a series of metal cages.

The vigil was followed by a protest on the Saturday. We managed to suspend a banner reading “Freedom” with helium balloons and fly it over the centre. We chanted at the police barricades and we could hear the guys chanting from inside the centre “make us free”. From a phone call later that night, we discovered that Serco – the private operator of the centre – had turned on loud music inside the detention centre to drown out the noise so that they could no longer hear us and we could no longer hear them.

In the visitor’s room, one whole wall is glass. The guards sit behind it so they can always see you.

There are 8 CCTV cameras placed across the ceiling.

It looks and feels like an abstract hybrid between a prison and a hospital ward. Quite often the guards will position the chairs closer to the glass leaving you with the constant weariness that they are listening in and watching you.

The final day of the protest was a “dance journalism” performance by performance company Hydra Poesis. Artists performed a dance in front of the police barricade to the voiceover of an activist describing the experience of visiting. Three of the dancers proceeded to dance on the driveway to the centre resulting in one being arrested by the police.

I visited one man in particular for a number of months. All of his friends had been released and he was the only one left. Week by week I watched a sense of despair, sadness and anxiety overcome him and I had to endure the distressing experience of trying to visit him – my friend – within the presence of guards, within the sterility of the visitor’s room

What will last longer than the legacy of detention will be the legacy of our silence, how we allowed our government to implement this policy – uncontested – and in our name. I participated in the protest to take a stand against the unnecessary and unjust incarceration of my friends in detention and to create contestation to this policy.

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Jeff Green

Words by Olivia Gardner Funny man Jeff Green is in town for the Perth International Comedy Festival on May 17. We had a chat to the charming Scotsman to learn a thing or two about cats, comedy and life in general.

I was reading the blurb about your show that is coming up and it said something about a malodourous cat?

[Laughs] Well it comes under a list of regrets; people ask me ‘do you have any regrets?’ And it was specifically about me kids. One was that I wish I’d had them younger because I had them in me forties – then I go on talking about how I wish I’d given it more thought, because I’d given it about as much forensic rigor as I would when I consider the terms and conditions on iTunes, I just ticked agree – and now I’ve got these children. And then I wish I hadn’t bought the cat. The cat is a Devon Rex; do you know what a Devon Rex is?

of anything. But, I knew it wasn’t for me and I got dumped by my girlfriend when I was twenty three. I was chemical engineering at the time, I’d left uni and she was the girl of my dreams from uni. I thought it was the most painful thing that was ever going to happen to me – until I knelt on a piece of Lego and that was more painful – but anyway, I went to the Comedy Store, which at the time the Comedy Store, in London,was the Mecca of British stand-up comedy. It was where everyone started like Stephen Fry, Alex Sayle, Ben Elton, all the Young Ones, and it was the hottest ticket in London, people used to queue around Leicester Square to get in.

I went down there, comedy was a very new genre of entertainment in those days it was really avantgarde, young university people went to see comedy and it hadn’t really reached the masses like it has now. It was very niche, it was actually known as alternative comedy – and it was so amazing – so I went down and saw these comedians. And there’s a little notice on the door as you come up from the basement saying if you want to try out at the Comedy Store just contact the bar staff and they’ll give you five minutes –that notice is still there now. Anyone can go and ask for five minutes at the Store, they put you on at the end of the night at two in the morning and you can see if you’ve got what it takes.

That’s how I got into stand-up comedy – by doing that open spot at the Store.

No, I don’t…

Well, they’re sold as the cat that can’t decide if they’re a dog or a monkey. It’s got no fur, they’re hypoallergenic and they look very much like Yoda, lovely little animals but incredibly annoying if you’re coming home late from a gig, they sit on the bookshelf and ambush you! Anyway, I talk about the cat trying to get into our bedroom at night, I say animals don’t break wind, they smash it. I can’t sleep with animals in the same room as me.

This show is a combination of the two shows that I’ve done since I played Perth – so I had a show about my children and one show about my career.

What Perth is going to get is the best bits of both shows.

Do you remember what you talked about that night at the Store?

Ah! Yes I do. I was twenty three and I hadn’t really done anything, I didn’t really have anything to talk about, so I talked about the fact that I couldn’t cook and when I looked at recipe books, the measurements in recipe books didn’t seem to be written for men, they were just made up names like tab-es-sp (tbls), sprig of parsley, and knob of butter – whenever I see knob of butter I always think to myself ‘that’s a lot of butter.’ Anyway, I took all my jokes down and tried it out and I didn’t die, I did alright, so they invited me back, and then I won a competition – which was for swimming so that’s irrelevant – no, I won the Comedy Store Act of the Year in 1989, that’s when I decided to think about giving up my job and doing comedy full time.

You’ve obviously had a pretty interesting life, from what I gathered this show is going to be very much about that?

Yeah, which is where my comedy comes from anyway to be honest; it’s always come from autobiographical stuff. I mean everything I say in my show is true but sometimes you have to guild the lily a little bit just to make it funny, and edit – because obviously there’s vast periods of time where nothing funny happened and I’ve cut those bits out.

[Laughs] Thank god, that’s probably a good thing.

Yeah, thank god! [Laughs] So what was your background before you went into comedy?

Well, at university I did chemical engineering and I say in my show; it means I can make a bong out

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G

Words by Maria Bergwitz The Australian Dance Theatre is bringing contemporary dance sensation ‘G’ to Perth July 4-7, so we decided to have a quick chat with ADT dancer Scott McEwen to see what it’s all about.

In light of the upcoming show G choreographed by one of the world’s best known choreographers Garry Stewart, are you nervous?

I get more excited than nervous when it comes to performing. We work and train for many hours practicing and rehearsing the show so that we are as prepared as we can possibly be. At the end of the day, performing is why many of us choose to pursue careers in dance and the arts. It is what we have worked so hard for and when we get to perform, we make the most of every second of it.

G is a highly physical and demanding show with many risks involved within the movement vocabulary. Not only do we have to be prepared for our own role in the show, but we are required to know many other people’s roles just in case someone injures themselves. This aspect of the job keeps you on your toes and we have to be both physically and mentally prepared for this.

What is G about and what is your part in it?

G is a deconstruction of the classical ballet, Giselle.

Giselle is the story of a peasant girl who has a passion for dancing, and when she finds out the man she loves is engaged to someone else, she dies of a broken heart. In G however, we do not tell and dance the narrative of Giselle, we perform a work that explores many underlying themes that are expressed in the ballet such as love, death, hysteria, sex, gender and madness but in a specific stylised way. Due to the structure of the work, we do not play one character from the story, however, we play many ideas from the story.

Contemporary Dance. I eventually found my passion for what I loved doing and realised that there is a chance that it is possible to make a career out of dance.

As far as I have understood – the Australian Dance Company is mainly ballet this is infused with other styles. What is it about ballet that you like?

The Australian Dance Theatre is a contemporary dance company. For us, we use all dance styles and amalgamate them together to create original movement and to come up with new ideas. At the Australian Dance Theatre we train in Contemporary, Ballet, Yoga, Break Dance, Pilates and Acrobatic Tumbling. But because all the dancers come from such a wide range of different training, we bring with us other skills and dance styles such as Jazz, Hip Hop, Popping and Locking etc. I personally love contemporary because you can mix all these styles together. In G, you will primarily see Ballet, Contemporary and Acrobatics.

From all the hours of rehearsals and practice, I am really well prepared to go on stage that I don’t get stage fright. I am usually pumped up with adrenalin but I need to remind myself to be efficient with my performance so that I am less likely to cause injury to myself.

How are you on the dance floor in social settings?

I love going to do a social or open class when I have a chance to. I especially love to go take a hip hop class every once in a while. Socially, I tend to go out to a place where it is possible to have a dance. It feels incredible to dance to different styles of music and dance with different people. I can actually learn a few new moves from others when I’m out!

What made you turn to dance?

Firstly, I grew up in Kalgoorlie and on a wheat and sheep farm south of Southern Cross. At high school we participated in a festival in which I had to dance. Do you escape reality sometimes when you The choreographer said that when I finished school dance; is there another world – a ‘happy place’ that I should look into taking a few classes. I began that lets you leave all the stresses of the everymore commercial dance in my first year out of high day? school at the same time I was studying Psychol- It’s funny, because to someone who is not a profesogy –Criminology. But then I found myself wagging sional dancer, they may participate in a dance class my uni subjects to go take hip-hop and acrobatic once a week and that one class might take them to lessons. I had never experienced anything like this their happy place because it is so different from their before and I found so much joy just dancing in the everyday life. Because I dance everyday, it is kind of studio. the opposite for me. I have other hobbies that take I then went to the Western Australian Academy of me away from dance and into my happy place such Performing Arts (WAAPA) for more training in Mu- as drawing, cooking, yoga, tennis, traveling and the sic Theatre, but then found myself on the path of 11beach. But of course I still enjoy dancing!!!

DOWN THE TRACKS GUILDFORD Words by Madura McCormack & Photography by Ben Peric Stepping off the train and onto the platform, we didn’t know what we were going to get. Pick a random station on the TransPerth line and see where we end up. What if it’s a dead town? What if it’s been sucked into gloomy suburbia, what if we find ourselves in one of the dodgier parts of Perth. Who knows, that’s the beauty of it.

The air in Guildford was cool and crisp, missing the sooty aftertaste of industrial towns and busy city centres.

Heading onto the main strip, it becomes apparent that Guildford is a town that has been lost in transition.

Old colonial buildings still stand proud and strong, holding up signboards bearing the date of establishment just to prove how old they are.

While the buildings stubbornly hold up, the rustic feel ends at the threshold of the pavement. Vehicles race pass, blind to the elegance and tranquillity of age that surrounds them. Beyond the competition of modern versus 19th century, the town ached to be explored.

A little jingle of the bell alerted the bookkeepers to our presence though we barely noticed their presence.

There’s a hypnotic seductiveness about old bookstores that sends tingles down your spine. Rows of books lined the place, towering to about 2 metres, some even higher. Probably out of sheer respect for literature, the classics were the first ones to stop and say hello. Deeper into this cornucopia of books lay boxes upon boxes of used vinyl records. A chair was tucked between two walls of books, leaving you to absorb as much of the yellowing pages as you could.

“It doesn’t have that annoying cleanliness of chain bookstores,” according to Ben the photographer. I couldn’t have said it better myself. As tempting as it was to get lured into the haze of books, the rest of Guildford demanded attention.

Walking along the road, Guildford starts to open itself up. It’s a sleepy town, dotted with cafes and antique stores. Time capsules; that’s what antique stores really are. Once inside, the archaeological dig begins, piles of cluttered mess with artefacts begging to be picked up and inspected. Cautiously sifting through the rubble of a stranger’s history, there are definitely treasures to be found and admired, each with its own unique story. Tracing the fine detail of a forgotten relic from time’s past, it’s almost vulgar when you realize you’re fondling the ghost of someone else’s memories.

Hidden lanes lead into cosy cafes, artisan shops selling handmade wood furniture and an odd Dutch Shop sticking out the side. Venturing in, the tiny boxlike room is filled with Dutch and Scandinavian treats, and the customary instant cook spice sachets of any minimart. While the sign outside the door claims to be the one stop shop for ‘all things Dutch’, a quick chat with the storeowner revealed that not all the products of Amsterdam were up for sale. He did politely direct me to the pub down the road to speak to the guy with the beard and the bikey jacket however.

Guildford is a historic town, and it looks and smells as such. Museums, restored colonial buildings and a penchant for refusing to update to modern English by maintaining the old spelling of ‘gaol’ for jail. The spelling for jail is as old as the tour guides that bring you around the prison exhibition for a donation of $2.

Strolling further away from the central area and deeper into the suburbs, the tranquillity was almost deafening. An oxymoron in all obviousness, but the silence was almost too much to bear. It seemed as though if we stood along the sidewalk long enough, strewn with leaves and unkempt shrubbery, a horse-drawn carriage would materialize and take us deeper into the realm of Old Guildford.

Farther along and soon enough, the Swan River greets the land with gentle laps along its corroding banks.

Families pepper the area and the shrill laughter of children momentarily pierces the placid village.

A small town that holds pride in its long history, nonchalantly brandishing the atmosphere of colonial times that never left, Guildford is a place seemingly isolated in an already isolated city. Great for a lethargic afternoon of perusing through items older than you may ever be and forgetting about the notion of time until storekeepers courteously shoo you out.

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13

SETH SENTRY

Words by Olivia Gardner Seth Sentry has just arrived back in Australia from a crazy tour of the states and Canada getting up to all sorts of mischief, from winning the rights of supporting act for LL Cool J to rapping live on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Sentry is currently in the midst of his latest Aussie tour and took a quick breather to talk shop with us.

Last year was pretty full on and awesome for you, you had three singles on high rotation and you got your first record out that was number six on the charts which is pretty cool, how are you feeling after all that?

I feel great but I also just feel like I’m getting started you know. Before I went to South by Southwest I was like cool, it’ll start winding down soon, I‘ll do a couple of tours and then start writing the next album but it feels kind of like it’s just all snowballing.

You got to drive a delorean, what’s that all about?

That was for the Dear Science film clip, they hired this ultra-rare delorean, like from back to the future so we kinda got it as an ode to the movie. I got to drive this thing, it was left hand drive, very low to the ground, and kind of expensive and shit but I don’t actually have my car licence and the guy didn’t know that – and we didn’t tell him [laughs] I still haven’t told him, he might know now, I don’t know – hopefully he doesn’t know!

When do you feel as though everything took off for you? Obviously you’ve been in the music scene for quite a while doing Melbourne shows, then there was the whole unearthed thing, is that when you started going oh wow fuck this is actually happening…

Kind of, I mean you lose perspective. Everything we do lately has felt bigger and bigger and it’s like, oh fuck I thought that was cool but this is amazing, you know what I mean? Definitely hearing my song on the radio for the first time – you know the Waitress Song years and years ago – was a massive thing. But yeah, this year has just been full of what-the-fuck moments for me. Especially the Channel V thing, I was artist of the year, that was crazy and then certainly the Jimmy Kimmel thing was pretty kind of next level.

As long as you didn’t fuck up…

I didn’t fuck up, no, I had to like rap at camera and the camera was positioned in the passenger seat, so I had to pretty much drive without looking, drive a left hand drive, and take my suit jacket off at the same time, it was pretty intense.

What’s it actually like performing on an American talk show?

It was surprisingly casual, I mean it was mad professional, but we got to play on a stage in front of a crowd, it just felt like doing a gig, it was cool. It was like doing a gig but with a shitty crowd… well, not a shitty crowd but a crowd that doesn’t really give a fuck about you. They’re all there to watch the Jimmy Kimmel show and I’m somewhat of an oddity. I was like a bearded lady – some weird Australian rapper singing – so I was a bit of a freak show spectacle.

Really?

Oh yeah, one hundred precent, its Chuck D man, fuck. When we went to South by Southwest he was at the show that we played and he remembered my name and all that shit, he’s an absolute lord.

You went to heaps of festivals last year, you had South by Southwest at the start of this year – who were some of your favourite artists that you got to mingle with? Was there anything amazing that happened?

Fuck yeah, heaps of stuff [laughs]. I’ve met a lot of people in the last couple of years, no one really stands out though because they’re all great, except for Chuck D – we supported Chuck D from Public Enemy and we met him, he was the greatest, he is the best.

What do you think of Tripple J as a platform for launching a music career?

Subjectively it’s been awesome, especially coming through the unearthed website – they really take you under their wing a little bit, it’s been a great relationship for me. I think they do a lot, I think they cop a lot of flack from people saying you play too much fucking whatever, you know, but it’s such a hard juggling act for them and I think they do a good job of representing Australian music of all genres.

What was it like tapping into the American music scene, was that something that you expected to happen?

Oh, definitely not. The fact that we even got offered South by Southwest was amazing, it was really cool, I grew up listening to American rap music and stuff so that’s like the fucking mother land.

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LEMAITRE Words by Ben Wright Sweden has exploded into the electronic music world in the last few years with the likes of the Swedish House Mafia and Avicii, so it is only natural that the spotlight would start to fall onto its neighbours. Enter Norwegian’s Ketil Jansen and Ulrik Denizou, better known as Lemaitre, and their blend of electronica, pop and funk that is fast winning them followers the world over. Netsky and Porter Robinson are big fans of theirs, Camo and Krooked asked them to write a track for their new album and their live shows have been drawing parallels to Daft Punk’s legendary ‘Alive 2007’ tour.

Ben Wright managed to chat to them before they headed back into their studio for the day.

What is your earliest musical memory?

Ulrik Denizou: Hahaha, that’s a tough one! I guess a lot of TV series, but the first was ‘The escape from the animal forest’ and I remember the theme song still.

Ketil Jansen: I think I remember the first dance music I listened to was King of the Castle by err… I can’t remember who wrote it.

Ben Wright: Wamdue?

Ketil Jansen: Yeah! That was definitely the first time I listened to dance music.

So what about electronic music drew you to it?

Ketil Jansen: Daft Punk I guess, my sister listened to a lot of daft punk.

Ulrik Denizou: Yeah, my brother introduced me to them and we started listening to their music every day and it was our first experience with electronic music.

So Norway has a history of amazing electronic artist like Royskopp and Datarock, is there a really big electronic music scene in Norway?

Ketil Jansen: No, not really Ulrik Denizou: Compared to Sweden we don’t have a scene. We don’t have that many artists that have made it big internationally compared to Sweden with Swedish House Mafia and Avicii.

Ketil Jansen: I have been told there is a scene in a city called Bergen but that is almost Norwegian music lore at this point, with Royskopp and Datarock and everyone in this small town and everyone was into the music and they wanted to hear it so they made it themselves.

If someone had never heard your music before, how would you describe it?

Ketil Jansen: Like, a mixture of pop and electronica, and I guess there is some funk in there.

Ulrik Denizou: A lot of groovy funk beats.

Ketil Jansen: Yeah, It is really groove orientated.

The life of a touring electronic music artist looks like a lot of fun, are there any downsides to the lifestyle?

Ketil Jansen: You have to have a lot of discipline because you don’t have a boss who sits there and beats your skull and says ‘Hey, you have to get this done by Friday’. You just have to do your own work and that can be really tough sometimes.

Ulrik Denizou: It isn’t a downside but if you want to do this, and a lot of people do want to do this, you have to work really hard and you have to work all the time. You don’t get to do anything but work, but that’s fine because you like the work. You can’t really do much else, but it is totally worth it of course.

Ketil Jansen: For the amount of work we do it is just so rewarding. We can sit here and make music and travel the world and play shows so it kind of amazing.

So what has been the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you whilst performing?

Ketil Jansen: We have pulled out our sound card a couple of times [laughs]. It is always the Firewire cable that goes into the Mac. Mac makes the shittiest Firewire cables and connectors! After knocking it out there is a complete minute where there is absolute silence. It is awful, so we have started incorporating a backup Mac now. There has been a couple of awful incidents all up, but it is still worth it though.

So what are your current favourite albums or tracks?

Ketil Jansen: I’ve been listening to a lot of Noisia, but also a lot of old stuff like Jimi Hendrix and Funkadelic, also Michael Jackson’s Thriller because it is still such a great album. It is Quincy Jones at his best and he just nailed the production on it. So many people loved that album and just went bananas for it. You can totally tell why because they are great songs. In every aspect that album is just so complete.

Are you guys planning on heading down to Australia anytime soon?

Ulrik Denizou: Yeah, we are hoping to go during our summer so around mid-year. If not we will make it 15 down for the Australian summer for the festivals.

PHOTOGRAPHER Phoebe Phillips

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17

Bedroom Dialogue Words by Michael Cadby

Hey are you awake?

Don’t touch me.

Whaaat?

Come on, let’s go.

Are you awake?

Don’t touch me.

Why, what?

What, if it’s what you want just let me take ‘em off.

Are you awake?

I said don’t fucking touch me!

Yeah, okay, sure, why, what’s wrong?

What are you waiting for, just pull ‘em down and let’s go.

You didn’t fuck me last night, why?

I’m serious, now let the FUCK GO!! You think I’m in the mood right now. Get OFF me!

I don’t know I was tired?

Tired, really?

Fuck!!! What the fuck! I give up.

Yeah tired, so what?

What are you doing?

Don’t you wanna fuck me?

It doesn’t matter.

What, of course I do.

You’re leaving?

But you were too tired last night?

No, I’m going for a cigarette, you’ve fucked my head.

Yeah, so, I drank a lot and fell asleep.

Just fell asleep?

Well if you find a man out there who knows what he’s doing…..

Yeah, why, that’s never happened to you?

You know what?

No, it’s never happened to me, the guy usually can’t wait.

What?

I really did wanna fuck you.

Okay.

And now?

They start taking off my clothes before we’re even in the room. They don’t just collapse on the bed still in their jeans.

Well I still wanna fuck you, but…

Okay then.

Okay, sorry. Fuck, I’ll take off my jeans next time.

What?

Oh Wow, thank you.

Okay then come here.

AND my fucking underwear then and we can fuck if that’s what you want.

What are you doing?

And it’s not what you want?

Are you kidding me?

No, of course I do.

Put down the cigarette and come back to bed.

But you were too tired?

I can’t believe you.

YES! Look if you wanna fuck so bad just gimme a couple of minutes and we can go.

Come on, look, I’m taking them off.

A couple of minutes!!! I knew it! You don’t wanna fuck me.

Come back to bed.

Come here.

You can’t do this.

Huh?

But what about….

If you wanted to fuck me you wouldn’t always keep waiting.

Just shut up and come here.

There you go………Better?

FINE, if it’s such a big fucking deal then take ‘em off and let’s go, come on.

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PHOTOGRAPHER Hayden Strzina

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Hawaii by Zachary Tilghman

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21

THE GREAT SKATE DEBATE Words by Jez & Illustration by Krause Komics Revamping the old, disused and decrepit areas of a city as it grows and is an integral part of progress and town planning. Over the last five years, under the steady guiding hand of uber board lord Ben Bowering, the construction of a cutting edge, world class skatepark on the rundown Fremantle Esplanade, has been undergoing the long and arduous council approval process.

Fremantle has long been the hub of skateboarding in Western Australia – with its crown jewel of street spots: the Woolstores serving as a second home to a host of developing young talent and an attractant for skaters the world over. A tight scene has grown around the culture and location which has become an iconic aspect of Fremantle for some. With such a presence it is truly baffling that it has taken such a long time for adequate skate park facilities to be built in Fremantle, with skaters having to contend for years with the laughable and dismissive token efforts made by the council in the past.

Recent efforts such as the “concrete bungle”(sic) of North Fremantle’s skatepark have highlighted the need for forward thinking and well-designed family oriented recreational facilities for the communities of both today and tomorrow. With Australia’s disturbing obesity rate and the rising need to stimulate children away from sloth and antisocial behaviours, one could assume that a majority of residents would celebrate such positive development.

The winds of change, however, cannot help but ruffle a few feathers and an increasingly vocal minority of naysayers have been racking up as much muck as possible in their frenzied attempts to sink the development. The opposition, headed by former Fremantle council member and Fremantle Inner City Residents Association spokesman John Dowson, the “hysterical horror-tage man”(sic) does not let facts stand in the way of pursuing what seems to be a private agenda, using a so called “non-lobby” group FICRA 2013, to lobby against the plaza.

A casual overview of Dowson’s plans would indicate that he is intending to turn Freo into a vast heritage rated mausoleum for the ghosts of yesteryear. I am not the only person worried by the actions of John Dowson, with former FICRA member Graham Morgan pulling away from the organization due to concerns with the degree of influence Dowson has over its constituents and the direction he is taking the association, as stated in April this month on Freo’s View a blog run by Roel Loopers, a Fremantle resident and expresident of the Fremantle Society who is now running for local council.

Dowson has often stated that the plaza will consume 30% of the total “green space” of the Esplanade, when the plans clearly state that the park surface will be less than 9.5%, this number is not 30% Mr Dowson.

After attending the FICRA meeting on Tuesday April 23 I was shocked by the behaviour of these so called “concerned residents” who booed and heckled anyone speaking against their cause. Even the Mayor of Fremantle Dr Brad Pettitt struggled to get a word of reason in edgeways as the rowdy crowd of grey-heads descended into something closer to a hate rally than a civil meeting.

More shocking still was the contrast in behaviour of the so-called antisocial elements of the youth today at the Council meeting at Fremantle hall the following evening. Several hundred skaters and other interested parties packed the chambers far beyond its capacity and made their voices heard in such a model of respect and politeness as to bring shame on the antics of the previous night. One could not ask for a stronger

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THE GREAT SKATE DEBATE Words by Jez & Illustration by Krause Komics juxtaposition in behaviour and attitude, especially when the parties being slagged off are the ones conducting themselves with a dignity and grace usually reserved for the more mature members of a debate.

Dowson quoted his 14 year old daughter as a frequent user of the Esplanade’s apparently beloved mound, despite her absence from the meeting, which sparked great derision amongst those present to wonder if said daughter was so passionately in love with riding her bike on the mound why had she not taken the time to come down and say as much herself. Hypothetical children being used as political tools aside, the atmosphere was truly electric as the council decision to proceed with the developments was passed.

A real sense of hope and progress flooded through the elated crowd as it poured out of the chambers – this is how politics is supposed to work. The only black mark on the evening was the alleged vandalism attack on a FICRA member’s house sometime after the meeting where stones were thrown at the house of “a woman” and paint poured on her garage door (reported by media lapdog the Fremantle Herald, 04/05/2013.) Despite no evidence to link the two, the incident has been blamed on skaters from the meeting earlier that night as it is “too much of a coincidence” (Fremantle Herald, 04/5/13) to be otherwise. Hmmm – who celebrates a victory by vandalising property of the losing party? While the incident is indeed lamentable, due to the lack of any hard evidence one can just as easily conclude that the attack could have been a last ditch effort of sabotage by FICRA members desperate to bolster their failing arguments by resorting to antisocial stereotyping. Senior Sargent Dave Eton who is heading up the investigation was unavailable for comment at the time of writing this article. Regardless of the opposition’s negative smear campaign, positive power and progress will always win over hate and stagnation – the people have spoken and as you read these words the final stages of design planning are being ironed out in the council halls with construction due to begin in December. Suckers.

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PROMISE

Words by Madura McCormack & Photography by Piotrek Ziolkowski Materializing onto the Northbridge Piazza was the sculpture Promise, a vision of textile standing almost 7 metres high and stretching 7 metres across.

The 3D installation was more than just a placid work of art; it was an audio-visual expression of technology and innovation, erected to give Innovation Month a good handshake as it walked out the door.

at Illuminart Productions, who spoke passionately about her art and the stories that go along with it.

“The ones that were donated had the most interesting stories,” said Cindi of the 20 wedding dresses it took to create Promise. While travelling through Australia for work, Cindi called out to the residents of the area to meet up with her and donate their wedding dress for the greater good of art. Some dresses had painful memories attached while others amused. Cindi spoke candidly of an 80 year-old woman who had passed on to her a tattered dress, an unfortunate victim of the 1970’s when the owner decided it would be a good idea to snip off some material and leave behind a mini skirt.

Promise is a constructed patchwork of fabric taken from wedding dresses, allowing it to gracefully sway in the wind as the two twin sculptures projected sound and visuals upon each other. Half of the installation spoke visually about keeping promises.

“I promise… to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.”

But why the title Promise? “Everyone has a calling within themselves and it’s about setting goals for yourself that are viable,” Cindi said as she explained the motive behind the sculpture. She aims to ‘percolate the subconscious’ of those that stroll past.

Her motives are accomplished whenever a passerby takes the effort to stop, breathe, and absorb.

Even if one isn’t visibly moved by the magnificence of Promise, the audio-visual factor uses subliminal messaging to ensure the piece creeps under your skin.

The other half used a mesmerizing audio clip of quotes to describe the promises that we break.

“Is this what sadness is all about? Is it what comes over us when beautiful memories shatter in, hindsight because the remembered happiness fed not just on actual circumstances but on a promise, that was not kept?”

Behind this technologically advanced piece is Cindi Drennan, Multimedia Artist and Project Manager

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VISUAL ART Luisa Hansal

Making Love Inside An Automatic Teller Machine (3

Mount Lawley

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We Are All At Risk Of Becoming Potatoes!

By Olivia Gardner Luisa Hansal’s recent solo show titled We Are All At Risk Of Becoming Potatoes! was held at Kurb gallery last month. Hansal explores the simple joys in life, her works are an experience for her and the result is an explosion of colours and texture with intricately woven shapes and lines that render striking composition.

The exhibition was a highly successful sold out show which had gallery goes buzzing with intrigue over the young artist. Hansal graduated last year with a bachelor in Contemporary Arts from Edith Cowan University majoring in Visual Arts, her works have been showing up all over the place from HATCHED at PICA to a number of independent galleries around the city. In light of her success Olivia Gardner has a brief but insightful chat to the artist.

What is the process you go through to reach your end product?

The series of mono prints began as photos I took on my iphone. I photographed things I am grateful for, that bring joy and happiness into my everyday ‘lifeworld’. These simple joys can easily be taken granted for, unnoticed and even forgotten.

I then cropped and selected a section of each photo leaving only a fragment of the overall image. The picture was then printed out, traced and finally monoprinted onto paper.

I then worked into each monoprint with coffee, tea, watercolours and inks. Every hour spent with each print was a meditative journey, there was no preparation or planning, I just followed the monoprinted pattern with my pens and brushes as an act of appreciation for the things I am grateful for within my everyday ‘lifeworld’.

I guess I just collected the things that fill my life with joy and visually given them away to my audience. In sharing these works, I hope to motivate the viewer to reassess the joyful things in their lives that are typically taken for granted.

What are the materials that you predominantly use?

I usually engage with the print making techniques of dry point etching and monoprint. I print my image onto 150-300GSM Archival paper.

I then work into each print with coffee, tea, water colour paints, inks and archival ink pens. In saying that I’m currently doing my first work on canvas in 3 years and I’m loving it a lot so you might expect to see some canvas works in the near future.

At your exhibition at Kurb you had a fish bowl asking people what they love most in life (if I recall correctly) - what do you intend to do with all of the answers?

Yeah! ‘The Great Jar of Gratefulness’ I was encouraging viewers to take a moment to write down one thing they were grateful for in their life and place it inside the jar. I now have hundreds of all these cards with beautiful things written on them, there all so lovely! I especially love looking at the difference in everyone’s handwriting.

My plan is to burn all the cards and mix the ash with a liquid binding medium. I then want to paint a picture with it where everyone’s gratefulness can be meshed together on paper in one big happy and grateful picture...

Was this your first solo exhibition?

Yes, in the context of a gallery space.

From what artists do you draw some of your inspiration?

Frantisek Kupka, Yayoi Kusama, Louise Bourgeois, Patti Smith, Chloe Piene, Ashley Lande, Frida Kahlo, Devendra banhart, Martin Sharp, Del Kathryn Barton & Tracey Emin. Just to name a few hahaha.

What do you have in store for the future?

Find a studio space so I can make more mess!

26

ROBOTS VS ART

Words by Pia van Straalen Phil Miolin is sleep-deprived. The actor/director has now pulled on two new caps - that of producer, and designer.

get to grips with culture and feelings” Miolin says.

Then what came first, the premise or the comedy?

“I don’t like to be too didactic; I believe you’ll take away the message of human natures weakest traits, but it isn’t hammered in – it’s shown in a comedic sense.”

“I’ve been waking up at two AM and then going back to sleep at five, just running over things… I have to be artistic and practical, it’s very conflicting!” says Miolin, exacerbated.

Robots Vs Art, is by no means as serious as its message makes it seem; “it is really funny, the characterisation of the robots are detailed, clever…..and funny” Miolin explains.

Alas this isn’t the story of a glorified FIFO bloke overcoming

The story follows Giles (Damon Lockwood), a human ex-play director who has been summoned from his slave-life on the mines by wannabe playwright Executive Producer Master Bot (Sean Walsh), who wants to entertain the robot masses.

robot baddies and celebrating over a slab of EE...

“There are three distinct acts in it, it is a dark world, then sort of romantic comedy and then it becomes farcical” Miolin tells.

Right now he’s staying back-stage, leaving acting to others and taking the creative reins of Robot Vs Art a comedy written by WAAPA graduate and WA expat Travis Cotton.

“There’s humour in the pragmatic nature of these robots” he says, “while they’re enslaving humans and ruling a planet, their technological advancements are old, from the 70’s, because they aren’t innovative and can’t create.”

In 2012 Robot Vs Art took on the East Coast in a big way, beginning at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and then moving up to Sydney, the response was huge and continues to be in such high demand that it’s replaying in Melbourne as we speak.

Miolin has been in the process of bringing Robots Vs Art to Perth since he saw it in Melbourne with Cotton last year;

Miolin is hoping to recreate this success in Perth with a WA based cast, and Robot Vs. Art will premiere in May at the Blue Room theatre and continue through June.

“I lived with him 15 years ago and I have always known I wanted to take on one of his plays – but after I saw Robots I knew I had to take it here – it was ‘the play’.”

“It’s an intimate theatre and lends itself to this sort of humour; laughter is infectious and I have found myself doubled over a lot during rehearsals, and I think such an intimate venue will bring that out in people.” He says.

Miolin’s reasoning behind the choice to take the play to Perth is somewhat unusual.

Robots Vs Art is set in a dystopian future where robots have killed off all humans, bar the ones who are fit enough to work on the zinc mines and provide the robots with their power source.

It’s this diverse hobby that convinced him to bring the play to Perth;

As an avid cricketer, he considers it the best way to escape from the stress of day-to-day life, which he says is unusual for a film and stage actor.

“I’m the only person in my childhood group who went into acting, so I really believe that this isn’t a play about plays for playwrights- it’s a funny, relatable and really well-written comedy that people who have no idea about playwriting can still really enjoy” he says.

Alas this isn’t the story of a glorified FIFO bloke overcoming robot baddies and celebrating over a slab of EE – rather it’s about the importance of culture and arts and whether there can there be positive change and innovation without creativity.

“I want all of my mates to come and see this and share a laugh, I want my acting mates to come, but also the boys from Bassendean where I grew upthis play is for everyone.”

“The robots’ don’t understand culture and although they are single minded in protecting the planet, they don’t have greed like humans and they can’t

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In The Pines 20th Anniversary

Words by David Salvaire & Photography by Piotrek Ziolkowski Twenty years is a long time any way you look at it - but as far as local music festivals go - it’s practically Methuselah. In the Pines celebrated its twenty years as a fund-raising juggernaut for RTRfm in the beautiful surroundings of UWA’s Somerville auditorium. The family oriented, douche-bag free focus of the festival always leads to a magnificently relaxed atmosphere. Instead of its usual focus on new and upcoming Perth bands, In The Pines celebrated its 20th anniversary by reforming all the weird and wonderful acts who have graced the pines over the last twenty years.

First up was the shiny and relaxing pop of The Bank Holidays in acoustic mode, which proved a perfect start to a lazy day. Next we had a seamless transition into the cute and cheeky Simone and Girlfunkle who charmed the crowd with their lush vocal harmonies and self-mocking stage banter.

Usurper of Modern Medicine changed the mood from cute to psychedelic and offered an impressive set of loop-heavy and percussive tracks that pulled them out of the trap of being “just another Perth experimental band”. With a slightly lighter but no less mesmerising stage presence came the 6’s and 7’s led by Josh Fontaine and his signature epic beard. Following this was Gata Negra whose deliberately strained vocals and droning strings were a mystical yet slightly abrasive feature of the day.

The large crowd gathering on the opposite stage signalled the arrival of The Fergusons who were an obvious favourite with a huge contingent of the crowd sporting the band’s T-shirts. Having not performed live for over 5 years tracks like Cream Chargers and 2003’s The Sinner Is Red had the crowd screaming along and lapping up the riff laden pop-rock. Joined onstage by a huge crowd for their last track Everything’s Gone Bad the nostalgia was well and truly alive.

Schvendes are a band that many people still talk about and it was as the first drops of rain began to fall that they proved why. Lead singer Rachael Dease is one of those rare performers who pulls off being confident and charismatic without being cocky. Her voice and the way the band worked around her was a master-class in taste. Finishing on a climax of soaring guitars and strings it was plain to see that this band deserved the critical acclaim they received in their heyday.

Timothy Nelson And The Infidels brought a refreshing breeze of youthful enthusiasm to the stage with hints of Billy Joel in the vocals that were wonderfully supported by fuzzy blues guitar from Luke Dux. For a bunch of young musicians these guys are playing and writing music with a maturity beyond their years.

Adam Said Galore stepped out to provide a tight and technical set of tunes that set the scene for the art rock of Spank. With the energy at a high for the day RTRfm’s Peter Barr came out to thank everyone for an amazing 20 years joking that “this is the only festival I know where it’s okay to accept candy from strangers”.

Seemingly unaffected by the chilly weather Felicity Groom took to the stage sporting an aqua go-go suit.

The crowd began to push forward to warm up and get involved in a set from one of Perth’s favourite female artists. Although she was plagued by technical issues Groom managed to have the crowd eating out of her hand.

The iconic Australian sounds of The Panics came next proving that these guys had not lost any fans in their long break between albums, with the lyrics “Don’t Fight It” ringing out amongst the Somerville pines.

Seamlessly picking up where the Panics left off was local legends Red Jezabel. The acoustic guitar pop and energetic vocals never missed a beat, however, with their set running overtime they were cut short. The Casio’s were turned up for a delightful set of nerd-rock from old favourites Turnstyle who had no problem playing through the now almost torrential rain.

Finally, as the rain dissipated Beaverloop took to the stage sporting huge fluffy jump suits and an attitude that could only be described as typically 90’s. Tracks like Nothing and Shothole Fungus transformed the beautiful Somerville Auditorium into a muddy and sweaty mosh pit, leaving those who brought picnic blankets and baskets to pick up the pieces.

As everyone cleared out of the auditorium, smiles on their faces, it was clear that In The Pines was a successful trip down memory lane. Bring on the next year.

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MUSIC REVIEWS Sugarpuss EP Words by Olivia Gardner This lovely little Perth band just released their first EP titled Psychotic Teenage Supermodels and they’ve been making a bit of a name for themselves lately. Last year they picked up the WAM Song Of The Year award for Falling Outta Love – the first track on the EP – while also managing to support San Cisco along their west coast tour.

The band is like their own version of Thao With the Get Down Stay Down, only all dudes and far more attractive. Featuring indie-pop chords and sardonic anti-love songs they weave intricate and dreamy melodies throughout their tracks, particularly on They’re Gonna Close The Planet Down, it’s like riding a longboard.

The EP is a tightly woven concoction with all the tracks working together to insist that they’re not overlooked.

They’ve got a little bit of something good in each song. If its not the quirky lyrics of Drinking Alone then it’s the psychedelic guitar riffs of Insomnia – it seems like they’ve taken a little good from bands like Thao, Black Keys, Tame Impala and Pond. That means you can expect psyche-rock, a little blues and pop-rhythms.

It’s a fun listen, catchy, with clever lyricism.

Just quietly, look out for the falsetto voice on Drinking Alone, don’t be fooled by the appearance of Katy Steele, we suspect its lead singer Jake Webb working his magic.

The Rubens Words by Pia van Straalen The Rubens are half way through their first headlining national tour after the success of their 2012 self-titled album.

Performing to a sold out crowd at Capitol, they proved exactly why people are so interested in their music; they play tight and don’t miss a single beat.

The band, in matching denim outfits, kicked off with The Day You Went Away. Sam Margin’s vocals were steady and confident.

Three songs in he greeted the crowd but it fell flat- the separation between band and crowd was noticeable, and remained obvious throughout the performance.

Despite this, the boy’s delivered hit after hit seamlessly; Don’t Ever Want To Be Found was a standout thanks to the additions of some funked-up guitar riffs.

The loud fusion of drums, keyboard and guitars was skilled and exciting, which gave the band the confidence to experiment successfully with jazz and funk undertones.

No song was left unplayed and the crowd swayed to favourties The Best We Got and Elvis.

After wrapping up with Lay It Down Margin thanked the crowd and left to cheers, yet he and the band returned only seconds later with frothies-in-hand, to belt out encore tunes Never Be The Same and sing-a-long song of the night, the hugely popular My Gun. Perth based support act Foam channelled the 90’s, complete with Nirvana-esque vocals, haircuts and blue flannel shirts.

Perhaps best known for their single So Far So Good the three-piece blended punk with alternate rock and played solidly despite some feedback issues.

Sexy Melbourne quartet Oh Mercy! Had an excited group of fans surrounding the stage while they set up and their chummy performance was lapped up. Alexander Gow and Eliza Lam’s harmonies were beautiful.

They played from their 2012 debut album “Deep Heat” and the crowd bopped along. It’s pretty obvious these guys are drawing closer to headlining a tour of their own.

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SCREEN & STAGE REVIEWS A Place For Me Words by Mathew Gardner A decent romantic comedy is becoming increasingly rarer, but luckily Josh Boone’s story about a family of writers looking for love hits the right notes. A Place for Me boasts an impressive cast; including Academy Award Nominee Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine) and Academy Award Winner Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind). Kinnear plays William Borgens, an acclaimed author and ex-husband of Erica (Connelly). Their children, Samantha and Rusty (Lily Collins, and Nat Wolff) are both impressive writers, and also go through relationship problems of their own.

Although A Place for Me has the occasional cliché you expect in the romantic comedy genre, it is easy to forgive this film for such flaws. Greg Kinnear’s performance is both outstanding and hilarious, and break-out actress Lilly Collins also proves astounding. Kristen Bell’s character, Tricia almost feels wasted in some points of the film due to her limited screen time (although her performance, like Kinnear’s is also hilarious), but unlike its plagued genre, this film doesn’t misuse its characters and gains both well-acted and humorous performances from all of its actors. A Place for Me isn’t short of its surprises, and features a cameo from a well renowned author, whom both pop culture and literary fans will be delighted by (despite the shortness of his role).

Even if romantic comedies aren’t your taste in cinema, A Place for Me is still a delightful and a surprisingly good film that delivers both emotion and humour and stands out amongst its genre.

Death of a Salesman Words by Madura McCormack Death of a Salesman, a 1949 play written by Arthur Miller, opened its curtains at the State Theatre Centre on the 4th of May. The story is told from the eyes of Willy Loman (John Stanton), a 63-year old father and fading salesman. It focuses on the slow but inevitable disintegration of the perfect suburban life that Willy has worked his entire adulthood to build. Willy struggles to cling on to the fragments of his diligent but unsuccessful life and continues to live in ignorance about the failure of his son Biff (Josh McConville). Willy’s wife (Caroline McKenzie) is aware but powerless to help Willy out of his downward spiral into delusion.

The first act sees the introduction of the audience into the mind of Willy Loman. Scenes transition between the reality that he sees and the hallucinatory world where his essentially polar opposite brother Ben (Luke Hewitt) resides. Adventurous, risk-taking and successful, Ben is everything Willy can never be. Conversations between the two allow the plot to digress to the past where Willy and his family were in happier times.

The character that showed most depth in the first sequence was Biff, played by Josh McConville. His smooth switches between acting as the adult with a lack of aspiration to the youth that breathed life into his father created a sense of curiosity as to what would unfold in the rest of the story. While slightly mundane in the beginning, the applause resounding from the packed theatre indicated the audience were left wanting more.

Now down on his luck and spiralling deeper into hysteria, Willy is fired from his job where he’s worked all his life. His brother, Ben begins to appear more frequently, to remind him of how much a failure in life he’s been. The real intentions of the characters start to be revealed, the devoted husband isn’t as innocent as he looks, and questions left unanswered in the first act push the play to its climax.

Emotional sequences between father and son will pull at heartstrings and the inevitable demise of Willy brings with it the disintegration of his family. Death of a Salesman illustrates the façade of the suburban family ideology and all that it stands for. Telling the story of a failed man who belonged to the throngs of middleclass, can be uncomfortably confronting for those in the audience who realize that they too belong to the fleet of white-collar zombies.

The play presents solid acting and a multifaceted story line that develops over close to 3 hours of stage time.

With the student prices at about $29, Death of a Salesman is definitely worth the watch.

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COMEDY REVIEW The Dark Room Words by Aaron Rutter & Olivia Gardner This is a bit hard to explain really. Maybe we should start at the top. John Robertson is one of Perth’s shining comedian lights. His careful balance of Edwardian-esque yelling, super quick pop cult references and political satire make for many-a-great comedic moment. Robertson released a choose-your-own-adventure Youtube game that has had hundreds of thousands of people play all over the globe with only a handful of success stories. Like all good things the story begins in a dark room. The game involves Robertson’s eerily lit head, in a dark room, yelling instructions, insults, and general malarkey as you navigate your way around the seemingly simple 80’s style word game.

As we’ve come to learn, and if you would like to do the same, you can kill a great deal of time with a quick search for The Dark Room on Youtube and trying your luck at the game.

In The Dark Room’s live version of the show, the upstairs room at the already spooky Astor Theatre becomes the dark room, the audience become the game player, and Robertson guides you through the game in a similar fashion to the Youtube version, however, this time he has the chance to improvise, tease the audience, and give away purposefully shitty prizes.

Before the actual gaming begins Robertson takes the audience through the decades and arrives at the marvel of the 80’s, the original computer game. Based on the same premise as those simple word games, those that many of us know all too well, was the birth of this unique show. Robertson’s great wit combined with the entirely interactive show has many audience members in stiches and others running for the exit for fear of none other than Stalin.

The Dark room is running every weekend at 10.30pm until the 18th of May at the Astor Lounge.

FASHION REVIEW Indi+Em Words by Cecilia Allen As the semester draws to an end and your work load becomes a little bit overwhelming, what better way to treat yourself than with a little retail therapy?

As you take a wonder down South Terrace, amidst all that is Fremantle’s historical beauty, you can find tucked away the sweetest of small distractions, Indi + Em. Indi + Em is an independently owned fashion boutique. It prides itself in a background of anthropology and design and the stores goal is to bring people and fashion together.

Inside you’ll find yourself in a world of plush knits, delicate designer-wear, and unique fabrics that are suitable for people of all trends, ages and lifestyles. The store offers a range of stylish and affordable labels with styles ranging from classic, modern urban to a diversity of street trends.

Indi + Em stock a number of labels including August Street, Mink Pink, Emu Australia, and Italian made designer knitwear label Moda Imagine. The diversity of the stores clothes makes the experience of shopping at Indi +Em striking, not to mention that they have a range of awesome give-aways.

The shop’s employee’s make the visit even more pleasurable. Jemma our shop assistant said that the must haves for this season are military jackets and printed jeans. Indi + Em have a great chilled out atmosphere and there’s something quirky and lovely hiding in every rack, so if you would like to spoil yourself – grab a friend and head down to the store – there’s something for everyone.

105 South Terrace Fremantle. A list of the shops designers can be found on the stores website www.indiandem.com.au/index.htm

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METIOR DISTRIBUTION Where To Find Us Murdoch University Campuses South St Mandurah Rockingham Fremantle & South Fremantle Gino’s Café Bobby & Olive The Bead Post Il Cibo Café Ootong and Lincoln Café X-Wray Café Two Rubens Espresso Billie and Rose New Edition Books Breaks Café Momentum Skateshop Luna on SX Moore & Moore Café

South of the Border Wild Poppy Café Vanilla Bean Café Mi Life The Attic Café The Freo Doctor Bentley Curtin University Mt Lawley Edith Cowan UniversityWAAPA Planet Books Planet Music Billie and Rose High’s and Lows The Flying Scotsman JumpClimb Leederville Luna

Urban Records Varga Girl Un1son Apparel Nedlands UWA Northbridge Vinnies Retro Little Willy’s Café Outre The Moon Café The Fox Hunt Oh Henry! Vintage New Edition Books Exotic Body Piercing Milk and Honey Le Papillon Patisserie Noise Pollution Records Red Stripe Clothing Fi and Co