Reverb Magazine : Issue 37

newcastle|hunter|coast #037 Aug ‘09

FREE

arts & entertainment news monthly

ER ALICE COOP WE’RE STILL NOT WORTHY

BERTIE BLACKMAN SECRETS, LIE S AND AUDIO TAPE ALSO INSIDE: THE BRONX + PARKWAY DRIVE + RONNIE JAMES DIO + MAMMAL

No. 37 INDEX 08 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

News DJs Ned Kelly and Menna Bertie Blackman Heaven and Hell Kevin Bloody Wilson Mammal Parkway Drive Hyjak N Torcha Lisa Mitchell B52s CD Reviews Gig Guide Heaven and Hell Midnight Youth Dappled Cities Dukes of Windsor The Bronx TINA Talking Shop The Depot Fashion – A Pier Outside Motoring – Mazda MPS Comic Relief Live Reviews Reverb 3rd Birthday review Splendour In The Grass review Gamer’s Corner DVD Reviews Film Reviews Socials

RONNIE JAMES DIO [HEAVEN AND HELL] PAGE 26

LETTER FROM ED Dear Readers, This month I have to give a massive shout-out to the 500-plus people that turned up for Reverb’s Third Birthday party. What a night! It was completely off the chain. Personally, it was the most fun I have ever had at my dear Cambridge Hotel — and that’s really saying something. The DJs went off and so did all the amazing bands. The vibe was really joyous to be honest, Reverb felt very loved. I suppose now its time to start planning our Christmas party. Look out!

We sincerely hope you enjoy our fine August issue. We have interviews with three legendary acts — Alice Cooper, Ronnie james Dio and The B-52s, as well as catch-ups with Dappled Cities and Bertie Blackman.

As always, there’s a whole lot of content to get through — I’ll have to leave you to it.

It’s Splendour time, baby.

Regards Nick x

GIVEAWAYS We’ve got some tasty new tour freebies.

• 3 copies of the new Parkway Drive DVD • 2 Trilogy tour packs containing double pass and signed poster Email editorial@ reverbstreetpress.com.au and tell us what you want.

First come, fi rst served.

Editorial nick@reverbstreetpress.com.au Phone 4929 4739 Gig Guide gigguide@reverbstreetpress.com.au Sales Enquiries sales@reverbstreetpress.com.au Sales Manager kevin@reverbstreetpress.com.au Phone 0410 295 360 Production cam@reverbstreetpress.com.au

Editor Nick Milligan Sub-Editor Amanda Bevan Production Cameron Bennett IT Manager Kieran Ferguson Sales Kevin Bull Nick Milligan

Senior Writers Peter Douglas Hugh Milligan Mark Snelson Writers Ross Beckley Kevin Bull Andrew Chesham Josh Clements Noah Cross Mark Forester Scott Gilbert Jess Henderson Cam James

Dean Joy Kirri Liepins David Long Veronique Moseley Jennie Moss Michael O’Keefe Elliot Struck Steve Tauschke Nathaniel Try Photographers Ross Beckley Tim Boehm Chris Brown Kevin Bull

Justin Edwards Chrissy Kavalieros Julie Lowe Mark McIntosh Robyn Moore Veronique Moseley Sean Roche Linda Wales Graphic Designers Cameron Bennett Kevin Bull Cartoonist Dave Townley Jones

Reverb Magazine is locally owned & published by The Lockup Garage. Printed by Spotpress Pty Ltd: sales@spotpress.com. au 6

RE VERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

news

news

YORN AND JOHANSSON DUET

On American singer/songwriter Pete Yorn’s new album, the handsome rocker does a duet with Scarlett Johansson. He contacted actress and Atco recording artist Scarlett Johansson with the idea to record a duets album in the spirit of Serge Gainsbourg’s 1960s recordings with Brigitte Bardot. “I was having a strange week of insomnia and when I finally passed out, it came to me in a dream,” says Yorn. “I woke up and the whole thing was in my head, fully formed.” Johansson was intrigued by Yorn’s out-of-the-blue invitation. “It sounded like an interesting little adventure,” she explains. “The idea of two people vocalizing their relationship through duets.” The song is called ‘Relator’ and it’s from the forthcoming Yorn record, Breaking Up. It’s released on September 11, 2009.

Wed August 5 - front bar - 9.30pm Local Resident failure, Crashing Planes, Red Tape Enthusiast

SUNDAE FUNDAZE IS BACK, BABY!

Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn

PAPER SCISSORS ROCK

With their brand new single ‘Howl’ just added to high rotation on Triple J [the latest instalment in a long line of TPS tracks to have been so] Sydney’s The Paper Scissors [TPS] have just announced the release of their Howl EP and accompanying national tour dates.

Featuring two brand new tracks and three remixes of the title track [by Spod, Sydney glitch hopper Cleptoclectics and former Gerling front man The E.L.F respectively] the Howl EP is available June 23rd through itunes and in stores July 12, 2009. Catch them at the Northern Star Hotel with support from Ernest Ellis, on Saturday August 15, 2009.

Tickets available from Moshtix.

DAPPLED CITIES STILL FLY It’s been three long years since Dappled Cities last delivered an album to the Australian people and almost as long since their last sold out Australian headline tour, so Triple J & Video Hits are thrilled to announce Dappled Cities’ ‘Wall Of Zounds’ Australian tour, in support of the upcoming release of their third long-player, Zounds. Joining Dappled Cities for the ‘Wall Of Zounds’ tour are special guests Philadelphia Grand Jury and Yacht Club DJs at the Cambridge Hotel Thursday August 20, 2009.

HOMME, GROHL, JONES

The all-star team of Josh Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones has taken up residence in a Los Angeles studio to make a record. The collaboration was first hinted at

by Grohl way back in 2005, in an interview with Mojo. “The next project that I’m trying to initiate involves me on drums, Josh Homme on guitar, and John Paul Jones playing bass,” he told the magazine. “That’s the next album.

That wouldn’t suck.” No. No it wouldn’t.

TEX PERKINS DOGS IT

Tex Perkins needs little introduction, so Reverb will allow the legend himself to tell you about his upcoming tour and new album.

Tex? “You probably know of my work with ARIA award-winning groove and roots specialists The Cruel Sea, and someone may have told you I was once in a horrible band called The Beasts Of Bourbon, but this [new] collection Songs From My Black Cattle Dog, is more about Tex Perkins the singer/songwriter; Perko the storytelling balladeer; Tex the hung over melancholic philosopher... If you want to hear a world weary journeyman spin a few yarns, spill some beans, spit out some bile, spread a few rumours and shed one or two tears whilst stumbling through some of the most joyous musical collaborations of his life with some of the world’s greatest musicians [Charlie Owen, Tim Rogers, Don Walker, Murray Paterson, Jim White… to name but a few], then this new collection is for you…”

Catch him at Lizotte’s, Newcastle, on Friday September 25, 2009. Tickets on sale now at lizottes.com.au

ARIA Hall Of Fame Inductees

ARIA is to induct another five of Australia’s most significant popular music acts into the renowned Hall Of Fame. This year’s inductees are John Paul Young, Kev Carmody, Little Pattie, Mental As Anything and The Dingoes.

“It is an honour to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame alongside all the great Australian acts who are already there.”

Mental As Anything’s Reg Mombassa “The band feels honoured and privileged to be recognised by our peers. For all of us, it’s going to be one hell of a reunion!” Broderick Smith from The Dingoes.

Peats ridge festival line up announcement

Peats Ridge Festival 2009 has just released the first line-up announcement, giving just a hint of how amazing the New Year will be at Glenworth Valley. Artists will be performing across ten stages, over three days, at this year’s instalment of this year’s festival. First and second release tickets have already sold out. The third and final ticket release will go on sale Wednesday August 12.

The line-up so far : The Panics, Blue King Brown, Dappled Cities, Liam Finn, Bertie Blackman, Ash Grunwald, Jen Cloher and the Endless Sea, Leader Cheetah, Jeff Lang, Jack Ladder, Jezabels, Tin Pan Orange, The Kin, The Bird, Sherlocks Daughter, The Last Kinection, Ember Swift, Mark Pritchard / Harmonic 313, Deepchild, Steve Poltz, Austin Busch and the Good Reasons, Thundamentals, Tijuana Cartel, Declan Kelly, Ghouls, Spoonbill, Audio Shaman, Circle Of Rythum, Dead Letter Chorus, Peret, Mako, Chase the Sun, Noel Boogie, Cameras, Fishaking and Bonjah.

Peats Ridge Festival is 3 days of laid back festival goodness, situated in the stunning Glenworth Valley, one hour North of Sydney, or one hour South of Newcastle. Rolling together music, arts, culture, sustainability and camping, it is one of Australia’s most pleasing New Year’s events.

Don’t forget about the PRF new lay-by system. If you just don’t have the cash to purchase your ticket upfront you can pay for your ticket in four $80 instalments. Deducted monthly from your nominated bank account or credit card, it could just be the most stressfree way to secure your New Year. For more information and ticket purchases, head to peatsridgefestival.com.au

Little Birdy

LITTLE BIRDY RIDE TO CIVIC THEATRE

Following on from Little Birdy’s national sold out Confetti tour in May, the gal and guys are rested up and ready to hit the road again. This time the band are stepping it up a couple of notches with the announcement of a special national theatre tour. Supporting Little Birdy are Sydney’s Red Riders. The band recently emerged from the studio with their much anticipated sophomore album, Drown In Colour and will road test songs from the new album for the first time on this tour.

Also joining the tour are Queensland Triple J Unearthed winners Hungry Kids Of Hungary, who have just released their new single, ‘Old Money’, which features on their Mega Mountain EP. Dressed with a healthy dose of 60s pop sensibility and lashings of soul, the ‘hungry kids’ music inspires equal measures of curiosity and joy. Tickets to this show will sell fast, so head to ticketek.com as soon as you can! The show happens at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre on Saturday September 19, 2009.

REVERB HEADS NORTH — ON HOLD

Reverb’s planned move to start distributing up the North Coast has been put on hold for the time being. Reverb’s business partner in the venture, R+R Magazine, has decided that the project was too big for them, and it was left to Reverb to decide what to do with the two months of planning. “It was very disappointing,” said Reverb publisher, Kevin Bull. “All this planning, and at the last minute it gets pulled out from under us with a phone call. For the time being, we will sit tight, ensuring that Newcastle, the Hunter and Central Coast gets the special attention it deserves.”

“Riverside, muthafucka!” Yep, if you’ve attended a dance party this year, then you’re probably very familiar with DJ Sidney Samson’s massive track, ‘Riverside’.

Well, it’s time to put on your best sunday dress, because the Dutch producer is hitting The Clarendon’s Sundae Fundaze on Sunday September 6, 2009. He’ll be joined by one of Newcastle’s favourite DJs, Ajax.

As always, these incredible headliners will be joined by Kato and Dan De Caires.

MARK WELLS PLAYS WITH FIRE

Award-winning, Newcastle-bred singersongwriter, Mark Wells, will release his debut alt-country release Playing With Fire, on Friday August 14 at Lizotte’s Newcastle. The event will feature a live performance by Wells with a full seven-piece band, and will feature a few special guests, including 2009 Female Artist of the Year Golden Guitar winner Catherine Britt, and Golden Guitar nominee Morgan Evans. A number of Aussie Country luminaries perform with Wells on Playing With Fire, including Britt, and the ARIA Award Winning Bill Chambers [father of Kasey].

“I’m really happy with the way the CD sounds,” says Wells. “I was lucky to have so many great musicians play on this record, and I’m twice blessed because most of them are playing at the launch too.”

Wells’ band includes Newcastle Music Award winners Ngariki and Bob Corbett, as well as local legends Dave Carter, Matt Gaudry and Brian Daly. Rounding out the live outfit is Wells’ good friend and multi-instrumentalist Jason Bone. Bone produced the EP for Wells, which saw him tracking a large portion of the songs live in studios around Newcastle. The alt-country flavours and textures are a long way from the pop rock sounds of his previous work, both solo and with Supersonic.

Wells recently travelled to work with some of US country music’s top songwriters at Universal Music in Nashville, Tennesee. “Nashville was a great experience, and those experiences helped me to find where I wanted to head with my songwriting,” explains Wells. “This stuff is raw, honest storytelling… but it’s great fun, too.”

The official release of Playing With Fire will be at Lizotte’s Newcastle on Friday August 14, 2009. Wells will be supported by good friend and songstress Caitlin Harnett. Tickets are just $10.

FireRoom makes Gosford Blush

Former drummer of the band SunPilots, James Dennet has now reverted to another project, FireRoom. Dennet is joined by Kurt Ellis (Guitar, Vocal) and Luke Davies (Bass).

FireRoom has recently recorded their first EP with multi award winning producer, Stuart Stuart of Chartsong Productions. Stuart has worked with such names as The Veronicas and Small Mercies. Some bands claim to be retro

r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 3 7 — a u g u s t 2 0 0 9

Sun August 9 - frontbar - 8pm

sidney samson

Nic ko, Jen Buxton

Sidney Samson started DJing in 1995 at the age of 14. During that time he mainly played r&b and hip hop tunes in the local clubs. In 1999, he changed gears and focused on house music.

In 2003, Sidney became resident DJ of the ‘Exxellent’ nights at one of Holland’s biggest clubs, The Matrixx. Besides his residency, he played at clubs across the country. Sidney also dedicates a lot of time to producing and remixing. There’s no doubt his set at Sundae Fundaze will be completely off the chain.

Wed August 12 - frontbar - 9.30pm Skinpin (syd), Karma Cops, The Clap

Sun August 16 - frontbar - 8pm The Coconut Trio, Jen Buxton

Wed August 19 - frontbar - 9.30pm Zero Logic, Adventures with Alice, Zero Logic

Fri August 21 - Backroom - 10pm

but FireRoom captures the real spirit of 50’s and 60’s rock and mix it with an indie radio vibe, which all combines to bring a high energy show. FireRoom are playing at The Blush Nightclub in Gosford on the August 21.

Mark my Words, Crossc hec k + more

Sun August 23 - frontbar - 8pm Like Alaska, Mic hael Ferfoglia

Music from the north

Wed August 26 - frontbar - 9.30pm

Three bands all hatched in the same rainsoaked valley on the NSW North Coast are hitting the Lass O’Gowrie Hotel on Wednesday August 12.

Liquid Legs, who began as Few2Many, are now based in Newcastle and combine honest lyrics with impressive vocals and catchy rhythms. Rosie and The Thorns’ debut album will soon be released soon the first music video, ‘Breakdown (Note to Self)’, is streaming on their website now. Kicking it all off is Fishkicker — Dan Power and Keane Williams with their ‘mixed bag of nuts’ hip-hop-rockacoustica.

Nobody Knew They Were Robots, Tumors, Osmium Grid

Thur August 27 - Backroom - 10pm Roger That

Sat August 28 - Backroom - 10pm Violent Soho

Sun August 30 - frontbar - 8pm The Coconut Trio, Jen Buxton

Well, Hello Tiger

The absolutely gorgeous and extremely talented Holly Throsby says Hello Tiger to the Grand Junction Hotel in Maitland, and invites you all for dinner. Holly has released three albums, the most recent 2008 A Loud Call landing her an ARIA nomination for Best Female Artist. Her performances can be quite sublime, which makes the anticipation of her Thursday August 13 dinner show at the Grand Junction Hotel all the more greater. The guys at the Grand Junction have actually scored a winner in their monthly dinner shows, with all of them being sellouts.

The upcoming Holly Throsby and the Hello Tigers dinner show is $70 for a three course meal and two long sets.

Live It Up Karaoke thur,fri& sat 9.30

pm

Kurt’s Rock Trivia Sunday from 7.30

Pool comp Tuesdays $100 7.30pm

990

$

MEALS

7 Days a Week

Bistro now open til 10pm Thu-Sat

AUSTRALIA’S BEST PUB MEAL - THE FOOD CHANNEL

mcArtney HOMECOMING

Not only has Sydney self-proclaimed ‘multiinstrumentalist/singer/songwriter’ mcArtney, just completed a national tour, he is making a return to his hometown, Newcastle, on Friday August 7 with Nick & Liesl and Zoe Klemenczuk. mcArtney was recently part of a 21-date national tour, featuring five different singer/songwriters aptly named ‘The United Tour’. The other two fellows were Edward Guglielmino and Simon Kelly plus two ladies, Tara Simmons and Coby Grant. Tickets to mcArtney’s Newcastle show are $10 and it takes place in The Red Bar at The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle.

BOOKINGS: kurt@hamiltonstationhotel.com

cnr BEAUMONT & FERN ST’s ISLINGTON myspace.com/hamiltonstationhotel 02 4961 3852

OPEN 9.30AM-3AM DAILY EXCEPT SUN 10AM-MIDNIGHT r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 3 7 — a u g u s t 2 0 0 9

news

saritah

SARITAH GRACES NEWCASTLE... TWICE

Conscious Roots artist Saritah [sa-REE-ta] launches Ancient Forward, an important, inspiring and extremely relevant album.

South Korean-born and raised in Western Australia, Saritah is a hard-working independent artist who has built a solid fan base across the country. Since the release of her debut album, Gratitude, in May 2004, and her ‘These Days/You’re The One’ EP in September 2005, Saritah has toured consistently both within Australia and overseas, performing over 400 live shows.

You can see this impressive performer at Newcastle University on Wednesday August 19 [solo 12.30pm show] and The Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle, also on Wednesday August 19 [8pm start, free entry].

Powderfinger

HOMEBAKE CELEBRATES 15 YEARS!

What better way to celebrate 1.5 decades. In 2009, Homebake will host one of its most impressive and diverse line-ups. Grab a ticket so you don’t miss Powderfinger, Jet, Hilltop Hoods, Sia, Daniel Merriweather, Tumbleweed [original line-up], Eskimo Joe, Midnight Juggernauts, Sarah Blasko, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Bumblebeez, Tim Finn, The Middle East, Phrase, Decoder Ring, Tiki Taane [NZ], Short Stack, Closure In Moscow, The Aston Shuffle, Underground Lovers [original line-up], Sugar Army, The Funkoars, Record Producer, Shockone, and Roland S Howard [together with Mick Harvey, JP Shiloh & Lindsay Gravina]. Homebake takes place on Saturday December 5, 2009, at The Domain, Sydney, and is an over 18s event.

Tickets are on sale Monday August 17, 2009 on Ticketek.com.au.

hilltop hoods

THE FATTEST BUTTER

That’s right, kids. Fat As Butter is back for 2009 and it’s full of more musical calories than you can shake a stick of butter at. To ensure you leave the Newcastle festival with over-flowing love handles, the team behind Fat As Butter are bringing you a massive line-up of pure Australian talent.

Taking place at a new location, 2009’s Fat As Butter will feature The Hilltop Hoods, Snob Scrilla, Grinspoon, Birds Of Tokyo, Evermore, Bob Evans, Bluejuice, Phrase, Urthboy, True Live, Regular John, Cassette Kids, Philadelphia Grand Jury, Lost Valentinos, Astronomy Class, plus myriad DJs! For all information, including ticketing, please head to www.fatasbutter.com.au.

It happens on October 25, 2009.

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r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 3 7 — a u g u s t 2 0 0 9

NEWS

Fundamental Harmonics Is your band’s gear looking a little frayed around the edges? Then it’s not time to record. Invest in your arsenal and reap the sonic benefits. By Mark Forester.

It’s time to record the new band demo, the songs have been rehearsed, the mics have been setup, and appropriate levels of coke, coffee and cigarettes have been consumed.

Except there’s just a few problems — the guitarist hasn’t replaced his strings in three weeks, the six month-old snare top skin sounds like wet cardboard, and the bass guitarist is using the strings that came with the bass. That’s cool though, ‘cause you can add the missing treble with an equaliser in GarageBand or on the amp. Right? Wrong.

Or rather, you can do that, but it will sound terribly brittle and fatiguing .

Regardless of instrument, every waveform is made up of a fundamental (the note) and harmonics (instrument flavour). When you have a dead instrument, it just won’t produce those full harmonics. You can crank the EQ all you like, but turning up nothing will still give you nothing (except dirt and hiss).

An equaliser manipulates relative frequencies, it doesn’t generate new ones from scratch. As broke as your band may be, spending about $160 on new skins and strings could make your demo sound a lot better. Most record labels don’t have the resources or the courage to send out A&R scouts to pluck bands out of obscurity anymore. This stuff matters now.

DUKES OF WINDSOR

GONE WITH THE WINDSOR

A VERY OBESE BLOCK PARTY

This is an alert to all hip-hop fans! Obese Records are bringing their famed Block Party to Newcastle’s Cambridge Hotel on Saturday October 10, 2009. This year will be the sixth instalment of the successful tour, and will feature headliners Drapht, Muph & Plutonic, and the newly formed Pegz group, Gully Platoon. The cream of the Obese Records roster and some very special guests will feature throughout the country and full lineups for every show will be announced shortly. Head to www.obeseblockparty.com for more info.

MARILYN MANSON RETURNS

Mr. Manson and his subversive rock ensemble return to Australia in October for their first tour since the release of Eat Me, Drink Me two years back. The new tour will see the return of bassist Twiggy Ramirez to the Manson family, whose touring line up will be — Marilyn Manson on vocals, Twiggy Ramirez on guitar, Ginger Fish on drums, Chris Vrenna on keyboards and Andy Gerold on bass.

Critics have hailed Manson’s new record, The High End of Low, as a major return to form for the band, who have just marked their 20th anniversary together. Catch him at Sydney’s Hordern Pavillion on Wednesday October 14, 2009.

MEMORIAL DRIVE BACK IN

On the back of their “ABC Music Award” success, Memorial Drive became a familiar name on the Newcastle and Maitland original music scenes. In April 2008, the rock group were asked by Reverb Magazine to support US heavy rock pioneers Helmet, in their home town of Newcastle. Proving to be a big year, 2008 also saw Memorial Drive release their highly anticipated second EP in late November, entitled The Morning After… This second EP displayed a heavier edge which was a slight departure from the effect driven rock of their 2007, self-titled debut. In 2009, with a new outlook and honest approach, Memorial Drive began writing new music for their new set.

In February, they entered the studio to begin recording their double single, ‘MD.09 Pt 1’.

These tracks will go back to basics, reminiscent of the effect-driven rock of their debut EP. ‘MD.09 Pt 1’ is due for release in 2009. You can catch Memorial Drive alongside Behind Crimson Eyes and Cola Wars (featuring the singer and drummer from Bodyjar) at The Club House, Maitland, on August 8, 2009. They’ll also hit The Cambridge Hotel on September 11, with Sleight Of Hand and Level 8.

Mark Forester can be contacted on 0432 950 411 or at surveillanceparty@gmail.com

JUICY TIMES AHEAD

After a year of chasing futile dreams on a Russian salmon farm, bluejuice have returned with a new single, a new album, and a modest bag of salmon. ‘Broken Leg’, the first single from their upcoming sophomore record is blustering bit of anthemic pop — an uptempo ode to being a limping misery guts. Never before have 80s-themed existential crises inspired such a need to dance or sing so joyously. Bluejuice will be kicking off their ‘Broken Leg’ touring campaign with the 2009 Splendour in the Grass festival. Then it’s up and down the east coast with a set of new songs. Bluejuice play the Woodport Inn, Thursday August 13, then the Cambridge Hotel, Saturday 15.

X

X

Veterans rockers X and and friends in highenergy, Six Ft Hick, take their mutual admiration out on the road for a special run of gigs around Australia, dropping in at the Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland, Saturday August 15. X will be launching their first-ever DVD, “Live at The Forum” [through Aztec Music], a document of their Don’t Look Back reprise of the At Home With You album in Melbourne in January. Six Ft Hick, meanwhile, are unabashed X fans and last year paid them the tribute of covering ‘The Feel’ from the At Home With You album on a French-release vinyl 45.

Trail-blazing back and forth along Australia’s East Coast, Dukes Of Windsor show no signs of retiring from their tour van. To get the inside story on Dukes Of Windsor, Reverb asked local musician and Fictions’ vocalist Cam James to chat with Windsor’s singer Jack Weaving.

MEMORIAL DRIVE

DOJO CUTS

FUNK CUTS

Sydney funk band Dojo Cuts have come a long way in less than 12 months. Formed in August 2008, the band were picked up by Milan-based label Record Kicks in January this year and are being tipped for big things by some big names in the funk and soul scene. Their debut single ‘The 123s’, released in March, has been getting airplay on Triple J and on the BBC courtesy of Mark Lamarr and Craig Charles, and the album was launched at a sold out Russ Dewbury’s A Night At The Jazz Rooms on May 9 at iconic Sydney venue The Basement. Dojo Cuts will be in Newcastle for Funk Collective, Cambridge Hotel, Saturday August 22.

TAME IMPALA

TAME IMPALA SYNDROME

Beholders of the ancient key that unlocks the gateway to good old-fashioned high times, Tame Impala will trip the light fantastic around Australia on their national ‘Sundown Syndrome’ Tour throughout September and October. This will be the band’s first headline outing since their EP tour in March, and sees them stop at almost every nook and cranny our scorched piece of earth has to offer.

Joining Tame Impala on the bus will be Sydney wunderkind Jonathan Boulet. Having enjoyed some quality airtime from the Triple J & alternate stations with his demo ‘A Community Service Announcement’, Boulet will bring his own brand anthemic folk-pop born out of a world of endless campfires and tribal jam sessions to assure hands in the air and feet dancing all night long.

Catch them at The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Saturday September 26, 2009. Tickets available now through Moshtix.

Tell me about your fi rst gigs [pre-Dukes].

Are you embarrassed or nostalgic for those days?

To be honest with you, the only other band I was even close to being a member of was in high school. Back then it was just an excuse to get stoned with your friends. I grew up on the on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

The school bus would drop you off at the beach, you’d surf, stare at girls and pretend you were in a band. Nothing else mattered.

That’s what I’m nostalgic about.

When did you start noticing people that weren’t friends or family coming to see the Dukes play?

We’ve never really pushed friends to come to shows. The guys and I have always wanted a clear picture of where we were at. There’s no point relying on family or friends to fill the room. You soon realise that when you play your fi rst interstate or regional show.

Did you ever get yelled at to play ‘Khe Sahn’ or ‘The Gambler’ by old drunks?

Nope, but some drunken dipshit stumbled up to me after a show recently, asking if we’d play ‘You’re The Voice’ for him. I said no. Then he responded with, ’But you c---s played heaps of covers up there.’ When I told him they were actually our tracks he dribbled, ‘Who are you c---s again?’

How important is travel in becoming successful in music??

It’s the be all and end all. The most important element you can have is a tight unit that is willing to go anywhere at anytime. Without that commitment you’re in trouble. You can only gig in your hometown for so long before you start to get that itch. So get on the road and watch the band grow.

the depot

Do you write for the stage, or the studio?

Definitely the stage. You can hear whether a tune is going to translate live straight away.

The more honest and effortless the writing process, the stronger the track. Trying to reproduce the sound of sweat in the studio is where the difficulty lies.

audience. It’s all still up to you and the band to keep on top of the game.

When starting out, how important was a record contract? Could you have continued to find an audience as independents?

When we first got together all we wanted was that golden record contract. To sign your life away was to make it. These days however the artist has options. And lots of them. You can pretty much write your own script. Nobody knows what the rules are any more. Until we find out, just do what works for you. A record contract certainly doesn’t guarantee you an

Hypothetically speaking, which artist [living or dead] would you be most flattered by if they said they were a fan of your band?

If you asked me for my top one hundred, you’d a much better idea of what I’m into. Okay, maybe if Prince and Frank Black had a kid and that kid was into the Dukes, I’d be pretty happy. I guess they would have to adopt though?

Being in a band is a bit like polygamy. How do you keep healthy relationships with the other Dukes?

Bite your tongue. Which I don’t. Which I should.

Dukes Of Windsor perform at The Cambridge Hotel on Thursday August 13, 2009.

warm winter menu selections

KINDRED IN HIGH SPIRITS

Since forming a newer and stronger line-up in late 2008, local metal group Kindred have toured relentlessly throughout Australia. Late 2009/2010 will see Kindred deliver to their fans a most anticipated CD release. It will showcase the superior musicianship of a band which knows no limits, and for the first time will be backed by Waterfront Records and MGM Distribution. Catch Kindred at The Cambridge Hotel on August 7, with support from Requiem Of The Damned, Soultremor and Deathmaask.

Breakfast*//seasoned fruit, muesli, honey and

Lunch //toasted chicken panini/warm salad of

Dinner //seared salmon fillet/slow cooked pork

vanilla trifle/date and almond french toast/

roasted vegetables/beer battered fish fillets/

belly/duck confit with smoked duck tortellini/

corn and goat’s cheese fritters/grilled ricotta

porcini mushroom and leek risotto/grilled baby

sirloin steak with roasted garlic kipflers/pan-

pancakes/potato, spinach and chorizo hash

calamares/australian king prawns and squid

roasted chicken breast with saffron risotto/porcini

tossed with garlic and chilli

mushroom and leek tartlet/beer battered fries

143 darby street, newcastle

phone 4929 2666

*Breakfast available until 12pm. Dinner and Tapas menu starts at 5pm. Ask about our cocktail and wine list.

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RE VERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

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MENNA

—

N E D K E L LY

BERTIE BLACKMAN

BOYS WILL BE NOISE

SWEET LITTLE LIES

DJs Ned Kelly and Menna are fast becoming synonomous with Newcastle’s burgeoning underground electronic scene (they were also stars of our very hectic third birthday party). Reverb wades its way through a writhing dancefloor to chat with the two lads.

Which producers/artists do you most like to include in your live sets at the moment?

MENNA It’s hard to say just a couple — they all vary depending on the venue, night and time.

Although a few that receive a bit of play would be Radioclit, Fake Blood, Alvaro, Jesse Rose, Edu K, Diplo, Zombie Nation, ZDS, La Pena, Boys Noize, etc.

NED KELLY These days my live sets completely change almost weekly. At the moment I have bits of everything — Zombie Disco Squad, ATrak, Mastiksoul, Boys Noize, Renaissance Man, Zombie Nation, Proxy, Fake Blood, Knuckles, Crookers, Larry Tee, Act Yo Age, Golden Bug, In Flagranti, Bart Bmore, Tiga, Rusko, Housemiester, Gregor Salto, and I’m sure there is more.

Do you have a favourite style you prefer to play?

M It varies depending on when and where. It’s hard to define really.

NK I feel like I’m constantly re-inventing my style. It changes quite a bit, but it seems a lot of what I play, and how I play it, has been highly influenced by hip-hop.

What made you want to get into DJing?

M I really enjoyed dance music once I had

Who are your favourite DJs/producers in the world at the moment?

M Renaissance Man seems to be creating a lot

WHAT A RIP-SNORTER BIRTHDAY PARTY!

Our heartfelt thanks to everybody who was involved. We’ll see you for Christmas.

Songs like ‘Town Of Sorrow’ have a very half-awake, night-time quality. Was a lot of this album written at night?

I’ve always been a night-time writer. When it’s nice and sunny, I just want to go outside. I like the amazing feeling in the dark where you don’t know where you are. Sometimes you’re comfortable and sometimes it’s scary. I find I’m less self conscious with my songwriting at night — I don’t know why. Often I write at 3am in the morning when I wake up. I’ll grab my guitar and starting playing stuff, before I start to analyse the songs too much.

Folk. Rock. Lo-fi electronica. Bertie Blackman always has her eyes set on the horizon. Her new, darkly whimsical album Secrets & Lies, sees the pint-sized songstress evolve once again. She speaks with Nick Milligan.

been introduced to it, and I felt DJing would be a good way of sharing it with others.

Having friends [Ned and Matt K-von] that already did it, and were willing to teach, was also a massive help.

NK Like any person who looks back at their teen years, music has always been a massive part of my life. But what I think really pushed me was being in clubs or at festivals and watching one dude having the time of his life, playing tracks he really digs, and making people lose their shit!

What are the most hectic venues/parties for a DJ to play at these days?

M I think playing at Fabric in London would be amazing — they have the biggest names there and push such a quality music policy. Any big festival would be insane, playing to thousands of people.

NK As far as clubs go, we have some amazing clubs in Australia, but I think Europe is definitely where it is at. But as for the most hectic on a global scale, I think any decent sized festivals would be life changing.

synths, and drum programming — it opened up the scope for different phrasing structures and playing with the rhythm of the words in an open arena.

MENNA ©DAN KISH

NED KELLY ©DAN KISH

of hype at the moment — those guys are killing it. The artists I mentioned in question one pretty much sum it up.

NK Quite a few come to mind, but A-Trak is really floating my boat at the moment.

Besides the fact he has some serious skills and

he is Kanye’s DJ, he has hip hop and dance music production wired. In my eyes he is the ultimate DJ. Catch Ned Kelly and Menna most Wednesday and Saturday nights at the CBD Hotel. Free entry.

You’ve been announced on the line-up for the upcoming Parklife festival.

I’m doing a special set just for Parklife. I’m going to taper the record into a heavier electronic set.

I’ll manipulate vocals more on stage and mash it up a bit — turn it into a different thing. But I’ll keep the emotional core of the record there. It’s nice to take on a project and re-work everything to suit a different environment. By then I will have played Secrets & Lies many, many times on this national tour, so it will be nice to reform them into something else for Parklife.

Have you found that your move towards electronica has opened your music up to a wider audience?

Definitely, it’s been great. I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t know if [the album] was going to work [in Australia], because it doesn’t really sound like an Australian singer/songwriter record. Which is a good thing. You don’t want it to sound like it’s from anywhere other than the crazy land of my brain and heart.

How soon after the making of your previous record, Black, did you realise that you wanted to try something different?

Pretty soon after. I’m usually writing for the

the depot

new record as I’m finishing the last one. I was dabbling with some stuff at the time. I also went through a change of management, so I took a bit of time working out the business side of stuff. Then I started working with Lee Groves who has worked with Depeche Mode, Goldfrapp and Gwen Stefani — amongst many others. That gave [the music] an electro tinge.

Because this is his first release of production in this country, I don’t think many people have heard his sound yet. It fits with my sound.

Is there a song on this new album that you’re the most proud of?

Yeah, I think ‘Sky Is Falling’, the first track. It encompasses a lot of the emotions I was feeling around that time and I really like the drama in the orchestra. It’s got a pop structure, but there’s no drums in it.

Did you approach the songwriting differently?

Yeah, I definitely laboured over each song more, because I wasn’t writing for a band, but for the greater emotional structure of the song. So we decided what sort of instrumentation suited each track. Vocally I pushed myself — there’s far more vocals on the album, and more curves and flows in that area. It was challenging.

and lovers. It’s definitely my most personal record to date.

Why was Secrets & Lies the best name for this album?

It’s an album about very personal things for me. It’s an album about things that creep around at night and underneath the ground.

It’s bittersweet — secrets can be a beautiful thing. There’s stuff about family, friendships

Do you approach lyric-writing differently now to when you first started?

Yeah, because a lot of songwriting I did for this record was really done in the moment and not a lot was written on guitar. Only three songs on the record I wrote on the guitar. For the other songs I started with bass lines,

Do you ever go back and listen to your first album, Headway?

No, I haven’t done it yet. I’m a bit scared.

I want to — I don’t think I even have a copy of it.

It hasn’t really crossed my mind to listen to it — I just hope it’s good.

Bertie Blackman performs at The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on August 6, The Beach Hotel, on August 13, 2009. Secrets & Lies is out now through forum5.

warm winter menu selections

Tapas*//warm marinated hunter valley olives/spinach, leek and manchego cheese croquetas/grilled

Dessert //caramelised lemon tart/churros with

australian king prawns/grilled chorizo sausage/prawn fritters with seared scallops and romesco sauce/soft

hot chocolate sauce and cinnamon ice meringue/

shell crab tempura/calamares fritos served with salt and sweet paprika/chargrilled kangaroo skewers

honeycomb pannacotta/cheese plate with quince

marinated in harissa with minted yoghurt/octopus tentacles braised in tomato and basil

paste/white velvet and berry cheesecake/sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce

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phone 4929 2666

*Tapas available from 5pm. Ask about our cocktail and wine list.

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RE VERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 20 09

15

HE AVEN AND HELL

KEVIN BLOODY WILSON

25 YEARS OF KEV-CULTURE

I love to think so because I didn’t come up with the idea of the bawdy ballad, I just made them a little more up-to-date. I started out in the early days as a young musician in Kalgoorlie and used to do the old bawdy ballads like ‘The Hairs Of Her Dickie-Dido’ and ‘Charlotte The Harlot’. But they were done to death because nobody was writing that sort of stuff anymore. That’s how I got into my own writing. In 25 years I’ve not met anybody else in this style of music and comedy. If there’s any budding comics out there; it’s not fucking hard, or I wouldn’t be doing it.

Over the past two decades Kevin Bloody Wilson has been performing his bawdy ballads from Kalgoorlie to London. The Australian singer/songwriter tours relentlessly, and has pioneered his brand of Australian humour to the rest of the world. He shares some stories with Dean Joy, and chats about his upcoming tour and album.

You’re touring quite a lot this year. What do you enjoy about touring so much?

Yeah, this year seems a little busier than most.

Normally I do about 120 concerts a year around the world, this year I’m doing over 150.

The best part about touring is getting out there and doing what I do. I love it because I never thought there’d be a career in it. I always thought it was just fun for me and my mates.

You’ve been performing the world for the last 25 years. What are your highlights?

Well nowadays, wherever I go, I’ve usually got a mate there to have a beer with. Whether that bloke is somebody like Billy Connelly, or Bob the butcher. Billy is a really good mate and has opened a lot of doors for me in the UK. I like catching up with mates, and travelling with my best friend in the world, which is my wife.

What is your song writing process?

I write about whatever comes to mind. For instance, I was listening to ‘Eagle Rock’ the other day; it’s so catchy that before the song had finished on the radio I’d rewritten it. I’m

putting that on my album as well. Quite often I’ll get original ideas that just slip into a song.

Like ‘The House Of The Rising Flood’, which I wrote about New Orleans.

Lots of your songs remind me of myself, or people I know. Are many of your songs based on true stories?

Oh absolutely. Songs like ‘Mick The Master Farter’. I used to sit next to Mick at school and we’ve remained mates our whole lives. Also, when I was 19, I got seduced by my girlfriend’s mother. It was going really well until my girlfriend found out. The mother, in three weeks, taught me shit that I didn’t need to know. And I’ve just written a song about it called ‘Now I Can’t Cum Unless There’s A Thumb In Me Bum’. All of the songs come with a story of some sort.

What songs are the most fun to perform?

Songs like ‘Hey Santa Claus’ and ‘Living Next Door To Alan’. They’re always going to be a part of my shows because they’re the songs that people were introduced to, and I never get tired of doing them. I still get the same jollies out of

it that I did back then. And it’s not showbiz bullshit; I actually love doing those songs.

Are the crowds more formal?

No [Laughs]. They just turn up for what it is.

It’s a good time. I’ll see people in the clubs in Sydney who haven’t gone home from work yet, so it’s not unusual to see suits and stuff.

The same as it’s not unusual to see grandmothers with their daughters and granddaughters at shows. [The music] spans generations. It’s totally harmless; it’s there to make you laugh. But the part that amazes me is that nobody else out there is doing it.

Do you hope this will change and others will follow in your footsteps?

You have a reputation for signing breasts.

What’s the story behind that?

The true story is I was playing in a place called Exmouth in Western Australia; this was one of my first tours as Kevin Bloody Wilson. We were playing at a place called The Potshot Inn. Anyway, this night there was a bus load of American women from the [local] processing factory and one of them came up to me at the end of the show and said “Will you sign my arm for me?” For whatever reason I said “Sorry love, I only sign tits.” With that the whole lot of them just took their tops off and stood there waiting for their tits to get signed.

There were 18 on the first night I ever did it.

Amazing. But it’s not a sexual thing either, it’s funny like that. It’s just one of those things that have grown out of nothing; it’s just very much a part of the show now.

Kevin Bloody Wilson plays Hexham Bowling Club, Tuesday August 4, Cardiff Panthers Wednesday 5, Newcastle Panthers, Thursday 6, Davistown RSL, Wednesday 12, Cessnock Supporters Club, Thursday 13, and DoyalsonWyee RSL, Friday 14.

HEAVEN AND HELL Melbourne has AC/DC Lane.

London has Stones Avenue. New York now has Dio Way, the city’s heartfelt tribute to Ronnie James Dio, the diminutive American rock legend with the booming metalopera voice and a heart of gold.

Steve Tauschke reports.

“There’s nothing like appreciation, it’s wonderful,” nods a softly-spoken Dio, now based in Los Angeles. “It’s something I never asked for but I accepted it with open arms. To reward me like that was very special.”

The gong recognises Dio’s contribution in helping put hard rock on the musical map, from his 1970s days in Elf and Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow to replacing Ozzy as Black Sabbath’s frontman on Heaven and Hell [1980] and Mob Rules [1981] to his own group, Dio, through the 1980s and 90s.

“I’m the only person who really needs to know when I’m good or bad,” he adds. “But it’s certainly wonderful that they’ve praised a long career of trying to be good — all of the time.”

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In 2006, Dio reconvened with former Sabbath band mates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice to perform a 98-date world tour under the moniker Heaven and Hell, their first shows together in 15 years. Such was the positive chemistry on the road they decided to record the project’s debut studio album The Devil You Know, released in May. “At the end of that tour the question came up, ‘does anyone want to do an album?’,” explains Dio. “We enjoyed the touring so much it seemed such a shame that we had to stop.”

With Iommi’s doomy riffs creeping through such tracks as ‘Bible Black’ and ‘Atom & Evil’, the pundits declared the album to be a lesson in the way metal was and the way it’s supposed to be. A digital recording never sounded so old school.

“It’s so much different than it used to be having to cut tape and tape it back together and splice it here and splice it there,” says Dio of the sessions. “These days it’s done so much easier but of course I miss the old days when it was great to be in studio and puke on the desk and do all that stuff. Ha!”

Despite his Alice Cooper-esque grasp on metal’s theatrical absurdities, Dio has been good to the genre over the years and in return it’s been good to him.

“I just like the heaviness of it all, the darkness of it all, the overpowering-ness of it all,” he says. “And as a songwriter, to be able to write that way and not have to write tunes that say ‘I love you, baby’, it was the perfect medium for me. It sparked my imagination.

“It’s the really the reason why I started to play and it’s certainly the reason why Tony and Geezer and Vinny started to play because we wanted to be a band. We love making music with other people, people who could play guitar when we couldn’t, people who couldn’t sing when we could.

“Being able to live through your passion and to have the stage to say what you want to say both lyrically and musically, that’s always been the same for me in my desire to want to do that and to be really good at it. And that’s what’ll make me to do it forever.”

The Devil You Know is out through Roadrunner.

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MAMMAL

—

PA R K WAY D R I V E

HYJAK N TORCHA

time things will calm down, we get together and talk it through and it’s all good again.

Creatively, is there a set formula that works for the band?

To be honest, I have a lot of trouble getting out of [the band] to attend to “real life” stuff.

But for us, songs come together in different ways. There is no set rule or standard. We all tend to work the songs instrumentally, both individually and as a whole, to get a foundation. Zeke [Ox, singer] will start throwing in vocal ideas, so we get a feel and a basis of what it’s about. Then we work out what works and what doesn’t, then it’s just a matter of arranging and playing ideas until it sits. But as I said, there isn’t really a set way.

THE MORAL MAJORITY Intelligent, sexy, and self-assured performers, Mammal dare to make bold, topical statements. Ross Beckley and Veronique Moseley interview bass player Nick Adams to uncover their mammalian way of thinking.

‘I Know What You’re Thinking’ sends a strong message that your audience will relate to. What are some of the issues that motivate Mammal to comment with such conviction?

Too many to really get started on, but the biggest and most general one for me is the inherent division in people. Whether it’s about race or ethnicity, ideals or traditions, politics or religion, whatever. It all seems to end in aggression and hatred, lack of understanding

and communication. It’s a difficult one, I know, but I would like to hope that we can one day evolve and move past these spiritual ‘dark ages’.

Another is the distribution of wealth. Most of the world’s population live in extreme poverty, whilst its minority live in extreme wealth. The worst part about the latter is that in western eyes, these people are celebrated and held up as something to aspire to, or people to admire.

Fame and fortune seem to be the new disease that everyone wants to catch.

The band are obviously on the same page when it comes to ideals, and Mammal’s tight performance, both live and recorded, reflects that. Are there ever any times when there are differences between the four members?

Like any relationship, you have ups and down and through trial and error you start to work out who responds to what, in regards to problem-solving and keeping the peace. Not that it’s always easy or straight forward, but usually if someone has a blow up, after a bit of

The band came up with the initial ideas and concepts for the ‘Smash The Piñata’ and ‘Majority’ clips, with the rest being fleshed out by director Chris Frey. Do you see film clips as being an essential tool for Mammal in getting their message across?

Mammal has always been a very visual band and so our film clips have definitely helped us to gain exposure to a wider audience. We have received a lot of attention through them not only in Australia, but also overseas, so they have definitely been a helpful tool for our band.

What do you like to see in print about Mammal and your music?

I guess what I’ve come to realise through our press is that people either love us or hate us.

Everyone takes notice and everyone has an opinion.

Mammal play The Woodport Inn, Erina, on Saturday August 30 and The Bar On The Hill, Newcastle, on Thursday September 3, 2009.

DRIVING FORCE So how did a bunch of surfie hardcore kids from Byron Bay go from jamming in sheds to clinching a cult following the world over?

Well, Parkway Drive have just released The DVD, a documentary which follows the quintet’s journey from their humble beginnings in 2003.

Nathaniel Try felt this was incentive enough to catch up with vocalist Winston McCall.

I last chatted with you a few weeks before the ‘Sweat Fest’ tour in December. As anticipated, those shows were a huge success. What has the first half of 2009 brought to Parkway Drive?

We had our first shows of the year in Asia. So we played Japan, China, Malaysia and Indonesia.

It was crazy just going to those countries, let alone playing shows there. The shows were mental, so I’m hoping we can go back there again soon. Other than that we’ve toured the States and Europe already, been writing new songs and completed the DVD too. It’s fair to say we’ve been getting things done!

For anyone contemplating purchasing the DVD release, what can they expect?

You basically get the entire history of the six years we’ve been doing the band, all the countries we’ve been to and all the shows we’ve played, put into an hour and fifteen 18

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minutes worth of entertainment. We’ve done it in a way that follows a constant story line showing our whole journey, rather than being cut up all the way through by individual songs.

In saying that, there’s also an entire live set included which was filmed in Sydney last year.

I read that you guys are writing at the moment. When can we expect LP number three from Parkway Drive?

Um, whenever it gets done I guess! We’re trying to record at the end of this year or the beginning of next year. To be honest, this is the happiest we have ever been while writing a record. So far we’ve got six songs written. Four of those are so much heavier than anything else we have ever written, it’s ridiculous.

Fingers crossed we can continue like this and actually put out the record we want to make.

Rest assured we’re not going to be one of those bands who say, “Oh we’ve run out of time! Let’s just put out six crap songs, two alright songs and one good song.” If we haven’t got it finished, it’s not going to come out.

What are you most looking forward to about touring Australia again next month with Architects and August Burns Red? I’m psyched to see people’s reactions to those two bands, because they’re both amazing. We just played a bunch of shows in Europe and they were both touring there while we were.

It’s always good to come home and play shows in Australia. We spend most of our time playing overseas these days. The tours we do in America and Europe are 30 shows, compared to the 12 or so we do in Australia. So it’s actually a good break to be playing at home.

You guys have achieved and impressed beyond everyone’s wildest expectations.

Collectively, what would Parkway Drive still like to add to your list of conquests?

To be honest, what we’re trying to do is to play in as many places as we can. When we started touring extensively in Australia, we began playing in towns that hardcore bands had never played before. Now, we’re doing that sort of thing overseas; playing in some towns that even the hardcore bands from that country have never played in before. Until we’ve played in every place in the world, there will always be something left to accomplish.

Parkway Drive appear at Newcastle Panthers on Friday August 14. Parkway Drive: The DVD is available now through Resist Records.

CLEAR CONSCIENCE Halfway through the process of recording their latest album, Hyjak N Torcha’s studio burned down and they lost a lot of material, delaying the album’s release a few years. But do they have any regrets? Hell, no. David Long speaks to Hyjak and finds out why.

While Aussie hip-hop may not be the best way to make a buck, it really is a side to the music industry that is quickly progressing and is very exciting. Listening to Unregrettable, I realise that while Hyjak N Torcha may not be as big as The Hilltop Hoods or The Herd, their production, lyrics and sound is on par to any of these bigger names. This is what you get in Aussie hip-hop today, people doing it for themselves and doing it damn fine.

You couldn’t ask for a more genuine, downto-earth and likable character than Hyjak.

Through his music you know he’s had a lot of experiences in his time, but he takes it in his stride. He begins by telling me that the making of Unregrettable took five years, partly because of the studio fire and partly because they had over 400 songs that were widdled down to just 18. The stories told throughout the album are all based on personal anecdote, and you can’t blame the boys for “sprucing them up a little bit for the listener’s purpose,” as Hyjak says.

A lot of musicians spend most of their lives making music [of course], but to find out what they would be doing otherwise is the best insight into a musician’s character. Hyjak says if it weren’t for his hip-hop he would be either, “writing graffiti, which I still do as well as music, or basically just getting into a whole lot of trouble like all my other mates you know what I mean. I’d probably be overdosed in an ally somewhere or robbing bottle shops or something. Keeps me out of trouble, some of the time.”

Success means many different things to different people; this includes musicians and their music. “If everyone’s playing our stuff, people are coming to our shows and having a studio we can always record at, that’s success,” muses Hyjak. “Up until now, we’ve never really had a studio that we can step into at any given time a day. We’ve had to wait on other people’s times, so at the moment it’s

better that we can make music whenever we want. So that’s my idea of success, and being on tour, I can’t wait to go on tour.”

The boys have done a bit of touring in their time, and have been to New Zealand three times. “Australia and New Zealand have got their issues with each other’s accents. So at first I thought they wouldn’t get into it, but real music — real hip-hop — breaks all barriers.

At the end of the day, if it’s dope, it’s dope… they can see that, so it worked out well.”

Hyjak agrees that he’s drawn some inspiration from the city around him throughout the years. “Torcha comes from Parramatta, which is west Sydney. I come from the east, Bondi, so I guess we kind of get all elements and combine them, you know? We’ve lived in the Cross [King’s Cross], Redfern, Blacktown… all over the city, so we pretty much got the whole place covered. We’ve seen all walks of life, from the fancy parties at Bondi to the ghettos of Redfern,” Hyjak reveals.

Because Aussie hip-hop is such a close-knit community of people, where everyone involved knows of just about everything going down, I asked Hyjak his opinion on it all at the moment.

“It’s good, it’s getting bigger and bigger. For years everyone’s been saying it’s gonna blow up and stuff. People are paying attention and listening; people are showing it love and coming to the shows. People from all walks of life; where it just used to be the hip-hop heads and graffiti writers, now it’s with a lot of the surf culture, a lot of the skaters and all cultures have come together so it’s a good thing.”

To wrap things up, I ask Hyjak which song from Unregrettable is his favourite. “At the moment I’m liking Every Day. We’ve been rehearsing it live and when it comes in, it’s just a good feeling song, you know what I mean? It makes you proud of where you’re from — and it’s going to blow-up, live!”

Unregrettable is out now through Obese Records.

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

19

LISA MITCHELL

THE B-52s

While the success of that song can be seen as both a blessing and a curse, one shouldn’t lose sight of the importance of the B-52s. After 33 years, the vibrant and unusual pop group from Athens, Georgia, remain in a universe of their own.

Nick Milligan speaks with founding member and guitarist Keith Strickland.

HOT THE WONDER YEARS

19 year old Lisa Mitchell is living her dream. She has played the legendary festival, Glastonbury, as well as her own shows in London and her debut album Wonder has just been released in both Australia and the UK. Jess Henderson discusses these musical achievements with the young songstress.

Talking to Mitchell on the eve of her debut album release in Australia, I am met with a sense of both excitement and exhaustion from this young Melbourne-based singer/ songwriter. Mitchell returned from the UK the day before our interview and her croaky voice and slightly distracted demeanour is probably a testament to not only the jetlag, but perhaps the two days of interviews she’s had to endure since stepping back on home soil.

“I’ve had a bit of a hectic day… I’ve been talking about myself all day!” the singer apologises.

Mitchell is definitely an artist on the rise but at the moment all she can think about is

“IT’S ALWAYS BEEN MY DREAM TO BE A MUSICIAN. I’M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE.” 20

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getting back to Melbourne to see her family and friends. “I live in Melbourne. I’m heading back home tomorrow which I can’t wait for. I haven’t seen my family and friends for a good couple of months. I’ve got a pretty strong homing instinct at the moment.”

When we spoke, Mitchell’s album had been out in the UK for only a week. It’s still early days but she is understandably excited about her achievement — or more so the fact that the disc sits next to Joni Mitchell in the CD racks of HMV. “I must say I went into HMV and bought a copy. It was next to Joni. It is kind of early days [but] there is a little audience over there. I was doing about a show a week for the last couple of months [in the UK]. We were getting about 200 people in the little venues.

It’s kind of slowly building.” Mitchell explains.

And what was it like to grace the legendary Glastonbury stage? “It was amazing… it was a big milestone for me! I grew up hearing about this amazing festival where everyone wears gumboots and treks through the mud, and

then to actually play it… I still can’t believe it!” says Mitchell of her performance. “[I’d] never been before — I was a Glastonbury virgin… it was such a great day. I only stayed for one day unfortunately because I had to play another show… I would have loved to have stayed, camped out and surrendered to Glastonbury, but it wasn’t to be… next year!”

Wonder heralds the arrival of a new phase for the talented young woman who found fame at just 16 as a finalist on Australian Idol.

Having sparked a bidding war when her first single ‘Neopolitan Dreams’ was used in a huge TV marketing campaign across the UK and Europe, in December 2008 she signed a worldwide deal [excluding Aus/NZ] with UKbased record label RCA UK/Sony Music. Prior to this Mitchell had independently released two EPs — Said One to the Other [2007] and Welcome to the Afternoon [2008].

“There was a couple of EPs that I put out.”

Mitchell explains. “Dan Hume [from Evermore] produced those and he worked on the album with me as well. I guess the EPs were kind of testing the waters- gave me an opportunity to kind of experiment with recording.”

‘Coin Laundry’ is probably the most recognisable track off the album to date, having received a healthy dose of airplay on Triple J and community stations. Its sweet quirky sound tells the story of a girl who’s sitting in a laundrette looking for and dreaming about love. “I was living with Dan [Dan Hume, from Evermore] and his brothers actually for a little while in South Melbourne.

It must have been a couple of years ago now. I was just down at the laundrette doing my own washing and I was sitting there and a bit bored,” Mitchell muses.

A self-confessed journal writer, Mitchell penned a verse in her notebook whilst sitting in the South Melbourne laundrette, pondering

if she would ever find that special person and if, perhaps, she would meet him in the coin laundry. “I had a little stage-play going on in my head where this striking young man came in to do his washing.”

Sharing the same management company as Evermore [Scorpio Music], Mitchell has built up a solid working relationship with the Hume brothers — in particular Dan who she has worked with on all of her recordings to date.

“The album was a bit disjointed really. I did a whole lot of recordings with a guy called Anthony White [Producer — Arctic Monkeys, Zero 7, Sia] in London and then I came back over to Australia and re-recorded a lot of things with Dan. When we’re recording together it’s more of a fun experience and I think that transcends to the energy of the song which is so important — even more important than the quality of the recordings.”

Mitchell explains. “I mean ‘Neopolitan Dreams’, for example, me and Dan recorded in his bedroom just with two mics and hand claps. It was fun, we were having a good time and I think that is something that people connect with so much more and it’s very valuable. Me and Dan ended up making most of the record together in the end.”

Mitchell returned home in July to prepare for her album release tour which will see her play over 20 shows throughout August and September. “It’s always been my dream to be a musician. I’m very happy to be here. I wanted to be a vet when I was quite young but then I realised I had to study ridiculously hard and it was all a bit stupid. So music was always very up there — my first option. I’m quite glad it all worked out!”

Lisa Mitchell plays the Cambridge Hotel, September 27, 2009. Wonder is out now through Warner Music.

Although three decades have passed since Australia became the first non-American populous to respond to the B-52s, Keith Strickland still can’t explain why we love them so much. “I have no idea,” says the guitarist and founding member. “Something to do with the sense of humour? There’s some sort of kinship there… I don’t quite know what it is.”

The Athens band’s self-titled debut record, which featured the mega-hit ‘Rock Lobster’, went straight to #7 on the Australian charts in 1979. Perhaps their cosmic outfits, bizarre vocal layers and high-camp, high-energy, surfer newwave charm was just too good to be true?

Like the interplanetary themes that run throughout so much of their material, the formation of The B-52s was simply a cosmic alignment. “[Our] sound just happened — it was the chemistry. We formed [The B-52s] to entertain ourselves, because there wasn’t a lot to do in Athens at that time,” says Strickland.

The almost spoken-word vocals of Fred Schneider alongside the candy-coated harmonies of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, have continued to define the sound of the B52s. The whole world took notice when ‘Love Shack’, the single from their 1989 record Cosmic Thing, was released. But ‘Love Shack’ was a bitter-sweet success for the B-52s.

Before writing it, the group had been on a selfinduced hiatus after the tragic death of founding member [and brother of Cindy], Ricky Wilson.

Twenty years after ‘Love Shack’ turned the B-52s into superstars, it remains an indelible imprint on pop culture. “That song is interesting, because it’s different from most B-52s songs — it has much more of an RnB groove,” says Strickland. “But it was the big hit — which is great. We love it. So many people have so much fun with it.”

Even if the band resented the size of ‘Love

Shack’, it would be impossible to avoid. “There’s this indoor/outdoor karaoke bar near where I live, and I was riding my bike past it. All of a sudden I heard ‘Love Shack’. There was about six girls up on stage and everyone was singing it.

I was like, ‘Wow, I remember when that song didn’t even have a chorus.’ It’s funny to know this song from the beginning and then to see it become ‘their’ song. That’s just wonderful — it’s like a standard. Who knew that the B-52s would write a standard!” says Strickland.

It would be a mistake to view ‘Love Shack’ as the group’s most important work. A collaboration with REM on the song ‘Shiny Happy People’ became a cross-over hit, while Kate Pierson’s duet with Iggy Pop on ‘Candy’, was Pop’s biggest commercial success.

Despite their surging popularity, The B-52s’ 1992 record Good Stuff, would prove to be their last studio album for 16 years. Members of the group popped up in various projects, occasionally reuniting for sporadic performances. In 2008, the group finally returned with an eighth record, Funplex.

The B-52s have always been ahead of their time, so developing a futuristic evolution in their sound was crucial on their long-awaited return. “There was moments where I thought,

“I LOVE OUR OLD SONGS...

THEY LIVE ON THEIR OWN PLANET.” ‘What do we do now?’” admits Strickland, who wrote all the music for Funplex. “I had to ignore current trends, because that’s really detrimental to the creative process. So I just really tuned into what was going to excite me and what I was interested in. I’d been listening to a lot of dance and electronic music over the years, which I really like. But I also love old rock n’ roll. I thought it would be fun to put these two things together, with our own sound. Then when Frank, Kate and Cindy started writing, it was like instant recall. They go back into this place where it’s a process of improvisation.

They’ll sing any melodies and any lyrics. Then we’ll go back and listen to it and arrange it to fit the music I have. Sometimes I’ll adjust the music to fit what they’re doing too.”

The main reason for writing Funplex was The

B-52s desire for new material. The line-up of Strickland, Schneider, Pierson and Cindy Wilson had been touring since 1997. Attempts to write new material had fallen flat, but the group continued to perform. To avoid becoming, as Strickland puts it, a “legacy act”, The B-52s had to bite the bullet and pen more music.

“I love our old songs — they’re eccentric and they’re not like anything else. They live on their own planet. But we all felt the need for new songs. With that in mind, we wrote songs to perform live, that would also fit with our older material. [Funplex] is not too much of a studio album,” explains Strickland.

Despite an impressive career in their wake, The B-52s may never feel like a mainstream act. “We’ve always been unconventional in how we approach music,” admits Strickland.

“We’ve always been outsiders, so I’m used to that. It’s been our gift… because we don’t sound like anyone else.”

Catch The B-52s at Bimbadgen Estate, Hunter Valley, on Saturday November 21 with The Proclaimers and Mental As Anything. They will also play two shows at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on November 25 and 26, 2009. Funplex is out now through EMI.

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

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album reviews

album reviews

Feature albums

THE HORRORS Primary Colours Remote Control/ XL 4.5/5

Woah, who’d have thought these skinny art-school Londoners with Victorian dress-sense could so seamlessly make the transition from menacing two-anda-half minute punk songs to sevenminute new-wave grunge epics?

I’m quite frankly blown away by The Horrors’ latest offering. Many of the elements that first attracted me to the band have been retained in this sophomore effort, but they’re hidden a little deeper beneath synth-laden melodies and a 90s, My Bloody Valentine wall-of-sound vibe.

More ethereal than prior releases, Primary Colours displays quite a musical growth. The record shifts effortlessly from noisy, distortion-heavy tracks like ‘Mirror’s Image’ and ‘Who Can Say’, to more subdued songs like ‘Primary Colours’ and my personal favourite ‘Sea Within A Sea’, a long, minimalistic number with eerie keys and delightfully dissonant vocals.

I could keep talking about this, so suffice to say that I loved it. If you dug them before, I hope you can appreciate their new sound. For fans of: My Bloody Valentine, Joy Division, The Jesus and Mary Chain. ~Elliot Struck

THE MARS VOLTA Octahedron Warner 4.5/5

Welcome back into the world of The Mars Volta. Over the course of four albums, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala have challenged us with some of the most adventurous progressive rock of the past decade.

When translated to the stage, the effect has been engaging, forceful, and often quite beautiful. It could also be called a religious experience.

To follow the onslaught of their brutally brilliant The Bedlam In Goliath, The Mars Volta have tamed the assault to produce an album of pure beauty. It’s as close as we will get to an acoustic set.

Beginning with a minute-and-a half of near silence, ‘Since We’ve Been Gone’ delves into territory previously explored on Frances The Mutes’ ‘The Widow’. It’s a song full of fragile vocal melodies and guitar atmospherics that ease you into the experience to come.

Thomas Pridgen’s intricate drum lines on album highlight ‘Teflon’, are the drive on one of the few rock outs. It is more linear and accessible than the freak-outs of the past, but none the less forceful.

First single ‘Cotopaxi’ is the most crazed track — three-and-a-half minutes of wild syncopation and ascending guitar patterns. Aside from these infrequent moments of wild abandon, it’s the pensive fragility of songs such as ‘Copernicus’ and ‘With Twilight as My Guide’ that paint the real picture; a lesson in understated force. For fans of: Karnivool, Closure In Moscow ~Kevin Bull

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album of the month

BENJALU

SARAH BLASKO

DECODER RING

Foreign Born

Waterwalls Independent 4/5

As Day Follows Night Due process 4/5

They Blind The Stars, And the Wind Team Inertia 3.5/5

Person To Person Secretly Canadian/Think 3.5/5

Newcastle-based band Benjalu are calling their latest release an ‘EP’, but it’s only a token use of the term.

Waterwalls, at eight songs in length, has a lot of musical variety and depth on offer. It feels like a cohesive album. It also displays the advances that the hard-working three-piece have made in their songwriting. From the rock grooves and guitar solo of ‘So High’ [and its subsequent transition into the track ‘Grey Old Man’], to the timeless and mesmerising beauty of the title song, Benjalu prove that they’re not ready to be figured out just yet.

Lead singer Ben ‘Gumby’ Gumbleton sounds less like his early comparisons to John Butler and more like a male version of Tracy Chapman. Vocally, his tone is soulful — perfectly made for story-telling. This is a supremely mature and composed release from a very young and and exciting act. For fans of: John Butler Trio, Last Train Home, David Gray, White Buffalo, Tracy Chapman, Jose Gonzalez. ~Nick Milligan

The Best Believers The Best Believers Romantic Records/Fuse Music 4/5

Sydney duo Matt Noffs and Michael McGlynn aka The Best Believers have released a debut that brims with eclectic ideas and treatments. It has a clever freshness that if a track does not grab you on the first listen, the following song will. That initial track will then get you on the second listen.

No genre is off limits, be it the Bowie-esque glam pomp of ‘Benjamin’, the Crazy Horse stomp and squeal of ‘The Spider and the Fly’, and the Smashing Pumpkins’ dreamy lushness of ‘Space Between Stars’. My only question is whether these solid multi-genre songs make for an equally solid 12 song album. What I do know is that I have just re-listened to The Best Believers after a four week break, and the songs do have a memorable quality to them.

For fans of: Beck, Beta Band. ~Kevin Bull

Broken Records Until The Earth Begins To Part 4AD/Remote Control 4/5

Having released an EP in 2007 that had many a critic hot in their jocks, Broken Records have delivered a debut far greater in scale than the little rougharound-the-edges EP might have suggested. It is a lush, multi-layered and textured affair that can become all encompassing for the listener, even suffocating at times. The opener, ‘Nearly Home’ had me thinking 2001, A Space Odyssey with its grand intro — quite appropriate considering what is to follow.

‘Nearly Home’ is full of drama, a slow build from strings and emotive vocals, to a marching beat and horns. While the fiddle gets a good workout on ‘A Good Reason’, a knee slapping, romp that would not be out of place at the local barn dance, apart from the lush mid-tempo bridge. Until The Earth Begins To Part is an ambitious undertaking for a debut, and for the most parts, it is a resounding success. For fans of: Arcade Fire, Beirut, The Levellers. ~Kevin Bull

In stark contrast to the electronic density of her last album, Sarah Blasko’s new release is a very different affair. Stripped back to sparse acoustics, it’s a far more intimate vessel, perfectly suited to contain her breathless vocals and wounded melodies.

Audacious drum and bass lines give a sultry edge to songs like ‘Bird On A Wire’ and ‘No Turning Back’, while ‘Is My Baby Yours?’ is infused with a lyrical restlessness by the ebb and flow of acoustic guitars. The final track, ‘Night & Day’, employs the upper register of the piano to spine-tingling effect.

All these beautiful colours drift in echoing space, and the result is easily Blasko’s most mature work to date. For fans of: Fiona Apple, Joan As Police Woman, Feist. ~Hugh Milligan

CLOSURE IN MOSCOW First Temple Equal Vision Records/ Taperjean Music 4/5

First Temple is the debut studio album by Australian alternative rock band Closure In Moscow. A very noticeable aspect of the five-piece is their frequent use of unusual time signatures, complex melodies and technical song structures. The guitars on First Temple are amazing. Songs like ‘Reindeer Age’ and ‘Had To Put It In The Soil’ have the guitarists working in overdrive with rhythms that are more like frantic solos. At times the vocals are very high pitched, and while it suits the music after some time it can become secondary to the other instruments. First Temple is a great listen. If you like riffs that invite you to concentrate and progressive songs that lead you into unexpected territory then give it a listen. For fans of: Minus the Bear, Chiodos. ~Dean Joy

dAPPLED cITIES Zounds Speak n Spell 4.5/5

For their third album, Dappled Cities [formerly Dappled Cities Fly] wanted to sound more ambitious, and more intense. This clear vision is what makes Zounds such a magnificent musical work. It’s vast and deep, always sounding more cinematic than it does experimental. The Sydney five-piece’s palatte is very broad — there’s the droning, Evangelis-esque keyboards of ‘Answer Is Zero’ that buzz in waves before being splintered by chiming 70s organ. There’s the swirling string parts and bounding groove of ‘The Price’. Add to this the dual vocals of singers Tim Derricourt and Dave Rennick, which remain as crucial elements of Dappled Cities’ sound, and you have a dark, immersive sonic experience. Their lofty, sweet harmonies would sound like a blatant replica of modern indie-pop, if you weren’t already safe in the knowledge that Dappled Cities have been developing this timeless quality for ten years. ‘Wooden Ships’ is haunting and achingly beautiful — a tranquil moment before the record flows into more psychedelic, orchestral territory. Grab a big pair of headphones and let some Zounds pour into you. ~Nick Milligan

Listening to this album from start to finish is a slightly surreal experience. The fourth release by Australian experimental, electronic rock outfit Decoder Ring, it can best be described as a sonic journey — each track seems a natural progression of the last, and all of them teased out into vast resonant chambers of saturated musical colour. The minimalist aspects, including ten minute explorations of simple chord progressions, won’t appeal to everybody, but this is undoubtedly an intelligent album that summons incredible warmth of sound.

It’s entirely instrumental throughout, so the origin of such titles as ‘Charlotte Rampling’ and ‘Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom’ [a quotation commonly associated with Mao Zedong] are mystifying to say the least.

For fans of: Animal Collective, Garbage. ~Hugh Milligan

Florence and the Machine Lungs Universal 4/5

It’s a good day when a jaded old rocker can’t help but sit up and take notice of a smashing debut album such as this. Structurally, each song is a reasonably simple affair — verse, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus type stuff — but there’s a stack of pleasant surprises on this release.

Florence seems completely at ease writing for and combining both analogue and digital sources. The musical foundations are built around interplay between piano, drums and synth, but there’s innovative use of voice, harp, cello, and even a Hammond organ. For most of the album, the drummer sits over the toms and floor drum, whacking out a massive ‘thonka, thonka’ and, happily, eschewing the traditional ‘bomp, tish’ rock beat — close your eyes and turn it up loud and suddenly you’re standing waist-deep in chocolate mahogany drum sounds.

‘Drumming Song’ was the album standout. It aimed a little higher than the rest featuring a more ambitious orchestration and greater dynamics. ‘Girl With One Eye’ features a glitteringly sexy slide guitar [let’s face it, there’s nothing cooler than slide guitar]. The song heaves along a scaley, seductive blues backbone — a treat for anyone who appreciates the Mojo Juju approach. ‘Kiss It With A Fist’ is like a Lily Allen single minus the lip gloss and pretend pout — it’s funny and sardonic in a way Allen would never dare.

Given that Lungs was recorded in several different studios by different engineers with an array of different musicians, the production is nothing short of astonishing.

Tight musical performances with consistent mixing lend a polished, professional sound that has none of the enhanced demo-like qualities we generally hear on a debut release — Lungs sounds far more like a second or third album.

Given that Lungs went gold in just four days, I’d say it’s no accident, and that Florence deserves all the accolades she gets. For fans of: Tori Amos, Fleetwood Mac, PJ Harvey, Mojo Juju. ~Michael O’Keefe

Person To Person is Foreign Born’s second long player, and the promise that was displayed on their On The Wing debut is firmly established. Timeless pop anthems without the fist pumping mediocrity, Person To Person runs along at a joyous pace, embellishing 80’s pop rock with washes of New Wave — it’s clever and engaging. The shrill guitar intro and dense percussive tones of the opener ‘Blood Oranges’ sets the tone for what is to follow — cathartic moments underpinned by well structured arrangements. ‘That Old Sun’ has a bouncing looseness that has you enthralled and singing on first listen, and the descending guitar lines of ‘Early Warning’ invites you into a song whose subject matter may not be so positive.

Well worth a listen if indie pop rock is your thing. For fans of: Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, The Walkmen ~Kevin Bull

HILLTOP HOODS State of The Art Obese Records 4.5/5

From the first song to the last, The Hilltop Hoods’ latest effort truly is a masterpiece. In this, their fifth studio album, also the first to be released by their own label, the boys have stepped it up a little and have made a much more hard-hitting album. But all the jazzy, laidback beats that make-up The Hilltop Hoods trademark are still there — and sounding better than ever.

This is also the most well rounded album from the lads from Adelaide. The first couple of tracks are party songs, as are a few others on the record, but ‘Still Standing’, ‘Last Confession’ and ‘Fifty In Five’ are genuine works of art — if they were pictures you would frame them and hang them on your wall! State Of The Art reaches a new level for a group that was already perceived to be at their best. If you’re a Hoods fan, buy this album and you will not be disappointed. If you’re not a Hoods fan, buy this album and you will not be disappointed. For fans of: Bliss n Eso, Muph and Plutonic, and other Australian hip-hop. ~David Long

MAYLENE & The Sons of Disaster III Stomp/Ferret 4/5

The twilight swamp sounds of chirping crickets and Deliveranceesque banjo sets an eerie, unsettling scene for III. Then Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster sneak up and club you to death with a series of thundering guitar chords. This is the murky musical landscape that these Southern hardrockers lurk. With vicious, growling vocals and rapid-fire arrangements, this Alabama fivepiece certainly deliver a brutal onslaught. But despite their best attempts to pummel the listener’s ear drums, wonderfully melodic moments constantly emerge from the gritty clouds of dust. Banjo and slide guitar reappear by track five, ‘Step Up [I’m On It]’, maintaining the group’s refreshing take on modern metal.

A non-preachy, rock ethos seems to be MATSOD’s main focus, which is a surprise when you learn that the band is devoutly Christian. Bridging the gap between old school

hard-rock, pop rock and blistering metal, III might just be your new guilty pleasure. For fans of: Guns N’ Roses, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Parkway Drive, Bon Jovi. ~Noah Cross

PLACEBO

MOndo generator

This epic sixth studio album from the British-based purveyors of gothinspired rock, is a towering achievement.

In many ways, it’s the exact sound that we’ve come to expect from singer Brian Molko and bassist/guitarist Stefan Olsdal. But the addition of new drummer Steve Forrest [ex-Evaline] has brought a freshness to Placebo’s tight, brutal arrangements.

The slow, dreamy vocals in the scintillating title track, float over relentless, pulsing drums beats. There’s also a wonderful depth of sound, with most songs containing weightless piano and keyboard samples that hang somewhere in the distance. ‘Devil In The Details’ soars with wide-eyed abandon, immediately landing amongst the best songs in Placebo’s impressive catalogue.

Lyrically, Molko is as visceral and direct as always, with each word seemingly pouring from an open wound.

But there’s an uplifting beauty in his observations and admissions that make this album feel radiant and joyous. This is best expressed in ‘Bright Lights’ [“A heart that hurts, is a heart that works”].

It proves that even when you remove the doom and gloom, Placebo remain one of the world’s most unique rock bands. For fans of: Manchester Orchestra, Silversun Pickups, Smashing Pumpkins ~Nick Milligan.

Cocaine Rodeo Impedance 2/5

It’s not quite thrash. It’s more than punk. It’s got none of the vainglorious guitar-work of metal.

Oh my lordy... it’s Nick Oliveri and the Mondo Generator... again.

This is a re-release of Mondo Generator’s 2000 debut album and includes a 12-track bonus disc of live material.

Formed in 1997 by Oliveri and fellow Queens of the Age [even as far back as Kyuss] band member, Josh Homme, they hit the recording studio in the same year, though the original release of Cocaine Rodeo took three years due to Oliveri and Homme’s fulll-time commitment to Queens of the Stone Age. As far as the album goes, I’ve found it hard to find a place for. All kudos to the musicians for the genre-defying nature of the album — but I can’t help but remember the old aphorism about ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’.

Their very raw and immediate-sounding edge tells me that Mondo are probably better live than not. Don’t get me wrong, the furious skank-pit thrust of post-thrash power is infectious, but it left me feeling unsatisfied... kind of like a big meal that doesn’t fill you up.

Sonically, it’s slightly toppy lacking in bottom end — it’s amazing how ‘fat’ an album can get now compared to 12 years ago. Running the bass guitar through a distortion pedal, as Oliveri frequently does, would suck a lot of rumble out of the bottom end. Curiously, the guitar distortion pedals are backed off to about two-thirds — maybe it’s so front-man Oliveri’s distorted bass can be heard. There’s liberal usage of the ‘megaphone voice’ treatment.

The bonus disc has a couple of great tracks, including a 13min rendition of ‘Simple Exploding Man’. Fans might buy this release for the extra disc, but if you’re new to Mondo Generator, I’d say to hold off and buy one of their later albums. For fans of: Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Motorhead, Danzig. ~Michael O’Keefe

MY LATEST NOVEL Deaths and Entrances Bella Union 3/5

The second full-length release from Scottish indie rockers My Latest Novel is, in a word, epic. Opening track “All in All in All is All” is indicative of what Deaths and Entrances has to offer — complex interweaving vocal parts and tremolo-picked guitar circle around a haunting violin progression as the instruments gradually grow louder and louder, finally coalescing in an uplifting, vocal harmony climax. The strongest suit on Deaths and Entrances are the vocals — band leader Chris Deveney, who sounds like an amalgamation of Interpol’s Paul Banks and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, sings in a tempered baritone, while multi-instrumentalist Laura McFarlane delivers vibrant backing vocals, acting as a wonderful counterpoint to Deveney’s somewhat restrained delivery.

While Deaths and Entrances is an aboveaverage sophomore effort, the album feels like a lesson in overkill — it seems as though My

Battle For the Sun Shock 4.5/5

Latest Novel were determined to cram as many epic ballads onto the album as they could, leaving the listener with no room to contemplate or appreciate what they have heard. ~Scott Gilbert

POWERAGE Get Ready Independent 5/5

As singer and lead guitarist Zac Crawford screams “Are you ready to rock?”, you know a portal to 80s glam is about to be blown wide open. If you didn’t know that the average age of Powerage is 15.5 years, the tone of 14 year-old Crawford’s voice will slightly give it away. But make no mistake, these four lads have the musical chops to effectively create a giant ‘cock-rock’ sound.

The vocals are perfectly suited to Powerage’s chosen style — Crawford’s range is up there with Axl Rose, and it can only get better with age and practice. This debut EP isn’t trying to break boundaries or moulds. It’s simply four talented musicians paying homage to the group’s that inspired them. Once their musical tastes broaden beyond Guns N’ Roses, Wolfmother, Motley Crue, Def Leppard and KISS, it could lead to a more inventive, original sound. Keep your ears open for them in the future. For fans of: 80s hair metal, hard rock. ~Noah Cross

REGINA SPEKTOR Far Sire Records/Warner

4/5 Regina Spektor’s previous albums have been every bit as quirky, eclectic and indefinable as she is, and this, her fifth, is no exception. Far is equal parts piano-driven pop and folk ballad, with a million other bizarre and wondrous influences thrown in for good measure. The slightly diabolical ‘Machine’, for example, includes a bridge that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Baroque cantata.

Regina’s melodies and lyrics are eccentric, absurd and comical, but her observations of small scenarios and characters just as often lead to moments of brilliant poignancy; ‘Wallet’, for instance, hides beneath its quotidian exterior a lonely, bittersweet and deeply human narrative. Don’t attempt to pigeonhole this album — just listen to it. For Fans Of: St Vincent, Kate MillerHeidke ~Hugh Milligan

JOHN VANDERSLICE Romanian Names Dead Oceans 3.5/5

Having lent his studio to the likes of Death Cab for Cutie and Spoon, and produced albums for indie darlings The Mountain Goats, it would seem that John Vanderslice knows what makes a good album. With Romanian Names, the American indie rocker builds upon his alternative-folk leanings, incorporating his skills as a producer into his latest release. The album is impeccably recorded, with every note and sound in its place for a reason — synths buzz, the drums are crisp, and on tracks such as ‘Fetal Horses’, keening violins and tinkling piano fill in the spaces around the ever-present acoustic guitar. However, the beautifully sparse ‘Forest Knoll’ — with only its muted piano chords, simple beat, and Vanderslice’s voice for the duration of the song — shows that Romanian Names would work best as a stripped down piece, the studio gloss and sheen applied to the album ultimately detracting from the folk-inspired, organic atmosphere it seeks to create. ~Scott Gilbert

Yves Klein Blue Ragged and Ecstatic Dew Process 4/5

The debut album from Brisbane Indie-Rockers Yves Klein Blue has surpassed the anticipation of many and has cemented their position among Australia’s top upcoming bands. ‘Make Up Your Mind’ initiates the album with a noble keyboard riff, joined by the pulsing drums and distorted guitar line similar to that of the keyboard, drawing the audience in and enforcing an atmosphere that should be commended. Standout tracks such as ‘Getting Wise’ and ‘Soldier’ show off this band’s ability to create catchy yet impressive tracks and truly highlight Michael Tomlinson’s unique style of vocals and obscure lyrics.

Ragged and Ecstatic is quite a remarkable album. It dabbles in many different musical genres, from get-off-your-arse-and-dancerock to mellow, yet powerful acoustic tracks.

Yves Klein Blue takes us on an adventure through their musical genius and I predict a long and successful career for these talented musicians. ~Josh Clements

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LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Mr Phil Anthropic + Melody Pool + The Havelocks VIEW FACTORY Jay Howie

CENTRAL COAST

5 Aug 8 Aug 9 Aug 11 Aug 12 Aug 17 Aug 19 Aug 20 Aug

21 Aug

L&L Jack Jones Galapagos Duck Erina High Showcase Playjerise Kincumber High Showcase L&L Slava & Leonard Grigoryan

Thursday August 13 CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Dukes of Windsor + Trial Kennedy + Midnight Youth CESSNOCK SUPPORTERS CLUB Kevin Bloody Wilson GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND Holly Throsby and the Hello Tigers LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Jon Stevens + Steve Balbi QUEENS WHARF BREWERY Broadway Mile WOODPORT INN, ERINA Bluejuice

The Nielsen Gough Quartet

Saturday August 1 23 Aug 27 Aug 28 Aug

28 Aug

Troy Cassar-Daley Bushwackers The Badloves

James Morrison

30 Aug 2 Sep 3 Sep 4 Sep 5 Sep

Sophie Serafino L&L Glenn Cardier Jenny Marie Lang Band The Backsliders

6 Sep 9 Sep

Melinda Schneider L&L

12 Sep 16 Sep 18 Sep

19 Sep 24 Sep 25 Sep 26 Sep

Ash Grunwald Paul Dempsey (Something For Kate) Glenn Shorrock

Christine Anu Rock Quiz Night Doug Williams Elton Jack

For bookings and information, phone (02) 4368 2017 or visit lizottes.com.au

CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Head Of State album launch CHILLI LOUNGE, WYONG Nathan Kaye + Krave CIVIC THEATRE Traces CLUBHOUSE, MAITLAND Grafton Primary HAMILTON STATION HOTEL Bug Girl + The Clap LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Becky Cole LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Adam Harvey PULSE NIGHTCLUB, GOSFORD Broadway Mile + Phobiac THE LOFT The Hollow + Earthlings + Phantoms + Silverback + The Rains VIEW FACTORY The Karma Cops + The Havelocks + Wandering Bear YOUTH ARTS WAREHOUSE, GOSFORD The Metrodome w/ Cassie Davis + Krispy + Northie + When The World + Ant + Kill Composure

Sunday August 2 CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Downsyde DOYALSON RSL Lianna Rose GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND Chase The Sun HAMILTON STATION HOTEL The Coconut Trio + Jen Buxton KAHIBAH BOWLING CLUB Open Mic LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Becky Cole LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Fourplay PRINCE OF WALES Matt Saxon + Amez + D-Steady + Fooey WICKHAM PARK HOTEL Dave Venaglia and Van Demon’s Band

Tuesday August 4 BAR ON THE HILL, NEWCASTLE UNI Enemy Of Avenge + Hansel + The Shades HEXHAM BOWLING CLUB Kevin Bloody Wilson

Wednesday August 5 CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Shaded Glass + Neon Dawn + Cota CARDIFF WORKERS CLUB Kevin Bloody Wilson DELANY HOTEL Jaywalker

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REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

HAMILTON STATION HOTEL Crashing Planes + Local Resident Failure + Red Tape Enthusiast HUNTER VALLEY BREWERY Broadway Mile + Memorial Drive + Raise The Alarm + Stolen Memories LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Jethro + Lizzy Green + Jesse Belle + Genevieve Little LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Beth Robertson + Mitchell Shadlow + Rhys Zacher + Welikewegs

Thursday August 6 CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Bertie Blackman + Hungry Kids of Hungury LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Richard Clapton + Dexter Moore LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Guitar Wizards w/ Dia Pritchard + Luke Koteras + John Brownrigg + Peter Toohey + Dexter Moore NEWCASTLE PANTHERS Kevin Bloody Wilson WICKHAM PARK HOTEL Daniel March + Low Flying Hippes WOODPORT INN, ERINA Rogerthat

BUGGIRL

Friday August 7 BLUSH NIGHT CLUB, GOSFORD The Inheritors + Token View + The Kinx + Vetna CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Kindred + Deathmaask + Soultremor + Requiem Of The Dead CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Nick and Liesl + McArtney + Zoe K CHILLI LOUNGE, WYONG Dreadnaught + Black Asylum + Pergamum DOYALSON RSL The Potbelleez ENTRANCE LEAGUE CLUB Something With Numbers + The Galvatrons + Slow Down Honey GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND Zombonimo + Buggirl HUNTER VALLEY BREWERY The Herd + Koolism LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Richard Clapton + Dexter Moore LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Galapagus Duck

THE LOFT Zero Logic + Control Disorder + There Goes The City + The Pedantics + Sight For Blinded Eyes WICKHAM PARK HOTEL Kamikazi Cowboys WOODPORT INN, ERINA Nino Brown + Emilly Scott + Timmy Trumpet

Saturday August 8 BLUSH NIGHT CLUB, GOSFORD Lunarsteps + Opei + North of the Border CAMBRIDGE HOTEL MM9 + The Evening Sons CBD HOTEL Dan Cares + Ned Kelly + Menna + Loods + Tap Tap + Chooos CHILLI LOUNGE, WYONG Fasttrack + A Nighttime Skyway + Short Notice + Stray Bullets CLUBHOUSE, MAITLAND Behind Crimson Eyes + Cola Wars + Memorial Drive DOYALSON RSL Dave Evans and the Badasses ENTRANCE LEAGUE CLUB Something With Numbers + The Galvatrons + Slow Down Honey LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Jack Jones LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Richard Clapton THE GEORGE TAVERN, EAST MAITLAND Broadway Mile

Sunday August 9 GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND Skipping Girl Vinegar + The Moscows HAMILTON STATION HOTEL Nicko + Jen Buxton LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Galapagos Duck LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Mark Seymour + Mark Wilkinson PRINCE OF WALES Matt Saxon + Amez + D-Steady + Fooey THE LOFT Falling For Belovered + For Today + The Storm, Picturesque + Saving Grace

Wednesday August 12 CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Candy and the Full Moons DAVISTOWN RSL Kevin Bloody Wilson HAMILTON STATION HOTEL Skinpin + Karma Cops + The Clap LASS O’GOWRIE HOTEL Liquid Legs + Rosie & The Thorns + Fishkicker LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Playjerise

AUGUST BURNS RED

Friday August 14 BLUSH NIGHT CLUB, GOSFORD Nathan Kaye + Gilbert Whyte + Spinelli + Fiona Magee CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Dirty Pink Jeans + Nickson Wing + Graham Seaton CHILLI LOUNGE, WYONG The Remnants + Storm + The Ideal Height DOYALSON RSL Kevin Bloody Wilson GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND The Kickouts + The Tunstalls LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Jon Stevens + Steve Balbi LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Mark Wells NEWCASTLE PANTHERS Parkway Drive + August Burns Red + Architects WICKHAM PARK HOTEL Dave Venaglia and Van Demon’s Band WOODPORT INN, ERINA Bang Gang DJs

CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Safe hands HAMILTON STATION HOTEL Zero Logic + Adventures with Alice LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Matt Joe Gow and the Deadleaves + Nick Saxon + Hipsister LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON James Chatty + Swoon + Gilbert Whyte WICKHAM PARK HOTEL Saritah WOODPORT INN, ERINA Timmy Trumpet

Thursday August 20 BLUSH NIGHT CLUB, GOSFORD Mark My Words + Grace Is Gone CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Dappled Cities + Philadelphia Grand Jury CHILLI LOUNGE, WYONG Tumors + One Day At Horrorland + The Lytic Cycle + Spread The Ashes GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND Nick and Liesl LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Slava & Leonard Grigorian LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Jack Jones QUEENS WHARF BREWERY Sarakula

BLUSH NIGHT CLUB, GOSFORD FireRoom + Solver + Waltz n Black CAMBRIDGE HOTEL The Storm Picturesque + Hard Man + Crowning Swarm + Violence + Rosevelt CESSNOCK SUPPORTERS CLUB Troy Casser-Daley CHILLI LOUNGE, WYONG Phobiac + Shouts The Motorcade + Wandering Bear GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND Zoe K and the Money Shot Band HAMILTON STATION HOTEL Mark My Words + Crosscheck LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Doug Parkinson NEWCASTLE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE Alice Cooper WOODPORT INN, ERINA Nick Skitz

Saturday August 22

CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Bluejuice BLACK BOX THEATRE Brackets and Jam w/ Adam Miller + Jamo Jamo + Girl Most Likely + Like Alaska BLUSH NIGHT CLUB, GOSFORD He Died Valient + Embassy + The Cans GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND X + Six Ft Hick LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Graeme Connors LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Jon Stevens + Benjalu NORTHERN STAR HOTEL The Paper Scissors + Ernest Ellis

BELMONT 16FT SAILING CLUB Troy Casser-Daley BLUSH NIGHT CLUB, GOSFORD October Rage + Omnishow + Short Notice CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Dojo Cuts CHILLI LOUNGE, WYONG Sarakula + Fiona Magee + The Havelocks GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND Downhills Home + Sketching Cato LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Doug Parkinson

GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND Austin Busch and the Good Reasons HAMILTON STATION HOTEL The Coconut Trio + Jen Buxton LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Jon Stevens + Benjalu PRINCE OF WALES Matt Saxon + Amez + D-Steady + Fooey

Wednesday August 19 BAR ON THE HILL, NEWCASTLE UNI Sarakula

Thursday August 27 GEE WIZZ @ BLUSH NIGHT CLUB The Dirty Secrets + Zeahorse HAMILTON STATION HOTEL Roger That LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Bushwackers WYONG LEAGUES Hale and Pace

Sunday August 23 GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND Billy TK Jnr HAMILTON STATION HOTEL Like ...Alaska + Michael Ferfoglia LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Troy Cassar-Daley LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Dragon PRINCE OF WALES Matt Saxon + Amez + D-Steady + Fooey

Wednesday August 26 HAMILTON STATION HOTEL Nobody Knew They Were Robots + Tumors + Osmium Grid

NEWCASTLE

1 Aug 2 Aug 7 Aug 9 Aug

Adam Harvey FourPlay Galapagos Duck Mark Seymour

14 Aug 19 Aug

Mark Wells L&L

20 Aug Jack Jones

21 Aug 22 Aug

Friday August 21

Saturday August 15

Sunday August 16

LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Nick and Liesl + Daxton + Cass Eager + Daniel Lee Kendall LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Kings Fool + Racz and Waters + The Lounge Lizards NEWCASTLE PANTHERS Hale and Pace

BADLOVES

Friday August 28 CAMBRIDGE HOTEL The Last Kinection + Impossible Odds + Prem Bedlam + Tycotic + Mr Morgs CHILLI LOUNGE, WYONG Uncorrected GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND Afro Moses HAMILTON STATION HOTEL Violent Soho LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER The Badloves LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON Bushwakers NORTHERN STAR HOTEL The Blues Preachers THE LOFT Control Disorder + Squid Lips + From The World + North Of The Border + Hit The Deck WOODPORT INN, ERINA Ministry Of Sound w/ Beni

Saturday August 29 BLUSH NIGHT CLUB, GOSFORD Shouts The Motorcade + The Ideal Height + The Subtitles CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Art Vs Science + Hercules in NY + Tom Ugly CHILLI LOUNGE, WYONG Duck Puppy + The Wesley Snipers + Tokyo Spares GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND Thundasteel + Order of the Dragon LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER James Morrison LIZOTTE’S, LAMBTON The Badloves

Sunday August 30 GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL, MAITLAND Indiana Phoenix HAMILTON STATION HOTEL The Coconut Trio + Jen Buxton LIZOTTE’S, KINCUMBER Sophie Serafino PRINCE OF WALES Matt Saxon + Amez + D-Steady + Fooey WOODPORT INN, ERINA Mammal + The Evening Son

27 Aug 28 Aug

Doug Parkinson Jenifer Green sings Strictly Bassey Rock Quiz trivia Bushwackers

29 Aug The Badloves 23 Aug Dragon 28 Aug Jazz And Chilli Crab 29 Aug The Badloves 3 Sep Lulo Reinhardt 4 Sep Stephen Cummings 5 Sep Melinda Schnieder 9 Sep Amy Vee

11 Sep 12 Sep 17 Sep 18 Sep

25 Sep

Renee Geyer The Brewster Brothers Glenn Shorrock Floyd Vincent and the Child Brides Beccy Cole The Blues Preachers Liam Finn Eliza Jane Barnes Tex Perkins

26 Sep

Doug Williams

19 Sep 20 Sep 24 Sep

For bookings and information, phone (02) 4956 2066 or visit lizottes.com.au

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

25

ALICE COOPER

One of the most iconic rock singers of all-time, Alice Cooper, is returning to Australia with another twisted live show. Be very afraid. Nick Milligan spoke to the influential and innovative legend about Obama, Zappa, Satan, and Wayne’s World.

Have you enjoyed coming to Australia over the years?

Whenever the band looks at our touring itinerary, they’ll say, “Oh, we’re going to Australia!” Everybody wants to visit Australia.

I don’t know if you guys know this, but it’s probably the most popular destination for any band. Nobody ever comes back saying, “We had a terrible time in Australia.” You guys have great audiences. It’s just a lot of fun.

When your band started its recording career in the late 60s, was Australia very quick to respond to your music?

Yes, they were. I think any English speaking country is going to get it [sooner]. People in China respond to the Alice Cooper show — they’ll get ‘the hanging’ and all that stuff — because it’s pretty broad. But audiences that speak English will get more of the subtle comedy in the show, and maybe more of the irony. We have to write the show on two or three different levels. Australia loves the idea of Alice Cooper — not just saying “Welcome To My Nightmare”, but giving the audience the nightmare.

If we have an eight hour rehearsal, six hours is on the music. You have to be able to bake the cake before you can put the icing on it. We believe that if you’re going to do all these theatrics, you have to be able to deliver the music. I surround myself with the best players in the business.

Throughout your career, many people have tried to have you banned. Did those attempts only cause you to push the boundaries further?

When we first got banned in England, our record went right to number one and we sold every concert ticket. We were trying to get banned back then. Any time you tell someone they can’t see something, they’ve gotta go see it. Then when people saw the show, they went, “What is the big controversy about?”

Nothing in the show was bannable. I don’t even swear! You go to other shows and hear the ‘F-bomb’ about a hundred times. Alice never even swears — he’s too much of a gentleman villain for that. My show is a vaudeville, horror, comedy musical. But if you closed your eyes, you’d be sitting there thinking, “Wow, what a good band!”

aLL HaiL KiNG CooPER

26

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

It was your third studio album, Love It To Death, that was a true commercial success — some people consider your first two records to be a false start. What was it about that third record that worked?

Well, we found our George Martin. I think every band needs to find that producer that understands who they are and what they’re

“AUSTRALIA LOVES THE IDEA OF ALICE COOPER – NOT JUST SAYING “WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE”, BUT GIVING THE AUDIENCE THE NIGHTMARE.”

doing. Our first album was produced by Frank Zappa and he saw it for what it was. It was psychedelia with a certain sense of humour.

He couldn’t figure it out, so he loved it. The second album was just left over songs. Then we all of a sudden we met Bob Ezrin. Bob said, “We’re not going to do any more recording or performing for six or seven months.” We went to a barn in Detroit, where we lived, and for eight to ten hours a day we did nothing but write the new album. We re-learned how to play our instruments, re-learned how to sing and re-learned how to write. That’s when Love It To Death came out and that was the first real Alice Cooper album. That was the definitive one. People could listen to it and go, “Oh, that’s Alice Cooper.” Before that we could have been anyone. [Bob] gave us a voice.

He defined who we were.

Tell us about the mix up that occurred when your initial audition for Frank Zappa was organised.

They told us to ‘be there at seven’. So we arrived for the audition at seven in the morning. We set up in his basement and started playing the show. Frank comes down the stairs into the studio — he’s got a coffee and a cigarette, and he’s wearing his [dressing] gown. He says, “What are you doing?” We say that we’d been told to arrive ‘at seven’. He says, “I meant seven at night!” He listened to two or three songs and said, “I don’t get it.” I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “Well, you’ve got four songs that are one minute and twenty seconds long, and they’ve got 38 changes in them. I don’t understand it.” I said, “Well, it’s a compliment if you don’t get it!” But Frank liked the fact that [our music] was so bizarre that he couldn’t understand it, so he signed us.

What kind of influence did Frank have on you at that time?

Well, Frank was like my big brother. I honestly shared the same sense of humour as he did. I felt like his younger brother, so I would hang around like a fly on the wall and watch how things were done. It was really interesting to watch the inner workings of a band and how Frank wrote everything. He would only work with the best players in the world. When you listen to a Frank Zappa piece, you think his band are just jamming and making noises. But every single noise is written — it’s sheet music.

If you miss one, he’ll look at you like, ‘How did you miss that little squeak over there?’ It was like working with Leonard Bernstein — you were learning all the time.

Over the years people have banned your live show and claimed that you glorify Satanic practices. But you are, in fact, a devout Christian.

The funny thing is, there’s never been anything satanic in our show. Ever, ever, ever.

Because I was the prodigal son. I grew up in a Christian home. If you listen to songs like ‘Second Coming’, they were never ‘pro-Satan’.

They were always anti-Satan. When I became a Christian again, about 20 years ago, I kept writing those songs. If there’s going to be a war between God and Satan, Satan’s not going to win it. He’s a poor second. He’s an adversary and he affects all of us, but in my show he’s not going to win. That’s why I get hung and have my head cut off every night.

I can be a Christian and still play the villain, as long as the point gets across.

One of my earliest memories of you is your wonderful cameo in Wayne’s World. Did that film expose your music to a new generation?

At the time, [the producers] looked around and they needed somebody that was iconic.

They needed somebody that everybody knew these two guys from Indiana would just be in awe of. Michael [Myers] knew that I was a singer, but also an actor. He said, “Well, Alice is perfect for this.” When I arrived there he hands me about eight pages of dialogue. I didn’t know it was going to be eight pages of dialogue! I said, ‘When are we shooting this, Mike?’ and he said, ‘In about half an hour.’ So most of the stuff that I’m saying in that movie was improvised. I couldn’t remember all the dialogue, so I just started riffing on it. I think every take we did was different.

The odd thing about working with Mike and also Dana Carvey [who plays Garth], is that you never ever meet Michael Myers or Dana Carvey! You meet all of their characters.

They’ve each got a hundred characters that you have to get through. I think after the fourth time I met Michael, I actually met Michael. It’s this wonderful wall that you have to get through to get to the real person.

During America’s war on Iraq, you publicly stated that you were a supporter of George W. Bush Jr. What has been your impression of Barack Obama’s current reign?

I think Obama is the best thing that could happen, only because America does need an image change. When I supported George Bush I said this, “When you’re in a shooting war,

you need a pitbull as a President, not a poodle.” You need a guy that’s not afraid to go in. But once that war is won, you need someone like Obama to come in and be diplomatic.

At the time I supported Bush, we’d just had 9/11 — everybody was pissed off! Everybody in America wanted to go over there and kick Bin Laden’s butt. But then the war went on and on and on, and everybody was going, “Ok, enough. We got him. We don’t care about this guy in Iraq any more. Let’s find Bin Laden.”

When Obama came along, I think everyone felt it was time for a change. I actually think Obama is doing a great job right now.

Your early work encapsulated the rebellious spirit of youth in the 60s and 70s. At what point do you feel your lyrical focus became more adult?

It got to a point where I said, “I can’t write emo themes.” If you needed me to write a song for My Chemical Romance about being a teenager and an outcast, I could write that.

But I really can’t represent that generation, because I’m not of that generation. I could write it for you, but it wouldn’t be like ‘School’s Out’ and ‘I’m Eighteen’. They came from me actually being that age. I don’t try to represent [modern youth].

“KIDS CAN WATCH CNN AND SEE A GUY GETTING HIS HEAD CUT OFF. HOW DOES MY GUILLOTINE COMPARE TO THAT?” That’s what’s entertaining to me. I honestly don’t think that movies or music should try to change the world. I think they should be entertainment and that’s really it. I never go to a movie and walk out going, “Oh boy, has my world changed now.” I want to see the shark eat the helicopter. I go to the movies to get my popcorn and see something stupid and spectacular. I never go to a movie where I’m going to think, “Oh, what a philosophical point that was.”

Your desire for entertainment certainly comes across in your live shows.

I treat my show as vaudeville. Anybody in the world can go to see an Alice Cooper show and have fun at it. But you’re not going to get any politics out of it. That’s not what I do. I try to take you away for an hour and forty-five minutes to a different place, just like Harry Potter does.

Is your intent still to shock?

Marilyn Manson and I have both talked about this. We’ve sat there and said, “How do you shock an audience?” Kids can watch CNN and see a guy getting his head cut off. How does

my guillotine compare to that? In the 70s, the world was ripe for shock. But now, it’s impossible to shock an audience.

What are your plans for after your upcoming Australian tour?

The tour goes on until December — we manage to do at least one hundred cities a year. I enjoy that. I feel more at home on stage than I do anywhere else. I get up on stage and feel like this is where I belong.

Has the experience of touring changed much over the years?

It’s much easier now. Touring used to be extremely inconvenient. Hotels were awful.

Travel was awful. Now you can get on a tour bus and you have 500 satellite stations — all the comforts of a hotel room. It used to be three people to a room and you were travelling in a station wagon! So this is luxury.

Well Alice, we look forward to seeing you in Newcastle!

Thank you very much. If anybody thinks they’ve got my show worked out, then they’ll be in for a big surprise…

Alice Cooper performs at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on August 21, 2009.

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

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MIDNIGHT YOUTH

DAPPLED CITIES

Department Of Youth With just 2,000 kilometres between Australia and New Zealand, why does music not travel more freely? Midnight Youth have been all over the NZ charts of late, yet Australia’s first taste of the band was at the recent Come Together festival. From a sunny Auckland, vocalist Jeremy Redmore spoke with Kevin Bull to explain why.

Since forming in 2006, Midnight Youth have been building their presence in the Shaky Isles through the singles ‘The Letter’ and ‘All On Our Own’, culminating with their debut, The Brave Don’t Run. The record entered the NZ album charts at #2. There have also been high profile support slots with INXS and Incubus, yet Australia has been none the wiser. “I suppose it’s an industry thing,” reasons the band’s singer, Jeremy Redmore. “The bands are all really keen (to come to Australia), yet there doesn’t seem to be many reciprocal tours going on, so it is great for us to be able to come over and play with two really good up-and-coming bands.”

Midnight Youth will be touring Australia throughout August with Dukes of Windor and Trial Kennedy, in support of The Brave Don’t Run, an album that was recorded over a year ago in New York. “It was pretty much the time of our lives. We went over there and slept on air mattresses, in one room, but you would

wake up and you were in New York. We didn’t pay any more than we would have paid if we were driving into Auckland City and doing it there.” The thrill of the experience is obvious, as Redmore talks about recording ideas that the band had been working on for years. “You can hear the excitement in the band on the album, and I did a lot of the lyrics around New York. I would go into Central Park and sit down and be inspired by where I was.”

In early 2009, Midnight Youth returned to the United States for South By South West [SXSW], an event where much planning needs to be done prior to getting on a plane. “You’ve got five days, 2,000 bands, non-stop music and alcohol. People have their schedules and they are jumping from one bar to another throughout the day. You have to try and get into people’s radar before you get over there.

We played at the New Zealand BBQ with Ladyhawke and Cut Off Your Hands, and that went off. We had 3,000 RSVP for a 300 person

venue. Then we played another gig on a rooftop with a band playing below us at the same time, and a band playing across the street on another rooftop. It’s insane,” says Redmore.

With a couple of trips to the US already under their belt, the tables were turned on Midnight Youth when one of the industry’s heavyweights paid the band a visit. Seymour Stein, President of Sire Records and Vice President of Warner Records, diverted a planned trip to Australia specifically to hear the band play. “It was him, our manager, and two guys from Warners NZ, and we played a set for four people. It went really well. After a couple of songs I talked about how I wrote some of the lyrics in Brooklyn, and he said, ‘I grew up there, where abouts?’ This from a

man who is known to fall asleep during showcases,” explains the singer.

With the band’s tour beginning early August, Redmore is unfazed by the idea of unsuspecting Australian audiences. “We’re going to be approaching it with the same attitude that we have had here in NZ. We’re there to make an impact. We take pride in our live shows… all three bands do, actually. It’s going to be a really cool night wherever it is.”

The Trilogy Tour w/ Dukes of Windsor, Trial Kennedy and Midnight Youth, with be at the Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay, Sunday August 9, the Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour, Wednesday 12, and the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, Thursday 13.

88 CHURCH STREET MAITLAND, 02) 4933 5242 www.myspace.com/junkyardmaitland

ZOUNDS OF THE FUTURE If it seems like Dappled Cities, Sydney’s golden boys of indie-charm, have been a little quiet for the past 12 months, then there’s very good reason. The five-piece band, known for their lush, buoyant arrangements and dual harmonies, have been recording a new studio album. Before that, the band spent six months in New York.

“It was long and arduous, but ultimately amazing,” enthuses co-vocalist Tim Derricourt, of his band’s time in the Big Apple.

“We based ourselves in New York and would drive 30 hours overnight to play a show in Kansas, and then do it again to play in Milwaukee. It was eye-opening.”

It’s like cooking a cake. You’ve got the long part of waiting around, but at the end you have a real sweet treat that makes it all worth it,” says the singer.

Some of the highlights for Derricourt, besides touring with The Fratellis and Tokyo Police Club, were visiting venues in the midwest — areas like Indianapolis and Nebraska.

Despite an American label release and radio support, the group never expected strong crowds to files into their shows. For Dappled Cities, the experience of seeing new fans was “inspiring”.

The band’s third album, Zounds, is a far more densely layered sonic excursion than

“WE FOCUS ON HAVING SO MANY LAYERS. *FREE ENTRY UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED* PLUS: SUN 2ND CHASE THE SUN FRI 7TH ZOMBONIMO AND BUGGIRL THU 13TH HOLLY THROSBY AND THE HELLO TIGERS (DINNER SHOW, $70)

FRI 14TH THE KICKOUTS AND THE TUNSTALLS SAT 15TH AUSSIE PUNK LEGENDS X (5PM) ( ) SUN 16TH AUSTIN BUSCH AND THE GOOD REASONS FRI 21ST ZOE K AND THE MONEY SHOT BAND SUN 23RD NZ BLUES ACE BILLY TK JNR SAT 29TH THUNDASTEEL AND ORDER OF THE DRAGON SUN 30TH INDIANA PHOENIX 28

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

THAT DENSE TEXTURE IS HOW PEOPLE WOULD IDENTIFY US.” While sustaining six months in America may sound like a very big effort, it didn’t worry Derricourt. “I thrived on it. I obviously love playing live, so I didn’t mind being in a car for eight hours and then arriving at the venue.

some of Dappled Cities’ trademark, dreamy soundscapes. Derricourt maintains that despite first impressions, it’s a live album, not a studio album. “We actually decided to represent our dense, layered live sound in the

After spending six months in America exposing a vast audience to their unique brand of indie-pop, Dappled Cities have returned with their most impressive record, Zounds. Co-vocalist Tim Derricourt chats to Nick Milligan about their travels abroad. recording, so we’ve included as much depth as you will get on stage,” says the singer. “This new tour will be very cinematic.”

Dappled Cities were very meticulous in the planning and writing for Zounds. For six months prior to entering the studio, the band went through a rigorous demoing process where they became almost “insane and pedantic”. But this method allowed the group to develop a very clear vision of their new release.

“When it came time to record, obviously our vision went to the rafters and we tried other things, but we definitely knew that we wanted to make a more ambitious and sonically intense album, but also have more moments of quiet than we’d ever tried before,” says Derricourt.

Despite months of planning, the band’s recording experience was “highly unrelaxed”.

Although the five musicians remained on the same page and “got along better than ever”, the record took longer than the four weeks they had anticipated. This caused Dappled Cities stress, especially because they were working alongside major engineer Chris Coady [Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On The Radio, Trail Of Dead].

Although the recording of Zounds turned

into a pressure-cooker, the result is their most accomplished and impressive set of songs to date. Despite a clear evolution, there’s no mistaking Dappled Cities’ unique sound.

“What sets us apart is that we have a very strong focus on different layers and sounds.

While other songwriters might try to write interesting pop songs that have a flamboyant and experimental edge, we focus on having so many layers. That dense texture is how people would identify us. On Zounds we have strings, horns, all sorts of keyboards and vocal harmonies, and electronic beats. Some tracks have 120 overdubs,” reveals Derricourt.

After their upcoming tour to Australia, Dappled Cities plan to return overseas to continue their international progress. As Derricourt explains, “We want to do more writing on this tour. We want to hit that next level in America and become a part of the landscape. We’ll do a tour that’s just as intense as before, but hopefully crack into the scene more than we did last time.”

Dappled Cities perform at The Cambridge Hotel on Thursday August 20, 2009. Zounds is out now through Speak n Spell.

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

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THE BRONX

110 PACIFIC HWY, WYONG

PHONE 4352 1508

Sat 1st Nathan Kaye, Krave upstairs

Sat 15th Krave

Sat 8th Stray Bulltez + Fastrack + Short Notice Over 30s downstairs

Thu 20th Tumors + The Lytic Cycle + Spread The Cycle + One Day at Horrorland

Fri 14th The Remnants + Storm + The Ideal Height

Fri 21st Phobiac + Shouts The Motorcade + Wandering Bear

MYSPACE.COM/AMPDUPENTERTAINMENT CHILLILOUNGE.NET

Sat 22nd Sarakula + Fiona Magee + The Havelocks Fri 28th Uncorrected + TBA Sat 29th Duck Puppy + Tokyo Spares + The Wesley Snipers

SOUTH OF THE

BORDER Known for their blistering, aggressive punk and numerous self-titled albums, California’s The Bronx are making an unexpected foray into mariachi music.

Noah Cross chats to singer Matt Caughthran about shifting gears.

Have The Bronx enjoyed their previous trips to Australia?

Hell yeah, man. I absolutely love Australia.

It’s one of the greatest places in the world and it’s one of my favourite places to go to.

It’s my speed, ya know? It’s my type of place.

I love it.

You guys are bringing out a mariachi album.

How did this project come about?

We did a TV performance and we had to do it ‘acoustic-style’. It just seemed kind of lame to do the typical rock, acoustic thing. We decided to spice it up a little bit, so we called some friends and performed ‘Dirty Leaves’, a song off our second record. It was an extremely freeing process and it felt really, really good. We followed that feeling and it ended up turning into an entire record.

Are you taking the mariachi music seriously, or is there a tongue-in-cheek element to it?

No, it’s very serious. It’s something that we really care about. It’s inspiring and near and dear to our hearts.

Has it pushed you as a vocalist?

That was the funnest part. I’ve loved every second of it. It feels good to be able to change things around.

Has it changed your approach to writing lyrics?

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Definitely. Music pulls different things out of people. The Bronx pulls some not so nice things out of me. I’ve been doing that for a long time, so it’s nice to be able to look back and see things in a different light and everything great that’s happened to me.

Each member of The Bronx had been in a number of different groups before you formed. What was it about this group that really clicked musically?

I think it was just our different tastes. We’re all very different. When you get us together for some reason, it comes out as something original. If you’re all too similar, I think the band is going to suffer creatively for it.

Speaking from the experience of my former band, that was the problem. When the personalities in The Bronx got together, it just happened.

You play very energetic and aggressive music — do your audiences often get out of control?

Oh, yeah. There can be fights and people coming up on stage and fucking up all the gear. Guys will tackle me and twist my nipples off. All sorts of weird-arse shit. Bottles being thrown. People having seizures…

Is that all part of it for you guys?

Yeah, definitely. I don’t get annoyed. I’d much rather have an exciting show than a boring one.

I encourage people to do whatever the fuck they want.

When you guys are writing your music, do you have the stage in mind?

No, not at all. We’re just so caught up in the rehearsal room and just thinking about the music — not how it’s going to sound live or on the radio. We’re just focused in the moment.

Have you encountered many Australian punk bands on your travels?

Not really. We’ve chatted with The Living End a couple of times. We’ve never come across The Saints or Nick Cave, unfortunately. We’ve played with The Hard-Ons a couple of times.

Any Aussie bands on your iPod? Yeah, all of those names. I love The Saints and The Hard-Ons. I’m a big Nick Cave guy. Even a little Midnight Oil here and there.

Is American punk very mainstream at the moment, or is there still an underground element?

There’s definitely an underground element to it. There’s some new and exciting bands coming out. I just think, like every other genre, [punk] needs a kick in the arse. People are thinking too safe — when you think safe, you make safe music. It’s gotten boring, and that’s got a lot to do with us writing the mariachi

“Music pulls different things out of people.

The Bronx pulls some nøt-so-nice things out of me.” record. It might not be very punk in sound, but it’s very punk in idea. It’s definitely a “fuck you” to people who sit on their arse when they’re given the chance to create something.

There’s still good bands coming out, but there could always be more of them.

If The Bronx could tour the world with two other acts, who would you want them to be?

Me, personally? It would probably be Black Flag and The Scorpions. That represents two types of music that I absolutely love — one being punk and the other being great, classic metal. I absolutely love Black Flag and The Scorpions, so that would be dream tour for me.

Are you bringing your mariachi music to Australia with you on this tour?

Yeah, we definitely are. We’re playing as El Bronx and The Bronx, so these shows are going to be real special, man. It’s going to be one to remember.

I’ve heard that you guys wear the full mariachi outfits on stage — are those suits hard to come by?

Not in LA. We found a guy in LA who makes them custom. They’re all hand-made. They’re awesome.

The Bronx perform at Coaster, Gosford Showground, on Saturday September 12, 2009.

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

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THIS IS NOT ART

—

TA L K I N G S H O P

THE DEPOT

This is Still Not Art While Newcastle’s very own This Is Not Art festival is firmly on the international calendar, most of its support comes from out of town, rather than within. Reverb gets the low-down from Festival Coordinator, Angelica Clunes.

What are going to be the main differences between This Is Not Art in 2009 and the TINA festivals of previous years?

I think that each year This Is Not Art continues to grow as a festival, we learn more about what we are and our direction. This Is Not Art is a grouping of some of Australia’s most dynamic and exciting arts organisations coming together under the one banner to bring to Newcastle the absolute best of emerging and experimental arts and media from a national and international perspective.

Exciting new inclusions this year include the Crack Theatre Festival who are throwing some really strong and exciting theatre events into the mix. Also, we are going to respond to the mass of visual arts applications we received and try programming some new and innovative art spaces. We are also going to be using some crazy new spaces, while keeping all the old favourites!

What sort of people will be interested in TINA 2009?

This is such a diverse and all-inclusive festival that covers so many styles and genres — I really think that it appeals to most people. If you are at all interested in writing, performance, critical thinking research, reading, independent

Depot Delights Darby Street’s most recent addition, The Depot, has launched its first winter menu. Noah Cross grabs a napkin and investigates.

music and industries, electronic arts, live music, DIY culture, ‘zines, or artist markets, and you want to join with over 400 local, national and international artists to work, learn and experience, than I can guarantee there will be something in our program to tickle your fancy. We have around 200 events scheduled over the five days, so I’m pretty sure there’s something in there for everyone!

What are some of the biggest attractions of this year’s festival?

Well... we haven’t ‘officially’ launched our program yet, so this is still top secret, but I can assure you that once again we are bringing you the best events in emergent and experimental arts. There will be a nice mix of old favourites, including the Sunday fair extravaganza that includes the ‘zine fair and artist markets, the large gigs every night at the festival club and Friday and Saturday at the Cambridge Hotel. A jam-packed explosion of exhibitions, screenings, performances, panels, workshops, talks, gigs, interventions and live art… and some extra special surprises, to boot.

There will be a spelling bee and a lawn bowls tournament. We are really embracing our competitive sports this year, so start studying up, and remember to pack your whites!

What are the biggest challenges in putting on an event like this?

I think the most exciting challenge comes from working with such a creative and diverse group of people. In 2009, This Is Not Art is partnering with Crack Theatre Festival, Critical Animals,

Electrofringe, National Young Writers Festival, and Sound Summit. All of these organisations come to one large table to creatively curate and direct the festival.

There is also such a large team of supporters and volunteers that contribute endlessly to the festival, along with our productions teams, stage managers, tent city co-ordinator, bar managers and staff — the list just goes on!

I could also talk about the lack of venue spaces in Newcastle, or the tightening of the arts funding reigns, but that’s a bit boring!

Why is it important that Novacastrians support TINA in 2009?

I think that sometimes some people think that This Is Not Art does not strongly engage with the people of Newcastle. This can be a little disappointing, and from my perspective I would really like to see this opinion change. I believe it is starting to.

We hold this festival in Newcastle because

we love it. It came from here, it works here, and we think that Newcastle is the perfect location for this unique festival. We work with so many Novacastrians behind-the-scenes.

We also know that there are a lot of past and present locals who attend, so I know that there is an appreciation for This Is Not Art out on the streets of this town. Having said that, I do think it is time that Newcastle really got behind this event and took a greater level of ownership.

It is also important that the people of Newcastle who are practicing artists and/or interested in different art forms, take advantage of this festival. We have people travelling from all corners of the world to attend This Is Not Art and we conveniently place it right on your doorstep! So come and enjoy the festivities, its for everyone...

This Is Not Art takes place from October 1-5, 2009.

TALKING SHOP This month we talk to tour manager, FOH engineer, producer, publishing, record company and management guru, Marshall Cullen.

Current position title?

Managing Director How long have you been in this position?

25 years What are your main responsibilities?

Overseeing the recording studio, record label marketing and distribution company, Fogsongs Music Publishing and SoundsLikeCafe. And currently moonlighting as Hoodoo Gurus tour manager and front-of-house sound.

How did you get involved in the music industry?

I started doing live sound at school in Tassie.

I met with mainland bands/crews when they toured there and talked my way into touring the country with them-some skill with sound and gaffa tape helped!

Proudest moment?

The birth of my son. In music, many. Achieving my dream of touring the USA and Europe a number of times, and realising my dream of owning a quality studio and producing albums.

Is there anyone you would really like to meet [living or dead]?

Joseph Campbell, Frank Herbert & John Lennon.

Best live show you’ve been to?

U2 at JFK Stadium circa ‘93; Radiohead at Selina’s to 300 people before they were known; Jeff Buckley at the now closed down Phoenecian Club; and finally Beastie Boys at SXSW doing all their early stuff.

Favourite venue?

In Australia, The Forum Theatre in Melbourne.

Elsewhere, the Wharfdale Theatre in San Francisco and Roselands in NYC. Favourite musical instrument?

Vibes a la Tom Waits — such a great tone.

menu makes it suitable for diners of any age group. Besides offering an impressive breakfast, lunch and dinner selection, it also boasts an array of tapas that can be ordered after 5pm. Food quality is important at The Depot, with fresh produce arriving every day.

“We wanted to create our own style — obviously bringing the tapas in was something that’s a bit different for Darby Street. We were looking at Mediterranean cuisine — just making simple food and doing it well,” explains Taylor.

With so many of the restaurants and cafés on Darby Street already enjoying strong reputations and regular customers, The Depot’s opening was naturally met with strong competition. But Taylor is extremely pleased with the progress of his young business.

“So far The Depot has gone above and beyond our expectations,” Taylor enthuses.

“Given our location, I thought we would do well. Given the experience of our kitchen and floor staff, I was confident that we could create a good product. We’ve had a lot of repeat business from day one, so the support has been fantastic.”

The Depot On Darby is located at 143 Darby Street, Newcastle.

Reverb’s menu picks Breakfast $17.00 Potato, spinach and chorizo hash with poached eggs, bacon and spicy tomato jam.

Dinner $27.00 Australian king prawns and squid tossed with spaghetti, garlic, chilli, olive oil and shaved parmesan.

Lunch Lamb and chickpea tagine on saffron rice pilaf with pinenuts, current and labna.

Tapas $9.00 Spinach, leek and manchego cheese croquetas served with tomato and red pepper sofrito.

$19.00

The new Greater Union

Club

, s e i v o M 10 e e S

PROFILING MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS WITH JESS HENDERSON

Who do you work for?

The Damien Gerard/Foghorn Group of companies

As one of Newcastle’s most popular shopping and cafe strips, Darby Street certainly has its own unique aesthetic and image. ‘Warm’ and ‘inviting’ are two terms that can be applied to most of the street’s various stores, with Pizza Hut and Gloria Jean’s existing as the only two major chain outlets. The rest of Darby Street has a home-made, independent quality that Newcastle continues to embrace.

It’s for these reasons that its latest addition, The Depot, can be considered an ambitious restaurant. Rather than following Darby’s rustic, vintage trend, this new establishment has opted for a more modern, industrial chic.

In some respects, The Depot would look more at home on Sydney’s King Street Wharf or even Newcastle’s very own Honeysuckle Boardwalk, but nevertheless, it unashamedly brings a refreshing edge to its chosen location.

“The concept came from our [shipping] container business, where we had built a few container bars,” says co-owner, Chad Taylor.

“With Newcastle being an industrial town, we had the idea of having the steel beams in the roof, the workshop floor and the big, wooden tables and stools. The hardest part about creating an industrial theme was to have an atmosphere that works for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But we’ve definitely made it work.”

The depth and diversity of The Depot’s

Who should we be listening to?

Michael Peter [Central Coast singer/ songwriter], Nick and Liesl [Central Coast duo about to embark on their third European tour] and Rosie Burgess [Melbourne].

What would be on your ultimate rider?

Asahi and Negro Modelo beer, Spanish temparillnio vino tinto, French beaujolais, selection of organic goat/cow cheese, olives, sun dried tomato, turkish sourdough breads, spanish salami, black pepper… you get the idea.

Best way to spend a Sunday morning?

Coffee on Pearl Beach with my family Any advice for people trying to break into the industry?

There’s no silver bullet — you have to love it and work hard. You will need passion, preparation, perseverance and patience.

Get 1

FREE !

Join today, it’s FREE! PLUS heaps of other awesome benefits like: s ! DISCOUNTED MOVIE EVERY WEEK s %NTRY TO EXCLUSIVE COMPETITIONS s 4HE CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS TO THE BLOCKBUSTERS s %XCLUSIVE MEMBER ONLY ADVANCE SCREENINGS HOURS "%&/2% !.9/.% %,3%

Join at the ticket box or online at greaterunion.com.au

NEWCASTLE ( GLENDALE Terms & Conditions at www.greaterunion.com.au. Free Tickets are not redeemable at Gold Class.

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REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

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FT A I TSLHEI O RU N N S—H EPRHE O T O G R A P H Y B Y L I N D A W A L E S

FASHION

LEFT, RIGHT, BOTTOM — Jade satin cami with crocheted cream detail $50. Reworked highwaisted vintage cut-off jean shorts $40.

—

P H O T O G R A P H Y TBI Y T LLEI N RD UA N SWH A EL R ES E

LEFT, RIGHT — Pink satin top with marble tie-dye balloon sleeves $70.

a pier outside

LEFT — Cream vintage lace jumpsuit $90

LEFT, BELOW — Olive tiedyed jersey dress with open cut back $80.

Photography by Linda Wales Make-up by Danielle Hampton Styling by Leisa Mayes Modelling by Rebecca Frith Clothing by Oh Well: www.iloveohwell.com 34

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

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GENERAL MOTORING

KITCHEN COMPL AINT WITH DAVE TOWNLE Y JONES

Mad Mazda There was a strong argument for special driver instruction if you bought the first Mazda3 MPS — it was such an unruly beast. Boot it hard and the thing skipped sideways alarmingly under the forces of torque steer.

That’s what happens when you put too much poke through the front wheels. It’s a strong argument for all-wheel drive. Once you became accustomed to the trait, the MPS was quite a handy tool — quick, responsive, great handling. You could actually use the torque steer effect to hook around corners if you were good enough.

Now, there’s a new model MPS still using the same turbo engine/front wheel drive formula but it’s more civilised. That’s a good and bad thing depending on where you’re coming from. A more “staid” driver will appreciate it while a more aggressive, sporty driver probably won’t. But it fits with Mazda’s aim of broadening MPS’s appeal to an older audience. The first one was a hit with 20-35 year olds and that’s been extended to 49 year olds with the new model. Gives you some idea about the new car’s character. Can’t have those young hoons doing circle work and creating havoc can we?

Well, you’ll be happy to know that the new MPS is just as much fun to drive as the first. It benefits from all the improvements, particularly chassis and dynamics, flowing from the new 36

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

REVIEWED Mazda MPS REVIEWED BY Peter Douglas generation Mazda 3 and some engineering tweaks specific to the MPS. Straight up, the short-throw six-speed manual gearbox is an improvement offering a rifle bolt change action and a better selection of ratios to exploit the engine’s power and torque. It’s a carry over 2.3-litre, turbo petrol four pot with direct fuel injection capable of churning out 190kW/380Nm. That’s under stressed in our book as “mere” 2.0-litre turbos can easily crank out this sort of poke.

But on the upside is relatively good fuel economy [under 10-litres/100km] and reduced emissions. We don’t want the fun police homing in on the MPS as an environmental disaster on wheels. The engine sounds like a vacuum cleaner under full throttle — something we would fix straight away if an MPS found its way into the garage.

The well-sorted suspension is at home on the goat tracks we call roads and smooths the ride to a sporty, yet controlled level. We can thank Aussie engineering input for that. And it still has a bit of torque steer to keep you on your toes.

Powerful 320mm front discs with multipiston calipers help stop the 1456kg projectile with ease and thankfully, the new model has fatter rubber than the first model further aiding traction and cornering grip. The flash looking spoked alloy wheels carry 225-40 x18s — fairly low profile but just the thing for rapid steering response and stability in corners.

Don’t get a flat tyre otherwise you’ll be limping home on a space saver “wheelbarrow” wheel.

The MPS is available in two grades: standard and luxury priced at $39,690 and $43,290 respectively.

There’s plenty of kit in the base model: dual zone climate control, cruise, multi-function display, a decent audio system with AUX input, alloy pedals, eight-way power adjustable driver seat, six air bags, stability control, electrically operated ancillaries, bluetooth, leather wheel and trip computer. The L model gains Bose audio with a subwoofer, adaptive bi-xenon headlights, auto dimming rear view mirror, auto headlights and wipers.

On the road, MPS is a hoot — quick, responsive, sporty and fun. But it won’t

outgun either the WRX or the Evo at 6.1seconds for the 0-100kph sprint. Out on the open road it’s a different ball game that plays into the hands of the well-fettled MPS. In this environment, there’d be nothing between them — in fact, the Mazda could very well come up trumps in a point-to-point mountain challenge. Would depend a lot on the drive, though.

Mazda Australia has plenty of experience in local motor sport, most recently in the Targa Tassie using top-running cars driven by gun drivers. They are engineered locally by Mazda which makes all the race data available to head office for further reference.

MPS looks the ‘biz’ with a subtle aero kit all-round, distinctive grille and rear roof wing.

The only transmission choice is a six-speed manual and the only body choice is five-door hatchback. It has a slick interior that’s easy on the eye and simple to use.

For the money, you could opt for the ugly WRX, but the Evo is out of the price picture.

WRXs and Evos are like bums — everyone has one — not the case with Mazda’s wicked MPS. REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

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LIVE REVIEWS FRENCH AND SAUNDERS

Newcastle Entertainment Centre Friday June 26 2009

FRENCH AND SAUNDERS

LIVE REVIEWS Gig of the month

BLACKCHORDS

©KEVIN BULL

BLACKCHORDS ©KEVIN BULL

It took them long enough, but those beloved queens of satire finally made it to our shores.

The magnitude of Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders’ decision to end their Still Alive tour [and with it, the twenty year reign of their wildly successful sketch show] in Australia was not lost on their Newcastle audience, who responded with wild enthusiasm from the instant they “appeared” on stage as dolls in a remote control car.

Assisted by a series of video clips [including a surprise cameo by Joanna Lumley], several costume changes [such as Saunders’ attempt to impersonate Madonna] and numerous props [including a surprise cameo by a blow-up Joanna Lumley], they entertained fans with sketches old and new. While some jokes were undoubtedly funnier than others, the two performers maintained a witty banter honed by their thirtyyear relationship, and ended the concert with a genuinely moving finale — and after that, an encore featuring prosthetic penises to remind us why we love them. ~HUGH MILLIGAN

All bands face it. Call it ‘paying dues’, whatever you want. But it’s still tough, and sometimes even tougher to watch. Playing to an empty, or virtually empty, room can’t be fun. If there is no crowd there, then what’s the performer to do? Many times a band will crumble and play with spite, punishing the people that are there. A true band will play despite the obvious void. They will play for themselves.

Opening band, Broadway Mile, had the largest crowd. Their style of rock is strong and abrasive, with a fun, ‘rock out loud’ attitude. Sadly Broadway Mile’s followers left when the band did. If everyone had stayed, they would have seen a promising young band playing songs from an outstanding debut album.

Blackchords’ self-titled album heavily relies on atmosphere. I was worried this would not transfer well to a live performance. I was impressed to see that they were able to bring out the rockier side to the songs, without losing the subtler tones that make their music captivating. What really impressed me about Blackchords performance, though, was that they played despite the empty room. They played hard, with great passion, and with a confidence in their own music. Tracks like ‘Pretty Little Thing’, ‘Broken Bones’, and ‘Raise My Hand’ were my particular favourites.

I hope this band comes back to Newcastle soon. When they do I strongly recommend everyone go see them. ~ANDREW CHESHAM

A SILENT FICTION

Chilli Lounge, Grand Hotel, Erina Saturday June 27 2009

AUGIE MARCH + THE DRONES A SILENT FICTION

©IMAGE FOCUS

A night at the Chili Lounge is usually rewarding, especially when it’s energy packed metal. When A Silent Fiction came on, they were hampered by some apparent technical hitches with an amp, but it didn’t phase the band nor the crowd - kudos to the band for the determination to continue on “no matter what”, in fact they played on so smoothly while the corrections were being made, some may not even have noticed a hitch.

A Silent Fiction’s EP launch performance was a credit to them, with a strong mix of lead vocalist high energy antics that enticed the crowd to respond to him with screams and dance moves. The unusual combination of a lead vocalist with a lead disc jockey gave this gig that extra pump, the thing that makes one band stand out from the others.

The only disappointing thing about the gig was the time it took for the main attraction to come on. Too many support bands meant A Silent Fiction didn’t come on stage until after 11pm, way too late for those keen to witness the long awaited launch. One or two support bands would have been plenty of lead up and meant all the high energy was saved for A Silent Fiction. ~ROSS BECKLEY & VERONIQUE MOSELEY

into the very epic ‘Shark Fin Blues’, before ending the astonishing set with the soaring and emotional ‘Locust’.

Augie March’s set opened with some nice indie-rock build-ups, which felt like an engaging introduction. But as ususal, it wasn’t long before singer Glenn Richards began complaining - first it was about the lighting and started to make his audience uncomfortable. Around the time the front man started making snide comments about Newcastle, I decided it was time to leave.

‘Pennywhistle’, a fine song, sounded great. But the average turn-out for Augie March gave the evening a sombre feeling, almost as if this could be something of a swan song… ~NICK MILLIGAN

Hamilton Station Hotel Thursday July 2, 2009

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Thursday July 16, 2009

THE DRONES ©SEAN ROCHE

While there was no doubting that some adoring Augie March fans had made their way to The Cambridge on this cold evening, there was also a strong presence for The Drones. While this was not the full Drones juggernaut that we’ve become accustomed to, this ‘stripped-back’ acoustic set was absolutely jaw-dropping.

Chicken-legged growler Gareth Liddiard sat on a stool, nursing his acoustic guitar, linking each song with laconic, aloof stage banter.

Dan Luscombe shifted between piano and electric guitar. Even without their distortion pedals turned up to 11, the two Drones members were able to wring primal emotion from every note.

The duo mostly focused on material from

ADALITA

©CHRISSY KAVALIEROS

ADALITA

Lizotte’s, Newcastle Sunday July 5, 2009

Making her second appearance at Lizotte’s, Newcastle, opening act Amy Vee was so enamoured with the venue that she wanted to fall to her knees on sight, saying, “Thank goodness there’s finally a place like this in Newcastle!”

She experimented with loops, at one point layering a shaker, a rhythm tapped on the body of her guitar and her own strumming. It’s a trick that’s becoming increasingly common. More often than not, it ends up being a case of the artist showing off, but when done right this tool is quite complimentary.

Vee was instantly charming and personable, if a little lacking in betweensong communication. Despite her admission that she played one song in the wrong key — “just one of those nights” — Vee never faltered. She was so sweet that you could forgive her for just about anything.

Adalita is road-testing her solo material on a national acoustic tour [or as acoustic as you can get when armed with an electric guitar and a voice like hers]. Her new material could be her strongest work to date. She lacks animation but makes up for it with vocal intensity, particularly the way her voice dances over the melody. Every note is calculated, every accent purposeful.

‘Invite Me’, about the passing of a friend’s father and his subsequent, vivid appearance in a dream, was a highlight.

One can only imagine what it would sound like with a full ensemble, but acoustically, the delivery was as haunting as its subject. Her finale felt like it needed something more to fill it out, but on the whole her set could hardly be called sparse. As a frontwoman, she is confident and commanding; alone, she is selfpossessed and radiant. ~KIRRI LIEPINS

the Drones’ recent masterpiece, Havilah.

Tracks like ‘The Drifting Housewife’, ‘Careful As You Go’, ‘Your Acting’s Like The End Of The World’ and ‘Oh My’ were all faithful interpretations and obvious choices. But a mellowed out ‘I Don’t Ever Want To Change’ was the biggest surprise, remaining every bit as anthemic as the studio recording. The adoring fans in the first few rows were clearly in raptures when Liddiard and Luscombe broke

REVERB THIRD BIRTHDAY

Saturday July 18, 2009 The Cambridge Hotel Featuring: Leader Cheetah, The Seabellies, Fear Of Monsters, The Tunstalls, Phil Smart, Matt Saxon, Ned Kelly, Menna, Matt Mandell, Beat Nik DJs, Loods and Cal.

Few could have anticipated the overwhelming turnout at Reverb’s third birthday celebration — but the early queue outside the venue was a good indication. Indeed, this was a special night for Reverb Magazine. Three years of publishing was acknowledged by a massive, completely sold-out crowd and performances by the cream of local and national talent.

In The Glass House, The Tunstalls warmed up the audience in the only way they know how - big, grinding riffs, explosive, sinister vocals and down-tempo blues grooves. It was clear that a lot of the crowd were experiencing The Tunstalls for the first time — and the response was extremely positive. Finishing with their infamous cover of ‘Jolene’, The Tunstalls proved a perfect start to the evening.

Meanwhile in The Red Bar, DJs Menna and Ned Kelly got the beats flowing. While it was clear that the crowd were going to take a little while to get their dancing shoes on, punters wandered out to get away from the all-out mayhem of The Glass House and chill out. By 10.30pm, the dance floor started to fill.

Fear Of Monsters walked out to a rapturous response. It was impressive when you consider that these boys have only played a couple of minor shows in their home town.

But hype around the expansive soundscapes of this five-piece have been building over the previous months. Crammed from the front of the room to the very back, Reverb’s party kids stood mesmerised by Fear Of Monsters. The

LEADERS OF THE PACK, LEADER CHEETAH ©KEVIN BULL

combination of Ryan Stuart’s warm vocals and the three-part guitar arrangements is something to behold. Expect big things on their horizon.

The Seabellies, while no strangers to Newcastle audiences, had not played to their local fans for 12 months. It was clear that everyone was glad to have them back.

Vocalist Trent Grenell and his fellow band members used the Reverb party as an opportunity to showcase new material from their forthcoming debut record. The crowd didn’t seem to mind one bit.

In The Red Bar, things were definitely heating up when DJs Loods and Cal took to the decks.

Fuelled by the Beat Nik DJs, the atmosphere in the room was reaching fever pitch.

Finally, it was time for Leader Cheetah to grace the stage of The Cambridge. Having travelled from Adelaide for this special one-

RE VERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

WHOA, TRIPPY ©TIM BOEHM

CARUS ©MARK MCINTOSH

CARUS

Red Bar, Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Saturday July 18, 2009

A cold winters night outside, but inside the Cambridge Hotel’s Red Bar, all were cozy, warm and entertained by headliner Carus Thompson and support performers, Jessica Cain and Nick Saxon, two very talented locals who’s performances I thoroughly enjoyed on this, and previous occasions.

Carus Thompson is a one-man band, who comes complete with electric acoustic guitar, electric mandolin and a collection of pretuned harmonicas, which he clips into a hands free neck frame whilst casually chatting to the audience. Initially, this talented singer/ songwriter reminded me of a laid back busker.

However, it wasn’t long before he turned on a huge burst of energetic enthusiasm, and was hopping off stage to perform amongst the audience, which worked perfectly within the intimate surrounds of the Red Bar. The best way to describe Carus’s musical style would be modern ballads, flavoured with either a good sprinkle of mellow rock or a dash of country rock, which is reflected in both his persona and performance. This ‘boy next door’ package contains faded blue jeans, casual untucked shirt, short tousled sandy blonde hair and a warm cheeky grin, that not only attracts an age and gender diverse following, but a legion of young female fans who wiggled their hips at the foot of the stage, and mouthed to him, ‘I love you’. ~JENNIE MOSS

MASH IT. MASH IT GOOD!

©JULIE LOWE

FEAR OF MONSTERS ©KEVIN BULL

THE SEABELLIES ©TIM BOEHM

RUBBING SHOULDERS ©JULIE LOWE

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off show, the band certainly won’t going to leave Newcastle wondering. Performing tracks from their amazing debut, The Sunspot Letters, the four rockers played a truly awesome set. With ‘Alibi’ standing out as a highlight, they finished with the epic ‘Fly, Golden Arrow Pt 2’.

Matt Saxon kept the party pumping in The Glass House, having played between bands all night. As you would expect, nobody left until The Cambridge had to close at 3am. The Red Bar didn’t let down either — the legendary Phil Smart and Matt Mandell brought a tech-ish flavour and the dance floor simply lapped it up.

This was an absolutely massive evening and a true coup for Newcastle’s dedicated free music press. We simply couldn’t have asked for a more memorable birthday party.

Now, let’s look forward to the Christmas bash. ~NICK MILLIGAN

THE TUNSTALLS ©TIM BOEHM

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

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GAMER’S CORNER

LIVE REVIEWS

GAME REVIEWS

More Fun Than a Barrel of Monkeys

SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS Saturday July 25 & Sunday July 26, 2009 Belongil Fields, Byron Bay

With the extremely disappointing news that Jane’s Addiction, arguably the most exciting aspect of 2009’s Splendour line-up, had cancelled due to an elbow infection, it was going to take a lot to lift my spirits. Luckily for Jane’s fans, there was a whole lot more to enjoy on this year’s bill.

SATURDAY An early surprise was Glass Towers, a very young band from Alstonville, who opened the SuperTop stage. Possessing a big guitar sound, the four-piece’s first track came across as a psychedelic interpretation of the Arctic Monkeys. But the rest of their set moved into more shoegaze, 90s territory — aggressive guitar work that conjured Sonic Youth or even The Velvet Underground.

Manchester Orchestra, in their surprisingly early 12.55pm time slot, played to a massive crowd. Opening with ‘Shake It Out’, the fivepiece launched into a mesmerising, powerful set. The adoring crowd was treated to their single ‘I’ve Got Friends’, with vocalist Andy Hull pointing out that this was the track’s maiden performance in Australia. An exciting moment, indeed.

Adelaide’s Leader Cheetah, accompanied by a violinist, showcased their blend of psychfolk and Southern rock... always a treat.

Meanwhile, Children Collide were whipping the SuperTop into a frenzy — a testament to how popular these three lads have become.

With his oversized t-shirt and mop of blonde, shaggy hair, it seemed that vocalist Johnny Mackay was channelling some of Kurt Cobain.

Dappled Cities played some of their material from new record Zounds, and it sounded every bit as impressive as the recordings. With their trademark charm, Dappled Cities [now minus the ‘Fly’] performed ‘Wooden Ships’ and ‘The Price’.

The result was spell-binding.

As always, this year’s Mix Up Tent was completely off the chain. For ravers, there was a lot to be excited about. Eyes [and pupils] were widened by the performance of Yuksek.

The French producer, who mixed and sang live on stage, pumped his set with euphoria. It was reminiscent of Daft Punk’s epic Australian shows. His singles ‘Tonight’ and ‘Extra Ball’ had the crowd leaping in the air. The atmosphere was electric.

As the sun set, uber-legendary The Specials took to the stage. With their old-school mix of punked-up ska and reggae, the giant band took the [mostly pot-smoking] audience on a journey through their back catalogue. Hits like ‘A Message To You Rudy’ and the closer, ‘Ghost Town’, received giant responses.

The Living End had the difficult task of filling the gaping hole on the line-up left by Jane’s Addiction’s cancellation, but for younger audiences, their inclusion was clearly a bonus. As singer Chris Cheney uttered, “For those of you who didn’t get the memo, the

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REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

Telltale resurrects a beloved franchise with monkey voodoo and a barrel of grog. Aarrr.

LITTLE BIRDY

THE FLAMING LIPS ALL PHOTOS ©JUSTIN EDWARDS

SARAH BLASKO

BRIDEZILLA

part of Jane’s Addiction will tonight be played

by The Living End,” there was an almighty cheer. Anyone born in the late 70s was simply shaking their heads.

An incredibly coquettish Sarah Blasko, dressed in a bow and cape, performed a wellchosen set list on the GW McLennan stage. It was sad to see her audience thin out when Bloc Party were scheduled to appear in the SuperTop. Nevertheless, her performance was captivating.

Bloc Party, as expected, played to a monstrous audience. The crowd sang every note while singer Kele Okereke — employing some inspired banter — had every fan in the palm of his hand.

As Bloc Party departed the stage, bowing to a very pleased Splendour crowd, Okereke said into the microphone, ‘enjoy The Happy Mondays.”

Over ten thousand people then made a dash to the Mix Up Tent, where the legendary ‘Madchester’ group were taking listeners on a tripped-out electro journey. It was a wonderful way to end Splendour Saturday.

BLOC PARTY

BLUEJUICE

SUNDAY The second day of Splendour got off to an amazing start with a magical performance by The Middle East. Playing to a large crowd, the Townsville six-piece treated the crowd to a timeless and achingly beautiful set of folkinspired tunes.

Jack Ladder was next-up, and the towering Sydney crooner didn’t fail to entertain. With Mercy Arms guitarist Kieran J Callinan emitting his very identifiable guitar atmospherics, whilst prancing around the stage like a wicked cartoon villain [a Warren Ellis fan, perhaps?], the performance puzzled as many listeners as it did impress. Nevertheless, by the final song, Ladder had people dancing with swagger.

British buzz band, White Lies, had a surprisingly strong live sound. An even bigger surprise was the crowd response. Although their ‘post-punk’ sound is frustratingly derivative, they’ve clearly struck a chord with music fans. ‘Farewell to the Fareground’ was a definitely highlight.

There was an unusually small turn-out for

The Gutter Twins — quite embarrassing, really.

But for those discerning music lovers who arrived to watch the legendary Mark Lanegan [Screaming Trees, Queens Of The Stone Age] and Greg Dulli [Afghan Whigs], this was a very powerful set. With acoustic guitars and dark vocal harmonies, The Gutter Twins were extremely impressive. A stirring cover of Jose Gonzalez’s ‘Down The Line’ made it all the more shameful that more Splendour punters didn’t go to see them.

Grinspoon did what they do best, and played a set that was loaded with Australian festival anthems. From ‘Champion’, to ‘More Than You Are’, the SuperTop moshed till it couldn’t mosh no more. The finale was ‘DCX3 [Dead Cat]’, which, as singer Phil Jamieson pointed out, Grinspoon hadn’t played “for ten years”.

There’s a lot of hype surrounding MGMT and sadly, their live show doesn’t live up to it.

Their interaction with the audience was weak, and this set, despite having possibly the biggest crowd of any band on the bill, was a weird mash of big hits and unreleased songs from their forthcoming record. Playing 15 minutes short, the band seemed deliberately aloof and gave the impression that they weren’t taking their performance too seriously. The obvious songs — ‘The Youth’, ‘Electric Feel’ and ‘Kids’ sounded amazing and the crowd response was overwhelming, but, overall, the band’s attitude was off-putting. In one word, ‘underwhelming’.

It takes a very special band to close the curtain on Splendour In The Grass, but The Flaming Lips are more than qualified. The legendary band’s performance is very hard to put into words. Try to imagine a giant video screen playing grainy, technicolour images of a nude, frolicking woman, giant explosions of confetti, dozens of massive balloons being hurled across a rapturous mosh-pit, and dozens of on-stage dancers dressed as frogs and sheep.

With The Flaming Lips’ massive, symphonic, power-pop anthems, this show was complete sensory overload. Singer Wayne Coyne is indeed a talented showman, and he managed to pull messages of peace, love and harmony from the cosmos and direct them into the audience. He was the conductor and we were his orchestra. The size of the stage show meant that not a lot of songs were performed during their time slot, but tracks like ‘The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song [With All Your Power]’ and closing song, ‘Do You Realize??’, had hands in the air and voices at full volume. It was a wondrous way to end what had been another fun year at Splendour In The Grass. ~NICK MILLIGAN

Ah, Monkey Island. Once the shining jewel in LucasArts’ crown, and the absolute pinnacle of adventure gaming. Narrative-driven and with amazing attention to voice acting and score, the games were, for their time, masterfully polished. The hilarious struggles of Guybrush Threepwood, ‘mighty pirate’, won the hearts of the gaming masses, and for ten years the Monkey Island series was a critical and commercial success.

Then came the turn of the century.

Guybrush was quickly overshadowed by a new millennium of gaming, unable to compete with the latest video cards, mile-a-minute gameplay and online multiplayer functionality. The adventure game fell in rapid decline and, with the release of Escape from Monkey Island in 2000, LucasArts put the franchise to bed indefinitely.

Now, after nine years of hibernation, the

REVIEWED Tales of Monkey Island — Chapter One: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal (PC/Wii) REVIEWED BY Hugh Milligan RATED 7/10 franchise has been miraculously revived by Telltale Games. Tales of Monkey Island is to be released digitally in five separate chapters over five months — the first chapter, ‘Launch of the Screaming Narwhal’, is already available for download.

Tales of Monkey Island begins several years after the events of the last instalment. The undead pirate LeChuck has kidnapped Elaine once again, and Guybrush, armed with the Cursed Cutlass Kaflu, is ready to destroy him once and for all. When LeChuck’s voodoo energy is accidently expelled across the Caribbean, Guybrush must find La Esponja Grande (‘The Big Sponge’) to clean up the mess.

This scenario is the vehicle for the game’s progression of puzzles — players are required to find objects and utilise them in frequently absurd ways to overcome various obstacles.

Telltale has been particularly creative in

designing each challenge; while some require perseverance, none are so difficult as to frustrate you, and the game has an incremental hint system that can be altered at any time.

Telltale has clearly made every effort to capture all of the bizarre humour of previous Monkey Island games, with some truly inspired dialogue between Guybrush and the outrageous denizens of Flotsam Island. Much of the physical comedy is provided by Guybrush’s left hand, now infected with the Pox and possessed by evil — it repeatedly attacks him and impedes his progress [in a parody of Evil Dead 2] as he tries to bring the demonic appendage under control.

Telltale has improved the game’s interface and controls far beyond those in Escape from Monkey Island [which were a clumsy mess].

Examining your surroundings is now significantly easier, and the inventory is intuitive and unobtrusive. Moving Guybrush with the directional keys is still slightly awkward, but he can also be guided by dragging the mouse.

Tales of Monkey Island is a lot easier on the eyes than its predecessor, with particular attention paid to facial expressions (for the lead characters at least) to improve their comedic effect. The graphics are still a little dated by current standards, but the stylish art direction and absurdly colourful environments create an appropriately cartoonish feel.

Michael Land, the composer involved in all the previous Monkey Island games, returns for the fifth instalment, and Telltale has also brought back voice actors Dominic Armato and Alexandra Boyd to reprise their roles as Guybrush and Elaine respectively. Dominic’s brilliant comic timing is responsible for much of the hilarity.

The most significant detractor of the game so far is its inherently limited replay value.

The puzzles are undeniably entertaining but, once solved, there’s little reason to solve them again. Once you’ve finished the chapter [as I did in a few hours], it’s unlikely you’ll play

“THE UNDEAD PIRATE LECHUCK HAS KIDNAPPED ELAINE ONCE AGAIN, AND GUYBRUSH… IS READY TO DESTROY HIM ONCE AND FOR ALL.”

through it again for quite some time, although there are still four more chapters left to look forward to.

While it’s difficult to speak conclusively on a game that has only partially been released, Tales of Monkey Island is, without a doubt, a labour of love by a development team still passionate about the franchise — Telltale has gone to enormous lengths to preserve the flavour of the series. ‘Launch of the Screaming Narwhal’ doesn’t remedy any of the limitations traditionally suffered by adventure games, but it’s a witty and nostalgic celebration of true old-school adventure gaming, and a breath of fresh air for a longforgotten franchise.

Telltale is not selling the chapters separately — they are available as a pack for US$34.95 through the company’s website, www.telltalegames.com, or through the Nintendo Wii’s WiiWare channel. Fans of the series won’t need much persuading to buy the game, but those new to Monkey Island or adventure gaming in general, should definitely experience it.

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

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DVD REVIEWS

FILM REVIEWS

Setting Up Camp

NICE TO KNOW YOU

An American Dream REVIEWED Wilco Live: Ashes Of American Flags REVIEWED BY Nick Milligan RATED 4.5 stars This is the latest chapter in the video documentation of Wilco. The career turmoil of the burgeoning group was captured, in stark black and white, for Sam Jones’ 2002 documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.

2006’s Sunken Treasure provided intimate insight into the band’s vocalist and songwriter Jeff Tweedy. Now Ashes Of American Flags can be added to this esteemed list of releases. A concert film that shows the Chicago six-piece perform at venues in Tulsa, New Orleans, Nashville, Mobile and Washington DC, American Flags showcases a band who are constantly reaching new heights in their music.

Live performances are interspersed with shots of the group in their tour bus, watching the landscapes roll by. There’s also interviews and voice overs from each band member, often revealing their sincere thoughts on what it’s like sharing a band with Tweedy. The admiration that the members share for each other is touching. A conversation with Tweedy’s proud father is also a welcome inclusion.

This DVD is a must-have for fans, with a set list that includes ‘Heavy Metal Drummer’ and, of course, ‘Ashes Of American Flags’. A bonus 42

REVERB MAGA ZINE ISSUE #037 — AUGUST 2009

Fifty years ago, a primary school class at Willian Dawes Elementary School is asked to draw a picture of their vision of the future.

Each student’s crude, crayon contribution is placed in an envelope and then put in the school’s time capsule. One unusual student, Lucinda Embry, only draws a page of seemingly random numbers.

Fifty years later, the time capsule is ceremoniously opened and each member of the new primary school class is given an envelope to unseal. Lucinda’s page of numbers is handed to Caleb Koestler, whose father is John [Nicolas Cage], a professor of astrophysics at MIT. John has recently become a single parent, following the tragic death of his wife. One night after Caleb has gone to bed, John drunkenly discovers Lucinda’s mysterious page of numbers in his son’s school bag.

Through nonchalant investigation, the professor realises that the numbers correspond with the dates of disasters from the past five decades [9/11, New Orleans, etc], and their subsequent death tolls. To his horror, he realises that the list suggests three disasters on the near horizon.

Shot entirely in Melbourne, Knowing is another fantastic movie experience from exAussie auteur Alex Proyas. The tension is kept at a high level throughout and the script maintains its chilling mystery right up to its stunning climax. The spectacular fi nale has divided audiences, but if you open your mind, then it’s diffi cult to not be moved by Proyas’ vision.

Knowing finds a masterful balance between the sentimental elements of the script, with the darker, more grim subject matter. It’s a very fine line, that many other directors

REVIEWED Knowing REVIEWED BY Noah Cross RATED 4 stars would have stepped across [I’m looking at you Michael Bay and M. Night Shyamalan]. But Proyas’ clear admiration for the science fiction genre is as evident in Knowing, as it is in his previous films, like I, Robot and Dark City.

The special effects are not over-bloated, but used sparingly for increased impact. The disaster sequences are executed with shocking realism.

Nicolas Cage plays another stoic and slightly depressing hero, but Proyas does an effective job in making him work. The supporting cast, which includes Rose Byrne and a very terrific Ben Mendelsohn (as one of Cage’s fellow professors), bring a lot of dignity and presence to this apocalyptic screenplay.

If you grab this DVD, you’ll get to hear an insightful commentary with Alex Proyas.

Knowing is out now.

Wilco Live: Ashes Of American Flags is out now through

Brüno is the third and final character from the Ali G Show to receive the big screen treatment. For the uninitiated, he is a flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion expert who offers a no-holds-barred style of comedy that will leave audiences shocked, appalled, stunned and, most of all, laughing hysterically.

Brüno is the fashion host for the German TV show Funkyzeit, who suddenly has his career snatched from him after an unfortunate incident involving a Velcro suit and a major Milan fashion event. Not to be disheartened, Brüno soon sets his sights on the US. Accompanied by his faithful assistant Lutz, he heads straight for Los Angeles. When a test audience fail to pass his sexually-charged TV pilot, he soon realises that the path to success in the United States is going to be difficult.

In his pursuit for stardom in a foreign land,

Brüno adopts an African baby. He soon follows this up with an appearance on a talk show with a predominantly African-American audience. The results are hilarious.

The biggest laughs come when Brüno decides the only way to become famous is to straighten up, which leads him to some Alabama pastors who specialise in ‘gay conversions’. After taking their advice, he decides to do a stint at boot camp, go on a hunting trip with some rednecks, and also attend a swinger’s party — during all of which he does not drop his flamboyantly gay persona. His mission to become straight climaxes with a cage fight scene in Arkansas — that is as daring as Sascha Baron Cohen can get. The camera crew deserves danger money.

There are some scenes of pure comedic brilliance in Brüno, but I don’t think the

A Hard Plot To Follow REVIEWED Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince REVIEWED BY Hugh Milligan RATED 3/5

REVIEWED The Uninvited REVIEWED BY Nick Milligan RATED 3 stars

selection of songs includes ‘Theologians’, ‘Hate It Here’ and ‘I Am Trying To Break Your Heart’. The sound quality is first rate, and Nels Clines’ breath-taking guitar solo in ‘Impossible Germany’ is worth the admission price alone.

Overall, filmmakers Brendan Canty and Christoper Green effectively distill the essence of Wilco’s timeless music.

Reverb examines some upcoming cinema releases that we hope live up to expectations…

REVIEWED Brüno REVIEWED BY Mark Snelson RATED 3.5/5

Ghostly Invitations

A young girl named Anna [Emily Browning], has spent ten months in psychiatric care after her mother, dying from cancer, is killed in an apparently accidental explosion. When Anna returns to her seaside home, she finds that her mother’s nurse, Rachel [Elisabeth Banks], is now living with them as her father’s girlfriend.

As you would expect, Anna and her sister, Alex [Arielle Kebbel], are not pleased with this arrangement, especially when Anna’s ghostly nightmares imply that there is more to Rachel than meets the eye.

This directorial debut from Charles and Thomas Guard certainly looks and feels impressive, depite treading incredibly familiar territory. The film relies on the strong performances of the Kebbel and the evermesmerising Browning, whose sisterly bond is at the core of the screenplay. Banks plays the ‘wicked stepmother’ role with necessary

FUTURE ALERT

ambiguity, while David Strathairn creates an emotionally detached father.

But despite building impressive tension and numerous scares, the Guard brothers are brought unstuck by the implausible elements of their script. They seem too aware of the wonderful twist that The Uninvited has up its sleeve, but are clumsy in leading the audience there. The third act becomes extremely irritating, and although everything makes sense in hindsight, you’re left with a sense of annoyance. Other directors like Alejandro Amenábar and Juan Antonio Bayona have worked with similar subject matter — supernatural thrillers that also work on a poignant and profoundly human level — but sadly, the Guard brothers have bitten off a little more than they can chew.

The Uninvited is out now through Paramount.

Harry’s back at Hogwarts for the sixth time in this, the latest cinematic adaptation of JK Rowling’s much loved novels. His busy school year once again includes some dangerous investigation into Lord Voldemort (and his new lackey, Draco Malfoy), as well as navigating all the romantic intrigue of his classmates and the rigours of his schoolwork.

The last of these is made easier by the discovery of an old Potions textbook, with helpful notes scrawled into the pages by its previous owner – the ‘Half-Blood Prince’.

The difficulty in adapting such complex, multilayered narratives into mainstream cinema has become increasingly pronounced in each of the Harry Potter films, but it’s never been as obvious as it is here. Despite running for over two and a half hours, the film barely scratches the surface of the novel and offers only the barest skeleton of plot. The identity of the titular Half-Blood Prince is barely referred to at all, in fact, and those who haven’t read Rowling’s book will find the disjointed pace hard to follow.

As in previous films, the absolutely stellar

cast redeems this instalment to some degree [although many of them receive less than five minutes of screen time]; Jim Broadbent makes an excellent addition as Horace Slughorn. The special effects are impeccable as always, and the moments of comedy and tragedy are well-executed by the three leads.

The final book is set to be divided into two films due to its volume of content, and one wonders why this film did not receive the same treatment. Harry Potter fans are advised not to draw comparison between the movie and its source material, as they have little in common at this point. Instead, enjoy Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for everything it contains, rather than dwelling on everything it doesn’t.

character is interesting enough to carry a feature-length film. Even though Borat was completely rude, racist and sexist — his jolly naivety allowed him to get so far with his subjects. Brüno is in your face from the onset, and you get the feeling that people have got their guards up well before he hits them with trademark offensiveness. Brüno also lacks the flow of Borat, leaving it feeling like a quickly pasted together mish-mash of skits, rather than a well thought out piece of cinema.

It is, nevertheless, still completely outrageous movie-making that pushes boundaries to the absolute limits. You have to give Baron Cohen credit for that. I just think that Borat was less predictable and certainly more consistent than this one.

Brüno is out now in cinemas.

DISTRICT 9 Director: Neill Blomkamp Starring: Sharlto Copley The recently released trailer for this ultra-realistic sci-fi flick doesn’t fail to impress. District 9 is based on Neill Blomkamp’s 2005 short film Alive in Joburg, which depicts an alien encounter in South Africa. Expanding on his project, Blomkamp has turned his chilling vision of the future into a feature length movie.

District 9 tells the story of a group of aliens who land on Earth thirty years ago as refugees — the only survivors of their home planet. The intelligent, insect-like creatures are kept in slum-like conditions, while the nations of the world argue over what to do with them. After much negotiation, they are finally contracted out to Multi-National United [MNU], a corporation more interested in unlocking the secrets of the aliens’ weapon technology than their welfare.

Using stunning special effects and a gritty, photo-journalistic style, District 9 is shaping up to be the most innovative sci-fi movie of the year.

District 9 is released August 13, 2009.

THE ROAD Director: John Hillcoat Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall After the Coen brothers’ magnificent adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel No Country For Old Men, it wasn’t long before the author’s other works found their way to the silver screen. Considering the gritty subject matter of McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prizewinning The Road, it’s a relief that the rights have found their way to Australian director John Hillcoat. His previous works, The Proposition and Ghosts… Of The Civil Dead, certainly qualify Hillcoat to tackle McCarthy’s chilling masterpiece.

In a post-apocalyptic future, a father and son travel together through a world of grey skies and deep layers of ash. With only their wit and determination keeping them alive, the duo struggle to find food, while avoiding the gangs of cannibals that roam the treacherous landscape.

The Road is released October 16, 2009.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Director: Spike Jonze Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Max Records When Spike Jonze is on the money, he is absolutely amazing. So that’s why adoring fans of Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s story, Where The Wild Things Are, will be praying that this film meets expectation.

Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world — a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler. It’s a tale that most of us flipped through as young tots. One look at the recently released trailer conjures pure joy, made or the more poignant by a soundtrack provided by Arcade Fire.

Definitely pencil this one in your diary.

Where The Wild Things Are is released December 3, 2009.

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