LA IMPA NG TAME E GOULDI I L EL
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TAME IMPALA
INNERSPEAKER DEBUT ALBUM OUT NOW tameimpala.com
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modularpeople.com
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THUR 27 7.00PM
A Fundraiser for the NSW Greens
Martin Pearson Presents: “Intelligent Design: The Unwritten Musical”
FRI 28 8.00PM
Group Therapy + The Y-Fronts + The Baggage Handlers + On Ya' Bike
SAT 29 2.00PM ARVO GIG!
“Tempe Top Dogs” A RED LETTER DAY BAND COMPETITION Ph. 9519 3978. www.myspace.com/burgessbookings
SAT 29 8.00PM
THUR 3 JUNE 7.30PM
Stone Monks + The Thieves
Mal’s Open Mic Night Back at The Harp! Now on alternate Thursdays. Register with Mal on 0413 735 773.
SAT 5 JUNE: Bistu + Lab 64 + Thrashed + Danger!bus; MON 14 JUNE: 7PM: John Spillane (Ire) - Gaelic Language Gig; FRI 18 JUNE: Beoga (Ire); FRI 25 JUNE: John Spillane (Ire). FOR BAND BOOKINGS, EMAIL: gigs at thehar p@gmail.com
900 PRINCES HIGHWAY, TEMPE PH: 9559 6300
THURSDAY 27TH MAY
Bandaluzia Flamenco Show FRIDAY 28TH MAY
Richmond FontainE (Acoustic )+ Perry Keyes + Robert Cranny SATURDAY 29TH MAY
The Audreys Duo + Andy White TUESDAY 1ST JUNE
Casablanca Nights THURDAY 3RD JUNE
Saritah + +
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Digging Roots (CAN ) Lucy Hall
Fri 04/06 Crow Sat 5/06 Johnny G and The E Types Thur 10/06 The Scarletts Fri & Sat 11-12/06 The Australian Burlesque Festival Wed 16/06 Ophelia Of The Sprits Thur 17/06 Blue House Fri 18/06 Glenn Cardier & The Sideshow Sat 19/06 Jeff Martin Thur 24/06 The Universal Thump (US) Sat 26/06 Custom Kings Sun 27/06 Mashas Legacy Thur 08/07 The Wildes Sat 10/07 Ian Moss Wed 14/07 Rick Price Fri 16/07 Lisa Miller Sat 17/07 Peter Northcote
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 15 •
MANLY
FISHO’S WWW.MANLYFISHOS.COM.AU
TUESDAY 25TH MAY | 7PM | $10
“MANLY MARVELS BAND COMP” SEEK THE SILENCE + RECORDING ALL + SIDESHOW ALLEY + STANDING SILENCE + MODERN DAY TRAGEDY + MORE
FRIDAY 28TH MAY| 8PM | $10
BEATTIE IN THE BACKGROUND + STONE PARADE + COUSIN LOUIS AND THE PULPO BLANCO
SATURDAY 29TH MAY| 8PM | $10
“SURFING THE BLUES 2”
CROSSFIRE HURRICANE + THE POOL CLEANERS + MICK & MEL SCOTT + MOTH
TUESDAY 1ST MAY | 7PM
“MANLY MARVELS BAND COMP”
fishos@atomicdrop.com.au
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LIVE MUSIC VENUE & RESTAURANT
BRINGING BR NGING GT TH THE BEST T LIVE ENTERTAIN ENTERTAINMENT NMENT TO NEWT NEWTOWN TOWN TOW N
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 17 •
Tues 25 Thur 27 8pm $12
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7.30pm $10
Sat 29 8pm $12
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JMC SHOWCASE THE DUCHESSES + TOM STONE & THE SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE THE VOLTS
+ ROLLING STONED + BOSTON SHAKER + MAD CHARLIE + SCURVY TRICKS
HAIR FLAIR & NIGHTMARES
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Sat 12/06 The Zeros Sat 19/06 Throw Down + Terrible Virtue Fri 25/06 Empire Rising Sat 26/06 Amy Meredeth + Tonight Alive Fri 16/07 We Have Music Sat 19/07 Strike Anywhere Sat 04/09 Ninth Pillar Sat 10/10 Buried In Verona
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ALBUM OF THE WEEK “The venom they spit hasn’t lessened in speed or impact a great way to spend half & hour” Cameron Adams - Herald Sun
Avalanche album launch CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY, BATHURST 4th June COME TOGETHER FESTIVAL, LUNA PARK (Lic/All ages) 13th June THE GAELIC CLUB, SYDNEY (One Show Only) 9th July THE CAMBRIDGE, NEWCASTLE 10th July
“Music that carries punch, lyrically & musically with a hint of Sonic Youth” Graham Hammond - Sunday Herald Sun “Avalanche is a force to be reckoned with” Matthew Heath - Canberra Times “Avalanche confirms British India are one of the best bands in the modern era” Jeff Jenkins - Inpress
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WED 26 MAY
FRI 28 MAY
SAT 29 MAY
TUE 01 JUN
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STAR ASSASSINS
SUPERFLORENCE JAM CRASH THROUGH + CHERRYLANE
CLOSURE IN MOSCOW + SECRETS IN SCALE + SIENNA SKIES + EVELYN
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EVENT EVENT &&FUNCTION FUNCTIONBOOKINGS: BOOKINGS: clayton@selectmusic.com.au danielle@thegaelic.com BAND BANDBOOKINGS: BOOKINGS:clayton@selectmusic.com.au clayton@selectmusic.com.au
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WED 30 JUNEBAROQUE NIGHT CLUBKATOOMBA WITH DEAN CARROLL. TICKETS FROM VENUE (02) 4782 1111 & WWW.THEATLASAGENCY.COM
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THU 8 JULYTHE HARP HOTELWOLLONGONG WITH THE WIDOWBIRDS. TICKETS FROM THE VENUE & WWW.THEATLASAGENCY.COM
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THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 23 •
Contents Issue No. 1010 Tuesday 25 May 2010 All entries must be sent to giveaways@drummedia.com.au and include your full name, address and a contact number. Please note – prizes that are to be collected from the office must be done within four weeks of notification of winning.
DRUM MEDIA Giveaways – Look to your left for free stuff, silly! 24 Mailbag – your say on what floats your boat or makes the red mist descend.
26
The News – just like it says, with opinions, tours, releases, Backlash, Frontlash and Dexter finds the world’s shittest hide and seek spot. 28 Expect the unexpected with Stone Temple Pilots.
36
Closure In Moscow undergo a baptism by fire.
37
Pendulum unexpectedly have six big Swedish guys in their studio. 38
THE STRIDES
Lou Reed speaks on his music and art. Only just.
40
The Hold Steady inject some positivity into rock’n’roll.
41
The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra are relevant to both and Australian and African audiences. 42 Foals try and encapsulate real feelings. 42 Rickie Lee Jones is forging a road for others who are coming close behind. 43 Unkle create a good, strange brew.
43
Soulfly keep it in the family.
44
The Black Dahlia Murder attempt to scare the shit out of young kids. 44 For someone who hasn’t been to Egypt, Nile frontman Karl Sanders has quite the grasp of the Old Kingdom. 44 How to make music sound more like pineapples in the sky with Rat Vs Possum.
THE RED EYES
WHAT’S THE OPINION? In this musical case, it’s the expansive Melbourne-based combo that goes by the name The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, about whom you can read much more further into this week’s edition, and who are coming up the Hume to perform at The Gum Ball but are also joining The Strides down at the Basement Circular Quay Friday night. As it happens, we have one double pass to that Basement show, so email us with Public Opinion giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Thursday.
RED ARMY EYES Melbourne’s favourite dub/reggae monster band, The Red Eyes have released their second album, Red Army. Three years in the making the record’s a mix of live studio takes and intricate programming, an album that, as the title suggests, is a reflection on, as they describe it themselves, “the iconography and themes of war that underpin almost every culture around the globe”. So now of course it’s time to take it to the people. They’re launching the album in the Manning Bar on Friday 4 June, presented by Street Press Australia, and we have five Red Eyes prize packs to give away, each including a double pass and a copy of the album, so email us with The Red Eyes giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Tuesday 1 June.
KING TIDE HITS ANNANDALE Recently the local band of choice to back Jamaican legends Dawn Penn and Stranger Cole, King Tide return to the stage, and the Annandale stage at that, in their own right to deliver an evening of wall-to-wall King Tide, selections from all three albums to date, Saturday night, joined by The Delroys. Since a King Tide show is just another way of saying party time, we’re joining in the spirit with ten double passes to the show, so email us with King Tide giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Thursday.
FREE SPEAK The folks over at Modular have just slung us five packs, each containing a copy of the new CD album from Tame Impala, InnerSpeaker, and a 12” vinyl copy of their Solitude Is Bliss single, to give away. Now that’s a bargain in anyone’s language, so get on the old email and type InnerSpeaker pack giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Tuesday 1 June.
ONE FOR LITTLE SISTER You’ve all got little sisters or have friends who do, so this one’s probably for those of you who want to get in good with them and/or haven’t thought about birthday presents. The RnB Superclub two CD compilation series has just hit Volume 10, on which you get all the latest hits from the likes of Black Eyed Peas, Ke$ha, Sean Kingston, Mary J Blige and the rest of every edition of Saturday morning Video Smash Hits! The good people over at Sony have sent us five copies of the two CD set to give away, so do yourself a favour and email us with RnB Superclub Vol 10 giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Tuesday 1 June. (We won’t tell if it’s really for you!)
EASTSIDE FM AT THE BASEMENT In October last year, Eastside Radio 89.7FM presented an outdoor concert at Paddington Reservoir, the East Village Jazz Festival, as part of Art & About public arts festival. Among the artists performing were Bernie McGann, Matt MacMahon, Lloyd Swanton, Col Nolan, Carl Dewhurst and Cameron Undy. Not only was the free community event broadcast live to air by the community station, but was also recorded, and has since been mixed, mastered and, as Live At The Reservoir, becomes Eastside Radio’s first CD release. The CD gets the full launch treatment Wednesday 9 June at The Basement Circular Quay with the Bob Bertles Quintet, Ben Fink, the Susan Gai Dowling Quartet and Lily Dior performing, and we have four double passes to the night to give away. Email us with Eastside FM Basement launch giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Tuesday 8 June. • 24 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
44
The lyrical imagery of Circle Pit is akin to a quilt. 45 Dog Trumpet reflect on death but remain upbeat.
45
On The Record reviews new release albums and singles from The National, Band Of Horses, Tame Impala and more. 46 Andrew Haug fills us in on the metal world as he makes The Racket.
48
Stu Harvey delivers a Short Fast Report on punk and hardcore.
50
Scott Fitzsimons gets Young & Restless with all ages goings on.
50
Viktor Krum asks you to Get It Together with the latest in hip hop.
50
Dan Condon features the world of blues and roots with Roots Down.
51
Michael Smith delivers some Blow with jazz and world music news.
51
Go south as you enter Pedro Manoy’s Swamp Shack. 51
FRONT ROW Artist Todd Hunter and musician Jenny Morris discuss the Art Of Music charity event; Blender Gallery gets profiled; This Week In Arts lists the not-to-be-missed events of the next seven days; 7 Up looks at films informed by fine works of art. 52 Young Jean Lee talks about her New York theatre company and The Shipment, part of Vivid LIVE; theatre productions Parlour Song and Redemption and more get reviewed. 53 Mafia films get an extra dose of realism thanks to Marco Amenta and his Sicilian Girl; Snapshot features Medium:Vinyl. 54 Ex-Idol star Casey Donovan dons her acting shoes for The Sapphires; Cultural Cringe looks at the arts scene; more reviews in Bug and Ute Lemper: 56 Angels Over Berlin. James Pender talks dropping his lawyer career in Paris to return to The Ronnie Johns Half Hour; Snapshot on Zounds art exhibition. 57
VIVID LIVE Drum’s guide to Vivid Live, we pick out the best free events, suss the NYC art scene and chat to Doveman, Bardo Pond and more. 59
LIVE It’s all here: gig reviews, tour guide, what’s happening this week, charts, gig guide, random shit, Juice lock back in like they were never away and The Scotch Of St James have the tools. 67 Finish Line hits hard with industry fact and conjecture.
80
Adam Curley looks at the ‘90s revival The Breakdown. 80 Backstage and BTL – your guide to studios, recording, courses and more. 82 The Classies – need a singer/bassist/ drummer/any other service/product you can think of? Your answer is here. And on iflog.com.au. 85
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 25 •
YOUR SAY
LETTERS@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU
All letters must have author’s correct phone number, name and address to verify identity – not for publication (NFP)
…AND TICKETS FOR ALL Dear Drum, I’m sure I’m not the only one who missed out on Metallica tickets for their upcoming Sydney shows. I don’t mean to come across as a whinger, but here I go anyway. On Friday, I logged onto the Ticketek website for the Visa pre-sale. After being logged out four times before I could complete my purchase (in the eight minutes session time), I waited patiently. When I tried again later, all available tickets were sold out. Fast forward to the Internet pre-sale. Same story – logged out numerous times trying to complete my transaction. Try again later, all pre-sale tickets sold out. Last chance draw, the general public sale and surprise, surprise, same old story. Logged out numerous times mid transaction. The problem as I can see it is that all shows for all states in Australia are on sale at the same time. It is obvious that the system just can’t cope. Being logged out while trying to complete a purchase is a joke. It is the equivalent of standing in a queue at a shop, cash in hand, not being served within eight minutes, having a staff member take your goods out of your hand, putting them back on the shelf, making you leave the queue to go back and get them, losing your place in the queue and in the meantime someone else has grabbed the very item you were holding, the item is sold out and you’ve just wasted over two hours of your time for no result. But it doesn’t stop there. I have done all that Ticketek have asked me to do. I am a Ticketek member, I hold a Visa card (Ticketek prefers Visa) and still came out empty handed. If I (a NSW resident) can’t buy one ticket to one of three Metallica shows in Sydney, how is it that someone in Perth can purchase ten tickets to a show in Sydney? Ticketek only allows you to buy four tickets at a time and you cannot purchase different tickets to the same show in the one transaction. Same as the person in Melbourne who has ten floor tickets to the Sydney show, etc. How do I know this? I looked on that other ticketing website, eBay. I’m not looking forward to paying between $250 and $600 to see a band I’ve been a fan of for more than half my life (since ‘88, I’m 34 now), but it seems I don’t have a choice. Not until Ticketek change their methods of selling tickets to Australian shows. How long do music fans have to be held to ransom by scalpers (and Ticketek) before changes are made? I know I am not alone in being messed around by Ticketek. Several of my friends have had the same experience and gripes in the last week or so (re: Metallica & Powderfinger). Help me Drum Media... Help me! Jeff Wilberforce Although it’s the thing that should not be, such a process is sad but true, so no use getting your St Anger on about the day that never comes, otherwise you’ll be the unforgiven. It’s not like nothing else matters, right? – Ed
WEIRD SCIENCE
see appearances by my ‘cousin’ William Dalrymple on his festival funded Sydney visits, but as ever, there is one tribe of Australian writers, one colour of the local literary spectrum, that is very nearly absent this year program. To borrow cousin Bill’s vernacular, I speak of the proverbial ‘Bauls’ of Australian publishing, the local science fiction and fantasy writers. Anyone who buys books can see that their books are a major section of most bookshops, but where are their appearances on this year’s Festival program? At this time, can you imagine a publicly funded Writers’ Festival getting away with a policy of excluding writers of any one particular faith, proclivity or ethnic origin? They seem to do be able to get away at most Sydney Writers’ Festivals with a near total exclusion of local SF&F writers, except for some who write children’s stories or the occasional single international SF writer of profoundly PC political sentiments? There are a great many Sydney/NSW SF&F Writers who could be invited. I have been organising free entry, book based SF&F events since 2000 and each year I have no trouble finding five to ten local SF&F writers who are prepared to discuss their work with their readers. That is to say, those Australian SF&F Writers whose books that you will find for sale in the large ‘Science Fiction / Sci-Fi / SF&F’ section found in most city and suburban bookshops. The absence of local SF&F writers on the Festival program this year is particularly disturbing, as during September this year, Australia will briefly be the world capital of Science Fiction writing. Towards 2,000 people from all over the world will be assembling in Melbourne to take part in a fourth Australian World Science Fiction convention. People have been meeting in Sydney to talk about Science Fiction books since 1939, so isn’t it about time for some equity and representation on the Literary Festival front? Wishing you well in all things. Garry Earlwood We reckon it’s a Klingon conspiracy – Ed
NO HIGH PRAISE Dear Drum, I think we’ve reached a point where we should ban any rendition of Hallelujah in televised talent competitions. Recently I saw an ad where yet another wet behind the ears no talent person was murdering the song. It’s bad enough there are too many of these types of shows as is, but to hear at least two or three contestants every single series attempt the song (and very badly I might add) is getting beyond a joke. Every time someone sings it on these shows, the song loses its magic that little bit more. There are only two decent versions of the song that should be the only ones hear forever more – by Jeff Buckley and kd Lang. No one, especially 12-year-old aspiring singers, should be allowed to touch it ever again. Ray Birchgrove Um, what about the bloke that wrote it? – Ed
Dear Drum, I must dissent from the annual mood of literary backslapping and bonhomie that surrounds the current Sydney Writers’ Festival. It is always good to
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CONTRIBUTORS Adam D Mills, Adam Wilding, Andrew Haug, Anthony Carew, Ben Preece, Ben Revi, Brooke Salisbury, Clare Dickins, Craig Pearce, Cyclone, Dan Condon, Daniel Johnson, Danielle O’Donohue, David Michael
• 26 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
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NEWS@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU Sadly, last week’s co-cover girls, Those Darlins have had to postpone their forthcoming Australian tour with Wagons as two of the girls have found themselves under doctors orders, one resting two broken forearm bones, another a respiratory infection. Wagons will however go ahead and tour, so they’ll be fronting up to the Beach Road Hotel Wednesday, the Annandale Friday, the Clarendon in Katoomba Saturday and the Brass Monkey Sunday, with new special guests. STOP PRESS: Due to overwhelming demand, the forthcoming visit by Two Door Cinema Club Monday 2 August has been moved from the Oxford Art Factory to the more spacious Manning Bar, all tickets sold valid for the new venue. All three Florence & The Machine Enmore Theatre shows, Thursday 5, Friday 6 and Saturday 7 August, have sold out in record time, with Sydney singer songwriter Ernest Ellis announced as guest supporting artist.
RICHARD ASHCROFT & THE UNITED NATIONS OF SOUND
THE NEW DELEGATION
All three Sydney Powderfinger farewell concerts – Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September at the Sydney Entertainment Centre and Saturday 6 November at Acer Arena – have completely sold out. All up so far, that’s 22 of the 34 shows across the country sold out already, including Wednesday 1 September at Newcastle Entertainment Centre and Thursday 9 at WIN Entertainment Centre Wollongong, which translates into more than 250,000 tickets sold so far. Shapeshifter, who play the Metro Theatre Sunday 13 June, will be joined by NZ’s Electric Wire Hustle Soundsystem as well as DJs Jonny Faith and Monkfly. Cloud Control have scored the support for The Magic Numbers when they play the Metro Theatre Friday 30 July. Sydney’s own genre-defying MM9 have joined the Karnivool New Day Tour as main supports everywhere but Perth, which means you’ll catch them both Saturday 26 June at Newcastle Panthers, Wednesday 30 (sold out), Thursday 1 and Friday 2 July (new show) at the Metro Theatre, and the ANU Bar Canberra.
JACK JOHNSON
HONORARY AUSSIE JACK You know what? We think Jack Johnson likes Australia – maybe it’s the surf. The regular visitor has announced another visit following the release of his new album, To The Sea, which is bound to build on his already impressive 18 million worldwide sales. An avid surfer and general beach-loving guy, ever since turning his attention to the guitar he’s delivered track after track of relaxed and feel-good acoustic numbers. Due in The Domain Saturday 11 December (what a gig this will be) the tour will see him collaborate with various local community groups as part of Johnson’s All At Once Community initiative. Once again 100 percent of his tour profits will go to charity and tour proceeds to these local groups.
STEEL CITY One serving of country, a healthy dose of rock’n’roll and seven-inch stilettos thrown in for good measure – that’s what the Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills has in store for punters each Wednesday in June, thanks to Corrina Steel. With an increasing blues and soul weight to her tracks, Steel’s third album, A Fling With The King, was released last year and earned her a slot on Bluesfest as well as a national tour. Now bringing her live band back local for a month’s worth of shows, catch her Wednesday 2, 9, 23 and 30.
LISA MILLER Melbourne singer songwriter Lisa Miller releases her new album, Car Tape 2, this Friday, and follows it up the Hume to play it and more. In new dates to those previously announced, she plays Friday 16 July at Notes, Saturday 17 at the Heritage, and Sunday at the Clarendon in Katoomba, that night with special guests Dog Trumpet. Clare Bowditch & The New Slang will be joining the festivities Friday 2, Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 July at Sydney Opera House before heading up to Splendour. The new album, Modern Day Addiction, sees release Friday 13 August. Just to tide you over until the new album, Youngbloods, is released mid-June, The Amity Affliction have put their first single, I Hate Hartley, up on their website for free download, the guys hitting Woden Basketball Stadium Thursday 8 July and the UNSW Roundhouse Friday 9 with Americans Misery Signals, England’s Flood of Red and our own Confession. Singer, songwriter and in demand session player Daniel March launches his debut album, The Wonder And Hunger, Saturday 12 June at Sol Sutra. Melbourne-based international Irish singer songwriter Andy White is back in Australia after another year overseas promoting his latest album, Songwriter, and plays Notes Saturday and Lizotte’s Kincumber Sunday. Saturday 5 June Arthouse presents an evening of drum’n’bass anthems mixed by UK label Hospital Records’ CEO, London Elektricity aka Tony Colman, and Hospital artist Agent Alvin. The original Iron Maiden frontman Paul Dianno returns to Australia to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the iconic UK metal band’s self-titled debut album and performing it in its entirety along with tracks from second album, Killers, live Thursday 17 June in the Bar On The Hill Newcastle, Friday 18 at Waves Wollongong, Saturday 19 in the Gaelic Theatre and Sunday 20 at the ANU Canberra. • 28• THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
When The Verve reformed there were certain, largely unsubstantiated, rumours that their brief run of shows would make its way to Australia. As we all expected, it didn’t eventuate, but thanks to Splendour In The Grass we’ve got the next big thing. Richard Ashcroft & The United Nations Of Sound are inbound with sideshows now announced. With a new band assembled, the first we’ve heard from the frontman’s latest solo project is the track Are You Ready, with a wall of guitars and ethos that fits in perfectly with the track’s title. The band’s first official single, Born Again, is due in July, and they’ll be playing the Enmore Theatre Saturday 31 July.
SYDNEY’S WARM WELCOME Currently traversing the European scene where it seems they’re being received better than they are back home, Sydney’s Bridezilla have been announced as the headliners for the Oxford Art Factory’s June edition of their showcase series. The swooning atmosphere and thick indie rhythms will take centre stage Wednesday 16 June, whil- duo Domeyko/Gonzalez will bring their multi-instrument boards and surf rock influenced Step-Panther complete the winter-warming night out. Only $5, too.
GOTTA GET LOW Adelaide hip hop quartet Lowrider are back with a new album, Round The World, the follow-up to the acclaimed Diamond Amongst The Thieves. With the band claiming they’ve stepped up, they’ll be bringing their soul and funk around the nation to prove their case. Definitely more confident in their output (the first single, Here We Go, attests to that) the album’s available early July and was produced by Jason Goldstien (Grammy winner for Beyoncé’s B’Day and man behind the desk for Jay-Z’s Blueprint). Their tour happens following that release, so catch them at The Brewery Thursday 12 August and the Annandale Hotel Friday 13.
TAME IMPALA
TAMING ELLIE
This fortnight Universal and Street Press Australia have a couple of new downloads for you, for free, naturally. There’s a take on a Tame Impala track that may provide a few surprises, as well as a singer/songwriter who may just be your new favourite thing. Direct browsers to universalmusic. net.au/freedownloads/streetpressaustralia and start putting your bandwidth to use. Tame Impala Solitude Is Bliss (Mickey Moonlight Remix) Tame Impala provide a rainbow sandstorm of stoned riffage, melody and blissed-out adventurism from the most isolated city in the world. Their eagerly anticipated debut album, InnerSpeaker (out now), is an explosive, cosmic wonderland of ecstatic harmony and perfectly accessible journeys into inner space. The flagship track of the album, Solitude Is Bliss is a summertime romp and this is Mickey Moonlight’s remix. Ellie Goulding Wish I Stayed Here’s a name you can expect to hear bandied around in 2010. Virtually unknown 12 months ago, Goulding has caught the attention of UK tastemakers, and has already won the coveted BBC Sound of 2010 poll, as well as the Critic’s Choice Award at this year’s Brit Awards. Very few singer-songwriters, young or old, can flip between dance-’til-you-drop euphoria and wistful, journeying space-folk as Goulding does in her debut album, Lights (out now). Wish I Stayed pinpoints the love-hate relationship every leaver has about their hometown.
THE WONDERFUL AND THE WEIRD Umulat, the next project for Bär McKinnon, a former member of both Mr Bungle and Secret Chiefs 3, are hitting the road very soon with one Dr El Suavo. Perhaps promoting their debut album released last year or perhaps just looking for some trouble to stir, the tour’s due at the ANU Bar Friday 25 June, the Factory Theatre Saturday 26 and Newcastle’s Croatian Club Sunday 27. As for El Suavo, there’s a press release that quotes both The Drum Media, “The magician even kids love to hate,” and sister publication, Brisbane’s Time Off, “Contender for the world’s worst magician.” An angry man with unimpressive tricks = a lot of fun.
ELLIE GOULDING
GRAND BUT CLOSE The Universal Thump, the new project from Greta Gertler and Adam D. Gold, has its eyes set on Australia to preview their alternative pop tunes from their forthcoming and eponymous album. A quick trip to their MySpace indicates that the band’s tracks are orchestral (over 50 musicians have come through Brooklyn to add their touch to the record’s recording), but they still manage to stay close to the ear, always intimate. Without an orchestral backing of quite that scale (can you imagine the baggage costs?!), the project will be playing at Ravál Tuesday 8 June, and Notes Thursday 24. Up close and personal, no doubt.
CORDRAZINE
THE HARD-ONS
MEGA STARS INBOUND
BRAND NEW DAY
THE HARD ROAD
We’re pretty sure that T-Pain peaked with his guest spot on The Lonely Island’s I’m On A Boat, but the auto-tune pioneer will be selecting tracks from his celebrated back catalogue as part of the Wintertbeatz festival heading into the Acer Arena Wednesday 28 July. Alongside the hugely talented Ne-Yo (along with his own hits, he’s written tracks for Beyoncé, Rihanna, Mario and more), Phinesse and DJ Nino Brown make up the tour. Now, hip hop tours are notorious for falling through, but this comes from the people that recently held Supafest – so this is one to bank on.
Darlings of the local scene back in the late ‘90s, disbanding in 1998 Melbourne’s Cordrazine are back. Songwriter and vocalist Hamish Cowan had a foray into the world of solo projects not that long ago, but never reached the heights that his band’s only album, From Here To Wherever did. With the new single, Sunshine, the first taste from their forthcoming album, Always Coming Down, out now, it’s a long break to come back from, but the romantic and gentle melody seems to be intact so far. Launching the album, they’ll be at The Vanguard Saturday 21 August.
They’re back, with a new album no less. The Hard-Ons return to the world of release schedule sheets to shake up a world that’s currently obsessed with the likes of GaGa and Bieber. “Shirtless” and “middle-aged”, there’s plenty of fire and fury left in these stalwarts yet, as heard and experienced on the new record, Alfalfa Males Once Summer Is Done Conform Or Die, typically littered with moments of thrash metal, pop-punk and skate-rock. The band are hitting the road to play for you, dear rock fan and Friday 16 July they’ll be at the Annandale Hotel.
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 29 •
NEWS@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU
THIRSTY MERC
LOVE THAT CAR BLACK CAB
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
APRIL IN SEPTEMBER
As the Australian music scene’s favourite hippies, the John Butler Trio have done it again with their new album, April Uprising. The first album with his new backing band of Nicky Bomba (percussion) and Byron Luiters (bass), it went straight to #1 and recently the trio has been making its way around the world to launch the disc at various locations – including a performance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno this Tuesday. However there’s an Australian album tour in store and Thursday 2 September you can catch them at WIN Entertainment Centre, Friday 3 the Hordern Pavilion, Tuesday 7 Newcastle Entertainment Centre and Wednesday 15 the Royal Theatre Canberra.
Part of the controversy surrounding the 2009 Australian Music Prize suggested that Melbourne’s psych-rock outfit Black Cab were perhaps a little hard done by. Their album, Call Signs, was the outside hope that came storming home as it wore on everyone’s ears and even though they didn’t take home the prize, their quality has been recognised throughout the industry. With a new single, International Son/Sexy Polizei, under their belt, the band will play, fittingly, the Oxford Art Factory on Friday 16 July, with special guests Black Ryder and The Preachers. They haven’t been an instant success, but they’re working away and building a very solid foundation indeed.
They’re a prime example of a hard-working independent Sydney band that’ve done good. Thirsty Merc broke into the mainstream psyche with tracks like In The Summertime and Someday, Someday, and now, following a rejuvenating break from the scene, are starting to creep back into it. The pop-rock group has released the first single (and title track) from their forthcoming record, Mousetrap Heart, and will be arriving at familiar venues to launch it as follows: Thursday 1 July they’re at Waves, Friday 2 the Cambridge Hotel and Saturday 3 the Metro Theatre.
CLOUD CONTROL
RICHARD CLAPTON
REACHING CLOUD CLAPTON PVT
DRM LVS PVT
MATT CORBY
A FALSE JOURNEY Sydney’s very own Matt Corby has managed to attach himself to the bluegrass phenomenon that is Mumford & Sons by scoring the Sydney support slots for their upcoming visit. The folk-pop singer songwriter released his new single, My False, last week and before he joins Mumford will embark on a national tour of his own. Wednesday 30 June he’ll be at the Brass Monkey, Thursday 1 July Ravál, Friday 2 the Heritage Hotel and Saturday 3 the Northern Star Hotel. Oh yeah, just thought we’d remind you he’s the guy that lost to Natalie Gauci in 2007’s Australian Idol – we reckon he’s trying to distance himself from the show and make like Lisa Mitchell.
BOND’ DO ROCK The lineup for the 2010 Bondi Music Festival has been announced, and once again it’ll be a breeding ground for emerging local artists. Happening at the Bondi Pavilion Saturday 13 June from noon until midnight, there are 30 bands across three stages, including King Tide, Porcelain, Sticky Fingers, Genevieve Chadwick, Glenn Cardier, Red Slim, Charmaine, Bonney Read, The Naked Parade, Wormholes Exist, Artificial International, Anthony McKeon, Iron Bar Hotel, Sun Soldier, The Cardinal Groove, Three Quarters Hazel, Lovers Jump Creek, Tony Gibson, Justin Ossher and heaps more. There are also DJs, roving performers, food and market stalls, chill-out relaxation rooms and so on and so forth. What more do you want in a day? • 30 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
There’s a decidedly average alternative metal band from North Carolina and unfortunately they’ve decided that the world isn’t big enough for two Pivots. Hence, the decidedly brilliant and Warp-signed Sydney math-electro outfit formerly known as Pivot have changed their name to PVT. (We’re going to pronounce it Pivot anyway - go on, sue us.) More importantly, the trio has a new record, Church With No Magic, which builds on their epic synth lines while moving away slightly from its predecessor’s (O Soundtrack My Heart) post-rock influences. With the lead single, Window, streaming now, the band have announced an Australian tour and will be playing the Manning Bar Saturday 21 August. The album’s due mid-July.
OZI BATLA
FIGHTING ON SOLO The frontman of both The Herd and Astronomy Class, even if Ozi Batla’s name isn’t quite a household name beyond the hip hop scene as yet, his influence has been most certainly felt. Now ready to drop a solo record, the response to Wild Colonial has been positive so far. His intelligence, experience and downright skill in penning a good tune is plain to see across the record. He’s not some kid upstart, he’s the veteran at the top of his game. Saturday 26 June at the Annandale Hotel he’ll be launching the album – The Last Kinection and The Tongue will be supporting him for the night.
The Annandale Hotel’s birthday celebrations are getting bigger by the week, and even after this announcement there’s still more to come. Taking names from both ends of the life cycle spectrum, the former Blue Mountainsbased Cloud Control will be playing Friday 25 June, having just released their debut album Bliss Release (in fact, this week the album’s debut at #20 on the ARIA chart – a very good result indeed). On the other hand there’s Richard Clapton who’s sustained a recording career for 35 years now, and he’ll be performing Thursday 1 July. Of course, they join a week of shows that also has Regurgitator, The Vines, Bluejuice, Dallas Crane, an Elefant Traks night and more.
THE CITY OF SYN Just as we suspected – Spit Syndicate’s recently released album Exile is awesome. Well done to the Sydney duo (Nick Lupi and Just Enuf) but the hard work is just beginning, and on the back of this, their third record, they’re hitting the touring paths up and down the East Coast. Thursday 22 July they’ll be at The Harp Hotel, Wollongong, Friday 23 the Cambridge Hotel, Saturday 24 The Gaelic Theatre and the NSW leg wraps up Sunday 25 at The Wall, for an all ages show.
SILENCE BROKEN The Western Sydney melodic hardcore/metalcore scene was virtually bursting with bands not that long ago, but as the musical landscape has shifted, many have died off leaving only those with the real focus. As Silence Breaks are one such band and will be releasing their debut album after years of gigging around the city, 11 June. With plenty of experience behind them (they even scored the local support for the Taste Of Chaos tour) they’ll be doing what they do best following the album’s release, hitting Picton’s Bridge 54 Saturday 5 June (all ages), Spectrum Thursday 10 and the Lucky Australia Tavern Sunday 20 (all ages).
GRINSPOON
DEBORAH CONWAY & WILLY ZYGIER
THE MIDNIGHT RUN
TOGETHER AS A WHOLE
Grinspoon. They’re the band that you just can’t stop, just can’t hold still. Whatever stance you’ve taken as the band has gone through its various progressions from the original punk rock to stadium punk to pop rock and back to hard-hitting rock, you can’t fault them for their continual drive and ability to hold it all together. On the back of their latest album, Six To Midnight, hailed as a return to form for fans that got off around the Thrills Kills & Sunday Pills era, the band are hitting a bunch of regional locations. Friday 13 August it’s Waves Wollongong and Newcastle Leagues Club Wednesday 18.
It’s the Half Man Half Woman tour and it has nothing to do with anything out of a Harry Potter story. Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier recently completed a new album together, Half Man Half Woman, and are performing a run of shows to promote its release. Telling tales of, “love in the middle ages, life in the 21st century and the human condition of now,” the album comes complete with their rants, instrumentals and daughters’ singing. Wednesday 16 June they’re at Lizotte’s Kincumber, Friday 18 The Basement Circular Quay, Saturday 19 Lizotte’s Newcastle and Sunday 20 The Clarendon Guesthouse.
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A DAY IN THE LIFE:
A BEATLES RETROSPECTIVE
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May
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21 JUN HOPE SANDOVAL & THE WARM INVENTIONS + MICK TURNER & JEFFREY WEGENER + DIRT BLUE GENE
13 Jun
25 JUN
THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS
18 Jun
+ WASHINGTON
17 JUL
KEVIN RUDOLF
Katie Noonan 19 & The Captains Jun
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RICHARD ASHCROFT & THE UNITED NATIONS OF SOUND
31 JUL
For more great shows visit
www.enmoretheatre.com.au THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 31 •
MACHINE TRANSLATIONS
SING IN BINARY
SISTERS DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES
Four years on from Ta-Dah, the album that proved the hype was justified, Scissor Sisters are back with Night Works, their third album, which is due for release 25 June. Emerging as a mainstream victory for burlesque, drag, gay and lesbian style, the band have mixed themes of ‘80s and glam rock’s excess with the melodic prowess of, say, Elton John’s peak years. The band were last on Australian shores for their 2007 national tour and will be returning for this year’s Splendour In The Grass extravaganza. Recently announcing side shows, they’ll also be dropping into Luna Park’s Big Top Tuesday 27 July.
Having been away from the spotlight over the last couple of years as he worked on other projects (building a studio, producing records for C.W. Stoneking, Boat People and more), multi-instrumentalist and home-recording-prone J. Walker finally returns to the project that made him a regular on triple j airwaves, Machine Translations. With seven records to their name, the band are building on the legacy with the new single, Telepathic Head. Launching the track, you can catch him Saturday 5 June at The Vanguard.
STICKIN’ IT TO THE WORLD A top artist, lobbyist and spokesperson for all that is good about the Australian hip hop scene, Urthboy is taking his latest album, Spitshine, overseas in the very near future for his first ever European tour. Before he joins the likes of Jay-Z, Eminem and Nas at Switzerland’s Open Air festival and the Wu-Tang Clan at Germany’s Splash! Festival he’ll be saying farewell in a show at the Sandringham Hotel Saturday 19 June. His smallest and most intimate show for a while, tickets are available now and moving very quickly.
WEST COAST TALES On the back of their fifth album, Timesheet, which was released earlier this year, Benedict Moleta’s band are journeying far from their West Coast home base to tour the Eastern side of this great brown land. A highly narrative record with tales of the Australian experience, more specifically the Western one, it’s a record, and for that matter a band, that’s meant to be played and enjoyed with friends. Bring yours along to the Sandringham Hotel Saturday 17 July where Benedict Moleta will be performing with The Jewel And The Falcon and Community Radio.
BASS FORMULAS Remedy at the UTS Loft is making sure that no one is missing out on the beats, with its free monthly events. Run by local label and party starters Foreigndub, they’ve enlisted UK duo Total Science to headline June’s event, which happens Friday 11. Since their meeting in Oxford during 1987, they’ve recorded and mixed under a number of monikers. Expect some deep house, and plenty of drum ‘n’ bass during this evening. Vice Versa, Foreigndub and Five vs Whitey are also on the bill.
Filmed in concert at the launch of the second album, Cosmic Egg, at the Enmore Theatre last year, triple j tv presents Wolfmother, 11pm Monday 24 May on ABC2. Just released is the various artists soundtrack from eight-part ABC2 series I Rock, featuring tracks from Tim Rogers, Magic Dirt, Youth Group, Sparkadia, Laura Imbruglia and more. You’ve heard the new single, Vital Signs, so it’s high time Midnight Juggernauts released their second album, The Crystal Axis, which is just what they’re doing Friday. You’ve seen him on the telly in the series Arrested Development, but David Cross is also a sort of singer/songwriter as well as a comedian and his third album, Bigger And Blackerer, is released Friday. The now 25-year-old UK songstress Katie Melua called in William Orbit to produce her fourth album, The House, out Friday. Melbourne-based indie folk four-piece Jack’s Castle have just released their debut album, On A Colour TV, mastered at the infamous Abbey Road Studios in London. Still defiant a decade after releasing their last album, Sydney’s own hardcore combo Toe To Toe not release their first studio album since 1999, Arturo Gatti, on Friday, but also their entire back catalogue including 1997’s Tao and 1999’s Consolidated albums. French singer songwriter Emilie Simon is now based in New York, where she recorded her fourth album, The Big Machine, which sees release Saturday. Originally released in 2005, the debut album from UK band Dogs, Turn Against This Land, is being reissued with bonus tracks Monday 31 May. Florida punks Against Me! release their second major label album, White Crosses, Friday 4 June. Local metalcore four-piece Buried In Verona took themselves to Gothenburg in Sweden to record their second album, Saturday Night Sever, which they release Friday 4 June. Philadelphia-based power popsters Free Energy release their debut album, Stuck On Nothing, Friday 4 June.
• 32 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
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kingtide w. THE DELROYS $18 + bf
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THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 33 •
FRONTLASH
SYD 1 – BRIS 0
Well it was actually Sydney 106 to Brisbane 86 at the packed Hordern Pavilion for the Roller Derby. Get on this bandwagon now a) because it’s awesome and b) because our State of Origin team isn’t quite as inspiring as we’d hoped. This win might be vital for our self-respect.
THE BEST AT SYD FEST If you want proof that people running the Sydney Film Festival know what they’re doing, take the fact that of the three films they secured from this year’s Cannes Film Festival, one of them has – at time of print – just won the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives was hailed as a masterpiece by almost everyone. Nice work, SFF.
DA VINCI Currently on show at the Sydney Town Hall. Move over Dan Brown, there’s enough mystery and wonder in the man’s life without you.
DEAD LETTER CIRCUS
BACKLASH
BIEBER
Brisbane’s Dead Letter Circus debut at #2 on the ARIA charts this week, a magnificent achievement for a great record. What held them out of #1? Justinbloody-Bieber.
FAKED AUSSIE PASSPORTS Well Israel, this one’s really backfired hasn’t it? Maybe next time you’ll think twice before using the identities of innocent British and Australian citizens. All good until you get caught…
LOST FINALE TV show Lost has finally finished in the United States. We would go on Twitter to read the spoilers fans are dishing out to the rest of the world, but they lost us after the polar bear scene in series one.
• 34 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
KEEP ON DANCING KICKING OFF A TOUR TO CELEBRATE HIS 20 YEARS AS A DJ, THE DRUM ASKED DJ DEXTER TO WRITE A TOUR DIARY OF HIS FIRST COUPLE OF SHOWS. INCLUDES TALES OF SCRAPING THROUGH WITH FLIGHTS AND A ROUND OF HIDE AND SEEK.
F
riday 7 May – Melbourne tour launch at The Hi-Fi Dizz1, Kuya and I had been rehearsing around the clock at my pad in Melbourne for a week. Tired, delusional and just making it to load-in on time we started setting up. A huge team and four hours later the scene was set – six turntables, five mixers, two Kaos Pads, two Akai MPDs, one Machine Trigger Pad, one old skool red boom box, Serato, Abelton, a drum kit, five traditional PNG log drums, two tiki heads, visuals (photos from over the years, lanyards I kept from shows and festivals around the world and record covers I used during the show mixed with live visuals). The show went off with a bang and we got a massive crowd to celebrate the occasion, the dancefloor lapping up every moment. From A13 (HEAVY INNITT) and Thomas Kilroc, to Dizz1’s set and my brother Kuya’s System Of A Down Toxicity, mouths dropped. Incredible. Arriving on stage to Annie Get Your Gun the show rolled out with my DMC favourite sections and Louie Armstrong swing set scratch routine from the 2000 champs. It gave me the slightest inkling to think about entering the DMCs again… you never know! Kuya took to the stage with me to perform our own remediation of Metallica’s Enter Sandman slowing the original down to create a krump-sounding version of the song, with our equipment and a few tricks up our sleeves. Silence filled the air when Albert David joined the stage, Grrilla Step’s TI dancer blowing his spirit through a conch shell, before moving into Tag Mauki dance with log drummers and an MPC. The krumpers
BACKSTAGE AT THE GREAT NORTHERN joined in to deliver a full Pacific Island experience. Little did any of the punters know his flight had landed at 11.40pm and he had only got to the venue around 12.30, just in the nick of time to change and warm up! We all kicked back at my joint later for a well-deserved catch-up sharing music and thoughts to the early morning! Thursday 13 May – Dexter XX Tour crew head up Queensland We had a super early flight and started the day at 4am. As usual the krumpers were late and just made it through check-in, ensuring stress levels were high running to the gate. We landed in Sydney to meet up with Dizz1 to get our connecting flight to the Gold Coast and bolted from our landing gate to our connecting flight where Dizz1 had kindly let the flight crew know we were running late. Arriving on board to the full flight waiting for us, we scrambled to our seats and put our luggage in overhead. Everyone crashed out as soon as we sank into our seats. Friday 14 May – Brisbane show at The Hi-Fi From the Gold Coast we lugged our equipment up to the Resin Dogs’ place in Brisbane. We had a few sore heads from the night before. Our sound engineer described the crew as “like watching a Cheech & Chong movie”. Deliriously tired it was the best we could do and everyone kicked back to choons and rested up. Soundcheck went off without a hitch utilising the drum risers split in half with eight stools to hold it up – you have to make do at times and it worked a treat. Brisbane punters filled the
THE SHITTEST/BEST HIDE AND SEEK EVER dancefloor and old school fans come out of the woodwork for the show. Saturday 15/Sunday 16 May – Byron Bay Next stop was Byron Bay and everyone looking forward to a day off. We decided to play hide and seek to kill the time (at midnight?) and best hiding spot would of gone to Jazz (my tour manager) as Erupt (krumper) watched her try to fit into a sack of linen, but it was officially passed onto Dizz1 for his very sneaky hiding spot (check out the pic) – pfffft! Hide is the keyword Dizz1! Byron Bay was an amazing show from start to finish and nobody stopped dancing the whole night. Dancing, jumping and straight out losing it to the end. I played an extra half an hour, it was too much fun to stop playing especially after a breakdancing crew from Brisbane who came down especially for show ripped up the dancefloor. Everyone flew back Monday, except Dizz1 requesting ten minutes more sleep; five hours later he awoke grabbing a last minute flight. This is DJ Dexter signing off from Byron Bay as I lap up some well-deserved rest with my girl. Peas, love and sausage rolls (from the Byron Bay’s 24 hour Bakery, don’t be fooled by their sign on the shopfront which says it’s open 23 hours, it’s a lie. Hmm. Great midnight snacks though!) WHO Dexter WHEN & WHERE Friday, Oxford Art Factory; Saturday, Cambridge Hotel
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 35 •
WE’RE GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER Stone Temple Pilots aren’t the first band to reunite after a hiatus, particularly one where many thought the band was over for good. Tara Simmons looks at a few other acts who have jumped back on the wagon. The Police - Andy Summers, Sting and Stewart Copeland - originally formed in 1977. After being one of the first new wave groups to reach mainstream success, they broke up in 1984. According to documentary Last Play At Shea, Sting felt it was because the band had reached ‘Everest’ and he then decided to go solo. After a few sporadic performances to commemorate special events, the band officially got back together for a reunion tour through 2007-2008 to mark the 30th anniversary of their single, Roxanne. The surviving members of Led Zeppelin also reunited in 2007 for a one-off benefit concert. Following this there was much media speculation about their future, with vocalist Robert Plant quoted in the Sunday Times saying “having to live up to something is terribly serious”. The band has not performed together since.
THE SECOND
STONE AGE
And then there are the bands that maybe should just break up already. Take INXS. Since singer Michael Hutchence was found dead in a hotel room in 1997, the band has tried numerous times to replace him. For some reason something just isn’t right and one couldn’t possibly think why – no matter how many times Never Tear Us Apart is played. Sometimes it’s just time, in the words of The Beatles who broke up 40 years ago, to let it be. But also it appears leaving when you’re on top and coming back to celebrate works well too. Whether it’s due to your slow-tocatch-on band or maybe just your band members, reforming isn’t a bad idea if you’ve nothing to lose.
NINETIES ALT-ROCK GIANTS STONE TEMPLE PILOTS ARE BACK WITH THEIR FIRST NEW ALBUM IN TEN YEARS. “I DON’T THINK ANY OF US WANTS TO REDO ANYTHING WE’VE ALREADY DONE,” GUITARIST DEAN DELEO TELLS DOUG WALLEN.
T
he career of ’90s rock figureheads Stone Temple Pilots is littered with prestigious awards, gold and platinum albums, six #1 singles in the US and more than 35 million albums sold across the globe. Despite 2003’s cherry-picking anthology, Thank You, however, that blockbuster career sat dormant between 2002 and 2008. Coming off hiatus for an extensive North American tour in ’08, the California quartet stayed together and got down to work on a sixth album. Fans and haters alike may not have expected a new chapter in the STP saga, but for guitarist Dean DeLeo, it was always just a matter of time.
way rehashes the grunge thrills of platinum-selling early efforts like 1992’s Core and 1994’s Purple. The bluesy hooks of Take A Load Off and Hazy Daze may immediately be of the familiar STP brand, but most of the songs have a ’60s or ’70s feel, flitting between power pop, glam, baroque rock and more. Hickory Dichotomy and First Kiss On Mars are decidedly Bowieish, while Between The Lines recalls Tom Petty by way of Nirvana. The closing Maver is a harmony-ripened ballad underscored with piano and Dare If You Dare is a dreamy Beatlesque vision until the chorus tips its hat to Mott The Hoople’s Bowie-penned All The Young Dudes.
“I can’t say I was really surprised,” he admits, sounding as relaxed as could be. “I can say I patiently waited. I was ecstatic that the next chapter arrived. I knew it would, but I didn’t know when. I just felt like it wasn’t really over. None of us did.”
“We sure didn’t set out to make that type of record,” DeLeo asserts. “I think we just wanted to be a little more expressive. Being the guitar player, I really have all the paints in front of me. That’s where all the colour comes from. I just wanted to approach things a little differently, with cleaner tones and a lot of Telecaster stuff. It’s funny you say ’60s or ’70s: I think the record has a real country tinge, quite honestly.”
Self-titled and self-produced, the new record is positive proof of the reignited partnership between singer Scott Weiland, drummer Eric Kretz, DeLeo and his bassist brother Robert. DeLeo had been saving many of the new songs for a long time, making it a particular thrill for him to see them finally greet the light of day. “I love recording music, especially songs that have been sitting in my pocket for many, many years. It’s quite cathartic to get them out. It’s very relieving. And that I have the opportunity to have guys like Robert and Eric and Scott embellish upon my music… it’s mighty fine, man.” Romping through 12 songs in 41 minutes, Stone Temple Pilots is built on effortless choruses and splashy guitar licks. Helmed by the brothers DeLeo in LA, it in no
• 36 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
He cites a country influence in everything from Huckleberry Crumble and Hickory Dichotomy to Maver and First Kiss On Mars, admitting that the latter started as a “nice little country ditty” before Weiland introduced some very cosmic lyrics about a “bipolar disco” and “super magic robots”. “That’s what’s so exciting about Scott coming back with something. He comes back with the complete, complete unexpected.” Although Weiland has said this is basically the first album where his lyrics weren’t preoccupied by his heroin addiction, witness the rascally refrain of the
lead single Between The Lines – “You always were my favourite drug/ Even when we used to take drugs”. Vocally and lyrically, he then approaches something like vintage Britpop on the super-romantic Cinnamon, a song written and demo’d entirely by Robert one night after dinner. Coaxed along by the cascading jangle, Weiland swoons, “You’ve got to be the prettiest girl/ I’ve ever witnessed in the whole world”. “We threw a lot of material at him,” DeLeo recalls. “We were demoing three, four songs a day. We worked up 20-something. Then we got together and, in our usual fashion, we played most everything acoustically so Scott could really hear the chordings that were happening. Then we played the stuff live. So the album was actually cut twice – once in demo form and then for real.” The album, he adds, was recorded digitally, albeit with the band’s own collection of vintage gear. As for the record’s eye-catching cover, it’s an image of fingers making the universal peace sign, courtesy of influential artist Shepard Fairey (the man behind the Obey Giant). Between that image and the decision to make the album self-titled, Stone Temple Pilots are letting the image and album speak from themselves. “That pretty much sums it up,” argues DeLeo. “Our name’s not even on the cover. We didn’t want anything to disturb that image. That image, to us, was like a flower. How do you improve on that?” Asked if the album could be taken as untitled, he laughs and says, “Call it what you want, man. You can call it Peace.” He acknowledges that, in the tradition of The Beatles’ White Album, fans will sometimes mint their own name for a record.
With a new album hitting the world and more tour dates in the offing, STP are poised to make their first-ever visit to Australia early next year. Live, the band remains simply a quartet – “There’s nothing else playing but guitar, bass, drums and a singer, the way God meant it to be,” beams DeLeo – but there has been talk of adding a touring member to man keyboards and other extras. Either way, “We’ve played those songs as a three-piece live and it works.” Whatever one’s thoughts about Stone Temple Pilots in the year 2010, the band has avoided any cashing in on the burgeoning grunge revival. As DeLeo tells it, the new album isn’t derived from the band’s initial lifespan but rather the years spent on hiatus. “We haven’t made a musical statement as the four of us in eight years. A lot happens in one’s life in a week, let alone eight years. [This] is just a reflection of what has transpired in our lives.” At the same time, he doesn’t put much stock in the idea that his time in various projects and Weiland’s years spent fronting Velvet Revolver lent some profound perspective to the new songs. “That doesn’t really affect me too much. I treat everything differently. I don’t think any of us wants to redo anything we’ve already done.” WHO Stone Temple Pilots WHAT Stone Temple Pilots (Warner)
A MIXED VISIT HOME
IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ONLY JUST GOT HERE. CLOSURE IN MOSCOW ARE DUE TO LEAVE OUR SHORES ONCE MORE TO CONTINUE THEIR AMERICAN ADVENTURE. FRONTMAN CHRIS DECINQUE AND GUITARIST MANSUR ZENNELLI TAKE SCOTT FITZSIMONS THROUGH THEIR TRAVELS AND THE FESTIVAL THAT NEVER WAS.
I
t was really only a matter of time before the progressive posthardcore of Closure In Moscow went overseas, as the Melbourne band grew out of the scene that had championed them after just the one EP, The Penance And The Patience. They laboured heavily over it and even though its technical chops were cluttered in sections, it was worth every ounce of effort. Equal Vision Records – formerly home to acts like Circa Survive, Refused and Hot Cross – also thought so and Closure quickly became the label’s Australian content. The United States have been good to the band and though they haven’t been the overnight success some people expected, their reputation has seen them garner solid support slots and coveted festival appearances, with their videos on YouTube topping the 200,000 plays mark. Their debut album, First Temple - their only other release to date - was received surprising well, vocalist Chris DeCinque, the more softy but carefully spoken says. “There were kids at shows singing along in places that I never thought people would know or give a shit about who we were, which was a really, really nice thing to see at shows. It was actually very good. I was surprised at how many people actually expressed their enjoyment at something that we made.”
It was very brutal to begin with, then it sort of becomes business as usual.
Not that the band were ever lazy during their formative years, but since leaving our shores they’ve picked up the intensity, though they really had little choice. “At the start it is [draining] man,” guitarist/backing vocalist Mansur Zennelli admits, with a delivery that sounds like you’ve been mates for years. “It’s baptism by fire. Aussie bands, you’re not used to touring on that type of level; we weren’t used to jumping in a van and not coming home for three months and then literally in those three months having, maybe, six days off.” “It was definitely a shock to the system at first,” continues DeCinque. “But it just becomes the norm, like anything else, after a few months of it. Towards the middle of last year when we were doing so much, we’d get back to home base, which was in Portland, Oregon and we’d be there for a week and that would feel weird. We wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves. It’s funny how quickly something… It was very brutal to begin with, then it sort of becomes business as usual.” When they did return, their Homebake appearance – and more specifically the Annandale Hotel sideshows – showcased a band far more mature and seasoned than the one that had left. “It doesn’t feel like that,” says DeCinque. “It feels like we need to keep striving to be a better band. We don’t really get the time to step out of it and look at the progress we’ve made.” “We were over there and we were getting responses like, ‘Your song gets smashed on triple j’ and people are talking about you and obviously we weren’t in the country and that was just hearsay to us,” Zennelli elaborates. “So to come back and sort of see it come to fruition was really cool. It was also cool, like that Sydney show, I remember playing our first Sydney show – I remember playing the Bull N’ Bush man – and I remember seeing people back then that came along to our show, been with us for a while.” Then, unfortunately, there was the Soundwave incident. Due to open the main stage, a few days out from the festival’s opening show Soundwave’s promoter AJ (Arash Maddah) posted on the event’s forums, “SW2010 WAVES A NOT SO FOND FAREWELL TO CLOSURE IN MOSCOW”. In the post he gave “tips” for aspiring bands looking to “keep a spot on a national festival”, insinuating that a member had called the festival’s administration with aggressive demands. The band retorted via their own blog later with a post that was a mixture of confusion and regret. The band maintains their innocence, but is keen to leave the whole matter behind. “I don’t think it’s our place to go into too much detail about it,” DeCinque says carefully, “I mean ‘cause the whole thing was a nutty, wacky, insane – dare I say funny – situation; like it was seriously laughable it was so insane. I’ll just say that we were beyond stoked to be able to do something like that and to have the carpet pulled out from under our feet in the last minutes, it was really disheartening and disappointing.” The tragedy was that this would have been many Australians’ first introduction to the band that flies their flag in America, quite literally via their patriotic merch. “Yeah, of course – and they get this preconceived notion that we’re something that we’re not. And that’s what hurts the most,” Zennelli says. “And of course everyone loves drama and likes to have an expert opinion on something that they have no actual information about what happened,” DeCinque elaborates. But now it’s onwards and upwards and despite the relatively heavy blow, the band is looking forward, in some ways, to getting back onto the US circuit. “We’ve gotten back to the comfort of having family and friends,” says DeCinque. “I think it’s going to be pretty hard to go back over, but it’ll be a really, really amazing experience, especially doing something like the Vans Warped Tour.” Very happy to be part of the Equal Vision stable, the duo haven’t a bad word to say about the label – when they’re landing slots on Warped to it’s hard to. They have no idea how long it’ll be before they return to Australia but it’s fairly likely it won’t be this year. The band are planning work on album number two and unless an opportunity presents itself that is likely to keep them busy well into 2011. The only certainty at the moment is the American return. “There are pros and cons for sure,” says the frontman. “This time it’s not going into the great unknown so there’s a bit more familiarity, but at the same time it’s not this great surprising wondrous conquest that it was the first time because we had no idea what to expect.” WHO Closure In Moscow WHEN AND WHERE Thursday, Mona Vale Hotel; Friday, Gaelic Theatre THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 37 •
FULLY IMMERSED
AFTER NEAR ON A DECADE, DRUM’N’BASS AND ROCK GENRE BENDERS PENDULUM ARE STILL CONTINUING TO MAKE HEADLINES AT EVERY TURN AND, AS ANGELA KING DISCOVERS FROM GARETH MCGRILLEN, A NEW REIGN OF METAL MIGHT BE THE NEXT ONE.
explains, although the band did retaliate to criticism at the time, they now refuse to be affected by trivial d’n’b politics. “I think the mental demons that we are all going to have to deal with – with people being turned off and stuff like that – that all happened with the last album. I think we are all seasoned professionals when it comes to dealing with criticism. We just ignore it and don’t really read it anymore because when you have an entire festival of 100,000 people going mental, plus when you have record sales and statistics coming in saying this, that and the other, you start to realise that someone out there likes it. Even if it’s a small amount of people or a large amount, it’s enough to keep you confident in making music.
I
mmersion is the third full-length release from Perthborn world conquerors Pendulum. On first listen it is clear Pendulum can no longer be categorised as a drum’n’bass act; elements of metal, dubstep, breakbeat, electronica and rock permeate throughout the album’s energetic 15 tracks. According to bassist Gareth McGrillen, Immersion is a culmination of several years’ work and making it – unlike their last two albums – was a pleasant experience. “It’s been in the making since we hit the ground running after In Silico, so a couple of years, but the main work for the album was done intensively within the last eight months and that was quite mental. It’s actually been more of a pleasure working on this album than the previous ones… I guess we’ve got more of a headspace on where we are at and what we want to be doing, so it was easier to balance this album and know which direction we wanted to go.” Collaboration was a high priority when producing Immersion. The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett features on the track Immunize, while Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree lent his vocals and guitar skills on The Fountain. Much to the surprise of the band, Swedish melodic death metal outfit In Flames were most enthusiastic when asked if they wanted to work with Pendulum. McGrillen explains, “We gave our people a wish list of people we wanted to work with and In Flames were low on the list in the sense that we didn’t think that they would want to work with us. We had a clear idea of it working because we have followed metal almost into drum’n’bass; we liked metal then got attracted to drum’n’bass because of its similar energy, so it made sense to us. We thought they would probably laugh at us, but they turned out to be fans and had seen us do some headline slots at some big metal festivals and so they were bang up for it. And next thing
• 38 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
I think the mental demons that we are all going to have to deal with... that all happened with the last album. we knew, we had six big Swedish guys in our studio – it was incredible.” But will Pendulum ever exclusively turn themselves over to the dark side and become a purely metal band? “I think anything is possible,” McGrillen suggests, “At first I was going to say no, but you just don’t know. Rob [Swire, vocals/synth] and I started out in Perth as a metal band, so yeah, we definitely have metal roots as well as electronic roots.
with Jay-Z and Rihanna’s people and asked us for some beats. We sent them across some off-the-cuff beats; one of them was more of an entire tune, not just a beat - it had the melodies and music as well - and they really liked it and so [Rob] is responsible for one of Rihanna’s number one hits. That was a good look for Pendulum.”
“I guess Pendulum to me is mine and Rob’s musical playground where we are the directors of a film that can go any way that we want, anywhere that we want. That’s the cool thing about having a foot in different genres, we can smash them all together anyway we want. The main thing behind Pendulum has been just this creative project where we can combine different things.”
As much as this kind of work can bring in the dollars (or pounds), McGrillen isn’t exactly enthused when asked whether more future pop partnerships will materialise. “It’s quite soulless and, even if it’s not successful, it feels so much better to be behind your own music than someone else’s. We never say never though. Personally I don’t see it as a future for myself – producing for other people. I always want to be in charge of my own thing. But I think Rob, being such a talented producer, he may get into it in the future.”
Aside from Pendulum, star producer Swire recently lent his skills to a sound that couldn’t be further from his usual style – pop music. “Our manager had a hook up
Pendulum received major persecution from many within the drum’n’bass community in reaction to their last album, 2008’s In Silico. As the ever-optimistic McGrillen
“It is very, very easy to dwell on that one person who just really cuts to the core of you with a comment because what they can be saying sometimes has an element of truth to it. It can be something you have already worried about and they can highlight that, so it’s best to just ignore it and just continue doing what you want to do. It will always matter but it’s just about learning to ignore it.” Controversy aside, Pendulum is a band steaming ahead in a realm of their own and with no signs of slowing down. Musing over the band’s outwardly bright future, a content McGrillen laughs. “Now we have wrapped up this record it’s time to take it on the road for the next 15 years. “We kind of live in the moment; all we really want to achieve is making something we are happy and proud of and to do better than we did the last time. So if we tick those boxes I think we are quite happy.” WHO Pendulum WHAT Immersion (Warner)
Tuesday 25th May...................... THE STEVE MCKENNA QUARTET WITH SPECIAL GUEST GERARD ....... MASTERS *9PM
After a long eight year absence in Europe playing prestigious festivals in Germany, Switzerland, France and the UK, Steve’s back and has assembled a powerhouse line-up to herald his return to the place. Join Steve along with Mike Nock, Phil Scorgie, Gordon Rytmeister and Gerard Masters (solo) at the welcome home party.
Wednesday 26th May................. JESS CHALKER WITH SPECIAL GUESTS TONKSGREEN + KARINA AIVAZIAN
Since gaining a cult following on YouTube in late 2008 (over a millions hits to date), Chalker has enjoyed a whirlwind introduction to what promises to be a very exciting career. With a sound which invokes Regina Spektor, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell, Chalker’s style is at once melodic, lounge-room intimate, and always sincere.
Thursday 27th May...................... RICKY PETERSON & THE PETERSON BROTHERS (USA) WITH VERY SPECIAL GUEST SHEILA E (USA) - FINAL AUSTRALIAN SHOW JazzFunk virtuoso Ricky Peterson has established himself as one of the world's leading keyboard players, having amassed a star-studded resume as a producer and session player. Now, touring Australia for the first time in his own right, he’s enlisted brothers Paul and Billy along with very special guest Sheila E for a night of exhilarating and brilliant musicianship.
Friday 28th May.......................... THE PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA (MELB) + THE STRIDES - DOUBLE BILL Two of the most talked about Afrobeat outfits in Australia, Melbourne’s powerhouse Public Opinion Afro Orchestra and Sydney’s own, The Strides, play an electrifying double bill. From the Orchestra, irresistible loose-limbed, exotic jams; and from The Strides, a fresh Afrobeat-Reggae sound with a whole lot of soul.
Saturday 29th May...................... ALEXI KAYE + KISSHEAD + EMMA DEANS - THE LADIES FROM KAYA A full year after their last Sydney show, Kaya step out with three of the gals each playing a set of their own: Alexi with Extended Family, Juleiaah and her three lovely Kisshead boys, and Emma with a collection of her beautiful new-Soul songs. An exquisite night of lush songwriting, stunning harmonies and beautiful music.
Sunday 30th May......................... CLOSED
Monday 31st May......................... MIDNIGHT REFLECTION +DAN HOPKINS + ALICE TERRY From the giddy heights of SongsAlive last year comes a perfect three-pronged attack for the start of the working week. With some fine Rock, Pop and Folk wares to be had, Midnight Reflection, Dan Hopkins and Alice Terry are on hand for your pleasure and entertainment.
Tuesday 1st June.......................... THEMYTYS+ALEXGIBSON+ELLIECULLINGTON*8:30PMSTART* Sitting down or up and dancing, if a bit of funky rocked-up Ska and Reggae’s for you, then so are the My Tys. On the other hand, if your liking’s a bit more on the Soul, Rock and Pop side, Alex Gibson and band will sate your appetite, as will the refreshingly gutsy approach to Jazz and Pop from Ellie Cullington.
Wednesday 2nd & Thursday 3rd June HARRYMANX(CAN) Canada’s most awarded Bluesman, has been described as the link between the music of East and West, with his traditional Delta Blues infused with more than a hint of Indian spice, with the New York Times describing Harry Manx’s style as ‘Mysticssippi’. This time ‘round will feature material from Manx’s new album Bread and Buddha, which features the stunning Hammond organ of our own Clayton Doley of The Hands, who’ll be joining Harry each night.
Friday 4th June........................... BACKONTHEBLOCK–CELEBRATINGTHEMUSICOFQUINCYJONES &MICHAELJACKSON Kere Buchanan (Bodacious Cowboys) gathers another stellar line up of musicians to celebrate the brilliance of Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson with music from their combined input to modern music, with songs from a classic album collection including: The Dude, Back On The Block, Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous and George Benson’s Give Me The Night.
Coming Soon Book Now 9251 2797 Sat 5th THE HIPSTONES FAREWELL SHOW Tues 8th ACCORDION CAFE - AN AMAZING ACCORDION
EXTRAVAGANZA! Wed 9th THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF ‘LIVE AT THE RESERVOIR’ – EASTSIDE RADIO Thur 10th UNCLE JED F ri 11th GERVAIS KOFFI + YANNICK KOFFI *9:00PM START* Sat 12th A NIGHT AT THE JAZZ ROOMS QUEENS BIRTHDAY WEEKEND SPECIAL Sun 13th JOHN WATERS MAKES THE FRENCH CONNECTION 'BREL'
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 39 •
ENJOY THE SILENCE
TOM HAWKING BRAVES A PHONE CALL TO THE NOTORIOUSLY MONOSYLLABIC LOU REED IN SEARCH OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE VIVID FESTIVAL. “THAT,” LOU REED PRONOUNCES, “IS JUST A TAKING UP SPACE QUESTION.”
D
rum has just asked Reed whether he’s been enjoying doing a radio show. He’s clearly not impressed. “I mean, what would you do if I said, ‘No’?”
Okay, we’ll be honest – he’s right. It was a taking up space question. But then, this interview has been punctuated by many, many awkward spaces that could frankly have done with some taking up. Reed’s distaste for doing press interviews verges on the legendary – and this one is clearly no exception. It’s taken ages to get him on the phone and now that he’s finally on the other end of the line, you can just about feel the receiver frosting up. We’re ostensibly discussing his co-curation with his wife Laurie Anderson of the Vivid Festival. They’ve put together a fascinating program and there’s much interesting stuff to talk about. Unfortunately, Reed shows little inclination to discuss anything much. By all accounts, he’s always hated interviews – perhaps with justification, since he’s been subjected to some arse-clenchingly stupid questions over the years – and his distaste manifests itself in largely monosyllabic answers and a disinclination to expand on anything. This, unfortunately, creates a kinda self-fulfilling problem, forcing the whole interviewing process into being an uncomfortable interrogation rather than a conversation: next question! Next question! But anyway, so it goes. We’re here to talk about Vivid and so we will. Drum begins by thanking Reed for taking time out of his obviously hectic schedule to talk to us at all. We’re met with stony silence for our trouble. Moving swiftly on then: Reed has been playing of late with what he’s dubbed the Metal Machine Trio, which he’s bringing to Australia as part of Vivid. The Trio – featuring German composer Ulrich Krieger and electronic musician Sarth Calhoun along with Reed himself – take the 1975 album of the same name as a jumping-off point for their music. So how does this work? Is the live show entirely improvised? “It’s all improvised.” Silence. “It’s just something that we like to do that developed.” More silence. He’s also recently remastered Metal Machine Music, returning to the album 35 years after its release. Why did he return to it now? And did using a modern digital studio offer any new possibilities for the mixes? This, at least, he’s (comparatively) keen to talk about. “I got involved in that,” he drawls, “because of a letter from some people who are very much into quad [quadrophonic sound – the four-channel proto-surround sound in which the album was first recorded]. Of course, you can’t do quad now, but we figured out a way of doing it by using a home theatre system and taking out the middle. So that was one way of doing it, using a DVD. As far as vinyl goes, we couldn’t so we did an approximation of quad in stereo vinyl.” Might they work together in the studio, then? Or do they prefer working exclusively as a live entity? “I do like working live,” he says. “However, I did just finish a photo curation. The music for that was done by the duo in my home studio.” Is this the same exhibition that will be coming to Vivid? “Hopefully.” Would it be New York Genius, the exhibition of photos that Reed’s chosen from the Magnum archive? “That’s a different one.” Oh. So what’s the exhibition we’re talking about, then? More silence, then: “Yes.” Right. Let’s talk about New York Genius, then. How did Reed tackle such a gargantuan archive of work? “I was up at Magnum in New York, and they had an electronic billboard made available to them for two weeks; one of those huge ones up on a skyscraper and they said, ‘Why don’t you put something together?’ So we decided to put together Magnum photos of New York artists. And that’s that.” Apart from a performance with the Trio, there are several other pieces of Reed’s own creative output featuring at Vivid. Particularly interesting sounds a short film titled Red Shirley, which he directed. “It is really interesting. It’s screened in a number of film festivals and it’s about my 101-year-old cousin Shirley. I directed it myself. The photographer’s a really great photographer called Robert Gibson.” There’s also Music For Dogs, on which Reed has collaborated with Anderson. The premise is the music can only be heard by dogs, whose hearing range is outside that of humans. So how do you go about making music you can’t hear? “Well, that’s really a Laurie question.” Drum asks whether the project wasn’t something he was closely involved with. “I’m not saying that. I’m saying that it’s really a Laurie question. She has that far clearer in her mind. I think that’s a Laurie question and not a Lou question.” Okay, well, another Lou question – how did he find the local Australian bands, like The Night Terrors and Zond, he’s putting on for Noise Night at the Opera Theatre on Monday? “Well, we [specifically, Reed and veteran producer Hal Willner] do a radio show called the New York Shuffle and we’re always listening for new bands, new this, new that and that’s where we heard them. The show is people that we like.” It was at this point that Drum made the clearly ill-fated decision to ask Reed whether he’s enjoying doing radio. By now he’s clearly keen to get off the line as quickly as possible. But one more question – what is he planning for his collaboration with The Blind Boys Of Alabama? “We’re hoping that different people sing with them. I’ve sung with them three times – once at the United Nations – [and] they’re also going to be at the Lincoln Center in a few weeks. I thought that it would be great to try to find indigenous Australian or New Zealand groups somewhat like them, gospel-oriented, native, to join them. But we’ll see how we do.” Silence. Thank you for your time, Mr. Reed. We hope the festival goes well. “Thank you. Bye.” ..... Silence. WHO Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Trio WHEN & WHERE Sunday, Opera Theatre
• 40 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
THE HOLD STEADY’S FIFTH
THE HOLD STEADY’S ERUDITE FRONTMAN AND LYRICIST CRAIG FINN TELLS STEVE BELL ABOUT HOW CHANGE CAN BE POSITIVE AND HOW DOING THINGS THE HARD WAY CAN OFTEN LEAD TO A GREATER RESPECT FOR THE EVENTUAL REWARD.
W
hen it was announced a few months ago that the awesomely-moustachioed keyboardist Franz Nicolay was leaving The Hold Steady, many were concerned that it was more than just the Brooklyn band’s visual aesthetics that would suffer from his absence. While there’s no doubt Nicolay’s adroit skills had made an impact on the band’s anthemic bar room music over the course of their last few albums, the release of their fifth longplayer, Heaven Is Whenever, has more than allayed any fears in this regard. For while it has a distinctly more laidback vibe than their recent fare, the record proves without a shadow of a doubt the band’s rousing appeal has survived the change fully intact. “I think the songs just led us there,” frontman and lyricist Craig Finn suggests, considering the band’s direction on Heaven Is Whenever. “I think a lot of it was because being on our fifth record we’ve played a million shows, which made us confident enough to try some new things and stretch out a little bit. I think the other thing is that Franz left the band, so we kind of got back to a four-piece for the writing process and that puts ‘space’ into the backend of the music that I really feels serves it well. There’s a little bit more room for the songs to breathe and I think that that’s a big part of the record.”
That’s one thing I always wanted to do with the band, to inject some positivity into a rock’n’roll band or a rock’n’roll song.
As with all bands utilising a distinctive sound or persona, their devoted fans cling to this for dear life and are resistant to any change to what they perceive to be the band’s core motif. Accordingly, in the blogosphere many hardcore disciples have been somewhat nonplussed about this new direction. “Yeah, well I think if you look at it there’s ‘X amount’ of people who are just resistant to change at all,” Finn laughs. “But I think for a band to stay interesting it has to grow a little bit and that we’re going to have to constantly change musically to keep it interesting for us and to keep it interesting for the audiences. I think one of the things is that we’ve done five albums now in seven years, so I feel like we can keep making records however we want to and it will always change a little bit because we do ‘em pretty quick.” The Hold Steady’s famous character-driven narrative arc took something of a backseat on 2008’s Stay Positive as Finn expanded his palette to include ruminations on life on the road. This has continued on the new album, which he describes as being thematically about how hard work and struggle is intrinsically part of the reward in any given scenario. “Well metaphorically it’s kind of like how you can go running or do exercise because you want to lose weight, or you could do exercise or go running because you like to. And Heaven Is Whenever is kind of like expressing how as a band we’re not out here playing the shows to try and get bigger or something, it’s about the show itself and finding the beauty in that moment. Even understanding that some of the stuff that’s hard might be part of an overall joyous life. It’s really about finding beauty in our everyday life.”
fr om Sigur Rós with Special Guests
Mon Aug 2 ENMORE THEATRE
While the band’s last two albums have covertly striven to encourage fans to better themselves and look for the positives in the myriad complicated scenarios life often throws at us, their live shows – with the omnipresent ‘so much joy!’ mantra Finn regales his fans with each night – also add to the band’s notoriously communal appeal. “I think that’s one thing I always wanted to do with the band, to inject some positivity into a rock’n’roll band or a rock’n’roll song. I want our shows to be this big communal experience and I think that’s something that we’ve been able to offer people. To offer a realistic but optimistic view on life, or just how they feel for that one night. We’ve done our thing in that regard, but the reaction has been overwhelming, because people really will go there with us. It can get pretty crazy some nights.”
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Fortunately for long-term fans the ongoing narrative arc unfolding across their albums hasn’t completely disappeared – characters like Gideon, Holly and Charlemagne are still woven into the lyrics; it’s just now you have to delve a little deeper to find them. “I think that there are some songs on this record that relate to that and some that don’t. But also I think I’ve continued to keep it away from the proper nouns and explaining who’s doing what all the time, because I do think that the beauty of a song is that people are able to inject their own emotions and own feelings about it and I want to continue on that path. I think that’s more important to me than spelling out any sort of story.”
ecstatic, dramatic and live The Album ‘Go’ CD/DVD - Experience Edition - out now
A standout track on Heaven Is Whenever is We Can Get Together, a music geek’s wet dream that – aside from providing the name for the album – subtly namechecks a slew of bands such as Pavement, Hüsker Dü and Meatloaf (among many other more obscure acts). “On that one I was just thinking about how when you meet someone who likes the same music as you, you can kind of go into this sort of static thing where you go, ‘Oh dude, have you heard this? Have you heard this?’” Finn chuckles. “And I think I wanted to try and capture that, along with the idea of two people sitting in front of a record player and creating their own little world. Because in some ways that’s what The Hold Steady does; we’ve created this alternate world where all these characters live, but I think that that’s what people do with rock’n’roll in general sometimes – you turn up, you put on your headphones and you kind of block out the world. So there’s this kind of escapist thing and sharing that with someone – as in the case of We Can Get Together – is what I was trying to capture.” WHO The Hold Steady
www.jonsi.com
WHAT Heaven Is Whenever (Vagrant/Shock) THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 41 •
FROM AFRICA TO FITZROY
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT MELBOURNE WOULD SPAWN SOMETHING LIKE THE PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA, ONE OF THE MOST VIBRANT AND INNOVATIVE COMBOS THIS SIDE OF AFRICA? MICHAEL SMITH INVESTIGATES WITH ZVI BELLING.
“Maybe they were inspired by an African context, but I would say that they are relevant to Australian audiences. In fact we crafted them in a way hoping that they would be. Australia certainly has its own issues and its colonial past mirrors Africa’s colonial past in lots of ways. A lot of the issues we’re talking about, we framed them in a way so they could be read in an African and an Australian context, if that makes sense. We talk about dislodged communities and Diaspora, about borders and nationality and nationalism – those sorts of things – the evils of colonialism; and I think those sorts of issues apply to both.”
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In fact, if you look at the way migration to Australia has changed over the past 30 years, there is now a significant African presence within our increasingly multicultural population for whom these issues remain central and relevant. “In the ‘80s there was a big influx of South Africans, who were refugees from the Apartheid regime. We had a lot of Congolese refugees in the ‘90s and of course in the past few years we’ve had a lot of Sudanese refugees. So yes, the African communities are becoming very strong and I think at the same time there’s an awareness among non-Africans here as well and just an interest in the various cultures. That’s also helped generate an interest in our music.
couple of years ago, none us did either,” bass player Zvi Belling admits with a laugh. Belling, along with Ethan Hill aka DJ Manchild and trumpeter Tristan Ludowyk, came up with the idea of The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra. “We three pals had often spoken about it, but we got serious about it perhaps two years ago and this time last year, we were in Africa. We did a little trip over there to do some recording with some African artists and to just immerse ourselves in that music. We went to Lagos in Nigeria and to Johannesburg in South Africa. “We’d been writing for about six months leading up to that and took some production takes over with us and workshopped them with some artists over there, brought them back and pieced the album together, also adding some Australian artists over the top. We didn’t quite know what to expect when we released it, whether anybody knew Afrobeat or not; we just put it out to see what would happen and we’re fairly happy with the response.” The album in question is Do Anything Go Anywhere and at its core is, as Belling suggests, is the infectious Afrobeat that came out of Nigeria in the late 1960s. Its most famous exponent was the late, great multiinstrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who coined the term Afrobeat for the exuberant, polyrhythmic style after he and his group, Nigeria 70, returned from a tour to the US. It’s a style that has influenced everyone from James Brown, whose own music was also a major influence on Kuti, to jazz artists like Roy Ayers and pop artists like David Byrne. Belling himself grew up in Africa and has played African music with Africans since his musical beginnings.
He’s certainly never played rock and if anything has more affiliation to jazz. Since settling in Australia, he’s continued to perform in African-style groups, so the idea of developing an Afrobeat vehicle for the music he and Ludowyk was writing was a natural progression. “Afrobeat was very much a ‘70s thing – it was before my time – so I guess I was a little inspired by some of the New York revival bands, but then we had the idea of crossing it over with hip hop and turning it into something else.” While Afrobeat predominates in the 16- to 20-piece Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, there are also strong funk, Hilife and those aforementioned hip hop elements in the mix. It turns out that hip hop is the link between the two very different musical styles that have evolved in Nigeria and South Africa. “They have a mainline musical artery linking them. There aren’t many Englishspeaking African communities so the English-speaking African countries seem to stay in contact, especially on a hip hop level. There’s a massive Nigerian community in South Africa as well, though there aren’t really any South Africans in Lagos, but if you turn on the telly there, all the video clips are South African artists – it’s quite strange.” Like the original hip hop that came out America’s urban ghettoes, the hip hop that Public Opinion present is very much ‘conscious’, to use a reggae phrase – still
very committed to making statements about social issues and inequities. “That’s obviously the hip hop that we enjoy, but there is a reason for that. We’re trying to make a link to the message music of Fela’s Afrobeat in a contemporary setting and we thought this was the best vehicle for it. As a bass player, it’s a rockin’ bus to drive!” Making that sort of connection is all very well of course, but in bringing on board African hip hop stars Tumi (South Africa) and Modenine (Nigeria), along with fellow Nigerian Terry Tha Rapman, the messages they rap are inevitably directed at issues that concern their own place in Africa. This is obvious in tracks like first single, Two Sides Of The Truth, How Long It Go Take and Future Africa in particular. Drum wonders just how relevant those issues are in the context of a band performing in Australia. “I’ve worked a lot with Tumi over the years and he’s my favourite rapper in the world – I put him in front of the lot – so I was expecting great things, but I think what did surprise me perhaps about the whole project was everyone’s willingness to collaborate and make a fusion with Afrobeat. I was a little worried that it might have been outside the scope of the usual hip hop artist’s repertoire – it’s rhythmically challenging, tempo-wise, plus challenging to politicise it and keep the message on track – but I think everyone rose to the challenge perfectly.
THE DIALOGUE OF LIFE
FINALLY, BRITISH INDIE OUTFIT FOALS ARE TO TOUR AUSTRALIA, POST-HYPE WITH A NEW ALBUM AND ALL. WALTER GERVERS TAKES SCOTT FITZSIMONS THROUGH THE JOURNEY, THE DELAYS AND A NEW ALBUM THAT’S GOT SOMETHING TO SAY.
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h tell me about it,” says Walter Gervers. His band, Foals, for which he plays bass, stormed to international recognition in 2008 with the album Antidotes. Hugely popular in their native England, the band’s calculated dance rock even enjoyed a fair bit of support in Australia, despite the lack of any real publicity apart from reviews and radio play. However – and not for lack of rumour – the band’s world travels hadn’t seen them venture this deep into the southern hemisphere. We did witness “Foals DJs” play club venues around the country, but that was merely exhibiting keyboardist Edwin Congreave’s mixing abilities under the band moniker. Before long, the next album was due and with its own fair share of delays, the folks at Splendour In the Grass ensured that we’d get them early this album cycle. “We’ve had some really good love from over there and we feel a bit guilty that we haven’t managed to get over. ‘Cause I know we’ve got quite a few fans and they say like, ‘Oh jeez, when are you fuckin’ gonna come over here? What’s the big deal?’ We were so excited about coming down. We were meant to come over on the last record, but we didn’t get the chance to, then we were going to reschedule and all this kind of stuff but it never really happened. And before we knew it we were out of cycle.” The band recently released a new record, Total Life Forever. A far cry from Antidotes, for the most part they’ve traded the playful and bouncy guitar pulsations for deeper grooves, more experimental structures and, overall, a darker veil. “I think basically this record is a natural progression for us, The sound of a band who has had more time and more space and has been able to be • 42 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
“The beauty of this music is that we can play at a rock festival and people who have perhaps never heard the roots of the music we’re playing will still get into it. It sort of has this instant infectiousness. Afrobeat of course directly influenced American funk music, so it’s a very direct musical line. It’s easy to hear funk and jazz and other elements in it, but we prefer not to diversify it too much. It’s important to keep it as strictly and as authentically Afrobeat as we possibly can. Where we do mix it up is introducing elements of hip hop, but it’s all very finely tuned in order to control the fusion and keep it strong.” WHO The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra WHAT Do Anything Go Anywhere (Independent) WHEN & WHERE Friday, The Basement; Saturday, The Gum Ball
To create Total Life Forever the band turned to the Svenska Grammofon Studios, in Sweden’s Gothenburg. “It was awesome, especially [since] the studio has been, over the years, hand-built by a few dudes.” You can hear on the album the focused and notably isolated feel that such an environment would have developed. “It had such a huge impact on us. We always like to get out of our comfort zone whenever we’re doing any kind of recording. Not that we’re that seasoned in it yet having only made a few records, but I think it’s really healthy not to just go to a studio down the road – be it London, or be it [their hometown] Oxford. “If you go somewhere with a mission and an intent to make something and you’re in a foreign land, then it makes the whole experience a lot more immersive for you and Gothenburg definitely did that. Especially when we turned up, it was mid-summer and the weather was really good, people were outside, we were cycling around in T-shirts and stuff. By the time we finally finished the record it was like proper getting into the Swedish winter, there was very little light and everything was turning a little bit – and we knew it was time to go.”
braver with their emotions on this album. “So I think perhaps lyrically and stuff, people are picking up on that. Vocals for the last record and any kind of lyrical themes were always added on at the end. We were basically four guys who just wanted to thrash around on guitars and play a handful of shows to our friends and it’s turned into something a lot bigger. It’s like back then we weren’t really interested in giving people messages or giving anybody anything to sing along to, because we never thought we’d have the chance. So now, especially all the vocals are predominately Yannis’ reign, we’re just a little bit more braver now and a bit more able to inject more soul and feeling and try and connect a little bit better.” Frontman Yannis Philippakis has become one of the British youth’s ‘cool’ icons since the band’s success (even involving himself in a 2008 backstage scuffle with the Sex Pistols’ John Lydon to complete the rock star persona) and now that lyrics have been given a purpose within the band’s music as opposed to mere
hook fodder, the audience connection is sure to grow. “His main role is that kind of territory. Because if you had lots of people pitching in I think it dilutes it. A lot of songs carry a lot more weight and are a lot stronger if they’re coming from one place, from one mind. He was a lot more honest, open about his emotions; it’s all really the product of his head.” Though they now have something to say, the band hasn’t lost its sense of coherence. “You’re painting pictures all the time and with the last record it was flashes of imagery and putting little ideas in your head. This time around it’s more about encapsulating actual real feelings. Visual stuff has always been very important to us and there’s a lot more of that – scene setting basically. Because we’re so close and between the five of us we’re like brothers, everything sort of makes sense to us. And even if some lyrics are coming from something that I’ll maybe never fully understand and I don’t think that really matters, because we’re all part of it and we’re all involved, it’s a good feeling.”
You may recall the ‘problems’ they had with Antidotes’ producer Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio) with regards to that record’s final mix; there were no such dramas for their second effort. “We were incredibly neurotic the first time around and probably rightly so on our part. This time, I said it before, the issue of time and having the space and the freedom was amazing. [Prominent alternative producer] Alan Moulder mixed this record and obviously he’s quite a big hero of ours for the records he’s made... He’s a real hero, he’s a real wildman. And the confidence was there this time around that we were passing something on to him that was of quality, that he would appreciate and he would enjoy mixing it and I think he did. He said he did anyway.” WHO Foals WHAT Total Life Forever (Warner) WHEN & WHERE Wednesday 28 July, Manning Bar; Friday 30, Splendour In The Grass
INTENSELY PERSONAL RECLAIM THE NIGHT
RICKIE LEE JONES IS FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT SHE TELLS BECK.
NEW ALBUM, NEW COLLABORATORS, NEW OUTLOOK – JAMES LAVELLE BRINGS ADAM D MILLS UP TO SPEED ON THE CURRENT STATUS OF UNKLE.
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ot familiar with the work of the age-defying Rickie Lee Jones? She has been described as an “American pop/rock veteran”, as punk, pop, “middle of the road”, jazz, electronica, swing and as a “Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter” (this last one being a strange way to describe anyone’s music – after all, Beyonce and Taylor Swift, Pink and Bonnie Raitt are all Grammy Award-winning singer songwriters too). Yet none of these words and phrases are entirely accurate. Jones has spent the last 30 years swinging, scatting and crooning from album to album and defying categorisation with every new breath. “I have avoided classification in spite of people really trying to do so, to label me middle of the road, or to label me eccentric and weird; can one be both? If there is one thing I have done consciously, it is to disallow classification,” Jones, coming to Australia to open Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House, states. “This is not only for myself – that I deserve better than being stuffed in some pre-made accidental container – but because I am, as each of us is, forging a road for others who will and are coming close behind. I owe it to them to fight the good fight and expand the path that women – that musicians – take. Courage, that one thing, can help some future genius who is going to blow us away with their honesty and music. So you never know what you are leaving behind, or what is coming up behind you.” Jones’s work either hits you between the eyes or doesn’t register. Ambivalence is not a word anyone could use to describe reactions to her music. “I am intensely personal and I think that talks to the part of people who like feeling feelings. Doing that kind of work for 30 years has been death-defying leaps of extraordinary imagination.” Because of the unclassifiable nature of Jones as a whole, reviews of her albums and live performances have been staggeringly diverse. “I don’t read these things, but they come back to me nevertheless, a general thread of respect, or of disrespect. One feels that sort of thing and it matters. I mean I would be lying if I said it didn’t. It matters to be respected, it matters to be noted by your peers, it matters to be remembered and remembered correctly.”
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is relevant to any future time. Like, Marilyn Monroe, a kind of whore-y lower class actress, whom history has decreed is representative of the plight of women and who had a beauty that means much more than it meant. So understanding that the future will see you quite differently than your own time, you just keep hammering on. Like The Doors, who would imagine they would have become so popular? They were like, just okay, but a future time decided it liked sexy guys and made Morrison a hero. Not Dylan, not Malcolm X, not Ravi Shankar. “Janis Joplin, the most relevant, most important woman of her generation was laid into a social as well as a physical grave when she died. As if her relevance was obsolete, like Flappers in the ‘20s, she was only important to her time. I personally don’t think that’s true. Sometimes someone is so big, so deep, that the future decades have to just get rid of them to move on and then when it’s safe they look back and go, ‘Wow, Joplin, how incredible was she?’ I keep waiting for that. I loved her. When I was 16 she was my hero.” The last five years has seen a renewed interest in Jones, with an anthology released and tributes from the likes of Tori Amos and Quincy Jones. Hopefully the celebration of the last 30 years is a cathartic experience that can set the stage for the next 30. WHO Rickie Lee Jones WHEN & WHERE Friday and Saturday, Opera Theatre Sydney Opera House
And there’s the rub according to Jones. “History rewrites what it was and makes it a living thing that
ince its inception in 1994, Mo’ Wax founder James Lavelle’s Unkle project has gone through a number of incarnations. Lavelle started Unkle with school friend Tim Goldsworthy (now known to the world for releasing a slew of irrepressible party anthems with LCD Soundsystem), recording an EP titled The Time Has Come, which featured contributions from Money Mark and the Scratch Perverts. Goldsworthy departed soon after and was replaced by DJ Shadow. Together, Shadow and Lavelle created Psyence Fiction, a landmark record that combined sample-based hip hop and downtempo beats with vocal contributions from the likes of Thom Yorke, Mike D, Richard Ashcroft and Kool G Rap. Shadow left after the completion of the Psyence Fiction tour and Lavelle worked alongside Forme member Richard File on the next two Unkle albums Never, Never, Land and War Stories. Internal friction came to a head not long after the latter album was recorded, resulting in File’s departure after ten years as Lavelle’s right-hand man. Enter Psychonauts member and Mo’ Wax alumnus Pablo Clements, who contributed his programming skills to Never, Never, Land and War Stories, joined Unkle as a permanent member in late 2007. “Me and Richard had a difficult time at the end of recording War Stories,” explains Lavelle. “So Pablo and I set up our own studio and we ended up working together sporadically trying to finish the record off. We came back together to tour and Rich and I sort of patched things up. We did a load of dates and then he decided that he wanted to move on. He just wanted to do his own thing. By that point it wasn’t a very difficult transition [because] myself and Pablo had been working together so much. Things move on.” Lavelle describes Clements as “chaotic”, saying that his madcap personality and willingness to go out on precarious artistic limbs helped to drive the duo’s creativity, pushing Unkle in previously unexplored directions on their latest album, Where Did The Night Fall. “We grew up very similarly musically, going from hip hop and electro through to British and American dance music and what was going on with alternative and all that kind of stuff. So we’ve got the most direct references
than I’ve ever had working with somebody. He’s a lot looser than me. There’s quite a ‘mad professor’ quality about Pablo. So he brings a certain kind of madness into the mix, which I think is great. He’s brilliant at finding very unusual musical references. I think the way that I like to work with songs and melody and his extreme eclectic tastes make for a good, strange brew.” As was the case with its predecessors, Where Did The Night Fall is loaded to the gills with guest vocalists and musicians – soul-baring journeyman Mark Lanegan lends his whiskey-soaked drawl to Another Night Out; fuzz junkies Autolux return for their second appearance on an Unkle record with Joy Factory and Californian wasteoids Sleepy Sun lock into a motorik groove on Follow Me Down. The award for standout contribution, however, goes to Texan psych travellers The Black Angels, who uncannily raise their track Natural Selection to unforgettable heights. “It was brilliant,” he says of working with the band. “We’ve actually been working with them on quite a few bits and pieces lately. They’re really open-minded, they’re really productive and very eclectic. They’re definitely going to be something to watch in their own right. They’ve been part of this new-psych movement that’s been coming through, but I think they’re going to surprise people with the stuff they’re going to be coming out with. We worked on some other material during this record, some bits that we intend to finish off. And there’s also been another project which we’ve worked with them on.” More details of the nature of this project, however, were not forthcoming. “It will be interesting, but you’ll have to wait and see!” WHO Unkle WHAT Where Did The Night Fall (Pod/Inertia)
NICHE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
AN N INTER NT TER ERST ST TA AT TE AF AFRO FRO RO BE EA AT SH SHOW WD DO OWN N FEA EATU TURI RIN NG G
THE PUBLIC OPiNIon AFRO orcheSTra MEL M EL
THE STRIDES VE ER RSUS
SYD S Y
DJ HUWSTON
DJ MANCHILD
T CK TI CKE KETS ON SAL LE NO NOW: W:: BAS W ASE EMEN ENT.C COM.A AU, U, RED D E YE Y RECOR EC CO OR RDS DS, F SH FI H REC ECOR ORDS OR RDS DS, MOSHI OSHI OS H TX X..COM COM.A CO AU & AL LL MO OS SHTIIX X OUTLE LE T S
thepublicopinion.net • thestridesband.com • nicheproductions.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 43 •
MURDER BALLADS
BRAZILIAN METAL ICON AND PROUD PARENT MAX CAVALERA OF SOULFLY CHATS BRUTAL EXTREME METAL AND KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY WITH TRISTAN BROOMHALL.
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he name Cavalera is synonymous with metal courtesy Brazilian pioneers Sepultura. While Sepultura may no longer list any Cavaleras amongst its lineup, both of the brothers that formed that eminent band around 1984 have gone on to equally noted musical ventures. Soulfly, Max Cavalera’s group since splitting from Sepultura at the end of 1996, are launching their seventh studio album this month – the ominously titled Omen – and he’s excited about unleashing it to the fans. “The couple of reviews I’ve seen have been really positive, they think it’s Soulfly’s most metal and hardcore sounding album, which I agree. It also has a side that’s kind of a thrash sound, from the first song,” he says, commenting on an observation that the album sounds particularly old school. “It was done with that purpose; it was made like that to sound as thrashy as possible and as raw as possible. It’s supposed to be an explosive album, it’s supposed to be really exciting, so a lot of fast songs mixed with some slow grooves and you’ve got the bulk of the album. “The album for some reason became more about murder than anything else,” Cavalera continues, moving onto themes and inspirations. “It was not intentionally, it was a subconscious thing, but with songs like Jeffrey Dahmer, Off With Their Heads and Lethal Injection, murder was the subject that comes to mind. It really fits the music because the music is really very violent. I’m happy with that because I wanted to make an extreme violent record and I think we achieved that with Omen.” The consistent lineup the group has held together for seven years now, featuring Marc Rizzo on lead guitar, Bobby Burns on bass and Joe Nunez behind the drums, means things ran smoothly in the studio when recording Omen. “It’s made it really a lot easier. I just know the guys better now, I know what to expect from them in the studio musically. It’s a really good lineup; I’d like to keep it like that. It’s been like that since 2004 and we get along really good. Marc Rizzo is fantastic again on guitars, did some killer solos; Joe did really good on drums. Everybody did their part and it did make it easier
to make the album as powerful as it could be.” As well as guest vocal appearances from Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan) and Tommy Victor (Prong), Omen features some new Cavaleras. “The B-sides of the album, two of them I recorded with my sons on drums. Both of my teenage sons, they’re 14 and 15, they both play drums so I invited each of them to play on the B-side. They both picked their own cover songs and Zyon, my oldest son, picked Refuse/Resist, which has his heartbeat that opens the original Sepultura recording [from 1993’s Chaos A.D.] that was recorded when he was inside his mother’s belly and we recorded it in the hospital. So it was really cool, 15 years later, to be recording with him. That meant a lot to me. Igor picked a more obscure cover song from Excel, kind of a skate-thrash punk band from Venice, California. They were both really good choices. We learned the songs, we practiced a lot ‘cause I told them I’d kick their ass if they weren’t ready to record and to not waste my time in the studio. They listened to their dad and they did their homework,” he chuckles. Are Cavalera’s boys influenced by uncle Igor? “They love him, worship the way he plays, they think he’s one of the greatest drummers. It’s great, great to have him as uncle. If you’re a drummer you couldn’t ask for a better uncle.” WHO Soulfly WHAT Omen (Roadrunner)
NILE ARE NOT ONLY ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE BANDS IN DEATH METAL, THEY’RE ALSO ONE OF THE MOST CONSISTENT. AND ON THE EVE OF YET ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN TOUR, MARK HEBBLEWHITE CORNERED NILE MAINMAN AND EGYPTOPHILE KARL SANDERS TO TALK ABOUT WHERE METAL AND THE PHARAOHS INTERSECT.
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Again – everything about this dude is metal. And nowhere is this more apparent than on Nile’s latest – and possibly greatest – LP, Those Whom The Gods Detest, a crushing mix of patented blast beat insanity and slower, more majestic riffs that immediately evoke the might of the Old Kingdom pharaohs. “We always try and mix things up,” the guitarist and vocalist, who is of the philosophy that music offers up a range of opportunities and everything should be investigated, agrees. It’s this attitude that separates Nile from the pack. While there’s no shortage of bands that know how to blast with consummate ease, not many death metal acts can actually construct an album’s worth of memorable songs. “I see this all the time with some of the bands we see out on the road. If you can’t tell what song you’re listening to, or what band you’re listening to, what’s the point of it all? “When there are all these bands that sound like each other, there ends up being no purpose to any of it. The aim is to make music that people want to hear again – and I hope that’s what Nile does.” As Sanders will confirm, it’s hard to make a living peddling extreme music. And that struggle was recently made harder for Nile when their latest LP was leaked before its release date. While understandably bitter, Sanders is also realistic. “Look I do tend to frown on people who want to characterise downloading as nothing more than a benign way for bands to get their • 44 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
WHEN TREVOR STRNAD DECIDED TO EMBRACE DEATH METAL HE ESSENTIALLY SOLD HIS SOUL. THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER FRONTMAN JOKES WITH BRENDAN CRABB ABOUT CONVERTING MORE OF SATAN’S MINIONS EVER SINCE.
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ARTISTIC LICENCE
arl Sanders is metal – he has pedigree up the wazoo (as a youngster he hung with the Morbid Angel boys) and a back catalogue that spells brutality not to mention an attitude to match. And then there’s his dog, which insists on barking all through Drum’s interview. “Dude I have a beagle that thinks he’s a Doberman, can you believe that?” laughs Sanders.
EXTREMELY SCARY
t was like ’95 when I was hearing my first death metal albums. My first record was Pierced From Within by Suffocation,” he tells Drum while “living my pyjama pants fantasies out” at his Detroit home between tours. “I think it’s still the best one,” he laughs. “It still might be my favourite, or it’s really high up on the list. It basically scared the crap out of me and ‘cause at the time, getting into evil metal, I was still young and kind of impressionable about religion, so getting into metal was kind of like ultimately saying goodbye to God,” he says, laughing again. “It’s like, okay, I’m in eighth grade and I’m accepting that I’m going to go to hell, you know? Like, ‘Alright guys, let’s make this worth it.’” As a result of his extreme pedigree, Strnad feels a responsibility to carry over certain traditions to the next generation of death metal devotees. “[With our lyrics] there are some aspects of reality in there. But there’s a lot of horror elements, old school death metal elements. There’s a lot of blatant Satanism and it’s pretty tonguein-cheek. But it’s kind of a reference to old Deicide and Sinister and bands that had just overly Satanic lyrics [that] I used to get the shit scared out of me by. I try to keep that kind of stuff in mind, because I realise that we’re reaching a lot of young kids and we might be the most extreme band they’ve heard so far.” While far from the first extreme metal vocalist to adopt such an approach, the frontman’s seemingly effortless flitting between inhumanly guttural growls and manic, high-pitched shrieks not only gives the band a distinctive feel, but, on the release of 2003 debut Unhallowed, was initially mistaken for being two separate singers by many. So who inspired Strnad’s brand of vocal insanity? “The screeching, I don’t even really know where that comes from, that’s just kind of how it is,” he says with another laugh. “It’s not really influenced by a particular singer. I guess the high and low thing, there are a lot of guys that do that and influence me. The pair of Jeff Walker and Bill Steer from Carcass doing the high and
low vocal is probably the biggest one. I remember when we were tracking stuff for the first demo and we were like, ‘We’ve gotta do those Carcass vocals man, like the high one and the low at the same time.’” More laughter. “Ben Falgoust from Goatwhore and Soilent Green, he’s probably one of my favourite vocalists. He does the high and low and everything in between and just has the sickest stage presence I’ve ever seen. Glen Benton – old Deicide stuff like Legion. Tobias [Sidegård] from Necrophobic, he’s one of my favourite vocalists, just has a real awesome attitude. I like vocalists that have a lot of attitude, like David Vincent [Morbid Angel].” Aside from their crushing music, judging from their Majesty DVD and the DVD accompanying latest album, Deflorate, The Black Dahlia Murder also enjoy a party. While their Australian visit with fellow Americans Unearth promises considerable drunken debauchery, it’ll likely be relatively low-key compared to some of the band’s previous tours. “The times that we’ve toured with European bands man… holy shit. Our first Euro tour we were trying to drink with Vader and Finntroll. They had this keyboard player filling in – this chick – and she was drinking us under the table. It’s a whole another level, man. I don’t understand… They must start drinking when they’re like eight or nine, just out of their customs. They have a very brutal resistance in the liver.” WHO The Black Dahlia Murder WHEN & WHERE Monday, The Factory Theatre
POSSUM MAGIC
THERE WERE TIMES RAT VS POSSUM WISHED THEIR DEBUT LP SOUNDED MORE LIKE PINEAPPLES IN THE SKY, THEY TELL SAM MCDOUGALL.
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music out to a wide audience. I mean, the people who clicked on our album did so because they wanted the new Nile album – not some record by a band nobody’s heard of. “But that said, there is a bigger picture here. We’re living in a changing, though interim, period for the music business. And until things are sorted out on how to control technology we have to wait for things to level out. To be honest, part of me feels that music should be free. But then how do performers get compensated for their hard work? It’s puzzling really. I don’t want to see music lovers get beaten up for downloading and I understand why people are tempted by free music, but it remains a problem.” Thankfully, Sanders isn’t in this as a business proposition. For many years he’s combined his love of death metal and Egyptology to create a truly unique sound. Strange thing is, while he’s experienced a lot of death metal, he’s never been to Egypt. “Man, it’s a money thing – nothing else,” he admits. “I’d love to go to Egypt but working full-time in a death metal band doesn’t allow you to take long leisurely trips to Egypt. It’s ironic really. We have been offered trips to Israel, but again the money is never there and we can’t take them.” But for a bloke who’s never been to Egypt, Sanders keeps a serious grip on the subject. “I love the Old Kingdom period. It’s more shrouded in mystique and therefore there are a lot of grey areas with which one can take artistic and polemic licence. As a writer and artist, that makes it the most fertile and gives Nile plenty to work with for you guys.” WHO Nile WHEN & WHERE Friday, The Factory Theatre
ther than singer Daphne Shum’s revelation that this band is just her gateway to becoming a gay icon pop star, Rat Vs Possum are a band with clear and simple goals – to have fun making music, put out a record and get a possible shot at playing a particular country Victorian music festival. They seem to be trucking along rather well. It’s intrinsic to the nature of these marsupials to play a bucketload of shows. They are a band that relies on the live performance to propel their music and develop their sound. What results is a morphing wee beastie that thrives and delights in its own evolution – a pulsing, writhing creature spewing forth its own destiny down its shirt front before gobbling it back up again. This randomness can work both ways. The band seemingly dances on a wave of fortune, riding the luck of unplanned delights. But the risk is a large one. When it pays off it can be a propelling force, but when the mark is missed things have the potential to get a little messy. Either way it’s memorable. Shum, along with bandmate Kieran O’Shea, explains that their beginnings were as uncontrived as their songs. “I was excited to play drums. Daphne joined and played a drum, then Adrian [Tregonning] came along and we thought, ‘Fuck yeah, let’s add another on top.’ There was never a question of, ‘Can we do this, or are we allowed to do this, or what will the reaction be?’ We thought, ‘Why the fuck can’t everyone have a drum?’” A little over a year ago it felt like the words Rat Vs Possum were emblazoned across every warehouse party flyer in Melbourne. The sheer volume of shows allowed the band to seep into the consciousness of gig-goers, regardless of how well established they were as a group. The band confess that many of the early shows were reflective of an outfit struggling to grasp their own aesthetic and grappling with how to accomplish the grand ideas they were spawning. The realisation of their sound came with time – as did their live reputation – and Rat Vs Possum decided to back up their hard work with some recorded material. Trouble was, as they had discovered during the early stages of
their live shows, none of them really had any idea how to capture what they were doing. Mention of their debut LP, Daughter Of Sunshine (named after an altruistic act by a YouTube gorilla) elicits satisfaction, albeit restrained, from the band. From what they tell Drum the recording process was a long one, punctuated by sickness and much soup drinking. “My identity as a musician was really as a performer,” says Shum. “It was hard to translate that to a recording environment. I’d jump up and down a lot, but then my face would hit the mic and they’d make me do the take again.” “[Producer] Clint Sigmund was incredibly patient with us,” adds O’Shea. “We spent so much time working out how to do this live, then we had to spend an equal amount of time working out how record it. It was trial and error – here’s an idea, it could work, let’s run with it.” “[Sigmund] let us know that we could say what we wanted in any abstract kind of way,” continues Shum. “Like if you want a track to sound more yellow or bright then he’d know what you’re talking about. He wanted us to be free to express what we needed, which was great when you wanted to ask him to make it sound more like pineapples in the sky or something. He was very understanding.” WHO Rat Vs Possum WHAT Daughter Of Sunshine (Sensory Projects/ Inertia) WHEN & WHERE Friday, St Petersburg Warehouse; Saturday, Dirty Shirlows
ARTISTIC TYPES
CIRCLE PIT KNOW BETTER THAN MOST THAT THE INTERNET CAN BE A CRUEL PLACE, BUT THANKFULLY THEIR FOCUS, PASSION AND HONESTY MAKES IT ALL VERY TRIVIAL. SCOTT FITZSIMONS TALKS TO JACK MANNIX AND THEN ANGELA BERMUDA.
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ith their glam/punk DIY fashion sense, the unique approaches to their art and, most importantly, a perceived ‘delicate artist-type’ exterior, Sydney’s Circle Pit have sparked active debate on Australian music-dedicated internet forums. The duo, 21-year-old Jack Mannix and 24-year-old Angela Bermuda, have copped all manner of flack for their troubles, but having weathered most of the storm, which intensified with coverage of their Bruise Constellation album release, the two evidently maintain a strong resolve. Discussing the finished album, Mannix admits not being completely satisfied with the release with an honesty that’s evident throughout the conversation. “We did it over two days at a studio and we went into it thinking we were just demoing songs for our album. So we didn’t really approach it with the idea of this realised vision we had in our heads of what it would eventually sound like. “But, once we recorded it over those two days and listened back we realised that it was kind of good enough to release and that we’d rather just get it out and move on than go back into the studio and perfect it.” The end result was not what they’d originally envisioned, but the raw, ‘70s rock’n’roll outcome still evokes his pride. “It’s an accurate representation of what we sounded like at that time and what we were feeling in that point of our lives. It stands alone as a document and testament of when we made it. “But I do think the nature of the recording process, being quite rushed and also littered with personal problems and all of that, it turned out to be something completely different to what we’d expected, but probably more true to what we were trying to say and what we were trying to achieve.” Angela Bermuda, who’s later thrown the phone as Mannix disappears halfway through an answer (“Hello? Hi, sorry – Jack just ran away. I don’t know what happened. How are you?”) harbours similar feelings.
KENNEL MEMORIES
THE SIBLING SIDE-PROJECT THAT BECOME A FULL TIME OCCASIONAL SIDEPROJECT, DOG TRUMPET IS HITTING THE ROAD AGAIN. MICHAEL SMITH INVESTIGATES WITH REG MOMBASSA.
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“If you’re making a physical object, it’s not going to correlate with what’s in your mind. I’ve dealt with the things I don’t like about it and I really like the way it sounds and I’ve learned what to do next and how to change things,” she emphasises. Before he vanished from the line, Mannix had expressed a great love and understanding for his collaborator, beyond that of a sibling. “It’s more than friendship and it’s more than family – we’re soul mates, you know? It went from us writing songs together in our room.” Bermuda echoes the sentiments. “We’re like family, he’s a part of me, whether I like it or not,” she says, laughing. “No, we’re bound together. And I feel like the record is a real testament to the fact that our relationship is about healing each other and being there for each other.” The lyrics, which the two write together, “confront not the most pleasant of themes, but it’s like a dialogue with each other, trying to understand the world and ourselves and help each other do that.” That said, they’re not immediately literal. “I couldn’t pinpoint exact things, but I think all the words create this global imagery that relates to us and things that have happened and other people, like a quilt, if you will.” The band’s launch show signifies the emergence of the band themselves, but also Sydney’s wider underground scene, which has had to “create their own culture,” as Mannix had previously explained. “People have taken a long time to embrace us, but I think things are starting to change and people are starting to take us seriously.” WHO Circle Pit WHAT Bruise Constellation (Timberyard/Shock) WHEN & WHERE Wednesday, Oxford Art Factory
riginally something to do for the New Zealandborn brothers Chris aka Reg Mombassa and Pete O’Doherty when Mental As Anything took a hiatus – as a consequence of an accident that laid keyboards player Greedy Smith up for months in 1990 – Dog Trumpet kicked off with a debut album, Two Heads One Brain, in 1991. It only became a fulltime enterprise however, if you can really call it that, in April 2000, when the brothers left the Mentals to concentrate more fully on their artistic endeavours. Their recording career has since surged forward at a less than ripping pace with their eponymous third album released in 2002 and their next, Antisocial Tendencies, in 2007. So River Of Flowers makes three albums in a decade. “Actually it’s five albums and two EPs in 18 years,” Mombassa, on the line from the rehearsal room where the band is learning how to play the new songs, corrects. “Obviously we were still playing with the Mentals until ten years ago, so that kept us busy for the first eight years.” Stylistically, the songs on River Of Flowers – five each from Mombassa and O’Doherty, along with a cover of Irish singer/songwriter Bap Kennedy’s On The Mighty Ocean Alcohol, originally recorded for a fundraising compilation for Byron Bay rehab facility The Buttery – are far more similar than they have been in the past. Previously, Mombassa’s more eccentric musical approach contrasted with O’Doherty’s more straightforward melodic pop. “I hadn’t thought of that, but you might be right actually. We write our songs quite separately and then play together on them, so they do tend to be different styles or different approaches, I guess. We noticed when we finished it that there were a few vaguely semiautobiographical songs on there. There’s one about our mother [Manchester], who died a couple of years ago, plus Pete’s got one about when he was a kid [The Wilson Home For Crippled Children] and had this hip disease when he was six/seven, so he was in this home for a couple of years. Great South Road is about the main road from Auckland to Wellington – a local childhood kind of song – and Into The Sky is about
people dying basically, so there’s a bit of slightly gloomy stuff on there I suppose. “I guess as you get older you do have to face the fact that your parents are going to get sick or die – both of our parents have died in the last few years – and unfortunately some of your friends start dying too, once you get into your fifties. Everyone’s facing their own death, so I guess there’s a bit of reflection on things like that.” Of course, from a couple of musicians who spent a significant slab of their adult lives in the ultimate suburban party band that is Mental As Anything, you’re not going to get a darkly pessimistic album. Even the aforementioned Into The Sky comes across as more a children’s nursery rhyme than a gloomy vision of mortality. Mombassa in particular can’t completely suppress his natural dry humour across a whole album either, so things kick off with his wry Mr Alcohol And Mrs Marijuana, a reprise perhaps of a contribution to an early Mentals album, Surf And Mull And Sex And Fun, while he wallows in the lackadaisical Manana. “Basically I just thought, what are the two most popular drugs and they probably are the two most popular; one legal, one illegal. Tobacco’s losing popularity a bit thank goodness. As for Manana, it’s not exactly being on the case is it? Putting things off ‘til tomorrow, it’s that Spanish phrase, but I kind of like that compared to the more accepted thing of being an anal-retentive control freak and do everything immediately; I tend not to follow that philosophy myself.” WHO Dog Trumpet WHAT River Of Flowers (Half A Cow/MGM) WHEN & WHERE Saturday, The Vanguard
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 45 •
WITH ROSS CLELLAND
CLARE BOWDITCH Bigger Than The Money Island/Universal It’s actually pleasing to see a Clare Bowditch track in the pile. If only that you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get. This time round: a happily stumbling and urgently insistent drum machine from around 1980, with a muse on the important issues to all Australians: ‘Is it your shout or mine?’ and the friendship issues related to same. Song does have a snippy new wave charm to it, and some cleverbordering-on-smartarse wordplay in it. The one to give her a wider audience? Probably not, but it’d be nice if it was.
THE BASICS Wait For You MGM Now, we lost track somewhere – one moment they were on indefinite hiatus while Wally went off to be Goyte again. But then denials, residencies and now a new record. Don’t care, is good. Wait is a bit of a throwback to Basics past: slightly retro in sound and R&B style, with some modern rhythms, and brass and strings and all that stuff present. Includes some live thingys which occasionally sound like a band about to have a domestic, plus a long jammy run at J.J.Cale’s Cocaine, which while good, doesn’t quite fit anywhere.
KYLIE MINOGUE All The Lovers Mushroom/Warner And that’s basically all the information you need. You’ve already made your mind up as to whether she’s the business, past it, a camp curio, one of the few musics that can still cause a ripple in the wider world, or a well-flogged dead horse. You may all be right. Whatever, she and the collaborators (or her handlers) select / keep her up with – if not ahead of – the game. Thus, perfectly polished and constructed shiny and fluffy pop music, and many of us will watch the attendant video intently. For a variety of reasons.
BAND OF HORSES
FOALS
MARY JANE KELLY
Columbia/Sony
Atlantic/Warner
Trial And Error/Stomp
Infinite Arms
Band of Horses have always looked to the annals of American rock for inspiration and guidance. Now, with Infinite Arms, they can rightly claim their permanent place within the pages of those weighty tomes. This record sees the group’s touring lineup – guitarist/ vocalist Ben Bridwell, bassist Bill Reynolds, guitarist Tyler Ramsey, keyboardist Ryan Monroe and drummer Creighton Barrett – come together in the studio for the first time, creating the most cohesive, enveloping and downright gorgeous Band of Horses album yet. Opener Factory is indicative of the kind of confidence that makes a record like Infinite Arms possible – its light brushing of strings and brass never threatens to overpower the song’s fragile beauty, but is just lush enough to tug gently on the heartstrings. The album’s rockier moments – Compliments, Laredo, NW Apt. – show that the band’s penchant for countryinflected stomp has lost none of its potency. The title track reaches heights of poignancy only hinted at on the band’s previous albums, while For Annabelle (an oft-bootlegged feature of the band’s recent live sets) is a beautifully written and performed dedication to Bridwell’s daughter. And Ramsey and Monroe’s lead vocal contributions (on Evening Kitchen and Older, respectively) are easily the equal of those sung by Bridwell, whose own vocal performance here is nothing short of flawless.
Total Life Forever Whether the title of Foals’ second record is supposed to be life-affirming or sardonic is up for debate, as the Oxford five-piece dive wholeheartedly into atmospheric instrumentals and cut ties with the twitchy pop of 2007’s Antidotes. Blue Blood captures effervescent guitars and foot tapping rhythm after Yannis Philipakis’ solitary voice rings out “You’ve got blood on your hands/I know it’s my own.” It’s the overwhelming theme on Total Life Forever; the contradictions between a relationship postcollapse, followed by hopeful songs that herald romantic notions. After Glow asks for the listener to ‘Get up/go find everyone you care for,’ while the title song finds Philipakis in ‘A place where I can go when I’m low down/to your arms…’ The real climax comes five tracks into the record in the form of Spanish Sahara. Brushing perfection, the suspense generated between the sparse guitar and the whispering drum beat that grows into a cacophony of sound, enticing the listener before blowing them out of the water. Philipakis’ falsetto is fragile as he reverberates ‘I’m the fury in your head/I’m the fury in your bed/I’m the ghost in the back of your head.’ It is the finest spinetingling, goosebump-inducing six minutes to be found on the record, executed in a breathlessly stunning manner.
Like There’s No Tomorrow Since the demise of Irrelevant and the on-again, off-again Day Of Contempt, the Aussie scene has been crying out for a truly melodic hardcore band to stick their proverbial necks out as the next great hope. Break Even seem to be one such band, but Wollongong outfit Mary Jane Kelly’s debut full-length suggests they are perhaps the most likely to claim that mantle. Like There’s No Tomorrow delicately balances aggression with a forward-thinking attitude and plenty of punk rock-infused melody, which ought to spell considerable success. While sounding fresh and contemporary, they don’t go out of their way to ape current trends; they’ve an absence of breakdowns, sickly sweet lyrics and sugarcoated clean vocals amidst their Shai Hulud-meetsEvery Time I Die (minus many of the rock influences) with traces of Refused’s unpredictability – a collective thumbing of the nose to popular ‘core convention. No track reaches the four-minute mark and the likes of If God Were Here and Weak, Corrupt, Worthless & Restless are fast, furious and intense, while Coalesce would approve of the abrasiveness of the intro to Hell In Gold Leaf Palaces. The pseudo-clean vocal passages of The Imprecision Of My Dimensions are executed with skill and the dexterous guitar licks of the gloomier Wallflowers are a strong indicator of a young band confident in their still-developing melodic sensibilities.
With Infinite Arms, Band of Horses have penned their first truly classic record. If Drum had a ratings system, this reviewer wouldn’t hesitate to give it ten out of ten. Yes, it really is that good.
In contrast, This Orient splices into the eardrum with jittering guitars and a sweepingly optimistic lyrical tangent that has Philipakis crying out ‘It’s your heart that gives me this western feeling’, whilst the throb of bass and subtle keyboard notes build surreptitiously in the distance. Never lapsing in continuity, Total Life Forever is a record to devote your ears to.
Adam D Mills
Sevana Ohandjanian
Brendan Crabb
PAUL WELLER
RUSSELL CRAWFORD
SCOTT MATTHEW
Island/Universal
Popboomerang/MGM
Longtime Listener/Other Tongues
While rippling with plenty of promise, Like There’s No Tomorrow is a few truly great songs short of brilliance and a few more distinctive riffs wouldn’t have gone astray either. The seeds have been sown here though – album number two ought to deliver in a major way.
MONDO GENERATOR Dog Food Impedance/Stomp Nick Oliveri – of Kyuss, QATSA, if you didn’t know – is just about semi-resident here when he’s being international rock guy. Before he takes his howl and a new version of this band to the world, he assembles the supergroup version – with the omnipresent Grohl drumming and Turbonegro’s Happy Tom on bass – to have a bash at an old Iggy tune. Yep, sounds exactly as you think it would. Rest of this EP has a couple of Oliveri’s own songs, and a range of unsurprising covers: Ramones, Roky Erickson, and, er, Kyuss.
THE GOOD SHIP A Harbour Fair Autumn Recordings Rollicking. Or perhaps ‘rowlocking’. Obscure nautical reference ‘joke’ there. Just think of that as my little tribute to Jessica Watson. With the shearers and bushrangers covered, it’s back to the deep blue and when whaling was respectable pastime for men. This is firmly in the Weddings Parties model of big combo sea-shanty-cross-drinking-song folk punk, and you get the feeling this Brisbane collective could be the business when in full live flow, despite having been at it for little over a year. Suitably awash with rum and brine.
TASH PARKER Not Unprepared Independent The self-insightful, self-critical female sensitive singer-songwriter type, right down to the referencing of Joni and Vega among her admitted influences. But Feist is listed there too, so there may be some self-deprecation as well. The purity of voice, honesty in the words, and some occasional nice twists in the songs have gained the notice of some persons of note. J.Walker produces and adds various noises, while the abovementioned Wally Goyte percussionary layers. All ends up sounding very well crafted.
Wake Up The Nation Thirty-something years on, the old bugger remains ineffably cool. Even with that ridiculous haircut. An even better trick is that he’s managed to keep both some elder statesman retro cachet and style, while still being relevant to his descendents. The man has absolutely nothing to prove. Yet, at some points through this, he sounds like he’s forcing it rushing it even – to show how ‘vital’ he still is. But, while a working-class hero is (still) something to be, the title track and songs like 7 & 3 Is The Strikers Name just feel a bit like wrapping yourself in the red flag while recording in the sitting room of your country estate. And sure, it’s delightful that there’s some détente with ex-Jam bandmate Bruce Foxton, back playing on a couple of tracks. But that’s Bev Bevan of the Electric Light Orchestra Weller is crooning over there, who is utterly irrelevant in the punk era scheme of things. That aside, he can then just throw in one of those fizzing white-boy soul numbers like No Tears To Cry, or Fast Car/Slow Traffic’s mod rush, and all’s good. But what’s with the sub-Style Council cheesy instrumental In Amsterdam? Or the quoting of Blood Sweat & Tears’ Spinning Wheel brass line in Aim High? It’s almost if he’s trying to fit too much, too many, of his influences and pasts in. Yes sir, you Grasp & Still Connect – but you of all people don’t have to be so obvious about it.
Ross Clelland • 46 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
Floating Aimlessly
Stepping forward from the drum kit duties he has performed recently for the likes of Josh Pyke and Perry Keyes, this is the Sydney singer-songwriter’s debut album. He takes his place at front of stage firmly behind the keyboard and right from the instantly affable album opener Overachiever Crawford delivers song after song of punchy piano pop. He has a straightforward approach to his music and demonstrates a confident, almost matter of fact manner which has already drawn obvious comparisons to Ben Folds. Whilst ultimately the emphasis is on a plonking up-tempo sound, which he builds up to reach some catchy choruses, much like a comedian needs good comic timing Crawford controls the pace of his music to get the most out of the delivery of his lyrics. That serves to emphasise the humour his songs contain that gives them so much charm.
There Is An Ocean That Divides… Overtly emotional and in parts bordering on pretentious, Scott Matthew’s elaborately titled album (26 words in total) ventures through the eccentric world of the passionate singer-songwriter as he deals with everything from dicks, white horses, dogs and even Wolverine. Creating the kind of ethereal energy you would expect from an Antony Hegarty recording, the disc relies only on acoustic instruments to create the foundation for his moody, soaring vocals. White Horse is a soft, building soundscape that erupts with emotion through Matthew’s ghostly vocal ability. He soars through notes with a dramatic and almost theatrical tone, captivating listeners with every breath and pause. This suspense, however, quickly becomes tiresome as songs seem to drag with this sense of drama and trepidation, cautious to proceed at any real pace.
The playful, and almost teasing, piano intro to album highlight Nigel sets up the song perfectly with its tongue-in-cheek ode to anyone by that name. Bad Luck has short bursts of amusing tales of misfortune which roll into a sympathetic anthemic chorus you feel compelled to sing along to in sympathy. Shake It takes a ‘60s doo wop turn and reinforces what seems to be the heart and soul of Crawford’s music – good time vibes. It may not be full of subtle, complex, layered arrangements but Crawford goes for the direct hit.
German is a little more pop-sensible, sticking to an acoustic guitar and some melancholy string sounds to create a rhythmic and memorable song. Likewise, Ornament utilises a ukulele and some interesting vocal patterns to stand out from the remainder of the record’s boring facade. Wolverine would sound more at home in a theatrical musical than an acoustic album, building with delicately plucked strings into some terribly cheesy layered vocals, all sung with Matthew’s signature dramatic and over-the-top tone and enunciation. Aussiebred Sia makes an appearance on the bonus track, Silent Night, offering a Christmas-inspired dreary end the record, which really could not come soon enough.
Paul Smith
Benjamin McInerney
SEABEAR
TAME IMPALA
WILL STOKER & THE EMBERS
THE NATIONAL
Modular/Universal
Will Stoker/Shock
4AD/Remote Control/Inertia
We Built A Fire
InnerSpeaker
Iceland seems to be one of those unique places that produces nothing but greatness – the bands, the scenery, it’s all beautiful. Seabear is no exception – the Reykjavik septet presents a gorgeous stripped-back record with their second offering, We Built A Fire, which ditches some of its 2007 predecessor’s more experimental elements for simple, uncomplicated splendour.
The much anticipated debut from psych rockers Tame Impala is here. Recorded to tape in a secluded part of Australia’s south-western coast, its themes of solitude, isolation and introversion are soaked in revivalist ‘60s psych. And while it’s everything you’d expect from the Perth four-piece, it also proves further depths in songwriting and sound from the brains behind the whole project, Kevin Parker. Modular, it appears, were happy to let him do pretty much what he wanted and it’s a step forward not only showing his talent as a great songwriter but also presents Parker’s aptitude as a great producer and engineer. Home experiments have been perfected and the overall feel of the record’s washy drums, fuzzed bass and hallway layering techniques are a more planned endeavour, but never detract from the atmosphere that was their first EP. Some of you may recall the other Modular band Wolfmother and their promising EP and subsequent failure with an over-produced, re-recorded mess that was the debut; thankfully this has been completely avoided here with the only repeat being a slightly reworked Desire Be Desire Go.
Morr Music/Inertia
Vocalist Sindri Már Sigfússon (known also for his side project Sin Fang Bous) has a real honesty about his breathy enunciations, often accompanied by an ethereal female voice and a delicate, fingerpicked acoustic guitar. Singing completely in English, there’s no mystery shrouding the meanings of the songs; the folky rollick of Wooden Teeth sees him murmur, “we got married while you were asleep/carved our names out on your wooden teeth,” as his bride, the female vocalist, whispers along. Such quaint musings are rife on the album, with the musical style of the songs ranging from straightout folk rock (Softship is the record’s loudest moment) to unassuming and atmospheric (In Winters Eyes) to reflective (the piano-and-string-drenched Cold Summer). It’s true that the indie folk thing has been overdone lately and, especially considering Sigfússon’s musical and vocal style is so easily comparable to the likes of Sufjan Stevens and Iron & Wine, so this album might be easy to overlook at first. But thanks to the use of more creative instruments like the musical saw, as well as the presence of a whole lot of emotion and raw heart, We Built A Fire is ultimately an adorably sweet album that still maintains a high level of musical gravitas.
Leading everything is the single Solitude Is Bliss, and the dreamesque It’s Not Meant To Be is a perfect album opener, but keep an ear out for some desert sessions leanings like Lucidity which succeed in breaking up sombre moments with riffs straight out of a Kyuss novel. It’s these moments and Paperback Writer tunes such as I Don’t Really Mind, which will satisfy those that lean toward the band’s rock offerings. InnerSpeaker positions Tame Impala resoundingly as Australia’s next indie export.
Giselle Nguyen
Adam Wilding
Will Stoker & The Embers
Former National Campus Battle of the Bands winners, this Perth five-piece are obviously determined to bring the indie side of classic Australian rock to the fore once more. There are plenty of guitar pyrotechnics along the way to ensure that happens, whether it’s the squealing strangulation of a Gareth Bevan solo in The King, the Easybeats chug of Bower Bird Blues or the hyperkinetics of opener Tickets Please and In The Belly Of The Beast. Yet there’s also an obvious intelligence that lifts this eponymous debut above a mere retread of a bygone era. There’s also an urge to subvert as well as to bring melody back into the equation, so that you get a curious slice of klezmer opening third track, The Wave Hiss And Burst, as Stoker pulls that supremely un-rock instrument, the clarinet (shades of The Gadflys!), as the song slides into some sort of Germanic martial stomp, complete with guest horn section. In contrast is the less stentorian lushness of Dundee, and the prettiness returns with closing cut, Penelope. Nice. Quite why they bothered covering Bjork’s Come To Me is unclear. While it perhaps gives Stoker a chance to stretch his vocals a little, the leaden drumming doesn’t really allow the track to lift off, even if there was ever a vague idea of a direction to take it. It passes quickly and inoffensively enough. There are moments too when Stoker doesn’t quite hit the note, something that always bothers me, but otherwise, this is a solid introduction to an inventive little combo.
High Violet
Some of the finest songs come from love, loss and regret. What’s harder is finding balance. To make real the emotions without becoming melodramatic or, conversely, trivialising the feelings. It’s taken The National a decade to get it this right. High Violet’s music can be stately, near-hypnotic. It drags you in. It’s not just boy loses girl. There are adult concerns: mortality, kids, security, fear – as everything you believed in crumbles. Centring it are Matt Berninger’s words and his deep croon. A voice longing and detached at once – from abstract to blunt-instrument wounded in a line. The aching Bloodbuzz Ohio gnaws at you: ‘I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees,’ Then clarity: ‘I never thought about love when I thought about home’. You feel the exhaustion in his delivery, where even the ‘do-do-do’ refrain of Lemonworld – one of the more immediately approachable songs – has the weight of struggling for that next breath, and whether you even wanted to take it. Bryan Devendorf’s drums are sometimes martial, but often beating the retreat, as ‘things come undone’ in Runaway – though layers of brass and strings sweep in some sort of broken victory march from England. There is Sorrow, of course, ‘I don’t want to get over you’. Afraid Of Everyone aware of the problem, but ‘I don’t have the drugs to sort it out’. This record can burn a hole in your heart with each playing. If you’ve known hurt, this album will speak to you. Extraordinary.
Ross Clelland
Michael Smith
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 47 •
WITH THE BEST OF THEM Sydney’s own Resist The Thought are pretty stoked on their brand new album, Damnation, and are planning to the launch the disc Thursday at the Masonic Hall Blacktown, Friday 4 June at Club Blink at the Agincourt Hotel and Saturday 5 June at the Loft Youth Venue. How stoked are they and where does it place them in the Sydney scene? To find out, we asked them. “Before we started writing the record, we all sat down and spoke about what we want to achieve as a band and what we want to create in an album. We decided we wanted to really step it up by pushing the boundaries of the metal genre, creating something completely original and most importantly – something that we were all proud of. “In all honesty, writing this record was the hardest thing that we have done as a band, just because we pushed ourselves as much as we did. We actually bought ourselves a laptop and a microphone and demoed every riff and breakdown that we wrote, which made it a lot easier to write something we were happy with.
This week’s column is dedicated to the tragic loss of a true rock icon RONNIE JAMES DIO! He sadly passed away last week right after The Racket went to print! His amazing legacy will live on – R.I.P. RJD \m/. Here are some fitting words in a statement from another legend and Ronnie’s best friend, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi: “I’ve been in total shock; I just can’t believe he’s gone. Ronnie was one of the nicest people you could ever meet. We had some fantastic times together. Ronnie loved what he did, making music and performing on stage. He loved his fans so much. He was a kind man and would put himself out to help others. I can honestly say it’s truly been an honour to play at his side for all these years. His music will live on forever. Our thoughts are with Wendy Dio [Ronnie’s wife/manager] who stood by Ronnie until the end. He loved her very much. The man with the magic voice is a star amongst stars, a true professional. I’ll miss you so much, my dear friend.” Technical death/grind metallers Cephalic Carnage have begun work on the follow-up to 2007’s Xenosapien for a release via Relapse Records later this year. The as-yet-untitled CD is being recorded at the band’s own studio with longtime engineer/producer Dave Otero.
RESIST THE THOUGHT “Not only did we try and push ourselves musically, but we also stepped it up lyrically. The theme and lyrics of the record were based on the idea that humanity will be the cause of their own destruction, due to aspects such as greed, corruption and war. “Damnation is a record that has a lot of different levels – it’s something you can appreciate by just listening to it, as well as if you were to break it down musically. Because of this, It’s a very hard record to get sick of. Our main intention whilst writing Damnation was to create something that each of us were proud of and we definitely achieved it. “Sydney’s metal scene is one of the best in Australia. We would like to think that this new record puts us up there as one of the best Sydney metal bands, but there are so many good bands around – it’s impossible to tell!”
• 48 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
www.utopia.com.au
METAL WITH ANDREW HAUG
Closer to home Melbourne’s Contrive has finally set a release date for their album, The Internal Dialogue. It will be released on 2 July via MGM Distribution, and the first pressing will be a special hand-numbered embossed digipack limited to 500 copies only. The CD will be made available in stores Australia-wide or order through the band’s MySpace page as well as iTunes. Devin Townsend handled the mixing duties on the record and he’s quoted as saying, “I’ve known the Haug brothers for some time, and I have to say that this record is leagues ahead of their previous material, which was already great. They’ve got a cool message and a sense of dynamics on this album which I think will give people the cause to take notice. Organic and honest. I’m happy to have been involved with some really great music.” German power metallers Helloween recently entered singer Andi Deris’ Mi Sueno Studios in Tenerife, Spain to begin working on their as-yet-untitled 13th full-length album. The band has written more than 20 songs. Commented bass player Markus Grosskopf on the band’s MySpace, “For all those out there who found our special best-of CD Unarmed to be too smooth and calm, I have a great news: The new album will hit you right in the face! It’s gonna be very heavy and contain all Helloween
a recent online posting frontman, vocalist Hansi Kürsch, stated about the band’s forthcoming CD, “This will be our most bombastic and epic album so far. Whether there will be eight or nine songs on the album I do not know, by now. But each and every song has a completely different approach in comparison to each other and one complements the other in a perfect way.”
LOCAL GIG GUIDE
FRIDAY RONNIE JAMES DIO trademarks! Some songs are very powerful and hymnic, others contain the fastest bass-drum patterns our drummer Dani [Löble] ever played, and this means a lot! I am really excited about the material we brought together and can’t wait to put my bass tracks on those kick-ass metal songs!” The album is scheduled for release on 31 October. Yes, Halloween. How spooky! Isis has split! The band has released the following statement: “Isis has reached an end. It’s hard to try to say it in any delicate way, and it is a truth that is best spoken plainly. This end isn’t something that occurred overnight and it hasn’t been brought about by a single cataclysmic fracture in the band. Simply put, ISIS has done everything we wanted to do, said everything we wanted to say. The last, and perhaps most important, thing we might say in relation to all this is how grateful we are for the people that have supported us over the years. It is a lengthy list that would include those who put out our records, those that played on them and put them to tape, the many bands with whom we shared the stage, all of our family, friends and companions who supported us in our individual lives and thus made it possible for us to continue on in the band, and most importantly those who truly listened to our music whether in recorded form or by coming to out to our shows or both. Our words can never fully express what we feel, but we hope that our music and the efforts made to bring it into being can serve as a more proper expression of gratitude for this life and for everyone in it. Thank you.” Blind Guardian will release their new album, At The Edge Of Time, late summer via Nuclear Blast Records. In
Nile, Abigail Williams, Hate Eternal – The Factory Theatre For All Eternity, Empires & Vampires, Azlock – Club Blink, Agincourt Hotel Syko Sapian, Teratornis, Invictus, Corporate Takedown – Lewisham Hotel
SATURDAY Resist The Thought, Silverback, Renegade, Pledge This!, Vanity, Lockdown – Masonic Hall, Blacktown Aeturnus Dominion, Vendetta Of The Fallen, Teratornis, Death Patrol – Lucky Australia Tavern
SUNDAY The Storm Picturesque, Maze, Burnt At The Stake, A Triumph, A Tragedy, Vanity – Lucky Australia Tavern
MONDAY Unearth, The Black Dahlia Murder, Hand Of Mercy, The Storm Picturesque – Factory Theatre
TOURS TOURS TOURS Boris – Friday, Studio, Sydney Opera House The Black Dahlia Murder, Unearth – Monday, Factory Theatre Paul Di’Anno – Thursday 17 June, Bar On The Hill; Wednesday 18, Waves Wollongong; Saturday 19, Gaelic Theatre; Alestorm – Friday 18 June, The Factory Om – Saturday 17 July, The Factory Theatre Slash – Monday 16 August, Enmore Theater Napalm Death, Dying Fetus – Saturday 4 September, The Factory Mayhem – Friday 24 September, The Factory Theatre Metallica – Wednesday 10, Thursday 11, Saturday 13 November, Acer Arena Andrew Haug hosts triple j’s The Racket every Tuesday from 10pm. triplej.abc.net.au/racket. theracket@drummedia.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 49 •
THE GOOD LIFE More news from the good folk at Poison City Records, Melbourne’s “party-punk” group The Hawaiian Islands are currently streaming two new tracks on their MySpace, Valerie and Fly Away. The tracks come from their debut album, due to drop Monday 7 June and is available for pre-order now on the Poison City e-store. Sydney’s own Surprise Wasp will be heading down to Melbourne to play the Island’s launch show.
HOPPING AROUND Always one to drop names and plans about current musical exploits, Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus recently spoke to reporters at the All Time Low premiere for their DVD Straight To DVD, and cited collaborations with All Time Low and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy. He’s got plenty of free time at the moment with bandmates Travis Barker off with Transplants and Tom Delonge with Angels And Airwaves.
ALL TIME LOW
LOW-CLASS OUTTAKES Speaking of All Time Low, the band’s DVD is shaping up to be the biggest video release of the genre in a long time, with the band’s popularity currently reaching new heights. Outtakes from the footage can be viewed now at the band’s MySpace video page.
PUNK AND HARDCORE WITH STU HARVEY and details on entering, go to xtramilerecordings.com and epitaph.com/demolition.
Woo-hoo! Five years after their last (somewhat disappointing) album, Haunted Cities, it looks like Tim Armstrong, Travis Barker and “Skinhead” Rob are finally putting the finishing touches on a new Transplants album. Drummer Barker has been talking up the album’s progress on Twitter letting his followers know, “Recording some drums for a new song. Transplant$ album is coming out DOPE!” Back in January we told you about The Damned Things, who are something of a super-group featuring Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley from Fall Out Boy, Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano from Anthrax and fronted by Every Time I Die’s Keith Buckley. The band has signed to Island/DefJam and are preparing a debut album. Joe Trohman is quoted in the press release saying the group, which “combines their love of classic rock anthems and powerful melodies with a heavy metal intensity, turns out to be much more than the sum of the separate parts. This is an amalgam of three very different bands, it seemed unlikely, but it turned out we were on the same page musically. We were both interested in putting together a heavy/classic-rock, blues-oriented, riff-based band while trying to stay away from what makes that sound generic and overplayed. We started out with no expectations. We never intended for this to be a side project. It just happened.” Did you get your free Bad Religion live album yet? All you have to do is sign up to the band’s mailing list and you’ll be sent a download link and code. The email accompanying the code explains their reason for being so damn generous. “We want to say thanks for signing up, thanks for coming out to the shows, thanks for all the great times, thank you for being a part of all of this! We have had so much fun with this 30-year anniversary, and as Greg says, ‘without all of you, without a vibrant scene to be a part of, there really wouldn’t be very much to celebrate.’” While you’re enjoying the live album the old blokes of melodic So-Cal punk are in the studio working on a new studio album for release later this year. You can sign up to their mailing list at badreligion.com. Former hardcore band Avenged Sevenfold have announced Nightmare as the title of their fifth studio album hitting stores 30 July. The album was produced by Mike Elizondo whose production credits don’t feature much heavy music; instead he’s more used to working with the likes of Dr. Dre, Eminem, Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes. Perhaps Mike got confused and assumed
SHORT FAST REPORT TOP 5 1. Parkway Drive. Woah!… the new Parkway Drive song Sleepwalker went up on their MySpace last Wednesday… in the first 24 hours it had already been streamed 55,000 times! The song is available now on iTunes and will be on the new album, Deep Blue, when it hits stores June 25. I had Winston from the band on Short Fast Loud last week and he said of the forthcoming album, “no two songs sound the same”.
FRANK TURNER Synyster Gates and Zacky V sounded more like rappers than members of a rock band. Against Me! have welcomed former The Hold Steady member Franz Nicolay to the band as a touring member! Anyone who’s seen The Hold Steady over the years would know what an amazing musician Nicolay is, so this is awesome news. The band issued a statement: “We’re very happy to welcome Franz Nicolay out on the road with us! Starting with this next run of Europe dates Franz will be joining us onstage every night and lending his immense talents and presence to the band.” You gotta love Frank Turner for giving back and supporting young talent. The second single, Try This At Home, from current album, Poetry Of The Deed, is being released soon to coincide with Frank opening for Green Day at Wembley Stadium (in front of a lazy 90,000 people!). Those familiar with the song will know that the lyrics are all about the DIY ethos that drives the punk scene and encourages anyone and everyone to pick up a guitar, jot down some words and just give it go. And it’s with this spirit Frank is offering the chance for a new, unsigned act to be on the B-side of his single. So Frank, in cooperation with his labels Xtra Mile Recordings (UK) and Epitaph Records (rest of the world), is asking for new and original music to be sent to him for consideration. There’ll be two winners chosen by Frank together with Kerrang! in the UK and Alternative Press in the US – with both winning tracks included as B-Sides of a limited edition coloured vinyl – 1000 copies each for the UK and the rest of the world. For more information
2. Rolo Tomassi. They made plenty of mates when they were here for Soundwave, putting on some very impressive shows. Their new album was produced by Diplo, who is more of a DJ/Electronic producer than twiddler of knobs for English mathcore bands, but the partnership has worked well and Cosmology is a cracking album out this week. This Wednesday on Short Fast Loud I’ll be speaking to Eva from the band all about it! 3. Free Bad Religion. Good stuff. Thanks old blokes, and Happy Birthday to Mr. Brett who turned 48 last week! 4. Deez Nuts. This One’s For You is the new album and on Wednesday night JJ will join me on Short Fast Loud to chat about it! 5. Breaking Bad. Best Show On TV. I know this is a punk/hardcore column, but that really just needs to be said.
LOCAL GIG GUIDE
WEDNESDAY
Joey Cape, Tony Sly, Jamie Hay – Annandale Hotel
THURSDAY Joey Cape, Tony Sly, Jamie Hay – Cambridge Hotel Closure In Moscow, Secrets In Scale, Sienna Skies – Mona Vale Hotel
FRIDAY Closure In Moscow, Secrets In Scale, Sienna Skies – Gaelic Theatre Steppin’ Razor, Cap A Capo, Rocksteady Dub Militia, Snoozefests, Disadvantaged – Lansdowne Hotel Stu presents Short.Fast.Loud. Wednesdays from 10pm on triple j. shortfast@drummedia.com.au
HIP HOP WITH VIKTOR KRUM It’s a funny world out there. Your little sister’s little sister would probably have heard of Shawn Lov by now (from his guest verse on Ke$ha’s upcoming single, Shawn Lov Is A Famous Rapper) if not for a few twists of fate in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. Prodigiously talented and supremely hungry, Lov was due to be huge. It was his turn; he was next in line. Then the market for white rappers was instantly flooded by one man and the labels got scared. And then Shawn wasn’t very successful. And then some time passed. And then legend of the Australian scene Prowla picked him up and signed him. And then Shawn made some more good music. And then… Anyway, it’s a long story, and Shawn himself tells it better. Go seek out his track Millions; iTunes has got it and will bring you up to date. You’ve listened to Millions? Good. You’re now juiced in enough to get excited about an EP Shawn has put up for download called The S.O.N. You can pick it up at ShawnLov.bandcamp.com and at other (good) online music retailers. For production nerds, the well-crafted beats are a pretty serious throwback. For rap heads, Shawn rarely fails to disappoint content-wise. The S.O.N. is being put together to get us all excited for a release coming out on Prowla’s Nuffsaid label later this year: Future Left Behind. It’s time to get reacquainted with Mr Lov. You’ve already downloaded Sydney Crew Loose Change’s new album, right? Right. Nice one. You’ve ticked that box. Good to see. The next step is to head to the launch for this brand new clique’s debut album happening on Friday 28 May at the Sandringham Hotel. Supports are True Vibenation, Suburban Dark and Mathijs. I’ve used this quote from the endearingly enthusiastic Sydney Morning Herald sports columnist Peter FitzSimons before, but “gotta love this city!” Bliss n Eso have a new album coming out! It’ll be out on 5 June and titled Running On Air. The fact that these three Sydneysiders have been making solid music for nearly a decade is not the sole reason for our excitement here, though. Bliss n Eso are actively, actually doing things that other acts in this country are not, and are trying to manufacture opportunities other acts have failed to. Case in point: the sold-out 20-date American tour they have just completed over the Australian summer. Now, I’m not saying that selling out a few American venues – venues that may have been small and jam-packed with media guests – is a reason to think • 50 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
ALL AGES WITH SCOTT FITZSIMONS
OUT AND ABOUT If you were lucky enough to get tickets through Channel [V], then you’ll be getting along to Operator Please, who are playing a free showcase event at The Forum this Thursday. Get on [V]’s website now, if you ask me.
BLISS N ESO anyone is making good music. It is reflective of the trio, and the people around them, thinking laterally about what they do and being critical about what it means to be a hip hop act. If you like music made by evenminded, intelligent, lateral thinkers, you’re only days away from obtaining BNE’s fourth album. When we last spoke, I did not have the details of the venue for the launch of Undertow’s album, Minds Believing, happening Saturday 29 May. Well, it’s happening at 21 May St, St Peters and the launch will feature That’s Them, Aye One, Swarmy, Flawlezz, Rukus Crew and more. I have found it consistently confusing and fascinating that the Cartoon Network, with Adult Swim, have managed to create a whole new niche market for commercially successful, good music. I never saw it coming. Remember Dangerdoom in 2005? It was great. Anyway, the fine folk at Adult Swim are starting a Singles Program where they are promoting certain songs from certain artists, including them on programs, and hosting them on their website. Fun! Among the artists are Superwolf (Will Oldham!), Black Lips and Holy Ghost! remixing LCD Soundsystem’s Drunk Girls. For the rap dudes, there’s… new Madvillain! And some Killer Mike. Good times. Real quick: ahead of Eminem’s Recovery and Jay Z’s The Hits Collection Volume 1, the world’s two biggest rappers are going to co-headline a show in Detroit and a show in New York. Wow. Split a plane ticket? getittogether@drummedia.com.au
This Saturday evening the Lucky Oz Tavern takes a heavier approach with Aeturnus Dominion, Vendetta of the Fallen, Teratornis and Death Patrol on stage from 7pm. Come Sunday, the venue welcomes The Storm Picturesque, Maze, Burnt At The Stake, A Triumph, A Tragedy and Vanity. A fair while coming, Mayhem 2010 is finally upon us this week and is taking over Liverpool PCYC on Saturday. From 3.30pm to 10pm, expect sets from Town Hall Steps, Elanora, Dejavu, Within All Meaning, 46Clicks, Dinki Bike, Patient Mile and Larykan. On top of the live music there’s also a Fender guitar giveaway, basketball, air-brushed tattoos, face painting, a sausage sizzle and more. Tickets are $10. Screaming Sunday returns to the Annandale Hotel this week from noon to 4pm, with a host of bands that we’ve become quite accustomed to as favourites of the all ages scene. A Bad Day’s Goodnight are the main drawcard while there’ll also be Defileon, Chasing Amy, Cloud Four, Stand For The Fallen, Heartless, My City Screams and Screaming Infamy.
LOOKING AHEAD The Museum of Contemporary Art are regularly providing events for 12-18 old high school students, treating them like adults in a mature creative environment. The next Generationext event is happening Sunday 27 June from 5.30–7.30pm, and will give you guys the opportunity to, “Talk art. Eat food. Listen to live music. No parents. No teachers.” This event is happening during the Sydney Biennale, with all the artworks relating to the theme, “the beauty of distance”. RSVP is essential to generationext@ mca.com.au by Thursday 24 June.
NOW PLAYING This week’s CD review takes a focus on 18 year-old starlet Gabriella Cilmi, who’s been absent from Australian shores recently trying to break into the
GABRIELLA CILMI European market. The review is written by one of Y&R’s roving high-school reporters.
GABRIELLA CILMI
Ten
Warner Pushing her way to the top of the charts with her first album, Lessons To Be Learned, Cilmi’s back with more punch with her second studio album, Ten. The new commercial electronic sound may have fans confused at first, though the catchy tunes will gradually warm them in. The record offers a varied range of material, from soft love songs to fervent, fast pop numbers, which entwine throughout, creating an enticing listen. Opener On A Mission was the highest-charting Australian single and kicks off the album with a poppy, energetic ‘80s homage delivered by the attractive, upbeat voice of Cilmi. Sugary synthesizers, distorted bass lines and contagious beats urge you to hit the dance floor while the vocals have the effect on listeners of moths to a light. She pulls off sweet harmonies in Love Me Cos as the band back her with warm and enriching beats. It’s the clichéd love song though again with the same ‘80s feel the 18 year old has delivered a new and contemporary wash to the formula. A lot of fans have rejected the switch from her initial blues jazz feel to electronic pop, but the change seems necessary for her to successfully progress through the music business ranks. It’s a good listen and will be pleasing to lovers of the ‘80s fad. Joe Swann Your Cilmi thoughts to allages@drummedia.com.au
BLUES AND ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON The new record from local electric blues wizards Mississippi Shakedown is all ready to take a welldeserved place in your collection and the band will launch their fourth record as they take up house band duties at one of their favourite stomping grounds, Newtown’s Botany View Hotel Sunday evening. The night is a Sydney Blues Society Jam Night and the fun begins from 6pm. The band is fronted by Jeff Cripps who owns and operates the A# Recording Studio and is renowned for his work in the studio, so you can be sure the record sounds pretty great! If you can’t make it to the launch, you can catch the band at Tempe’s Harp Hotel Sunday 20 June, where they’ll be joined by The Anni Piper Blues Band, Christina Crofts Band and The Alter Ego Blues Band. Friday 4 June will see the release of Hot Mama Vibes, the new album from exciting Aussie roots man Ash Grunwald. You might remember his last record, Fish Out Of Water, where Grunwald teamed up with TZU and Urthboy producer Countbounce, bringing a strong hip hop element to his style of blues. Well the new record sees him develop that element further, teaming with Countbounce once again, as well as artists like Mr Trials (Hilltop Hoods) and Chasm (Astronomy Class) and word is the results are pretty special. Grunwald is heading out on the road to tour new record and will be playing The Cambridge Hotel Friday 25 June, Entrance Leagues Saturday 26, Lizotte’s Kincumber Sunday, Baroque Nightclub Wednesday 30, Transit Bar Canberra Thursday 1 July, The Harp Hotel, Wollongong Thursday 8 and The
penchant for lap steel. Fans of that record and indeed the rest of Steel’s canon will be overjoyed to hear the singer-songwriter will be hitting Surry Hills’ Excelsior Hotel 8pm every Wednesday in June. Entry is $12.
CORRINA STEEL Metro Theatre Friday 9. The original queen of rock’n’roll is coming back to Australia! Yes, at 72 years old Wanda Jackson is still going strong, making records and touring the world and she’s making another visit to our shores next month. In 2009 Jackson went into the studio with White Stripes/ Dead Weather frontman Jack White, a seemingly perfect combination, and hopefully we’ll get a chance to hear a bit of the material she laid down with White’s assistance when she’s here. At this stage it’s looking like you’re going to have to travel though, as there are no NSW dates confirmed as yet, so why not cruise up to the Wintersun Festival in Coolangatta and catch her Sunday 13 and Monday 14 June? With last year’s A Fling With The King album, Corrina Steel very quickly cemented herself a definite player on the national blues scene, moving away from her country leanings to a far grittier sound helped along by her new
Before I leave you, just a quick note to let you know that Roots Down will be coming to you from the U.S. of A. for a couple of weeks in June. If you know of any bluesrelated activities in Austin, Nashville or New York City you think should be covered in the column, please send your suggestions through!
ROOTS MANOEUVRES
TUESDAY
Harry Manx – Clarendon Guest House Claude Hay – Hotel Bondi
WEDNESDAY Harry Manx – Clarendon Guest House Muso’s Club Jam Night – Bald Faced Stag
THURSDAY Muso’s Club Jam Night – Carousel Hotel Peter Head – Harbour View Hotel
FRIDAY Claude Hay – The View Factory John Leigh Calder Trio – Hotel Clarendon
SATURDAY Finn – Albion Hotel rootsdown@drummedia.com.au
TREME
NEW ORLEANS ON THE SMALL SCREEN With much excitement surrounding its American premiere, Foxtel’s Showcase have announced that they’ll be picking up the new TV series Treme, which will debut in Australia 8.30pm Wednesdays from 14 July. Most of the interest comes from the fact that the series is the latest effort from the masterminds behind The Wire, and, set in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, tells the story of a group of musicians determined to bring hope and pride back to the devastated city. The city is regarded as one of the most important artistic centres for African-American blues and jazz music, and the show’s title takes its name from a particularly old neighbourhood in the city that’s well rooted in the city’s musical history. Featuring familiar actors from The Wire, American critics of the show have come back with positive reviews, most of them saying it reaches the calibre of the creators’ previous show. Already a cult classic in the US, there are no plans for a free-to-air debut at the moment, but considering the cutting to fit and advertisement breaks that would go with it, that’s arguably a positive thing.
ACTING ON THE IDEA JAZZ/WORLD WITH MICHAEL SMITH TUESDAY
Singer Lily Dior and her quartet return to 505.
Opening Jazzgroove Tuesday at 505 are the Matt McMahon & Phil Slater Duo, followed by the sax-led Tim Clarkson Trio, who are launching their new album, Crab.
The Unity Hall Hotel showcases once again the band that bears its name, the Unity Hall Jazz Band from 4pm.
SUNDAY
The Subterraneans are back at the Town Hall Hotel Newtown, kicking off 6pm.
Over the past eight years, guitarist Steve McKenna has been building an enviable reputation across Europe, but tonight he takes his quartet into the Basement Circular Quay, with pianist Gerard Masters opening the evening.
Drummer Mike Quigley’s trio, featuring pianist Didi Mudigdo and bassist Pete Kohlhoff, play at Libiamo Restaurant from 7.30pm.
Singer Paul Sun in duo mode heads into Jazushi.
JAMES VALENTINE
Singer, songwriter and pianist Don Hopkins delivers the grooves in Dee Why RSL’s Flame Lounge.
ABC Radio 2BL afternoon announcer and saxophonist James Valentine now has a regular Tuesday evening slot – down at the Golden Sheaf in Double Bay with his quartet.
One of the country’s finest bass players Craig Scott takes his quintet into 505.
Pianist and composer Alister Spence takes his trio into 505.
WEDNESDAY
It’s an evening of world music trios at Eastside Arts Paddington with the Volatinski Trio and the Eddie Bronson Trio delivering everything from Belarus to Brazil.
Keyboards player Monique Lysiak performs at Jazushi.
SATURDAY
The inimitable Judy Bailey takes her big band Jazz Connection down to 505, with singer Briana Cowlishaw and her quintet opening the evening.
The dynamic vibraphone-led Daryl Pratt Sextet takes over 505. The John Redmond Trio plays the Manhattan Lounge.
THURSDAY The Rescue Ships aka Elana Stone and Brian Campeau present High Tea at Hibernian House in Surry Hills.
FRIDAY Sydney’s only all-female jazz ensemble, the 17-piece Sirens Big Band, take to the Sound Lounge stage.
Yuki Kumagai takes the quartet out to the Blacktown Festival, kicking things off at 10am. Legendary veteran pianist and composer Mike Nock has assembled a new quintet that he’ll be introducing to the Sound Lounge tonight. Singer Susan Gai Dowling literally swings into Jazushi for the evening.
MONDAY
TUESDAY 1
Casablanca Nights at Notes brings you their first Listeners’ Choice night, with Evelyn Duprai joined by guests Amanda Bloom, Nic Jeffries and Anita Meiruntu, with The Hipstones’ Mark Palmer guest pianist. blow@drummedia.com.au
ROCKABILLY/PSYCHOBILLY/ALT.COUNTRY WITH PEDRO MANOY TUESDAY
SUNDAY
Guitar maestro Harry Manx plays the first of two big shows at the Clarendon Guesthouse in Katoomba while Claude Hay hosts Club Mojo at the Hotel Bondi.
Ross Ward plays the Friendly Inn from 2pm, while it’s Pugsley Buzzard at the Kiama Golf Club from 3pm. Chase The Sun play Beaches in Thirroul and the Muma Jane Blues Band get bluesy at Jack’s Bar & Grill from the mid-afternoon. The Leanne Paris Quartet are the featured band at the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel and Mark Hopper hosts the regular blues jam at the Artichoke Café. Claude Hay and Five Lands hit the Rhythm Hut in East Gosford and Don Hopkins tinkles the ivories at the Flame Lounge in the Dee Why RSL. Marshall & The Fro round off a busy week at the Beachcomber Hotel and Terry Batu travels to Harrigans Irish Pub on the mid-north coast. The Sandringham Hotel goes galactic when the The Outer Space Cowboys rip and roar into the street level bar from 4pm featuring two former members of the notorious Machine Gun Fellatio. The Sydney Blues Society have a great jam at the Botany View Hotel with Mississippi Shakedown and Wayne Leffler from 6pm onwards.
WEDNESDAY Harry Manx plays his second night at the Clarendon Guesthouse while the Muso’s Club Jam is headquarters for all blues fans at the Bald Faced Stag.
THURSDAY Mark Lucas & The Deadsetters play one of their rare shows at the Excelsior Hotel in Glebe with the best in homegrown roots music. Guitarist Steve Edmonds does his bluesy solo show at the Amber Ale Hotel while there are popular blues jams at Bar Bondi and at the Carousel Inn. If you are down Canberra way, then look out for Paul Robert Burton & Andrew Toner at the National Press Club, from 7pm.
FRIDAY Maroubra Bowling Club hosts a massive rockabilly dance party featuring The Blackhill Ramblers from 8pm onwards with lots of space for dancers. The John Leigh Calder Trio have their regular spot at the Hotel Clarendon in Surry Hills while Blue Venom rock it up at Dicey Riley’s Hotel. Chris Turner goes solo at the Katoomba Golf Club as does Terry Batu at the Carousel Inn. Claude Hay plays the View Factory Café Bar and Marshall & The Fro headline the Brewery Restaurant. Jack’s Bar & Grill features the Muma Jane Blues Band and the Flamin’ Beauties have an entertaining night
MARK LUCAS & THE DEADSETTERS in store at the Mirage Hotel in Punchbowl. Ross Ward plays the Friendly Inn in the Kangaroo Valley.
SATURDAY Dave Tice & Mark Evans play the sunset show at the Sandringham Hotel from 4pm while Rip It Up have a 7.30pm start at the Bald Rock Hotel. The Black Cherry Club is always a dynamic and creative event and the latest instalment at The Factory will be no exception, with four bands, six burlesque shows and two DJs across two rooms. Featured are Torch Le Monde, Wes Pudsey & The Sonic Aces, Los Capitanes and Devine Electric along with DJs Limpin’ Jimmy and Swingin’ Kitten. Blue Venom travel to the Woy Woy Hotel and Marshall & The Fro move to the Laurieton Hotel. Ross Ward holds court at the Imperial Hotel in historic Bong Bong and Terry Batu plays the Paxton Hotel. Finn have a hot night of blues at the Royal Hotel in Marrar and The Bellhops keep the dancefloor pumping at the Burwood RSL.
COMIN’ ROUND THE MOUNTAIN: The long-running Stormy Monday program, heard every Monday night on 2MBS-FM at 8pm is staging a huge night of music and blues films at the Marrickville Bowling Club on Saturday 5 June from 8pm. As well as great blues sounds from The Foreday Riders there will be lots of classic and rare blues films on the big screen. Entry is a bargain $5. swampshack@drummedia.com.au
Multi-instrumentalist James Morrison and a cappella quartet The Idea of North are currently touring their collaborative album, Feels Like Spring, so we got The Idea of North’s thoughts on the challenge. They’re at The Factory Theatre Thursday 3 June, Newcastle City Hall Friday 4, The Basement Wednesday 16 and the Canberra Theatre Thursday 17. “As individual artists, we’ve been working together on the odd occasion since we met in 1998, and each time we’d get together we’d say ‘we really should record an album’… But in spite of performance collaborations all over Australia and internationally, as well as having guested on each other’s albums, it’s taken us 12 years get it together for a full album collaboration. It was well and truly worth the wait though. One of the biggest challenges was choosing the repertoire, but in the end we just went with songs we love, which has created an album of pretty eclectic styles. This could have messed with the flow and ‘sound’ of the album, but it’s all been held together by the vocal sound of The Idea of North. The process was also pretty ad hoc, because we’d not done an album like this before, so there was a lot of exploration of how to record each tune, and many of them were recorded differently because of the huge variations in instrumentation on the album. The live show will obviously focus on the album, and while much of the album can be reproduced in a live context, several arrangements have been modified to work better with fewer people. The album has whole big bands, strings and horn sections that’ll be covered in various ways by the eight people on stage. There’ll also be a fair few tunes that aren’t on the album, but the purpose is to present great music in a way you’ve perhaps not heard it before.”
HER RECORD Once a rising starlet of the Australian country scene, Catherine Britt, releasing her latest, and self-titled, album, her most personal effort to date, has outgrown that tag. She launches the album Thursday at the Supper Club, and Drum asked her a few questions.
With your new album being so personal, was it important to have a hand in the recording? I feel that I’m now experienced enough to make and contribute to the important creative decisions and I was glad to have Bill Chambers and Shane Nicholson helping me through this process with their musical understanding of what I was trying to achieve.
Will you be joined by other musicians for the launch show? Not only will I be joined by James Gillard who played the bass guitar on the new record, I will also have my producer of Catherine Britt, Bill Chambers in the band as well. It means a lot to me to have Bill there on the night of the album launch as I don’t know anybody in the world who gets me, musically more than Bill.
Is this your favourite album; did it feel good to get some things into a song? This album’s very special and important to me as far as growing musically and personally. I’m very proud to have my first album full of songs I’ve either co-written or composed myself. The reason we made the album self-titled is because I really feel as a songwriter this is my best and most personal album to date. The songs for this album were written over many years and saved for this project, so really it’s a bit of a journey album as far as the stories behind the songs goes. THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 51 •
SUPER, SEXY CIRCA ARE COMING Brisbane-based Circa is a circus, albeit a sexy, stilettos-down-the-spine, Sigur Rós-and-Aphex Twin-and-Lou Reed-listening one who are remixing the dance and dangerous tricks they’ve taken around the world into a three-in-one show. May bring new meaning to the words “big top”. It runs (and does flips) Tuesday 8 June to Sunday 13 at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House D. Tickets and info from sydneyoperahouse.com.
7 UP
G A L L E RY
PROFILE
Tell us about the gallery. MOVING PICTURES: FILMS INFORMED BY FINE WORKS OF ART By John Eagle
CIRCA
THIS WEEK IN TUESDAY 25 The Laughter Subsides - opening night of this new, one-act play from Australian playwright Sam Basger. TAP Gallery until 30 June. Opening nights for four exhibitions at Firstdraft: Sara Givins’ In Search Of Percival Redwood, Tanya Dyhin’s Prelude (The 8th Chimney), Llawella Lewis’ Curtain Place, and Pia van Gelder’s Signauxß. Firstdraft Gallery until 13 June.
WEDNESDAY 26 Curtains - a musical whodunnit parody from the creators of Cabaret and Chicago, presented by the Hornsby Musical Society. Hornsby RSL until 29 May. Dark Side Of The Rainbow screening of The Wizard Of Oz with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon played simultaneously. Cinem-attic at Arthouse Hotel. Now And When - photographic exhibition showcasing the work of five young artists who took part in a workshop organised by the Australian Centre For Photography at the Oasis Youth Support Network in Surry Hills. Storm Gallery until 5 June. Stockholm - opening night of the play that was at STC earlier this year about a couple on the eve of their trip to Sweden. Riverside Theatres until 29 May. Wherefore Art Thou? - discussions through the eyes of contemporary artists. Launching the series tonight are Hisaharu Motoda and Kiron Robinson talking about urban sites, erosion and disturbance of cityscapes. Japan Foundation Multipurpose Room, Chifley Plaza, 6:30pm
THURSDAY 27 Bedroom Farce - opening night of this comedic play by heralded British playwright Alan Ayckbourn (Private Fears In Public Places). Darlinghurst Theatre until 27 June. The Book Of Vilah - a performance told through dialogue, music and painting, inspired by the island Kythera under the reign of the infamous pirate Barbarossa. The Vanguard, Newtown. Vivid Sydney - massive festival of ‘light, music and ideas’, 52 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
ARTS incorporating art exhibitions, music and performance - including the Opera House sails becoming a canvas and the Harbour art walk. (See the Vivid LIVE special in the middle of today’s Drum.) Various locations until 21 June.
FRIDAY 28 Once Removed - originally featuring as part of Australia’s official representation at the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009, Once Removed is a collection of works by Vernon Ah Kee, Ken Yonetani, Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro. Opening night. Campbelltown Arts Centre until 8 August. New York Genius - collection of photos curated by Lou Reed. Sydney Opera House until 11 June.
SATURDAY 29 Art Of Music charity auction - Ten artists take ten songs as inspiration to paint, with their works going on auction to raise money for NordoffRobbins Music Therapy’s clinical work. Art Gallery Of NSW. Romantic Symphony - the Australian Chamber Orchestra performs the work of Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead), Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms. City Recital Hall, 8pm. (Being performed at various times and locations until 2 June.)
SUNDAY 30 Vivid LIVE at Lunchtime - an intimate one-hour talk from Vivid LIVE curator Laurie Anderson about her career. Playhouse, Sydney Opera House, 1pm. Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman Prizes - last day to catch these works, which includes Craig Ruddy’s portrait of filmmaker Warwick Thornton. Art Gallery Of NSW.
MONDAY 31 The Unknown - a silent era great, The Unknown is about a strangler with two thumbs on one hand masquerading as a circus performer. Chauvel Cinema, 6:30pm. Twilight Saga: Eclipse fan screening - Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner will participate in a Q&A alongside a preview of the new film. Luna Park. (No further info at time of print.)
1. Nightwatching (2007) - Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Nightwatch 2. Girl With A Pearl Earring (2003) Johannes Vermeer’s painting of the same name. 3. Red Dragon (2004) - William Blake’s The Great Red Dragon And The Woman Clothed With The Sun 4. Days Of Heaven (1978) - Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World 5. The Gospel According To St. Matthew (1964) - the oeuvre of Peter Breugel. 6. The Insider (1999) - Grant Wood’s The Midnight Ride Of Paul Revere 7. Heat (1995) - Alex Colville’s Pacific
We provide an exhibition space in a unique terrace and we’re an outlet for both Australian and international photographers, collectors and enthusiasts. We specialise in fine art music photography and limited edition rock’n’roll prints. We’re the official Australian representative of Rockarchive.com, based in the UK, and the US Morrison Hotel Gallery. We’re also home to the Just Shoot Lomography Shop, The Australian Lomography Embassy, dedicated to all forms of Lomography and analogue photography. It’s a meeting point for local Lomographers and globetrotters to swap films and share photos! What are some of your past highlights?
BLENDER GALLERY 16 Elizabeth St, Paddington blender.com.au
Over the past three years, we’ve hosted numerous exhibitions by prestigious music photographers and musicians, including A Wished For Song - Portrait Of Jeff Buckley by Merri Cyr (Buckley’s official photographer); I’ll Be Watching You: Inside The Police 1980-83 by Andy Summers, Police guitarist; AC/DC EXPOSED! by Philip Morris (AC/DC); California Dreaming - the photography of Henry Diltz (The Doors, CS&N, Neil Young, official Woodstock photographer). What’s currently exhibiting? No Room For Squares – The Work of Francis Wolff and Blue Note Jazz Recordings. For two decades, Wolff shot photographs of every jazz session Blue Note Records made, not only preserving a major
part of jazz history but, with his remarkable eye, capturing amazing candid portraits of great artists revealing the joy and intensity of jazz at the point of creation. This collection features iconic images of some of jazz’s greatest names: John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, George Benson and Sonny Rollins. Who are some local artists you admire? Bill Henson, Ben Ali Ong, Tim Hixson, and Stephen Dupont among others are ones that I admire. Looking to the immediate future – what’s on the cards? A Dylan photographic retrospective.
REIMAGINING MUSIC THE PREMISE OF ART OF MUSIC IS SIMPLE: TEN VISUAL ARTISTS TAKE INSPIRATION FROM TEN SONGS. THE RESULTING ARTWORKS ARE THEN AUCTIONED FOR CHARITY. DARRYN KING SPEAKS TO FOUNDER JENNY MORRIS AND ARTIST TODD HUNTER.
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odd Hunter is an artist very much in tune with the power of music over his art. “I don’t walk into the studio without music playing,” he says. “It plays a part in every single aspect of the process of painting. Even cleaning the brushes has its own music. As the tempos of the picture build, the tempo of the music changes – you change the music to fit that tempo. There’s a certain inspiration that comes from the passion and energy of the music as well. Plus you’ve got the lyrics that can take you on a visual journey.”
Art Of Music, a charity event masterminded by Australian rock icon Jenny Morris in 2006, explores the dynamic relationship between popular music and visual arts. Hunter is just one of several highprofile Australian artists who have created new artworks based on songs by Australian/New Zealand performers. For example, the sunny chords and immaculate harmonies of Crowded House’s Distant Sun inspired Nicholas Harding to render a colourful beach scene with luscious impasto textures, while the nautical poetry of The Waifs’ Lighthouse led Euan Macleod to conjure up an eerie, dreamlike seascape. There’s also a glorious portrait capturing the essence of AC/ DC’s Angus Young by Ben Quilty. And it’s all for a great cause – the pieces will be auctioned off this Saturday at the Art Gallery Of NSW, with all proceeds going to Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia.
“I wanted the artists to be taken on a journey they may not have gone on otherwise,” Morris says, adding frankly, “the idea was that something special would come out of it… that people would want to pay lots of money for.” Hunter’s own music collection is broad, but he regards punk – especially the hard-edged tones of The Saints, the Stooges and Eddy Current Suppression Ring – as the biggest inspiration for his abstract landscape art. “There is something about that simplicity, yet phenomenal power, that I am inspired by in the studio.” For the Art Of Music event, Hunter chose Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue’s great murder ballad Where The Wild Roses Grow. The resulting canvas is vibrant, violent and erotic – and dominated by dashes of dark blood red. “The song itself is about a murder and told in two voices, one innocent and one knowing,” he says. “Him, reminiscing in a kind of sensual stupor and she not understanding yet why they call her the Wild Rose – because of her murder. It’s haunting. It’s light and dark – both voices are sensual. Hopefully the painting, like the song, is an amalgamation of landscape, sensuality, light and dark.” There’s a fascinating alchemy to Hunter’s process – which mainly requires him to allow the magic to happen, and seize it. “You discover an image,” he says.
“It’s out of your hands sometimes. You’ve set up a framework but the painting has its own momentum. The songwriters that I am influenced by often use the landscape as a metaphorical space for their characters to inhabit. So, when painting, and listening, these characters and landscape begin to take on a form in my head which can then be interpreted in paint and hence influence the
marks being made. Like music, the paintings evolve from the successful pulling together of disparate elements – speed, chance, memory and sensibility – that need to be harnessed to create a cohesive whole.” WHAT: Art Of Music charity auction WHERE & WHEN: Art Gallery Of NSW Saturday 29 May
THEATRE PARLOUR SONG
NEW
ORDER THE YOUNG JEAN LEE THEATER COMPANY REPRESENTS THE NEW FACE OF CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATRE. DARRYN KING TALKS TO LEE, WHOSE THE SHIPMENT PLAYS AS PART OF VIVID LIVE.
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or some, it’s love, passion and hard work that propels them into a successful career in the theatre. For Korean-American Young Jean Lee it was a nervous breakdown. “I was in academia and I really hated it,” he explains. “So I went to see a therapist. The therapist said, ‘I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer it off the top of your head, without thinking.’ And her question was, ‘What do you want to do with your life?’ I said ‘I want to be a playwright.’ And I just thought it was a joke. I got really embarrassed. I had no background in theatre. I’d studied Shakespeare but had no involvement in theatre and had no artistic aspirations. But the therapist got me to talk about it, and we figured out that the reason I was studying Shakespeare was that I wanted to write plays myself. It had just never even occurred to me that I could do that.” After her nervous breakdown/ epiphany, Lee moved to New York. As she admits, she had no experience, no connections and only the fellowship money from her PhD to live off, but, at the age of 28 and for the first time in her life, she felt she could unleash her hitherto repressed creative spirit. Within a year she’d written and directed her first play, and quickly earned a reputation in New York’s experimental theatre scene as a bold and defiant new voice. “I grew up in this really small town. There was something about my particular small town’s mentality that was very dogmatic: ‘These are our beliefs, this is the way we live our lives, we’re not going to be open to anything outside of that.’ I always hated that so much. When I went off to the University of California, Berkeley, I was around people who had the completely opposite political views. Berkeley is one of the most diverse campuses in the United States and everyone was very liberal. But I found the same mentality there: the feeling that everybody else is stupid. “I feel like my work basically tries to combat that attitude in general.
If you have a political standpoint, a message, then you’re only going to push the buttons of half the people. But if you’re going after everyone, then it becomes much more chaotic and interesting. I believe it’s good for people to constantly challenge their own beliefs. It’s really dangerous when people start believing their way is the only way and that other people are stupid.” Lee’s play The Shipment, playing the Sydney Opera House in June, is set to be the theatrical highlight of Vivid LIVE. It’s a rude and riotous take on race and black identity politics in America. Lee credits much of the show’s success to a new, black President. “When we started this show it was pre-Obama, and absolutely nobody wanted to talk about race as it pertains to black people. Everybody wanted to believe that it was over. When Obama started running for President, you had to start talking about race. You couldn’t deny that it was an issue in our country. The dialogue opened up and people were much more receptive to the show. I think it changed everything.” None of this is to imply that The Shipment doesn’t resonate strongly outside of America. The show has played throughout Europe and comes to Sydney by way of the Vienna Festival. “In the first European city we played, the audience loved the show, but they came up to us afterwards and said, ‘We loved your show so much! It showed how stupid Americans are! We’re so happy we don’t have race problems like that here in Europe!’ We were really unhappy about that because that’s not what we were going for. Our goal was not to make Europeans think they don’t have a race problem. So we add a section where we target the race issues of whatever city we’re in. There’ll be a paragraph like that for Sydney. We never have trouble finding material.” Part of Lee’s mission statement is to provide an antidote to traditional theatre, especially didactic traditional theatre that purports to be
confronting but is really just part of the status quo. “Artistic directors have to do one show like about identity politics per season or they’re accused of being racist,” Lee explains. “So what they like to do is something very preachy and predictable.” By contrast, Lee talks about The Shipment as a constant game with the audience; she talks of ‘tricking’, ‘disorienting’ and ‘confusing’ them, lulling them into a false sense of security and playing with their expectations. “There is no ‘message’. You’re not sitting back and watching a show about race. You’re actually having a racial experience. The point of it is to make people very aware of the way they experience race. Audiences are always looking for something that lets them identify the work and put it into a box. I’m like that as
FILM
an audience member; I go to see a show, and I think, I’ve seen this before, I’m going to check out now. But the typical rhythm of my show is that something will happen and it will turn into something else completely.” As you might expect, not everyone is a fan of Lee’s theatre of disorientation. “The higher profile I get, the more people hate me. I’ve read really personal attacks on myself. People say such horrific things. But I think the reason is that the work is really aggressive. Even if you hate the show it’s one of the shows that you can’t stop thinking about. It messes with people. Not everybody’s into that.” WHAT: The Shipment WHERE & WHEN: Sydney Opera House Tuesday 8 June to Friday 11
Belvoir St Theatre Demolition expert Ned (Drew Fairley) hasn’t slept in days yet his belongings are disappearing overnight. His wife Joy (Anna Lise Phillips) herself is deeply unhappy and has resorted to seducing their neighbour Dale (Matt Dyktynski), who, for his part, loathes working for wankers and washing their cars. Parlour Song is a tale of existential angst in suburbia in which the vertical blinds hung upstage are made to look like the bars of a gaol cell. The play shifts from situation comedy (Ned miming along to an instructional sex tape) to semi-serious drama before ultimately transforming into a mood poem. There’s a lot to enjoy here – of the three, Fairley is best at exploiting the potential for comedy – but the elements do not sit together entirely comfortably. There are also a couple of distractions: the disconnection between the British script and the Australian accents, the repeated rearrangement of the set, the soundtrack bizarrely ripped from a Nintendo console… Despite occasional flashes of significance, the vision here is a little murky. The intimacy of the Downstairs Theatre seems to amplify the strange rhythms of Jez Butterworth’s script: Ned and Joy interact like strangers, Dale slips in and out of the role of narrator and then into Shakespearean verse, Joy recounts a dream about lemons… The cast embrace the strangeness, but too often they go for the would-be-profound route when it may have been more effective to play things straight. We never really understand these characters. The idea may be that the characters don’t understand themselves. Until 6 June DARRYN KING
REVIEWS
REDEMPTION Old Fitzroy Theatre This was a slightly weird one. Good weird. Bloody weird. Engaging weird. It was slightly unsettling. It was darkly atmospheric. It was not as darkly sexy as we might have been promised in the preview interview. Did I say engaging? Yeah. It grabs you, it unnerves you, it does what it sets out to do. Karl, Sasha, and Piscui are a tight family unit, the remnants of an olde worlde family commune and possibly the only remaining remnants of the human race they believe has been devoured by a deathly disease. The daughter, Piscui, is blind and infected but in her dreams of the stranger Quill, she sees. But Quill dreams too. He dreams of Piscui and of the mother Sasha, and in the real world outside of dreams he enters the family’s world as angel or devil as the heavens open with an apocalyptic downpour of blood. Sins must be committed before redemption is granted, and there is a lot going on in this family that is not at first apparent. Whole lotta lust, not a whole lotta love. That’s the nature of families, isn’t it? History? Dark secrets? Sometimes birth and murder go hand-in-hand. The production is atmospheric right from the start. Can’t remember when I last enjoyed a story quite like this. Maybe the last time I read a Clive Barker novel or watched something like The Wickerman (’73 version). And the performances ranged from solid to moments of bit-bloody-creepy. So yeah, slightly weird one. Good weird. Worth-checking-out-weird. Until 12 June LEE BEMROSE
REVIEWS
FOOD, INC.
FOOD, INC. If we are what we eat, we sure as hell should know where our food comes from. So sayeth director Robert Kenner and his two journalist talking heads Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan (authors of Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore’s Dilemma respectively) in the illuminating documentary Food, Inc. Though it’s a bit laboriously repeated, Kenner’s main thesis centres on ‘lifting the veil’ of multinational controlled food production, and challenging the ‘pastoral fantasy’ that bewitches American consumers. And the reality is indeed shocking. From crammed-in chickens, allowed no skerrick of daylight, to hectares of cattle ‘farms’ with nary a blade of grass in sight. These aren’t farms, they’re factories. Divided into a series of revealing vignettes, Food, Inc. hammers home
HARRY BROWN the frightening power multinational corporations hold over consumers ‘from seed to supermarket.’ Pressured farmers, exploited workers, staggering politics, E-coli fatalities and the obesity-driven diabetes epidemic are all elucidated in a well paced film that is provocative enough to capture your attention, but not so gory as to sour the experience of watching the documentary. It may well be a case of preaching to the organic-eating converted, but it is nonetheless an important and wellproduced voice to join contemporary debates about education, health care and corporate responsibility. And most importantly, as the tagline promises, Food, Inc. will definitely change the way you look at dinner. WHEN: Screening in cinemas from 20 May ALICE TYNAN
HARRY BROWN Whether it’s on purpose or not, it’s hard not to draw parallels between Daniel Barber’s Harry Brown and last year’s Gran Torino. That American vigilante film for the blue rinse set starred Clint Eastwood and saw him busting caps with the local juvenile delinquents and turning a small corner in his racism. Harry Brown is a Brit version of this story and who better to replicate Clint than the guy who can stare down any punk crim, Michael Caine. He plays pensioner Harry who is holed up in a godforsaken council estate that we know well from Ken Loach films and The Bill. Harry’s life is now reduced to a static routine of meeting his mate Len for chess games and visits to his sick wife in hospital. But then when he is hit with a double loss
– his wife dies and Len is killed by the local drug gang – he turns all Incredible Hulk. It is about at this point in the film, that screenwriter Gary Young really could have gone for a more socially-conscious look at poverty and the underclasses in Britain. But no, he and Barber have probably been reared on too many Charles Bronson movies where elders get to outsmart and outshoot the young guns who have no respect for old school ways. So it is then that the former Marine gets out his weaponry and decides to become judge, jury and executioner. See this one for Caine’s stone cold killer turn, not for any surprises in the story department. WHEN: Screening in cinemas now PRISCELLA ENGALL THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 53
MILKY WOODNESS Welsh people in history: Oliver Cromwell, Tom Jones, the characters of Under Milk Wood, etc. Dylan Thomas picked up on a bunch of the great things about his nation by writing a play for voices, and Bambina Borracha continue their experimentation with one-person shows by having Zoe Norton-Lodge do a whole melodic country village (in this case Llareggub) at the Sidetrack Theatre. Season runs Wednesday 30 June to Thursday 8 July; head to sidetrack.com.au for further info and tickets.
VILAH AT THE VANGUARD Alex Sideratos plays the title character in The Book Of Vilah as part of this year’s Greek Festival of Sydney. With classic themes of having a lover and maybe having murdered them but not really, the icon painter’s backstory from prison is brought into being by a culturally-diverse ensemble cast in a one-off performance that’s being recorded live at the Vanguard Thursday 27 May. Head to thevanguard.com. au for tickets.
THE REAL THING MATTEO GARRONE’S GOMORRAH WASN’T THE ONLY ITALIAN MAFIA FILM OF LAST YEAR THAT DEALT A HEAVY PUNCH OF REALISM. THERE WAS ALSO THE SICILIAN GIRL, WHICH SCREENED LOCALLY AT THE ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL. OUT ON DVD THIS WEEK, ALICE TYNAN TALKS TO ITS DIRECTOR, MARCO AMENTA.
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icilian-born director Marco Amenta is giving the mafia a new face in The Sicilian Girl. Based on the true story of Rita Atria, a 17-year-old girl who spoke out against the mafia after they killed her father and brother, Amenta has actually created a feature film adaptation of his own 1997 documentary, One Girl Against The Mafia: Diary Of A Sicilian Girl (Diario di una siciliana ribelle). “The documentary had a lot of success around the world, it got a lot of prizes,” Amenta says. “Because of this, I knew that the story was so powerful, and a feature film could reach more people… and I needed something more than documentary because I wanted to express the psychological journey of this girl. “For me it was important to have this other [avenue] of expression; [a] feature film can allow you to tell the story with the images, with silence, with the faces of the characters.” For Australian audiences The Sicilian Girl may well seem reminiscent of the gritty portrayal of the Neapolitan mafia in Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah. In fact the two films were produced around the same time. “It means that probably there is a consciousness in [Italian] cinema to go towards realism, because we have seen so much fake[ness]. I mean, there were great films like Godfather, and all the American films, with great cinematography and great actors, but [they are] a little bit fake because it’s too romanticised. [The mafia] became like heroes. “I grew up in Sicily and I was a photographer, so I know these people. [Garrone and I took] almost a journalistic approach, and we tried to portray real people and not copy the
stereotype of the mafia world. Because a lot of films now take from [other] films, and copy from the archetype of the image that movies have created. So if you portray the mafia boss you have to look at Al Pacino.” Amenta’s commitment to realism has seen him sued by members of the Sicilian Mafia. After his 2006 documentary about Cosa Nostra boss Bernardo Provenzano, The Ghost Of Corleone (Il fantasma di Corleone), Amenta was taken to court. “They sued me because now the Sicilian mafia is more clever. They prefer not to threaten or to kill a journalist or director because they understand [it] is better for them to stay silent. The Camorra [the Neapolitan mafia that threatened Gomorrah writer Roberto Saviano], that mafia is more aggressive, more primitive, let’s say. The Sicilian mafia is more organised, [and] more wise because they saw as soon as they threaten or they kill, the public opinion is against them and the journalist has something to write about the mafia.” This uneasy truce is at the heart of Amenta’s ‘love/hate’ relationship with his home country and the reason he sees Rita Atria’s remarkable story as “metaphoric of a possible change”. “The hero is not a big mafia boss, actually the bosses are seen for what they are really; cowards, not big, courageous and charming men. The only courageous [person] is this little girl, who has the courage to fight against them. [Rita] changes values completely from starting [out as] the mafia girl, she [becomes] a normal girl who believes in justice.” WHAT: The Sicilian Girl WHERE & WHEN: Out now on DVD
SHOT SNAP-
Action violence, coarse language and sexual references 54 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
PENGUIN POP, 2010 NICOLE HANDS
Displaying at Hardware Gallery, Newtown as part of the Medium:Vinyl exhibition until 12 June.
SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS THE RESIDENTS IN
‘WE HUMAN BEINGS. WE THINK WE’RE FREE’ UNDER 30? TICKETS JUST $30*
BY AESCHYLUS, IN A NEW ADAPTATION BY TOM WRIGHT Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre Company 1 June – 4 July 2010 Bookings (02) 9250 1777 sydneytheatre.com.au/oresteia DIRECTOR Tom Wright SET & COSTUME DESIGNER Alice Babidge LIGHTING DESIGNER Damien Cooper COMPOSER & SOUND DESIGNER Max Lyandvert WITH The Residents: Alice Ansara, Cameron Goodall, Ursula Mills, Julia Ohannessian, Zindzi Okenyo, Richard Pyros, Sophie Ross, Tahki Saul, Brett Stiller
* excludes Saturday evenings, transaction fees may apply.
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 55 •
THERE’S MOTOWN LIKE THIS TOWN MOTOWN COMES TO THE SEYMOUR CENTRE IN THE SAPPHIRES, A PLAY ABOUT A KOORI DOO-WOP GROUP TOURING VIETNAM. DARRYN KING SPEAKERS TO SINGER CASEY DONOVAN.
C C U LT U R A L
CRINGE
WITH JAMELLE WELLS Local playwright Tommy Murphy’s adaptation of Holding The Man by Tim Conigrave has had mixed reviews on London’s West End. Melbourne actor Conigrave wrote the book in 1994 after his long time partner John Caleo died of AIDS. Conigrave also died before his book was published and turned into a play that played four seasons in Sydney. The London production is once again directed by David Berthold, starring Guy Edmonds as Conigrave and Matt Zeremes as Caleo from the original cast. Jane Turner, who has built a profile in Britain since Kath & Kim became a hit on BBC digital stations, plays various roles in the production. Some UK reviews say it skirts around the real horrors of homophobia in 1970s Australia. Others describe it as moving. A photo of a beaming Crown Prosecutor Mark Tedeschi in the Telegraph last Tuesday carried the caption that he was ‘overjoyed to secure the conviction of wife killer Des Campbell’. Tedeschi was in fact followed from court by a media pack after the guilty verdict and refused to comment on the case. He only cracked a smile when the group stopped at a pedestrian crossing and ABC reporter David Spicer shouted ‘Mark - how’s your photography going’. The prosecutor has been a photographer since 1988 with ten solo exhibitions and 20 joint exhibitions in Australia, Italy, France, and the US. He’s also a member of the Board of Directors of Sydney’s National Art School
and represented by the Josef Lebovic Gallery. After a season at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, soapie star Hugh Sheridan makes his Sydney Opera House debut next month with Newley Discovered, a musical tribute to showbiz legend Anthony Newley. Best known from Channel 7’s Packed To The Rafters, Sheridan’s Opera House show tells the story of Newley’s miserable East End childhood to his high life success in the US. Newley banked an amazing body of work and has been described as a male Edith Piaf for his heart-onthe-sleeve delivery. His songs were hits for Sammy Davis, Jr., Shirley Bassey, and Tony Bennett. While he’s best remembered as ‘Mr Joan Collins’ he also starred in Doctor Doolittle and co-wrote hit musicals such as Stop The World - I Want To Get Off and The Roar Of The Greasepaint. Producers have told an industry lunch at the Museum Of Contemporary Art that Channel Nine is finalising plans for another two seasons of Underbelly. Nine has also confirmed a fifth series of Sea Patrol will be filmed this year, as part of a $60 million package of Australian drama. Rehearsals are in full swing for a new production of Under Milk Wood Dylan Thomas’ great love letter to the Welsh countryside that he wrote and left behind in a pub. Bambina Borracha Production’s new tilt on the play for voices promises to ‘rebuild the village in Sydney with the same curiosity and ratbag humour’. It opens next month at Sidetrack Theatre.
asey Donovan is no stranger to the audition process. As a former Australian Idol winner, most of Australia has watched her pour her heart and soul out before a panel of impassive faces. But she wasn’t belting out a Kasey Chambers number at her most recent audition – she was delivering a monologue. “I was kind of crapping myself,” she says with a laugh. Fortunately, she passed this audition too. Donovan is currently performing in Australian playwright Tony Briggs’s The Sapphires, directed by Wesley Enoch, a high-energy musical that follows a Koori all-sister girl group on tour to Vietnam in 1969. The show reaches Sydney this week from Perth in a coproduction with Company B Belvoir. “The first opening night was very daunting. I was just like, shit – do I know all my lines?! But each night gets better. I’ve become more confident in what I know about my character.” Over the course of the show, The Sapphires, portrayed by Donovan, Holly Andrew, Kylie Farmer and Christine Anu, belt out such Motown classics as R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Stop! In The Name of Love and I Heard It Through The Grapevine, and bust out, as Donovan says with typical candour, “so much choreography it’s not funny”. Donovan plays Sapphires sister Cynthia, whose boisterous manner by most accounts steals the show. “She wants fame and she’ll do anything to get there,” Donovan explains. “She wants to be a model, a black model, and people are putting her down for that. She also loves a drink – she carries a bottle around with her in her purse. Cynthia’s got the confidence I’ve developed in the past couple of years: to get up there and think, ‘What’s stopping me from being a model?’ I think the confidence of Cynthia has rubbed off on me a little bit.”
For Donovan, the experience of acting and the experience of singing have not been too dissimilar, especially in terms of the emotional investment she makes. “A lot of music I write is based on personal experience and the experiences of people around me. I love putting emotion into songs because I think people take something away from it. I’ve always been a bit of a storyteller in my music and getting up on stage, although quite different in a way, definitely involves thinking about what my character is thinking right now. And I understand Cynthia’s heartbreak and the fear.” It’s unlikely that a play about four indigenous women could avoid being political in some way, but The Sapphires is much more personal than political. “Tony Briggs actually based the play on the experiences of his mother and her sisters. We got the opportunity to meet them in Shepparton some weeks ago. That was a moment for me: when I realised we’re telling their story. There’s some political stuff in there, sure, but it’s about them making their dream and doing what they want and having fun about it. In the end, actually, it’s about getting over living in the past and getting on with your lives.” Whatever the sisterly chemistry of The Sapphires onstage, Donovan doesn’t immediately accept the suggestion that performing in The Sapphires is like being in a bona fide girl group. “It’s a girl group, insofar as the songs are choreographed. But without the bitchiness.” Clearly, Donovan knows the industry all too well. WHAT: The Sapphires WHERE & WHEN: York Centre, Seymour Centre Wednesday 26 May to Sunday 20 June
THEATRE BUG SBW Stables Theatre From the very moment fortysomething Agnes bounces onto her bed to the mid-’90s tunes blaring from her radio, sucking blissfully on the end of a cigarette, there’s an air that something is not quite cricket and that trouble is just busting to break out. Maybe it’s the half-empty bottle of vodka on the floor, or perhaps the phone calls with no one on the other end, the fact that her bed is in a dingy Oklahoma motel room, or the ever-present crack pipe that set the tone for disaster? Whatever it is, from go to woe Bug is an unsettling expedition into loneliness, regret, mental illness and the shattered human condition. Anthony Skuse has done a stellar job of directing Tracy Letts’ skincrawlingly raw drama. Not only able to expose the soul shattering sadness within the writing he has also given his cast the freedom to run wild with the golden moments of humour and tenderness. Jeanette Cronin is devastatingly good as Agnes and literally transforms in front of your eyes from a cluey smart-arse who knows a thing or two about the world into a crumbling, paranoid shadow of a soul. The hysteria that two individuals can create within their own bubble is truly scary and a speedy escalation into drug-induced insanity is revealed with intense precision by both Cronin and Matthew Walker.This play, like its title, is as layered as a geological dig and can really only be appreciated in the flesh. Until 5 June LAUREN DILLON
REVIEWS
UTE LEMPER: ANGELS OVER BERLIN State Theatre, 19/05/10 To call yourself a cabaret artist, it isn’t enough to merely sing old songs, you have to connect with the songwriters of the past and use their words to tell a story. While a lot of modern musicals and musical theatre fail to appreciate the significance of the music they’re presenting, German cabaret star Ute Lemper has never lost sight of the most important thing about her craft - a song that is almost 100 years old can be as relevant to today’s world as a song that was written yesterday. Traveling through time and across continents, Lemper and her band gave new life to Brecht and Weill, Piazzolla and even Kander and Ebb as she transformed into Pirate Jenny, Maria of Buenos Aires and Naughty Lola. Though songwriter Jacques Brel isn’t strictly from Berlin and didn’t really fit into Lemper’s storyline, she even gave her fans a glimpse of her favourite Brel, finishing the night with a song-cycle that included Amsterdam and the stunning ballad Ne me quitte pas. But it was her extended medley that began with Mack The Knife and cycled through Moon Over Alabama, Cabaret, and All That Jazz that was this show’s definitive highlight. Lemper’s old world, femme fatale glamour was a sight to behold as she vamped around the stage, scatting like a jazz master, playfully going off on musical tangents and getting the audience to whistle the tune of Mack The Knife. DANIELLE O’DONOHUE
GIVEAWAY! When his best mate is killed by a local gang, almost immediately following the death of his wife, Harry Brown seeks vengeance. Billed as the British response to Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino, Harry Brown stars Michael Caine (who else?) at his best. Thanks to Icon Film Distribution we’ve got a double in-season pass to the film with a copy of Plan B’s Strickland Banks album to give away (Plan B - AKA Ben Drew - stars in the film). For your chance to win, email giveaways@drummedia.com.au with ‘HARRY BROWN’ in the subject line.
THE WORK OF TWO IMPORTANT AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS PRESENTED BY CARRIAGEWORKS IN ASSOCIATION WITH PENRITH REGIONAL GALLERY & THE LEWERS BEQUEST / 3 – 26 JUNE 2010 FREE ENTRY / CARRIAGEWORKS 245 WILSON ST EVELEIGH / CARRIAGEWORKS.COM.AU © IMAGE Jacques L’Affrique (aka David Porter) Rick Springfield 1971
56 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
HANGING WITH THE JOHNS
SHOT SNAP-
ZOUNDS, 2010 TOM GARDINER
THE RONNIE JOHNS HALF HOUR WAS ONE OF THOSE TV SHOWS THAT ENDED TOO SOON. THANKFULLY IT’S NOW COMING TO A STAGE NEAR YOU. LIZ GIUFFRE TALKS TO JAMES ‘JESUS’ PENDER.
(PHOTO BY DANIEL BOUD) Displaying at Mart Gallery, Surry Hills until 5 June. This exhibition contains revisited versions of works created for Dappled Cities’ media launch of Zounds last year, which until now haven’t been seen by the public. Visitors will also get a sneak peak at Dappled Cities’ upcoming DVD.
BEST SHOW AWARD NOMINEE
A
s one of the players in the Ronnie Johns comedy spectacular, James Pender has become a bit of a legend. His time with Johns was spent impersonating Jesus (as you do), but since the show he’s been off in Paris to be a lawyer (again, as you do). What brought him back was the bright lights of the Australian stage and the promise of more funny business. “I went overseas for four years working as a lawyer, but about a year ago our producer said let’s get it all back together, which suited me really well. I’d had just enough time in that world to realise that stuff wasn’t for me.” Along with Pender, the Ronnie Johns show was also the first home of Health Franklin’s Chopper, a nursery for the Axis Of Awesome (Jordan Raskopoulos), and starter for rising stand up Felicity Ward (who played the curious and slightly unhinged little girl, Poppy). “We’re getting the band back together, and it wasn’t too hard to convince us,” Pender explains. While it might be a gear change from an office job and steady income, it’s one he’s looking forward to. “I was talking to Health Franklin and he was saying he was working with a Canadian comedian about going into a show and asked ‘should I wear my suit’?, which was funny because, well, as a comedian we’ve mostly only got the one. So I guess it’s not a normal thing to go from a proper job to comedy, but then again there’s lots of lawyers who’ve gone into comedy, maybe just about of boredom!” Getting the Ronnie Johns stage show
FIVE NEW FOR FIRSTDRAFT Not a group show so much as a group of shows, Firstdraft has Sara Givins (In Search Of Percival Redwood), Tanya Dyhin (Prelude (The 8th Chimney)), Llawella Lewis (Curtain Place), and Pia van Gelder (Signauxß) in a gallery each. There are scultpural forms through a peephole, which play with representations and perceptions of constructed human environments and how they look when you’re not looking, and something called a ‘Video Harp’. Contemporary, huh? The parallel exhibitions run from Wednesday 26 May to Sunday 13 June. Firstdraft is located in Chalmers St, Surry Hills. (Just like us.)
2010 MELBOURNE COMEDY FESTIVAL WINNER
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER
happening was a nice chance for the cast to regroup, relive some old moments and characters as well as develop some new material. “I think we’ll have a lot of the old characters in new situations. So Felicity’s Poppy will have a bit about footballer’s behaviour, while Jordon will be back as the gnocchi guy, you know, ‘It’s potatoes not pastas’, he’ll be singing about that, Jesus is in a new scenario and Chopper’s got some new stuff. So it’s the characters that people really liked to see but not doing the stuff that they hated watching on TV. “There’ll also be some new characters, some that we had in the TV show that were on the bench, they just didn’t quite make it to the screen but they have stuff that we all loved. It’s probably a bit naughtier, if that’s possible, but that stuff’s now making it onto the stage, and it’s a good opportunity to get that stuff out there.” In putting the show together Pender and the group had a writing workshop (“well, it was really a holiday at the beach to come up with some new ideas”), but he’s confident with what they’ve got to show existing and soon-to-be Ronnie Johns fans. “A lot of the show is new but then there’s a couple of the sketches that worked really well in the show will get a go, so there is the odd old favourite in there as well.” WHAT: The Ronnie Johns Half Hour Live On Stage WHERE & WHEN: Laycock St Theatre, Gosford Tuesday 25 May and IPAC, Wollongong Wednesday 26
IN THUNDER, LIGHTNING OR IN PAIN Good old timeless bloody murdering contemporary MacBeth. The Riverside Lyric Ensemble’s take on the tragedy is played out as a mental breakdown in an industrial wasteland. People just don’t have castles to become ghosts and witches in anymore, so it’s lucky that ambition is still destructive when people do bad stuff at the behest of some sexy bully. MacBeth plays the Lennox Theatre, Riverside Theatres Tuesday 1 June to Saturday 5. Head to rle.org.au for more info; riversideparramatta.com.au for tickets.
O .C E R O T S Y D E COM
U .A M O .C K E T E K M.AU OR TIC THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 57
• 58 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
THE DRUM MEDIA’S GUIDE TO
27 MAY - 21 JUNE
DRUM’S VIVID FREE PICKS
FERGUS LINEHAN. PIC: PRUDENCE UPTON
LOU REED
These events won’t cost you a cent! LIGHTING THE SAILS When Thu 27 May – Sun 20 June, 6pm – 1am Where Sydney Opera House Around 200,000 people in Sydney and over 60 million people worldwide viewed last year’s occasion. This year, don’t be the one to miss the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House being lit by festival curator Laurie Anderson. MACQUARIE VISIONS When Thu 27 May – Sun 20 June, 6pm – 11.59pm Where Macquarie St Head to Macquarie St where from St Marys Cathedral and Hyde Park Barracks to Parliament House, the State Library and the Conservatorium of Music, these old historic buildings will reawaken with light projections. The walk is an hour and the journey features live entertainment to celebrate the 200th anniversary of visionaries Governor Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie. NEW YORK GENIUS When Mon 28 May – Wed 11 June Where Western Foyers, Sydney Opera House A digital exhibition that’s a collection of black and white stills curated by American rocker Lou Reed from the Magnum Photographic Archive. They feature Reed’s favourite musicians, dancers, painters, actors, writers and architects who were all photographed in New York. VIVID LIVE AT LUNCHTIME When Sun 30 May – Fri 4 June, 1pm – 2pm Where Playhouse, Sydney Opera House For five days there will be a series of talks and musical performances/experiments, introduced by Laurie Anderson. Australian premieres and Q&A sessions with Anderson Sunday 30, Oren Ambarchi Tuesday 1, Anderson as Fenway Bergamot Wednesday 2, Colin Stetson and Shara Worden Thursday 3 and Skuli Sverrisson with Eyvind Kang Friday 4. SYDNEY SHUFFLE When Mon 31 May – Fri 4 June, from 3pm Where Western Foyers, Sydney Opera House The New York radio show, co-hosted by Lou Reed with producer Hall Wilmer, is coming to Sydney for Vivid. It features a full range of music, from jazz to vintage rock. POWER AND SERENITY When Fri 4 – Mon 7 June, Fri 11am, Sat 7am, Sun 11am, Mon 9am) Where Forecourt, Sydney Opera House Learn tai chi with Lou Reed’s personal teacher Master Ren Guan. All are welcome. MUSIC FOR DOGS When Sat 5 June Where Forecourt, Sydney Opera House This is music, doggy style. The 20-minute work is composed by Laurie Anderson for the hearing range of dogs who can hear frequencies far outside the human audio spectrum. Enjoy the harbour sounds while your canine enjoys Anderson. SYDNEY SESSIONS When Mon 7 – Sat 12 June Where Museum of Contemporary Art Six nights of one-off performance and parties. Each will be collaborated across disciplines by a creative team organised by Creative Sydney. THE ROCKS FIRE WATER When Fri 11 – 14 June, 6.15pm, 7.15pm, 8.15pm Where Campbells Cove Family-friendly Bollywood hits our shores as the story of the voyage of the Sydney Cove tall ship from Calcutta in 1797 is told through the eyes of an 11-year-old Indian-Australian girl. With light installations and colourful smoke after the performance you can enjoy fire sculptures and markets at The Rocks. BLOCK PARTY When Sun 13 June, 3pm – 10pm Where Museum of Contemporary Art What it says on the box; a street party and “distributed disco” at Circular Quay. All you have to do is bring your own FM radio, tune in and become part of this unique live music experience. Supported by FBi, it will feature Sydney bands, performers and DJs.
IN KEEPING WITH THE DISTINCT ‘CLASSIC’ NEW YORK THEME OF THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL, DRUM’S MAN IN THE BIG APPLE TOM HAWKING INVESTIGATES THE CITY’S CREATIVE SCENE IN THIS DAY AND AGE.
THE MIND’S
EYE
EMPIRE:
STATE OF MIND?
WHILE LOU REED AND LAURIE ANDERSON ARE SITTING ATOP THIS YEAR’S VIVID FESTIVAL MAKING THE DEVINE DECISIONS, FERGUS LINEHAN WAS ENTRUSTED WITH THE TASK OF GETTING INSIDE THEIR HEADS TO MAKE THEIR VISIONS A REALITY. SCOTT FITZSIMONS EXPLORES THE ENVIRONMENT HE’S HELPED CREATE.
“B
asically, I was doing some work with the Sydney Opera House; I’m just sort of their international adviser. And the Vivid Festival came up and I know Lou a bit, plus I know Laurie as well – they were curating the festival and seeing as I know Sydney and I know the Opera House, they asked if I’d help out with the planning of it in terms of just realising where they’re coming at,” says in-demand festival administrator Fergus Linehan from dreary London, with an accent that sits between his Irish heritage, London base and time spent in Sydney. After being at the helm of the Sydney Festival from 2006 to 2009, Linehan returned to Europe in search of new challenges. When the opportunity of Vivid Live came up, it seemed like a great chance to maintain contact with a city he loves. The festival, by its very nature, provides Linehan with a new challenge. “The interesting thing for me is usually when I do a festival, I’m choosing what’s going on. Whereas with this what you’re trying to do is get into their head and realise what it is they’re trying to do and use your experience to do it. So it’s a completely different model and a really interesting one as well.” He’s also excited at the festival’s choice or curators and agrees that they’ve had “a major effect on popular music”. In fact, “In terms of multimedia art, Laurie’s probably the most important artist in the world and in terms of rock’n’roll, Lou probably wrote the most influential record of all time,” he chuckles, “along with John Cale and a bunch of other people. But in terms of that criteria they’re completely suited to it. “They’re interesting because their both very empathic artists. I don’t think they sit down and think it through in terms of an intellectual line, I think what they do is they respond to what it is they know and what it is they like. They’re both very grounded in New York, very old New York. So a lot of it is spun from that. You have this real Americana songwriting from people like Rickie Lee Jones and the Blind Boys Of Alabama – and various other things at the one end – but at the other end the big thing that seems to run through is this notion of sonic experiment. Both in terms of the distorted end of it with Noise, then also in terms of the very romantic and lush end of it that Laurie does with Slow Music.” The Noise and Slow Music nights bookend the main week of the festival and will witness artists from throughout the festival converge on Opera House’s stage for a unique, one-night-only concert of improvisation and collaboration. “I think the way it’s fallen is the Slow Music is certainly personifying Laurie and the Noise is certainly personifying Lou,” muses Linehan. “So whether they’re the centrepieces or not, they’re certainly the ones that if you had to point to something and go, ‘Well that’s definitely Lou and that’s definitely Laurie,’ those are the two you’d point at.” But the festival’s not solely about realising the curator’s New York inspired vision, it’s also about enhancing Sydney’s culture, an aspect of the city that’s often criticised. “It’s very interesting from two perspectives.
The first is if you’re going to do a festival in a city that already has a big festival, I think you really have to find a serious point of differentiation, there’s no point in doing a mini Sydney festival. So I think to go down the route of arts and curating was very, very interesting and very brave. “Second thing that’s interesting is that it’s the Sydney Opera House, which people may not automatically think of as being a curatorially driven creative organisation in that sense. They may think of it more as a thing where things happen, but there is actually within that organisation a huge amount of creative and artistic planning that goes on. I think in terms of positioning, the Opera House has been not just a receiver but actually a creator and originator of the cultural landscape.” Despite his Irish heritage and his family’s notoriety in the motherland (his father and brothers are journalists and his mother a comedian and actress) he still calls Australia home, so to speak. “I’m a sucker for Sydney, I’m frantically homesick for it. There’s a lot of other places where they’re just jaded, you know? There’s still big gaps in the calendar in Sydney, no doubt about it… But I still find what happens in Sydney – and more broadly Australia – exciting. In terms of presenting something, I find it much more interesting to present it in Australia.”
“SLOW MUSIC IS CERTAINLY PERSONIFYING LAURIE AND THE NOISE IS CERTAINLY PERSONIFYING LOU” Brian Eno’s curation last year seems to have inspired the ambience legend to indulge in more festival experiences. Along with some of the art installations from last year’s event, Linehan cites the recent Brighton festival whereby after playing his Apollo album with visual backdrop, Eno even came out to sing. Speaking directly after his improvised Pure Scenius shows he noted that he’d never enjoyed being up on stage more than that. One hopes it’ll inspire this year’s guests of honour much the same, perhaps through Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music show. “I was at Metal Machine Music here [London] in the Royal Festival Hall and I was really surprised by it, I mean it’s hardcore. There’s a lot of people that I would say ‘stay away’, but it’s an amazing experience,” Linehan asserts.
The press release for Vivid points out that co-curators Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson “personify the fierce independence and fearless curiosity that characterise the downtown New York scene”. But what that scene has to offer these days – and what the term even actually means anymore – is an interesting question. New York has been a city in cultural transition for at least the last decade. The traditional strongholds of the city’s artists and musicians – Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side – have undergone dramatic gentrification, with creative types largely being supplanted by yuppies and baseball cap-wearing investment bankers. Patti Smith recently suggested that artists not bother moving to New York at all – Drum happens to think she was being perhaps just a wee bit melodramatic, but she’s certainly right that Manhattan is pretty artist-unfriendly these days. For a visitor, it’s not really a surprise to find that the New York you grew up reading about and romanticising – a mythic Manhattan of Bowery bums and ramshackle rent-controlled lofts and furtive street corner drug deals – is pretty much dead and buried. It’s a bygone era; a huge part of the city’s heritage that has left an enduring cultural legacy but has also passed into history. But that doesn’t mean that the scene is dead. Really, it’s just moved across the East River to Brooklyn, to neighbourhoods like Bushwick and Bedford-Stuyvesant and other places where you can have all the space you want to make your art, so long as you can avoid getting shot. Already the grasp of gentrification has started to reach across Brooklyn Bridge – Williamsburg, the Brooklyn enclave that’s closest to Manhattan, is largely the domain of trust-fund hipsters in parent-funded condos. But still, for now, Brooklyn seems to be the place for artists to be. There’s an obscene amount of warehouse parties and similar events on every weekend. They’re technically illegal and can be shut down by the cops if the NYPD happen to be in a bad mood that weekend (as with one party Drum attended last Sunday – although it was almost worth it for the sight of a dude dressed as a pink palm tree hightailing it through a pretty much exclusively Hasidic neighbourhood to avoid being pulled up by the police). Some of these parties have been running for years – the setup is highly professional and, no doubt, highly profitable. Take $15 entry, multiplied by as many people you can cram into a three-storey warehouse and it equals a nice little earner for the weekend. Others are more “underground” in the truer sense of the word, taking place in people’s houses with improvised PAs and beer sold from the fridge in the kitchen. Drum stumbled into one recently that was raising money for the local communist party. These are great fun – the music can be everything from slamming hip hop to performance poetry. There are experimental light shows and films and performance art and pretty much anything else you can think of. Some of it is terrible, some of it is amazing. But either way, the spirit is admirable. And for now, at least, it endures.
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 59 •
THE DRUM MEDIA’S GUIDE TO
27 MAY - 21 JUNE
FLY AWAY WITH HIM WITH BAND IN TOW, DOVEMAN’S THOMAS BARTLETT IS AS COMOFTABLE AS EVER AS HE PREPARES TO ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA. BY SCOTT FITZSIMONS.
D
oveman, the band founded and driven by keyboardist Thomas Bartlett, are one of the unknown quantities for this year’s VIVID. For the most part, the artists Bartlett’s played alongside and collaborated with are held in higher regard than he (The National, Martha Wainwright and David Byrne have all enlisted his services). But that was until his interpretation of the Footloose soundtrack. The album allowed the singer/songwriter’s name to become the topic of many a blog post, his love-it-or-hate-it, almost whispered, vocals cause for discussion. But he’s one of the perfect artists to grace this sort of festival, relatively unknown yet lauded by other musicians, hugely talented but not mainstream enough to garner the exposure. Along with his own solo show, it’ll be fascinating to see how he combines with other musicians as part of the Slow Music night – he’ll be a dark horse to keep an eye on lest he steal the show. Was it an honour to be selected as part of VIVID Live? Oh, absolutely! Anything with Lou and Laurie is a pleasure and an honour to be involved with and there are so many artists I love who are going to be part of the festival. Are there any differences to the show we’ll see, compared to a regular performance? Honestly, I don’t know yet quite what I’ll do. Each of my shows tends to be different, with different backing bands and different approaches to the material dictated by who I’m playing with, what the setting is, or even just what my mood is like that day. You’ve obviously been involved with a lot of collaborations and covers – what is it about working with and around other people’s talents that you enjoy? I just find it constantly inspiring to be around other musicians who I really respect – it’s a beautiful way of keeping myself musically refreshed and excited at all times.
SPONTANEOUS REACTIONS PHILADELPHIA’S BARDO POND WILL HIT THE PINNACLE OF THEIR CAREER WHEN THEY PLAY VIVID LIVE. INTRODUCING THEMSELVES TO AUSTRALIAN AUDIENCES, SCOTT FITZSIMONS TALKS TO MICHAEL GIBBONS WITH CLINT TAKEDA UNEXPECTEDLY IN THE BACKGROUND.
T
he spacey, psychedelic, free-form rock of Bardo Pond is often credited as being one of the major components of a drug riddled Philadelphia scene. Having never toured Australia before and really only enjoyed the appreciation of a select few, the band are legitimately stoked to do so, as Drum could tell when we called into their studio, at about 10pm their time, but with the night well underway.
Perhaps your most famous record is the Footloose soundtrack. Will we see any of that in your performance? Again, that will kind of depend on my mood on the day… Ask real nice and I’ll think about it. You’re also taking part in the Slow Music night – do you know what format that will take and what you’ll be performing there? Believe it or not, I have been told exactly nothing about what that night of music will involve. I know that Laurie will be part of it and a number of other musicians who I really love, including Doug Wieselman and Marc Ribot, so I’m fully confident that it will be something quite special. You’ve spent a lot of time being a solo performer – do you prefer working by yourself or with a band? Oh, definitely with a band. I rarely really enjoy being on stage alone. Will there be much of a visual aspect to your live performance? I’m afraid I’ll be playing to the ears, not the eyes. WHO Doveman WHEN & WHERE Saturday 5 June, The Studio, Sydney Opera House
“How much do we know about it?” begins Michael Gibbon on the festival. “We know about as much as you do, but it’s going to be really great. Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson…” he’s cut off by a background and apparently inebriated voice, “In the Opera House apparently. It’s a giant show. You can tell us from there,” the voice says. “Yeah, what have you got for us?” Gibbons adds. The voice turns out to be “Clint [Takeda], bassist extraordinaire”. “Oh, sorry,” Takeda apologises needlessly, still jumping around the background. Indeed, when asked whether an Australian tour had ever been on the cards previously, he’s first to jump in. “Nope. This is the fuckin’ closest I’ve been.” A laughing Gibbons explains, “It’s been in the back of our minds for a long time to get down there. So this is like a... it’s a really beautiful thing man.” The band has released records since 1995, with seven real studio albums to their name. The latest was the atmospheric and ambient Ticket Crystals (2006), a progression from their rawer beginnings. “You have Ticket Crystals is Australia?” questions Takeda. Yes, via import. “Wow. That’s my personal favourite. You know what? The Beatles song, right?” “Cry Baby C-” starts Gibbons, referencing the John Lennon cover on ...Crystals. “Cry Baby Cry! We don’t play it in England,” Takeda returns. “But somehow we did. But it was all, like, delivered back to the English to say, ‘Hey, here’s a song we’ve had for a looooong time. You can have it back. But! It’ll go to Australia.” “Yeah, we’ll play it there,” laughs Gibbons.
Especially early on, the band used drug references for most of their song and album titles. Perhaps needless to say, the love of such substances came from, as Takeda bluntly explains, “Art school”. “It was just an inspiration,” elaborates Gibbons, “I mean for the first one [Bufo Alvarius, Amen 29:15 (1995)] I just love the words Bufo Alvarius a lot and that it was an American toad, you know?… And then Amanita (1996) was an interesting mushroom because it’s the one that can possibly be the key to language and the discovery of everything that became civilisation. There’s some good books about it.” The conversation continues a little longer before Takeda, lovable in his impatience, weighs in. “When did we start talkin’ about drugs? When?! When?!” Keep two eyes on Bardo Pond this festival and just try to have as much fan as they’re planning to. “Oh man, it’s the pinnacle of our career,” summarises Gibbons. “We just can’t believe it, we love Lou Reed… and Laurie Anderson. In Sydney. It’s just a dream come true, man. We can’t wait.”
WHO Bardo Pond WHEN & WHERE Tuesday 1 June, The Studio, Sydney Opera House
AROUND THE CLOCK VIEWING AS PART OF VIVID LIVE, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE WILL PLAY HOST TO A MARATHON OF AVANT GARDE CINEMA AND MUSIC. DRUM PREVIEWS THE AWESOME DAY FOR NIGHT MOVIES.
W
hat do you get when you combine some of the finest experimental filmmaking from the United States, photography hand-picked by Lou Reed, live performance by Laurie Anderson, Reed’s new band Metal Machine Trio in multiple occurrences and a festival atmosphere all contained in one of the world’s most beautiful buildings? You get the Day For Night Movies marathon, that’s what. Being held as part of the 2010 Vivid Live festival, curated by New York City major players Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, Day For Night Movies is an eight-hour marathon of experimental cinema – the likes you’ve probably never seen nor will see again – combined with live performance, bringing a little (well, a lot) of Manhattan cool to Sydney Harbour. Day For Night will be split into three sessions running from 2pm to 10pm. The first session will feature two works by American filmmaker Maya Deren – a woman whose peers included the likes of Marcel Duchamp John Cage and Anaïs Nin – featuring Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods Of Haiti and Meditation On Violence. Divine Horseman (released 1985, but filmed in the’40s and ’50s) started out as a documentary about the Voudoun religion of Haiti – and primarily features images of dancing – but ended up a much more personal film, such was Deren’s involvement with the practices of the people she was filming. Meditation On Violence (1948) also portrays dancing, although this time blends Wu-Tang and Shaolin elements of Chinese boxing with ritual dance. This session will end with a new project from Vivid Live curator Laurie Anderson, where she will perform live to film. Session two will feature a film by another experimental filmmaker Jennifer Reeves, as well as a series of short films from the much revered Harry Everett Smith. Reeves’ When It Was Blue (2008) comprises of four parts to represents the four seasons, with the film itself concerned with the endangered state of Earth. Lasting over an hour, two films are projected simultaneously over each other, with
• 60 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
frames often hand-painted. Trippy stuff indeed. This will be followed by Early Abstractions, a collection of early works from Harry Everett Smith, exploring colour, abstraction and surrealism. Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Trio will provide the soundtrack to these silent, experimental films. Finally, curator Lou Reed will premiere his debut film Red Shirley (2009) on Australian soil, an intimate documentary about Reed’s cousin Shirley on the eve of her 100th birthday. Here, she recounts the story of her life, about surviving multiple World Wars and how she earned her nickname. In addition will be Light Is Calling from acclaimed director Bill Morrison. A selection of his films have been purchased by the Museum Of Modern Art and his work has been screened at the likes of the Tate Modern and Sundance Film Festival. The Lou Reed curated Hidden Books, Hidden Stories, will also feature, with a live soundtrack from Metal Machine Trio performed while a slideshow of photos is projected onto screen.
WHEN IT WAS BLUE
DIVINE HORSEMEN
LIGHT IS CALLING
RED SHIRLEY
Tickets are available for individual sessions, or as a complete package, with plenty to drink between screenings. Sounds like our kinda date.
MEDITATION ON VIOLENCE
WHAT Day For Night Movies WHEN & WHERE Sunday 6 June, Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
THE DRUM MEDIA’S GUIDE TO
27 MAY - 21 JUNE
NOISE NIGHT NO ONE’S PRETENDING THAT THIS WON’T BE HARD LISTENING. THIS MONDAY, THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE’S OPERA THEATRE WILL BE SUBJECTED TO SOME OF THE BEST LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL NOISE MONGERS GOING HAMMER AND TONG AT EACH OTHER. UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF LOU REED, THE BRILLIANT BORIS ( JAPAN), BARDO POND (USA), MELT-BANANA ( JAPAN) AS WELL AS AUSSIE ACTS OREN AMBARCHI, RICE CORPSE, THE NIGHT TERRORS AND ZOND WILL GIVE AUDIENCE EARS A WORK OUT LIKE NEVER BEFORE.
LUCAS ABELA
RICE CORPSE Lucas Abela How does it feel to be selected to be involved? Validating I s’pose. The first thing I did when I found out I’d be playing at the Opera House was to invite my parents – here’s a couple of people who think I’ve wasted my life and opportunities pursuing music and worse still, noise-music – something that will never pay a mortgage. I guess generally they are right, but still with this one single show I can somehow validate my choices with them. I may be broke and will die poor and unwanted, but here I am playing the country’s premier venue. What do you hope to bring to the performance? Working equipment would be a good start. Too many times I’ve fronted with malfunctioning gear it’s not funny. As long as I’m not trying to re-solder my pick-ups on stage as our 15 minutes tick by I’ll be happy. How essential will earplugs be for the audience? Well I guess this is up to the individual and more importantly the Opera House engineer. I imagine a good opera, like a good noise show, is better at volume and that a good baritone or tenor should be able to punch holes in your mind at volume just like a good noise player. Perceived volume is usually a psychoacoustic problem especially with noise music; a problem I typically experience at rock clubs. So many times I’ve waited through excruciatingly loud rock soundchecks, only to be assigned piss weak volumes all due to misconceptions of what’s loud and nothing to do with DB levels or anything real. Personally I don’t recommend earplugs for any music unless it’s bad. Rule of thumb; bring em and use ‘em when the band sucks, take ‘em out when the band is deserving of your attention – as blocking those frequencies will dull your experience.
THE NIGHT TERRORS Miles Brown How does it feel to be selected to be involved? We’re totally thrilled to be included in an event like this, especially as a band that has always existed on the outer edge of the Australian music scene. To be invited by Lou Reed, to have the opportunity to play at the Opera House and to get to play with our heroes – both from Australia and overseas – It’s pretty much a dream come true! What do you hope to bring to the performance? We’ll be bringing a lot of analog instruments, plugging them into each other and letting them run amok across the minds of the audience, intervening here and there to make sure things get really out of hand at the right moments. Considering the sound of the theremin is often compared to the voice of a female opera singer, we’ll hopefully be able to make a connection with both the traditional use of the space and the other acts in a dark and disturbing manner. Will there be anything left of the Opera House when you’re done? Hopefully the building will remain intact, although there’s a good chance there will be a portal to another dimension opened somewhere in the vicinity of the stage by the end of the show.
THE NIGHT TERRORS
• 62 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA Alabama, USA Jimmy Carter How does it feel to be selected to be involved? We are excited to be a part of it. We have gotten to know Lou Reed and have worked with him before and we love Australia too. What do you hope to bring to the performance? We hope to make people feel something special, the Blind Boys way. It’s a big room – how does one create such intimacy?
Justin Fuller How does it feel to be selected to be involved? Well, yes we’re pretty blown away with being selected to play at a Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed curated event! Such an incredible line-up and space. I’m sure it’s going to be quite a surreal experience. Mum’s finally proud! Getting to see and hear Metal Machine Music performed live will be a blast also. What do you hope to bring to the performance? Hi-volume textural repetitive psychic alloy soundrock. How does one “explore the furthest reaches of music”? Obsessively. What’s the finest example of ‘noise rock’ you’ve heard? Les Rallizes Dénudés – ‘77 Live album, one of the finest examples I’ve heard.
Will there be anything left of the Opera House when you’re done? We’ll do our best to weaken the structural integrity a little… I love the building too much to wish it full destruction.
I’m pretty sure opera singers can break glass with their voices, so my act will seem pretty tame. I’m expecting snide remarks from the staff like, ‘How piss-weak are his tonsils? He needs to use his face to break glass’.
IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE ABOVE, LAURIE ANDERSON STEPS OUT WITH SLOW MUSIC. TAKING THE LUSH, PATIENT AND DOWNRIGHT GORGEOUS APPROACH TO SONIC DISPOSITION, METRIC’S EMILY HAINES, MARC RIBOT, THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA, EYVIND KANG, HOLLY MIRANDA, DOVEMAN, COLIN STETSON, MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND, CHIRGILCHIN, DOUG WIESELMAN AND SKULI SVERRISSON WILL WOO THE CONCERT HALL FRIDAY 4 JUNE. DEVELOPED JUST FOR SYDNEY, THIS IS A PERFORMANCE THAT’LL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
ZOND
How essential will earplugs be for the audience? Optional. AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Will there be anything left of the Opera House when you’re done?
SLOW MUSIC
ZOND
THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
HOLLY MIRANDA ALSO PLAYING THE STUDIO WEDNESDAY 2 AND THURSDAY 3 JUNE. INTERVIEW BY JASON KENNY. There’s a particular sound of a whole other world that belongs to new album The Magician’s Private Library. Was that something you decided on before recording?
The music creates the connection. When you can touch people with your music, that’s what makes it great. What’s the best piece of ‘slow music’ you’ve heard? Our rendition of Amazing Grace set to the tune of House Of The Rising Sun. That’s my favourite song. Is this a show where you’ll sit down to perform? Well, most of us aren’t that young anymore so we sit during some parts of our show. But we feel energy from the audience, whether it’s from a slow, soulful number or an energetic uplifting song. What’s better; a warm, intimate song or hot chocolate by a fireplace? I like both so I’d say put them together!
We didn’t do any preproduction. I made up a CD with all the songs on there and I made a list and anytime we would want to start a new song we’d go through the demos and pick it up. It was just kind of born, the way it came together and the songs that we chose, it had a heavy dreamy vibe and it sort of just happened. Are you bringing a band to Australia? I’m touring by myself. I couldn’t really afford to bring over the whole band for these couple of shows so I’m going to just be doing it solo. I’m kind of looking forward to experimenting. It’s a great place to try out new things and improvise, kind of explore.
THE DRUM MEDIA’S GUIDE TO
DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN COMES TO SYDNEY. MAY 27JUNE 11. RICKIE LEE JONES 28 & 29 MAY | OPERA THEATRE TICKETS FROM $69*
BORIS
THE KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW 3 & 4 JUNE | THE STUDIO TICKETS FROM $35*
28 & 29 MAY | THE STUDIO TICKETS FROM $35*
SONGS FROM “DELUSION” BY LAURIE ANDERSON
LOU REED’S METAL MACHINE TRIO
3 JUNE | DRAMA THEATRE TICKETS FROM $75*
30 MAY | OPERA THEATRE TICKETS FROM $45*
SLOW MUSIC NIGHT
NOISE NIGHT 31 MAY | OPERA THEATRE TICKETS FROM $35*
BARDO POND
CHIRGILCHIN
1 JUNE | OPERA THEATRE TICKETS FROM $39*
DOVEMAN
DAVID HIDALGO AND MARC RIBOT: BORDER MUSIC 2 JUNE | OPERA THEATRE TICKETS FROM $49*
HOLLY MIRANDA
FRI 4 JUNE | 11AM SAT 5 JUNE | 7AM SUN 6 JUNE | 11AM MON 7 JUNE | 9AM FORECOURT
30 MAY – 4 JUNE | 1PM PLAYHOUSE
5 JUNE | CONCERT HALL TICKETS FROM $59*
2 JUNE | THE STUDIO TICKETS FROM $35*
28 MAY - 11 JUNE | ALL DAY WESTERN FOYERS
VIVID LIVE @ LUNCHTIME
4 JUNE | THE STUDIO TICKETS FROM $35*
METRIC’S EMILY HAINES WITH STRINGS
MELT-BANANA
POWER AND SERENITY: TAI CHI
29 MAY – 11 JUNE | 6PM TIL LATE WESTERN FOYERS
BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA & SPECIAL GUESTS
A RETROSPECTIVE, SONGS & STORIES. BY LAURIE ANDERSON 1- 2 JUNE | DRAMA THEATRE TICKETS FROM $75*
NEW YORK GENIUS: CURATED BY LOU REED VIVID LIVE FESTIVAL BAR
4 JUNE | CONCERT HALL TICKETS FROM $59*
1 JUNE | THE STUDIO TICKETS FROM $35*
TRANSITORY LIFE -
FREE EVENTS & FESTIVAL BAR!
SYDNEY SHUFFLE – LOU REED & HAL WILLNER
5 JUNE | 10AM-11AM OUTDOORS NORTHERN BOARDWALK ALL DOGS MUST BE LEASHED
31 MAY – 4 JUNE | 3PM WESTERN FOYER
5 JUNE | THE STUDIO TICKETS FROM $35*
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND 6 & 7 JUNE | THE STUDIO TICKETS FROM $35*
DAY FOR NIGHT MOVIES 6 JUNE | CONCERT HALL ATTEND ANY OF THE 3 SESSIONS FOR $17* EACH, OR PURCHASE ALL SESSIONS FOR JUST $40*!
BUY A STUDIO MULTI-PACK & SAVE! PURCHASE 3 VIVID LIVE STUDIO SHOWS FOR $79*. ADD ADDITIONAL VIVID LIVE STUDIO SHOWS FOR ANOTHER $20 EA. OFFER NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE.
THE SHIPMENT 8 - 11 JUNE | THE PLAYHOUSE TICKETS FROM $59*
2 & 3 JUNE | THE STUDIO TICKETS FROM $35*
SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM/VIVIDLIVE 02 9250 7777 * TRANSACTION FEE OF $5-$8.50 APPLIES TO ALL BOOKINGS.
PARTNER
• 64 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
MUSIC FOR DOGS
THE DRUM MEDIA’S GUIDE TO
27 MAY - 21 JUNE
FLY AWAY WITH HIM WITH BAND IN TOW, DOVEMAN’S THOMAS BARTLETT IS AS COMOFTABLE AS EVER AS HE PREPARES TO ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA. BY SCOTT FITZSIMONS.
D
oveman, the band founded and driven by keyboardist Thomas Bartlett, are one of the unknown quantities for this year’s VIVID. For the most part, the artists Bartlett’s played alongside and collaborated with are held in higher regard than he (The National, Martha Wainwright and David Byrne have all enlisted his services). But that was until his interpretation of the Footloose soundtrack. The album allowed the singer/songwriter’s name to become the topic of many a blog post, his love-it-or-hate-it, almost whispered, vocals cause for discussion. But he’s one of the perfect artists to grace this sort of festival, relatively unknown yet lauded by other musicians, hugely talented but not mainstream enough to garner the exposure. Along with his own solo show, it’ll be fascinating to see how he combines with other musicians as part of the Slow Music night – he’ll be a dark horse to keep an eye on lest he steal the show. Was it an honour to be selected as part of VIVID Live? Oh, absolutely! Anything with Lou and Laurie is a pleasure and an honour to be involved with and there are so many artists I love who are going to be part of the festival. Are there any differences to the show we’ll see, compared to a regular performance? Honestly, I don’t know yet quite what I’ll do. Each of my shows tends to be different, with different backing bands and different approaches to the material dictated by who I’m playing with, what the setting is, or even just what my mood is like that day. You’ve obviously been involved with a lot of collaborations and covers – what is it about working with and around other people’s talents that you enjoy? I just find it constantly inspiring to be around other musicians who I really respect – it’s a beautiful way of keeping myself musically refreshed and excited at all times.
SPONTANEOUS REACTIONS PHILADELPHIA’S BARDO POND WILL HIT THE PINNACLE OF THEIR CAREER WHEN THEY PLAY VIVID LIVE. INTRODUCING THEMSELVES TO AUSTRALIAN AUDIENCES, SCOTT FITZSIMONS TALKS TO MICHAEL GIBBONS WITH CLINT TAKEDA UNEXPECTEDLY IN THE BACKGROUND.
T
he spacey, psychedelic, free-form rock of Bardo Pond is often credited as being one of the major components of a drug riddled Philadelphia scene. Having never toured Australia before and really only enjoyed the appreciation of a select few, the band are legitimately stoked to do so, as Drum could tell when we called into their studio, at about 10pm their time, but with the night well underway.
Perhaps your most famous record is the Footloose soundtrack. Will we see any of that in your performance? Again, that will kind of depend on my mood on the day… Ask real nice and I’ll think about it. You’re also taking part in the Slow Music night – do you know what format that will take and what you’ll be performing there? Believe it or not, I have been told exactly nothing about what that night of music will involve. I know that Laurie will be part of it and a number of other musicians who I really love, including Doug Wieselman and Marc Ribot, so I’m fully confident that it will be something quite special. You’ve spent a lot of time being a solo performer – do you prefer working by yourself or with a band? Oh, definitely with a band. I rarely really enjoy being on stage alone. Will there be much of a visual aspect to your live performance? I’m afraid I’ll be playing to the ears, not the eyes. WHO Doveman WHEN & WHERE Saturday 5 June, The Studio, Sydney Opera House
“How much do we know about it?” begins Michael Gibbon on the festival. “We know about as much as you do, but it’s going to be really great. Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson…” he’s cut off by a background and apparently inebriated voice, “In the Opera House apparently. It’s a giant show. You can tell us from there,” the voice says. “Yeah, what have you got for us?” Gibbons adds. The voice turns out to be “Clint [Takeda], bassist extraordinaire”. “Oh, sorry,” Takeda apologises needlessly, still jumping around the background. Indeed, when asked whether an Australian tour had ever been on the cards previously, he’s first to jump in. “Nope. This is the fuckin’ closest I’ve been.” A laughing Gibbons explains, “It’s been in the back of our minds for a long time to get down there. So this is like a... it’s a really beautiful thing man.” The band has released records since 1995, with seven real studio albums to their name. The latest was the atmospheric and ambient Ticket Crystals (2006), a progression from their rawer beginnings. “You have Ticket Crystals is Australia?” questions Takeda. Yes, via import. “Wow. That’s my personal favourite. You know what? The Beatles song, right?” “Cry Baby C-” starts Gibbons, referencing the John Lennon cover on ...Crystals. “Cry Baby Cry! We don’t play it in England,” Takeda returns. “But somehow we did. But it was all, like, delivered back to the English to say, ‘Hey, here’s a song we’ve had for a looooong time. You can have it back. But! It’ll go to Australia.” “Yeah, we’ll play it there,” laughs Gibbons.
Especially early on, the band used drug references for most of their song and album titles. Perhaps needless to say, the love of such substances came from, as Takeda bluntly explains, “Art school”. “It was just an inspiration,” elaborates Gibbons, “I mean for the first one [Bufo Alvarius, Amen 29:15 (1995)] I just love the words Bufo Alvarius a lot and that it was an American toad, you know?… And then Amanita (1996) was an interesting mushroom because it’s the one that can possibly be the key to language and the discovery of everything that became civilisation. There’s some good books about it.” The conversation continues a little longer before Takeda, lovable in his impatience, weighs in. “When did we start talkin’ about drugs? When?! When?!” Keep two eyes on Bardo Pond this festival and just try to have as much fan as they’re planning to. “Oh man, it’s the pinnacle of our career,” summarises Gibbons. “We just can’t believe it, we love Lou Reed… and Laurie Anderson. In Sydney. It’s just a dream come true, man. We can’t wait.”
WHO Bardo Pond WHEN & WHERE Tuesday 1 June, The Studio, Sydney Opera House
AROUND THE CLOCK VIEWING AS PART OF VIVID LIVE, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE WILL PLAY HOST TO A MARATHON OF AVANT GARDE CINEMA AND MUSIC. DRUM PREVIEWS THE AWESOME DAY FOR NIGHT MOVIES.
W
hat do you get when you combine some of the finest experimental filmmaking from the United States, photography hand-picked by Lou Reed, live performance by Laurie Anderson, Reed’s new band Metal Machine Trio in multiple occurrences and a festival atmosphere all contained in one of the world’s most beautiful buildings? You get the Day For Night Movies marathon, that’s what. Being held as part of the 2010 Vivid Live festival, curated by New York City major players Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, Day For Night Movies is an eight-hour marathon of experimental cinema – the likes you’ve probably never seen nor will see again – combined with live performance, bringing a little (well, a lot) of Manhattan cool to Sydney Harbour. Day For Night will be split into three sessions running from 2pm to 10pm. The first session will feature two works by American filmmaker Maya Deren – a woman whose peers included the likes of Marcel Duchamp John Cage and Anaïs Nin – featuring Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods Of Haiti and Meditation On Violence. Divine Horseman (released 1985, but filmed in the’40s and ’50s) started out as a documentary about the Voudoun religion of Haiti – and primarily features images of dancing – but ended up a much more personal film, such was Deren’s involvement with the practices of the people she was filming. Meditation On Violence (1948) also portrays dancing, although this time blends Wu-Tang and Shaolin elements of Chinese boxing with ritual dance. This session will end with a new project from Vivid Live curator Laurie Anderson, where she will perform live to film. Session two will feature a film by another experimental filmmaker Jennifer Reeves, as well as a series of short films from the much revered Harry Everett Smith. Reeves’ When It Was Blue (2008) comprises of four parts to represents the four seasons, with the film itself concerned with the endangered state of Earth. Lasting over an hour, two films are projected simultaneously over each other, with
• 60 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
frames often hand-painted. Trippy stuff indeed. This will be followed by Early Abstractions, a collection of early works from Harry Everett Smith, exploring colour, abstraction and surrealism. Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Trio will provide the soundtrack to these silent, experimental films. Finally, curator Lou Reed will premiere his debut film Red Shirley (2009) on Australian soil, an intimate documentary about Reed’s cousin Shirley on the eve of her 100th birthday. Here, she recounts the story of her life, about surviving multiple World Wars and how she earned her nickname. In addition will be Light Is Calling from acclaimed director Bill Morrison. A selection of his films have been purchased by the Museum Of Modern Art and his work has been screened at the likes of the Tate Modern and Sundance Film Festival. The Lou Reed curated Hidden Books, Hidden Stories, will also feature, with a live soundtrack from Metal Machine Trio performed while a slideshow of photos is projected onto screen.
WHEN IT WAS BLUE
DIVINE HORSEMEN
LIGHT IS CALLING
RED SHIRLEY
Tickets are available for individual sessions, or as a complete package, with plenty to drink between screenings. Sounds like our kinda date.
MEDITATION ON VIOLENCE
WHAT Day For Night Movies WHEN & WHERE Sunday 6 June, Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
DAVID HIDALGO & MARC RIBOT:
BORDER MUSIC.
BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS.
DAVID HIDALGO & MARC RIBOT: BORDER MUSIC 2 JUNE | OPERA THEATRE | FROM $49* Guitar guru Marc Ribot and band are joined by LOS LOBOS members David Hidalgo & Cougar Estrada, to create a wild party night of southof-the-border musical mayhem. BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA WITH SPECIAL GUESTS 5 JUNE | CONCERT HALL | FROM $59* EXCLUSIVE AUSTRALIAN PERFORMANCE Gospel/blues legends, Blind Boys of Alabama, are joined by a selection of Vivid LIVE performers for some spine-tingling collaborations, including Lou Reed for a very special Velvet Underground cover, Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) and didgeridoo player, Mark Atkins.
DOVEMAN.
DAY FOR NIGHT MOVIES.
DOVEMAN 5 JUNE | THE STUDIO | FROM $35* ONLY AUSTRALIAN SHOW You really should know and love Doveman, aka, Thomas Bartlett , one of New York’s most indemand musicians. The singer/songwriter has collaborated and toured with artists such as The National, Antony & the Johnsons and Grizzly Bear. His intimate vocals and ambient/jazz influenced arrangements will move you.
DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN COMES TO SYDNEY. LAURIE ANDERSON. LOU REED. CURATORS.
DAY FOR NIGHT MOVIES 6 JUNE | CONCERT HALL 3 SESSIONS: $17 EACH OR ALL 3 FOR $40* A one-off cinematic experience featuring docos (including the Australian premiere of Lou Reed’s Red Shirley), Shirley), the best of avant garde and experimental art film (from pioneers Maya Deren and Harry Smith to modern visionaries Bill Morrison and Jennifer Reeves), classics and more, with live scores and performances from Vivid LIVE artists including curators Reed and Anderson.
MAY 27- JUNE 11. FULL FESTIVAL PROGRAM & FREE EVENTS SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM/VIVIDLIVE 02 9250 7777 *TRANSACTION FEE OF $5 - $8.50 APPLIES TO ALL BOOKINGS.
PARTNER
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 61 •
THE DRUM MEDIA’S GUIDE TO
27 MAY - 21 JUNE
NOISE NIGHT NO ONE’S PRETENDING THAT THIS WON’T BE HARD LISTENING. THIS MONDAY, THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE’S OPERA THEATRE WILL BE SUBJECTED TO SOME OF THE BEST LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL NOISE MONGERS GOING HAMMER AND TONG AT EACH OTHER. UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF LOU REED, THE BRILLIANT BORIS ( JAPAN), BARDO POND (USA), MELT-BANANA ( JAPAN) AS WELL AS AUSSIE ACTS OREN AMBARCHI, RICE CORPSE, THE NIGHT TERRORS AND ZOND WILL GIVE AUDIENCE EARS A WORK OUT LIKE NEVER BEFORE.
LUCAS ABELA
RICE CORPSE Lucas Abela How does it feel to be selected to be involved? Validating I s’pose. The first thing I did when I found out I’d be playing at the Opera House was to invite my parents – here’s a couple of people who think I’ve wasted my life and opportunities pursuing music and worse still, noise-music – something that will never pay a mortgage. I guess generally they are right, but still with this one single show I can somehow validate my choices with them. I may be broke and will die poor and unwanted, but here I am playing the country’s premier venue. What do you hope to bring to the performance? Working equipment would be a good start. Too many times I’ve fronted with malfunctioning gear it’s not funny. As long as I’m not trying to re-solder my pick-ups on stage as our 15 minutes tick by I’ll be happy. How essential will earplugs be for the audience? Well I guess this is up to the individual and more importantly the Opera House engineer. I imagine a good opera, like a good noise show, is better at volume and that a good baritone or tenor should be able to punch holes in your mind at volume just like a good noise player. Perceived volume is usually a psychoacoustic problem especially with noise music; a problem I typically experience at rock clubs. So many times I’ve waited through excruciatingly loud rock soundchecks, only to be assigned piss weak volumes all due to misconceptions of what’s loud and nothing to do with DB levels or anything real. Personally I don’t recommend earplugs for any music unless it’s bad. Rule of thumb; bring em and use ‘em when the band sucks, take ‘em out when the band is deserving of your attention – as blocking those frequencies will dull your experience.
THE NIGHT TERRORS Miles Brown How does it feel to be selected to be involved? We’re totally thrilled to be included in an event like this, especially as a band that has always existed on the outer edge of the Australian music scene. To be invited by Lou Reed, to have the opportunity to play at the Opera House and to get to play with our heroes – both from Australia and overseas – It’s pretty much a dream come true! What do you hope to bring to the performance? We’ll be bringing a lot of analog instruments, plugging them into each other and letting them run amok across the minds of the audience, intervening here and there to make sure things get really out of hand at the right moments. Considering the sound of the theremin is often compared to the voice of a female opera singer, we’ll hopefully be able to make a connection with both the traditional use of the space and the other acts in a dark and disturbing manner. Will there be anything left of the Opera House when you’re done? Hopefully the building will remain intact, although there’s a good chance there will be a portal to another dimension opened somewhere in the vicinity of the stage by the end of the show.
THE NIGHT TERRORS
THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
How does it feel to be selected to be involved? Well, yes we’re pretty blown away with being selected to play at a Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed curated event! Such an incredible line-up and space. I’m sure it’s going to be quite a surreal experience. Mum’s finally proud! Getting to see and hear Metal Machine Music performed live will be a blast also. What do you hope to bring to the performance? Hi-volume textural repetitive psychic alloy soundrock. How does one “explore the furthest reaches of music”? Obsessively. What’s the finest example of ‘noise rock’ you’ve heard? Les Rallizes Dénudés – ‘77 Live album, one of the finest examples I’ve heard.
HOLLY MIRANDA ALSO PLAYING THE STUDIO WEDNESDAY 2 AND THURSDAY 3 JUNE. INTERVIEW BY JASON KENNY. There’s a particular sound of a whole other world that belongs to new album The Magician’s Private Library. Was that something you decided on before recording?
BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
The music creates the connection. When you can touch people with your music, that’s what makes it great.
Alabama, USA Jimmy Carter How does it feel to be selected to be involved? We are excited to be a part of it. We have gotten to know Lou Reed and have worked with him before and we love Australia too. What do you hope to bring to the performance? We hope to make people feel something special, the Blind Boys way. It’s a big room – how does one create such intimacy?
Justin Fuller
Will there be anything left of the Opera House when you’re done? We’ll do our best to weaken the structural integrity a little… I love the building too much to wish it full destruction.
I’m pretty sure opera singers can break glass with their voices, so my act will seem pretty tame. I’m expecting snide remarks from the staff like, ‘How piss-weak are his tonsils? He needs to use his face to break glass’.
IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE ABOVE, LAURIE ANDERSON STEPS OUT WITH SLOW MUSIC. TAKING THE LUSH, PATIENT AND DOWNRIGHT GORGEOUS APPROACH TO SONIC DISPOSITION, METRIC’S EMILY HAINES, MARC RIBOT, THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA, EYVIND KANG, HOLLY MIRANDA, DOVEMAN, COLIN STETSON, MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND, CHIRGILCHIN, DOUG WIESELMAN AND SKULI SVERRISSON WILL WOO THE CONCERT HALL FRIDAY 4 JUNE. DEVELOPED JUST FOR SYDNEY, THIS IS A PERFORMANCE THAT’LL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
ZOND
How essential will earplugs be for the audience? Optional. AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Will there be anything left of the Opera House when you’re done?
SLOW MUSIC
ZOND
What’s the best piece of ‘slow music’ you’ve heard? Our rendition of Amazing Grace set to the tune of House Of The Rising Sun. That’s my favourite song. Is this a show where you’ll sit down to perform? Well, most of us aren’t that young anymore so we sit during some parts of our show. But we feel energy from the audience, whether it’s from a slow, soulful number or an energetic uplifting song. What’s better; a warm, intimate song or hot chocolate by a fireplace? I like both so I’d say put them together!
We didn’t do any preproduction. I made up a CD with all the songs on there and I made a list and anytime we would want to start a new song we’d go through the demos and pick it up. It was just kind of born, the way it came together and the songs that we chose, it had a heavy dreamy vibe and it sort of just happened. Are you bringing a band to Australia? I’m touring by myself. I couldn’t really afford to bring over the whole band for these couple of shows so I’m going to just be doing it solo. I’m kind of looking forward to experimenting. It’s a great place to try out new things and improvise, kind of explore.
‘Cooper thinks Lars von Trier’s movies are totally soft.’
D OW N LOAD TH E S F F 20 1 0 iP HON E AP P • 62 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
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THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 63 •
THE DRUM MEDIA’S GUIDE TO
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BORIS
THE KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW 3 & 4 JUNE | THE STUDIO TICKETS FROM $35*
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SONGS FROM “DELUSION” BY LAURIE ANDERSON
LOU REED’S METAL MACHINE TRIO
3 JUNE | DRAMA THEATRE TICKETS FROM $75*
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SLOW MUSIC NIGHT
NOISE NIGHT 31 MAY | OPERA THEATRE TICKETS FROM $35*
BARDO POND
CHIRGILCHIN
1 JUNE | OPERA THEATRE TICKETS FROM $39*
DOVEMAN
DAVID HIDALGO AND MARC RIBOT: BORDER MUSIC 2 JUNE | OPERA THEATRE TICKETS FROM $49*
HOLLY MIRANDA
FRI 4 JUNE | 11AM SAT 5 JUNE | 7AM SUN 6 JUNE | 11AM MON 7 JUNE | 9AM FORECOURT
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PARTNER
• 64 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
MUSIC FOR DOGS
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THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 65 •
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FEATURE TOUR
DAN SULTAN @ THE MANNING BAR. PIC: LINDA HELLER-SALVADOR
BORIS,
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, THE STUDIO, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE NATIONAL
DAN SULTAN
GIN WIGMORE THE HELLO MORNING
Manning Bar 21/05/10
Sometimes gigs are about lyrics, sometimes technical proficiency, sometimes just everybody having a good time – but this gig was about voices. Steve Veale normally has five other musicians sharing the stage with him in The Hello Morning, but on this occasion it was just him, a guitar and his heartbreaking voice. Having a band with him to beef up his tunes would have given the songs more dynamism, but what got Veale over the line was his achingly beautiful voice. New Zealand-born, Sydney-based singer Gin Wigmore has dyed her blonde locks brown and was glad to be sort of home after a stint in the States. And the crowd was clearly glad to have her. Her sultry, soulful voice gave life to favourites like Hey Ho and Too Late For Lovers, but it wasn’t until Dying Day that Wigmore really played around with the vocal talent she has. Her stage persona was playful, the songs engaging and her ukulele rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow great, but there’s so much talent in that petite frame that one couldn’t help but wish she was a lot more experimental with that powerful, traffic-stopping voice. Dan Sultan too has a traffic-stopping voice and several albums worth of old-fashioned rock’n’soul. Like a true showman he built his set, beginning with the slighter, less weighty numbers and working his way through to the absolute show-stoppers he knows he has in his arsenal. Along the way the crowd was treated to a joyous rendition of the Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody song This Land Is Mine, but it wasn’t until Sultan put his electric guitar down and let his band take care of the music that this night really kicked into high gear. The Sultan hip shimmy is becoming famous (with good reason) and the sheer physicality of Sultan’s performance made a very refreshing change in a music scene populated by skinny, disinterested indie boys and emo and punk frontmen wearing girls’ jeans. Though the horn section gave these songs a real soul vibe, Sultan stripped things back in the encore to beautiful effect when he performed solo versions of the Bran Nue Dae track Nyul Nyul Girl and Roslyn, a song about his mother being taken from his grandmother. It was a night when the crowd really got into the energy of the performances, but these two songs also showed the respect they had for Sultan in the reverential quiet that enveloped the venue. All night Sultan fed off the audience’s energy and showed the recent hype about him is definitely worth listening to. Danielle O’Donohue
SIANNA LEE: May 25 The Lounge UNITED TOUR feat. CHRIS PICKERING, COOKIE BAKER, MATT GRESHAM, NICOLE BROPHY: May 25 & 26 Raval CHRIS BAILEY & ED KUEPPER: May 26 The Vanguard GRAND ATLANTIC: May 27 Lansdowne Hotel WAGONS: May 26 Beach Road Hotel, May 28 Annandale Hotel, May 29 Clarendon, May 30 Brass Monkey LAST DINOSAURS: May 26 Cambridge Hotel, May 27 Grand Hotel Wollongong, May 28 Ivanhoe Hotel, May 29 Spectrum THE HOLIDAYS: May 27 Oxford Art Factory CLOSURE IN MOSCOW: May 27 Mona Vale Hotel, May 28 Gaelic Theatre MOJO JUJU & THE SNAKE OIL MERCHANTS: May 28 Phoenix Canberra, May 29 Heritage Hotel DAN KELLY: May 28 Spectrum, May 29 Brass Monkey DEXTER: May 28 Oxford Art Factory THE PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA, THE STRIDES: May 28 The Basement Circular Quay RAT VS POSSUM: May 28 St Petersberg Warehouse, May 29 Dirty Shirlows THE SCOTCH OF ST JAMES: May 28 Tailors On Central SCUL HAZARDS: May 28 World Bar IAN MOSS: May 28 Asquith Leagues, Jul 1 Southern Cross Club, Jul 2 Rooty Hills RSL, Jul 3 Bankstown Sports Showroom, Jul 9 Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, Jul 10 Notes, Aug 6 Heritage Hotel, Aug 7 Coogee Diggers, Aug 13 & 14 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Aug 19 – 21 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Sep 16 & 17 The Clarendon, Sep 18 Canterbury Hurlstone RSL RESIST THE THOUGHT: May 29 Blacktown Masonic Hall, Jun 4 Agincourt Hotel, Jun 5 The Loft Newcastle CRAYON FIELDS: May 29 Oxford Art Factory TAASHA COATES & TRISTAN GOODALL: May 29 Notes, May 30 Lizotte’s Kincumber CHASE THE SUN: May 30 Beaches CLOUD CONTROL: Jun 2 Beach Road Hotel, Jun 4 The Clarendon, Jun 5 Transit Bar THE RED EYES: Jun 3 Transit Bar, Jun 4 Manning Bar FIRE! SANTA ROSA, FIRE!: Jun 3 Oxford Art Factory JAMES MORRISON & THE IDEA OF NORTH: Jun 3 The Factory, Jun 4 Newcastle City Hall, Jun 16 The Basement Circular Quay, Jun 17
You may have noticed that there seems to have been very little press for one of the Vivid Festival’s biggest acts, Japanese noise/drone outfit Boris. That’s because the band don’t speak English – and there’s really very little to discuss in an interview like that. Thankfully, when it comes to their music not only does it defy genre, but also language, culture and everything that comes with that. Releasing a couple of classics and a few patchy records, these guys sit next to Sunn O))) as true masters of the genre. See their collaborative album Altar for further proof. In the Opera House? It’ll blow your mind.
Canberra Theatre DAPPLED CITIES: Jun 3 Cambridge Hotel, Jun 4 Mona Vale Hotel, Jun 5 Manning Bar, Jun 24 ANU Bar DEAD LETTER CIRCUS: Jun 4 The Factory FIVE STAR PRISON CELL: Jun 4 The Basement Canberra, Jun 10 Spectrum, Jun 17 Oxford Tavern, Jun 18 Empire Hotel, Jun 20 Lucky Australian Tavern RECOIL: Jun 4 The Basement Canberra URTHBOY: Jun 4 Hotel Gearin, Jun 19 Sandringham Hotel ROCKETSMITHS: Jun 5 Gaelic Theatre CHILDREN COLLIDE, CABINS: Jun 5 The Factory Theatre BIRDS OF TOKYO: Jun 5 Enmore Theatre MACHINE TRANSLATIONS*: Jun 5 The Vanguard LEE KERNAGHAN: Jun 5 Penrith Panthers, Jun 18 Wyong Leagues, Jun 19 Civic Theatre Newcastle PARADES: Jun 10 Transit Bar, Jul 2 Grand Hotel Wollongong, Jul 3 Red Rattler COG: Jun 11 The Metro MIAMI HORROR: Jun 11 Waves, Jun 12 Manning Bar THE SNOWDROPPERS: Jun 11 Grand Junction Hotel, Jun 12 View Factory, Jun 26 Oxford Tavern, Jul 2 Old Manly Boatshed, Jul 3 Hotel Gearin, Jul 9 Brass Monkey THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS: Jun 11 Newcastle Panthers, Jun 12 Waves, Jun 13 Entrance Leagues, Jun 16 Baroque, Jun 19 Wodonga Civic Centre, Jul 16 Hellenic Club, Jul 17 Enmore Theatre BOY & BEAR: Jun 12 Annandale Hotel DEBORAH CONWAY & WILLY ZYGIER*: Jun 16 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Jun 18 The Basement Circular Quay, Jun 19 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Jun 20 The Clarendon DEAD LETTER CHORUS: Jun 16 Front Gallery, Jun 17 Harp Wollongong, Jun 18 The Clarendon, Jun 19 Brass Monkey, Jun 24 Great Northern JONESEZ: Jun 16 Bar 32, Jun 18 Sandringham Hotel
LIZ STRINGER: Jun 17 The Basement THE BREAK: Jun 17 Old Manly Boatshed, Jun 19 Beach Road Hotel, Jun 20 Annandale Hotel, Jul 3 Old Manly Boatshed, Jul 4 The Brewery CASSETTE KIDS: Jun 18 Oxford Art Factory GYROSCOPE: Jun 18 The Metro, Jun 19 ANU Bar SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR: Jun 19 Raval KATIE NOONAN & THE CAPTAINS: Jun 19 The Metro 50 LIONS, BLKOUT: Jun 19 The Loft Newcastle, Jun 27 Jam Factory, Jul 3 Factory Theatre MILES AWAY, BREAK EVEN, HOPELESS, THE BRODERICK: Jun 22 Tuggeranong Youth Centre, Jun 26 & 27 The Wall THE DEVIL RIDES OUT: Jun 23 Harp Hotel, Jun 24 Sandringham Hotel DALLAS CRANE: Jun 24 Annandale Hotel TARA SIMMONS: Jun 24 Raval ASH GRUNWALD: Jun 25 Cambridge Hotel, Jun 26 Entrance Leagues, Jun 27 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Jun 30 Baroque, Jul 1 Transit Bar, Jul 8 Harp Wollongong, Jul 9 The Metro, Jul 11 Mean Fiddler OPERATOR PLEASE: Jun 26 The Metro KARNIVOOL*: Jun 26 Newcastle Panthers, Jun 30, Jul 1, Jul 2 The Metro, Jul 3 ANU Bar THIRSTY MERC*: Jun 30 Southern Cross Club, Jul 1 Waves, Jul 2 Cambridge Hotel, Jul 3 The Metro REGURGITATOR: Jul 3 Annandale Hotel THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT, CALLING ALL CARS: Jul 8 Hellenic Club, Jul 10 Panthers Newcastle, Jul 11 Mona Vale Hotel, Jul 14 Campbelltown RSL, Jul 15 Castle Hill RSL, Jul 16 Entrance Leagues Club THE AMITY AFFLICTION: Jul 8 Woden Basketball Stadium, Jul 9 UNSW
Roundhouse DAN PARSONS: Jul 9 World Bar DRAWN FROM BEES: Jul 10 Gaelic Theatre CW STONEKING: Jul 10 Selina’s YOUNG HERETICS: Jul 10 Spectrum LISA MILLER*: Jul 16 Notes, Jul 17 Heritage Hotel, Jul 18 The Clarendon HARD-ONS*: Jul 16 Annandale Hotel BLACK CAB*: Jul 16 Oxford Art Factory BENEDICT MOLETA*: Jul 18 Sandringham Hotel SPIT SYNDICATE*: Jul 22 The Harp Wollongong, Jul 23 Cambridge Newcastle, Jul 24 Gaelic Theatre, Jul 25 The Wall VIOLENT SOHO: Jul 23 Annandale Hotel GOSTELERADIO: Jul 23 Oxford Art Factory FABULOUS DIAMONDS: Jul 23 Spectrum SALLY SELTMANN: Jul 23 Oxford Art Factory, Jul 24 Heritage Hotel THE NATION BLUE, A DEATH IN THE FAMILY: Jul 23 Sandringham Hotel THE TEMPER TRAP: Jul 27 Hordern Pavilion LUNGS: Jul 29 Hamilton Station Hotel, Jul 30 Oxford Tavern, Jul 31 Sandringham Hotel LOWRIDER*: Aug 12 The Brewery, Aug 13 Annandale Hotel GRINSPOON*: Aug 13 Waves, Aug 15 The Entrance Leagues Club, Aug 18 Newcastle Leagues MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS: Aug 20 The Forum PVT*: Aug 21 Manning Bar CORDRAZINE*: Aug 21 The Vanguard THE CAT EMPIRE: Aug 22 ANU Bar, Aug 29 Hordern Pavilion ANGUS & JULIA STONE: Aug 25 Newcastle Civic Theatre, Aug 26 Enmore Theatre, Sep 1 Llewellyn Hall, Sep 2 Wollongong Uni POWDERFINGER: Sep 1 Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Sep 9 WIN Entertainment Centre, Sep 18 & 19 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Oct 12 University Of Canberra, Nov 6 Acer Arena continued pg.68 THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 67 •
live@drummedia.com.au
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN
MAYLENE & THE SONS OF DISASTER PERIPHERY
The Metro Theatre 21/05/10
JOHN BUTLER TRIO*: Sep 2 WIN Entertainment Centre, Sep 3 Hordern Pavilion, Sep 7 Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Sep 15 Royal Theatre SARAH BLASKO: Oct 28 Civic Theatre, Oct 29 Enmore Theatre, Oct 30 The Playhouse
INTERNATIONAL JOEY CAPE, TONY SLY: May 26 Annandale Hotel, May 27 Cambridge Hotel RICKY PETERSON & THE PETERSON BROTHERS: May 26 Lizotte’s Newcastle RICHMOND FONTAINE (ACOUSTIC): May 26 Heritage Hotel, May 27 Brass Monkey, May 28 Notes NILE, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, HATE ETERNAL: May 28 The Factory RICKIE-LEE JONES: May 28 Opera Theatre BORIS: May 28 The Studio AUTECHRE: May 28 The Forum LOU REED’S METAL MACHINE TRIO: May 30 Opera Theatre THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, UNEARTH: May 31 The Factory NOISE NIGHT feat. BORIS, MELT-BANANA, BARDO POND and more: May 31 Opera Theatre BARDO POND: Jun 1 The Studio EMILY HAINES: Jun 1 Opera Theatre LAURIE ANDERSON: Jun 1 & 2 Drama Theatre HOLLY MIRANDA: Jun 2 The Studio MELT-BANANA: Jun 2 The Studio MONDO GENERATOR: Jun 3 Harp Hotel Wollongong, Jun 4 Annandale Hotel, Jun 5 Cambridge Hotel KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW: Jun 3 The Studio STRUNG OUT, THE LOVED ONES: Jun 3 Annandale Hotel, Jun 13 Wollongong Uni Bar, Jun 16 Cambridge Hotel SLOW MUSIC NIGHT feat. LAURIE ANDERSON, EMILY HAINES, HOLLY MIRANDA and more: Jun 4 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall CHIRGILCHIN: Jun 4 The Studio THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA: Jun 5 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall DOVEMAN: Jun 5 The Studio MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND: Jun 6 The Studio SIMONE FELICE: Jun 9 Annandale Hotel COMMON, KID CAPRI: Jun 11 The Forum TOTAL SCIENCE*: Jun 11 The Loft UTS GIFT OF GAB: Jun 11 Oxford Art Factory STORY OF THE YEAR, SAOSIN, BLESSTHEFALL: Jun 12 UNSW Roundhouse SHAPESHIFTER: Jun 13 The Metro NOUVELLE VAGUE, • 68 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
MIAMI HORROR
DRUM PRESENTS WAGONS: May 26 Beach Road Hotel, May 28 Annandale Hotel, May 29 Clarendon, May 30 Brass Monkey CLOSURE IN MOSCOW: May 27 Mona Vale Hotel, May 28 Gaelic Theatre A DAY IN THE LIFE: May 28 Enmore Theatre THE GUM BALL: May 29 Dashville CHASE THE SUN: May 30 Beaches CLOUD CONTROL: Jun 2 Beach Road Hotel, Jun 4 The Clarendon, Jun 5 Transit Bar DAPPLED CITIES: Jun 3 Cambridge Hotel, Jun 4 Mona Vale Hotel, Jun 5 Manning Bar, Jun 24 ANU Bar THE RED EYES: Jun 3 Transit Bar, Jun 4 Manning Bar MIAMI HORROR: Jun 11 Waves, Jun 12 Manning Bar COME TOGETHER: Jun 12 & 13 Luna Park HESHER: Jun 14 State Theatre HERE WE GO MAGIC: Jun 17 Oxford Art Factory OPERATOR PLEASE: Jun 26 The Metro THE SOFT PACK: Jul 7 Oxford Art Factory BLOOD, SWEAT & BEERS: Jul 10 Annandale Hotel
BERRY: Jun 16 The Factory Theatre PAUL DIANNO: Jun 17 Bar On The Hill, Jun 18 Waves, Jun 19 Gaelic Theatre, Jun 20 ANU HERE WE GO MAGIC: Jun 17 Oxford Art Factory ALESTORM: Jun 18 Gaelic Theatre SHWAYZE: Jun 18 Home TRAIN: Jun 21 Enmore Theatre YUSUF ISLAM: Jun 21 & 23 Sydney Entertainment Centre HOPE SANDOVAL & THE WARM INVENTIONS: Jun 25 Enmore Theatre STEPHAN BODZIN, HUGO: Jul 3 Arthouse Hotel THE SOFT PACK: Jul 7 Oxford Art Factory MARK LANEGAN: Jul 8 The Metro BOYS LIKE GIRLS: Jul 11 UNSW Roundhouse SNFU: Jul 14 The Wall OM: Jul 17 The Factory KEVIN RUDOLF: Jul 18 Enmore Theatre STRIKE ANYWHERE: Jul 18 Woodport Inn, Jul 19 Caringbah Bizzo’s, Jul 20 The Wall, Jul 21 Cambridge Hotel SHIHAD*: Jul 20 & 21 Annandale Hotel KASABIAN: Jul 24 Hordern Pavilion ALBERTA CROSS: Jul 24 Annandale Hotel GRIZZLY BEAR: Jul 25 Enmore Theatre LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, HOT CHIP: Jul 26 Hordern Pavilion SCISSOR SISTERS*: Jul 27 Big Top Luna Park YEASAYER: Jul 28 The Metro FOALS: Jul 28 Manning Bar WINTERBEATZ feat.
DRAWN FROM BEES: Jul 10 Gaelic Theatre OM: Jul 17 The Factory SALLY SELTMANN: Jul 23 Oxford Art Factory, Jul 24 Heritage Hotel KASABIAN: Jul 24 Hordern Pavilion ALBERTA CROSS: Jul 24 Annandale Hotel GRIZZLY BEAR: Jul 25 Enmore Theatre YEASAYER: Jul 28 The Metro BAND OF HORSES: Jul 29 Enmore Theatre MIDLAKE: Jul 31 The Metro JONSI: Aug 2 Enmore Theatre LAURA MARLING: Aug 2 The Metro ASH, WE ARE SCIENTISTS: Aug 3 The Metro FRIGHTENED RABBIT: Aug 3 The Factory SURFER BLOOD: Aug 3 Manning Bar BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE: Aug 4 The Metro KATE NASH: Aug 5 The Metro SLASH: Aug 16 Hordern Pavilion MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS: Aug 20 The Forum COASTER: Sep 25 Gosford Showgrounds SARAH BLASKO: Oct 28 Civic Theatre, Oct 29 Enmore Theatre, Oct 30 The Playhouse
NE-YO, T-PAIN*: Jul 28 Acer Arena THE STROKES: Jul 29 Hordern Pavilion GOLDFRAPP: Jul 29 Big Top Luna Park BAND OF HORSES: Jul 29 Enmore Theatre THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS: Jul 30 Hordern Pavilion THE MAGIC NUMBERS: Jul 30 The Metro RICHARD ASHCROFT & THE UNITED NATIONS OF SOUND*: Jul 31 Enmore Theatre MIDLAKE: Jul 31 The Metro BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB: Aug 1 The Metro TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB: Aug 2 Oxford Art Factory PASSION PIT: Aug 2 The Forum JONSI: Aug 2 Enmore Theatre LAURA MARLING: Aug 2 The Metro ASH, WE ARE SCIENTISTS: Aug 3 The Metro SURFER BLOOD: Aug 3 Manning Bar BAND OF SKULLS: Aug 3 Oxford Art Factory FRIGHTENED RABBIT: Aug 3 The Factory MUMFORD & SONS: Aug 3 Enmore Theatre K-OS: Aug 4 Oxford Art Factory BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE: Aug 4 The Metro KATE NASH: Aug 5 The Metro FLORENCE & THE MACHINE: Aug 5, 6, 7
Enmore Theatre SENSES FAIL: Aug 14 The Factory Theatre EELS: Aug 14 Enmore Theatre SLASH: Aug 16 Hordern Pavilion NAPALM DEATH, DYING FETUS: Sep 4 The Factory BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, BRING ME THE HORIZON, CANCER BATS: Sep 10 Hordern Pavilion MAYHEM: Sep 24 The Metro CYPRESS HILL: Sep 24 Enmore Theatre OVERKILL: Sep 25 The Metro Theatre PAUL WELLER: Oct 22, 23 Enmore Theatre METALLICA: Nov 10, 11, 13 Acer Arena JACK JOHNSON*: Dec 11 The Domain MICHAEL BUBLE: Feb 14 & 15 Acer Arena
FESTIVALS VIVID: May 27 – Jun 21 Sydney Opera House THE GUM BALL: May 29 Dashville ALL OUR FRIENDS: Jun 5 Uni Of Canberra Refectory COME TOGETHER: Jun 12 & 13 Luna Park WE LOVE SOUNDS: Jun 12 Entertainment Quarter HARDCORE 2010: Jul 2 Manning Bar, Jul 3 The Factory SHIR MADNESS: Aug 15 Bondi Beach COASTER: Sep 25 Gosford Showgrounds SYDNEY BLUES FESTIVAL*: Oct 29-31 Windsor * indicates new or amended listing this week Check with agencies for booking fees.
Periphery locked into a tight, Meshuggah-esque groove almost instantly and rode it for much of their 30 minutes on stage. Making their debut trip to these shores, the Maryland prog-metallers were visibly enthused and the material more engaging than on their self-titled debut. There are kinks they need to iron out – generic clean vocals, a few pilfered riffs and the three guitarists didn’t provide the immense, crushing sound you would expect – but they’re a curious enough work in progress.
opener Panasonic Youth began. While arguably a tad more restrained than previous tours, the New Jersey metal/hardcore noise crew’s potency as a live act is impossible to deny, even for the relative newcomer or non-heavy music aficionado. The incessance of the light show proved slightly intrusive, but a vicious Fix Your Face, blistering When Good Dogs Do Bad Things and enormous singalong for Sunshine The Werewolf were standout moments and 43% Burnt a winning tribute to earth-shattering 1999 debut, Calculating Infinity. The piano-driven broodiness of Mouth Of Ghosts was a helpful mid-set breather and the ideal segue into Black Bubblegum, a song with pop hooks so monstrously catchy they ought to be studied by lesser bands. Farewell, Mona Lisa closed the longest set (65 minutes) this reviewer has seen from the band, yet like any Dillinger show, you never feel short-changed. Another bruising display. Brendan Crabb
Maylene & The Sons of Disaster have undergone something of a makeover in recent times; having four long-time members leave almost simultaneously will do that to a band. Their music has also increasingly morphed into an infectious Southern rock stomp, which has made their already appealing live performances increasingly so. The more metalcoreinfused fare of their first two discs went over well, but songs such as Waiting On My Deathbed from latest effort III provided the necessary balance of infectious melodies and blazing riffs they’ve long been aiming to achieve. The punters voiced their approval. Watching a Dillinger Escape Plan show is quite similar to viewing a Jackie Chan movie from the ‘80s. They do all of the work (or at least the majority of it, should you happen to be one of the numerous folks unleashing the fury in the surging pit), yet you leave feeling exhausted. Frontman Greg Puciato also looked like he could clean your clock in an instant. The quintet has established an enviable reputation for their manic, stage-diving-filled, throw-and-jumpon-everything-that-isn’t-nailed-down performances and went about business as usual instantly as staple
BRIAN CHASE & SETH MISTERKA
SCATTERED ORDER BLACK WIDOW
The Vanguard 23/05/10
A night of contemporary sounds at The Vanguard was on the menu and featured a mix of experimental, ambient and improvisational styles. There has existed for quite some time an underground scene of free styles of music and the night required us to abandon the familiarity of modern song structure. Melbourne’s Black Widow, also known as Robert MacManus, was a one-man show that fed distorted guitar through a series of analogue pedals and dials to produce a wall of cascading ambient white noise for a full 30 minutes with no breaks. The mood created was bleak, but it was an interesting combination nonetheless, particularly the absence of any sorts of digital effects. It wasn’t the type of set that got points for stage presence, but keeping in mind it wasn’t your conventional night of music, it was an enjoyable form of expression via sound. Michael Tee and Mitch Jones, founding members of Sydney-based post-punk outfit Scattered Order, were on hand to reproduce their brand of industrial noise, less sporadic but just as bleak and downtempo. Combining laptop sounds with guitar, synth and slide, their washy noise brought back memories of the more avant-garde forms of music present at last year’s All Tomorrow’s Parties festival. In a career that spans 30 years, they’ve obviously lost their hearing due to the ear-bleed volume levels and this may have been why the gathered audience, who appeared to be clapping out of courtesy rather than any enjoyment, received it with some apparent animosity. Free-Jazz duo Seth Misterka & Brian Chase, direct from New York, were in town as part of a minitour promoting the second album they’ve recorded. Influenced by the likes of John Coltrane, Sun Ra and Albert Ayler, the night’s performance showcased the two brilliant musicians’ range and ability. Already having established themselves as respected musicians through other projects (Misterka is a noted session muso and Chase drums for a popular New York-based band) the majority of the set’s spontaneity and skill was both sporadic and completely liberated from the confines of most forms and styles of music. It wasn’t jazz in the normal sense, but still had elements of the genre. You really had to keep in mind this was never about songs in the traditional sense, with discernible chord or tempo structures. However there was a nod to Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street embedded somewhere in the final tune.
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN @ THE METRO THEATRE. PIC: ROD HUNT
Those who hadn’t researched or were not familiar with this particular style and form (or lack of) of music may have been disappointed, but as far as aural stimulation goes, these guys were brilliant. Adam Wilding
BIFFY CLYRO
AFTER THE FALL
The Metro Theatre 20/05/10
After The Fall hit the stage to scattered applause, some whooping and a big stomping drum beat, opening with Sunshine Showers. ATF drew mostly from their heavier back catalogue, but still managed to drop in a few softer tracks from their recent release, [In] Exile. After their remarkable opener, the next impressive song was Mirror Mirror, with the pop/rock number loaded with ballsy telecaster distortion. Whilst ATF appeared to be jacking into more of their older stuff, Biffy Clyro tapped predominately from their most recent albums, 2007’s Puzzle and 2009’s Only Revolutions. The audience coerced the band onto the stage with the ‘Mon the Biff!’ catchcry, perhaps trying to ensure that the Scotsmen did an extra special performance to make up for cancelling earlier in the year. They opened with That Golden Rule from Only Revolutions. Some might laugh at a band arriving on stage without shirts on (which two-thirds of them did), but when you play like these guys it’s a pragmatic decision, as guitarist/vocalist Simon Neil, between amp humping and pirouetting, gyrated like a pendulum around the mic. Biffy Clyro achieved the impossible continuously, fusing hard rock with melody, and the audience sang along as if they were a multi-platinum award-winning band and not an indie three-piece from Ayrshire, Scotland. Halfway through the set Neil pulled out the Rickenbacker to play one of their first true ballad songs of the night, God And Satan. But their version of a ballad really stretches the definition, as the song moved from soulful melodies to sinful overdrive in the closing chorus. Soon after, they graced us with their oldest hit of the night, Bodies In Flight, the epic post-punk opener from The Vertigo Of Bliss. Biffy Clyro have softened the edges off their awkward, angular-sounding music over the last couple of albums – sadly, as their previous works were rich in experimentalism and Byzantine time signatures. However, tonight proved their new songs can destroy the stage. Mon the Biff! Don’t know what it means but, hell yeah, I agree! Tim Groenendyk
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 69 •
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POND
MESSAGE IN A ROCK BAND THE SCOTCH OF SAINT JAMES IS A) THE LONDON CLUB POPULAR WITH ROCK ROYALTY IN THE ‘60S WHERE A THEN UNKNOWN JIMI HENDRIX PLAYED HIS FIRST UK GIG; B) A RISING WA FOUR-PIECE. MICHAEL SMITH TALKS TO THE LATTER.
L
ike the best classic rock bands of the past 40 years, The Scotch Of Saint James distinguish themselves in their use of three-part harmonies wherever they fit, something that gives them quite a unique sound in the contemporary landscape. “Well, there are three people in the band that can sing,” lead singer and guitarist Michael Paver (aka Paver Pickins) says matter of factly. “So you may as well use it. You’ve got tools there, so… Make the most of them. We all really like a good song, not just a meandering piece of
SISTER JANE
Spectrum 19/05/10
music as such. We’re all big Beatles fans, but we’re also big Pink Floyd fans and stuff, so there are bits and pieces of all of the old school that we’ve tried to amalgamate into something. But then, you can also see the stuff that we’ve listened to in our adolescence shining through in some spots.” The Scotch Of Saint James have been gigging around pretty solidly for four years now, though there was apparently an earlier incarnation with a name that inspired so many preconceptions before the band was even heard it was ditched. They gained national attention early last year when they were Unearthed by triple j and got to play the 2009 BDO stage, where they showcased their debut album, Vigilante Neck Tie Party, which is now finally released. “We try and push ourselves as much as we can, try and say a lot of stuff within our songs. I don’t think there’s a song on the record for instance
that’s directly about a girl. Our songwriting is driven by the people around us, everyone that you see, society. We’re fairly idealistic, but that’s what makes us us. I don’t think everyone’s put around to be negative – it seems to be a by-product of our surrounding environment.” WHO The Scotch Of Saint James WHAT Vigilante Neck Tie Party (Shock) WHEN & WHERE Friday, Tailors On Central
With a smoky, retro sound Sister Jane provided a warming start to a night that proved there’s value in Sydney’s mid-week scene, both in terms of musical calibre and atmosphere. The local outfit boasts Liam Judson, who with the failure of Belles Will Ring to capitalise on obvious potential has been forced into exploring other avenues and here, in leaving the singing duties to Dan Davey and Lauren Crew, Judson can focus on production and guitar. The exemplary tones on offer tonight display that the set-up is a positive one. Psychedelic, with a touch of the blues, the songwriting’s intelligent and there was barely a dull moment throughout their accomplished set. The rhythm section was diligent and unobtrusive, then when Crew brought out the flute he added a pastoral British touch that perhaps needs a little more tweaking. In contrast to most emerging bands, they’ve got a class back catalogue but currently lack an entry point. Ending solidly, they don’t need a year or two on the local scene to develop; they’ve enough experience right now to be genuinely enjoyed. Out of Perth and no doubt buoyed by the successes of their statemates Tame Impala (the band share a member in Jay Watson), Pond were in town to showcase themselves to the east coast. The youngsters have that ‘70s psychedelic wash about them, but there’s obviously more of a pop melody focus. With all the Rolling Stones rock moves that you could hope for, it became quickly obvious that not only can they condense things into a slick three-minute radio gem (Cloud City is not quite there, but something along those lines will do just fine) and jam it out with the best of them. At times, though, they were indecisive – their jams aren’t quite thick enough to swim in yet as they try to develop both a sonic depth and immediate familiarity. They’re playing the music that drugs made famous, but you get the feeling that the band members haven’t discovered them – and the tracks sound the fresher for it. The juvenile touches (gremlin-like stage antics) and honest fun is what makes them magnetic now and they’ve an impressive arsenal for a band that seems only likely to improve. Scott Fitzsimons
ROBERT FORSTER
Sydney Theatre 21/05/10
Just when you least expect it, the sun shines. It’s drizzling. It’s a Sydney Writers Festival gig (relatively blue rinse-free, though). It’s an artist who does not make it a habit of performing solo. But this is no average performer. This is Robert Forster: rock icon, literary darling, The Go-Betweens heritage living large – he is responsible for continuing to breathe life into an incredible oeuvre of cultural achievement. So, yes. This was good. Very, very good. With a theme, no less – 15 songs about Sydney. Well, if not necessarily about Sydney, then connected in some anecdotal way. And the anecdotes flowed tonight. They started out a bit prolix, but Forster loves his drama and has always been very good at it, not just because he’s shown fondness for lippie, pancake and dandified posing. It’s the pauses, the leaps, the melodies; the harmonic echoes inherent in the most austere of rhythms. Acoustic guitar and voice. The temptation is to call it pure. But like The Go-Betweens, his performance is more about cutting to the heart of the matter, providing resonance from (and for) lived experiences. This means love and the plentiful world. But, let’s face it, Forster/The Go-Betweens are, essentially, an Australian cultural experience. Darlinghurst Nights is not Australian only by name. Nor is Cattle And Cane. They are from the Streets Of Your Town. Our town. Our culture. Integrating Motown girl group harmonies, Dylan folk-smithing and archetypal punk-like brevity, Forster’s humour and his humanity, his family and his peripatetic lifestyle all came flooding through this performance. A writers’ festival is an appropriate context for the man. He and fellow Go-Between Grant McLennan’s enriching of our world is as relevant, instructive and inspiring as that of White’s, Astley’s and Malouf’s (um, lots of cane toads here...). But this is rock’n’roll. This is visceral. Forster’s voice manages to simultaneously convey naivety and knowing, innocent and arch, camp and lovelorn. Mystery reigns. Its uncertainty and inherent recognition of imperfection contribute to its humanity. But ambition fuels hope, so there is never a lack of striving. Everything is a heart bursting through the chest. This is wonderful pop music, of and for Australian (in particular) folk who live in the country, who live in the suburbs, who steer their lives in the blinding light of a harsh sun. The shining. Craig N Pearce
• 70 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
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MIDAS TOUCH It’s been years coming for Aerobi but this Saturday they finally launch their debut EP, Six Little Blessings, at the Lansdowne Hotel. They will be joined by ‘90s-loving funk rock band One Flew East, Anti-midas, Eden’s March and Running Guns.
FIELDS OF SONG Melbourne foursome Crayon Fields will be bringing their euphoric pop to Oxford Art Factory this Saturday. Don’t miss their first Sydney show this year with supports Parades and Step-Panther.
KIDS GOING WILD The all age festival, Mayhem 2010, happens this Saturday at Liverpool PCYC with Town Hall Steps, Elanora, Ejavu, Within All Meaning, 46Clicks, Dinki Bike, Patient Mile and Larykan playing. There’ll also be giveaways and heaps of other activities from 3.30pm until 10pm.
LOCAL SHOWCASE YourSpace is ever present on the live scene as well as cyberspace, and this week’s no different. All’s Fallow, Ben Aylward Band, The Forest Folk, Nothing Rhymes With David, Rebekah Bragg, Kane, Adjusted John’s Junk Band Association and The Partisan will perform Wednesday.
THE BEST SONGS EVER WRITTEN
O
K, so there would have been nothing better than the real thing, but you can’t have that, can you? Friday, a range of performers will be paying tribute to the Fab Four at the Enmore Theatre as part of A Day In The Life – A Beatles Retrospective 1967-1970. We asked a few of them how they do the world’s most famous albums justice. Kevin Bennett “Beatles songs are so deeply rooted in so many people’s psyche that to do them ‘justice’ can be a near impossibility, Beatles fans are ready to pounce at any hint of a sub-standard rendition of their idols’ songs! These are some of the greatest works ever written and have served as the soundtrack to several generations’ lives, and as such deserve reverential treatment. If they’re approached with commitment, passion, humour and love, both song and singer will shine.”
Evelyn Duprai “There’s no question there is something prolifically unique about Beatles songs. At every stage of their very public musical growth and development, it’s as if the Beatles somehow managed to shift something in the atmosphere which at the time translated into new sounds and techniques the world had not seen or heard before. Every generation since then has been able to enjoy a musical landscape that has been changed forever by these pioneers. Audiences to the Enmore Theatre will definitely hear some arrangements of the Fab Four’s tunes that are quite a bit different to the original versions, but because of the very nature of the songs themselves, they just work!” Steve Balbi “I think it’s about being yourself and finding your own truth in singing other people’s songs
KEVIN BENNETT – especially the likes of The Beatles or any classic artist for that matter. I feel people need to connect; that is the key. I must say though, I can’t stand funky versions of Beatles songs, even Stevie Wonder can almost destroy a Beatles song – so we might as well give it a go. ‘What would you do if I sang out of tune, would you stand up and walk out on me’?”
HEADWORKS A Sound Mind will headline the Gaelic Theatre this Saturday, while local outfits The Sound Conspiracy and Caldera fill the supporting roles.
SONIC COLOURS Blue Mountains-based singer songwritier Anne Ridgeway will be launching her third record, Paint A Thought, from 2.30pm this Sunday at the Meditation Hall of the Brahma Kumaris Centre. Highly lyrical in her songwriting, she’s a favourite among music fans of the region.
GREATEST VIEWING Yellow Brick Road at the Oxford Art Factory’s Gallery Bar this Wednesday has Pregnancy and Khamsim Rifles on duty. On Thursday residents Arkestra are joined by Virgo Rising and Piano Is Drunk, and Friday’s residents Sticky Fingers finish up with The Tsars.
BANKER’S NIGHTMARE The Lewisham Livehouse is typically hard and heavy this Friday with the likes of Corporate Takedown, Invictus and Teratornis taking to the well-respected stage from 8pm.
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BROTHERLY RESPECT In honour of his late brother Jesse, Emad Younan will be playing his songs at Bar Me this Thursday. Playing the tracks as close as possible to the way they were intended, Tom Hespe of The Paper Scissors will be supporting Emad solo.
PUNK UNPLUGGED Lagwagon frontman Joey Cape and No Use For A Name’s Tony Sly are due at the Annandale Hotel this Wednesday as part of their national acoustic tour together.
MUSICAL MARKETS The next Koori Night Markets, this Saturday at the Substation in Newport, will feature performances by Liz Cavanagh’s Jazz Quartet, Jayden Lillyst, Illana Atkinson, traditional Aboriginal dancers and didgeridoo players. Starts 5pm.
PLAYING BAD Toydeath, one of Sydney’s secret treasures, are joining in this year’s Sydney Biennale as part of Superdeluxe at Artspace’s run of performances. The electro-noise-glitch veterans will be taking to the stage this Saturday.
EARTH BOUND With airplay on commercial radio around Australia, and even New Zealand, The Jefferson are not only start to make inroads to the local live scene, but the national one as well. Two songs were nominated for the MusicOz Awards just past, both appearing on the band’s new album, Safe Return To Earth. To give it the proper launch treatment the band will be appearing at the Supper Club this Friday with support from John Vella, The Former Love Pirates and Yolanda & The Stolen Boys.
ALONE AGAIN Appearing last week as Chase The Sun supporting artist, the one-man blues rock band Claude Hay will this Friday be performing at The View Factory. THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 71 •
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TIME TO REFILL EAGLE AND THE WORM Your music is…? Boot scootin’ boogie with a touch of good times and a sprinkling of future.
Which acts inspired you to produce your own music and why? So many! I spent a bit of time making a shortlist for EATW’s studio sound – Elton John, Dirtbombs, Rolling Stones, Pavement, Little Feat, Rod Stewart, Beck, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis.
What’s your wildest ambition for your music? I don’t really have wild ambitions so to speak. At the moment, I’m all about putting on good shows!
Why should we come and see you? I guess you gotta snoop around and find out for yourself – check out the tunes on the web, then maybe check out some video on YouTube. THEN if you are still into it, come down to a show.
How do you find the local live scene? It always impresses me. I love seeing young bands at the moment – kids who are excited to be on stage, who don’t necessarily care for the ins and outs of the Australian music industry. I’m really finding that exciting at the moment.
What’s your greatest rock’n’roll moment? Pulling my band together. We got nine dudes. Fuck… For more info see: eagleandtheworm.com Next available at: Friday – Spectrum Saturday – Brass Monkey
IN 1994, A YOUNG SYDNEY FOURPIECE NAMED JUICE WERE ON FIRE – A STRONG ARIA-NOMINATED DEBUT ALBUM AND A DRUM COVER; IT WAS ALL HAPPENING. TWO YEARS ON IT WAS OVER, BUT THEY’RE BACK FOR FRIENDS AND FANS AND KRISHNA JONES AND LUCIUS BORICH TALK TO MICHAEL SMITH ABOUT THEIR REUNION.
“K
rish just rang me up and said, ‘I’ve got some gigs available, do you want to have a jam? Get together and play?’” drummer Lucius Borich begins. These days better known as Cog’s engine room, he’s explaining things with vocalist/guitarist Krishna Jones, who has forged a career with bands Juggernaut and Krakatoa, as well as solo. “And I was like, ‘Shit yeah’ and the chance to jam out with my friends is just so refreshing, so it’s been awesome rehearsing together again.” Juice evolved pretty much out of school as four friends – Jones, his younger brother Armanath, Borich and bassplayer David Kyle. They signed with Polydor in 1993, now part of Universal, at the same time as were Powderfinger, with whom they shared a lot of bills. Juice released their debut album, Wine Of Life, in April the following year, yet despite the ARIA nomination were dropped by the label in 1995, releasing their only other album, Fractured, independently in 1996. “It was a little scary at first,” Jones admits, when asked about looking back at the Juice catalogue.
LOOSE NIGHT OUT Sydney hip hop crew Loose Change released their self-titled album back in April, and will now launch it at the Sandringham Hotel this Friday. True Vibenation, Suburban Dark and Mathijs will be lending a helping hand (or voice) on stage.
THINGS JUST GOT HEAVY Sydney funk royalty, the Superheavyweights will be throwing themselves around this Sunday at the Fringe Bar’s SunSets. The lineup also includes Ngaiire and Ninja Cindys.
SHOOTING RIGHTS This Wednesday Upstarts at Spectrum returns after a week off, with Arc Archer, Spooky Land and Mrs Bishop looking to prove their stature as an emerging bands.
“Until we did our first rehearsal, it was like, ‘My God, how did we play and write all that sort of stuff?’, because there’s some pretty choppy and riffy stuff. For me personally I have to sing and play some pretty full-on riffs at the same time. But once we’d done that first rehearsal, it was like we’d been playing the same set for 15 years – we locked straight back into it. “Some of those songs that we got signed on, I was writing on my four-track in high school when I was 14 or 15, so I was 18 by the time Juice was starting to play. What was inspiring me? All my favourite bands like Pink Floyd and Zeppelin and Hendrix, all the influences that then get regurgitated into your own form of music. I look back at all that early stuff as not being my greatest writing at all, but now I have a new appreciation for it as well.” WHO Juice WHEN & WHERE Saturday, Beach Road Hotel
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VOICE YOUR OPINION
JUMP INTO IT
A blend of soul, funk, reggae and world music.
Which acts inspired you to produce your own music and why?
SET FOR THURSDAY
Pop artists like Michael Jackson and then I got into the all of the girl groups of the ‘90s like TLC, SWV etc. But I also listen to a lot of world music from Africa to Asia and Jamaican music.
Roots country act Mark Lucas & The Dead Setters will be providing some warmth into a cold mid-week night this Thursday with a show at the Excelsior Glebe. From 7.30pm, entry’s free.
I don’t know how wild it is but I’d like to make a living from my original music and travel the world touring and recording music.
Why should we come and see you? If you’ve ever seen me before, you’ll know that once I’m on stage, it’s pretty hard to get me off. I’ll end up singing all your favourites like Careless Whisper and I Will Survive.
How do you find the local live scene? I feel like we have some amazing talent here and we’re creative and we have such a high concentration of multicultural influences.
What’s your greatest rock’n’roll moment? Probably in my bedroom when I was five, with my cousin’s makeup on, dressed like Cher. Those were the glory days
For more info see: myspace.com/thealphamama sonicbids.com/thealphamama
Next available at: Thursday – Anahita Persian Basement • 72 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
LIVE DISCO The brand new live show of Flatwound will be on show at the Sandringham Hotel this Thursday, as they spin originals from the forthcoming Super Space Dope Funk album, due in October, as well as new remixes. With Dead Galaxy (Presser from Gerling) providing the visuals, Joyride and the Accidents and Mailer Daemon Sound System will support.
SPIRIT LIVES ON As a benefit for the documentary film, Louder Than Love – The Grande Ballroom Story, the Ghosts Of The Grande (a band featuring members of Radio Birdman, Young Docteurs, Soulmovers, Decline of the Reptiles and The Hitmen) will be performing track from Detriot luminaries such as MC5, The Stooges at the Sandringham Hotel this Saturday.
ONLY ONE CAN WIN So this is it, the grand final of the Mean Fiddler’s Quest For Rock band competition, the winner of which will receive a residency at the venue along with cash and other prizes. Three-piece roots-reggae outfit Morandy and R&B pop-rock-influenced band The Affairs are the two to make it this far.
We’ve known each other from before we were in a band, so we have a deeper connection with each other than a lot of other bands.
If you could time travel back to any gig in history which would it be and why? Fairfax High School in 1923 where Phil Spektor played his first show in a talent contest. I’d karate chop him so fast.
What movie do you think your music would best accompany and why? Easy Rider. It’s a movie about cruising down the highway on motorbikes, trying to achieve freedom with all these hippies and drugs. We’re hardly a stoner band, but we identify with relaxing and cruising and finding yourself and enjoying life. Shakira’s song Whenever, Wherever she sings: “Lucky that my breasts are small and humble, so you don’t confuse them with mountains”.
Favourite “pick me up for a big night” drink? Whisky sour.
Favourite hangover cure? Boston Sour (with egg white). For more info see: theholidaysband.com Thursday – Oxford Art Factory
Melbourne’s Public Opinion Afro Orchestra and Sydney’s The Strides are playing together at the Basement, Circular Quay this Friday. Expect more groove, funk and soul than is probably safe for one night.
This Friday, Juke Baritone & The Swamp Dogs will be performing at the Vanguard, with all their usual fervour we’re sure. Joining them as a very special guest will be gypsy storyteller Mr Fibby & The Delicious My Sauce Good.
What’s your wildest ambition for your music?
What do you think is your band’s greatest strength?
When and where are your next gigs?
HEAD BANGING
Your music is…?
Will Mangoes, guitar and keys
What is your favourite song lyric and why?
Noise-punk outfit Scul Hazzards are finally back in Sydney to perform for you, and the band will be doing just that at World Bar’s MUM this Friday. Joined by Lions At Your Door, Canopy Choirs, Carnation (releasing their new single, Gone) and Radio National, upstairs will witness performances from Hira Hira, Dead China Doll and Yes I’m Leaving. It’s makes one of the venue’s best lineups this year in terms of quality per act.
ALPHAMAMA
THE HOLIDAYS
BATTLE OF THE SEXES Remember that show? Well this week’s Purple Sneakers, Friday at the Gladstone Hotel, will be doing their best to reignite the feud. With Chaingang DJ’s frontwoman and guitarist battling out, so too will Banshee Vs Nick Findlay. Elsewhere, M.I.T, Nic Yorke and more residents, who will be dropping all the indie tunes.
CASE STUDY Show Case Sundays at Kings Cross’ The Club continues this week, with unsigned acts and emerging creative types in the field of art, music and fashion. This week Marillian Avenue, The Spirits and Sound Casino will be playing live.
SONGS FOR THE CITY Supporting the horrendously underrated Americana folkies Richmond Fontaine this Friday at Notes is Sydney’s own suburban storyteller, Perry Keyes.
BARREL BEACH Barrel House, Mushi and Mandi Jarry are holding fort at the Beach Road Hotel this week as part of the venue’s Tuesday night live.
REASON TO YELL Screaming Sunday’s all age event at the Annandale Hotel this week features some of the scene’s most prominent rock, punk and metal-influenced young bands. A Bad Day’s Goodnight, Defileon, Chasing Amy, Cloud Four, Stand For The Fallen, Heartless, My City Screams and Scream Infamy make up the bill, with the show kicking off at 3.30pm.
ERNEST ELLIS
FESTIVAL BOUND Perhaps a surprise inclusion in this year’s Splendour In The Grass lineup, Ernest Ellis has released a new single, Loveless, and is currently touring the East Coast to support it. Thursday he’s at the Oxford Art Factory with The Holidays and The Joysticks.
ON THE DRUM STEREO Loveless Unbeliever THE SCHOOL Fear Not The Footsteps of The Departed DRAWN FROM BEES Heaven Is Whenever THE HOLD STEADY Diamond Eyes DEFTONES FABULOUS DIAMONDS Fabulous Diamonds II This Is Happening LCD SOUNDSYSTEM Deathwish THE GIN CLUB AT THE DRIVE-IN Relationship Of Command First Temple CLOSURE IN MOSCOW Salvation Is Created BIFROST ARTS
EASTSIDE RADIO 89.7FM PRESENTS
CD Launch fundraiser
Wednesday 9 June, 8pm At The Basement Tickets $15
Book now on 9251 2797 or www.thebasement.com.au
w w w. e a s t s i d e f m . o r g
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 73 •
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THE UNITED TOUR
UNITED THEY TOUR
EMMA DEANS
KING TIDE
Your music is…? Voices from the heart; soul, blues, jazz, hip hop and gospel.
THE KING’S SONGS
Which acts inspired you to produce your own music and why?
Buoyed by the success of their stint as the backing band for Dawn Penn and Stranger Cole earlier this month, King Tide hit the Brass Monkey on Friday and return to the Annandale Hotel this Saturday, playing tracks from all three of their studio records.
Kaya played a key role in influencing our solo music. It taught us what our voices were capable of and that anything is possible.
What’s your wildest ambition for your music? Well Alexi is off to Paris in a couple of weeks to pursue her musical dreams. Our dream is to travel the world playing venues and festivals that I have only ever dreamt of – like the incredible Festival of the Desert in Mali!
Why should we come and see you? If you love voice, music, have a heart, want to be left with the feeling of love and inspiration and generally like being entertained, then join us please!
What’s your greatest rock’n’roll moment? There’s a nice story about eating room service in a spa with a few people in Cairns early one morning – running around basically naked in the hotel. Did I just say that?
For more info see: myspace.com/thekayaladies
Next available at: Saturday – The Basement, Circular Quay with Alexi Kaye and Juleiaah Boehm also from Kaya.
KOOL KIDS Dust Tone continues with the high profile hip hop with Koolism, INFO, Bentley, Mike Who and LouLou this Friday.
FIRE TRACKS The Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills, is putting on the indie rock bands for fans this Wednesday. The mid-week bill includes This Burning Sand, Origami Kitten and Sam I Am.
Prog rock arrives at the Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hill, with Valar, Panzer Queen, Beafields and Solkyri each playing a set. Come down and see what the local scene’s got to offer this Thursday.
TELL NO LIES Formerly the Terry Serio Media Frenzy, the Ministry of Truth, now fronted by Ripley Hood, are headlining the Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills, this Friday. Opening up the night is Ed Clayton-Jones.
The New Christs, one of the Australian punk scene’s revered veteran acts, are back at the Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills, this Saturday. Singer Rob Younger is off to France soon, so this is the last time you’ll catch them for a while. Brisbane’s Hits are coming along for the ride.
Your music is…? Alternative/rock.
Which acts inspired you to produce your own music and why? Everyone from 3 Days Grace, Seether, Breaking Benjamin and Billy Talent to Staind.
What’s your wildest ambition for your music? I think to tour Australia, NZ, Europe and USA within a year period with one of the acts mentioned above would be a good start towards our collective wildest ambition.
Why should we come and see you? If you like any of the bands mentioned in our influences, it would be well worth coming to check out what we are bringing to the live scene, both in relation to writing style and live show.
How do you find the local live scene? All the major cities have a strong base of really good up and coming acts pushing through with their various styles. I’d probably like to see a little more room for development of acts.
What’s your greatest rock’n’roll moment? There have been a few but smashing out a set before Grinspoon to a rather drunk rowdy and super large Groovin The Moo festival crowd would be up there.
For more info see: myspace.com/starassassin
Next available at: Wednesday – Gaelic Theatre • 74 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
Monsieur Camembert will be playing Qirkz at 103, in Marrickville, on Saturday.
IN DEMAND Peter Northcote’s Drive will be at the Bridge Hotel once again this Sunday, while he continues to fill in for the Darryl Beaton Band at the Civic Hotel on Wednesdays.
TRASH BANDS City Lights Fade, A Broken Silence, Ghosts On Broadway and Here Goes Nothing will be playing live at the Agincourt Hotel’s Trash this Saturday. As usual, there’ll be the basement and top levels spinning metal and hardcore all night long.
PROGRAM ROCK
THE PUNK GOSPEL
STAR ASSASSIN
Chris Pickering (QLD), Cookie Baker (SA), Matt Gresham (WA) and Nicole Brophy (NSW) make up the United Tour, which after touring most of Australia now has its eyes set on Sydney venues. The tour drops into Ravál on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
80, the that on 31 May, 19 DID YOU KNOW… (Suicide Is theme of M*A*S*H charts a the top of the UK Painless) when to after it was first recorded. good ten years
LONGSTANDING ROCK Most of the bands that started around the same time that Grand Fatal did have faded into obscurity. Sydney’s leading post-hardcore act are playing the Town Hall Hotel in Newtown this Friday. They’re headlining with Cleaned Out and Handsome in support.
CASE STUDY With trombonist Kevin Barker and trumpeter Katherine Morrison, The Loungephonics’ soul and blues revue takes to the Town And Country Hotel this Thursday.
DRY YOUR EYES The Crying Shame have reformed and will be playing the Excelsior Glebe. They last played in Sydney in 1985 and they’ve retained their 50/50 mix of originals and covers. The band plan to play a few gigs before heading into the studio to record an EP.
CHOOSE A SIDE Counterfit at the Roxbury Room will be hosting a range of local acts playing tribute to, this week, the Pixies vs The Breeders. The Exiled Prixies, Thomas Thoman & the Atheists, The Cleaners, Shoot, Speed, Kill, Light, Christian & Shane Punch, Ben Briedis and Christian Brimo will be performing on this special themed night.
WORLD CLASS With Qirkz currently at an “interim” venue, one of Australia’s leading world band, the ARIA Award-winning
JESS CHALKER Your music is…? A bit Joni Mitchell, a bit Regina Spektor. There’s lots of acoustic guitar fingerpicking, different guitar rhythms, and lyrics and melodies that are very tender at times and quite whimsical at others.
Which acts inspired you to produce your own music and why? I’ve got everything from Bob Marley to John Cage on my iPod. I’ve always had a real soft spot for singer-songwriters though.
What’s your wildest ambition for your music? To one day buy a house on a musician’s salary would be very cool! That’s a bit lame though because you did say “wildest”. I’ll aim high. A duet with Paul McCartney?
How do you find the local live scene? There is a great artistic community here. It can be hard sometimes, but when you’re around people who are in that same boat with you, it’s a lot easier to stay motivated and inspired.
What’s your greatest rock’n’roll moment?
95, the that on 25 May, 19 DID YOU KNOW… ick M of cording earliest known re 61) was ar Rich ds (from 19 Jagger and Keith 5 US. London for $85,42 sold at Christies in
I sang a duet with Lior (I’ll Forget You) at the APRA Awards last year. Paul Kelly was watching backstage and came up to me afterwards and said, ‘That was beautiful.’ I nearly melted in a pool of myself.
For more info see: jesschalker.com youtube.com/alleycat82
GIRLS GONE WILD It’s all a case of good girls gone bad at SFX at Space this Saturday with Chaingang, The Protectors and We Are Liars playing live. In the other room, all the regular DJs, plus special guest Coitus Interuptus will be spinning. Mothers, lock up your sons.
SHOOT ‘EM UP In a special tribute Guns N’ Roses night, Club Blink at the Agincourt Hotel will, this Friday, also see live sets from For All Eternity, Empires and Vampires & Azlock.
SONGS FROM THE LINE The Coogee Diggers welcome the songs of American country music’s legendary Johnny Cash with a tribute in which Stuart French and Daniel Thompson will entertain punters.
myspace.com/jessicachalker
Next available at: Wednesday – Basement, Circular Quay
ITUNES TOP TEN SONGS 1. OMG (feat Will.I.Am) USHER 2. Airplanes (feat. Hayley Williams) B.O.B 3. California Gurls (feat Snoop Dogg) KATY PERRY 4. Break Your Heart TAIO CRUZ 5. We Speak No Americano YOLANDA BE COOL & DCUP 6. Your Love Is My Drug KE$HA 7. Nothin’ On You (feat. Bruno Mars) B.O.B 8. Hey, Soul Sister TRAIN 9. Just Say So (feat. Kevin Rudolf) BRIAN MCFADDEN 10. Alejandro LADY GAGA
TRASH BANDS Hot Damn is ready and raring once again this week, and come Thursday at Spectrum those who aren’t looking to make too much of their work Friday will party all night long with Ladies & Gentlemen, In This Defence, Built On Secrets and I Am Villain.
LIFE CYCLES It’s a night of starts and endings at the Lansdowne Hotel this Friday. Steppin’ Razor will be launching their album while Cap A Capo will be playing their final ever show. Joining them for the occasion will be Rocksteady Dub Militia, Snoozefests and Disadvataged.
STRESS MEDICATION Stress Wreckords Hip Hop will be hosting a showcase night at the Lansdowne Hotel this Sunday. Kicking off at 6pm, Dendwellas, Selfish, Cfoe, Nexus, Zac Jack Brats, LC Beat, Boey and Souli will all have a part to play.
SUNDAY FEST The Lewisham Hotel is throwing another of its festivals this Saturday, with The Underground Architect, Griever, Hibiki, Solskyr, Conspiracy, Jump The Shark, Odyssey, Jules Backman & The Absence, Jenny Broke the Window and Catherines On The Prowl making up the extensive bill. The event will run from 2pm until 2am.
FBI’S FAVOURITE NEW AUSSIE SONGS FOR THIS WEEK Journey Woods Know-U Young Liberal Stay Solo Darkness Shot Peter Pan I Will Pairs
MATT VAN SCHIE ATTUNGA SAILS TRIPTYCH NIKKO IOWA MATT BANHAM THE TOUCH JINJA SAFARI RICHARD IN YOUR MIND MADE IN JAPAN
ARIA TOP TEN ALBUMS 1. My Worlds 2. This Is The Warning 3. Iron Man 2 4. Recollection 5. The Fame Monster 6. Exile On Main Street 7. Raymond V Raymond 8. Brothers 9. Down The Way 10. Sigh No More
JUSTIN BIEBER DEAD LETTER CIRCUS AC/DC K.D. LANG LADY GAGA ROLLING STONES USHER THE BLACK KEYS ANGUS & JULIA STONE MUMFORD & SONS
live@drummedia.com.au
WAGONS
THE CHRONICS
MC MARS E PAN How did you choose your MC name? Mars, It’s an Aries thing. God of War, that’s me, better watch yo’self!
How long have you been rapping? I started out as percussionist for years. Once I was oozing with off beats and had some crazy syncopation, I switched the hits for lyrics, blamm! This is lucky year number eight. I’m thinking two more years then I is getting a real job.
What can you remember about your first gig? That I rocked up with a backing CD (embarrassing enough) and the club didn’t even have a CD player. Lucky, a very hairy Casio keyboard-wielding biker lent me his stupid Discman. It was a piece of crap rack CD player and the damn CD kept skippin’ like a little girl.
Your best show and why? Last year Tim Dog asked me to get up on stage with Kool Keith and himself to bust a freestyle with ‘em. We hung out all weekend and Kool Keith gave me his digits and also his mum’s phone number in NY, just to make sure I could always find him!
What gigs do you have coming up? Friday – QBar
OH GARETH Northern Beaches pop rock outfit The Chronics are excited to have teamed up with Garth Porter (‘70s pop star) to produce their latest release, the Oh Yeah EP. They’ll be launching the disc on Friday at the Glenmore Hotel.
GIG OF THE WEEK
SHOW MUST GO ON
Unfortunately lacking their touring partners Those Darlins who, after appearing on last week’s Drum cover, had to pull out due to recently sustained injuries, Wagons are flying the country rock flag solo this week. Wednesday they’re at the Beach Roach Hotel, Friday the Annandale Hotel, Saturday the Clarendon Guesthouse and Sunday the Brass Monkey.
CALL IT HOME
GONE FISHING
FLAIRED UP
The Mac Hotel has its regular residencies this week, with The Liberators taking to the stage Wednesday and Luke Escombe Thursday.
Beatie In The Background, Stone Parade, Cousin Louis And The Pulpo Blanco play Manly Fisho’s this Friday. On Saturday it’s Crossfire Hurricane, The Pool Cleaners and more.
Hair Flair & Nightmares headline The Wall this Saturday, with able supports from The Alice Cooper Show and Double D.
FAMILY TIES Hip hop collective Laneous & The Family Yah play the intimate Mac Hotel this Friday, so it’s probably not a bad idea to catch them before they’re playing far bigger venues.
DEFYING EXTINCTION Launching their new EP, Back From The Dead, Last Dinosaurs are at Spectrum this Saturday. They’ll be joined by Neon Love and New Navy.
WALL CALL Punters heading to The Wall this Thursday will catch The Duchesses, Tom Stone & The Soldiers Of Fortune as well as Strange New Horizon.
GONE FISHING There’s definitely a rock’n’roll focus at The Wall this Friday. What better way is there to welcome in your weekend than with the blistering nature of The Volts, Rolling Stoned, Boston Shaker, Mad Charlie and Scurvy Tricks?
GONE FISHING
The Mick Hanna Band, Bayonets For Legs, Suite Nonchalant and Kirsten Bakers play The Wall Sunday.
GET YOUR SHIT IN ATTN: Local bands! If you have a gig or release in the pipeline that you want to promote, send the details, blurb (no longer than 100 words) and pic (no bigger than 1MB, NO SMALLER THAN 200 DPI and in .JPG or .PDF format) to live@drummedia.com.au. Get in quick, it’s fuckin’ FREE!
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 75 •
gigs@drummedia.com.au
25 - 31 MAY 2010
LUKE ESCOMBE: THURSDAY 27, THE MAQUARIE HOTEL
TUE 25
AAMAZING ENTERTAINMENT KARAOKE: Penrith Htl BARREL HOUSE, MUSHU, MANDI JARRY: Beach Rd Htl Bondi BND ROCK SHOW: Scruffy Murphys Brendon Hu: Arthouse Htl CHRIS PICKERING: Raval
THE SUNKEN GARDEN: Ultimo Tafe
UPSTARTS: Spectrum
Sianna Lee: THE LOUNGE
WAGONS, TBC: Beach Rd Htl Bondi
SIENNA LEE: THE LOUNGE
WILDCATZ: 3 Wise Monkeys
THE UNITED TOUR 2010: Raval
YELLOW BRICK ROAD PRESENTS…, PREGNANCY, KHAMSIN RIFLES: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery
WED 26
CIRCLE PIT, SONGS, LOST ANIMAL, DEAD FARMERS: Oxford Art Factory
DJ MINI MULLET: Oatley Hotel
JESS CHALKER: The Basement
FERNANDO AROGONES: Dee Why RSL
JOEY CAPE, TONY SLY, + GUESTS: Annandale Htl
GERARD MASTERS: The Basement
MARTY STEWART: Rocksia Hotel, Arncliffe
JAMES VALENTINE: Golden Sheaf
MUSOS JAM NIGHT: Bald Faced Stag
JESS POLLARD: Opera Bar
NIGHTSHIFT: Scruffy Murphys
JOSH MCIVOR: Albion Htl
OPEN MIC: Fitzroy Htl Windsor
Manly Marvels Band: Manly Fishos
PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl
MATT MCMAHON: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills
PETER NORTHCOTE: Civic Htl Pitt St
MICK VAWDON: Observer Htl
PETER NORTHCOTE: Fitzroy Htl Windsor
MITCH FINGERS: O’Malleys Kings X
REBECCA JOHNSON BAND: Maloney’s Hotel
OPEN MIC NIGHT: Manhattan Lounge
SHAZAGAZZA: Artichoke Café Manly
PAUL SUN: Jazsushi Surry Hills
SIREN LINES: Exchange Hotel
PAUL SUN: Jazushi Restaurant Surry Hills
STAR ASSASSIN: The Gaelic
PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl Petrizo Buanne: State Theatre POP PANIC, KARAOKE, DJ SHIPWRECK, DAIGO, M.I.T: World Bar Kings X SHRUB LOVIN ‘10, STICKY FINGERS, L-LYRIC, TERE PAII BAND, MZ MILES,
• 76 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
THE BURNING SAND, ORIGAMI KITTEN, SAM I AM: Excelsior Surry Hills THE UNITED TOUR: Raval THE WALL, 16 TACOS, ADAM BOZZETTO, BENTLY, ALISTAIR ERSKINE: World Bar Kings X THEY CALL ME BRUCE: Coogee Bay Htl UNITED TOUR: Raval
THU 27
ALICE TERRY: Liquidity, Rozelle
ALPHA MAMA: Persian Basement ANDY MAIR: Artichoke Café Manly
PERRY KEYES: FRIDAY 28, NOTES Landsdowne Hotel
Oxford Art Factory, Live Art Space
PIRES, AZLOCK: Agincourt Htl
JOEL SARAKULA: Hotel Chambers, Sydney
THE POOR, INK, L.U.S.T: Annandale Htl
JOHNATHAN DEVOY: Sandringham Htl
THE PREHISTORICS: Landsdowne Hotel
CORPORATE TAKEDOWN, INVICTUS, TERATORNIS: Lewisham Livehouse
KITTY FLANAGAN, BARRY MCLEOD, DESH: North Sydney Leagues, Cammeray
VALAR: Excelsior Glebe
HOT DAMN!: Exchange Hotel
LIONEL ROBINSON: Dee Why RSL LUKE ESCOMBE: Macquarie Htl Surry Hills MARK WILKINSON: Raval MO RANDY: Mean Fiddler Htl
ARKESTRA, VIRGO RISING, PIANO IS DRUNK: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery
MORNING MELODIES feat.., DEE DONOVAN, MD GREG HOOPER, SPECIAL GUEST MIKE MATHESON: Penrith RSL
BIG WAY OUT: 3 Wise Monkeys
MUSOS JAM NIGHT: Carousel Inn Rooty Hill
CLOSURE IN MOSCOW: Mona Vale Hotel
OPEN MIC: Harbord Beach Htl
CLOSURE IN MOSCOW: The Attic @ Mona Vale Htl CLOUD CONTROL: Prince of Wales Tavern Muswellbrook
OPERATOR PLEASE: The Forum Ent Quarter Moore Park PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl REBECCA JOHNSON BAND: Brighton RSL
Counterfeit: Roxbury Htl Glebe
ROBERT F CRANELY: Brass Monkey
CRUSHED ICE: Camden Valley Golf Resort
SIMONE DEE TRIO: WOLLARHA HOTEL
DAVID CHRISTOPHER: Bligh Hotel, City EMAD YOUNAN: Bar Me Kings X EMAD YOUNAN: Bar Me Kings X EMILLE: Campbelltown Catholic Club FIVE HOURS: Civic Htl, Inglewood GARRY WHO, SAM MCCOOL, PETER EGNER: Hurlstone Park RSL GRAND ATLANTIC:
TBA, WIM: Kings Cross Htl TEENAGE KICKS, THE VINES DJS, VIVIENNE KINGSWOOD, TOM LIBERTINE, SUGAR APE, EL MARIACHI: World Bar Kings X THE BOOK OF VILAH, OPAS OPAS: The Vanguard THE HOLIDAYS, ERNEST ELLIS: Oxford Art Factory THE HOLIDAYS: Oxford Art Factory THE HOLIDAYS, ERNEST ELLIS, THE JOYSTICKS:
VALAR, PANZER QUEEN, BEAUFIELDS, SOLKYRI: Excelsior Surry Hills
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER RECYCLED: Sth Sydney Jnr Rugby Leagues Daddy Longlegs, The Swamp: Manly Fig
VITAMIN RECORDS PRESENTS, MAGIC HOUR: Beach Rd Htl Bondi
DAI PRITCHARD: Collingwood Htl
WHITLEY: Paddington Uniting Church
DEVILS IN DETROIT, THE SCOTCH OF ST JAMES, ROBOSEXUAL, + more: Taylors on Central
FRI 28
DAN KELLY: Spectrum
ABBALANCHE: Campbelltown RSL
DEXTER: Oxford Art Factory
BACK TO THE 80S: Penrith RSL
DEXTER, MARK PRITCHARD, JOSH PRICE, GRILLA STEP, BBOY LAMA ROC, ROYAL FAM KRUMPERS, ALBERT DAVID,
Battle in the Background: Manly Fishos BEL AIR MIAMI feat., JANNY CASANOVA, JUKEBOX ZOMBIES, ROBERT PORTMAN, DJ KYRO, TNT VS XEROX, CUNNINGPANTS, LAST TO LEAVE, DUI: Candys Apartment BLOW: The Point Bowling Club BON JOVI SHOW: The Cube, Campbelltown BORN INTO SUFFERING: Civic Htl, Inglewood Brendan Hui: Arthouse Htl CLAUDE HAY: The View Factory, Newcastle CLOSURE IN MOSCOW: Gaelic Club CLUB BLINK feat., FOR ALL ETERNITY, EMPIRES & VAM-
DIZZ1, FRENZIE: Oxford Art Factory, Live Art Space
Courthouse Htl JED: Quakers Inn JED ZARB: Quakers Inn JIMMY BEAR: Town Hall Htl Balmain JO-M: Kareela Golf Club JUKE BARITON & THE SWAMP DOGS, MR FIBBY, MY SAUCE GOOD: The Vanguard KATE GOGARTY: Roxbury Htl Glebe KEVIN LASO: Liquidity, Rozelle KING TIDE: Brass Monkey KOOLISM, 1NFO, BENTLEY, MIKE WHO, LOULOU: Beach Rd Htl Bondi LANEOUS & THE FAMILY WAR: The Mac LEADFINGER, DEAD FARMERS, ROYAL HEADACHE, BED WETTIN BAD BOYS: Hamilton Station Htl, Newcastle
PERRY KEYES: Notes, Newtown PHOTOSYNTHESIS: Metro RAT VS POSSUM: St Petersburg, May St, St Peters REBECCA JOHNSON BAND: Narrabeen Sands RICKI LEE JONES: Opera House ROSS WARD: The Friendly Inn, Kangaroo Valley SAM & JAMIE SHOW: Woolloomoolooo Htl SCOTT: Oasis on Beamish SCOTT: Oasis on Beamish SERENATA: Artichoke Café Manly SHANE PETERS: Matraville RSL SIRENS BIG BAND: SIMA SOUL TATTOO: Matraville Htl SOUL TATTOO: Matraville Htl SOUND STREAM: Cammeray Golf Club
LIONS AT THE DOOR: World Bar Kings X
SPITZER (FRANCE): Caringbah Bizzos
DJ TONE: Oatley Hotel
LISA HUNT, DAVID DELVES: Dee Why RSL
STICKY FINGERS RESIDENCE, THE TSARS: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery
DOC HALLIDAY: Orient Htl
Lower Coast Skies: Caringbah Bizzos
SUMMERLAND KINGS: Royal Htl Wyong
DREW MCALISTER: Mortdale Htl
MIKEY ROBBINS, JACKIE LOEB, + SPECIAL GUESTS: Newcastle Leagues
TANDEM: Key Largo Bar
MINISTRY OF TRUTH, SOULFOX BLUES REVIEW, ED CLAYTON-JONES: Excelsior Surry Hills
THE BEATLES RETROSPECT: Enmore Theatre
DJ: Club Macroni - Football Grnd
EBONY & IVORY: Crown Htl City FLAMIN’ BEAUTIES: Mirage Htl Punchbowl FLAMIN’ BEAUTIES: Mirage Htl Punchbowl HAIR GUITAR: Mosman RSL HATE ETERNAL: The Factory Theatre Horray for Everything: Blacktown RSL INTIMATE LOUNGE MUSIC: Fairfield RSL JACKS IN BLACK:
MUM, SCUL HAZZARDS, LIONS AT THE DOOR, CANOPY CHOIURS, CARNATION, RADIO NATIONAL, HIRA HIRA, DEAD CHINA DOLL, YES I’M LEAVING: World Bar Kings X
TANDEM: Key Largo Bar
THE BLACK HILL RAMBLERS: Maroubra RSL THE MUDDY TURDS: Town & Country, St Peters THE WOLVERINES: Windsor RSL UNMARKED DJ: Crown Hotel Motel, Camden URBAN STONE: Rooty Hill RSL
THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 77 •
gigs@drummedia.com.au
25 - 31 MAY 2010
THE NEW CHRISTS: SATURDAY 29, EXCELSIOR HOTEL WAGONS, THOSE DARLIN’S, + GUESTS: Annandale Htl WAGONS: Annandale Htl
SAT 29
A SOUND MIND, THE SOUND CONSPIRACY: Gaelic Club AARON LYON: Liquidity, Rozelle ADRIAN KLUMPES: Red Rattler, Marrickville ALPHAMAMA CLUB: Tokio Hotel ANDY MAMMERS: Woolloomoolooo Htl BACK TO THE 80’S: Mounties Club Mt Pritchard BAND OF HORSES: Enmore Theatre BANG SHANG A LANG: Sth Sydney Jnr Rugby Leagues
CRITTENDEN: Key Largo Bar
RORY MCVIE: Dee Why RSL
RESIST THE THOUGHT: Blacktown Masonic Centre
THE ZIPS: Smithfield RSL
DAN RICKETS: The Attic @ Mona Vale Htl
JUICE: Beach Rd Htl Bondi
RIP IT UP: Bald Rock Htl Rozelle
DAVID LANE: The Vanguard
KAKI: Sandringham Htl
ROCK MY SOUL: Oatley Hotel
TOY DEATH: Artspace Woolloomooloo
DAVID MCMASTER DUO: Kareela Golf Club
KING TIDE, + GUESTS: Annandale Htl
ROSS WARD: Imperial Htl, Mount Victoria
DEATH PATROL, TERATORNIS, VENDETTA OF THE FALLEN, AETURNUS DOMINION: Lucky Australian Tavern Sydney
KISSTERIA: Blacktown RSL
SOUL: Oatley Hotel
LAST DINOSAURS: Spectrum
SOUNDS LIKE TWO: Miranda RSL
LIQUID SKY feat., BLOODY DISCO, WHITECAT, FNGRLCKN, JPL, TODDY TRIX, TONY WHY, EXCUSE MY FRENCH,
SPANK: Town Hall Htl Balmain
DOG TRUMPET: The Vanguard ELENOR ANGEL: PURE POP RECORDS
FIENDS: Candys Apartment
FREDDY MACK JAZZ BAND, PARTY CENTRAL: Penrith RSL
LOS CAPITANES: Factory Theatre
TASHA COATS: Lizottes
FUEGO: Manning Bar Syd Uni
LOUNDER THAN LOUD: Sandringham Htl
THE AUDREYS: Notes, Newtown
FINN: Royal Htl, Marrar
BLUES SUNDAYS: Artichoke Café Manly BURIED IN VERONA: Caringbah Bizzos
HOSTILE LITTLE FACE: Civic Htl, Inglewood
CLOSURE IN MOSCOW: Civic Htl, Inglewood
INNER GAMES DUO: Club Liverpool
CRAYON FIELDS: Oxford Art Factory CRAYON FIELDS, PARADES, STEP PANTHER: Oxford Art Factory, Live Art Space
STEPPIN’ OUT: St Marys RSL SUSAN GAI DOWLING DUO: Jazushi Restaurant Surry Hills
HAIR FLAIR ‘N NIGHTMARES, THE ALICE COOPER SHOW, DOUBLE D: The Wall (The Bald Faced Stag)
BLACK CHERRY: The Factory Theatre
DAVID LANE: SATURDAY 29, THE VANGUARD
MOONLIGHT DRIVE: Bay Hotel ONE WORLD: Courthouse Htl ORIGINAL INXS SHOW: Bridge Tavern Nowra
JAMES VALENTINE: Opera Bar
PEACHY: Bayview Tavern
JASMINE CRITENDEN: Key Largo Bar
TWILIGHT SHADOWS: Matraville RSL WHAM!, JAMES TAYLOR, MC LOSTY, WAX MOTIF, DISCOPUNX, VENUTO, FOUNDATION, WILL STYLES, MONEYSH: World Bar Kings X YUKI KUMAGAI, JOHN MACKIE, TONY BURKYS, RICHARD BOOTH: Blacktown Festival
THE BEATNIX: Canada Bay Club
MAYHEM 2010: Liverpool PCYC
TRASH, CITY LIGHTS FADE, A BROKEN SILENCE, GHOSTS ON BROADWAY, HERE GOES NOTHING: Agincourt Htl
THE CRYING SHAME: Excelsior Glebe THE GUM BALL feat.: Dashville THE MICK NOCK: SIMA THE NEW CHRISTS, HITS: Excelsior Surry Hills
SUN 30
ANTHONY HUGHES, DJ TONE, & FRIENDS: Oatley Hotel BLACKHILL RAMBLERS: MARACKVILLE BOWL BLUE GRASS: MARACKVILLE BOWL
PETER POWER: Revesby Workers
THE NEW CHRISTS, HITS, CONTRABAN: Excelsior Surry Hills
BLUES SUNDAYS: Artichoke Café Cremorne
JAZZ NOUVEAU: Fairfield RSL
POWER OF TWO: Belmore Leagues
THE SPITFIRES: HQ YMCA
JED ZARB, MATT LYON: Kellys on King Newtown
RATTLE & HUM-U2 SHOW: Epping Htl
THE TINA SHOW: Dapto Bowling Club
CHANGING DAYS, VANITY, A TRIUMPH A TRAGEDY, BURNT AT THE STAKE, TBC, MAZE, THE STORM
CROSSFIRE: Manly Fishos
JIMMY BEAR: Orient Htl
CYBELE, JASMINE
JOHN CALDER TRIO,
REPLICA: Scruffy Murphys
THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH, ELLE KENNARD: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery
PICTURESQUE: Lucky Australian
Tavern Sydney CHART BUSTERS: Scruffy Murphys
GODS: Gladstone Htl
BEAT, NEXUS BLOOM, BOEY, SOULI: Lansdowne Htl
CHASE THE SUN: Beaches Hotel
JEFF BUCKLEY TRIBUTE: The Vanguard
CHRIS JAMES: St Marys RSL
LELLY-K: Imperial Htl Rooty Hill
CLAUDE HAY: The Rhythm Hut
LOU REED: Opera House
SUPERHEAVYWEIGHTS: Fringe Bar Paddington
Cloud Four: Annandale Htl
Mechanical Black: Sandringham Htl
TAYLOR KING: Roxbury Htl Glebe
CRAIG CALHOUN: WOLLARHA HOTEL
MOJO: Orient Htl
DON HOPKINS: Dee Why RSL
MR WILSON: Woolloomooloo Bay Htl
THE FLYZE: Royal Exchange Htl Windsor
DWAYNE ELIX & THE ENGINEERS: Penrith RSL
NATALIE CONWAY: Opera Bar
ETERNAL LIFE: The Vanguard Exit Stragtegy: Orient Htl FERAL SWING KATZ: ROCKSALT FOSTER & ALLEN: Revesby Workers FRANK SULTANA: Liquidity, Rozelle GARRY WHO, SAM MCCOOL, PHIL CORNWALL: Revesby Workers GARY JOHNS: Collingwood Htl GAY4PLAY EUROVISION PARTY: Oxford Art Factory Heavy Metal Orchestra: Red Rattler, Marrickville HELPFUL KITCHEN GODS, THE DISADVANTAGED, CAPACAPO, THE STONEWALLS, DR DELITES: Gladstone Htl HELPFUL KITCHEN
OUTER SPACE COWBOYS: Sandringham Htl PAUL DAMES: Campbelltown Catholic Club PETER NORTHCOTE: Bridge Htl Rozelle POP FICTION: Rooty Hill RSL REBECCA JOHNSON BAND: Time & Tide ROSS WARD: The Friendly Inn, Kangaroo Valley
SUITE NONCHALANT: The Wall (The Bald Faced Stag)
MON 31 BENNERFEILDS: Raval DAVID SMIEDT, BRENDON KNOTT, MICHAEL CONNELL: Manly Boatshed DON HOPKINS: The Basement HAND OF MERCY: Factory Theatre JAM THING: Albion Htl JOHN HILL: Dee Why RSL
SAMBA AUSTRALIA: Beach Rd Htl Bondi SCREAMING SUNDAY, A BAD DAYS GOODNIGHT, CLOUD FOUR, Chasing Amy: Annandale Htl SHAKY ISLES: Macquarie Arms Htl STRESS WRECKORDS, DENDWALLAS, SELFISH, CFOE, ZAC JACK BRATS, LC
Noise Night: Opera House OPEN MIC: Sandringham Htl PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl SONGWRITER SESSIONS: Excelsior Surry Hills TRANSISTORY LIFE: Opera House
NEW Album Safe Return To Earth
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LINE
Industry news with Bryget Chrisfield Got news? Announcements? Gossip? Unsubstantiated but hilarious rumours? Send them all to finishline@streetpress.com.au POP CULTURE THERAPY WITH ADAM CURLEY
ADAM ANT COMEBACK DERAILED According to The Music Fix, Adam Ant (real name: Stuart Goddard) has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and is receiving treatment at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital. Goddard suffers from bipolar disorder and this latest news follows the former Adam & The Ants frontman’s rant at a charity concert in Portsmouth earlier in the month. The Daily Mail reported that fans grew impatient when Goddard neglected to play hits such as Stand And Deliver and Antmusic, instead opting to invite a four-year-old to the stage and then attempting to teach him the words to My Generation by The Who. As he performed a rendition of Sympathy For The Devil by The Stones, Goddard noticed some of his audience making a break for it and began screaming obscenities at them. “I’m a punk rocker. I don’t do Christian,” the 55-year-old singer reportedly quipped. “You can fuck off to the church.” Goddard was then booed offstage. Afterwards, he made inflammatory comments to Portsmouth news: “I came here to see [British warships] Victory and Warrior because I’m proud to be English. I didn’t come here for this. I won’t talk to any locals any more because they are all gangsters.” In a recent statement, Goddard has encouraged fans to send him “postcards” at the hospital and shared, “I am having a well earned rest at Her Majesty’s Pleasure and am painting and continuing being an art student. I have a great view and am considering gigs later in the year.” Goddard was previously sectioned in 2003 after violently threatening a neighbour.
BILLY CORGAN
KARNIVOOL’S MARK HOSKING AND DREW GODDARD AT THE WAMIS
THE KARNIVOOL IS FAR FROM OVER
The stars of the 2010 WAMi Awards were Karnivool, who double-dipped and took home Most Popular Album (Sound Awake) and Most Popular Live Act. The other band Karnivool singer Ian Kenny fronts, Birds Of Tokyo, were declared Most Popular Act for the second year in a row and Kenny was pronounced Best Male Vocalist for the third time. Abbe May was awarded Best Female Vocalist. The public voted Fremantle’s The Joe Kings Favourite Newcomer while The French Rockets/Injured Ninja split 12”/DVD was voted Most Popular Single/EP. Most Popular Music Video went to Blac Blocs for their NVDA single and Soundwave won the WAMington for Most Popular Music Event for the first time. The industry-voted categories saw Most Promising New Act going to The Emperors, Yabu Band picked up Indigenous Act Of The Year, Best Commercial Pop Act went to Eskimo Joe, Best Urban/Hip Hop Act was awarded to The Typhoons and one of the night’s guest performers The Brow Horn Orchestra collected the WAMington for Best Funk Act. The Golden WAMi Award was reclaimed by RTRFM’s Breakfast announcer and Morning Magazine producer, Peter Barr, who took out the award for the third time. Sugar Army went home empty handed despite being nominated for a remarkable eight WAMingtons.
ROCK ON Less than two weeks after Bret Michaels was discharged from hospital following treatment for a brain haemorrhage, the Poison frontman readmitted himself complaining of numbness in the left side of his body. A series of tests revealed Michaels had suffered a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), or warning stroke, caused by a hole in the heart. Having previously joked to Rolling Stone that his original haemorrhage was the result of watching Busty Cops 3, Michaels’ latest health scare was described by his neurosurgeon as “operable and treatable” although unrelated to the haemorrhage. Ailing health didn’t prevent the rocker from attending the live Celebrity Apprentice finale over the weekend, Michaels took part in the show to raise money and awareness for the American Diabetes Association.
FIND THE CURE The Cure are currently streaming 20 unreleased rare tracks online at thecuredisintegration.com. A remastered version of the band’s 1989 Disintegration album was released last Monday but this collection of demos and live recordings, entitled Alternative Rarities 1988-1989, is not scheduled for an official release. Gems such as Faith and Disintegration (live recordings from a 1989 gig in Dallas) plus instrumental versions of Fascination Street, Plainsong and Pictures Of You are ready for your ears.
CHART HEEDS CIRCUS WARNING Brisbane rock quartet Dead Letter Circus have catapulted into the week’s ARIA Albums Chart, they provide the week’s highest new entry by landing their This Is A Warning at number two. Having signed to Warner last year, …Warning is the act’s debut album and garnered a large majority of its release week sales online having built a rabid fanbase through the live circuit. Blue Mountains indie kids Cloud Control also did well with their debut Bliss Release, the Ivy Leaguesigned band landed at 20. The homegrown bands beat off a week of big non-mainstream international releases which saw debuts by The Black Keys (at eight), LCD Soundsystem (11), Band Of Horses (19) and Crystal Castles (25). In the USA last week, expat Olivia Newton-John scored her 37th Hot 100 chart single as a collaboration with the Glee Cast on a reworking of her ‘81 hit Physical peaked at 89.
LEST WE FORGET From 15-26 September, Jimi Hendrix’s former London home will be open to the public as part of an exhibition called Hendrix In Britain. The Mayfair flat that was previously occupied by George Handel until 1759 is being opened up to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Hendrix’s death. A series of events marking the 30th anniversary of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis’s death are also currently underway. School • 80 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
children from the band’s hometown of Macclesfield are set to collaborate with The Northern Chamber Orchestra and compose a symphony inspired by Joy Division’s music. Helen Quayle, the orchestra’s education coordinator, told BBC News: “The style of music is quite sparse and very simple. The kids can understand and take elements of that and write for a string quartet using the same technique.” Macclesfield’s tribute to Curtis also features archive material, workshops, walking tours and concerts. Rhino Records has announced the release of a new Joy Division box set to commemorate the singer’s death and are set to reissue all of the group’s 7” singles.
JACK’S BACK The JD Set returns for 2010 and will kick off with a gig in Melbourne headlined by a yet-to-be-revealed, revered Australian band. Bands and artists wishing to be considered to perform on the night must be over the age of 18 and able to perform a 30-minute live set. The JD Set will pick up travel, accommodation and reasonable backline costs so make sure you’re in it ‘cause you might win it. Bands/artists need to be able to supply an up-to-date bio, MySpace URL, up to four band photos, four mp3 tracks, a video (if obtainable – not essential) and a logo (if available) to be sent to thejdset@thesoundcampaign.com. Stay tuned to this page for further info over the coming weeks.
GET HEARD Showcase submissions for Big Sound 2010 close next Monday. The event takes over Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley from 8-10 September and more than 50 of the country’s most exciting acts will grace the stages across two nights. Many influential industry figures attend this three-day conference so don’t miss an opportunity to score anything from record and management deals to overseas radio airplay and touring opportunities. More speakers have already been added to the already impressive roster that includes US music writer Michael Azzerad, John O’Donnell and Dave Faulkner. Just announced are Morgan Lebus (A&R Manager for the US office of Domino Recordings & Publishing), Tom Windish of US bookers The Windish Agency, Johnny Beach (Bowery Presents), Andy McGrath (A&R rep with US label ATO), Chloe Walsh (New York publicist) and Australia’s own Urthboy. Full details available at bigsound.org.au.
NEW NEWS TheMusic.com.au has relaunched and now takes the form of The Daily News Feed and Velvet Rope. Music business and music technology stories are uploaded daily to help you stay current with Australian and overseas breaking news stories and industry issues on themusic.com.au/dailynews. Themusic.com.au/ velvetrope is a weekly news column that comes out
every Friday at noon and covers music industry news, events, music technology innovations, job opportunities, music business issues, controversy plus a bit of gossip.
THE GOOD BOOK The 45th AustralAsian Music Industry Directory (AMID) is open for business listings for the September 2010 edition. Forms have been emailed out to all listings in the 44th edition or go to immedia.com. au/amid/list.php to download a listing form and then return to: #45 AMID Listings, 20 Hordern Street, Newtown NSW 2042 before Tuesday 1 June. Queries can be directed to admin@immedia.com.au.
VIVID PAWS As part of Sydney’s Vivid festival, Lou Reed and his partner Laurie Anderson will be putting on a concert exclusively for dogs. Music For Dogs is set to take place at 10am on Sunday 5 June on Sydney Opera House’s northern boardwalk. The 20-minute show takes into consideration the short attention spans of our canine friends and the high-frequency performance is apparently inaudible to the human ear. For more Reed and Anderson-curated wonderment, head to vividlive. sydneyoperahouse.com. The festival runs from this Thursday (27 May) until Monday 21 June.
WHAT’S IN A NAME? After they were issued with a cease and desist letter from a US prog metal band of the same name, the band formerly known as Pivot will now drop a few vowels and become PVT. “All things considered, the potential legal expense of fighting this was far too great and really not worth the risk for us,” read a statement on the Sydney trio’s MySpace page. “So we had to lose a few vowels to keep doing what we do, and chose to do it worldwide for the sake of keeping things concise. At the end of the day it’s small change and we hope you’ll adjust to it as quickly as we have.” PVT’s third album Church With No Magic is scheduled to drop on Warp Records, Monday 19 July.
PLAY THE BAY Apollo Bay Music Festival 2011 artist applications are now open. The festival seeks bands and solo artists from all over the country to play at the event, which will take place from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 April 2011. Application details are online now at apollobaymusicfestival.com.
QUEENSCLIFF CHANGES DIRECTION Michael Carrucan has been appointed as The Queenscliff Music Festival Director. Carrucan has spent ten years working at The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival in Colorado.
It has taken its own sweet time, as these things have a tendency to do, but it’s happened. Sometime between Billy Corgan ducking the backlash over his studio collaborations with Jessica Simpson and convincing a Veronica to reach her skinny arms around his girth, the ‘90s revival we’ve been pledged for years now, the one false-started numerous times over by companies eager to be on the tip of the wave, has happened – and seemingly organically. As with the ‘70s and ‘80s revivals of the past 15 years, it just took for people to dig deeper into the cultural nuances than were immediately presented us, to uncover the – for a time – buried or forgotten gems. To go beyond flannel and Doc Martens and guitar rock or any of the signifiers long taken over and made naff by commerce and seek out the sincerity in, at this point, the wide middle of the decade. It has happened – the appropriation and subversion of commercial dance sounds by the likes of Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke on his solo single Tenderoni, echoing, perhaps, the likes of Faithless. The slide into less flagrantly theatrical sounds by some of the bigger names in rock, the rekindling of good garage sounds and the hint that we’re about to enter a new stage of decent band-pop given by the likes of Cloud Control and Parades. The sense of the imminence of gothicleaning bubblegum pop singers as the sound moves up from under. There have been more apparent and backward-looking signs, of course – girls walking around with pale faces and the ‘wet hair’ look; skateboards back under arms, if not on the roads, plus the revisitation, perhaps led by magazine editors and DJs who are at the age of having grown up in the ‘90s, of the decade’s acts. At an inner-city club recently, wall to wall with ‘trendy’ types under 20 – meaning they were born after 1990 – one of the biggest dancefloor responses was to White Town’s 1997 hit Your Woman, another to Smashing Pumpkins’ Bullet With Butterfly Wings. (Sure, I was the one inflicting at least one of those songs, but the point remains.) While last week The New York Times was reporting of the worst week of US album sales since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking in 1991 (the top new album was The National’s High Violet, further suggesting that non-pop acts have big sales potential in poor sales climate due to the dedication of their audiences to buying music – though the top seller was still the Bieber) and Jake Gyllenhaal put himself forward to play Kurt Cobain in an inevitable biopic (hmmm), the NME online was tallying reader votes on the best albums of the ‘90s. The shortlist contained a pretty decent wack of acts, from Ride to Air to REM and The Lemondheads. Lots were missing, passed over in favour of more ‘known’ bands – Arab Strap and Gorky’s Zygotic Munci and Throwing Muses and Placebo (YES, Placebo); the first probably due to some kind of ‘popularity’ criteria, the last because, due to recent crimes against aging, it’s not yet okay to applaud their early work. Sitting at the top was a fairly obvious but not undeserving bunch – Blur, Oasis, Nirvana and, at #1, Radiohead’s OK Computer, an album that sums up the widely publicised but not altogether incorrect sentiment of the decade’s teenaged generation; the revisited dystopian view, which is better than the cynicism of that view that came after and is still held, even though, arguably, Muse will serve the same function to many of the past decade’s teen set. Unsurprisingly not on the shortlist for obscurity (in the UK at least) reasons were The Paradise Motel, a band who breathed life into the quiet-loud ruralgazing by Australian bands in the ‘90s and are having a rejuvenation of their own with a new line-up and their first album since disbanding in 2000. The album, Australian Ghost Story (out 11 June) is a sepia-toned and engaging telling of the Azaria Chamberlain story, a tale perfectly suited to their dusty, imperfect rock. They also cleverly get away with not being a part of any ‘90s rehash while landing in the middle of it – a record released in 2010 about something that happened in 1980 from a band who weren’t active in the decades following or preceding those dates. Talk about taking their sweet time. breakdown@drummedia.com.au
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BACKSTAGE BUSINESS DIRECTORY
BEHIND THE LINES WITH MICHAEL SMITH
PLAY YOURS AT SONG SUMMIT 2010 As part of the three-day conference at the heart of the APRA/AMCOS Song Summit 2010 happening Sunday 19 through Tuesday 21 June at the Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, APRA is inviting songwriters to participate in a number of events that are a part of the overall summit. Listen To The Music, for instance, provides the opportunity for songwriters to have their work critiqued by industry experts, while Play The Music offers the chance for songwriters to perform as a part of Song Summit Live. There’s also the UTAS Stephen Schwartz Songwriting Award, a new award now available to emerging contemporary songwriters valued at $10,000, with second and third awards of $1500 and $500 respectively. For details on these and all things Song Summit in general, go to the APRA/AMCOS website. Remember too that among the speakers on the Song Summit bill are producers Jeff Martin and Mike Chapman and the event will end with the presentation of the 2010 APRA Awards.
ALLANS SCORE SHEILA E. CLINIC As mentioned in last week’s BTL, percussionist Sheila E. is in Australia as the special guest of keyboards player Ricki Peterson and The Peterson Brothers, all fellow Prince alumni. But the big news this week is that Ms Escovedo (that’s the E. part of it) has agreed to present an exclusive percussion clinic 7.30pm Monday 31 May in Allans Pitt Street City store. As well as working with Prince, who gave the vivacious percussionist her own moment in the spotlight as a solo artist, Sheila E. has worked with Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and Ringo Starr. Tickets are $25, places are at a premium and it’s apparently credit card sales only, so get on the Allans website sharpish.
AKG’S DIGITAL MIC MIXER AKG has announced the latest addition to its range of automatic microphone mixers, the DMM 4/2/4, designed as a studio version of the DMM 4/2/2 and utilising a unique and highly effective mixing algorithm that gives it the flexibility to handle nearly any mixing application. The DMM 4/2/4 offers four mic inputs and
YOUR AD IN THIS SPACE CALL DRUM MEDIA ON 9331 7077
• 82 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
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SHELIA E. two stereo auxiliary inputs, intelligent mixing algorithms with a noise sensitive threshold to prevent accidental activation of input channels, and a digital signal processor with a dbx compressor. Each channel on the processor offers switchable gain, switchable phantom power, and an incremental level control with peak hold display. The auto-mixing and ducking functions can be enabled and disabled for each channel separately. The mixer comes with an expansion connector that enables multiple mixers to be linked together for larger audio setups. All functions are run through incremental controls on the front panel which use the intuitive central control concept, similar to the DMM 4/2/2. However, while the DMM 4/2/2 has a mono output, the DMM 4/2/4 features stereo master and recording outputs. The DMM 4/2/4, like all things AKG, is distributed in Australia by Audio Products Group, so for further information, Jonathan Lee is your man, on (02) 9578 0181.
SOUND BYTES During her recent Australian tour, Lady Gaga managed to fit in a bit of recording, spending some five days all up in Studios 301 studios 1 and 2. Wonder if she bumped into Hillsong United, who have also been doing the business in the Sydney facility. America’s Guitar Player Magazine has announced that for the second year in a row, expat Australian now based in Nashville Tommy Emmanuel has topped their readers’ poll to take out Best Acoustic Guitarist. btl@drummedia.com.au
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THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010 • 83 •
BACKSTAGE BUSINESS DIRECTORY
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COMMUNITY & SPORT
EMPLOYMENT
SERVICE FOR VICTIMS OF SUICIDE
ADMINISTRATION
National White Wreath Day - In Remembrance of All victims of Suicide iFlogID: 4853
HEADROOM SOUND AUSTRALIA Using; P Audio, B & C, JBL and E.V. Top quality drivers in all our custom built bins. Top boxes, mids, subs, wedges to spec. This online pic is our new folded horn with one 18inch challenger, putting out 137db – 140+ when coupled. Call us for a free quote. 0414355763 iFlogID: 3100
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EDUCATION & TRAINING VIOLIN TEACHER NEEDED! Position available in Busy music school in Beverly Hills, Kogarah and at various government schools. Teaching mainly beginners to intermediate level. Enthusiasm, patience and ability to inspire will be looked at more than your qualifications and experience. Email resume jobs@jumbonote.com.au iFlogID: 3615
VOCAL TEACHER NEEDED!
AMPEG SVT 8X10 CAB The backline choice of most of the biggest bands in the world today. USA built, much better than the new vietnam or china made ones. Good conidtion, some tolex wear. The ultimate bass cab, killer price $2000. Call Bobby 0412 353 723. iFlogID: 3513
PROMOTERS WANTED Promoters wanted for Soho bar in Kings Cross and The Eastern Hotel in Bondi Junctions. All levels of experience considered. Lucrative pay structures available from door deals to performance based retainers and commission depending on the requirements of the venue. Drop me a line at andrew@theeastern.com.au iFlogID: 3865
TV PRESENTERS COURSE Wanna be Famous? Wanna kickstart your carreer in the entertainment industry? Go to Sydney`s most glamourous and exclusive events, festivals and fashion shows? Here is the deal! Unseen Talent gives you the chance now to become a professional TV Presenter. Unseen Tv our parent company is Australia`s number one independent produciton house. Over the last few years we have filmed more events, fashion shows, celebrity interviews, parties and festivals than anyone. Now it is your chance to do the same. If you have always wanted to get in front of the camera and think you can benefit from hosting some video clips, do not hesitate to contact us. Our courses are limited to groups of 4. So call Diana on 02 9310 2100 or 0468 871 864 or apply on our website www.unseentalent.tv Don`t forget to check www.unseentv.tv to see how you can do something interesting with your time and make your friends jealous. iFlogID: 3899
LOOKING FOR GUITAR PLAYERS!! Drummer & bassist are looking for two guitarists to jam with to complete a five piece band. We are aiming for a catchy melodic deathmetal type band, but pretty much open to all genres and willing to play most styles, excluding repetitive breakdowns and cliché riffs. In other words not just another hardcore band that sounds the same as the rest. we are after anyone that is interested in creating and playing original music. we are looking for anyone 18+ BUT exceptions can always be made. We jam in the suburbs of Bexley or Liverpool (or possibly your area) once a week. we are only after anyone who is committed and determined and wants to work hard to create amazing tunes but is also easy going and fun to hang out with. GOOD GEAR IS A MUST!! if u like bands such as: The black dahlia murder Veil of maya suffocation Immortal Despised icon born of osiris for today oceano or any others that when mixed with our tastes could create an original sound. THEN CONTACT EITHER KIERAN OR DAVE (0414583970) we_all_got_left_behind92@hotmail. com -kieran (0404170266) suckmesideways91@hotmail.com -dave iFlogID: 3958
Prefer female: Position available in Busy music school in Beverly Hills, Kogarah and at various government schools. Teaching mainly beginners to intermediate level. Enthusiasm, patience and ability to inspire will be looked at more than your qualifications and experience. Email resume jobs@ jumbonote.com.au iFlogID: 3617
PIANO TEACHER NEEDED! Position available in Busy music school in Beverly Hills, Kogarah and at various government schools. Teaching mainly beginners to intermediate level. Enthusiasm, patience and ability to inspire will be looked at more than your qualifications and experience. Email resume jobs@jumbonote.com.au iFlogID: 3619
BAND SEEKS BASS PLAYER Experienced drummer, guitarist and singer seek a bass player to complete line up. Preferably aged 18-25. Writting original music, room for input. Want to start gigging and recording asap. Influences Guns ‘n’ Roses, Them Crooked Vultures, Incubus. If interested come check us out. Contact Tim 0412 525 731 iFlogID: 4656
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$199 SHORT FILM+ ACTING COURSE Have you have ever wanted to learn how to create a short film, shoot an interview, shoot a drama, music video or promotional video? Perhaps you just love acting? 3 evenings, I full day and a unique learning experience where the coffee shop is our classroom and you learn on the run. Collaborate with like minded people as you: 1. Help write the scripts 2. Learn to light the talent 3. Act in the scenes you select 4. Record quality sound 5. Story Board 6. Setup the camera 7. Shoot amazing footage. First time offered. Once done, we edit the footage and publish on YouTube for the world to see + a copy for you for your portfolio or showreel. 5 places only - be quick or miss out. Contact via email preferred with your name, number, experience and why you want to do the course - shortcuts@peoplemedia.com.au else call Paddy on 0410747993 iFlogID: 4260
MAL’S OPEN MIC NIGHTS
Feros Group and in4mal entertainment present open mic nights. Learn stage craft and test your on stage skills at Taren Point Hotel Wednesdays, Lone Pine Tavern Saturdays, Panania Hotel Fridays fortnightly, Amber Ale Annandale Fridays fortnightly, Harp Tempe Thursday fortnightly. Covers and original Acts, Bands-Duos-Solos. Book your spot with Mal 0413735773. openmic1@hotmail.com www.myspace. com/in4mal_entertainment sponsored by Soundbasement, Jumbonote and Shire Music iFlogID: 4719
GUITAR TEACHERS WANTED!
Street Press Australia Pty Ltd, publishers of Drum Media and 3D World, has an exciting opportunity for someone looking for a reception/administration assistant role. The successful candidate will have the following: Fantastic communication skills; Speed & accuracy of data entry is extremely important; Friendly with a good phone manner; Intermediate - Advanced skills using Microsoft Office Programs; A positive ‘can do’ attitude; A Bight and bubbly personality. Your responsibilities will include: Answering busy switchboard; Data Entry; Mail; Co-ordinate distribution; Gigguide preparation; Filing; General Reception & Administration duties. The position is full-time & based at our Surry Hills office. To apply, email your CV and application to employment@streetpress.com.au iFlogID: 4888
ENTERTAINMENT ROCK BAND SEEKS MANAGER Gigging rock band with EP seeks manager. Solid originals act, lots of potential. Call Michael on 0402 112 557. iFlogID: 3283
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Wanted person to hand out flyers and Usher.Fri-Sat nites 1 1/2 hrs. $10-15 per hour to start. Also wanted Stand up comics, Beginners-Pros and Audience judges. Call 95472578 or www.comedyintheraw. com.au iFlogID: 4477
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Valleyarm are a global digital music supplier and are seeking sales contractors Australia wide to sign bands and artists. On target earnings of $37800 PA, flexible hours and awesome incentives! A passion and an ear for good music is essential, if you like checking out bands and have good people skills then this might be the job for you! A real chance to make huge dollars within the music industry! Training provided. Email interest and resumes to info@valleyarm. com or call 03 9525 5589 for more information. iFlogID: 4839
EROTIC MASSESUSES WANTED ATTRACTIVE GIRLS ARE WANTED FOR EROTIC MASSAGE TO BUSINESSMAN IN SYDNEY CBD iFlogID: 4929
PROMOTER PROMOTERS FOR CBD CLUB Experienced Nightclub/Bar Promoters wanted !! Stylish CBD venue with great sound system. 297 capacity. 24 hour license. Owner is open to nights that cater to specific groups & also backpackers as well as Sydney locals. All nights are available for putting an event on (ideally we are after weekly regular promoters but we are open to having one-offs or fortnightly events depending on what night is wanted) To apply call Denise on 0410 044 128 (between 2-4.30pm) iFlogID: 3834
FS Ashton Viper 30W amp. Only gigged once, in perfect working order. Selling to upgrade. iFlogID: 4048
RETAIL & CONSUMER PRODUCTS SEEKING PART TIME JOB im 17 and desprately seeking a job in retail so i can support myself in tafe and life im having extreme difficulty finding work due to not having the education qualifications that i am currently still working on at tafe so if you read this and you need someone dedicated and hardworking please dont hesitate to call me as soon as possible my number is 0406296033 or contact my email indie_hindley@hotmail.com iFlogID: 4575
DRUM KITS WANTED
GUITARS GUITARS FENDER GIBSON MARTIN
tion, have owned since new, small modification to body for better balance while playing, $400 or near offer. Call 0410410298 iFlogID: 4703
IBANEZ RG SERIES
Vintage and USA guitars. Buy, Sell and Trade. mattsvintageguitars.com 02-95180150 iFlogID: 3412
ACOUSTIC GUITAR MATON M225 Maton M225 Solid Sitka Spruce soundboard Queensland Maple Back, sides & neck Rosewood with dot inlays fingerboard Australian Made Original Elixir strings Natural Finish $750 *pick up in Sydney area iFlogID: 3645
Ibanez RG series guitar. Older style RG, Locking tremolo, textured black finish, plays well, $350 or near offer, Call 0410410298 iFlogID: 4705
MUSIC@NOOSA’S HUGE SALE
ACOUSTIC GUITAR HARD CASE
or any cymbals and snare drums etc, Ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 3231
SABIAN CYMBALS Sabian 20” AA Rock ride, Sabian 17” med thin crash, Sabian 14” AA Regular hihats all with Ragone case. As new, $750, ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 3235
TAMA 8” AND 10” DRUMS ON STAND
BARGAIN! Protect your guitar with one of these great hard cases RRP $129 CLEARANCE PRICE $57 Logans Music Burwood 9744 2400 iFlogID: 3736
FENDER USA STANDARD STRAT
Tama Swingstar (made in Japan) 8 & 10 inch toms (wine red) on Tama stand. Like new, pinstripe skins, bargain, $200. Ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 3237
ELECTRONIC DRUM KIT This is a 10 piece electronic drum kit. Yamaha DTXPRESS IV Special. This kit has zoned symbols. I paid $3600.00 without the stool & base pedal. comes with base pedal & Gibraltar stool. The kit has been used for about 1 hour. Comes with owners manual & setup instructions. Can be used with headphones or amplifier. Packs up in 10 mins, fits in car boot. Computer has too many features to list. Contact me if you want more info. freight can be arranged. iFlogID: 4637
TWO NEW DW ECO X TOMS
Labsystems 400B 400 Watt Mosfet Bass Amp for Sale comes with 4 Speaker cables looks brand new , has built in compressor , $1000 all reasonable offers will be considered , call Daks on 0438 515 073 iFlogID: 4124
LANEY AMP MAY MADNESS SALE Engadine Music is offering great deals on Laney Amps for May. Call now on 02 9520 3044 iFlogID: 4282
MARSHALL JCM900 COMBO 100w amp. New valves. Very good condition. Rarely played in years. $950 ono. Call Craig 0448 838 055. iFlogID: 4547
The Labsystems bass amp and cab is a stage ready bass rig. The head and speaker cabinet is in excellent condition. Amp head : Labsystems VP600 HP - 600 watts with full valve preamp and valve EQ’s. Cabinet: Matching Labsystems 610HP with six 10” drivers, plus horn and tilt-back wheels. This is a fantastic Australian made boutique amp that is built to handle anything you can throw at it musically. Fantastic sound, and very versatile. I am selling it because I need to downsize my bass rig to fit into a new home. iFlogID: 4148
MIJ SQUIRE JAZZ BASS
8TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY SALE. 20-50% OFF - MAY 27TH FROM 5-8PM Call us 07 54743033 iFlogID: 4808
ESP KILLA SALE ON NOW!
Huge Stock Clearance! Brand New with SKB hard case, strap and lead and warranty. MADE IN USA. Different finish options available. Unbeatable value! SALE PRICE $1539 LOGANS MUSIC BURWOOD 9744 2400 iFlogID: 3738
JACKSON RR24 RHOADS WITH CASE
SECONDHAND RR24 RANDY RHOADS - WHITE EMG PICKUP AND FLOYD ROSE BRIDGE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION NEW $2899 AS NEW $1549 CALL US 07 54743033 iFlogID: 3805
GIBSON LP STUDIO-WHITE/ GOLD HW
TWO NEW DW ECO X DESSERT SAND FINISH TOMS. ALL BRAND NEW IN THE BOX,NEVER BEEN USED. SIZES: 7x8 and 14x16-$1500(FOR BOTH). LOCATED IN BONDI JUNCTION. CONTACT APPLE:0406405667. iFlogID: 4902
Japanese made Squier Jazz Bass L Series 91-92 Very good condition, great sound, all original iFlogID: 4269
MADE IN CANDA BY GODIN IS THIS MARITIME MINI JUMBO ACOUSTIC WITH Q2 UNDER SADDLE PICK UP .SOLID MAHOGONY BACK SIDES AND NECK . ROSEWOOD FINGERBOARD AND SITKA HIGH GLOSS SPRUCE. MINT COND ONLY 1 YR OLD. HARDLY PLAYED $1200.00 ONO PH 02 49597421 iFlogID: 4191
As new, Excellent condition, Front and back active pickup’s, $350, 97590970 iFlogID: 4694
BASS SALE
MARSHALL JCM2000 TSL 602 COMBO 3 channels 60W all tube 2x12” speakers, as new condition. 2nd owner, only seen bedroom use. PERFECT for bedroom, small gigs, recording. Big enough to gig with, small enough to overdrive without going deaf! Genuine 5 button footswitch is included. $1250 PRICE IS NEG. Josh 0422960693 iFlogID: 4870
VOX AC30C2 SALE
ICON MUSIC has a huge range of basses and bass gear and it is all on sale now. Fender, Musicman, Ibanez, ESP, Gallien Krueger, Ashdown, David Eden, Peavey, Behringer, etc. Super special Peavey Tour 450 head and Tour 410 cabinet only $1898 for the pair. Save $700 off rrp. Call 1300 283858 or visit www. iconmusic.com.au. ICON MUSIC 3 Chatham Road West Ryde NSW 2114 iFlogID: 4935
BUSINESSES 7 GLOBAL FRANCHISES AVAILABLE
The new AC30 Custom Classic is the culmination of over 45 years of high quality, guitar amplifier design and fabrication. VOX has taken the best AC30 designs and added a number of useful, very cool features to create the most tonally flexible and affordable AC30 to date! Dont miss these amazing prices, available whilst stocks last! Come and see one of the friendly staff at Intermusic today!
This is a business opportunity you simply MUST take a look at if you are computer
ICON MUSIC is one of the biggest Ibanez dealers in Sydney. We have over 60 models in stock including a great range of Ibanez Prestige. We also keep a good range of lefties. We are doing great deals at the moment an will not be beaten on any of our in-stock guitars. Call 1300 28 38 58 or visit www. iconmusic.com.au iFlogID: 4890
1997 FENDER USA STANDARD STRAT
1997 Fender USA Standard Strat w/ hardcase. Dimarzio virtual vintage blues pickup set. Manual and papers, tremolo arm included. All original hardware and parts except back cover. 9/10 Fret condition and neck is straight. Unused condition. Gain boost installed second tone pot like clapton strat. Canadian made quality hardcase included. $1200 0432084974 Eastwood iFlogID: 4900
FENDER GUITARS AND AMPS
GIBSON 1960 RI GOLDTOP
MARSHALL BASS QUAD BOX 4x10in Speakers, Great sound and Loud. $250 iFlogID: 4692
FENDER TREMOLUX HEAD AND 2X12 CAB. made in 1965 IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. ONLY $3499 CALL US - 07 54743033 MUSIC@NOOSA iFlogID: 4556
IBANEZ SALE
SEAGULL ACOUSTIC ELEC GUITAR
FENDER 1965 TREMOLUX STACK
YAMAHA 5 STRING BASS GUITAR
ICON MUSIC is Sydney’s No.1 store for ESP and LTD guitars. The ESP Killa sale is on now so all stock is discounted. Over 100 ESPs and LTDs in stock. LTD starter packs just $399. Call 02 9809 8700 or check out www.iconmusic.com.au iFlogID: 4886
Les Paul Studio in Alpine White w/ out of production gold hardware, in excellent condition, religiously cleaned and regularly serviced, made in October 2008. $1899 w/ Gibson Hardshell case. Call Alex 0430522360 iFlogID: 4166
NEW DRIVERACK PX WITH DBX MIC
LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY
Would you like to be able to offer everyone you know and everyone they know and so on, the BEST PRICES GUARANTEED in the
DRUMS
LABSYSTEMS 400 B BASS AMP
ROCK/METAL BAND SEEK MANAGER Original hard rock/metal band Silent Rose based in Melbourne, is currently seeking a dedicated manager. Visit www.myspace. com/silentrosemusic or email silentrosemusic@hotmail.com for more details. iFlogID: 4654
and internet literate and have get up and go! The fact is that this has never been offered before and very unlikely to be offered again other than this current small window of time. Business minded people always ask themselves this question. “How can I generate more income, without investing more time into my business?” This business answers that question. The business kicks off in June 2010 here in Australia. For a maximum set up cost of only $3,750 you can literally have the world purchase from YOU without having to go on a single business trip. Ph Dan on 0423 831 660 for more details. You have until end of business hours on May 28th to call. iFlogID: 4830
BC RICH EAGLE BASS GUITAR
SELF-EMPLOYMENT Have you got what it takes to be a My Guitar School teacher? My Guitar School, Sydney’s specialists in group guitar lessons is currently looking for dynamic and dedicated guitar teachers to join our team. Having just moved into our new Five Dock studios and experiencing continued growth, we need people who have the passion and drive to join a fun and friendly team. Prior teaching experience is not essential but interest in becoming a great teacher is! Full training will be given, however successful applicants will be required to obtain their Working with Children Certificate prior to working with us. For more information please call us on 1300 853 566 or send
Blackstar Amps are making a huge impact at the moment. They sound great, they are feature packed, and they offer tremendous value for money. ICON MUSIC is the No.1 Blackstar dealer in NSW and we have a huge range in stock. At the moment we are doing extra special deals on the HT Studio 20. We have a limited number available for just $849 each. Call 1300 283 858 or visit www.iconmusic.com.au ICON MUSIC 3 Chatham Road West Ryde NSW 2114 iFlogID: 4910
Huge Stock Clearance. BC Rich Platinum Series 4 string Bass. Brand new with warranty. RRP $999 60% off ONLY $399! LOGANS MUSIC BURWOOD 9744 2400 iFlogID: 3734
MUSIC STUDIO REQUIRES RUNNER Bad pay, bad hours, great studio. Major music facility requires general casual runner to assist in daily operations. Reliable, honest, respectful, no attitude, and enthusiastic person. No audio school graduates. Preferred age 18-21. Must have own ABN. Apply to studiogig@hotmail.com iFlogID: 4645
iFlogID: 4884
BLACKSTAR HT STUDIO 20
FOR SALE
SAX/CLARINET TEACHER NEEDED! Position available in Busy music school in Beverly Hills, Kogarah and at various government schools. Teaching mainly beginners to intermediate level. Enthusiasm, patience and ability to inspire will be looked at more than your qualifications and experience. Email resume jobs@jumbonote.com.au iFlogID: 3621
WANTED - EXPERIENCED MUSICIANS Piano accordinaist or Violinist to play European Gypsy or Django Rheinhardht style.To join Double Bassist who also plays electric bass. Call Garry anytime or leave a message on (02) 9570 9501 iFlogID: 4468
your resume to mail@myguitarschool.com. au. You can find more information on us at www.myguitarschool.com.au iFlogID: 4847
BRAND NEW DRIVERACK PX WITH WHIRLWIND CABLE AND DBX MEASUREMENT MIC 110VOLTS,ALL BRAND NEW IN BOX,NEVER BEEN USED.LOCATED IN BONDI JUNCTION. TWO AVAILABLE FOR $550.00. CONTACT APPLE:0406405667. iFlogID: 4904
BLACK PANTHER WALNUT SNAREDRUM
ICON MUSIC has the best deals on Fender and Squier guitars and amps. Brand new Squier Strats from $169. Available in SSS and HSS configurations. Range of colours available. Call 1300 283858 or visit www. iconmusic.com.au. ICON MUSIC 3Chatham Road, West Ryde. iFlogID: 4906 SECONDHAND 1960 RI LES PAUL GOLDTOP IN EXCELLENT CONDITION W/CASE ONLY $3395 CALL US 07 54743033 MUSIC@NOOSA iFlogID: 4384
MUSIC@NOOSA - INTEREST FREE
The Black Panther walnut series enjoys a cosmetic makeover that makes it one of the best-looking drums available. The tone and richness that it delivers hasn’t changed. Count on the same deep, rich tone from a drum that is quickly becoming a classic. It’s hard to believe a drum that delivers such unique and impressive tone can look as good as this one. Play it and believe it. New looks have been added to a snare with sonic properties that are unmatched by all others. Deep, rich, and resonant. This drum is all about dark, deep, lustfully-rich tone. A natural for players that want explosive power with a high degree of controllable articulation. Technical Info 8.5mm shell thickness 14x6.5 Shell Finish: Brown Sugar Burst Black chrome die cast hoops Fully adjustable throwoff and butt plate 42-strand snappy snare iFlogID: 4908
EPIPHONE GUITARS
ICON MUSIC stocks a full range of electric and acoustic Epiphone Guitars including Les Pauls, SGs, Firebird, Alleykat, Explorer, Casino, Sheraton, etc. Great discounts on all guitars. Acoustic starter packs from $249. Call 1300 283858 or visit www.iconmusic. com.au ICON MUSIC 3 Chatham Road West Ryde NSW 2114 iFlogID: 4917
KEYBOARDS 12-24 MONTHS INTEREST FREE, NO INTEREST EVER, TAKE HOME YOUR GUITAR,AMP,P.A,KEYBOARD,ETC TODAY... CALL US FOR MORE DETAILS 07 54743033 MUSIC @ NOOSA iFlogID: 4563
KORG TRITON EXTREME88
BASS GUITAR FOR SALE Bass Guitar 5 String, For quick sale, $125 iFlogID: 4690
B.C RICH PLATINUM SERIES
Great sounding guitar in excellent condi-
A rarely used example of this classic and much sought-after synthesizer in excellent condition. Price includes delivery to any destination on mainland Australia. iFlogID: 3583
For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
YAMAHA KEYBOARD MAY MADNESS
YAMAHA WOODWIND MAY MADNESS
Great deals on Yamaha keyboards at Engadine Music. Phone 02 9520 3044. iFlogID: 4284
KAWAI PIANO MAY MADNESS SALE Great deals on Kawai Pianos for the month of May at Engadine Music Call 02 9520 3044. iFlogID: 4290
Yamaha Woodwind May Madness. Woodwind instruments at great prices, call 02 9520 3044. iFlogID: 4288
JUPITER BRASS AND WOODWIND May Madness sale on now at Engadine Music. Call 02-9520 3044 iFlogID: 4294
HUGE SELECTION OF PRINT MUSIC
YAMAHA NP30 DIGITIAL PIANO May Madness sale only $349 Power adapter an extra $29 Call 02 9520 3044 or email shop@engadinemusic.com iFlogID: 4414
Thousands of titles, call Engadine Music now on 02 9520 3044 iFlogID: 4296
effects (like fart bumpers), as you set out to accomplish the games many modes, including trying to kill poor old kenny! The machine includes with additionalprototype ‘profanity’ software chip with extra naughty audio and animations and a video mode too rude for commercial release. Also included is the official South Park ‘anti pinball’ topper, plus the Cartman doll topper, and an original instruction manual. More photos available upon request - ph 0408 411 808 iFlogID: 4620
At the special price of $399 Power adapter to suit this keyboard $29 iFlogID: 4416
Special price of $399 Power adapter $29 iFlogID: 4418
ON LINE BOOKING AGENCY
NEW MODEL handy recorder and accessories, valued at $400. Only used once for pointless uni assignment. FOR SALE $300 ono. Ph: 0425 306 238. iFlogID: 4339
MIXERS STUDIO GEAR FOR SALE Digidesign C24, new in box with RTS cable kit, 15K new, will sell for 10Kono. Custom studio furniture, dual “isobox” style cabinets with master kb tray, $500ono. Korg X5D kb, great sounds, $350ono. Lots of ProTools plugins also for sale cheap. Call Brent 0406501192 iFlogID: 3888
KORG D888 RECORDER Great for band or solo artist wanting that perfect recording iFlogID: 4483
Shop online 24/7 at www.tsp.net.au for Australia’s biggest and best range of official licensed band merchandise. Hundreds of bands, thousands of products! AC/DC, Blink 182, David Bowie, Dead Kennedys, Escape The Fate, Iron Maiden, Jimi Hendrix, Joy Division, Megadeth, Metallica, MGMT, Minor Threat, Misfits, Nirvana, Opeth, Parkway Drive, Pearl Jam, Pink Floyd, Ramones, Slayer, Sonic Youth, Tool, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more! T-shirts, fleecy hoodies, caps, beanies, bags and loads of other cool stuff. Shop now at www.tsp.net.au. iFlogID: 4737
Stately Manor Productions – Sydney’s newest Hip-Hop Production House are offering MC’s, Rappers and Hip Hop Artists recording, custom beats, songwriting, production, mixing and mastering to release quality at affordable prices for developing artists. www.statelymanor.com.au for details iFlogID: 4500
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ THEMHUMM www.myspace.com/themhumm iFlogID: 4820 Australia’s first online booking agency with a difference!!!! For Artists & Promoters iFlogID: 3466
ADULTS ONLY LESSONS!
USA BAND SHIRTS & HOODIES
lessons in all instruments in comfortable commercial premises. Group or individual one-on-one. Kogarah & Beverly Hills ph:1300 787 697 www.jumbonote.com.au iFlogID: 3623
AMAZING STUDIO RATES, $300 Professional recording studio, located in Balmain, lots of great gear. $300 per 10 hour block, engineer included. Offer available for a limited time only. For bookings or studio tour Call Dave 04300 52 606 iFlogID: 4132 Authentic Signed & Reprint Rock Memorabilia from across the globe www.rockgodsandlegends.com iFlogID: 4956
CHEAP BAND MERCHANDISE!!!
HIRE SERVICES PA HIRE. COMPETATIVE RATES
Expirienced operators will make your next event a success with professional quality sound production. Krank Music 0414 PA HIRE 0414 72 44 73 iFlogID: 2859
PA/OPERATOR FOR HIRE For as low as $100, you get a PA system with a sound mixer, complete with a human operator as well to set it up for you for the evening. You can play your own music through it, sing, talk, do a disco, small function, etc, etc, etc. Contact Chris 0419 272 196. iFlogID: 3721
LEGAL / ACCOUNTING
PA EQUIPMENT
HEADROOM SOUND
$500 RESORT VOUCHER
P.A SOUND SYSTEMS FOR HIRE P.A sound systems for hire with operator from $150. Catering for D.J’s, Rock Bands, Duos, Corporate Functions, Church meetings, Private Parties. Current clients includePlayground Weekender festival,Carriage Works, Tea Gardens hotel Learn to Play Music academy. Call Michael 04100 369 82 N.S.W iFlogID: 3641 READ THIS BEFORE YOU BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY! Receive a FREE $500 Resort Voucher to more than 500 Australian resorts and 7500 International resorts when you register for FREE as a customer and make an $8.00 purchase. www.grabonlinebargains. com/fortunate to register. Ph 0423831660 for more details iFlogID: 3147
ROCK MEMORABILIA
PA AND RYTHM SECTION HIRE
Rode Microphone May Madness sale, call Engadine Music now on 02- 9520 3044 iFlogID: 4292
FOLDBACK WEDGES X 4
MT-2 METAL ZONE,OD20 OVERDRIVE/DISTORTION,ROLAND GR20GUITARSYNTH,CS-3 SUSTAINER,PEAVEY 15 WATT AMP stevesbackintown@hotmail. com iFlogID: 3196
1999 Dark Grey Hyundai Lantra Wagon. Manual. Good condition. Only 83,000km. $5,900. Bargain! Search for VWE131 on www.carsales.com.au for more details. Call Anthony: 0412 642 196 iFlogID: 3715
Look no further for your band merchandise needs. ALL AREAS - ALL TYPES OF MERCHANDISE. We specialise in Guys and Girls shirts, Hoodies, Polos and long sleeve shirts. Phone or email for a quote. 0439406138 goobermoosemerch@gmail.com iFlogID: 4402
RODE MICROPHONE MAY MADNESS
GUITAR EFFECTS PEDALS FOR SALE
DARK GREY HYUNDAI LANTRA WAGON
SEX SAX TAX. WHICH ONE SUX?
HEADROOM SOUND Using; P Audio, B & C, JBL and E.V. Top quality drivers in all our custom built bins. Top boxes, mids, subs, wedges to spec. This online pic is our new folded horn with one 18inch challenger, putting out 137db – 140+ when coupled. Call us for a free quote. 0414355763 iFlogID: 3098
Four decent wedges for $320. Each with 12” Foster speaker plus piezo driver on 8”x3” horn. 200watt RMS (these are real watts). These are all fully working, loud, old & reliable. XLR x 2 per box. Wooden but not too heavy. Covered in heavy duty black enamel. Hand made many years ago. 50cmX36cmX32cm. $320 for all 4 - priced low to sell fast. ph 0431877360 iFlogID: 4770
just bought all brand new pa system and band instruments,looking for fixed installation for bars and pubs,will give a special price depending on the length of contract,these are all proffessional equipments,jbl speakers,dw drums,roland vdrums,hartke and marshall amps,dbx,soundcraft mixer and akg mics.just name your price and make your offer,and if its fair,i’ll accept it.with p.a. operator,located in bondi junction.my number is 0406405667.ACCEPTS ONLY FIXED INSTALLATION IN SYDNEY,OR PERMANENT GIGS IN BONDI JUNCTION. LOOK FOR APPLE. iFlogID: 4525
BOOKING AGENTS
If you said TAX, then maybe you need to call me! Accounting & Tax Services for the Entertainment & Arts Industries. Great rates, fully qualified registered Tax Agent. Dave Elliott 0434 979 269 or detax@optusnet. com.au iFlogID: 2937
MANAGEMENT FAB LIVE VENUE SEEKS PROMOTER We currently have an awesome warehouse-style live music/performance/DJ/ Dance venue in Brisbane CBD. Amazing ambience for Live Performance...over 100 years old. High ceilings and great acoustics. Perfect for live music/DJ gigs.Basics are General Liquor Licence, holds up to 450, fully fitted out and ready to go, HUGE 114dB noise limit!!! 3am Late Licence, 2 stages, Flexible Room Layout can split into 3 different spaces including a Mezzanine Floor/Balcony area with viewing down to Main Stage. We are looking for a Joint Venture Partner/Promoter/Band Manager/ DJ Collaboration etc. to create a new Live/ Dance venue in Bris Vegas. Venue is edge CBD easily accessible.High profile Main Road location with great traffic exposure for excellent signage and billboard opportunities. Looking to form a partnership with an enegetic innovative Promoter/Manager etc. who wants to be part of a new Highly Successful Brisbane Entertainment Venue. If you are interested please email Phil at whispurr7@hotmail.com. Thanks! iFlogID: 3677
MASTERING MASTERING BY PAUL GOMERSALL
WANT LIVE MUSIC?
$99 per song +gst for online mastering via our secure servers. Analog chain, digital chain, mix evaluations, online mastering and attended sessions - we ensure your mastered product sounds amazing. www. matthewgraymastering.com. iFlogID: 3422
FORENSIC AUDIO MASTERING Professional high end analog and digital mastering. Online service available with highly competitive rates. www.forensicaudio.com.au mobile 0401 499 667 iFlogID: 4091
OTHER
Custom bass drum heads ensure your bands name gets remembered after the gig. The sickest, best quality custom bass drum heads, banners, backdrops, stickers, and full drum wraps! www.kustombassdrumgraphics.com.au sales@kustombassdrumgraphics.com.au iFlogID: 2883
ARRANGING & MUSIC PRODUCTION
ADVENTURES OF JACK BARTHOLEMEW
Authentic Rock Memorabilia and reprints from around the globe. www.rockgodsandlegends.com iFlogID: 3847
YAMAHA BRASS MAY MADNESS SALE Full size South Park arcade pinball machine, in 100% working condition. An impressive addition to any office or games room, this pinball features hilarious sound
Trust your next mastering project with Paul who’s been working with major international artists for over 25 years..you’ll probably find his name on CDs you own..... For a limited time song transfers through the ATR100 - the worlds finest 1/2” tape machine - is absolutely FREE!! (Worth up to $100 a song)...So for only $88 per song you can get the results you want at the price you can afford..-..-Post - Upload, or call in...... For further details visit --- www.gomersall. com --- Call Paul 0407 488 697 iFlogID: 2857
PA’s,Lighting & Operators KV2 Audio ES Rig to suit up to 1000 people KV2 Audio EX Rig to suit up to 400 people KV2 12”+3” horn Wedges in Left & Right pairs 40 Can Light show available with Hazer. Including a Yamaha LS9-32 for total recall for return gigs with up to 8 sends to stage. This system has been supplied for Jenny Morris, Choirboys, Black Sorrows, Jon Stevens, Glen Shorock, James Blundell, Jon English and also many of the top cover bands in Sydney. Please call Paul from ISE Productions on 0408288443 for a quote. 20years+ experience in UK, USA & Australia. iFlogID: 3549
RETRO RECORD PRODUCTION
Need a STUNNING ORCHESTRAL OR CHORAL ARRANGEMENT for your project? Want it recorded (dry) so you can fly it into your own multi-track? Need a CREATIVE MUSIC PRODUCER or MIXING/MASTERING ARTIST? How about an ONLINE SESSION MUSICIAN to add a KILLER PERFORMANCE to your tracks? Upload your skeleton mix to our secure servers, we’ll add the missing instruments/voices and send the dry tracks to you. Let Singing Portraits® add magic to your tracks. 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE, a writer member of APRA and performance member of PPL-UK. Reasonable rates. Contact Singing Portraits® Pty Ltd: jason@singingportraits.com or www.singingportraits.com to discuss your project. iFlogID: 3336
ROCK MIXER WANTED FOR EP We have 5 days recording in late June. We need a great Rock producer/engineer to mix our 5 tracks. Must have plenty of experience in Rock/Metal/Punk www.mypace.com/ droptankband droptankband@gmail.com iFlogID: 4470
PA HIRE + SOUND GUY
PRODUCTION, PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE, PRODUCTION ADVICE. I have been working as a professional musician and making records since 1974. e-mail me at revjdlove@pacific.net.au iFlogID: 4660
WANT TO PERFORM OR TOUR? Do you want to perform or tour? Need help sourcing $ for? There are government grants closing soon. For help contact: speakeasywordsandmusic@gmail.com or 0439 620 526. Professional, down to earth, affordable grant writing and music/ tour booking iFlogID: 3637
TIME FIXING / AUDIO EDITING Hi, do you have a track that is ready for mixing? do you feel it could do with a little something extra? I love pulling apart multitrack sessions and moving audio clips to achieve great natural feeling grooves in a song. I use cutting edge industry standard software to create natural feeling drum parts and time correct other instruments, or I can work with the drum parts you already have. Send me your song components and hear the difference. Nick 0416 203 468 iFlogID: 3859
PA + OPERATOR
PA / AUDIO / ENGINEERING WHOLESALE LIGHT AND SOUND
WHOLESALE LIGHT AND SOUND Warehouse prices on all PA lighting speakers, trussing, cables and processing. FOH and FB monitors. For all you underpaid musicians and sound guys (have a great gig) Retro Ray 0414355763 iFlogID: 3090
THE WEDDING GUITARIST Bring a touch of class to your special day with the beauty of solo guitar. Highly experienced solo guitarist, able to play a selection of classical, jazz and pop tunes for you. Very
RECORDING STUDIOS SINGERS & SONGWRITERS
Get your song recorded with a music producer/multi-instrumentalist in a relaxed and creative studio. Real drums, bass, guitar & keyboards plus programming for all styles of music. Experienced in arrangement, composition, performance & production. Call Greg 0425 210 742 iFlogID: 3313
SESSION BASS PLAYER AVAILABLE Session Bass Player Andrew Challoner is available for any recording projects from a full album in a professional studio to a single track in a home studio. Andrew is experienced in recording, has great time/ feel, quality gear, and knows how to groove. He has knowledege in any style and has the ability to create basslines that make your songs come alive. Andrew can read chord charts or notation, and can play by ear. He is also experienced in arranging and can write printed chord charts or notated charts using Sibelius, to save time (and money) in the studio. Special offer - 1 track free for any new clients! Hear the difference a real bass player can make on your songs. www. andrewchalloner.com 0410-625-981 iFlogID: 4016
PHOTOGRAPHY
Demo recording, songwriting & music composition assistance and tuition for solo musicians, composers, songwriters, and lyricists. Most genres covered including: classic pop-rock, easy listening, country, folk, acoustic, and classical. Audio editing/ mastering is also available. Assistance can also be provided with the development and promotion of your music via an appropriate web-site set-up. A relaxed, congenial environment is provided to facilitate the best possible creative experience and optimum musical outcomes. The focus is on your satisfaction, not on the clock. A free cup of tea/ coffee and biscuit(s) is also provided, you won’t have to ask. Rates: $50/hr or $125 for a three-hour session. Other extended session periods are negotiable. Demo/ editing/ web packages from $250. Call or message Duncan on 0402 136 335. North-Shore location. www.myspace.com/duncansunrise www.myspace.com/filmtvradio iFlogID: 4420
HIP HOP/RAP COMPETITION
SIMON BENNETT PHOTOGRAPHY Music photography for your band. Live music photography is my passion, photo sessions also available. Excellent rates. Ph 0414415818 Web www.stayclassysydney. com Email si.bennett@me.com iFlogID: 2721
PHOTOGRAPHY AND MERCHANDISE Stately Manor Productions – Sydney’s newest Hip-Hop Production House are offering MC’s, Rappers and Hip Hop Artists the chance to RECORD FREE at our project studios and have a customised beat created. Get that song out of your head and on disc at professional release quality. Check www.statelymanor.com.au for details (submit your best track online). iFlogID: 4494
MC’S AND RAPPERS GET HEARD
PHOTOGRAPHY
HEADROOM SOUND AUSTRALIA
SPEAKER REPAIRS - ALL MODELS Cool Perth Nights weekly mailout features all the coolest live music, theatre, indie film screenings and art exhibition happenings in and around Perth Western Australia. Sign up via www.coolperthnights.com and receive this clean presented and very fun info each Wednesday lunchtime WST. iFlogID: 4351
EV Mongoose FOH 4000 watts, EV foldback with 4 sends 2000 watts incl drumfill. Allen & Heath, Shure, DBX & Lexicon. Lights included. Rates start from $300. Glenn 0425263999 or glenn@sevenyearitch. com.au iFlogID: 4753
Music/Band Photography and Merchandise by well known published Rock and Panoramic Photographer DaveTozer.com. au Visit myspace.com.au/davetozerphotos for portfolio. Live or Band portfolio shots and unique merchanise. Photos on Metal Magnets, Mugs, Tshirts, Print on to Glossy Metal Plates, CD Insert Photo’s etc. A performing musician and artist who knows how to capture those performing moments! Very reasonable fixed rates. Phone Dave 0412 106788 iFlogID: 3817
SYDNEY INDIE FORUMS!!! Calling all Sydney musos! Come and hang at www.sydneyindie.com, Sydney’s very own indie artist chat space. Promote your music, network with other musicians, and talk shop 24/7. Don’t be a douche, just head on over! iFlogID: 4199
ILLUSTRATOR AVAILABLE NOW! Professional illustrator available for any project. Book covers, children’s books, album art and much more. Based in Melbourne, drawing world wide! Excellent rates. www.paulikin.com -Phone: 0403 996 129 or email paul@paulikin.com iFlogID: 4701
DEMOS & SONGWRITING +
Quality PA equipment hire with experience operator. JBL, 18”Subs, Allen & Heath Mixer, dbx, Shure, lightings. High quality small to medium size live sound productions for Bands, Clubs, Corporate and private events and more. Call 0431757635. iFlogID: 4539
Music for Film, TV, Radio, Media & Other. Composition of songs, jingles, commercials, themes, scores and classical pieces. Most genres undertaken: classic pop-rock, easy listening, acoustic, country, folk, comedy, lyrical and classical. Accomplished and experienced composer/ writer/ vocalist/ musician. Contact Duncan on 0402 136 335 or duncan321sunrise@yahoo.com. au www.myspace.com/filmtvradio www. filmtvradio.webs.com www.loveinakingdom.webs.com myspace.com/duncansunrise www.adventuresofjack.webs.com myspace.com/duncansmusicsunrise iFlogID: 4927
POSTERS
PA HIRE
DAN NASH - SOUND GUY
Coming soon to a movie theatre near you, this dramatic fantasy musical adventure. From the trenches of the first world war to a new world beyond the mysterious Timeless Forest. All enquiries to Duncan on mobile: 0402 136 335 duncan321sunrise@yahoo. com.au View associated website at www. adventuresofjack.webs.com iFlogID: 4490
ist, cheap and affordable for local artists. Visit setlistphotography.com or email info@ setlistphotography.com for a quote. iFlogID: 4868
PA Hire & Experienced operator, Pubs, Clubs, Corporate & Private Events plus more. Contact Matt 0412474551 iFlogID: 4089
MIXING-$100 per track,RECORDING-$450 per day (with studio),MASTERING-$50 per track,LIVE SOUND MIXING-$100 per night (available for touring). I have 10 years experience, 100s of bands under my belt, check out myspace.com/gleberecordingstudios to hear some samples. Contact Dan - M: 0423406010 E: dannash83@gmail.com. iFlogID: 4360
HEADROOM SOUND AUSTRALIA. 4 way with 21inch subs, Allen Heath Lexicon DBX 4800. Shure, 3 way active foldback, movers, PAR64’s, I colours, lazers. Touring rigg small or large venues. Call Retro Ray: 0414355763 or email: tallpoppies@ iprimus.com iFlogID: 3092 Are you a pub/club/restaurant wanting to host LIVE music? Looking for a band/artist for a function? An existing venue looking for a booking agent? Independent Sydney LIVE Music Booker/Promoter Cadence Commotions (ccMo) is available to assist with your LIVE music needs. Currently presenting weekly gigs at 3 Sydney venues and several other regular shows, with over 1000 artists on the database: original artists, full bands, acoustic acts, cover/tribute groups, instrumentals, rock, funk, pop, noise, jazz, punk, indie, experimental - no matter what the genre required, ccMo can help. call or email Leyne now: ccmotions@gmail.com / 0433 020 127 iFlogID: 3918
PA’S AND PROFESSIONAL OPERATOR’S Hi end quality rigs BOSE and KV2 ES systems 500-6600watts. No cheap chinese imports. 23 years experience, Steve 0418964484 Office 48852200 WEB http://users.tpg.com. au/sds/rightsound.htm iFlogID: 3227
MUSIC COMPOSITION: FILMTVRADIO
RECREATIONAL EQUIPMENT
Yamaha Brass instruments at great prices for the month of May. 02-9520 3044. iFlogID: 4286
Coming soon to a movie theatre near you, this sensatonal new and original film opera / musical. A dramatic and compelling medieval adventure set to classical music and song. Contact Duncan on mob: 0402 136 335 or at duncan321sunrise@yahoo. com.au View associated website at: www. loveinakingdom.webs.com myspace.com/ duncansmusicsunrise iFlogID: 4473
CUSTOM BASS DRUM HEADS
COOL PERTH NIGHTS
SOUTH PARK PINBALL MACHINE
– 140+ when coupled. Call us for a free quote. 0414355763 iFlogID: 3102
PA’S,LIGHTING & OPERATORS
ROCK MEMORABILIA
OTHER
Using; P Audio, B & C, JBL and E.V. Top quality drivers in all our custom built bins. Top boxes, mids, subs, wedges to spec. This online pic is our new folded horn with one 18inch challenger, putting out 137db – 140+ when coupled. Call us for a free quote. 0414355763 iFlogID: 3096
professional presentation and performance guaranteed. Phone Scott 0400 391 400 iFlogID: 4373
LOVE IN A KINGDOM - FILM OPERA
Authentic Signed Rock Memorabilia and reprints from around the globe. www.rockgodsandlegends.com iFlogID: 4954
ROCK MEMORABILIA
AAA+++ Licensed USA band merch and street wear! We have shirts, hoodies, belts, ladies tops, lighters, shotglasses, wallets and buckles. We have Hundreds of bands instock and ready to ship including Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Burzum, Dark Throne, Children of Bodom, Black Flag, Pearl Jam, Him, Sublime, Tool, Black Flag, Ministry, Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, Van Halen, Wolfmother, ACDC, KMFDM, Metallica, Manson, Megadeth, The Doors and more. Check out our website today!!! www.merchnation.com.au iFlogID: 2952
MC’S/RAPPERS RECORD YOUR FLOW
BAND MERCHANDISE
SHOP FOR BAND MERCH ONLINE!
CASIO WORKSTATION WK200
MATTHEW GRAY MASTERING - $99
MUSIC SERVICES
ZOOM HANDY RECORDER H2 YAMAHA PSRE413 USB KEYBOARD
EP RELEASE
Photography...Get the right shot the first time at an affordable cost..Contact Mike 0447572106 iFlogID: 4631
SETLIST PHOTOGRAPHY
Headroom Sound Australia. Re-cones to all models e.g. JBL, P Audio, B & C, E-Tone etc Custom built crossovers, all at budget prices. For quotes contact Ray on tallpoppies@iprimus.com.au or 04143 55763 iFlogID: 3094
Stately Manor Productions – Sydney’s newest Hip-Hop Production House are offering MC’s, Rappers and Hip Hop Artists recording, custom beats, songwriting, production, mixing and mastering to release quality at affordable prices. www.statelymanor.com.au for details iFlogID: 4504
HEADROOM SOUND AUSTRALIA Using; P Audio, B & C, JBL and E.V. Top quality drivers in all our custom built bins. Top boxes, mids, subs, wedges to spec. This online pic is our new folded horn with one 18inch challenger, putting out 137db
Sydney’s Live Music Photography Special-
For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
$$ ATTENTION ALL STUDIOS $$
INTEGUITAR.COM
GUITAR TUITION. STEVE MCKENNA Taught at AIM, GIT USA and London, Munich University, Sydney Conservatorium. Played with Joe Pass, Robin Ford, Mike Stern, John Schofield. All styles taught beginners to professionals. Lewisham. 0416 738 397. www.jazz-planet.com/smckenna. steviegtrplaye1@optusnet.com.au iFlogID: 3966
Want to become an agent for Valleyarm? Valleyarm are a global digital music supplier and are seeking studios and producers Australia wide to be official agents, you’d be responsible for signing new bands and artists to add to our catalogue and getting paid to do so. If you ever have bands asking how they can get their songs on iTunes then this is the perfect chance to bring in extra revenue with excellent monthly bonuses available! Training and point of sale is available to get you started straight away. Email info@valleyarm.com or Call 03 9525 5589 iFlogID: 4841
REHEARSAL ROOMS
ABLETON CERTIFIED TRAINER The Guitar is an easy instrument to play BUT it is an extremely difficult instrument to learn. Taking from 4 to 7 years to reach the competency level. The problem is the blank Fretboard. InteGuitar solves this problem by giving the Fretboard a temporary VISUAL INTERFACE to play the rudimentary OPEN and BAR chords of guitar in Weeks/Months not years. Play songs on guitar INSTANTLY For the price of $49.99 kit of 4 X Interfaces and Tutorial CD. The Interfaces DO NOT interfere with the playing of the guitar. Call us now on 0405 044 513 iFlogID: 2716
BASS TUITION -1ST LESSON FREE!
REHEARSE AT CRONULLA Rehareasal studio at Cronulla. Permanent bookings and storage available. Contact: 0410 559 808 iFlogID: 4354
REHEARSAL STUDIOS BROOKVALE Rehearsal and Recording Studios. 2 large air conditioned rooms with Peavey and JBL PAs.Large carpark at door,flat load.$54/3hrs,$65/4hrs.10am-midnight. Recording Studio with many big name credits.www.themoonlightstudio.com $330/8hr day,or $50/hr. (02)9939-2462 or 0412-602042 iFlogID: 4952
Bass Tuition with professional bass player Andrew Challoner. Fun creative and relevant. Any style, age or ability. 1st lesson free! Lesson topics include fingerstyle techniques, pick playing, slap and pop, how to groove with a drummer, song writing, scales and arpeggios, walking bass, improvising, soloing, reading chord charts and notation, aural skills, styles from rock to reggae and everything in between, and performance. Northern Beaches/North Shore For more info www.andrewchalloner.com or www.myspace.com/andrewchalloner. Ph Andrew on 0410-625-981 for your free trial lesson iFlogID: N/A
BASS TUITION - CENTRAL COAST
REPAIRS WWW.MUSOSREPAIRSHOP. COM.AU Jeff Chapman BMus. Instrument Repairer/ Luthier, Bass Player/Teacher. Quality guaranteed by professional with over 30 yrs experience. iFlogID: 2801
GUITAR & AUDIO ELEC REPAIRS Well known guitar & audio electronics repairer, Have done work for alot of the big names in the industry. Professional work, Great rates, Quick turnaround. Guitar bass amps FX. Call Luke on 0450 998 861 or Email: antmusic76@hotmail.com iFlogID: 4146
TUITION SCHOOL OF ROCK Inner West. Learn To Play in a band. School of Rock is an educational program for high school aged students who want to further their musical skills. Each term you get to rehearse, record, release a CDR and play live. bonnie@rockschool.com.au, www. rockschool.com.au, Ph: 0427503977. iFlogID: 1480
PROFESSIONAL GUITAR LESSONS Guitar lessons, one on one from Chris Turner, professional rock/blues, acoustic & or electric. studio location.Phone 02 9552 6663 email guitardoctor@bigpond.com.au iFlogID: 2274
GUITAR TUITION 100+ LOCATIONS
Learn from experienced professional with more than 30 years playing/performing/ teaching experience. Will come to you! Visit www.musosrepairshop.com.au or phone Jeff on 0448559947 iFlogID: 2803
PRO BASS & GUITAR TUITION Individually tailored music tuition from UNSW/ Sydney Conservatorium trained and accredited professional musician. Learn scales, modes, arpeggios, chords, theory, reading, ear-training, improvisation, slap, finger-style, slide and open tunings, while playing the music of your choice. All styles offered including rock, pop, jazz, blues, funk,world music, folk, and classical. Combine with vocal and keyboard skills, songwriting, composition, arranging and music technology. All levels from beginner to professional and all ages from around 12 and over. AMEB classical and contemporary courses available. Surry Hills Call Christian on 9280-3443 or e-mail: christianlaki@ musicteachers.com.au iFlogID: 2869
Ableton certified trainer and author of Ableton video training for Groove 3 (USA) Craig McCullough is available locally in SE Qld for private Ableton and music technology training. Video training is also availble from www.groove3.com. Mobile: 0431 556 746 email: abletontrainer@optusnet.com.au iFlogID: 4154
I have played with Jimmy Barnes, Renne Geyer, Guy Sebastian, Lee Kernaghan and currently Leo Sayer. Learn the secrets of your favourite guitarists by focusing on songs, chords and solos and what connects them. Learn in a studio environment where I will teach you what you want to know, help you develop your own style and how to get an awesome guitar sound. 0418 676 620 iFlogID: 3266
PIANO BLUES, ROOTS AND POPULAR
SINGING LESSONS THAT ROCK
Spaces available. Specialized tuition from Don Hopkins. Improvisation, piano technique, theory. Songwriting skills. Reading music, chords. Individual sessions. Beginners to advanced. Get to where you want to be. 0295572130 donhopkins@me.com iFlogID: 3297
SINGING LESSONS Voice science is out there to help improve your singing quickly. One on one lessons in hi tech multi award winning studio with fully qualified singing and performance expert. First assessment FREE. Beginners and professionals. I Look forward to helping you find your voice. www.avic.com.au studio - 9588 2184 mob - 0414 453 066 Stephen Baker iFlogID: 3662
GUITAR, BANJO AND VOICE
DRUM TUITION IN STANMORE Drum Tuition in Stanmore with a Billy Hyde Trained Teacher. (Dip Drums. Dip Ed). All ages and all styles. Beginners Welcome. Call Lee: 0403307796 iFlogID: 4210
A1 HOME CALL GUITAR TUITION A1 very experienced guitar teacher available for home call tuition.we come to you! become a better musician soon!based in sydney’s inner west.I had the best teachers,now you can too.learn the fundamentals that make a great guitar player!many styles taught in a relaxed,fun manner that will get you happening fast.ph 0421727864. iFlogID: 4240
Fully experienced and qualified tutor. With 20 years of studio and live performance. Most styles including Rock, Pop and Jazz. Learn to play your favourite songs, practical theory, improvisation, proper technique, etc. etc. Beginners to advanced are wellcome. Arguably a much better service then most ot the music schools can provide. I put a lot of emphasis on individual talents and abilities. Lessons conducted in the convenience of your own home. Reasonable rates. Phone Oles on 0407413143 or email oa@ olesart.com iFlogID: 4310
SINGING TEACHER NYC TRAINED
TUITION WITH BROTHER JOHN. Fingerstyle guitar, open tunings, slide, flat picking, improvisation, country, blues, folk, celtic styles, music theory, ear training, singing and vocal harmonies. Banjo: up-picking and three finger picking. Mandolin, songwriting and arranging. All styles from Doc Watson and Mississippi John Hurt to Robert Johnson and Eric Clapton. www.acousticfingerpicking.com, www.rosestudios.com.au, tel. 0431953178 iFlogID: 4612
FREE CHORD WRITING MANUAL Have you ever wanted to know how chords actually work? “All About Chords” is a single evening session designed to give musicians of all levels, beginner to advanced, the tools they need for writing and playing powerful and creative chords and chord progressions. Included with the session is a free copy of the “All About Chords Mastery Manual” which allows you to continue to build your skill with chord progressions well beyond the evening. If you’re serious about writing or performing music, you can’t afford to ignore the skills and information you’ll get in “All About Chords”. Places limited, book now at www.AllAboutChords.com.au iFlogID: 4673
GUITAR & BASS ANNANDALE Tuition in Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Electric Bass. Beginners welcome (children 10+yrs). Teaching since 1988. All aspects of the instrument. Can also come to you. www. guitar-bass.com.au Terry 9660 5059 iFlogID: 4682
GUITAR TUITION IN DULWICH HILL From a working musician. Most electric & some acoustic styles. E-mail me at revjdlove@pacific.net.au iFlogID: 4765
PRODUCTION/MIXING TUITIONS I’m a professional Music Producer and Sound Mixer who has worked with internationally renowned artist such as Seal and De La Soul, and I’m offering private tuition in Mixing and Production. Bring your own session (Logic or Protools) or use one of mine, and I will show the tricks that they do not teach you at school, I work from my home setup (Surry Hills) only, $65 per hour. http:// www.steevebody.com iFlogID: 4776
CREATIVE GUITAR TUITION
NY TRAINED SONGWRITING TUITION PROFFESSIONAL ROYALTIES EARNING POP ROCK SONGWRITER AVAILABLE FOR TUITION AND GUIDANCE. TRAINED WITH LEADING NYC VOCAL TEACHER WHO HAS WORKED WITH ARTISTS IE. AVRIL LAVIGNE, KELLY CLARKESON AND BEYONCE. COMMERCIAL RADIO PLAY FOR ORIGINALS. LOCATED EASTERN SUBURBS. AVAILABLE TO TRAVEL. ORIGINALS WELCOME OR BEGINNING FROM AFRESH. K.I.S.S. = $$$$$. 0435 426 012 iFlogID: 4454
TUITION: SONGWRITING & DEMOS
BLUES HARP LESSONS
GUITAR LESSONS FOR ALL AGES
TOP PRO DRUMMER AVAILABLE for gigs,tours,sessions etc. Good equipment, professional attitude.Many years pro experience working with well known artists. Please check out my website, www.mikehague.com Ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 3260
DRUMMER AVAILABLE Stixx man looking for an original gang to play gigs record and tour Frankie 0404089601 iFlogID: 4097
DRUMMER AVAILABLE
Learn guitar with someone who’s actually out there working in the industry performing, writing, recording etc. (north shore area) call/email Josh: 0415248313 kellermanjosh@gmail.com iFlogID: 4832
VOICE TEACHER TO THE STARS
GUITAR LESSONS
CONTEMPORARY AND MUSIC THEATRE SINGING TUITION. TRAINED WITH LEADING NYC VOCAL TEACHER WORKED WITH ARTISTS IE. AVRIL LAVIGNE, KELLY CLARKESON AND BEYONCE. WORLD RENOWNED VOCAL EXCERSISES TO VASTLY IMPROVE VOCAL TECHIQUE BASED ON EXCSERCISES FROM MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC. LOCATED EASTERN SUBURBS. AVAILABLE TO TRAVEL. ORIGINALS WELCOME. AUDITION COACHING. 0435 426 012 iFlogID: 4452 Learn to play from some of Australia’s best guitar teachers. G4 GUITAR is a network of over 100 teachers across Australia using the latest learning techniques to ensure students the absolute best tuition available. Backed by the G4 GUITAR METHOD our teachers have the reputation to take you from beginner to pro. Please visit our website to find your closest teacher and grab a free download. www.g4guitar.com. au or Phone 0405-274456 iFlogID: 2633
Private Harmonica Lessons with Big Blind Ray in Stanmore or Crows Nest. Beginners to Advanced players welcome. Learn how to master the mechanics of the diatonic Harmonica, develop good tone and learn scale, chord and modal theory. Bookings essential Contact: 0403999811 or ray.lechminka@ gmail.com iFlogID: 4604
Join the band at WEST RYDE and get INSIGHTS, through INSTRUCTION, on what is required to play jazz. OPPORTUNITIES exist, especially for WIND PLAYERS. Call David Millman 9807 8866 iFlogID: 4158
in the convenience of your own home. Fully experienced and qualified tutor. With 20 years of studio and live performance. Most styles including Rock, Pop and Jazz. Learn to play your favourite songs, practical theory, improvisation, proper technique. Beginners to advanced. Reasonable rates. Phone Oles on 0407413143 or email oa@ olesart.com iFlogID: 4201
and professionals. I Look forward to helping you find your voice. www.avic.com.au studio - 9588 2184 mob - 0414 453 066 Stephen Baker iFlogID: 4810
HARMONICA LESSONS AVAILABLE
PLAY JAZZ
GUITAR LESSONS LEARN GUITAR WITH PAUL BERTON
isfaction, not on the clock. Free tea / coffee and biscuit also provided, you won’t have to ask. Rates: $50/hr or $125 for a threehour session. Demo / editing / web packages from $250. Call Duncan on 0402 136 335. Nth-Shore location. myspace.com/ duncansunrise myspace.com/filmtvradio www.loveinakingdom.webs.com www. adventuresofjack.webs.com myspace.com/ duncansmusicsunrise iFlogID: 4537
Teacher to the stars, Steve Ostrow. New York vocal coach who started the careers of Bette Midler, Barry Mannilow, Peter Allan and countless others. Now accepting limited amount of private students. All styles; pop, classical, beginners welcome. For my free e-book, ‘I’m Becoming A Singer: A guide to how’ Email me at sostrow@bigpond.net.au. For more info on voice classes, call me on 0408 461 868. I look forward to hearing from you. iFlogID: 4851
MUSIC LESSONS AT ICON MUSIC Tuition available in guitar, drums, bass, vocal, piano, violin, cello, trumpet, clarinet, sax and others. 7 teaching studios and 20 qualified teachers. teaching all genres of music. Studios located at West Ryde. Visit www.iconmusic.com.au, or call 1300 283 858. iFlogID: 4894
SINGING LESSONS
59 year old business man still with a passion. Competent player. Lead vocals, harmonies. Looking for covers band, or country rock. iFlogID: 4492
GUITARIST GUITARIST AVAILABLE hardrock/metal/blues/accoustic 0424487379 iFlogID: 2812
GUITARIST AVAILABLE TO JAM PLAY ABIT OF EVERYTHING RANGING FROM PUB COVERS TO ORIGINALS, MOSTLY HARDROCK/METAL CALL 0424487379 iFlogID: 3194
PRO GUITARIST AVAILABLE Available for your recording, fill-in gig or band. Highly versatile - jazz, blues, solo fingerstyle, slide, rock, country. Varied influences from Tommy Emmanuel to SRV to Satch, top quality gear and guitars, able to deliver a wide variety of sounds to suit your project. Call Scott 0400 391 400 www. reverbnation.com/scottyburford iFlogID: 4375
ELECTRIC BLUES GUITARIST Available. I specialize in playing all styles of blues. Swing, jump, shuffles, slow blues ect. Also experienced with heavy blues, funk & heavy blues/rock. Have toured nationally & played festivals ect. See www. myspace.com/samuelvernonbuckley ph 0407906389. iFlogID: 4481
SINGING LESSONS
SINGER LOOKING FOR LIFE TIME BAND genuine music man searching life time members. iFlogID: 2424
BASS PLAYER BASS PLAYER WANTED Easygoing fun person to do regular jams with drummer and guitarist for good times. Suit intermediate player who enjoys regular jamming and experimenting with different styles. Let’s see what opportunities unfold after this. Call Michael on 0402 112 557. iFlogID: 3143
VIDEO / PRODUCTION
OTHER LOOKING TO MAKE A MUSIC VIDEO?
SAXOPHONIS AVAILABLE
Are you looking to make a music video, but can’t afford the production costs? Utropea Films is currently seeking Sydney-based solo artists and bands for a 1-night show at a venue (to be confirmed) in July. All profits from the night will be used to fund the production of music videos for the performers involved. An established local profile is essential. Contact Gareth at gbeal@utropeafilms if this sounds like you! iFlogID: 4662
BASS PLAYER AVAILABLE Professional Bass Player Andrew Challoner is available for gigs; covers or originals, casual or permanent. Great groove/feel, quality gear, experienced in any style, large repertoire, reasonable rates and a good attitude! Also available for recording and tuition. 0410-625-981 www.andrewchalloner.com, www.myspace.com/andrewchalloner iFlogID: N/A
I’m looking for musicians to play in a punk band in the Penrith area. I’ve got half a dozen songs ready to play and working on more. I don’t care if you really can’t play (I can’t either- hence writing punk songs), but just want to get a band together for jamming and chaotic live performances. I can play bass or guitar, and have equipment for both. Listen to some of my songs on www.myspace.com/postalstrike. If you’re interested, email me at PostalStrike@hotmail.com. iFlogID: 4614
BASS PLAYER AVAILABLE For original or cover bands. Many styles. Exp. in touring and recording. Good gear, transport and attitude. Email nathangray@ iinet.net.au iFlogID: 4649
Your voice has the ability to sing at the Audioslave/ Radiohead/ Aretha/ P.J.Harvey level because of Design. Extend your vocal range learn to sing the right technique the first time, career counseling how to start a band. For advanced students: • Microphone Techniques • Recording Techniques • Songwriting • Harmonising. Free performance nights for current and previous students. 10 + years teaching experience. Beginners to Advanced also guitar lessons 0405-044-513 iFlogID: 2671
Learn Blues Harmonica all styles from Ragtime, Country Blues , Chicago Blues styles. Private lessons in Sydney with Blue tongue & Workshops across Australia with Bluetongue, Ian Collard & Doc Span. webhttp://www.bluetongueharmonica.com.au p-02 80037132 m-0412 668575 iFlogID: 3683
Songwriting/music composition tuition and assistance for solo song-writers, musicians, composers, lyricists. Demo recording also available. Most genres covered including: classic pop-rock, easy listening, country, folk, acoustic, and classical. Audio editing and mastering also available. Assistance with the development and promotion of your music via appropriate web-site set-up. A relaxed, congenial environment is provided to facilitate best possible creative experience and optimum musical outcomes. The focus is on your sat-
Voice science is out there to help improve your singing quickly. One on one lessons in hi tech multi award winning studio with fully qualified singing and performance expert. First assessment FREE. Beginners
COMPETENT BASS PLAYER WANTED
NORTHERN BEACHES AREA CALL 04 NORTHERN BEACHES AREA CALL 0424487379 NO EGO’S iFlogID: 3346
BASSPLAYER WANTED we are 3 guys who have been around the block a few times and we have decided to form a new lineup to have some fun. we’ve been doing the odd gig with a fill in bass and are looking for a permanent. we are 38-48 and have been playing a long time. we’re doing covers at the moment to get started in the pub circuit. rehearsing at barden ridge(menai) we are easy guys and dont mind a beer or 2.. srv, chisel, ac/dc, diesel, anything that gets bums off seats. call 0420 317537 cheers! iFlogID: 3799
BASS PLAYER NEEDED
Stone Cry (band) with management and road crew seek competent bass player with gear and transport to tour country. Original rock band. Influences U2, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chilli Peppers etc. Song from album, Love or War can be listened to at http:// www.stonecry.au.com Contact via email: manuellyledayes@gmail.com iFlogID: 4264
FEMALE BASS PLAYER PAID GIGS Talented female bass player for working covers/original Management backed band with top booking agent. Paid gigs waiting! 19-27yrs, own equipment/gear. No time wasters. 0409 567 181 or info@starpowerstudios.com iFlogID: 4271
FEMALE BASS PLAYER: JOIN GIRLS
The Wonderful Lives need a creative bass player to join the band. Our music is original and we are inspired by artists such as Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Dirty Three, Arcade Fire and The Pogues. Check out our work at www.myspace.com/ thewonderfullives or www.thewonderfullives.com Call Lucas on 0414 391 550 iFlogID: 4024
METALLICA SHOW
Female bass player wanted to join 2 others - singer/songwriter/pianist & violinist for originals, all girl band. Seeking drummer and guitarist too. Easy acoustic through to soft pop/rock. Have label interest. Preparing to record/play live immediately. Lizzie 0412 858 152 iFlogID: 4306
WANNA BE IN MNY BAND??! Who wants to be in a all girls original pop rock band hav some fun and make some $$$?! Guitar/bass/drummer needed. Must be able to sing passable back up vox and luv performing!Practice 1-2 times per week. Gig asap. All ages welcome. www. myspace.com/nicolesero 0435 426 012 iFlogID: 4390
LOOKING FOR BASS PLAYER
Experienced saxophonist is looking for bands and studio sessions. Jazz, funky, afro, reggae, latin, rock, folk. If interested contact me at 0410041979. Cheers. Lorenzo iFlogID: 2848
PRO TROMBONIST AVAILABLE
Professional Trombonist available for gigs, session and tours. Jazz, Funk, Latin, Pop, Rock and Classical. Can sight read, improvise and write parts. Contact Brendan 0409833827. iFlogID: 3608
THE UNFORGIVEN METALLICA TRIBUTE SHOW & BIGWAYOUT rock cover band requires a professional bass player for immediate start!! Agency backed, 8-12 shows per month. Your own form of transport and good gear a must.. Call John on 0416144111 iFlogID: 4083
BASS PLAYER FOR 60S POP GROUP Guitarist and drummer seek bassman for 60s pop/rnb group that encompasses authentic sounds of Brit Invasion (Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Yardbirds, Searchers, Pacemakers etc) & material of similar ilk (eg The Monkees, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, Easybeats etc). Also stuff by likes of Carl Perkins, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochrane & early 60s African/American and girl group music that inspired 60s UK beat bands. Solid gig experience, good gear, transport and vocals a must. Needs to be into and able to do 60s call/response harmonies. Age 40 - 55 preferred. iFlogID: 4152
EL DUENDE NEED BASS PLAYER
THE MEAN FEET HORNS Have you got some special gigs coming up and need a great horn section? The Mean Feet Horns can provide a variety of sections to meet your needs. We can also do the arrangements for you. Call Hugh on 0402 529 474. Come and see Mean Feet Brass Band www.myspace.com/meanfeetbrassband iFlogID: 4000
ORIGINAL SIN INXS SHOW
DRUMMER
El Duende need a new bass player. Our sound: cross between the Saints and the Go-Betweens. We have: great songs, violin, brass section, 2 albums out with one on way. Call Daniel 0414 810232 iFlogID: 4178
REGGAE SOUL BLUES FUNK DRUMMER
BASS PLAYER WANTED FOR BLUES
Experienced Reggae Soul Funk Rhythm and Blues drummer (33) based in Dee Why looking for some work in Northern Beaches. Call MIchael 0402 549 423 iFlogID: 3225
band. Want to put together a power trio. Need to be familiar with all the styles within within the blues genre swing, slow blues, shuffle ect & also able to move into funk & heavy blues/rock. See www.myspace.com/
The ultimate tribute to one of Australia’s
FUNKY BASS PLYR Bass player needed to join Guitarist & Drummer. Practise every 2nd sunday, Fairfield.Originals & Rock classics.Call Andrew 0421760495 iFlogID: 4514
BASS PLAYER WANTED We are a rock covers band playing classics from the 70’s to current styles. AC/DC is a big influence along with Guns N’ Roses, Pearl Jam and Hendrix. We are easy going down to earth people looking for the same. We’re looking for someone who is committed and doesn’t take themselves too seriously. We have a view to play local gigs around Wollongong and eventually doing originals and touring. If you’re interested in rocking your way to the top then look no further. Call Dale on 0409 408 596 iFlogID: 4573
BASS PLAYER WANTED Intermediate to advanced bass guitarist sought to join our Sydney-based covers band. Our song list is based on influences of 70’s and 80’s rock. We’re currently a 3 piece rehearsing regularly at Homebush. We are aged from 30’s to 40’s, easygoing but serious about playing good music. Inquiries contact John on 0438 780 567 iFlogID: 4577
AVANT GUARD
BASS PLAYER AVAILABLE Mature Age excellent gear, huge repertoire specializing in 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Only working bands need apply. iFlogID: 4688
We are a newly formed covers project looking for an enthusiastic Bassist to join our line up of guitar,drums and vocals playing a wide Scope of music from the 1950’s to the 2000’s. Must have own gear,transport and be able to rehearse on Saturday mornings from 10.00am ‘til 1pm. A good sense of humour,an ability to count and backing vocals(not essential but an asset) and looking to gig once to twice a month why not give us a call. David 0403059200 Peter 0414743875 iFlogID: 4262
Looking for a bass player 18-24 likes punk,alt or metal or someone who likes to play rock. Must have good gear and transport and be able to rehearse once a week. Please contact Jason on 0403130356. iFlogID: 4423
MUSICIANS AVAILABLE BASS PLAYER
Want to put together a power trio. Need to be familiar with all the styles within the blues genre. Swing, slow blues, shuffles ect & also be able to move into funk & heavy blues/rock. See www.myspace.com/samuelvernonbuckley or ph 0407906389 iFlogID: 4252
BASS PLAYER REQUIRED NORTHERN BEACHES AREA CALL 0424487379 iFlogID: 3187
GUITARIST TO JOIN/FORM BAND I’m a 23yo guitarist looking to join or form a band. I prefer hard rock, punk and metal but am open to most any style. Pro gear, 6 & 7 string guitars and own transport. Mostly rhythm but can do some lead as required. 0405418696 iFlogID: 4800
DRUMMER WANTED FOR BLUES BAND
BASS PLAYER WANTED TO JAM/BAND
Lead guitarist looking to jam/form a heavy metal band, preferably on the central coast but willing to travel. Influences: Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest, Metallica, Iron maiden Blake 0403138542 iFlogID: 4774
SInging lessons in a positive environment with a highly experienced and professional singer/songwriter. Lessons tailored to suit individual needs. Free introductory lesson. www.realvoice.net.au for more details. Inner West, Rosanna 0431 157 622. iFlogID: 4962
samuelvernonbuckley Ph 0407906389 iFlogID: 4250
BASSPLAYER WANTED
MUSICIANS WANTED
LEAD GUITARIST AVAILABLE
PUNK SONGWRITER/BASS/ GUITARIST Petersham area. Real guitar for committed students. Beginners to Advanced. Jazz, Rock, Blues, Contempory and other popular styles. Progress from muso to musician with help from an experienced Professional. Theory, practical, rhythm, melody and improvisation.Learn songs,scales, modes, ear training, composition, sight reading and musicianship. All about chords, arpeggios, substitutions, inversions, harmony. etc. Learn at a pace and in a direction you want to go. 0430344334. www. myspace. com/craigcorcoranmusic. creative-guitar@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 4786
most popular & successful bands, INXS! www.inxsshow.com For bookings contact Glenn - info@inxsshow.com iFlogID: 4755
An avant guard group is searching for a double or electric bass player for spontanious improv situations. If you like Sun Ra, Zorn, AEC, boredoms, merzbow etc, than this would be a good way to get into the improv mindset which is so important to composition and playing in general. Don’t be afraid, come along, give it a go. Mark 0416 551 339 iFlogID: 4595
BASS PLAYER Do you love to see people groove to your sound? Is it a thrill to move people with your music? are you able to receive simple instruction and run with it? If so, give us a call. We are a local church in Cronulla looking for a bass player to add to our creative team - call us today on 9544 1144. iFlogID: 4600
For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
WANT TO GO TO THE TOP? We’re looking for a new bass player to
come to the top with us. We’re a new hard rock band in the Inner West and we have already set up our own studio and we’re in the process of recording our demo. If you like rock or metal, rock with us! Contact: 0431 957 583 or max@razorheart.net iFlogID: 4643
BASS PLAYER WANTED METAL/HCORE Bass Player Wanted for new Sydney heavy band, we have played shows & recorded an EP, currently writing new material, our studio is in mascot. ehdmetal@hotmail.com ...or... www.myspace.com/ehdmetal iFlogID: 4658
BASS PLAYER WANTED Female fronted originals band seeks musically open minded bass player. Rehearsing in inner west. We like PJ Harvey, Patti Smith, The Bellrays, MC5, Nick Cave, Thin Lizzy, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath. Call 0410 865 035 or email newtons4@ aapt.net.au iFlogID: 4699
brown,jimi hendrix,parliament/funkadelic. phone 0421727864. iFlogID: 4238
Urgent - Powerhouse drummer wanted for experienced 5 piece band. Newcastle area. Semi pro or pro. Covers plus originals. Hard rock, blues, pop, rock & roll, experienced band, gigged with the Angels. 2 booking agents, a lot of paid gigs booked, album 2010. Peter - 02 4984 4731 iFlogID: 4246
If you take early Madonna & slap some Metallica guitars into the mix, what do you get? You get an Ultimate Frontress named Sophia Marie. Sophia Marie is a hard working female fronted band who has captured the hearts of Sydney. She has been featured on Rage and the highly rated music show Songwriters Across Australia. She has pushed the limits of being an independent artist through pure determination, drive, & persistency and is always on the move to use her creative mind to get her noticed. Sex appeal with this woman is extremely hot!!! Check out her music before you ring as its of the highest importance that you LOVE the music. WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ SOPHIAMARIESMUSIC CALL STEPHEN AT 0411433207 iFlogID: 3631
EXPERIENCED MALE DRUMMER Seeks working covers band 60s to 80’s Looking for easy going people. With a positive outlook. Age group 35 plus No drugs phone mark mob 0422173728 home 9662 8330 iFlogID: 4367
DO YOU LIKE DRUMMING?
Sydney Based “Sons Of Genghis” need versatile drummer, if you play like primus meets Chilli Peppers, Faith no more meets Pantera,this is the band for you and we want your chops!! Check the sounds at www.myspace.com/sonsofgenghis. Call Jono 0410 330 702 or Andy 0420 771 357. iFlogID: 4485
DRUMMER & SINGER NEEDED Black wings need a rock n roll drummer and singer.. We are a sydney hard rock / heavy metal band influenced by Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Judas Priest etc etc...... We have dozens of songs ready to go and we are all serious, dedicated musos. Check out our myspace page and have a listen to our demos, we are serious and need someone serious who loves rock n roll... www.myspace.com/blackwingsaustralia 0415561740 OR 0435554559 iFlogID: 4527
BASS PLAYER WANTED
Currently gigging Originals Singer/Songwriter seeks melodic bass player to complement band project. Songs are complete and need your touch. Music is a bit like Crowded House, Beatles, Fleetwood Mac but also a bit John Mayer, Travis, Keane. Song emphasis is melody and harmony. Tuneful ballads and uptempo songs as well. A jazz type background could be helpful, but the vibe is pop folk rock. Ph: Andy 0438 648 545 iFlogID: 4816
Sydney band Crouching 80s Hidden Acronym(http://myspace.com/crouching80shiddenacronym) are looking for somebody to fill the void and step up as their permanent drummer!! We have only recently moved and our drummer is still back in Tamworth. So check us out, hopefully you dig us, if so give Dean a call on 0431477933 or e-mail me on dean.crowe@live.com iFlogID: 4377
3PCE ROCK BAND NEEDS DRUMMER
DRUMMERS! ARE YOU FRUSTRATED? Are you a shit-hot drummer, 18-22yo, frustrated at playing the same-old, same-old? Want more? Want to play hot original indie rock music with a band that’s going places? Want to push the envelope of your craft with band members who do the same? Check out our no-shit sounds (facebook.com/ khanzmusic) and, if you reckon you can help us get to the stratosphere, give us a call and come show us your stuff. No attitudes please. Just a brilliant drummer who knows they can do better – all you need is the chance. This is that chance. Email us info@thekhanz.com.au or send a message on Facebook. iFlogID: 4543
DRUMMER WANTED NOW!!
DRUMMER DRUMMER TO JAM/FORM BAND NORTHERN BEACHES AREA CALL 0424487379 NO EGO’S iFlogID: 3185
DRUMMER TO JAM/FORM BAND NORTHERN BEACHES AREA CALL NOW 0424487379 NO EGO’S iFlogID: 3352
HEAVY METAL DRUMMER WANTED! Drummer wanted to join melodic death/ black/thrash band. Must be determined, have tight footwork, blasts and creative fills. Easy going but professional environment. Band has lots of interest nationally and overseas plus distro deals on offer. Just need a drummer so we can get it all rolling. Ages: 18-30. Wollongong/Sydney based. Willing to travel for the right drummer if needed. Influences: Dimmu, Immortal, Old man’s child, Deicide, Megadeth, Slayer, Children of Bodom, Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy etc. www.myspace.com/asmodaiaus email: asmodai_aus@hotmail.com iFlogID: 3376
equipment/transport essential, 3pce experience useful, live/recording experience essential, style roughly along the lines of Who/Jam/Mhead/Humble. Heavy rock NOT thrash, plenty of room for self expression but need to be ego/baggage free phil 0402069500 iFlogID: 4386
WANNA BE IN MY BAND??!!!
Sydney based alternative, rock band are looking for a reliable, experienced drummer. Good equipment and own transport is essential. Our influences are Tool, Rage Against The Machine, SOAD, Alice In Chains, Nich Cave, Queens Of The Stone Age... Contact Kat: 0424372751,or via e-mail: katerina.zhelezkina@gmail.com iFlogID: 4545
DISTACT NEED NEW DRUMMER
Who wants to be in a all girls original pop rock band hav some fun and make some $$$?! Guitar/bass/drummer needed. Must be able to sing passable back up vox and luv performing!Practice 1-2 times per week. Gig asap. All ages welcome. www. myspace.com/nicolesero 0435 426 012 iFlogID: 4394
Bayonets For Legs are an Indie/Folk band looking for a drummer. Debut release coming soon, in mixing stages... check our music at : www.myspace.com/bayonetsforlegs If interested leave us a message... iFlogID: 4749
DRUMMER WANTED. Looking for beginner to intermediate drummer who’s interested in learning/improving and wanting to have some fun with a couple of laid back guys.. Jamming at first with a view to potentially record and/or do some gigs when the time comes. Currently playing stuff by papa roach, halestorm, three days grace, green day, daughtry, lit, paramore just to name a few. Contact Pete on (0421) 258 859 or email morrissey.peter@ gmail.com iFlogID: 4788
DRUMMER WANTED SYDNEY High energy, versatile drummer wanted for Sydney Alt rock band. (20-30y/o) must have good gear, transport,live experience, ect many influences ranging from Deftones, Butterfly Effect to QOTSA, Foo’s ect to name a few. We have gigs + opportunites waiting. material ready to go. No time wasters please. email: scoobysnacks@live.com.au or call: 0458 338 102 iFlogID: 4794
THE WATT RIOT NEED DRUMMER Hard hitting drum demon required for Sydney band The Watt Riot. Have done some cool stuff like win jjj unearthed, release two EP’S, toured with great bands. Contact Johnny on 0403529600 or thewattriot@hotmail.com only the seriously talented and committed need apply. iFlogID: 4796
DRUMMER NTH BEACHES ALT ROCK Looking for a drummer to join an alternative rock band on Sydney’s northern beaches. This is NOT professional but we take our music seriously, an occasional gig and weekly practice. Contact aaabny@ gmail.com iFlogID: 4798
DRUMMER NEEDED Drummer needed for established band, infl: Sparta, Wilco, Bright Eyes, Johnny Cash, Crowded House. All the essentials: Good gear, own transport, willing to tour and record. Demo up at www.myspace. com/bayonetsforlegs Contact bayonetsforlegs@live.com iFlogID: 4814
THE RORKUS JINX NEEDZ DRUMMER!
PORCELAIN GRACEDRUMMER WANTED New drummer needed full time for Hard rock outfit. Wollongong based. good heavy solid style required, looking to perform/ record asap. contact us at distract010@ live.com or 0429728477. iFlogID: 4570
DRUMMER WANTED
****DRUMMER NEEDED METAL**** Sydney based metal band DESTEND is after a drummer, influences: slayer, kreator, megadeth, anthrax. Needs to be over 18, own transport, OPEN & commited, willing to experiment. Huge opportunities awaiting. Email us at destend@gmail.com, and visit myspace.com/destendband to listen to our songs. iFlogID: 3475
BASS PLAYER + DRUMMER WANTED I’m a Sydney based artist looking for a bass player and a drummer. I’d love to give everyone a go but we can only consider accomplished players. We are and will continue to be gigging regularly around Sydney. With the music getting regular airplay on FBI and attention from all the right people, we need musos that LOVE the music I do and believe 100% in it. Let Management know if you’re interested by emailing: management@taylorkingmusic. com or calling on 0404 370 768 Check out the music at my Myspace: www.myspace. com/taylorjking iFlogID: 3484
Drummer needed to form Sydney based band. Old drummer is moving interstate. I know you have heard it all before BUT you must have your own gear, transport, imagination and an ear for what suits the song. Double kick alway great but not a must! Previous sound has elements of Soundgarden through to The tea Party incorporating Rock riffs to heavy riffs and all in between. Practice Inner West. Sean 0432 869 076. To listen to previous work, visit: http://www. myspace.com/porcelaingrace iFlogID: 4398
DEATH METAL DRUMMER WANTED Lower Back Problems needs new drummer www.myspace.com/lowerbackproblems Call Josh - 0403679099 iFlogID: 4142
FUNKY RYTHYM SECTION WANTED! funky rythym section wanted for dynamic sexy funk/rock/blues hip hop band.influences-the meters,early rhcp,sly stone,james
Original Songs ready to be released. Need a Energetic, Self motivated Drummer who is seeking to play in a band. Project will be backed up by world renowned Producers & Promoters. For more information please call 0409811111 or (02)96359055. Ask for Luis. iFlogID: 4629
COOL STUDIO NEEDS NEW TEACHERS
FOLK/ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY DRUMMER
Hi guyz you know the drill, we are a punk,alt,pop,garage etc band from Sydney, we have a gig at The Metro 2nd July so we need a drummer asap, for detailz check blog,trackz,pix,vidz at myspace. com/therorkusjinx Cheerz dudez, Scott 0430182537 iFlogID: 4857
COOL MUSIC STUDIO-NEEDS MORE TEACHERS!!!! looking for rock guitar and or drum teachers: must have band experience- Studio in Kings Cross area ::::::: please send resume or myspace page to= rocknroll@hotkey.net.au iFlogID: 4735 We are a 4 piece folk/acoustic/blues/country band consisting of 2 x vox, 2 x guitars, double bass, stomp box and keys looking to find a drummer to add colour and energy to our songs. We play all original material and are currently gigging around Sydney and recording our debut EP in June this year. We play a mix of styles so looking for someone versatile. Must be willing to commit to at least 1 night a week rehearsal, gigs and festivals. If this sounds like you then please contact Susie on susiehurley@live.com iFlogID: 4425
DRUMMER WANTED FOR BLUES BAND Want to put together a power trio. Need to be familiar with all the styles within the blues genre. Swing, slow blues, shuffles ect & also be able to move into funk & heavy blues/rock. www.myspace.com/samuelvernonbuckley ph 0407906389 iFlogID: 4435
Talented female guitarist (electric & acoustic) for working covers/original Management backed band with top booking agent. Paid gigs waiting! 19-27yrs, own equipment/gear. No time wasters. 0409 567 181 or info@starpowerstudios.com iFlogID: 4273
FEMALE GUITARIST TO JOIN GIRLS Female guitarist wanted to join 2 girls singer/songwriter/pianist and violinist for originals, all girl band...looking for drummer and bass player too. Easy acoustic through to soft pop/rock. Have label interest. Preparing to record/play live immediately. Lizzie 0412 858 152 iFlogID: 4304
GUITARIST/SINGER WANTED We are a bassist and a drummer, looking to start an original alternative band. It wouldn’t hurt if you could play piano as well. Closest example of our style would be Muse however we’re looking to create our own unique, powerful, experimental sound. Preferably between the ages of 16 and 19. Needs the ability to write songs and lyrics. We want to start gigging and recording very soon. Ring or text Sid on 0411 595 665 if interested. iFlogID: 4315
1 GUITARIST REQUIRED 1 band with label and management seeks shit hot guitarist!. NO IBANEZ (or Similar) players!! Go wank off to Steve Vai and don’t waste our time. If you play Fender, Gibson, Ricky, Gretsch or simliar and do so well and can sing harmonies please feel free to call for a chat. Recording with label and producer at the end of May so no fuck ups, experienced only need apply. Style if you like: The Stones, Zeppllin, Kasabian, Strokes, chances are we might like you! :).... If you like Nickelback, Steve Vai, or Creed go and shoot yourself in the head and get a Vasectomy PLEASE! Sound like your kinda gig? Call ZIPPY 0431 178 589 ps must be willing to record and tour heaps (also marriage and girlfriends may hinder your coke snorting whore mungering abilities so all things shall be considered upon application) iFlogID: 4364
FEMALE GUITARIST REQUIRED All girl rock band Seraphim Blaze needs a second guitarist to complete their line up. We are a working band who want to make it big so if you are dedicated, can kick arse, take names and play call us today. For more info go to www.myspace.com/ seraphimblaze iFlogID: 4635
ROCK/POP GUITARIST WANTED!
MUSO’S WANTED CENTRAL COAST Guitarist, keyboards, or any old things you play are wanted for new Central coast Indi outfit. Influences open. Current influences
DIRTY DEEDS - Australia’s leading tribute to AC/DC are in need of a professional Angus Young impersonator for immediate work. If you look like Angus Young and are an Angus nut, you live and breathe AC/DC, you can get down on the floor and spin on your shirtless back while shredding to Whole Lotta Rosie - then we want you! This is the busiest AC/DC tribute show there is with the best crew so be prepared to commit fully. Send your bio, recent photos and any other supporting evidence of your bad self to info@ dirtydeeds.net.au for consideration. www. dirtydeeds.net.au iFlogID: 4723
GUITARIST FOR INDIE ROCK BAND
Sydney originals band The Scarletts are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and committed guitarist to join their original rock/pop band. Also required to sing harmonies/bvs. 22-33 years preferred. Own gear and transport essential. send us a message at www.myspace.com/the.scarletts or Contact Susie:0432685806 iFlogID: 4669
MATH METAL GUTIARIST sydney band nobody knew they were robots needs a new guitarist. play all over the country. 2 x old songs on www. myspace.com/nobodyknewtheywererobots rehearse inner city. recording and touring soon. 18+ kind of mathmetal...... 0431 337 488 iFlogID: 4707
to be a four - five piece band by the time everything is all set, and have fun making the music without wasting time. you can contact Hindley by phone: 0406296033 or Jonny via email: jono_1_2@hotmail.com iFlogID: 4302
Keyboard player wanted, backing vocals a plus. Own transport a must. Must have good gear and experience. We are currently a Sydney 3 piece looking at expanding to 5 piece. Think most bands on the creation records and 4AD labels. Contact Sam on 0415292247 and listen to us on www. myspace.com/ourpendingname iFlogID: 4792
TROMBONE FOR MEAN FEET
SYNTH PLAYER WANTED!!! Mean Feet Brass Band is still looking for a trombone player to join our exciting 8-peice, brass and percussion band. Our goal is to be working regularly (one paid gig per week) by the end of the year but there’s not much paid work yet. We have a regular last Friday of the month at the Excelsior in Glebe. www. myspace.com/meanfeetbrassband iFlogID: 4347
HELP RED FIRE RED; explosive new Australian rock act are auditioning Synth players for album launch and touring. Check out our music at www.myspace.com/redfirered Must have pro experience and gear. If you’re fired up about what we do email us at redfireredband@gmail.com iFlogID: 4859
ORGAN PLAYER WANTED GOSPEL BAND URGENTLY NEEDING AN ORGAN PLAYER NORTHERN BEACHES CALL BEN ON 99444984 OR snapper_watson@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 4958 Male or Female Guitarist needed to complete indie rock band, The Sculptures. You are 20-25 years old, passionate about playing music and have your own transport. Influences vary so go to www.myspace. com/thesculptures to get an idea of what we’re about. Rehearsals twice a week in Belmore. iFlogID: 4745
17 YEAR OLD GUITAR PLAYER looking for another guitar player to jam or start a band with. I live in the south. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC. Call Tom on: 0401722767 iFlogID: 4760
GUITARIST,DRUMS, BASS WANTED
KEYBOARD PLAYER WANTED versatile keyboard player for new music presentation with Duo. Any age. pro “attitude” please be prepared to give time for rehearsals. Have charts, rehearsal room, parking, opportunities good vibes willie phone number: 93891805 0414660621 iFlogID: 4965
OTHER MUSO’S WANTED TO JAM/ FORM BAND muso’s wanted to jam form rock/metal band, steve,0424487379 iFlogID: 2814
Progressive metal/rock acts seeks musos.Influences include TOOL,SOAD,D EFTONES,MUDVAYNE,KARNIVOOL, CONTACT TONY ON 0401056876.REHEARSE ENMORE,MARRICKVILLE. iFlogID: 4778
ACOUSTIC/ELECTRIC LEAD GUITAR Originals singer/songwriter needs a lead guitarist with both acoustic and electric capabilities to finalise band line-up of two singers, bass, keys, drums, rhythm guitar. Over 100 original songs are whittled down to the best 10 - 15. Emphasis is on strong melody & harmony with great scope to bring your skills into developing interesting solos and fills. Music is influenced by Crowded House, Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor but in more modern terms, maybe John Mayer, Travis, Keane. Pop folk Rock. Ph: Andy 0438 648 545 iFlogID: 4818
CREATIVE GUITARIST WANTED Creative Guitarist wanted to collaborate with Bassplayer/Vocalist/Songwriter and professional drummer/songwriter. We are looking for a self-starter, highly motivated and creative guitarist/songwriter to collaborate in a new band project. We have a lot of material ready, some production interest, and ideally need ambition and drive from a creative partner. We have a diverse range of influences, from English trip/hop, reggae, electronica, and alternative metal/rock. Looking to create a new sound, not replicate anything current. Please call Daniel on 0422 942 721. Previous recordings available. iFlogID: 4874
KEYBOARD EXPERIENCED KEYBOARD PLAYER Looking for an experienced, professional keyboard player for a cover band for weddings and corporate events. A strong knowledge of computers is preferred but not essential. Located in the Eastern Suburbs area. Contact Eli on 0433938278 iFlogID: 4275
SKILLED KEYBOARDIST WANTED to complete lineup of new show. Ability to cover orchestrations and excellent sounds to match a must. High quality show with good pay. Contact: onemoreguitar@yahoo. com.au iFlogID: 4323
KEYBOARD PLAY WANTED KEYBOARD PLAY WANTED Dig this! Keyboard player required. Prefer Versatile Seasoned non working musician to form partnership with mature all-round vocalist. Excellent classic song, repertoire with
Hi I’m Brad, I’m 23 and i live on the northern beaches. I’m trying to start a Punk Rock band and I cant do it by myself. If you can play the guitar or drums or whatever and want to start a band, then please call me. I don’t care how good or bad you are at your instrument-your probably better than me! My influences are The Clash, The Ramones and The Pistols. My No. is 0404 909 416 iFlogID: 4561
EXPERIENCED MUSO WANTED Piano Accordianist or Violinist to team up with Double Bassist who plays Electric Bass as well. STYLES: European Folk style thru to Gypsy Manouche, DJango Rheinhardt. Interested in exploring possiblities???? Call Garry anytime on (02) 9570 9501 or leave a message E-mail: annushkaswin@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 4671
MUSICIANS AND AUDIENCE WANTED
GUITARIST WANTED Guitarist wanted, we rehearse in the inner west, influences = anything on Creation records or 4ad. Refer to www.myspace. com/ourpendingname for some starting off tracks and call Sam on 0415292247 if you’re interested. Own transport and good gear a must, backing vocals help. iFlogID: 4328
WANNA BE IN MY BAND??!!!
G4 Guitar is an Australia wide network of Guitar Teachers who teach from their own homes and studios. With over 100 teachers we are the No.1 name in guitar tuition. We welcome both inexperienced and experienced teachers and we provide online training and support. To apply to become a teacher please visit our website at www. g4guitar.com.au or phone 0430-426137 iFlogID: 2631
charts. Rehearsal room, Parking. Good Vibe great opportunities “wiz” 93891805 0414 660 621 iFlogID: 4652
KEYBOARD PLAYER NEEDED
Looking for an experienced, professional guitarist to play in a cover band for weddings and corporate events. Located in the Eastern Suburbs area. Contact Eli on 0433938278 iFlogID: 4277
Who wants to be in a all girls original pop rock band hav some fun and make some $$$?! Guitar/bass/drummer needed. Must be able to sing passable back up vox and luv performing!Practice 1-2 times per week. Gig asap. All ages welcome. www. myspace.com/nicolesero 0435 426 012 iFlogID: 4392
GUITARISTS WANTED TO TEACH
ANGUS YOUNG
EXPERIENCED GUITAR PLAYER
DRUMMER WANTED
SHANGREN - ASIAN FOLK METAL
Shangren - Asian folk metal is seeking a drummer, bass and er-hu player. Music can be heard at our myspace. If interested, Send a message to us at www.myspace.com/ shangrenmetal iFlogID: 4747
FEMALE GUITARIST - PAID GIGS
Sydney based melodic hardcore band Thoughts Under Fire are looking for a reliable drummer, whos ready to gig and record, songs written already, our influences are Avenged Sevenfold, Bring Me The Horizon, Escape The Fate, The Used, Scary Kids Scarying Kids, A Day To Remember,contact Kat on 0424372751 iFlogID: 4944
GUITARIST
DRUMMER AND BASE PLAYER WANTED singer/musician looking for drummer and base player to jam with on weekends, form band, originals only, grunge blues punk.. get gigs, get label, rock world. must be alternative, intelligent, compassionate, gentle, a little left of centre, washed up and disillusioned.I’m daniel, 35 wahroonga, sydney. if this sounds like you, lets jam. I prefer that you have as little experience as possible, but a relentless beat... ph 0433345063 iFlogID: 4129
Beatles, kooks and kings of Leon new and old. Call Patrick 0415680575 iFlogID: 2988
HARD ROCK GUITARIST WANTED
Agency backed Sydney cover band requires a Bass Player with back up vocals 20-40 to join the band. Averages 5 shows a month $150 a gig. Must have experience a good attitude, stage presence and transport and able to start ASAP. Call Dean 0414 433 735 iFlogID: 4725
BASS MCCARTNEY-STYLE PLAYER
DRUMMER WANTED
URGENT - DRUMMED WANTED
BASS PLAYER WANTED!
Female bass player/vocalist required for working covers band, easygoing, gigs booked, classics to modern, band ages between 23-40. Call 0416 216 970 or email metalwolf@optusnet.com.au iFlogID: 4739
SONS OF GENGHIS NEED DRUMMER!
Details: http://hotelwilliam.yayabings. com.au This is the underground melting pot of music jam sessions, organised by the Yayabings Music Club with the JazzKatts romping the Fusion Bar. Musicians/singers, comedians and artists at all levels perform by coming in on that evening. Totally impromptu and musicians may improvise with other musicians/singers or perform their own set. Local/Backpackers/Internationals all welcome. iFlogID: 2923
BASSIST AND KEYBOARDIST NEEDED We are a very newly formed band in sydney looking for a bassist and keyboardist to help complete the band, dedication and a love for music is highly recommended, 16 - 19 years of age is also a good idea, if you have a huge ego this isnt the band for you, Please if you are interested we are more than ready for your call, Call Jenean 0448053306 or Hindley 0406296033 so we can organize a meeting and jam session. or if its easier email us indie_hindley@hotmail.com jenean1223@hotmail.com iFlogID: 4828
BANDS WANTED FOR ITUNES ALBUMS
MUSO’S WANTED TO JAM/ FORM BAND BLUES,METAL,HARDROCK,SURF,PUB MUSIC,ORIGINALS&COVERS,CALL 0424487379 iFlogID: 3192
SINGERS/SONGWRITERS/ ACCOUSTIC male or female singers/songwriters wanted to jam/perform open mic’s with on northern beaches, stevesbackintown@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 3198
MUSO’S WANTED TO JAM/ FORM BAND MUSO’S WANTED TO DO OPENMICS WITH JAM/FORM BAND ON THE NORTHERN BEACHES INFLUENCES ROCK/METAL/ ORIGINALS/COVERS/PUBROCK/ACCOUSTIC STEVE 0424487379 iFlogID: 3360
Valleyarm Digital are looking for bands to be included on compilation albums that will be featured on iTunes worldwide, you’ll still own 100% of your recordings & publishing plus make money from the sales!! All genres are welcome and we’ll also be offering a Worldwide Digital Deal to a band or artist that we think we can market on a global scale! This will include $5000 worth of online marketing and a worldwide release on all the major digital stores. Submit your tracks (1 per band/artist) along with bio and contact details to - info@valleyarm.com www.valleyarm.com iFlogID: 4843
SINGER
GET YOUR MUSIC ON RADIO! Want to get your music heard on radio? Australian Broadcasting Media(ABM) has over 30 radio stations so getting your music out there is no problem! Interested? email andy@zfmcountrywide.com iFlogID: 3458
ELECTRONIC MUSIC GURU WANTED! ELECTRONIC MUSIC GURU WANTED FOR THE FLAMBOYANT Saba ‘FEELING FEMININE’ SHOWS! GOOD AT SEQUENCING AND PLAYING LIVE! INFLUENCES: LA ROUX, THE PRESETS, DELPHIC, HOT CHIP, MGMT. CALL SABA: 0410-450-375. CALL BEN: 0410344-107. iFlogID: 3822
NOEL GALLAGHER-OASIS COV BAND OASIS cover band needs a Noel Gallagher. That means a good singer with tight rythm guitar ability. Lead not essential. Good gear and transport required. Call Blake 0420 774 819 iFlogID: 3159
SINGER TO JAM/ FORM BAND wanted for duo openmic nights leading into the opportunity to form covers/ originals band northern beaches area call 0424487379 iFlogID: 3348
GOSPEL SINGERS WANTED
MUSOS WANTED FOR BAND guitarist ,singer song writer seeks lower mountains muso’s to form band. Drummer, Bassist, Guitarist and Vocalist welcome. Influences include The Cure, the Church, Bowie, Dylan etc Please call Dave on 0405059558 iFlogID: 4300
GUITARIST AND SINGER NEEDED! We are a dedicated drummer and bassist looking for a guitarist and singer to help form original alternative rock band based in sydney within the ages of 16 - 20, some influences are: Amy Meredith, Jet & Cobra starship.We would like to begin recording and gigging by the end of the year, we want
Five world-class passionate vocalists wanted for a Gospel music CD project. Must have beautiful, passionate, powerful and devotional delivery. iFlogID: 3585
For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
around that in one way or another. Open to any age or sex. If interested please call 0405 657 413 iFlogID: 4203
CAN YOU SING?!
ROCK SINGER Rock Singer Wanted !
iFlogID: 4254
EXPERIENCED SINGERS
The Cleftomaniacs, the enthusiastic 25-member a cappella choir who brought you the most recent Sydney A Cappella Festival, invite new members (especially those lovely bass blokes). Eclectic repertoire from classical polyphony to Elvis Costello and we love to gig! Rehearsals school term Thursday evenings in Waterloo. Contact Catherine 9388 7010 / 0414 517 010 / flittie@iinet. net.au iFlogID: 3688
CHARISMATIC, FUNKY VOX WANTED! Charismatic and dedicated Singer/Lyricist required by powerhouse funk/rock originals band. Based in Western Sydney we have our own recording and rehearsal studio, pro gear and smokin songs. We need a passionate and dedicated vocalist who understands phrasing and groove to complete the line up. You will feel comfortable singing over a powerful band and possess live/recording experience. Demo essential. For more info check out our online ad or Phone Scott 0408 289 384 or Faz 0410 927 176 iFlogID: 3727
Looking for a experienced and professional male and female singer to join a cover band for weddings and corporate events. Located in the Eastern Suburbs area. Contact Eli on 0433938278 iFlogID: 4279
FEMALE SINGER WANTED Female singer wanted for rock covers show Rockfest. You will be sharing the stage with a quality male singer and experienced musicians. Age and appearance not an issue. Quality and powerful singing ability a must. You will be covering the likes of Baby Animals,Divynals,Pink,Mellissa Ethridge, Paramore, The Donnas etc...... We reherse in the Campbelltown area. Plenty of work waiting. Phone Carcus on 0423264460 iFlogID: 4382
PORCELAIN GRACE-SINGER WANTED
SINGER-DANCERS WANTED! SINGER DANCERS WANTED FOR THE FLAMBOYANT Saba ‘FEELING FEMININE’ SHOWS! STYLISH ELECTRO-POP CABARET! THE MORE FLAMBOYANT THE BETTER! CALL SABA: 0410-450-375. CALL BEN: 0410-344-107. iFlogID: 3824
SINGER FOR NTH BCHS ALT ROCK Strong singer for part time alternative rock band. We have day jobs, but we’re serious about music & having fun. Ability to play guitar or keys adv but not essential. aaabny@gmail.com iFlogID: 4162
VOICE OF AN ANGEL Have you been told you have the voice of an angel? Do you want to put it to good use? Come along and sing for a local Church and see your gift grow. Share what you know, let us share what we know. Call 95441144 for a chat about your gift and how we can help see it grow. iFlogID: 4593
SINGER WANTED Original Songs ready to be released. Looking for an experienced and confident Lead Singer. Genre is a mix of Pop, RnB, Funk, Soul. Requirements: minumum 2-3years on stage experience, age between 20-26. Project will be backed up by world renowned Producers & Promoters. For more information please call 0409811111 or (02)96359055. Ask for Luis iFlogID: 4633
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS SHOW Established and agent backed Oz Red Hot Chili Peppers Show are looking for a experienced singer. Must be based in Sydney, with own transport. info@ozredhotchilipeppersshow.com.au iFlogID: 4679
LOUD, RUDE AND DIRTY SINGER Hi, we are Did Not Finish (DNF) and we’re are looking for a lead singer. Male or female isn’t important, what is important is a very strong stage presence aged between 18 - 28 and have the attitude to front a rock band. We have a full set list of original songs and will be looking to start gigging as soon as possible. For examples of our sound please check out myspace.com/ banddnf. If interested please write to us at banddnf@myspace.com Somebody close to the city with own transport and available to rehearse Sunday evenings will be a big advantage. iFlogID: 3746
are hitting a wall without a singer and are looking for someone to come along and give us some input and help us over this hurdle. We are looking for a singer who is decent, but doesnt feel the need to bash it out at 100% all the time, someone who can relax into a voice and also belt out some cheeky stuff every now and then too. If you feel you would have a good time practising with us, give us an email and see how you go. If you enjoy our company then I am sure you would be a welcome friend. iFlogID: 4579
Rhythm Guitarist and Bassist looking for a confident Singer. Male or Female. 20-30 yrs old. Wanting to form an alt/rock/pop band. We have good gear and transport. Jam at Zen’s Studios in St Peters regulary. Our previous work/influences can be viewed at: http://www.myspace.com/porcelaingrace Singer must have ability to write lyrics and melodies. Myself, rhythm guitarist and bassist do also write lyrics and contribute to melodies. If you are keen for a jam you can call or txt me on: 0432 869 076 -Sean iFlogID: 4410
FEMALE SINGER WANTED We are looking for an open-minded and charismatic artist. Experience not necessary. Keyboardist optional. Preferred age: 16-26. We are a new band looking to jump into the live music scene. Located in Bondi, our influences include blues, punk, rock and funk. Jam and practice sessions twice a week. Call Bo on 0401365924 or Email on andrewakman2001@gmail.com. iFlogID: 4442
RECORDING + CUSTOM BEATS
DIRTY DEEDS - Australia’s leading tribute to AC/DC are in need of a professional Brian Johnson impersonator for immediate dep work. If you look like Brian and can scream your lungs out in the style of Johnson to all the AC/DC classics - then we want you! This is the busiest AC/DC tribute show there is with the best crew so be prepared to work. Send your bio, recent photos, mp3’s or any other supporting evidence of your bad self to info@dirtydeeds.net.au for consideration. www.dirtydeeds.net.au iFlogID: 4731
Sydney Modern/Alternative rock band with heaps of ORIGINALS! Seeking a male singer, 18-22yo, with good range and powerful voice. Contact Jae for more details on 0432 438 433 iFlogID: 4802
we are the Dragstrippers and we desperatly NEED a mature frontman with a dirty voice for our band . experienced and willing to play gigs in sydney and beyond..thanx ROCK N ROLL iFlogID: 4172
SINGER - HARDROCK CONCEPT SHOW Singer still URGENTLY needed for Hard Rock Concept show GLAM SLAM. The majority of our set will cover classic 80’s hard rock ala Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, Bon Jovi etc throwing in the odd 70’s, 90’s and 00’s appropriate tracks. We have Drums, Bass, Lead & Rhythm guitars ready. We’re looking at gigging within 1-2 months tops after finding the right singer and aiming to play all range of different venues of which we already have interest in bookings. We need a singer who is versatile enough and has the vocal range required to sing these songs. No half arsed attempts please. We also need someone who is willing to play and look the part as it is a concept show as per 80’s glam hard rock.If this is something you can do and, just as importantly, want to do, please contact us. Contact Phil 0425 219 109 iFlogID: 4180
SINGER FOR GRUNGE/ROCK BAND Sydney Grunge/Rock band Samsara looking for a talented singer and front man to join a complete band looking to gig and record. An albums worth of music is already written but need vocal melodies and lyrics. Influences include Silverchair, Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Black Sabbath etc etc. Contact Daniel: 0403 885 433, for more information and demos. iFlogID: 4187
SINGER WANTED 4 piece band seeking a dedicated and keen vocalist to complete line up. Must have good range and be able to sing in key. You will need transport and be willing to practice either weekly or fortnightly. We rehearse at Marrickville. At the moment we jam to cover songs but eventually will lead to writing original music and a view to play live. We are into Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin,Sex pistols etc and base our sound
Stately Manor Productions – Sydney’s newest Hip-Hop Production House are offering MC’s, Rappers and Hip Hop Artists the chance to RECORD FREE at our project studios and have a customised beat created. Get that song out of your head and on disc at professional release quality. www. statelymanor.com.au for details (submit your best track online). iFlogID: 4496
SINGER REQUIRED FOR DUO Very experienced guitarist seeks quality vocalist for duo - acoustic and with backing tracks. Gigs vary from pubs,clubs to private functions and weddings. Only reliable and experienced singers need apply; I would prefer to hear from people with bio/demo together. I live in northern Wollongong, gigs for the duo will range from south coast to Sydney, possibly Canberra if money is right. Call 0400 391 400 Scott iFlogID: 4522
SINGER WANTED Alternative heavy rock band seeks professional singer. Album worth of material ready to but also willing to jam and write together. Samples available, SMS Tek 0425 729 690 for further details. iFlogID: 4565
SINGER FOR MELODIC METAL!! Looking for Growler/Screamer, play Melodic Trash Metal. In our earily 20’s, have practice at Sydney Newtown. Contact me at metalbudd@gmail.com iFlogID: 4876
Inspire Design Studios provides meaningful, smart and economic design solutions that communicates clearly with a given market. From website design, to branding, we can take you through the entire process of creating an identity for your organization. Maybe you just need some business cards, or maybe you need a completely new look. From logo design, to website creation, to company apparel, and anything in between. To provide you with the most competitive pricing contact us to discuss your requirements without any obligation. Special prices Static website (within 5 pages) $495 CMS website (within 7 pages) $695 Online shopping site $795 No hidden charges or ongoing monthly fees To find out more please visit www.lydiay.com iFlogID: 2762
GRAPHIC DESIGN WANT A LOGO FOR YOUR BAND?
ABLETON COURSES!
ADULTS ONLY LESSONS! With over 20 years experience, ACE Design & Print has gained an unequaled reputation as a reliable supplier of quality printing with exceptional service and competitive prices. Our print services are designed for fast production and fast delivery within your budget. Here are some prices for your consideration, let us know your specific requirements and we can quote & deliver! 100 A4 Posters printed in full colour onto 150gsm gloss = $40 250 A6 Leaflets printed in full colour onto 150gsm gloss = $50 250 Full Colour Digital Business cards onto 300gsm gloss = $50 100 A3 Posters printed in full colour onto 150gsm gloss = $80 1000 Business Cards in full colour 2 sides with plastic coating = $160 1000 A5 Flyers printed in full colour onto 150gsm gloss = $210 1000 A4 Letterheads printed in full colour onto 100gsm bond = $230 1000 A4 Flyers printed in full colour onto 150gsm gloss = $300 500 A2 Posters printed in full colour onto 150gsm gloss = $490 1000 A5 Booklets 8pp printed in full colour onto gloss = $735 500 Presentation Folders printed in full colour on white board = $795 iFlogID: 4914
OTHER EARPLUGS FOR MUSICIANS
Want a logo to differentiate yourself from other bands? We can make you stand out from the rest! Boggleworks are currently offering a special price of $250 (RRP $349) for your very own custom designed logo. Visit www.boggleworks.com for more info. Be sure to enter the promotional code “IFLOG” for the special discount! iFlogID: 2808
Protect your hearing with custom moulded earplugs designed to reduce the level of sound without adversely affecting the frequency response of the music. Choose between 10,15 and 25dB attenuation. Fitted by professional audiologist, by appointment only. Ph 9387 3599 iFlogID: 2941
PARTY & FUNCTION PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHY
SINGER WANTED Pro singer wanted for an established powerful 5 piece rock band, Newcastle area. Two booking agents, a lot of paid gigs, album 2010, Peter 4984 4731 iFlogID: 4912
lessons in vocals, guitar, piano, drums, violin, bass, saxophone in comfortable commercial premises. Group or individual oneon-one. Best rates! Kogarah & Beverly Hills ph:1300 787 697 www.jumbonote.com.au iFlogID: 3625
4 WEEK COURSE GETS YOU PLAYING GUITAR OR KEYBOARDS FAST. CHORDS,SONGS,THEORY,INDIVIDUAL TUTION. CALL DAVID ON 0412360275 ANNANDALE AREA ,SYD iFlogID: 4182 Global Sanctuary Photography are currently running their yearly May, June and July specials. To name a few people we have shot: John Mayer, Jimmy Barnes, Iva Davies, Cruel Sea, Panic at the Disco, Human Nature, Killing Heidi and Delta Goodrem. We come to you on location or at your gig or come to our awesome warehouse studio at Botany. Studio style or grungy warehouse, the choice is yours. We are creative and easy going producing quality work using canon pro gear. Call us on 0416 144 277 or email us at globalsanctuary@mac.com. Visit www.globalsanctuary.biz iFlogID: 4516
GUITAR LESSONS
100 COLOUR POSTERS ONLY $80
GUITAR REPAIRS AND SET UPS
in the convenience of your own home. Fully experienced and qualified tutor. With 20 years of studio and live performance. Most styles including Rock, Pop and Jazz. Learn to play your favourite songs, practical theory, improvisation, proper technique. Beginners to advanced. Reasonable rates. Phone Oles on 0407413143 or email oa@ olesart.com iFlogID: 4193
Lessons for Beginners starting from scratch, to intermediate & advanced.I like to work mostly on guitarist’s technique so that they can improve their playing in their own time lowering the need for lessons & spending $.Lessons available after 5pm weeknights. Phil 0425 219 109 iFlogID: 4212 Visit our website for an extensive price list and other services! iFlogID: 4554
PRO TOOLS/LOGIC TRAINING UTS:Pro School offers high quality, professional short courses in Digidesign Pro Tools 8 designed to improve your music and audio postproduction skills. PT 101 12-13 July PT 110 14-16 July PT 201 19-20 July PT 210M 21-23 July Logic Pro 101 7- 9 July Ring 9514 9931 or go to http://www. utsproschool.uts.edu.au to book your place iFlogID: 4586
IN4MAL ENTERTAINMENT
100 Full Colour A4 Gloss Posters = only $40 100 Full Colour A3 Matt Posters = only $50 100 Full Colour A3 Gloss Posters = only $80 and many more options to choose from Posters • Flyers • Handouts • Business Cards We can print a sample for you while you wait and complete the job within the hour. bsd@zip.com.au www.blackstar. com.au iFlogID: 4552
Get your guitar sounding and playing as it should. Complete set up including fret level $140. Remember, a set up is NOT a set up unless the frets are level! All kinds of repair work on acoustic and electric guitars plus basses. Pro, full-time luthier based in Cherrybrook (north west Sydney/Hills area). I also build custom guitars. Check out my website. Call Timo 9484 4374. www.tolvanenguitars.com iFlogID: 3905
ILLUSTRATOR AVAILABLE!
PI BAND ART AND DESIGN
ROCK N ROLL SINGER WANTED
ACOUSTIC GUITAR LESSONS
Feros Group and in4mal entertainment present open mic nights. We provide entertainers and musicians for private functions and parties. Paying gigs available for acts selected at auditions. Taren Point Hotel Wednesdays, Lone Pine Tavern Saturdays, Panania Hotel Friday fortnightly, Amber Ale Annandale Friday fortnightly, Harp Tempe Thursday fortnightly. Covers and original acts. Bands-Duos-Solos. Contact Mal 0413735773 www.myspace.com/in4mal_ entertainment iFlogID: 4721
REHEARSAL STUDIOS MARRICKVILLE
in the convenience of your own home. Fully experienced and qualified tutor. With 20 years of studio and live performance. Most styles including Pop, Rock and Jazz. Beginners to advanced. Good results guaranteed. Reasonable rates. Phone Oles on 0407413143 or email: oa@olesart.com iFlogID: 4531
LEARN GUITAR TODAY !
GUITAR LESSONS
Trust the professionals to capture the fun and magic of your party or event! 21st parties, sports clubs, nightclubs, promoters, concerts, seminars plus corporate and social functions! We’ve been awarded “Best scene Photograph” PDMA in 2009, member of the AIPP and have extensive experience in photographing events from parties through to music events of 40,000 revellers, so you can be assured of affordable quality and professional photos for your party or event! Check us out or make a booking today at www.atomikarts.com iFlogID: 3672
This 5-week stand up comedy course gets u on the fast track of stand up comedy. Covering writing and stage techniques to prepare U for the spot light! How to develop a solid 3-5 minute comedy routine based upon any and all topics! Plus as an added bonus, All graduating students will perform live and be videotaped at Sydney’s Comedy Court stand up show and competitions. www.comedyintheraw.com.au or 95472578 iFlogID: 4506
ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS FOR GUITAR
1100 FULL COLOUR POSTERS = $80
VOCALIST WANTED
We are a new band called Low Gear. Have had about 16 practices together at home, and now about 10 in a studio. We’re not looking for anyone interested in making money as soon as they join a band as we are not gigging yet, but will be looking to just for fun to start, then who knows. Whilst we dont like to admit to being influenced directly by any particular bands, we all like a mix of, The Specials, Toots and the Maytals, Madniess, Reel Big Fish, Prince Buster, Sublime as far as ska goes, we also individually have many opposing influences such as, The Clash, The Ramones, Stiff Little Fingers and thats just me! We have had a great time in the rehearsal rooms in Marrickville, Sydney for the past couple of months, doing 2 hours every fortnight until we get storage then looking to make it more regular. We are now finding that we
Comedy Court and Quick Some Comedy Quick, presents Australia’s only live audience digital voting stand up comedy competition and show featuring up to 10 comics per week plus audience open mic (do u have what it takes?) Every Friday and Saturday night. 8pm. Star Bar Theatre. 600 george Street (formerley Planet Hollywood)$10-$15PP. Dinner and Show packages available. Great Music, Great laughs,Great Food, Great Fun. www.comedyintheraw.com.au or 95472578 iFlogID: 4502
GRAPHIC DESIGN SERVICES
MYSPACE - WEBSITES - ALBUM ART POSTERS - LOGOS - PROMO - TSHIRT DESIGN - Graphic Design services for everything in the music industry. Website packages start at $449 Custom Myspace $899 WE KNOW YOUR BUSINESS Email for a free quote/consultation paul@cattanachdesign. com.au or vist the website www.cattanachdesign.com.au iFlogID: 3643
AUS SCHOOL OF STAND UP COMEDY
TUITION Introduction to ableton live course available that will end with you writing your very first track!! Max 2 people per class. One on one tuition also available, cheapest rates available. As we are a small school we are able to spend more time with you for less cash, and we adore doing what we do!! Call Hz Music 0402 85 87 87 iFlogID: 2760
BEATBOXER AND SINGERS BEATBOXER and SINGERS wanted for a cappella outfit SOULFOOD. 45 voices singing Soul, Motown and Funk. Great exposure with an award-winning group that perform on TV, at the Basement etc. Fine-tune your harmonizing skills. Rehearsing Thursdays near North Sydney - contact Bel – 0424 021885 or visit website www.soulfood.org. au for audition information. iFlogID: 4892
Newly formed progressive hard rock band seek powerful, melodic vocalist. Ideally aged between 21-32 with previous live and recording experience. Influences include Mammal, Karnivool, The Mars Volta, At the Drive-in, Red Coats. For further info contact Adam on 0449781045 or email be.our. vocalist@gmail.com iFlogID: 4568
SKA SINGER WANTED
STAND UP COMEDY COMPETITIONS
WEB & GRAPHIC DESIGNSYDNEY
SINGER WANTED
SINGER WANTED!
SUPER CHEAP COLOUR PRINTING
BEAUTY SERVICES
BRAIN JOHNSON
Singer required for working New Orleans styled funk band. 0400313959 iFlogID: 4751
NEWCASTLE FRONTMAN WANTER
SERVICES
CASTING THE WITCH’S CIRCLE Next time ‘they’ call you a Witch you will be! Begin your journey to experience the ways of the Witch & psychic development. 4 weeks, (3hr x 4). Classes provide detailed theory & practice. It’s the best way to make a serious start in Coven-based Witchcraft. 13 places. See www.WitchesWorkshop. com iFlogID: 4308
GUITAR LESSONS Fully experienced and qualified tutor. With 20 years of studio and live performance. Most styles including Rock, Pop and Jazz. Learn to play your favourite songs, practical theory, improvisation, proper technique, etc. etc. Beginners to advanced are wellcome. Arguably a much better service then most ot the music schools can provide. I put a lot of emphasis on individual talents and abilities. Lessons conducted in the convenience of your own home. Reasonable rates. Phone Oles on 0407413143 or email oa@ olesart.com iFlogID: 4312
Have you been wondering if you have the talent to play an instrument? I am classically trained with years of teaching experience and proven methods! Learn about scales, modes, arpeggios,improvisation ,sweep picking,finger style,music theory and much more in a positive environment. Learn rock, blues, metal or classical.call Shane 0404365289 or email shanelew@ bigpond.net.au iFlogID: 4835
GUITAR/VOCAL LESSONS, GLEBE Expand your creativity,excersise your mind, learn a skill for life, entertain people and most importantly, have fun! Music is a fulfilling pastime for a great many people. If you enjoy music get in and be a part of it. Seize the day! Begginers to intermediate of all ages welcome. Small group sessions available. Call Zach on 042047183 zachdevans@gmail.com iFlogID: 4872
VOCAL TRAINING PROGRAM Hourly Lessons Fortnightly By Professional, Working, Vocal Coach. Backing Tracks For Rehearsals and Live Performances Technique & Scale Work Take Home C.D’s Recording Of Vocal For Purpose Of Self Improvement. First Half Hour Lesson Free to discuss your needs. And to decide if you really want to work hard at getting the Vocal Freedom, Strength and Accuracy of Pitch you need to be a Truly Great Singer. Hour Lessons Fortnightly $ 50.00 Please Phone Suszanne 0412 030 874 iFlogID: 4882
WITCHES WINTER SOLSTICE Join us for the Winter Solstice around the midnight fires and turn the wheel of the year together. On the darkest night of the year we welcome the warmth and light of the Solstice fires! www.witchesworkshop. com iFlogID: 4933
SINGING & VOCAL PRODUCTION
WANTED
Whether you just want to sing for your own pleasure or dream of being a singer on stage, all aspects covered from diction, breathing, microphone technique, pitch, harmony,working with live bands and performing. Utilising the latest techniques from the US, sing without stress or fear. All lessons can be recorded and take place in a relaxed and fully equipped studio in Botany. All ages welcome - female teacher- children welcome. INTRODUCTORY OFFER: $30 per lesson for the first 3 months. Conditions apply. iFlogID: 4437
OTHER DRIVER/S WANTED
P&O/DJ BOOTCAMP CRUISE
Black wings need a rock n roll drummer and singer.. We are a sydney hard rock / heavy metal band influenced by Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Judas Priest etc etc...... We have dozens of songs ready to go and we are all serious, dedicated musos. Check out our myspace page and have a listen to our demos, we are serious and need someone serious who loves rock n roll... www.myspace.com/blackwingsaustralia 0415561740 OR 0435554559 iFlogID: 4950
100% devotion to music and the packaging it comes in. Pi (Paul Ikin) has a Complete Design Studio aimed at album cover design, packaging and Band Websites. Based in Melbourne Central Complex its easy to get to. Some of the services include * Art Layout design for CD’s/Digipack/Gatefolds, * Vinyl Sleeves 12” & 7”, and professional Band Websites. Feel free to visit our site to find out more about our services www. paulikin.com iFlogID: 4626
ILLUSTRATOR AVAILABLE Qualified and trained. Freelance illustrator for childrens books, album cover, book covers, you name it! Based in Melbourne Central Complex but can do work for anyone anywhere. www.paulikin.com ---Paul:0403 996 129 iFlogID: 4639
Do you need an affordable Illustrator? Freelance illustrator Paul Ikin has a 3 year Advance Diploma in Illustration and can create a range of styles for your project. No hidden cost at an affordable price. Album Covers - Book Sleeves - Children Books Online Images - Fliers - Posters - Editorial Artwork. Visit www.paulikin.com - T: 0403 996 129 World Wide based in Melbourne iFlogID: 4160
ON-LINE SHOPPING & NEWS Discover tygarbright for your shopping needs http://tygarbright.com http://multimedia.tygarbright.com http://shopping. tygarbright.com http://unbeatablesales. tygarbright.com http://makemoney.tygarbright.com Enjoyable, quick, easy - links to Amazon, Yahoo Best Regards, Abra 0416013269 iFlogID: 4319
Blue Note Studios - Rehearsal Studios Marrickville, Sydney - NSW Australia Established by musicians, for musicians and operated by musicians. Brand new sound system, great sound, relax atmosphere, friendly service, brand new carpet and fully aircondtioned. http://www.bluenotestudios. com.au iFlogID: 4741
ICE CREAM FACTORY PHOTO STUDIO Inexpensive photo/video studios for hire from $150. Located at Turrella (10 mins drive from Newtown) iFlogID: 4768
P&O have teamed up with DJ Bootcamp to bring u Australias first 8 day/3 island professional DJ Course Cruise.Learn DJing and enjoy, food,entertainmet,accommidation and 3 islands!Early booking discounts. Go www.djbootcamp.com.au to book 95472578 info. Sails August 29, 2010 iFlogID: 4498
Are you looking for a cheap way to get interstate? Wicked Campers often look for drivers to get a vehicle one way and you can score the ride for free. Just pay petrol and a bond for the van. Drop them a line on 1800 24 68 69 and ask them more about free Relocations iFlogID: 4550
CREATIVE PEOPLE Very Creative? Are you very creative? Love God or interested in the things of God? We are a church who is looking for likeminded individuals who want to be part of creating a dynamic community of love, friendship and creativity. Ph 9544 1144 for a chat. iFlogID: 4597
For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
• 90 • THE DRUM MEDIA 25 MAY 2010
GENUINE ONCES G A YEAR SAVINSHAZZAM!
E K A T K C STO
$499 Mackie 1220 Onyx Mixer
KAPOW!
MAONYX1220
Fender Fender Mexican Road Worn Series 50’s & 60’s Strat/Tele
$799
! E L B I D E R INC
6 9 E N 9 U J 7 8 $ 2 Y A M FREE Line 6
KP MINI
Spider 4-15 Guitar Amp
tion By Redemp
LISPIDER415
Korg Limited Edition Red Microkorg XL Synth With FREE Bag (Plus Kp Mini FREE By Redemption)
INCLUDING CYMBALS!
Mapex Q Custom 4 Pce Kit, Stunning Black Hardware & Cymbals
KOMICROXLRED
90/DKQ4244ABCZSW DASTOOL
BANANAS!
$249 PWCGT20
Roland V Compact Series DAEXP110
es
et wav includes Guitar sAdtoodarl, plio anEXP110 ELECTRIC guitar cable & d’ AT $196.97 FREE! strings VALUED
TD4KS
ER! AMAZING OFF
CRAZY!
$399
7 4 4 , $1
tock! VERY LimitPedEASRLY! LINE U
MISS OUT! U O Y IF S R A NO TE
O T W A R D E H T O T IN O G SPEND OVER $50 AND RETAIL WORTH OF PRODUCT DS ONLY)
0 0 0 , 0 1 $ WIN WHILE STOCKS LAST NOT ALL STOCK AVAILABLE IN ALL STORES Camperdown
Sydney CBD
(SELECTED BRAN SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS
CATALOGUE OUT NOW!
Parramatta
Surry Hills
Taren Point
Willoughby
Northern Beaches
Newcastle
Drums Only 100 Commonwealth Street
1 Koonya Circuit Caringbah
65 Penshurst St
55 Bassett St Mona Vale
795 Hunter St
9211 1700
9589 7100
130 Pyrmont Bridge Rd
222 Clarence St
16 Hunter St
9557 7500
9269 9600
9689 2438
9967 3777
9986 0589
4965 4222