Drum Media Sydney Issue #1040 by TheMusic.com.au

SY D N E Y ’ S L A R G E S T C I R C U L AT I N G F R E E M U S I C P U B L I CAT I O N • 2 1 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 • 1 0 4 0 • F R E E

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THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 5 •

Peace Music, niche productions, the edge & 3D World present

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Stop Start presents

I AM KLOOT First Australian Tour

Fri 18 Feb

Gaelic Club,Sydney www.moshtix.com

Tickets on sale now! ‘Sky At Night’ out now through EMI records Nominated for 2010 Mercury Prize - Album of the year Triple J Mag 9 / 10

“… mix forlorn balladry, wry lyrics, Major Tom and moments of pure joy”

www.facebook.com/stopstartmusic | www.iamkloot.com

Select Touring, triple j, Pedestrian & 3D World Presents

with special guests

Gold Fields

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Wednesday 29th December Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Tickets available through www.moshtix.com

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Contents Issue No. 1040 Tuesday 21 December 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.

DESIGN OUR COVER AND WIN BIG! Just a reminder our Big Day Art competition is back. All you have to do is send us your impression of an artist on the current Big Day Out schedule and upload your entry at summerfestivalguide. com.au (go to the Big Day Art section). The competition is now open and entries close Friday 7 January. The prize? Not only will your entry appear on the front cover of Drum Media, but the lucky winner will also win a pass to the now sold out Big Day Out and CDs by Big Day Out artists.

CLEARING THE DECKS FOR CHRISTMAS! We’ve got a stack of goodies for readers, but as we’re actually taking a few days off over the Christmas/New Year period, you won’t be able to pick up your prizes until the week starting Tuesday 4 January, so that’s the cut-off day for all the giveaways below – 5pm, Tuesday 4 January. Consider them late Christmas presents!

LADIES & GENTLEMEN, THE ROLLING STONES They might have been touring or releasing anything new but 2010 was a huge year for The Rolling Stones with the reissuing of the seminal Exile On Main Street album, remastered and expanded, followed by the release of a Making Of documentary. Shot over four nights in Texas in 1972 on the Exile On Main Street world tour, the legendary concert film, Ladies & Gentlemen The Rolling Stones was also restored, remastered and reissued on DVD and we have six copies to give away, so email us with Stones Concert DVD giveaway in the subject line.

CYNDI GETS THE BLUES It might be 27 years since Girls Just Want To Have Fun first bounced across the international psyche with, but the irrepressible Cyndi Lauper isn’t showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon. Her latest album, Memphis Blues, her 11th, sees her calling in a few of the current crop of blues heavyweights, from Charlie Musselwhite to guitarist Jonny Lang to help her deliver her take on the original sound of Memphis, a tracks from which she’s bound to perform Thursday 31 March and Friday 1 April at the State Theatre, as well as Newcastle Entertainment Centre Saturday 2 April. We have eight copies of Memphis Blues to give away to get you in the mood, so email us with Cyndi’s Blues giveaway in the subject line.

MORE ROBIN WILLIAMS FOR YOU He proved enormously popular when he toured here earlier in the year, with extra dates added almost as fast as they sold out, so it’s obvious there are a lot of Robin Williams fans out there. We have eight DVD copies of one of his best-loved performances, Live At The Met, Williams captured on film before his fame really took off, at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, in 1986. We have eight copies to give away, so email us with Robin Williams DVD giveaway in the subject line.

SUMMER WITH PAT She hit us with her best shot and reminded us that love was a battlefield, but perhaps inevitably Pat Benatar was too mainstream to become the indie icon that contemporaries like Debbie Harry and Chrissie Hynde became. No matter, the classical ballet-trained singer is still out there strutting her stuff, captured in 2001 in concert and we have four copies of the DVD, Summer Vacation Tour, to give away, so email us with Pat Benatar DVD giveaway in the subject line.

HIP HOP ZOMBIES Well it’s got to be the Hilltop Hoods’ excursion into the world of schlock horror with their “filmmaking” debut zombie feature, Parade Of The Dead! Apparently, while none of us were looking, a virus spread through the world’s human population, killing millions and turning the survivors into zombies. Who could save those of us who haven’t been infected? The Hilltop Hoods of course! We have three copies of the DVD to give away, so in order to see how things turn out, email us with Hilltop Hoods DVD giveaway in the subject line.

WHAT WILL THIS YEAR BRING YOU? Well, if you believe in the influence of the moon and the stars on the way your life pans out, or even if you’re just curious, perhaps you need a copy of the 2011 Lunar Diary, created by Australia’s modern witch, Stacey Demarco, full of practical suggestions for getting the most out of every day. We have five copies to give away, so email us with Lunar Diary giveaway in the subject line. • 18 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

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DRUM MEDIA Giveaways – Look to your left for f ree stuff, silly!

The Front Line hits hard with industry fact and conjecture, plus it’s state vs local government over planning. 20 Mailbag – your say on what floats your boat or makes the red mist descend, plus Backlash and Frontlash. 22 The News – just like it says, with tours, releases and more.

We find out about the perils of breezes at open air festivals with the Peats Ridge Festival.

Built To Spill do actually give a shit about their lyrics.

Hecklers, Andy Falkous from Future Of The Left has your number.

Foals actually hope to see some of the country this time when they tour. 34 Joan Jett & The Blackhearts get a second lease on life.

Plan to get weird and intimate with Lightspeed Champion.

Emmylou Harris wanted to get every piece that Gram Parsons touched – and did.

Things are reinvigorated on the Primus tip.

Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy gives Mavis Staples thoughts of turning cartwheels.

Richie Lewis from Tumbleweed is no longer in a shitty rock band in his daughter’s eyes.

Darkest Hour are coming for the music but staying for the pies and beer.

Jason Collett likes the random process of songwriting.

Blitz Babiez don’t plan to do a John Farnham as this is definitely it.

Digitalism have a short attention span.

On The Record reviews new release albums and singles from Motorhead, Cee Lo Green, Rihanna and more. 44 Chris Maric gets local with hard rock and metal in The Heavy Shit.

Sarah Petchell brings us local and international punk news in Wake The Dead.

Adam Curley muses on end of year lists in The Breakdown.

Viktor Krum asks you to Get It Together with the latest in hip hop.

Scott Fitzsimons gets Young & Restless with all ages goings on.

Bob Baker Fish looks at leftfield music in Fragmented Frequencies. 50 Dan Condon features the world of blues and roots with Roots Down.

Michael Smith delivers some Blow with jazz and world music news.

Go south as you enter Pedro Manoy’s Swamp Shack. 51

FRONT ROW This week’s News and Film Reviews: The King’s Speech, Love And Other Drugs, and Blue Valentine. 52 Entourage star Adrian Grenier discusses the world of celebrity in Teenage Paparazzo; James O’Loghlin gears up to MC That Was The Year That Was at the Opera House; Made You Look explores the various jargons and labels of the arts world. 53 Ahead of the Peats Ridge Sustainable Arts & Music Festival we speak to three of its performance artists, The Land Of Hopeless Utopians, Trash Temple and Umbrella Theatre. 54 Cultural Cringe wraps up the week’s arts news and gossip; Eddie Perfect talks about his news show, Misanthropology, playing at Sydney Festival; the extensive Metallica bio, Enter Night, gets reviewed. 55 American comedian Mike Birbiglia talks about his ex-girlfriends before jumping on a plane and heading to Sydney; war and sexual tension come head to head in the final production of Griffin’s 2010 Independent season, For A Better World. 56

LIVE It’s all here: gig reviews, tour guide, what’s happening this week, charts, gig guide, random shit and more.

Heading to the Peats Ridge Festival? You’ll need the map and times then. 68 Backstage and BTL – your guide to studios, recording, gear, courses and more.

The Classies – need a singer/bassist/ drummer/any other service/product you can think of? Your answer is here. And on iflog.com.au. 77

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 19 •

front

LINE

NEWS FROM THE INDUSTRY WITH SCOTT FITZSIMONS

THE RADIO STATE Commercial radio advertising pitches have received a boost for the new year with new figures from Commercial Radio Australia via The Nielsen Company showing that the cumulative audience per week was up 250,000 from 2009 at 9.19 million, continuing the steady growth of the medium over the last four years. Next year will be a challenge with the further introduction of digital radio across the sphere. “Revenue has rebounded quite well for radio,” Joan Warner, chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia told The Front Line. “We weren’t really affected by the GFC [Global Financial Crisis] and were the least affected out of all media.” An ‘old-world’ medium, she says the way younger generations are taking to radio is also good. “The reach into the younger age demographics is really good and that’s something we’ve got to consolidate next year.” It’s been a good year for radio across the board, including youth broadcaster triple j, whose average weekly reach is 1.4 million, a 12 percent increase on their previous year. Their website’s also operating strongly, with 700,000 visitors making six million page views per month. “If anything we’re going to continue that push into mobile platforms,” Chris Scaddan, triple j’s Manager said. “We’ve got an iPhone app which will be launching early in the new year, which beyond offering radio streams will have lots of interactivity with the audience.” Also looking to upgrade already strong presences on social networking websites, Scaddan says it’s become part of their regular content creation. “Maybe we think differently to other radio stations, commercial or community, but everything we do at triple j is cross-platform; we don’t do anything on radio without thinking about how it works online.” On a community level, FBi will also follow the trend into online presence and eventually digital after a good year. The station was hit harder by the financial downturn than other stations because of its larger percentage of corporate and industry sponsorship. “Fortunately, the way the community rallied around the cause, we were able to get through that,” says Evan Kaldor, FBi’s general manager. “Things are still tough, but we’re in a better position to withstand it.” Digital music is in its infancy, but from even a grassroots level radio is still holding a solid listenership and is proving to be defiant. “I hope it’s a long way off in terms of where newspapers are in long-term secular decline. I don’t think there’s anything on the horizon in that sense.” “People feel connected to the medium,” says Warner, “like they do to social media… And there’s a very high listenership across Australia. We’ve got to keep getting out the message to media buyers and advertisers.” That goal will be helped, presumably, when Commercial Radio Australia release further research early next year on radio engagement that they claim proves radio holds listeners’ attention, even through advertisements.

NO LOCK-OUT FOR SYDNEY Speaking to The Front Line, Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore has stressed that she has no plan to implement a lock-out as a method of reducing alcohol-fuelled violence, as has been tried or suggested in Brisbane, here and Melbourne. “It has never been put forward by us and it is simply not on the radar,” she said. The concept of a midnight lock-out of venues is a common reaction to violence, but reports from trial periods in Melbourne and Newcastle have had negative receptions.

HOOD CALL Applications for the 2011 Hilltop Hoods Initiative, held in conjunction with APRA, have opened. Valued at $10,000, the grant is open to hip hop artists and groups who have not released an album professionally. Last year’s winner was Melbourne’s 1/6. Head to apra-amcos.com.au for full eligibility details and entry form, before registrations close Tuesday 22 February. The winner will be announced Thursday 31 March.

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NEWS? ANNOUNCEMENTS? TIP-OFFS? RUMOUR AND GOSSIP? SEND THEM THROUGH TO FRONTLINE@STREETPRESS.COM.AU

DESCENDENTS DEFY CURFEW

There was a case of the punk attitude vs modern day regulations at the recent No Sleep Til festival’s Melbourne date, when much-loved punk outfit The Descendents were wrapping up their set around the 10pm curfew. With an Australian audience and side-of-stage bands eager to hear more from the legendary outfit, NOFX’s frontman and Fat Wreck Chords head honcho Fat Mike offered to pay $5,000 towards the $20,000 penalty which was then matched by Frenzal Rhomb’s Lindsay McDougall. The Front Line believes that members of Dropkick Murphys, Alkaline Trio and The Descendents themselves ended up being part of the kitty – whether it be by voluntary choice or being side-of-stage whilst Fat Mike was on his ‘fundraising drive’. It’s unclear if any money ever changed hands or if there’ll be complications for the extra song they then played. The scene was reminiscent of the whole tour, which saw most of the punk-oriented bands assemble at The Descendents’ set side-of-stage, given this was their first Australian performance and first shows anywhere in a considerable time. When the band’s frontman Milo Aukerman lost his voice at the final Brisbane date, the show turned into karaoke with members of other bands (NOFX, Frenzal Rhomb, Dropkick Murphy’s, Alkaline Trio) jumping on stage to help out whilst Aukerman worked the crowd.

SHORT STACK

STACK’S PLAGIARISM SHORTCUTS Short Stack and Channel [V] have come under fire after it was alleged that the band’s bassist Andrew Clemmensen was credited for a plagiarised review of Kanye West’s new album on the music TV station’s website. Australian journalist Craig Mathieson raised the issue on the message boards of website Mess + Noise, citing a paragraph from his review that ran in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday 27 November, which was identical to one from Clemmensen’s review. “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is eclectic but never offhand; it’s hip-hop where every deviation serves the song’s texture, every boast contrasts with slyly lacerating self-appraisal,” read Matheson’s while the one on Channel [V]’s website read, “It’s eclectic but never off-hand. It’s hip-hop where every deviation serves the song’s texture, every boast contrasts with slyly lacerating self-appraisal.” Shortly after the claims, the review was taken down and posters on the thread highlighted other aspects of the review that had been lifted from pieces on Pitchfork among other sites. Short Stack’s label Universal Music would not comment to The Front Line on the matter, neither did Channel [V]. The station did however post an apology from Clemmensen on the website, which also appeared on the bassist’s Facebook. “Apologies to any reviewers not quoted,” it read, “arriving home late from a month-long promo tour and having the Kanye album review due the next day, I was exhausted, so I foolishly got my friend to do it for me. was unaware that it was plagiarised but I accept full responsibility and would once again like to apologize to the journalists I have offended (sic).” Fans appear to have forgiven him, if misunderstanding the situation. Lexi Arkins posted, “everyone thats blaming andy, or the others, get fucked, he is apoligizing, who cares if he mis-spelt a word or two, geezus christ.! (sic)” whilst Ciara Hambridge-Chambers said, “to be honest no one really cares if you did that theyre just words and we all still love you (sic).” After the question of banning Short Stack was raised on Channel [V]’s new live show The Riff, fans have been united in their support for the band and their intention to boycott the station if the move were to be implemented. Short Stack recently won [V]’s Oz Artist Of The Year honours for the second time.

VALE CAPTAIN BEEFHEART Born Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941, Captain Beefheart died last week at the age of 69, finally succumbing to the effects of multiple sclerosis. The announcement was made last Friday at New York’s Michael Werner Gallery, where he exhibited much of

THE DESCENDENTS

his work after he gave up music to become a full-time painter after 1982’s Ice Cream For Cow. Vliet was a teenage friend of guitarist Frank Zappa (the two met after Vliet’s parents declined an offer of a European scholarship after he was described a child prodigy by artists over there) and their careers mirrored each other somewhat. After playing together in the ‘60s, the collaboration helped develop his four-and-onehalf octave vocal range. His 1969 album, Trout Mask Replica, is considered both his masterpiece and one of wider music as well. The surreal and experimental 28-song album was supposedly written during the one day, while his band – Magic Band – rehearsed the material note-for-note for a year before touring it. Failing to chart and largely unnoticed by the public, Rolling Stone writer Langdon Winner called it, “the most astounding and important work of art ever to appear on a phonograph record,” in a 1970 edition. In a blog for the Wall Street Journal, composer, friend and colleague Gary Lucas wrote, “I will continue to spread the word, if only to remind people that once a true giant walked the earth.”

MY MAILING LIST MySpace continues to roll out new features to run with its recent re-launch, the latest being a partnership with ReverbNation in order to integrate their FanReach product into MySpace. FanReach is essentially a mailing list program that allows directed emails and will help in trying to blur the divide between MySpace and the rest of the Internet. The social networking site turned music platform, whose new interface is as sluggish as the previous version, is also aiming to offer fans a greater statistics read on statistics across MySpace but also Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

NEW PROJECTS Distribution label Fuse have announced that they’ll be fulfilling those duties for Melbourne indie label Sensory Projects from the start of 2011. The label has already released records from Pivot, Rat Vs. Possum, Mum Smokes while they expect to have releases from Pets With Pets and Love Connection among others next year.

FUSE FESTIVAL ADDITIONS Adelaide’s Fuse Festival industry conference has announced that Michael Chugg will join the event next year as a keynote speaker. He joins a lineup that also includes Vince Bannon and John Watson. Also announced are the Songwriting And Competition and Management masterclasses, the former to be held with David Bridie and the latter with a range of high profile managers. The masterclasses are on Wednesday 16 February, while the conference takes place Thursday 17 and Friday 18.

ARENAS TO HOUSE PARTY After selling out arenas around the country last week, Bon Jovi has also been announced as Billboard’s top touring act for 2010 thanks to The Circle Tour. Starting in February, it has been seen by 1.5 million fans around the world and grossed $146 million. “We’ve had five albums in this decade, we’ve toured every one and people came back every time,” he told Billboard. “It says something for the band and the production and the performance that people feel they’re getting their money’s worth, especially in this economic downturn… Numbers don’t lie.” In a big week, frontman Jon Bon Jovi has been tipped to join

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the White House Council on Community Solutions after American President Barack Obama announced his intention to do so. His own foundation, Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, helps with affordable housing. He did miss out on a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction this week, however.

SHAME ABOUT THE STAY Has a recent touring American lost his head and not returned home yet? We hear he may be in the habit of disappearing for days, crashing gigs and making previous bouts of misadventure look tame in comparison.

NEXT FAMERS The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has announced its next inductees, with Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper Band, Dr John, Darlene Love and Tom Waits getting the nod. The leonine pianist and grand Southern gentleman Leon Russell was honoured with a musical excellence award.

THE JUSTICE CREW The Access All Areas Conference – at Sydney’s Seymour Centre Friday 25 and Saturday 26 February – have announced that Bliss N Eso have joined the Music & Social Justice Conference. Tickets are available now with a special price of $195 available until Friday.

BEER GOGGLES As a partner of the Australian Music Prize, Coopers have launched a series of web episodes on CoopersTV that will follow the process of the competition from submission to final event. The first episode is up now at cooperstv.com.au.

INNER WEST’S BEST In its second year, the Inner West Festival has expanded to become a two-day event and incorporate a new band competition. With a range of prizes as well as a spot on the event, entries can currently be made by sending them a message on their MySpace with the song you’re pushing. Head to myspace.com/ innerwestfestbandcomp for more info. Entries are open to any unsigned band around Sydney and close the first week of January. Heats will take place each Wednesday night from 2 February to 13 April at the Sandringham Hotel in Newtown.

COUNTRY KIDS The top 20 finalists for the Toyota Star Maker country music talent competition have been announced, the 32nd edition of the event to be awarded once again at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Finalists are Aaron Jury (New Zealand), Amanda Halloran (Qld), Angela Easson (SA), Cameron Cusack (Tura Beach), Chris Matthews (WA), Damian Howard (Vic), David Agius (Greystanes), Elizabeth Papalia (Qld), Emma Kelly (Vic), Fiona Fields (Glenmore Park), Holly Denton (WA), Jess Holland (Mungindi), Kaylee Bell, (New Zealand), Lachlan Bryan (Vic), Louise Egan (Lavington), Luke Dickens (Bondi Beach), Mitchell Steele (Qld), Natalie Brandt (St Clair), PJ Gordon (Rankin Park) and Rosemaree Dinaro (St Clair). Keith Urban and Lee Kernaghan have both been the prestigious annual Star Makers competition finalists previously, so it’s obviously an important step for any aspiring young singer/songwriter hoping to develop a career within the genre.

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MAYOR VS MINISTER

SYDNEY LORD MAYOR CLOVER MOORE’S PLANNED CHANGES TO THE DCP HAVE BEEN CANNED BY STATE MINISTER TONY KELLY, REMOVING FEARS REVIEWABLE LICENSES BROUGHT. HITTING BACK AS TO THE ORIGINS OF THOSE CONDITIONS, MOORE GIVES SCOTT FITZSIMONS HER COMMITMENT TO SYDNEY’S CREATIVE SCENES.

CLOVER MOORE

hen the State Minister For Planning Tony Kelly announced that he would be overruling Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s planned amendments to the Late Night Trading Development Control Plan (DCP), it seemed to be a victory for those who had lobbied against the changes. But what it’s really done – while a positive move for the industry – has started the finger-pointing and blame-shifting between the two parties. The Front Line has previously raised concerns about the amendments, mainly around the line stating that venues “can be reviewed at any time… or multiple times” in response to “such things as changes in the late night character of a neighbourhood or changes in management”. It was a very wide scope and opened up the possibility of licenses being revoked for things like noise complaints if the council were to support other interests (new residents, for example) over the live music industry. “The most harmful parts were the ability to unilaterally just close down places from ten o’clock onwards,” MP Tony Kelly told The Front Line of his decision. “It really

TONY KELLY created a lot of uncertainty, financial institutions were starting to show concerns with the hospitality industry particularly if they were not able to stay open… There’s thousands of these jobs for young people in the city of Sydney, for young people who are at university, trying to pay their way through university, as well as the fact that it is Australia’s only global city.” He even went so far as to describe the Lord Mayor’s actions as “dictatorial”.

from the State Government… That’s why I think it’s ironic that the Minister’s come out in opposition of the very thing he directed us to do.”

Striking back, Lord Mayor Clover Moore told The Front Line that those amendments to the three-year-old DCP that would give the council that power were at the direction of the State Government itself. “One of the changes to allow reviewable conditions came as a result of direction from the State government. It was not part of our original plan – it came directly from the State Government. What’s part of our Control Plan is when people seek extended hours, they go through a trial process and if they manage it responsibly, they can continue to do it. If they don’t, they can’t.” This is what the Oxford Art Factory have eventually received after a misunderstanding to the changes to their amendment. “But a condition of renewable reviews was a direction

“She’s taking on, in a dictatorial fashion, the job of the licensing squad and of the NSW police. They’ve done a great job over the last 12 or 18 months, when we introduced those new laws about trading hours and responsible service – whether they’d be plastic cups and serving water and so forth. They’ve actually reduced the number of hotels in the violent category from 48 down to just nine. And none of those nine are actually in the City Of Sydney’s area, or in King’s Cross. So it’s inappropriate to bring it in now, when it’s the effective work of the police and licensing squad is shown to be working.”

Having to wait until Moore implemented the DCP, Kelly cites the “uncertainty” that it would inflict on restaurants and hotels as the most problematic aspect and one that would harm Australia’s image as Australia’s global city – one thing both parties can agree on.

Moore believes, though, that she’s not trying to claim responsibility for the good work of others and is keen

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LINE to focus on the Small Bars bill she introduced recently. “This is not about nine hotels that they’ve identified that might be in Parramatta or Manly or Newcastle, this is about the nightlife of our most dynamic city, Sydney – and it’s about having a safe environment where everyone can go there and have a great time and not be bashed by people who have stumbled out of a venue where there hasn’t been responsible management. The whole campaign [against the amendments, led by an anonymous Internet page and venues owners, including small venue owners who didn’t want to be named by The Front Line for fear of repercussion] angered me because we’re a very progressive council and I fought a very big campaign to get small bars up, which has made a greater difference to the live music industry than any other action probably in the last decade.” More correct perhaps is that the Small Bars bill has the potential to do so, as there hasn’t suddenly been a jump in the number of Sydney music venues. “The venues I have concerns about have very large numbers of people,” continued Ms Moore, “have very large screens with very loud football, that have many, many poker machines and where those poor people behind the counter serving find it very difficult to really know if the people who are continuing to get drinks are drunk already. That’s not the place I think anyone would go to listen to live music, frankly.” The war of words isn’t likely to stop here, but that’s a good thing for the industry. As the State election draws nearer the incumbent but embattled Labor Government will increasingly move to manoeuvre itself into communities, much as their Victoria counterparts did with their acknowledgement that live music does not cause violence. It means it’s a rare chance for the music industry’s stakeholders to have their case heard, as groups like MusicNSW have been pushing for. Regardless of responsibility, this is a positive move for the music industry in that it provides venues with a little more assurance that they can hold live music effectively. For Sydney especially, it’s positive Clover Moore has been forced into making a real show of support for live music, considering she’s been quiet on the specific subject previously.

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 21 •

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)

Bring Home the Goodies Iconic legendary and down right funny! 8 OF OF THE THEE BEST B ST EPISODES EPISO E SOOODE DES ESS

TWO PARKS

WAKE UP

Dear Drum,

I would like to say a big thank you to Danielle O’Donohue for her write-up of the Linkin Park Sydney show with Dead Letter Circus last week.

This is more of a review than a letter, but I was disappointed with the event, so I had to write to you guys. So, how was No Sleep Til Sydney? I’m new in Australia and had high expectations for my first “proper” festival. Coming from a third-world country, with minimal international exposure to artists, it would be quite easy to impress me.

I found myself chatting with a variety of fans in the pit at both shows (no, I couldn’t possibly pass up the opportunity to see them twice when they were offering General Admission tickets for $50!) and found them divided straight down the middle. One half left disappointed, saying more songs should have been played from Hybrid Theory and Meteora, while the other half (like me) were relieved that songs like In The End and Crawling were even on the setlist considering the difficulty of having three and a half hours of songs to choose from and only one and a half hours to play them. It seemed the general consensus was this – as with Paramore’s tour earlier this year, where there should have been one show for the Paramore fans and one show for the Twilight fans – there could have easily been a show for the Hybrid Theory/Meteora fans and one for the Minutes To Midnight/A Thousand Suns/ Transformers fans. My humble opinion is that no matter what, Linkin Park have remained true to their original form. Making music that is theirs and not succumbing to some of the ridiculous trends of mainstream music. As a side note, Dead Letter Circus (as mentioned by Danielle) should have had a much better receiving. While the second show (on the Wednesday) showed slightly more enthusiasm for our Brisbane boys, at least from the floor audience, I cannot deny that they had very big shoes to fill as the support for LP. Being a fan for a few years, I can safely say that while many people trashed them, wishing LP would get on the stage after the second song of DLC’s set, they all went home and secretly YouTube-d them later that night. Grateful Mortdale We’re sure one day Linkin Park will return with a “classic album” show to appease those types of fans you speak of. Most bands when they get to a certain vintage seem to do such a thing. – Ed

FRONTLASH

D I N C LU

ES A

E G A P 36 KLET! BOO

From rescuing reescuing kidnapped kiddnappeed musicians musicians too defending ng Camelotot (against town planners!), from creating honest advertising to fighting a ban on fun instigated by an all-too-real puppet government, this is television comedy at its undeniable best!

F R O M

Asquith Welcome to the Australian festival experience: the world of long beer queues, which is something you will find no matter what festival you go to. No one seems to have obliterated them as yet (trust us, we know, as we like beer and festivals. A lot). – Ed

BACKLASH

FACTORS DON’T ADD UP

LAST SATURDAY GWAR, The Descendents, Aussies killing it in the Ashes… good day all round.

BIFFY COUSTIC Getting up close and personal with the Biff’ was pretty special – and rare these days.

BIDEN US Vice President Joe Biden called WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange a “high-tech terrorist.” Does that make Biden a “moron”?

FESS UP, SAM After starring in Avatar, Sam Worthington drowned in Clash Of The Titans. He’s apologised for it though when talking about the sequel, “What we’re setting out to do with this one - the writers and the director and myself - is improve. I think I can act fucking better, to be honest.” Wait, there’s going to be another one? Shit.

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ASSOCIATE EDITORS Michael Smith, Scott Fitzsimons

FRONT ROW EDITOR Daniel Crichton-Rouse frontrow@drummedia.com.au

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Adam Curley

STAFF WRITER Bryget Chrisfield

CONTRIBUTORS Aarom Wilson, Adam Wilding, Alice Tynan, Anita Connors, Anthony Carew, Ben Preece, Ben Revi, Benjamin McInerney, Bethany Small, Brendan Crabb, Chris Familton, Chris Maric, Christine Caruana,

• 22 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

Nick

X-Factor scores the coveted Christmas number one spot in Britain despite campaigns to avoid it (they cancelled each other out). Last year a Facebook campaign got Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name to the number one spot. In Australia, our X-Factor album release was thankfully kept out of top spot by good ol’ Aussie artists Susan Boyle, Bon Jovi and P!nk.

Andrew Mast

A N D OTH E R L E A D I N G D V D R ETA I L E R S.

Megadeth would make it all good though! But first, Parkway Drive. Solid band, solid show, highlight of the day so far! This and Megadeth would redeem the day for every single annoyance... and Dave Mustaine manages to screw up three of the first six notes on Holy War... And then he starts to sing, or more aptly, whinge like a baby half the time.

PEATS PREP

PUBLISHER

A V A I L A B L E

Instead, we went to watch 3 Inches Of Blood. Awesome band, good sound, minimal lights, sympathetic crowd. Midway through their set, we decide to go out for a breath of fresh air and a smoke, so we do, but the entrance and exit of the stage are not the same place and we are not allowed to come back in? Why? It’s the rules.

Looking forward to some good old camping in the fresh air and enjoying water views. However, this could take on a whole new meaning if the wind picks up and it pours rain.

AVAILABLE ON DVD FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME! N O W

So, my bottle of water got confiscated at the entrance, which I could live with, I suppose. Metal was blasting from an unseen stage, so this guy was happy! To my surprise found just three food joints, a couple of drinks places and one merch stall. Good enough to serve a few thousand hungry and thirsty metalheads? Stood in one of those for about 35 minutes and managed to get the two maximum allowed overpriced beers for me and the lady by which time both of us were so dehydrated they didn’t touch sides.

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THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 23 •

NEWS@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU With the Big Day Out, as you’ll know the first day, Wednesday 26 January at the Sydney Showgrounds, has completely sold out but there are still a few tickets left for the second day Thursday 27 and that means one more chance to catch Tool, Rammstein, Bloody Beetroots, Iggy & The Stooges and too many more to mention here. As it happens, there’s a competition happening in conjunction with the BDO whereby you can win yourself some tickets by logging into the Dash To Defy site and Motorola Australia Facebook to try and find “Barry” at high noon every Tuesday and Thursday through December. Gathering together not only the hits but album cuts, B-sides and alternative mixes, Friday 14 January sees the release of The Best Of N.E.R.D., N*E*R*D of course playing the Hordern Pavilion Friday 7 with Tinie Tempah.

CIRCLE PIT

VIBE GROWIN’

The Waifs’ Vikki Thorn, accompanied by Ben Franz on double bass and lap steel, has been invited to open for Emmylou Harris & Her Red Dirt Boys at the State Theatre Sunday 9 and Monday 10 January.

One of the boutique festivals to let loose at this summer, the inaugural and simply named Summer Vibes Festival will take place at Newcastle’s Croatian Club Sunday 16 January. Adding to an already star-studded local lineup, with the odd international (see: The Oh Sees) the second announcement includes Circle Pit, Absolute Boys, Per Purpose, Danger Beach, Cured Pink, Teen Ax, The Paul Kidney Experience, Love Parade, None Music, Cistern Corrupt and Unfit For Human Consumption. Already announced are Straight Arrows, Total Control, Kirin J. Callinan, Kitchen’s Floor, Bare Grillz and more.

Spookyland, aka Marcus Gordon, is the personal choice for guest support when Canadian singer songwriter Dan Mangan comes to Australia in January for a national tour that brings him to the Brass Monkey Wednesday 12, the Hotel Gearin Thursday 13, the Oxford Art Factory Friday 14, the Great Northern in Newcastle Saturday 15 and the Heritage in Bulli, with Andy Bull also performing throughout.

GOANNA RETURNS

Taking to the Festival Garden stage for the 2011 Sydney Festival are The Suitcase Royale, playing Thursday 13, Friday 14 and Saturday 15 January; The Crusty Suitcase Band, Thursday 20, Friday 21 and Saturday 22; and The Sun Chasers Collective, Thursday 27, Friday 28 and Saturday 29, all gigs kicking off 11pm.

JESS HARLAN Named the year’s Best Female Artist last week at The Age EG Music Awards, Melbourne-based singer songwriter Jess Harlen has scored the main support spot for G Love and Plutonic’s Moonshine Lemonade shows, the Sydney gig happening Saturday 15 January at the Oxford Art Factory. LA’s Health will be sharing the Sydney Festival evening Thursday 20 January down at Beck’s Festival Bar with veteran English rockers Wire and locals DJs Jinx and Continental Breakfast.

Having played festivals and sold-out tours on the back of his latest album, Goanna Dreaming, Shane Howard – the Australian singer/songwriter ingrained in this country’s socially-aware music scene thanks to his time in Aboriginal/Land Rights-promoting band Goanna – has been relatively busy this year. Therefore it’s in a quieter fashion that he starts next year, with a one-off show at the new Lizotte’s Dee Why venue Saturday 11 January. Naturally, he’ll be joined by the partners-in-crime of his band – Ruben Shannon, Rory McDougall, John Hudson, Myra Howard and Amy Saunders.

DEAD ARE ALIVE

APPETITE FOR MORE

Brisbane-based Hungry Kids Of Hungary can count themselves alongside the likes of The Holidays, having released industry-anticipated debut albums this year and setting themselves up for huge summers/rest of 2011. In the Kids’ case it was their album, Escapades, which scored a bunch of Album Of The Week accolades (including from this magazine) as well as general applause. In between and tying together festival dates, they play the Brass Monkey Tuesday 25 January, Baroque Katoomba Thursday 27, the Mona Vale Hotel Friday 28 and the Fitzroy Hotel Saturday 29, Paper Scissors and Slow Down Honey the supports throughout.

Alt-country champions Deadwood ’76 are headed our way as a part of their resurrection tour, on the back of new retrospective, Tales From The Wasted Years 2001-2008. Named Night of the Living Deadwood, the night will see the band joined by Jack Nasty Face, The Ramalamas, Roland K. Smith & The Sinners, Satellite V, The Missing Link, Cash Only and Barry March. This is all happening Saturday 8 January at the Marrickville Bowling Club, and despite the event’s name things actually kick off a little earlier, at 4.30pm, to get all the acts in.

Opening for hip hop star Lupe Fiasco when he does his Enmore Theatre BDO sideshow Monday 24 January is special guest Black Milk. Friday 14 January, Plan B, aka Londoner Ben Drew, will see the release of a special edition of The Defamation Of Strickland Banks, with six new tracks added, a mix of demos, remixes and live cuts. Catch him live at the Metro Theatre Monday 24 January. Sean Kingston’s Sydney show has moved as a consequence of that old popular demand, heading from the State Sports Centre to the Big Top at Luna Park Tuesday 25 January, where he will be joined by Iyaz, New Boyz and MTV America’s Best Dance Crew, Quest Crew. All tickets already sold are valid for the new venue. Since you’ll never see the original band performing live, the next best thing is one of the UK’s most popular tribute bands, so you’re invited to experience The Complete Stone Roses, one show only, Friday 28 January at Selina’s Coogee Bay Hotel. Sydney Festival has announced a third Sufjan Stevens concert Saturday 29 January at the State Theatre, in addition to his previously announced Sydney Opera House concerts Thursday 27 and Friday 28. When Return To Forever IV come to the Sydney Opera House to play Tuesday 15 February, they will feature US-based Australian guitarist Frank Gambale, who is replacing Bill Connors, who has had to drop out of the forthcoming tour on medical grounds. The Script’s Friday 8 April Hordern Pavilion concert has sold out but there are still tickets for Saturday 9. You can download the first single, The Fire Is Gone, from the forthcoming album from After The Fall, from their bandcamp website for whatever price you want to pay or not, and if you want to hear the song live, head into The Loft in Newcastle Friday, or join them when they open for Cog in Selina’s at the Coogee Bay Hotel Wednesday 22 December, or The Butterfly Effect at Waves Tuesday 28. Currently riding high on the second single, Run, Wild, from their forthcoming album, Dead Letter Chorus are heading out on tour once more in January and are playing with Jason Collett and Zeus. So you’ll be catching them at the Brass Monkey Thursday 6, the Oxford Art Factory Friday 7 and The Great Northern in Newcastle Wednesday 12. • 24• THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

DEREK TRUCKS & SUSAN TEDESCHI

COUPLE SINGS THE BLUES

SONNY & THE SUNSETS

For the first time, San Francisco troubadours Sonny and the Sunsets, headed by Sonny Smith, will be heading to our shores. Supporting will be Kelley Stoltz, who hits the skins for the Sunsets but is also a seasoned musician and regular visitor in his own right, having released his seventh record, To Dreamers, earlier this year. Catch them at GoodGod Small Club Thursday 10 March, and though Stoltz won’t be making a solo appearance at The Clean’s headliner at the Factory Wednesday 9 of the same month, the Sunsets certainly will, having snapped up the support slot alongside Smudge.

A couple both on and off stage, blues and roots duo Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band has a lot of love to pass around. Already slated to play Bluesfest, they’ll now also be taking on the Enmore Theatre for a headliner on Thursday 21 April. Opening will be Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and considering both Trucks and Randolph have in some way worked with the great Eric Clapton himself over the years, it goes without saying that there’ll be some pretty heavy talent floating around at this show. Earlier this year Trucks’ band released their live album, Roadsongs, before taking a break, and it was perhaps the finest live album released this year. The remarkably talented guitarist has matured better than we’d hoped.

SIZING UP ‘11

GRACING STAGES

The ever-enjoyable Barons Of Tang will be on the festival circuit this summer, playing the Woodford Folk gathering up in Brisbane as well as servicing a lot of the East Coast. They’ve also just announced a date at the Annandale Hotel where they’ll be headlining along with South Africa’s Captain Stu, Sunday 16 January. Also playing on the night will be Captain Kickarse & The Awesomes, Rockethead, Slimey Things and Violence In Action. The Barons have a big year ahead of them already, with a planned Oz and New Zealand tour in March before heading to the US as well.

Breaking the trend of clustered announcements, Grace Jones’ imminent appearance at Bluesfest has been deemed worthy of her own announcement – or perhaps she just couldn’t be locked-in and confirmed in time for the last one. Either way, she’s definitely worthy of the spotlight it provides her and she’ll be donning the festival’s main stage Friday 22 April. Memories from her most recent appearance at the Sydney Festival are overly positive (she was the act in 2009) and we’re sure she’s got a whole new layer of inspiration to hold over us this time around as well.

SUNSHINING

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DAN PARSONS AND STEVE GRADY

50 FIRST DATES No, no, not the film in which Adam Sandler wins over a forgetful Drew Barrymore with his boyish charm, but the name of the upcoming tour by Dan Parsons and Steve Grady. The pair are teaming up and kicking it all around the country in 50 of the less-known regional joints that our sunburnt land has to offer in what they’re thinking of as their Kerouac-esque adventure. If you’re a country dweller or if you just feel like a road trip, check some of these shows out – they’ll be at the Post Office Hotel in Moree on Thursday 10 February for a free show, Narrabi’s Tattersalls Hotel on Friday 11 (also free), Muswellbrook’s Shamrock Hotel for another freebie on Saturday 12 and the Longyard Hotel in Tamworth on Sunday 13 yet again – you guessed it – free. The freebies end for a bit while they play the Brass Monkey on Wednesday 16 and Lizotte’s Central Coast Thursday 17, and then they chuck in another zero-dollar show at the Oriental Hotel in Springwood on Friday 18. The gig at Clarendon Guesthouse on Saturday 19 requires some cash dollars but the rest of the shows – Sunday 20 at the Fitzroy Hotel in Windsor and Wednesday 23 at the Pot Belly Bar in Canberra – are once again on the house. These boys will be superbly busy with these gigs, so make sure you come along to support them.

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 25 •

NEWS@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU

ANNO DOMINI

ANNO DOMINATES Sydney metallers Anno Domini are set to travel the east coast in support of their new album, Atrocities. Though a full national tour is apparently in the works, before you start jotting down your flight schedules to go see them interstate, you can check them out right here Friday 7 January at The Wall, Saturday 15 at The Maram and Saturday 30 at The Lucky Australian Tavern. They’ll then zip to Victoria for a bit before coming back for shows at the Lewisham Hotel Friday 18 February, Wollongong’s Cabbage Tree Hotel Saturday 19 and Club Led in Newcastle a month later on Friday 25 March.

COOKING UP SOUNDS

PEOPLE PERSONS

Don’t let their press shot fool you - if the overseas tastemakers are to be believed, Foster The People are looking to bring joy and good feelings to your summer, with an EP due January and an album definitely in the works. Maybe that’s why the Hollywood-based trio, led by frontman Mark Foster, are heading to the southern hemisphere early next year to chase that summer vibe. Monday 14 February they’ll be showcasing themselves at the Oxford Art Factory. They count the NME editorial staff and Mark Ronson as fans, so no doubt they’re hoping to add you to the list as well.

The good news for Mark Sultan is that being a oneman band, it’s not going to cost him as much to ship himself over to Australia for a tour. You may know Mr Sultan as BBQ – that is, the BBQ half of King Kahn & BBQ, who we saw in Australia recently (here’s hoping this tour ends better than that one did) and by himself he offers a mixture of soul, punk, doo-wop, garage and just plain ol’ rock. His latest album, $, is where a lot of his material will come from but he’ll also be delving into the back catalogue at GoodGod Small Club Thursday 10 February.

KILLIN’ THOSE BEATS It’s time to drag yourself away from those YouTube videos and come and see the real thing. One of the world’s finest beatboxers – just ask Pharrell Williams – Killa Kela has toured and performed with the likes of Jurassic 5, Busta Rhymes, Justin Timberlake, Prince and N*E*R*D,and his live show has, needless to say, been honed into quite the attribute. Joining him live are Andy Knowles on the drums (toured for two years with Franz Ferdinand) and DJ Skeletrik on the turntables and samples. The show happens at Home The Venue Thursday 6 January.

THE TREWS

CALLING AUSTRALIA HOME Canadian rockers The Trews recently visited Australia and decided they loved it so much that they just had to come back. The four-piece will take up a number of residencies right here in our fine city across the early months. Wednesdays will see them at Melt Bar – 23 February, 2 and 9 March; Thursdays they’ll call the Sandringham Hotel home, 24 February, 3 and 10 March; Old Manly Boatshed will play host to them on Fridays, 26 February, 4 and 11 March; Saturdays are at the Bridge Hotel in Rozelle, 26 February, 5 and 12 March, and lazy Sundays at the Brass Monkey are in order, 27 February, 6 and 13 March. It’s an ambitious schedule to take on but one that’s sure to win them a lot of local points.

SNOOP DOG

SECOND SUPA Following the success of this year’s inaugural Supafest, the urban festival is back for a second year in 2011 with some truly immense acts taking out the first announcement. Last seen on our shores as a face on the Gorillaz touring screen, Snoop Dogg will be back in the flesh to headline the festivities. If you’re feeling like it’s getting a little hot in here, it’s probably because Nelly’s also making his way into town, while the multitalented Taio Cruz will also be joining the bill. The last act on the first announcement, no longer little, is Bow Wow, who will be barking rhymes your way when Supafest hits ANZ Stadium on Saturday 9 April.

THIS IS WAR Bristol lads (doesn’t that just roll off the proverbial tongue) The Stanton Warriors are bringing the breakbeat back down under this January. Even more good news to run with the announcement is the fact that their next and second proper album, Warriors, will be delivered in the new year, along with its lead single, Get Up. Becoming ever more prominent via various mixtapes as well as their own releases, catch them at Chinese Laundry’s The Garden and Wollongong’s Grand Hotel Saturday 22 January and Academy Friday 28. • 26 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

L.U.S.T

GOT THE APPEAL Regulars around Sydney’s rock’n’roll traps for a while now, L.U.S.T are looking to branch out to the wider roads of Sydney – and they know just the band to help them out there. With their first album, First Tattoo, ready (the name suddenly quite apt) they’ll be supporting with Kevin Borich’s Party Boys, complete with Angry Anderson and other luminaries. You may know the locals from MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball, as their song, See You In Hell, was picked up for the Australian theme. Catch them Friday 31 December at Rooty Hill RSL, Friday 7 January Sussex Inlet Tavern, Cardiff Panthers Saturday 8, Lemon Tree Passage Bowling Club Friday 14, Central Coast Leagues Friday 21 and Waves Nightclub Wollongong Saturday 22.

KICK IT WITH K One of house music’s finest – even if house’s reign of global domination has made way for its electro cousin – Kaskade has Australia in his sights once again, with plans laid out for a January jaunt. San Francisco’s Ryan Raddon has remixed for the likes of Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Timbaland, while his latest and sixth album, Dynasty, with its hand-raising tendencies, is also sure to get a flogging. Catch the man who brought us Everything, Move For Me and It’s You, It’s Me live and in the flesh at the Greenwood Hotel Sunday 23 January.

IRMA THOMAS

MONKS DO GOOD

THE QUEEN IS HERE Aside from her appearances at Bluesfest, the self-proclaimed Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas, will also head up her own business at The Factory Theatre on Thursday 21 April. This is the lady whose songs have been covered by everyone from Otis Redding to The Rolling Stones, so there’s a lot of history here. Yet this is her first ever Australian tour, so there will surely be many, many stories to hear from the queen herself. It will be a rare look into the American soul scene that you’ll be hard pressed to emulate elsewhere.

Emerging youngsters Monks Of Mellonwah will be hosting a charity gig for War Child Australia that they’ve dubbed Mellonaid. Also performing on the night will be Claire, Tred and Gawk, which is all happening at The Factory Theatre Saturday 19 February and is all ages. If you’re not familiar, War Child is an international relief and development agency for children affected by war currently working in Afghanistan, Congo, Iraq and Uganda and all proceeds from the show will go towards the charity. Monks Of Mellonwah released their five track EP, Stars Are Out, earlier this year.

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RESIST THE THOUGHT

DOUBLE METAL ASSAULT For those of you metal fans who like your music loud and local, two of the country’s finest are teaming up for the I Wanna Give It tour to kick off the new year. Buried In Verona and Resist The Thought, both from Sydney, will combine their brute forces for a string of dates across the state in January and February. Catch them Thursday 20 January at Wollongong’s Harp Hotel, Thursday 27 at Spectrum’s Hot Damn, Friday 28 at Minto PCYC, Saturday 29 at the Cambridge Hotel, Sunday 30 at The Wall and then, after a bit of a break from NSW, they’re heading back Thursday 18 February for Tuggeranong Youth Centre and Friday 19 at Blacktown’s Masonic Hall. Both acts have released albums this year and look to carry that momentum into the new one.

CHILD’S PLAY We feel good that we still had to Google Altiyan Childs’ name when it showed up in the ARIA charts this week, the search reminding us that he was the winner of recent reality TV show, The X Factor (a flop considering the money Channel 7 paid for it) and he’ll probably be pretty present for the time being. His self-titled album received platinum status in its first week of release, so there are definitely some people out there who are digging what he’s doing and if you’re one of them you’ll probably want to get out to his first east coast RSL tour. Friday 14 January he’s at Campbelltown Catholic Club, Saturday 15 Revesby Workers, Friday 21 Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, Saturday 22 Penrith Panthers, Friday 28 Mounties Mt Pritchard, Saturday 29 the Australian Brewery Hotel, Friday 4 February Southern Cross Club and Saturday 5 Cronulla Leagues.

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 27 •

GARAGE SYNDROME

There’s a general rule within the Australian music scene that anyone who’s good with Eddy Current Suppression Ring is good with us. That definitely extends to Thee Oh Sees, even though technically we knew about them before they toured with the Current. The Sees are a band that struggle to stand still, something they’ve struggled with for most of their ten-plus year career. Warm Slime is the latest album in the catalogue and given the impression they left on Meredith last year, they’ll be happily welcomed back to town at the Red Rattler Friday 14 January and the Summer Vibes Festival in Newcastle Sunday 16.

DEAR DIARY Melbourne acid jazz musician extraordinaire Albare, who released two studio albums this year, is set to return to Sydney on the back of his record, Travel Diary. The album, comprising ten originals written by Albare and featuring his band, also called Travel Diary, shows the smoother side of Albare’s musicianship and will be available for viewing and listening pleasures at The Basement, Circular Quay on Thursday 24 February. Albare was recently in town to launch the album and will build upon those laid foundations this time around.

ESCAPING WITH ROBINSON Born and bred in Australia, Joe Robinson has done some intercontinental scouting lately, having settled down in Nashville, but is returning home in January for the Houdini tour with an all-new band from the USA. He may have won Australia’s Got Talent in 2008 but don’t write him off as a talentless commercial hack – some of his fans include the late Les Paul, Steve Vai and Tommy Emmanuel, and you’d think they’d know their stuff. This is the first time he’ll also feature vocals in his shows in Australia, and the whole tour will be a lead up to his new album, due for release next year also. You can catch him at the Sawtell RSL Wednesday 12 January, Coffs Harbour Glasshouse Thursday 13, Taree’s Manning Theatre Saturday 15, Lizotte’s Newcastle Tuesday 18, Lizotte’s Kincumber Wednesday 19, Lizotte’s Dee Why Thursday 20, The Basement Circular Quay Friday 21, Clarendon Guesthouse Saturday 22, The Brass Monkey Sunday 23, Bulli’s Heritage Hotel Tuesday 25, Milton Theatre Thursday 27 and Canberra’s Street Theatre Friday 28.

The unstoppable Ezekiel Ox and his new punk duo, Over-Reactor, have recently released their second full-length album in six months, Lose Your Delusion Too. To celebrate the fact that Jebediah are back on the road and back in the studio working on a new album, Sony Music has pulled together their three albums released while signed to Murmur – Slightly Odway, Of Someday Shambles and Jebediah – along with their B-sides compilation, Gleesides And Sparities, and their indie album, Braxton Hicks, and have released them as a digital-only box-set titled The Murmur Years 1997-2002. Another celebration being marked with a release, this time as a physical two-CD set, is the 20th anniversary edition of Nowhere, the debut album from Oxfordshire four-piece Ride, fully remastered with the addition of their Today Forever EP and a previously unreleased live set recorded at the Roxy in LA in April 1991. Lykke Li gets the remix treatment from Mike D of the Beastie Boys and Beck on a couple of tracks on her new EP, Get Some. Regular John has a new lineup with the addition of guitarist Miles Devine, formerly of Spangled Mistress, and it’s this version of the band that’ll be joining the 2011 Big Day Out cavalcade. Purple Sneakers DJs release their second two-CD compilation, We Mix You Dance Vol. 2, Friday 7 January, with cuts from Sleigh Bells, Two Door Cinema Club, LCD Soundsystem and more among the 46 tracks included. Featuring American legend Gillian Welch on seven of the ten tracks, as well as REM’s Peter Buck on three, The Decemberists release their new album, The King Is Dead, Friday 14 January. Pearl Jam release Live On Ten Legs, a classics-packed new live compilation album Friday 21 January, recorded over the course of the band’s 2003-2010 world tours. Former Decoder Ring member Lenka Kripac, who moved overseas in 2007, returns to join the band when they perform the Somersault soundtrack prior to the screening of the film Sunday 23 January in the Main Quadrangle of Sydney Uni.

•28 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

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THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 29 •

TAASHA COATES FROM THE AUDREYS AND KATE MILLER-HEIDKE ARE BOTH SEASONED FESTIVALGOERS, ON AND OFF THE STAGE, WHO ARE SET TO PLAY PEATS RIDGE FESTIVAL THIS YEAR. THEY SHARE STORIES WITH BRYGET CHRISFIELD ABOUT WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO WEAR PRETTY KNICKERS AND AVOID ILLICIT SUBSTANCES BEFORE A PERFORMANCE. COVER AND FEATURE PIC BY KANE HIBBERD.

passion and “I

’m much more into listening festivals where people truly go to listen to new music and I think Peats Ridge is one of those festivals,” Kate Miller-Heidke extols the festival she is performing at over the fast approaching New Year period. “It’s about the experience as well, but I played Peats Ridge once before and it seems to attract a certain type of person who’s an intelligent, open-minded, warm music lover [who’s] not just there to get smashed.” “I haven’t played Peats Ridge before,” The Audreys’ frontwoman Taasha Coates, whose band has also been booked to perform at the festival this year, admits, “because the last time we were booked there was the year that it got rained out [2007].” “I’m looking forward to Peats Ridge, because I’m gonna be playing it just with myself and my collaborator Keir Nuttall on guitar and I’ll play piano,” adds MillerHeidke. “So it’s the first time we will have played these festivals in a stripped-back mode, but that’s the show that we’ve been touring across North America for the last year and the one we played at Coachella and, yeah, I’m feeling really good about that show at the moment. So it’s not a huge rock band vibe, but it still completely works if the audience are with me, which I’m sure they will be.” It’s also a fairly new touring incarnation of The Audreys that Peats Ridge ticketholders will experience. “It’s Tristan [Goodall] and I,” says Coates. “We write the songs and then we’ve got three more guys. It’s actually really freshened it up for me.” Both Coates and Miller-Heidke attended festivals for the first time as teenagers. “The first festival I ever went to was the Woodford Folk Festival,” Miller-Heidke explains, “and from then on I’ve been every single year except for one.” Woodford is also the first festival at which Miller-Heidke performed. “They wouldn’t put me on the bill. I had to trudge around with my guitar and find out through a chalkboard. They had a little tent there where anyone could play as long as you got there early enough to write your name down, so I used to try to get three or four chalkboard gigs a day. And I used to play old Leonard Cohen songs and Joni Mitchell songs. When I was 15 there, I took a hash cookie before one of my gigs and I thought, ‘I’m fine, I’m totally fine, it’ll be good,’ and, yeah, halfway through the show I had to stagger off the stage. I felt completely green and that’s where I learnt not to take drugs before performing [laughs] and since then I actually haven’t even had a sip of wine before a gig.” Coates grew up in Adelaide and reckons the first festival she attended as a punter was the Big Day Out, where she laughingly remembers “teenagers making out in all the bushes”. Did she cop a pash herself? “I don’t think so,” she chuckles. “And then when we played [at Big Day Out] a couple of years ago – we played at five o’clock in the afternoon or something and then stuck around to see the rest of our stage. So we were loading out our gear as the festival was finishing and people were leaving – and it was the same scene! There were teenagers vomiting and I was like, ‘Oh, was that ever me?’” True to their roots, The Audreys’ first festival booking was at Womadelaide. “We were really nervous,” Coates remembers. • 30 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

COMMITMENT Recalling a particular festival experience where she struggled with the elements, Coates laughs, “I flashed my knickers at the front row!” Initially, it was the wind that prompted her display. “The skirt came up and I pushed it back down, but these two young boys down the front went, ‘YEAH!’ [laughs]. So I went, ‘That was for you boys.’” Did she at least have cute knickers on? “I did, but I think they might have been a bit lacy, like, a bit seethrough. So there might have been a bit of pube.” Luckily there was no such thing as Twitpics at the time, or mobile phone-filmed video footage, something that Coates is no stranger to. “It’s often at indoor shows. And you’re always going, ‘Dude, that angle – double chin, up my skirt, up my nose…’ I’ve actually called someone out about it once and I said, ‘This isn’t going on YouTube is it?’ And she said, ‘No, it’s for a friend of mine who’s sick and really wanted to come.’ So sometimes it’s something like that.” In terms of adjusting to the challenges that outdoor stages present, Coates says, “There’s a term among musicians called ‘festival sound’, which is basically

“

I’m much more into listening festivals where people truly go to listen to new music and I think Peats Ridge is one of those festivals.

shit. You have to move around the stage to try and hear the rest of the band. You only get 20 minutes to set up, so it’s not enough time to get a great sound. But, you know, some festivals have a really great crew and they’ll fix it really quickly within the first couple of songs and then you’re fine. You always have to have a sacrificial song at the top ‘cause the engineers have to work out your sound in the first song too. We used to have a song called You And Steve McQueen and we used to often play that first because all the instruments come in slowly and it gives people time. So we used to call it ‘Sacrificial Steve’,” she laughs. When planning a festival set, Coates believes it’s essential to change it up from how you’d approach a regular gig. “You have to. That was something we had to learn the hard way, but I think at a point in the set, if you’ve got people’s attention, you can pull something back a little bit. You know, people are there to just jump around and have a good time. We really put a lot of time into the order of songs, the trajectory of the set.” Miller-Heidke shares some advice on how she tailors her material into a festival-friendly format. “I still plan a set in three acts, but the acts are shorter and punchier – like a ‘greatest hits’ kind of vibe.” The singer believes it’s possible to include some slower songs “if it’s a nice audience”, adding, “You just have to calibrate it.”

Miller-Heidke actually experienced a career highlight when she was invited onstage to sing with one of her heroes. “I got up and sang Girls Just Wanna Have Fun with Cyndi Lauper in Perth a couple of years ago. That was pretty amazing. We were opening for her. There were a few bands playing a big, outdoor gig in Perth and I was just watching her from the side of the stage and she walked over and said, ‘[does her best Lauper impersonation] Hey, Kate, do you wanna come up and sing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun with me?’ I was like, ‘Holy shit!’ I just choked on my beer and then stumbled onstage. That was very surreal.” Has Coates ever invited a guest onstage to perform at a festival? “I think I did once but he said ‘no’,” she laments. “Oh, look, terrible stories of rejection. It was at Tamworth and Kevin Bennett played before us and I said, ‘Do you wanna come up and do a song with me?’ And he went, ‘Oh nah, I’ve gotta go and play with Kasey Chambers.’ And I went, ‘Fair enough, she’s got better tits than me’.” On whether she’s open to the idea of a spontaneous live guest spot, Coates puts it out there, “For sure, it depends how good-looking you are. We played some festivals in North America and they do that a lot. It’s a kind of love-in thing and they put a bunch of acts up onstage together and everyone plays on each other’s songs. I’m not actually mad on it. I think from an audience’s perspective – well, I always feel it’s a little bit shambolic, but they seem to like it over there.”

Coates admits she enjoys hanging out at a festival after she’s played her set. “That’s honestly one of the things I love about playing festivals is I get to see other acts. When you’re touring all the time, you just don’t have time, you know? I’ve had lots of acts I’m a really big fan of come to Australia and literally I’ve never been in the same city as them for the whole time they’ve been touring and I’ve never been able to see them. And it happens all the time! I get their schedule and I look at mine and I go, ‘FUCK!’ Or there might be one night when we’re in the same town, but we’re both playing or something.” So does Coates get out the front and mingle with the civilians? “I do sometimes. Side of stage is good, ‘cause you don’t sort of get hassled and it’s not muddy.” “I reckon the rain can enhance it sometimes,” MillerHeidke counters. “You move through the pain on to some deep level where you do feel part of a small community for a little time. It’s like a temporary city.” She agrees that camping festivals require a certain level of dedication. “You have to commit – definitely – and if you’re not truly passionate about it, like, if you think you need your hairdryer, then you won’t go. So you get to weed out all the dickheads that way and you get to bond through adversity, which I think is at the core of the festival experience for a lot of people. Like, bonding together with the community of music lovers through physical discomfort and emotional pain [laughs]. WHO Kate Miller-Heidke, The Audreys and many, many more WHEN & WHERE Wednesday 29 December – Saturday 1 January, Peats Ridge Festival

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IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

This week’s cover stars are surrounded by the wonderful creations of Boxwars, who pride themselves on recycling cardboard and providing it with multiple lives just as Peats Ridge Festival has, since its inception, devoted itself to leading the way as a sustainable event. After spying some kids duelling with cardboard poles in a park, Ross Koger, Hoss Siegel and Josh Spiegel (otherwise know as The Boxwars Council) had a collective epiphany. From weapons to suits of armour to tanks, Boxwars (boxwars.net) grew and then spectators were invited along to enjoy the ‘harmless’ warfare. The first battle took place on 26 January 2002 and there’s now an annual Boxing Day battle. Some appearances in pubs led to a slot at Melbourne Fringe Festival, during which Boxwars were discovered by Big Day Out scouts who believed the cardboard warriors were perfect for Lilyworld. The carbon neutral Boogie Festival in Tallarook, Victoria – which organises tree plantings to offset emissions – soon became another annual host of Boxwars. There are also cardboard crews in Scotland and Canada. Boxwars rescue their cardboard from retailers before it is thrown away and then turn it into art. Does Taasha Coates of The Audreys recycle? “Oh, for sure. I think we have more recycling than we do rubbish.” Kate Miller-Heidke expresses concern about her carbon footprint and that of all recording artists. “Put it this way, it would take a helluva lot of tree planting to offset the carbon emissions of any artist, because we fly a lot and drive a lot. My carbon footprint is enormous, but I think it’s something that I’m trying to streamline. I think as you gain a bit more control over your career, you’re not at the mercy of being yanked back and forth across the continent and across the world to play different shows. I’m looking forward to a time when I don’t have to travel as much, but obviously the environmental concerns – I think it’s the biggest problem that the world’s facing now.” Having played the festival before, the singer commends Peats Ridge’s commitment to sustainability: “I remember we were there at the end of the night and there was not one skerrick of rubbish, not one cigarette butt on the ground.”

SUMMER CAMP OUT

LEADING INTO THE PEATS RIDGE FESTIVAL, DRUM ASKED A FEW OF THE BANDS ON THE BILL SOME OF THEIR THOUGHTS ON CAMPING, WHICH IS A BIG ELEMENT OF THE FESTIVAL.

KING TIDE

PARADES

FIRE! SANTA ROSA, FIRE!

SPIT SYNDICATE

THE DYNAMITES

ITCH-E & SCRATCH-E

BELLES WILL RING

THE BREAK

THUNDAMENTALS

THE GIN CLUB

Are you all for camping or are you more an indoor plumbing type person? Tony Hughes (King Tide): “Oh do carry on! That’s a very Frankie Howard question. I’m not going camping with you.” Paul Mac (itch-E & scratch-E): “I’m all for camping or acting butch. It’s up to the individual. My preference is for outdoor plumbing though.” Daniel Cunningham (Parades): “I flip flop. Indoor plumbing is currently in favour.” Liam Judson (Belles Will Ring): “I’m all for camping in small doses. Truth be told, I am an indoor plumbing kind of guy, however I will be camping at Peats Ridge.” Sam Stearne (Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!): “If I were to speak as the whole band itself, I’d probably have to say indoor plumbing. Myself and our bass player Josho, are a little more on the outdoorsy side than the rest, but only just. We’re city kids and are kind of attached to our brick walls and insulation. However, camping once a year is a bit of a tradition for me. I always make sure I find an excuse to get out and about, into the great beyond... or something. Can’t wait.” Rob Hirst (The Break): “The djembes stop at 2am and the sun comes up at 5. ‘Nuff said.” Nick Lupi (Spit Syndicate): “Camping for sure. I’m all for indoor plumbing but would happily sacrifice comfort for the vibe at a festival campsite.” DJ Morgs (Thundamentals): “I am all for camping, it’s good to get dirty when your getting dirty, if you know what I mean. I also lived the tent life for about eight months while travelling around Europe in the hotter part of the year. Even when it got cold I was poor and did the same, met more real people and had interesting wildlife crawling into the tent... if you know what I mean!”

Leo Black (The Dynamites): “Well I spend plenty of time in tents, even as the ground seems to get harder as the years go by, but we’ll be braving the elements indoors on this go. That said, the road is one big wilderness, so we do plenty of roughing it. You could actually substitute the word ‘touring’ for camping, etc. in all these questions and it would make sense for us.” Scott Regan (The Gin Club): “Ha ha, no... I’m straight. Growing up in an all boys school, you sometimes wonder what it would be like to ‘go camping’, but when you enter the real world and discover girls and the wonders of ‘indoor plumbing’, so to speak, there’s no looking back.” Ever made out in a tent? How’d you find the experience if so? TH: “What is this? The ‘Carry On Up The Drum’ issue? If you must know, it took me ages to get the grass stains out of my Calvins. PM: “Not yet, but you never know your luck.” DC: “I have, it was so so. Next question.” LJ: “Yes I have. I found the experience to be similar to other make-out sessions – pretty bloody enjoyable.” SS: “No. Wait, maybe. I did Scouts as a kid and learned a lot about myself on those cold, lonely nights. So did those Girl Guides. A ten-year-old gentleman never kisses and tells.” RH: “Yes. When it was over our skin felt like sweaty cheese.” NL: “I did at Splendour this year, pre-breakdown. All things considered, it was amazing.” DJM: “Of course I have made out in a tent, and then some, if you know what I mean! Making out in a tent can be sweaty, good for losing calories, but not the most

hygienic.” LB: “Uhhh… yes and although the experience was wonderful, it ended up quite messy.” SR: “Yeah I got hot and sweaty in a tent at Woodford a few years back. Quite literally, as it was 40 degrees that day outside the tent, so probably about 50 degrees in. It was horrible. Plus tent walls give you the false impression that there is some sort of sound barrier between you and the campers next to you and there isn’t. There’s one mm of cheap polyester. No one wants to hear you sucking on someone’s face (or worse) while they’re heating their baked beans.” Do you think playing in a natural setting affects your performance in any way? TH: “I think bands with beards perform best amongst trees. And I don’t know why. For Peats sake we at Tide manor are all working on our beards. May I suggest ZZ Top for Peats next year? I hear they like camping.” PM: “Just getting out of the city and immersing yourself with several thousand people doing the same thing lends itself to a beautiful state of mind. Dancing on grass/dirt/ mud is way more fun than concrete.” DC: “It’ll be a unique setting to a lot of other festivals going around, so hopefully we’ll be able to vibe on that and have an extra good time when we’re playing. Last time we played Peats Ridge it was incredibly hot – easily 40 degrees or more, so the cooler time slot should help us out this year. Also, if the trees uprooted themselves and started walking around, our performance would definitely be affected.” LJ: “My performance in making out or playing music? I would say it affects both in similar ways – it brings a pastoral hue that makes me feel kinda folky and free.”

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SS: “We’ve always suspected that we could channel the spirits and being out in the wilderness will only put that theory to the test. If you see any mystic, ethereallooking Stags wandering around the food court, you’ll know the spell has worked. Also, Caitlin from the band is a descendent of the Horned God Pagan Deity ‘Pan’ so, we’ll see if they have a family reunion during the set. Fingers crossed.” RH: “The late Billy Thorpe played so loud he once stripped the bark off a dozen eucalypts in the Hunter Valley. And that was an acoustic show.” NL: “We’ve been performing amongst the trees since we started Spit Syndicate. I’ve played a few shows without smoking weed and it’s not nearly as fun.” DJM: “Growing up in the Blue Mountains I have to say I have some affinity with nature. I always liked writing music up there; it’s very serene. Going to a cliff top to chill was always a favourite of mine, really liked the emptiness, I could see why people would meditate on cliff tops. As for performing, I suppose it would have a similar effect, Peats Ridge is a beautiful setting and I always felt relaxed there, the nerves aren’t like that of a dingy nightclub.” LB: “Absolutely. We have been fortunate to play lots of natural outdoor venues and they are always my favourite. The air is better, and more than anything, these environments have the people attending already in such a good and open frame of mind, it makes everything gel better.” SR: “I suppose that if you’re a man, there is more opportunity for a pre-show pee behind a tree. After several pre-show tipples that might affect ones performance for the better and avoid embarrassment mid-set.”

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 •31 •

PERFECT FROM THEN ON

HE’S THE LIFE FORCE BEHIND BUILT TO SPILL, ONE OF THE MOST REVERED INDIE OUTFITS OF ALL TIME, BUT AS DOUG MARTSCH TELLS STEVE BELL, HE’S ONLY JUST BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE HIS MUSIC IS A VIABLE CAREER OPTION.

t took some 15 years after their inception for Idaho indie legends Built To Spill to finally hit Australian shores, with the five-piece first deigning to visit this part of the world exactly three years ago in the aftermath of releasing their sixth studio album, You In Reverse. Their incredible performances on that inaugural tour however made all those years of seemingly intolerable waiting worthwhile as they stunned all and sundry with their deft mastery of psych-drenched sonic textures and, when required, formidable threepronged guitar histrionics. Thankfully, their return to our neck of the global woods hasn’t taken nearly as long. Late last year they issued their seventh long-player, There Is No Enemy, and now the revered outfit are heading back down our way to once again show why they’re one of the most important guitar bands of the last couple of decades. “Yeah, we’re psyched to be coming back,” offers Doug Martsch, Built To Spill’s affable founder, frontman and creative lynchpin. “We loved coming to Australia last time. We kind of thought we’d be able to go back last year, but it just didn’t happen, so we’re glad to get invited back again. “It was good that you got to see us later in our career, because we got a lot better. We were not a good live band early on, especially before Brett [Nelson – guitar] and Scott [Plouf – drums] were in the band. I feel like we’ve gotten better and better as the years have gone by. You know we were horrible at different points. I played with different people and stuff; other guys that weren’t very good. You know, it was fun and weird and punk and whatever – just stranger than it is – but now it’s more conventionally good, is what I’m trying to say.” Of course the original vision for Built To Spill was that it wasn’t meant to be a band as such, merely a vehicle for Martsch’s songwriting that would find him working with whoever he was connecting with at the time. He reveals that this approach was a response to his previous stint in revered Northwest outfit Treepeople. “I think that was originally the idea. I think part of that was a reaction to having been in a band for a long time that was serious. A couple of the guys were brothers and we’d practice all the time and we moved in together – it just became like a pretty heavy drama to be in a band like that. So I wanted to avoid that and I also wanted to be able to make all different kinds of records and do things where I wouldn’t be tied down to musicians. Then after a couple of years of that I kind of burned out on it and liked the guys that I was working with and realised that the thing that I wanted to do was make a band that got better and grew together and everyone had a stake in it. It just changed.” One aspect of Built To Spill’s music that often gets overshadowed by the musical chemistry that has evolved between the members is the strength of Martsch’s lyrics. Whilst rarely prominent in the mix, his words are packed with an insight and emotional power that perfectly augments the band’s powerful output. “It doesn’t come easily at all,” he reflects on the lyrical side of his craft. “When I was younger and people started talking to me about lyrics, I used to say, ‘Oh, they’re just something there for me to sing, they don’t mean anything,’ or ‘They’re the least important thing.’ And I think I overemphasised that and kind of misled people even – I think I misrepresented myself as someone who didn’t give a shit about lyrics and that’s completely untrue. “I can deal with songs that don’t have good lyrics – the lyrics aren’t that important to me and I don’t listen to them until I’ve heard a song ten times, unless it’s like Jonathan Richman or something where the lyrics are just like in your face and you can’t help but listen to them. So to me the lyrics have that sort of association, but at the same time I work my ass off at them and they’re important. I think at one time I used to go on about how as long as the lyrics aren’t bad they’ll work – as long as they don’t distract you and make you think, ‘Oh my God, what the fuck?’ and take you out of the song. But of course I take great pride in good lyrics and I love great lyrics. The music makes those lyrics, you know – the music makes it into something meaningful. Just looking at them alone not many of my words would stand on their own.” Built To Spill have built a lengthy and influential career without compromising their artistic vision, surviving without having any substantial commercial success yet free to follow their muse wherever it takes them and it’s this for which Martsch is most thankful. “I can’t believe how incredibly lucky I’ve been. It’s been the ideal career for me not having a hit but still being able to do it. Maybe the only way that it could have been better would have been making a little bit more money, but I make enough money and I get by. We’ve never been for want of anything. I’m in my early forties now and I don’t know if it’s because of that or if things really did change, but I kind of felt a little bit that in a way I’ve arrived; that maybe I can be a professional musician for the rest of my life. “Because I’ve always felt like an indie rocker… not even an indie rocker, but a ‘punk rocker’ or something – someone who just picks up an instrument and plays it for fun. Someone who wants to make songs and records but who’s just doing it because they like to do it. I feel like I’ve been able to do that and make a living off of it somehow – that’s ideal to me. “I’ve just been lucky enough to have these people in my life that have helped me out and pointed me in the right direction and stuff. There’s many, many people out there who are doing music from their heart who haven’t had the same sort of luck that I have.” WHO Built To Spill WHEN & WHERE Wednesday 29 December, Metro Theatre; Thursday 30, Peats Ridge Festival

• 32 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

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THE SHAPE OF WEIRD TO COME

NEW MEMBERS, SELF DOUBT, SEXY DRESSING! ALL THIS AND MORE FROM YOUR FAVOURITE ROCK’N’ROLL DISSIDENT, ANDY ‘FALCO’ FALKOUS, ONE QUARTER OF WALES-BASED VENOM MERCHANTS FUTURE OF THE LEFT. LUKE MONKS CAUGHT THE FRONTMAN WITH A BEER IN HIS HAND.

“I

’ve had a full day,” chuckles Andy Falkous. “I was at the gym for two hours and now I’ve got this Heineken to deal with.” He rambles on, disparaging football teams, best left unnamed in case that damages his fanbase. Moving on, as if to smooth things out, the frontman switches tack, eagerly explaining the situation in the FOTL camp at the moment. “We’ve been rehearsing like motherfuckers, to use the technical term,” he says dryly, adding that as far as material goes, they’re almost two thirds of the way to having enough for a new record. “The moment of realisation that a song has happened is still the best feeling that I’ve experienced, being in a rock band. That’s when all atoms just coalesce around some fucking tune and everybody just hooks in; it gets like you don’t even have to direct anybody to shift to a different part, it’s just so seamless and natural. I hesitate to use that wellworn phrase, ‘the song writes itself’, because the song has never written itself and it’s not a sentient entity.”

“

I’ve always found that immediately after a record, there is a period of bitter selfdoubt, recrimination and sexy dressing.”

With the success of 2009’s Travels With Myself and Another, Falkous says he had to be careful not to begin writing again too soon. “You have rich periods, when everything goes right. That usually ends up resulting in a record. I’ve always found that immediately after a record, there is a period of bitter self-doubt, recrimination and sexy dressing. You effectively need to shed a skin and move on.” As far as this ‘fallow’ period after a record goes, Falkous says you simply have to ‘fuck your way through it’ and be ready to go again when the time is right. “No matter what kind of art you are engaged in, if you try too hard, it simply won’t work. One of the good things about having done this for years is that you learn to recognise those moments for what they are.” Falkous describes the growth of his musical output as an ‘evolution, not a revolution’, something vastly apparent in the similarities and differences between FOTL’s last record, their debut and even Falkous’ earlier work with mclusky, the drummer of which, Jack Egglestone, still plays with Falkous in FOTL. “Part of it is throwing different people into the mix, the change that brings to the chemistry.” With the departure of co-founder and bassist Kelson Mathias, the band has not one replacement member, but two. Falkous is quick to debunk the myth that changing bands or band members is like ending a romantic relationship, however. “It’s definitely awkward, but I think that one big difference...” he begins, a sly knowing in his voice. “I don’t mean to sound facetious here, but biologically, being a man, you don’t have to worry that the other person is literally fucking somebody else. That makes a big difference on a human level. It’s disappointing when someone doesn’t want to do it any more, for whatever reason. I’ve learned enough in terms of being in bands that when someone is set on a particular path, you just let them do it, whether they’ll be regretting it or celebrating it later on.” So no hard feelings then, Falco? “It’s a waste of time hanging on to things. Kelson is a fantastic performer, but he isn’t always the most helpful songwriter and I am honestly of the belief that if he’d stayed in this band that we may not have finished this third record.” ‘Replacing’ Mathias on bass duties is Julia Ruzicka (formerly of hardcore act Million Dead) and second guitarist, Jimmy Watkins. Aside from a stabilised touring lineup and bigger ‘wall of sound’, it’s the intangibles that this duo brings to the group that are so special. “This is going to sound like something from the Ricki Lake Show, but they bring trust, first and foremost,” he laughs. “They trust my ideas and that I know, in terms of the kind of music that we’re writing, I know what I’m doing. My role isn’t always writing – it can be just listening to people play and picking things out and combining things. A lot of musicians you play with, you’ll try get them to play a riff back and say, miss out the second note and they’ll tell you to go and fuck yourself. Really good musicians aren’t precious about what they play; if it suits the song, they’ll play one note. If it needs no notes, I’ll step off the fucking stage if that’s what it needs.” The frontman says that while it’s important to keep your ego out of the actual writing, it’s imperative for a band to dust off their downtrodden sense of self-righteousness before they take it to the stage. They are performers, after all. The only other situation in which an ego boost is called for, explains Falkous, is during lyric writing. “It’s a treacherous balance, but it’s about conveying personality and making points. You can’t be ham-fisted about it, but you need to be able to present the band, who they are and part of their world view without lecturing.” As far as letting people know about the band’s world view on gig etiquette and being a decent human being in general goes, Falkous found himself in quite a confronting situation last time they were in Sydney, with one of the most obnoxious gig-goers in recent memory almost ruining the show for the band and fans alike. The singer says he hopes the offender has learnt his lesson after matching wits with a man who could be a stand up comic. “I was pissed off and bored with that guy. If he is there this time – and I suspect that he will be – he had better either be very careful or standing outside. The show is about the band and the four hundred or so people in the venue, not just that guy. Next time I’ll just meet him outside, give him his $40 back and tell him to get home safe... and if I ever see him again, something else will happen.” WHO Future Of The Left WHEN & WHERE Wednesday 5 January, Annandale Hotel

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THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 33 •

IT’S MY LIFE

FROM SPANISH SAHARA TO SYDNEY BEACHES, FOALS DRUMMER JACK BEVAN IS UP FOR A SEA CHANGE TALKING TO SEVANA OHANDJANIAN.

a respectable thing. And then when the song kicked in they all jumped up.” Foals have seen their fair share of festivals this year, playing to seas of faceless people in numerous countries. However, their largest crowd was last year in a support slot for Britpop legends Blur and Bevan is willing to admit a touch of the nerves when it came to stepping onto the Hyde Park stage. “That was, even now, the most people we’ve ever played to. That was 65,000, so to see that many people in front of you watching is terrifying but awesome at the same time. But the thing with stage fright and nerves is it’s always the build-up to the show, but as soon as you crack into the first song everything goes away and it’s great and especially if you’re getting a good reaction, you just start loving it. And when you’re playing to that many people, it just elevates that sense of enjoyment when it’s going well.”

hen Drum manages to get Foals drummer Jack Bevan on the phone he’s happy, well-rested and just a touch confused. Asked where he is currently situated his response is, “I’m not really sure – we’re kind of in the middle of nowhere in the middle of France.” The reason behind this geographical confusion is that he is in fact mid-European tour, having conquered the UK, America and Australia earlier in the year. The Oxford five-piece are not big on taking breaks when the tide is in their favour. “I’m sure that there has been a week off at some point, but it doesn’t feel like we’ve had a proper break,” Bevan admits. “It’s good. We like being busy and we like not being busy, so we’d rather be completely busy or be off rather than have just a couple of days here and a couple of days there. It’s been a pretty hectic year, but the response has been great so we’ve been enjoying it.” The response he speaks of is the praise being heaped upon their second release, Total Life Forever, a record that blew all out of the water with its sparse sonic landscapes, a far cry from their staccato pop debut, Antidotes. They arrived on our shores for the first time for the most recent Splendour In The Grass and the band couldn’t have been more surprised by the adulation they received. “It was amazing. We came first to Adelaide and we’d literally not been to bed. We flew straight over and played the show the same day, so our body clocks were shit but we were just blown away by the crowd. It was one of the best shows I can remember all year to be honest. It was just great. We had no idea what to expect because we’d never been out there before. “The only downside at all was that we were there for such a short time; the jetlag was too bad for us to do anything in the daytime. The audiences were wonderful, it was awesome and Splendour as well.”

It seems the change from British to Australian time did quite a number on the lads, with more time spent in bed than on the streets. “It was a real shame because we’d been so excited to go to, well, basically everywhere. We’d aim to go out around twelve o’clock every day, but we’d just always fall asleep. I literally didn’t see any of Sydney because I was asleep the whole time.” Lucky for them they’ll be returning to play Laneway Festival along with a couple of sideshows and it’s more than just another gig to Bevan. “It’s always good to be able to play to thousands of people and also the Laneway lineup is probably the best lineup I’ve seen all year, in terms of the kind of music that I like. It’s just an incredible festival so I’m really glad that we’re doing that as opposed to something bigger or more corporate.” A festival set does mean compromising though, with fewer long cuts from Total Life Forever giving way for more songs in a short space of time. “I think when we’ve only got 45 minutes or an hour – usual festival length – you try to cram in all the songs that the crowd seem

to like the most,” Bevan explains. “When we do our own shows we can play for an hour and a half; we can fit more of the atmospheric, more downtempo tracks. “Some of the tracks we really love playing are, like, 2 Trees and What Remains, but in a festival set you have to hold everyone’s attention because there’s a lot more casual listeners that will just leave if they’re getting bored or whatever. We generally play all the singles from both records and then a couple of the more cerebral tracks.” The shining example of a cerebral track is the undeniably beautiful Spanish Sahara. The centrepiece of their second record, the song is a six-minute opus of spacious percussion and lead singer Yannis Philippakis’ falsetto. Though it’s a sombre yet climaxing, aggressive affair on record, Bevan has found the audience interaction to be unique to the location. “That song gets a different reaction wherever we go. At some festivals we played this summer, people were literally sitting down at the beginning which was really nice; it was kind of

The numbers may have grown from the house parties they used to play in their early days, but Bevan has also noticed a change in the sorts of faces appearing in the crowd at their concerts. “I think we definitely have a more varied fanbase, which is good. I think with Antidotes it was a predominantly young crowd – and there’s nothing wrong with that – but now it feels like we’re getting older people, which is great because we don’t want to be seen as a band for the children. Not being funny or anything, but it’s great to know different age groups and different kinds of people can be into it.” Considering Total Life Forever’s mid-2010 release, one has to wonder whether Foals will be bringing the same show down for round two or if they’ll whip out some new songs. Fans will be pleased to know the latter is more than likely. “Actually we’re coming to Australia in the beginning of January to spend a month of writing and recording, so hopefully by the time that we play we would have recorded quite a lot. We’re looking for somewhere to live in Bondi Beach, so give us a shout if you know of anywhere!” WHO Foals WHEN & WHERE Sunday 6 February, Laneway Festival; Wednesday 9, Enmore Theatre

THE BEAT’S STILL GOING STRONG

JOAN JETT HAS BEEN A ROCK’N’ROLL ICON SINCE THE MID-‘70S, FIRST WITH HER CULT BAND THE RUNAWAYS AND THEN AS FRONTWOMAN FOR JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS. SHE EXPLAINS TO STEVE BELL THAT HER LONGEVITY IN THE GAME BASICALLY STEMS FROM THE FACT THAT SHE REALLY DOES LOVE ROCK’N’ROLL.

records and sold them out of the trunk of our car. Fans loved them and it really created a groundswell. In the beginning we sold right out – and then they kept selling well and it helped us to take it to the next step. We’re totally independent, we don’t trace back to a big company or anything.” And then came the I Love Rock N’ Roll juggernaut – a cover of an obscure track by UK rock’n’roll footnote The Arrows, Jett’s version of the song was a worldwide smash and catapulted her into the mainstream. Strangely, the first version she cut of the track had been earlier (in 1979) with Steve Jones and Paul Cook from the Sex Pistols. “I was a big Pistols fan and was a kind of acquaintance or friend with those guys while they were around,” Jett recalls. “After they broke up in San Francisco, Paul and Steve came to LA and were hanging out for a while. Maybe they played with us at a gig while The Runaways were still together, but after The Runaways broke up I wanted to put down a couple of songs just so I had something to play to people. We recorded I Love Rock N’ Roll and You Don’t Own Me and another song called Don’t Abuse Me, which was a Runaways song.

ome 35 years into her trailblazing career, things are still going strong for pioneering US rocker Joan Jett. A Hollywood biopic of her life in ‘70s all-girl teenage outfit The Runaways – simply titled The Runaways – premiered earlier this year, while her band that she formed back at the onset of the 1980s, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, has completed tours with Green Day and Aerosmith and are now winging down to Australia for her first shows in this continent since she shared a stage with The Divinyls back in 1995. But despite the resilience of her ongoing musical career, it’s the blockbuster film that has dragged the songwriter and guitarist back into the spotlight in recent times. Despite Jett having lived most of her adult life as a celebrity, it still must be somewhat strange having a movie made about a slice of your adolescence. Jett was played by Twilight star Kristen Stewart in the film and used her role as executive producer to try and bring an element of authenticity to both the portrayal and the project. “It was totally surreal. I don’t even know what to think about it,” Jett laughs of the experience. “In a way it’s almost like I’m not looking at myself. I had to make sure that it was authentic and real. Once I met Kristen I was relaxed – she was great. She’s so amazing and everybody who knows me from back then and all of my family thought that she really nailed it. She did an amazing job and so did all the cast. It was really a matter of getting the details right in regards all of the things • 34 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

that we would do or not do. Kristen used to always say, ‘Would you do this?’ And I’d be, like, ‘Maybe I’d do it more like this!’ I stayed out of the way, but I was around with a monitor and earphones, but not in eyesight – I didn’t want to be too close to the director or in Kristen’s eyeline. I wanted to stay out of the way and not be a distraction. But she knew that I could see her and hear her. She was totally fine with that. She wanted me to be there in case she was doing something wrong or if she needed to chat about something. It was great.” The entertainment factor of the film aside, it proved a great vehicle to bring some totally warranted attention back to The Runaways themselves, who have been somewhat underrated in the past both for their pioneering role in proving that females can rock with the best of them, plus their music itself – tracks such as Cherry Bomb and Queens Of Noise having a lasting appeal that is now being appreciated by a wider and more eclectic audience. “Definitely,” Jett agrees. “I’m most thrilled about those aspects of it – getting the music back out there, making more people aware of

the band. I think, at least here in the States, I’ve seen a real reaction: I’ve seen a lot of young girls at our shows really excited, girls who had seen The Runaways and who love the band now and who hadn’t realised how hard it was.” One relatively obscure aspect of Jett’s path postThe Runaways – she started a solo career in 1980 following the dissolution of her previous outfit, before forming The Blackhearts in 1981 – is that it’s been staunchly independent from the outset (she began Blackheart Records with her partner Kenny Laguna), an incredible feat given the ubiquity of her 1982 smash I Love Rock N’ Roll. “It was so hard,” she recalls sombrely. “The whole tide was so against us – everybody was against us. I mean, we had help here and there obviously, but it was a real struggle. We wanted to be on a major label but we got rejected by everybody and we had no choice but to print it up ourselves if we wanted to put the music out. So we kind of took the idea from the imports that were coming in and we slapped an import sticker on the

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“I always thought it was a hit. I brought the song back from England to the States for The Runaways to do. I’d heard it on a TV show and went into the record store and bought it – it was a B-side to their single. I just thought it was a hit – it sounded like a hit to me, but the other girls didn’t want to do it. I’m assuming it was because we’d done a song called Rock & Roll on our first album, the Lou Reed song, so they didn’t want to do another song with ‘rock’n’roll’ in the title. Maybe they thought it was a little light or something, I don’t know, but I figured, ‘Fuck, I’ll just hold onto this and do it some other time’. So after the band broke up it was front and centre of the songs that I wanted to try. It was great to see people sort of explode when we started playing it – it was fun. It’s what you do this for, you know?” WHO Joan Jett & The Blackhearts WHEN & WHERE Friday 7 January, Annandale Hotel

LIFE IS SWEET INDEED

INDIE POLYMATH DEVONTE HYNES HINTS AT THE END OF LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION AND REBIRTH IN DISCO FORM TO SEVANA OHANDJANIAN.

He’s certainly been busy writing and producing music for big names including Solange Knowles, Florence & The Machine and The Chemical Brothers. He also featured on the latest Basement Jaxx record with the tune My Turn. He only has upbeat words to describe the sound of the much anticipated record from Knowles. “It’s awesome, it sounds so cool,” he says. “It’s great, it’s fun for me.”

t’s been very quiet on the Lightspeed Champion front in recent times. Texas born, but Essex raised Devonte Hynes is best known as the man behind the moniker, though his talents have been utilised in everything from music writing and production to writing a book of short stories recently published, drawing comics and making music with new band Blood Orange.

As for his plans next year, production takes the main stage again. “I’m going to finish the Solange album and there are a few other singers I’m working with. They’re not people anyone would have heard of, they’re people who’ve just signed at Warner, Sony,” he says.

His 2008 debut Falling Off the Lavender Bridge was a critically acclaimed and indie clan loved record, with heartbreakingly intimate folk-tinged songs of desperate love lost married to twee images of Hynes stroking a cat on the album cover. This year’s follow up effort Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You aimed to take a more positive approach with a smorgasbord of musical influences seamlessly blended into intuitive pop and funk songs. But with no promo push or tour, it faded into the abyss. On the phone from New York, where Hynes has found reception in his girlfriend’s roommate’s bedroom, he’s ponderous of his current state of being. Earlier in the year he confessed to the NME that times have been rough, especially financially. Indie doesn’t pay, it appears, and the repercussions will extend to his Australian tour, where he was due to take the stage with Adam Green’s band Spacecamp. “It’s gonna be solo; a solo experience,” he says. “Spacecamp are not coming with me. They had to stay because they have no money. I’m going to try to make it some kind of weird, intimate show. I’m still working it out – every day I’m trying to work out the set.” If not to exacerbate the situation, Hynes confesses an unexpected nervousness when the subject of live performance comes up. Though most musicians who’ve been around as long as Hynes would feel no qualms walking on stage, his concerns lie with pleasing his fans. “I get a little stressed out about it. I don’t think I’m a natural performer but I try,” he says. “It’s a little tough but usually works out. My only worry is, especially

many projects having him understatedly point out that it’s been ‘a busy year’, music remains his main passion. “I enjoy writing music, whether it’s for me or someone else. It’s the actual act of creating music that is the most fun thing for me,” he says.

performing Lightspeed, I am worried I’m gonna let people down. It’s my little hang up, but I’m getting over it.” Local admirers of the singer/songwriter are particularly lucky as Hynes has only toured once this year, supporting We Are Scientists on a leg of their US tour, making his visit here a special second outing and his last for the year. Furthermore, Hynes hints that this brief jaunt is potentially the last for Lightspeed Champion. “I’m looking forward to these shows, they’re the only ones that I have booked. There’s not really any more after this. I want to make them intimate and I’m gonna play a healthy selection of songs.” His reason behind the Lightspeed Champion touring hiatus is simple. “There’s no point because there’s no Lightspeed record. I just feel, because the Blood Orange album’s gonna come out, that’s just the next album,” he says. “I just don’t have any plans for any more Lightspeed shows.

“I’ve got another [Lightspeed Champion] album ready. I’m gonna play a couple of songs from it in Australia. I just don’t know; I got a little disheartened about things. I guess I shouldn’t deal in absolutes.” In the meantime Hynes is preparing himself for the trek here and figuring out how to make his show both intimate yet interesting, assuring Drum he plans on bringing all but the kitchen sink when it comes to instruments and playing tunes from across his repertoire, which involves listening back to the songs he’s forgotten from Falling Off The Lavender Bridge as well as this year’s Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You. “It’s a little interesting, I’ve been trying to learn them [old songs] over the last week. It’s cool, I just need a little distance and now I’m totally fine. I’m going to play a lot of songs from …Lavender Bridge and songs I essentially never played. It’s going to be really interesting for me – I don’t know if it will be for everyone else.”

The next possible touring effort from Hynes will be in the form of new band Blood Orange, which has been described as a combination of ‘80s disco and eastern melodies. Hynes has high hopes for the record and has hinted that the sounds featured are similar to that of Knowles’ record, with similar world music and disco influences permeating both. A new single is due out early January and the album has been slated for release on Terrible Records. “I finished the album, so it’s gonna come out start of next year,” he says. “There’s more chance I’d tour it. [pauses] Yeah, I think I will.” Along with his headline shows Hynes will perform at the Peats Ridge Festival, with the dates placing him at the Pyramid Rock Festival for New Year’s Eve, though he seems hazy on his own itinerary. So how is he planning on celebrating the descent into 2011? “No idea. My girlfriend’s coming with me, so we’ll be in Peats Ridge. And then we’re going to drive to Melbourne – it’s driving distance right? And then I guess we’re going to maybe drink and stay in. I don’t know anything in Australia really.” WHO Lightspeed Champion WHEN & WHERE Wednesday 29 December, Oxford Art Factory; Thursday 30, Peats Ridge Festival

Although Hynes is a modern renaissance man, with his

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THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 35 •

SHE’S THE VOICE

IT’S BEEN A DECADE SINCE EMMYLOU HARRIS LAST VISITED THESE SHORES, A DECADE THAT HAS SEEN HER LOOKING BACK AS WELL AS FORWARD, REVISITING OLD FRIENDS AS WELL AS MAKING NEW ONES. SHE TALKS TO MICHAEL SMITH ABOUT SOME OF THE ABOVE.

and he was a wonderful guide and I had that love of country music, that fire in my belly to learn country music and to learn every country song. Then I had these great musicians – Rodney Crowell came in with all these wonderful new songs and all these great people that he knew, like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, so all these incredible people came into my life and into my work.”

“I

t was lovely to go back and gather up those songs that were always important to me but I hadn’t got around to, you know.” Emmylou Harris’ speaking voice is just as caressing as her singing voice as she explains the making of her most recent album, 2008’s All I Intended To Be. It’s an album that sees her mixing songs old and new, revisiting a song released 25 years ago by Mark Germino, Broken Man’s Lament, alongside finishing off several songs of her own. A couple feature old friends Kate and Anna McGarrigle, made all the more poignant by Kate’s death in January this year. Another old friend whose passing was remembered in music was drummer Keith Knudsen, who was a Doobie Brother for 30 years. He features posthumously on the opening song of the album, Shores of White Sand, which was originally recorded by Karen Brooks, with the track produced by Canadian guitarist and Harris’ former husband, Brian Ahern. “I always loved that track and we actually got permission to use the bones of that track, especially the drum track, which Keith had played, so I was finally glad to have that song in my stable. I didn’t really know what the structure of [All I Intended To Be] was going to be and I have to give a lot of credit to Brian for pulling it together. I would come up with an idea and then I would think ‘oh, I don’t know what else to do’, and he would say, ‘Okay, it’s time to come into the studio.’ [laughs] So I would gather up whatever I had and he really did a beautiful job on it. “We’ve worked on a lot of projects – old tracks to go on the remasters, we’ve done some one-off things – and he lives about five minutes away, so he was the obvious

choice to produce the record. It was a gathering process – of people and songs.” Among the many musicians and singers who also feature on the album is keyboards player Glen D. Hardin who was one of the pioneers of rock’n’roll, having worked with the post-Buddy Holly Crickets, Ricky Nelson and then, in 1970, Elvis. There was a certain irony in the fact that, when Gram Parsons invited the then still very much folk singer Harris to join him to explore the possibilities of making country music with a rock sensibility, the band featured Hardin and the rest of Presley’s TCB Band, including guitarist James Burton. When, after Parsons’ untimely death in 1973, Emmylou Harris cut her own album, Pieces Of The Sky, Hardin and Burton were part of the band that became the legendary Hot Band. “I just figured I wanted every piece that Gram had touched to get me through making a record when I didn’t really know what I was going to do. I knew I wanted to make a country record, but I wanted to use the people that Gram had chosen and of course I got a brilliant producer [Ahern] who could put it all together.”

It’s impossible to talk about the evolution of Emmylou Harris as an artist without mentioning Gram Parsons. Though she’d cut a largely forgotten solo album, Gliding Bird, back in 1970, by the time Chris Hillman from The Byrds stumbled upon her singing in a little club in Washington DC, she was in a faceless trio. He was impressed enough to call Parsons, who had by now left the band he left The Byrds for, The Flying Burrito Brothers, suggesting that Harris was the distaff voice he’d been seeking in his search to create a new kind of country music. Harris joined the band and featured on both the GP and posthumous Grievous Angels albums, released in 1973 and 1974 respectively. It was working with Parsons that Harris finally found her musical voice and direction, a voice that has seen her sell more than 15 million albums worldwide, win 12 Grammy Awards, inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and record with artists as diverse as Ryan Adams, Beck, Elvis Costello, Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt. “I think I started finding my voice singing harmony with Gram,” Harris admits. “You have to be very controlled singing harmony – you’re following another person –

NEW EXCITEMENT

OFF-KILTER ROCKERS PRIMUS NEVER TRULY “FIT” ANYWHERE – BUT DID IT WITHOUT DELIBERATELY TRYING TO SIDESTEP ANY MUSICAL MOVEMENTS. AS MAINMAN LES CLAYPOOL EXPLAINS TO BRENDAN CRABB, THIS ETHOS HASN’T ALTERED.

Claypool has kept busy during the past decade, including filmmaking, attempting to launch an animated series, solo albums and “supergroup” Oysterhead. Primus tours have sporadically occurred throughout, but Claypool says he previously had little inclination to return to the studio with Primus. “It just didn’t seem like something any of us were really interested in doing. We would get together once in a while and do a handful of shows, play some nostalgic music and that seemed to be the extent of any interest we had in it.” It was a shift in personnel which helped reignite Primus’ desire to record again - the return of drummer Jay Lane, who departed prior to the release of their debut, 1989’s live effort Suck On This. “I had just finished doing a • 36 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

cycle with my band for [Claypool’s solo record] Of Fungi and Foe and it was time to figure out what we were going to do next; make a film, an Oysterhead record or work on another project? So of course talk always comes back around to Primus and to be honest it was something I really wasn’t interested in doing, because Primus for me had just become a nostalgic thing. I like moving forward, I don’t like stepping backwards. It just became very apparent after talking to ‘Ler’ [guitarist Larry LaLonde] that we needed to make a change. So Tim [Alexander, drums] agreed and left the band. Jay came in, auditioned and blew us all away. I’ve been working with Jay for many years on various projects, so it was a very exciting and easy thing for me to step into. He brings a new excitement to the band that hasn’t been there in many years. We’re in the studio right now. We’re in South America, we’re heading to Australia, we’re reinvigorated on the Primus tip,” he says, emphasising the last part of the sentence with that distinctive Claypool inflection. On the new material then – what can fans expect?

Harris is justly recognised for her extraordinary ability to take a song and make it very much her own, regardless of who composed it, but there has been some songwriting of her own along the way, though she feels it’s only recently that she’s hit her stride. “Obviously I did a lot of writing with Paul Kennerley on the [Ballad of] Sally Rose album and that was the most writing I’d ever done. Then I just went into the dark for a while there [laughs] because there were just so many great songs that were already written that I wanted to record, or I was lazy – there are million reasons why I didn’t write, except for the occasional song, until [2000’s] Red Dirt Girl and with that record Daniel Lanois and Guy Clark gave me my homework assignment. They said, ‘You need to write for your next record,’ and Guy says, ‘I don’t care if it takes five years!’ And it did!” WHO Emmylou Harris & Her Red Dirt Boys WHEN & WHERE Saturday 8 January, The Domain; Sunday 9 & Monday 10, State Theatre

film, fashion and whatever represents a certain period in their life. There’s a certain element of endearment to re-experiencing those things. Frizzle Fry represents a part of my youth that was very enjoyable.”

he American act’s eclectic fusion of styles - from funk to country to hard rock, offbeat train of thought lyrics, distinctively quirky humour and Les Claypool’s unique “lead bass” style - ensured that Primus always existed to the left of any popular music trends. The band is currently at work on their first studio album since 1999’s Antipop. As for where a new Primus record could exist within the current musical landscape, Claypool seems nonplussed. “I have absolutely no idea how we fit into the music business of 2011,” he ponders from Argentina. “I think the music business itself is struggling to figure out what the fuck it’s trying to do with itself and how it’s going to continue to make revenue. So that’s not really something I’m thinking about; I have people who get paid to think of such things as how to market whatever we’re going to be doing. We’re just trying to make a record that we personally enjoy and enjoy playing on a nightly basis.”

Harris seemed to have the incredible knack of not only finding exactly the right male voice to duet with when she needed them in Crowell, Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs, but also nurturing their respective songwriting talents, with each of them now significant artists in their own right. Harris has also attracted some of the finest musicians to work with her, among them quite a few Englishmen, with, first of all, Albert Lee replacing James Burton, who went back to Elvis in ’76, and then in 1985, guitarist Paul Kennerley, who became her third husband as well as her producer and songwriting collaborator for several years. Another couple of Englishmen have been responsible for keeping her busy in the studio and on the road over the past few years – Elvis Costello and Mark Knopfler, with whom she recorded 2006’s All The Roadrunning album.

“We’re about a third of the way through it. It’s kind of harkening back to a lot of the earlier Primus stuff, more [1990’s] Frizzle Fry-era type stuff, just because a lot of those tunes were written when Jay was in the band. But also it’s been many years since that record, so there’s all kinds of different sounds going on. There’s a lot of new ideas coming to the table. It sounds fantastic,” he laughs. Claypool is friendly and eager in conversation, but doesn’t seem too interested in idle chitchat. When talk moves to the band’s history though, he sounds inspired. “Music can sometimes be very much like your high school haircut; you look at it at one point and you go, ‘What the fuck was I thinking?’ Then as you step away from it for another period of time, you look back and go, ‘Hey, that’s actually kinda cool’. The albums that are always dear to me are albums like Frizzle Fry and [1991’s] Sailing The Seas of Cheese, those early things that represent a time in my life that was exciting; the world is your oyster and you’re up-and-coming, with all these new experiences. I think for a lot of people, music,

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For many devotees it’s Primus’ various live recordings – such as the aforementioned Suck On This – which contain the most beloved versions of songs such as Tommy The Cat and John The Fisherman, later re-recorded on various studio releases. “Suck On This was basically our attempt at putting out an album when we had absolutely no money or resources to go into the studio,” the bassist explains. “The band was very popular around the Bay Area and then my guys quit on me. Todd Huth, the original guitarist, and Jay quit. Jay because he had a record deal with another band and Todd because he started having babies and just couldn’t handle the road. So I got Larry and Tim in the band and I thought to myself, ‘Well, this band’s either going to continue to be successful or we’re going to go right down the toilet, so we’d better record something to put out’. Back then everybody put out demo tapes, so we decided to make a live album and I borrowed some money from my father. My father was an auto-mechanic, he really had no money, but we figured the numbers and we knew how we did on t-shirts and we figured we could make enough money from selling a thousand records to at least pay him back. So we recorded it one weekend at the Berkeley Square [in California] on this little TASCAM eight-track and it sounded pretty good. We made an album out of it, drove it around to the record stores, made enough to pay my dad back and still make another thousand records.” After the teaser of a Claypool solo show in 2009, Australian fans will experience Primus’ live performances at the Soundwave Festival. “There’s a good chance there will be something new popping up. I write the setlist an hour before the show, so we’ll see. It just depends on the vibe of the day, the audience and whatever everybody’s feeling like playing. Whether they’re Primus shows or Claypool shows, they’re different every night.” WHO Primus WHEN & WHERE Sunday 27 February, Soundwave

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 37 •

A LIFE IN SONG

TO SAY THAT SOUL LEGEND MAVIS STAPLES IS EXCITED ABOUT HER LATEST RECORD YOU ARE NOT ALONE IS A GROSS UNDERSTATEMENT. SHE GUSHES TO DAN CONDON ABOUT THE RECORD THAT SUMS UP HER LIFE.

explains. “The way these songs are, are the way the Staple Singers sang before we went to Stax. I’m not yelling, I’m not screaming on these songs, I’m just singing and I can appreciate that. I don’t have to break a sweat hardly and that’s the way I used to sing with my family. “I even told Tweedy one time, when we recorded You Don’t Knock, that maybe we should put a guitar solo in there because it was so short and he said, ‘Mavis, don’t you remember? The Staple Singers never sang a song past two and a half or three minutes long.’ I told him, ‘This album is my entire life’. The two songs Wonderful Saviour and Creep Along Moses, those two songs my father used to play for us when we were little kids. I told him when I heard those, ‘Tweedy, those songs are older than me, you’re taking me back to my childhood’. Those songs were recorded by the Golden Gate Jubilee Singers and they were recorded in the early thirties.

avis Staples is one of the most important figures in soul and gospel music; the 71-year-old singer first performed with her family group The Staple Singers when she was ten years old. Almost 30 of that group’s singles charted in their native USA and they were considered to be one of the most important figures in the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. So it’s funny to hear that Staples was surprised to hear that Wilco leader Jeff Tweedy wanted to produce her latest record You Are Not Alone. “I wasn’t sure he would do it,” she recalls. “When my manager first asked me, ‘Mavis, how would you like for Jeff Tweedy to produce you?’ I told him, ‘I would love that, but Jeff Tweedy won’t have the time to be producing me. I’m a mere gospel singer and he’s a big time rock star!’ But when he told me that Jeff wanted to produce me, well, if I could turn a cartwheel, I would’ve.” The connection between the collaborators was established early, with Staples saying Tweedy’s openness and emphasis on family put her at ease immediately. “He called and asked if we could meet,” she says. “I chose a restaurant for us to meet and have lunch and I tell you, we sat there and we talked for about two and a half hours. He let me into his life, I let him into my life and when we left there I felt very comfortable with him. I felt as if I knew him; as if I’d been knowin’ him for years. “What made me feel really good was he’s a family man. Pops [Roebuck “Pops” Staples – Mavis’ father and leader of The Staple Singers] always told us family is the strongest unit in the world. If you stick with your family, no one can break you, no one can harm you. [Tweedy] talked about his family a lot, he told me about his childhood and how he grew up listening to The Staple

Singers, how he loved Pops. I felt his heart was good and he was concerned that we really had a good record.” The way Staples tells it, the You Are Not Alone sessions sound joyous. Tweedy focused on creating a comfortable environment in the distinguished Chicago loft in which Wilco records, and his approach was one that resonated strongly with Staples. It seems the small things meant so much to Staples – the presence of a couch so her sister Yvonne wouldn’t miss her soap operas, a kitchen with a table where they could sit and talk, a wide selection of teas, cold drinks and hot sauces and a myriad of other simple comforts. However, Tweedy pulled out some big stops as well. “He had a caterer there,” Staples chirps. “I smelt this food and I’m like, ‘Tweedy, you have a caterer here?’ He said, ‘Yes, Mavis. You deserve a caterer. Did Ry Cooder do that for you?’ I said, ‘No, Ry Cooder didn’t have a caterer!’ [Cooder produced Staples’ 2007 record We’ll

Never Turn Back]. He had a teleprompter in front of me with my lyrics rolling; normally I write my songs down on legal pad paper and a music stand.” The songs on the album are packed full of hopeful sentiment; Staples is a firm believer in the power of song and as such always focuses on songs with positive messages. “Well you know that’s what the Staple Singers was always about,” she says. “That was our choice, singing inspirational message songs with positive messages. We’ve always been trying to bring the world together, to bring people together and make the world a better place. That was right down my alley; [Tweedy] really kept me in my comfort zone. That’s all I’ve been singing down through the years, songs with positive messages, even the civil rights songs.” Indeed Staples considers this record to be the perfect portrait of her life – and not just as an artist. “The best thing about this record is that he had a plan,” she

ON THE WATERFRONT

REFORMING HAS NOT ONLY ENABLED TUMBLEWEED TO REDISCOVER THEIR YOUTH, IT’S ALSO ALLOWED THEM TO SHOW THEIR KIDS THEY ONCE ROCKED HARDER THAN MOST, AS BRENDAN CRABB LEARNS FROM FRONTMAN RICHIE LEWIS.

he return of Tumbleweed’s “classic” lineup last year was met with deliriousness among longtime fans. The rockers had been defunct for the best part of a decade and were well in excess of a decade removed from the commercial heights of their most popular lineup, which recorded a series of EPs and singles, their 1992 self-titled debut and follow-up Galactaphonic. Fans travelled large distances to catch them at Homebake 2009, their select Big Day Out appearances and a handful of headlining shows, including a sold out homecoming performance in Wollongong last October. As much as it was a delight for him to see numerous supporters again, it was also a thrill for their children to be able to witness the adoration their collective parents’ riffage still elicited. “They were blown out by it,” Lewis enthuses. “None of them ever had any sort of knowledge that we were really in a band. They came to Homebake and loved it. For my daughter, I had another band and we used to practice at my place when she was growing up. She saw that – she saw the shitty band and stuff – but she had no idea that we were like a big rock band or anything.” As for the gigs themselves, Lewis was ecstatic. “It was amazing. Just seeing people from the past and lots of old friends… People came out of the woodwork that I hadn’t seen in years. As far as the band went, we just got on really well and had a really good time. It was just about having fun with it.” Nowadays, a little thing called real life takes precedence over music. “It’s like we’re fitting the band around our lives these days, as opposed to it being our lives,” Lewis says. “It’s an escape from reality, as opposed to being our reality. It’s something we fit in when we can; we’ve • 38 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

all got jobs, kids, responsibilities. Life is busy, so when it comes to the band it’s an escape from things and a creative outlet. At the same time it’s a moment to get back together with your friends, make music and forget about all those things in life.” While enjoying such luxury now, as hinted earlier it wasn’t that way during Tumbleweed’s formative years, celebrated on the new The Waterfront Years compilation. This honours their 1991 – ‘93 output, featuring EP tracks, singles, rarities and their debut. Following this period, the band left independent label Waterfront, signed with major Polydor for Australia and was snapped up by major industry player Atlantic Records’ subsidiary Seed for worldwide release. Associated initially with grunge and later the burgeoning stoner rock field, they found themselves struggling creatively when they attempted to maintain their early commercial success. “I think with the grunge thing, definitely, we were one of the Australian bands whereby it was like, ‘Okay, they’re waving the grunge flag’,” Lewis suggests. “During the big grunge explosion worldwide, a lot of bands were playing heavy music but [it] wasn’t metal; more punk-oriented, punk and metal crossed with a bit of Beatle-esque pop.

It did benefit us in that we were playing with Nirvana and it increased our fanbase a lot, because many people jumped on that bandwagon. As far as contributing to our demise, yeah, for sure – because when the whole grunge thing became old hat, there was less interest in a lot of [those bands], us included. Our popularity was attributable to a movement that was happening and also in a way our demise was a part of that cycle completing itself.” What about chasing commercial success? “I think there were certain expectations with our record company to write particular styles of songs… I do remember thinking it was a struggle to have that organic feeling that we had when we first began and nothing really mattered. I think when the popularity happened, you felt like… You lost the freedom in a way to do whatever you want. Not really, but just in your mind you did.” Lewis makes little secret of his thoughts on the musical movements Tumbleweed were shoehorned into by label executives. “Hated it, didn’t give a shit about any of that sort of thing. Most people in bands can’t stand that sort of stuff. You get together, you’re playing music, it’s rock ‘n’ roll, it’s punk rock or whatever and lots of phrases are turned about to pigeonhole what you do. I can understand why we have been into the stoner rock

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“He was walking around with his iPod and he said, ‘Mavis, do you know what I have on this iPod? I have all the Staple Singers songs from the fifties and sixties, how would you like to do some of these?’ I said, ‘Tweedy that would be great, I would love to relive that time. Those songs that you’re listening to, that music was the best music of my life, because it was my father playing his guitar and our voices. We didn’t have any rhythm section, we just sang with my father’s guitar. You’ve taken me back to my childhood and now when we sing those songs you’re taking me back to my teenage years.’ Then those other songs, [Creedence Clearwater Revival’s] Wrote A Song For Everyone and …Hallelujah [Reverend Blind Gary Davis’ I Belong To The Band – Hallelujah], all of those songs were from when I was a young lady. And now you’ve written your two songs, You Are Not Alone and Only The Lord Knows and I’m in my Golden Girls years! So you’ve brought me on a full circle of my life.’” WHO Mavis Staples WHAT You Are Not Alone (Anti/Shock) WHEN & WHERE Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 April, Bluesfest; Monday 25, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

(category), because there’s that influence from Sabbath and stuff like that. But when we began we were a lot more into Australian punk rock like the Celibate Rifles or Radio Birdman. I think just because we’ve got a marijuana leaf on our second EP, because we did smoke pot – at the time in Wollongong, at the time throughout everywhere really – that generation was smoking pot. It’s just what you did when you were nineteen years old. The stoner rock term didn’t really come out until I suppose ‘94-‘95, after we’d done the majority of our stuff. But we sort of got swept up into that, because it’s a reputation of us smoking marijuana. I don’t really understand – is that supposed to be, you get stoned, listen to it, sounds good? In that case, it’s too broad. “As for the grunge thing, I can perfectly understand that because all the bands we played with when we began, from Dinosaur Jr., Mudhoney and Nirvana, were all grunge bands. I think at the time all those bands absolutely loathed the term grunge, because it was just a convenience; it lumps bands that do have variety into the same group. There’s no way that Dinosaur Jr. were really too much like Nirvana. You can see the similarities – they’re loud, they’ve got guitars. But it’s just a convenience and a limiting one.” In regard to the new compilation, Lewis has enjoyed rediscovering the material collected on it. “I think it’s a pretty good compilation for seeing the progression of those years,” he enthuses. “It was a really productive time for us; we were always writing, playing and recording and we did so much in those three years, it was incredible. So it’s good to see and hear the little subtle changes as it progressed. Of course you have memories about this and that. It always seemed like this endless summer for three years and that was really cool. It’s interesting; there are songs that I completely forgot about, so that’s a fun thing.” WHO Tumbleweed WHAT The Waterfront Years 1991 – 1993 (Aztec Music) WHEN & WHERE Saturday 31 December, Waves; Friday 7 January, Cambridge Hotel; Friday 14, Metro Theatre; Saturday 15, Mona Vale Hotel

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with Special Guests

AFTER THE FALL

TUESDAY 28TH DECEMBER 2010

WAVES

WOLLONGONG, NSW

Tickets available from Moshtix phone charge 1300 GET TIX, www.moshtix.com.au and all Moshtix outlets along with Oztix phone charge 1300 762 545, www.oztix.com.au and all Oztix outlets. Over 18 ID required to drink.

WEDNESDAY 29TH DECEMBER 2010

PORT MACQUARIE PANTHERS PORT MACQUARIE, NSW

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 39 •

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NEW SOUTH WALES Bankstown Music Shop

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DARKNESS BEFORE THE TIME’S TICKING AWAY

GENRE BENDING METALLERS DARKEST HOUR ARE ON A MISSION TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH. MARK HEBBLEWHITE TRACKED DOWN FRONTMAN JOHN HENRY IN ORDER TO HELP HIM ANSWER SOME VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.

LIKE ANY PUNK-INSPIRED COMBO BORN IN THE ‘90S, BLITZ BABIEZ DID THEIR FAIR SHARE OF SLASH AND BURN GIGS BOTH HERE AND OVERSEAS IN THEIR BRIEF FIVE YEARS TOGETHER. WITH ALL ORIGINAL HANDS BACK ON DECK, THEY’VE DECIDED TO GO OUT WITH A BANG, AS SINGER JO BOWDITCH TELLS MICHAEL SMITH.

“S

o is it really true that you guys call AC/DC ‘Acca Dacca’?” asks John Henry, who proceeds to burst out laughing on being told by Drum that this is indeed the case for the hard rock icons. “You guys crack me up. That’s why we always look forward to coming down to Australia – great people and a guaranteed good time. Oh and of course we get the chance to drink as much VB as we possibly can. So make sure there’s a stockpile on hand for when we come. Oh and before I forget we’ve heard that you guys have great pies down there, so we’re going to get into those as well. Should go really well with the beer.” There’s no doubting it - John Henry is a man with a plan. On the non-beer and pie-related front, 2010 has been a very busy time for Darkest Hour. In April the band left their long-time home Victory Records for the E1 label. With many of their fellow Victory alumni less than complimentary about the label, does the band have a similar tale of woe? “Well, I’ll put it like this – I can’t say that we as a band have any good stories to tell about our time there. I’ll leave it at that because there’s no point dwelling on the past; it’s done. But overall we’re in a good place as a band right now. When our contract was up we found the label we wanted and that would be good for the band. So far they have been great to deal with so we’re all very optimistic about the future and what Darkest Hour can achieve.” With a new label in their corner, Darkest Hour have been hard at work on a brand new LP (the band’s seventh) that is due in February 2011 and will have the moniker The Human Romance. According to Henry it represents a brand new era for the band. “There’s a definite musical evolution that people will hear when they give the album a spin. The songwriting has definitely improved and the album is far more melodic than anything that was on [previous album] The Eternal Return. I also think that the producer we have on board, Peter Wichers from Soilwork, will really make a difference. The album

“G isn’t completely finished yet – we’re still tidying it up – but Peter is doing an amazing job giving it a huge sound and it’s going to blow people away.” Like many bands that have roots in both the hardcore and the metal community, Darkest Hour is often tagged with the career-defining label of ‘metalcore’. While most bands are happy to laugh off labels, Henry is quick to state that the term has nothing to do with what Darkest Hour are all about. “I would say that Darkest Hour is definitely not a metalcore band,” he argues. “People just have no idea what that term means. When metalcore started it was bands like Integrity, Ringworm and Deadguy who epitomised the sound. And don’t get me wrong, I love those bands, but we sound nothing like them. Our influences as a band really come more from the European metal and thrash bands, who bring with them a real sense of melody and you can see that come through in the records that Darkest Hour do. So yeah, we consider ourselves a straight up metal band, not a band that follows some mindless trend that is defined by a word that I think has lost all meaning because it has been constantly misused and misunderstood. Instead of listening to people who throw around ridiculous labels, people should come and check our show. Then they’ll see what this band is all about.” WHO Darkest Hour WHEN & WHERE Wednesday 5 January, Factory Theatre

SNACK TIME

rant [Dirkze], our drummer, lives over in the UK now with his wife and kids,” singer Jo Bowditch explains, “and he just contacted me and said he was on his way out and did I want to organise a show – and Jamie Dak, our guitarist, he’ll only ever play with Grant, and I’ll only ever play with both of them, so I thought, ‘What the heck, let’s make this our last show, but let’s not do a John Farnham! This is it.’” And that’s how, 13 years after the band officially broke up, the original Blitz Babiez line-up, including bass player Errol Alley, came to be back together and headlining a show featuring three bands fronted by women dubbed Girls On Top. There’s a very real precedent to the choice of name and line-up for the night, which also includes Carrie Phillis and the Downtown 3 and Eager 13. Back in 1993, when Blitz Babiez originally came together, Bowditch had an agenda. “I’d been in a band with Ziad [Beydoun, guitarist] called Dream Riot and then I joined a band called Deep Dish Action, which is how I met Grant. I met up with Ziad at a Poison Idea and The Hard-Ons show in ’93, we started talking and a few months later we had a bunch of songs written and we were ready to form a band. “I was really into human rights, women’s rights and stuff like that. Rehearsing all the old songs, a lot of them are about depression. I don’t know if I was depressed or I was thinking about people in that mindframe, but basically the whole idea was social issues – getting the message out there – it was all the big things for me personally. Plus I really like fast punk rock like Descendents, Ramones – that was always the stuff that got me happening in the teenage years.” Within a year and a half, not only had they released a single, M17, in Europe, but were also there touring, an

CANADIAN SINGER/SONGWRITER JASON COLLETT, ABOUT TO MAKE HIS MAIDEN VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA, IS MORE THAN JUST THE BAND HE WAS IN, AS GISELLE NGUYEN DISCOVERS.

there now,” he reveals. “We stopped playing live shows last year and really reduced touring, so we could go back to the studio and focus on new material. We’ve got lots of exciting new stuff that we’re just trying to put together and shape into an album now. That’s what we’ve been really working on the past few months.”

hough he’s made solo records for the last decade, Collett rose to wider recognition as a member of Broken Social Scene in the mid-2000s. Despite recently reuniting with them for a hometown show, though, Collett’s days with the supergroup are over. “Like many of the folks who make up the band, lots of us were doing our own thing before the band happened and many of us, like myself, have just used that opportunity of Broken Social Scene to continue to do our own thing… I’m a songwriter essentially. I’m not really a backup musician, so I need to do my own thing.”

Towing a recent instrumental EP called Blitz that Moelle describes as “a little snack”, the duo is touring here in DJ mode. But that doesn’t mean fans won’t hear all the songs they’re craving, as well as advance tasters of that in-progress next album. “We always play some of our own music,” says Moelle, “and some of our new music. We like trying things out. We tend to play a couple of songs that people would expect from us and also lots of friends’ material. It’s always pretty mixed.” He admits he and Tüfekçi haven’t had a chance to ready something special for their DJ set at Sydney Harbour on New Year’s Eve, but they’ll have it prepared in time.

With his latest album Rat A Tat Tat, nominated for Canada’s national Polaris Music Prize, Collett handed production duties over to his backing band, Zeus, who he calls his “brothers”. “They’ve been producing for some bands here in Canada and doing a damn good job of it… We work really well collaboratively and it’s proved to be really, really fruitful in the studio. I’d never done that with a record before and I’d been writing while I was in the studio, so we could be working on one track and I’d write a whole other song while we were working on the track and we would stop production and just try to capture the very fresh idea.

As for next year’s follow-up to Idealism, it’s worth remembering that Digitalism has to not just produce and program songs, but deliver lyrics and vocals as well. And unlike on the Blitz EP, Moelle promises a lot of singing. “Music always comes really quickly with us and then we start writing on it,” Moelle explains. “That always takes quite a long time, because we get bored with the instrumental [bits] and have to change them and start the whole song over again.

“We adopted a far more impulsive, spontaneous way of working. I purposely wouldn’t let them hear the songs before we would start recording, just to take advantage of how quick they are on their feet and of course capture their initial instincts to hearing the song, which often are the best ones. They’re sort of happy accidents that you’re ultimately chasing as opposed to going in with an agenda and some kind of preconceived notion of what the song should be… And with them all being multi-instrumentalists in the band, there was a lot of going back and forth between instruments. I would start playing an idea and then amongst this small group of people, some people would just say, ‘Oh, I’m going to play drums on this’ and ‘I’ll play bass on it’ and someone would walk over to the piano. It was just completely random. And the more I do this – write songs, record them – the more I’m fascinated with how absolutely random the process really is when you

“For us it was just one part of the album,” admits Jens Moelle, who with Ismail Tüfekçi is Digitalism. “It was the last song we finished, right before we had to fly to mastering in London. We were in the studio until six in the morning and our flight was at eight. We didn’t expect anything, but then we started hearing it on radio. It was quite overwhelming, because we only wrote and produced music because we were excited about what we were doing. We didn’t think about any consequences.” Recounting the story behind Pogo, Moelle makes sure to point out that Kim Moyes from The Presets provided valuable insight during the song’s draft phase, even providing a lyric that made the final cut. Digitalism met The Presets while touring with them during a debut Australian tour and soon after contributed a remix of The Presets’ own Down Down Down. Moelle cites other Aussies befriended on that tour – the Bang Gang DJs, for example – and says he looks forward to seeing them on the band’s current four-date tour before heading off to Japan. For a duo that made its name with remixes – including a ticklish 2005 tweaking of The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army – Digitalism has been all too quiet on that front of late. That’s because Moelle and Tüfekçi have declined all such offers since remixing a song by Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan a few years ago. The reason? “First we want to concentrate on delivering our own stuff,” confirms Moelle. “Because it’s been a long time.” He’s right. It’s been three and a half years since Idealism’s release, with some EPs and singles to show for it, but no full-length follow-up as yet. “It’s getting • 42 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

“You’ve got all your Western punks – well-off I suppose you’d say – and when we did those two shows in Belgrade, these guys were just living it, under an oppressive regime. As I said, I was always more into human rights and the song Grazsnog was written about the genocide in Rwanda. But our first single, Time’s Ticking, released on No Deal Records, which was run by Sean Lipset from Toe To Toe, wasn’t political – we liked to have fun as well!” There were three albums, an EP, some singles, tracks on various punk compilations, a second European tour and then, in 1997, Grant decided to move to the UK with his girlfriend. “I’d had enough. The scene was really depressing me in the sense that it’s still a bloke’s world and I suppose when I first started Blitz Babiez I thought it wasn’t – but it was, even in punk rock. So when Grant left, I didn’t want to find another drummer. That was enough and I bailed overseas.” WHO Blitz Babiez WHEN & WHERE Friday 7 January, Sandringham

HAPPY ACCIDENTS

FOCUSSING INWARDS RECENTLY, DIGITALISM ARE READYING TO BRING THEIR SHORT ATTENTION SPANS TO AUSTRALIA, AS JENS MOELLE TELLS DOUG WALLEN.

he last time most of us checked in with Digitalism, it was for the German duo’s 2007 debut album Idealism. The culmination of several years of singles for the taste-making French label Kitsuné, that LP became ubiquitous in certain circles, with choice cuts lent out for use in high-profile TV shows, ads and videogames. One of those was Pogo, an infectious post-Bloc Party anthem that set throbbing electronics and romantic lyrics against the urgent vocals and itchy hi-hats of dance-punk.

experience that brought a lot of things into focus. “I had some friends in Holland – Kangaroo Records guy Hank, he loved Blitz Babiez when he heard the demo that we did and released a seven inch over there and we did a tour all over Europe. Yugoslavia was probably the best show we did. It was still under Milosovic and we stayed with families who were from two different cultural backgrounds living in little flats earning nothing. It was a very oppressive regime, as the world knows – and I felt these were the people I really enjoyed playing to.

“That’s kind of our problem,” he concludes. “Our attention span is pretty short.” WHO Digitalism WHAT Blitz (etcetc) WHEN & WHERE Friday 31 December, Harbour Party

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get down to it. It’s a good way to get more interesting results.” As well as Rat A Tat Tat and its companion EP To Wit To Woo, this year Collett also released Pony Tricks, on which he acoustically reimagined songs from across his career. “It just was an exercise in seeing how a song can be pretty much turned inside out. In one of them I even changed all the verses to minor chords, which throws a whole different shadow over it… Over the years people have asked if I have anything stripped down because I do tend to do a lot of solo shows and I’ve never had anything to give fans. So this was largely an exclusive for the tour.” The ‘Undressed’ tour saw Collett baring his soul on stage, armed with only an acoustic guitar. Though the upcoming Australian shows are a full band affair, there are merits to both formats. “There’s an intimacy that you can achieve when you play a solo show that comes out of the vulnerability of being alone on stage with nothing but stripped down versions of the songs, but I think that vulnerability is simply an opportunity for people to get more inside the songs and for me to get a little more inside the audience. It’s a completely different discipline really, and I appreciate both worlds and feel lucky to be able to go back and forth.” WHO Jason Collett WHAT Rat A Tat Tat (Arts & Crafts/Universal) WHEN & WHERE Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 December, Peats Ridge Festival; Thursday 6 January, Brass Monkey; Friday 7, Oxford Art Factory; Wednesday 12, Great Northern Newcastle

MUSIC... VE LI TS... E K R SUMMER MA BALMY NIGHTS...

JANUARY’S LIVE MUSIC... Fri 7 Jan Owl Eyes – 6pm and 6.45pm Papa vs Pretty – 8.15pm

Fri 14 Jan Jeff Stanley – 6pm and 6.45pm FisherKing – 8pm and 8.45pm

Fri 21 Jan Jess Ribeiro – 6pm and 6.45pm Mama Kin – 8pm

Fri 28 Jan Brett Hunt – 6pm and 6.45pm Pat Capocci – 8pm and 8.45pm

MAJOR SPONSOR

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 43 •

WITH ROSS CLELLAND

THE MIDDLE EAST Jesus Came To My Birthday Party Spunk/EMI Between The Recordings Of… and the live experience thereof, further happenings from The Middle East have become eagerly awaited. As first taster of that what comes next, this is a tad puzzling. While still layered, it’s a bit lighter than almost-Triffids textures of the before, and their friend God a little more obviously in the house. Although, there could be some tongue-in-cheek to his boy’s appearance here. Having arrived so wholly wonderful, they now have to sustain that first burst of brilliance. I hope they can.

MAGNETIC HEADS You Will Tear Down Everything That Stands In Your Way Broken Stone With sometimes mechanical drumming, underpinning synth note and strolling bass, the classic ‘80s namechecks of those who have endured – rather than have to be endured – like Echo & The Bunnymen, and even The Church, make perfect sense. But it’s not just that. It’s an apparent overarching attitude of ‘this pop music thing is a serious business, you know’. Thankfully, amongst the angst they remember all should serve the song and thus some of it is hauntingly very good. A live experience seems called for.

SHANE NICHOLSON Bad Machines Liberation/Universal Follow the line from JJJ-Unearthed Pretty Violet Stain, through sideman to Alex Lloyd, potential ‘next Paul Kelly’ to collaboration with his missus, Kasey Chambers, it’s been hard to work out exactly where Shane sits – or even wants to. This sits nicely in his current template and audience – fiddles and twang abounding – but there are points you wish such embellishments to just fuck off, for there might just be songwriting craft to appreciated outside the Tamworth city limits. New year album could be an intriguing beast.

ANNO DOMINI

CEE LO GREEN

DEAD FARMERS

Independent

Elektra/Warner

Tenzenmen

Atrocities

The Lady Killer

Opening with a gentle, atmospheric two-minute piano piece, Atrocities blasts head-first straight into Initiate, taking the listener from the reverie-inducing intro to metal explosion. From the outset the relentless power of the drums, chunky riffs and smooth vocal growls grow with intensity until the album’s end. The ambience created from the intro is also present in all tracks with subtle background synths keeping the sinister atmosphere alive.

What a winding road it has been for Thomas DeCarlo Callaway aka Cee Lo Green, aka The Lady Killer. Some know him from hip hop act Goodie Mob, some from the more electronically-inclined neo-soul of Gnarls Barkley. Everyone should know him for his voice. More than ever on The Lady Killer, Green comes across as the new millennium version of Al Green, albeit with a hip hop swagger that pushes through via Green’s cheeky delivery of even the sappiest of lines.

Atrocities is a shining example of local melodic/death metal and even though there are no obvious low points the same can be said for highlights. However, they are there with some careful examination. Leading The Blind seems to bring the savageness up a notch even though you thought it was already peaking. As one of the longer tracks at over six minutes, listeners remain absorbed within the rhythmic yet vicious guitars, severe blast beats and the right amount of synthesised atmosphere. What Lies Inside is noteworthy for its distorted guitars, offering more to the existing atmosphere already created. The ending completes the track with a piano played through a gramophone.

Modern R&B music has been floundering for a long time, in bad need of the spirit that once made it great and thankfully, Green definitively shows producers, performers and listeners that one doesn’t need to pitch corrected, T-Pain-styled vocals and repetitive arrangements to make a hit. What you need is soul and Green has this by the truckload (if soul can indeed be quantified). The Lady Killer doesn’t just feature great hooks but great, subtle moments within the verses, giving each track the room it deserves to breathe rather than rushing into the next chorus.

Minor variations on the instrumentation and samples saves Atrocities from being a too monotonous record, even though, listening straight through this 45-minute onslaught will undoubtedly lead to wandering minds. Not for lack of good songs, but the deviations, while there, are not large enough to create anything new within the tracks, essentially leaching a consistent, metal barrage. Despite that fact, this album is one of the better local releases and will definitely not be the last we hear from the band.

As much as the vocal lines are the main drawcard for this album, creditmust be given to the production team that provide the sensual beds of music for Green to seduce us over. With a mixed bag of late night slow jams, summertime car bumpers and straight party tracks, the album’s something for most occasions. This record may be a return to form for soul music, but Green doesn’t just update the sound, he makes it his own, displaying a confidence and charisma that can only be gained by experimenting with the unexpected.

Go Home

Somewhere beneath all the grit, grime and fuzzed-out shouting are three youngsters that really know what they’re doing. If you’re looking for bells and whistles in your music, figuratively (OK and literally too), then this release is going to give you quite an aggressive middle finger. Actually, even if all that you want is filthy, primal, gut-clenching garage rock, you’ll probably still catch the birdie. Yes. This record is rude. One might actually say that this record is bad-arse. Drawing heavily on throwback blues rock monsters such as The Stooges and MC5, Dead Farmers have created something that while not reinventing the wheel, goes a long way to taking said wheel careening through some very filthy back streets in the rock’n’roll topography. ‘Go for the jugular’ sounds to be the motif that the band were working under when writing the record, with each song being short, sharp and violent, pausing only for a drone party at the album’s aptly-titled midpoint, Slow Time, before diving face first into more distortion-soaked psych-rock’n’rumble. For a group of young musicians to have been able to capture such a fierce sound without coming across as contrived or hackneyed is commendable in itself, but the fact that the guys also had the songwriting chops to back up the don’t-give-a-fuck cool of the actual sound is invigorating. Don’t be afraid of the dirt, dive right in. This is brevity at it’s finest.

Christine Caruana

Luke Monks

VARIOUS ARTISTS

INXS

RAY DAVIES

Petrol Electric/Sony

Universal

LAURA Mark The Day Victoria Rocks/MGM The unfolding and up-reaching walls and layers of noise and melody that bands describing themselves as ‘post-rock’ bring to flower can sometimes be quite compelling things. The synths, cello, guitars and whatever else here melt into each other and become more expressive the louder you play it. Words are often unnecessary. But many such bands tend to fall back on vacant haikus in an attempt to show how ‘deep’ they are. “I taste ash/My sword/My tongue”. How about ‘shoosh’ and just leave it to the music?

We Were So Turned On: A Tribute To David Bowie Naïve/Select

PRESIDENT ROOTS Shark Den Blues Vitamin The football/music interface is often fraught. This reconfirmed with Eric Grothe announcing he’s going back to his rock career having quit the Eels (the NRL team, no relation to the band – thankfully). Anyway, President Roots set themselves up in their local Rules team’s clubhouse, giving this a nice wood-panelled ambience. They play the blues in a similarly traditional manner. The guitars growl and ring, blokes yell, the coloured girls go ‘doo-de-doo’ and you feel like a beer at the end of it. That’d be its job fulfilled.

THE DECKCHAIRS UR Independent With music now so often stolen and devalued, perhaps it is time for a new marketing plan. Brisbane’s Deckchairs are relying on the better angels of human nature, offering you this EP of their often intricate, nicely wrought folkish noise for free and gratis. Then you decide how much you think it’s worth. Brave. Admirable. And people can be arses. Musically, there’s some hippyish angry sentiment, some sweet relaxed memories, and a surprisingly good lap steeltinged run at The Beatles’ Blackbird. Give generously. • 44 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

It’s not a question of whether you like David Bowie. You do. The question is which David Bowie persona do you like the most? The Thin White Duke? Ziggy Stardust? Aladdin Sane? On We Were So Turned On, a sprawling three-CD compilation of Bowie covers put together by War Child to raise money for children affected by war, you find yourself privy to familiar conversations with all three, it’s only the mouths from which they come that are different. Highlights include Ariana Delawari’s delicate rendition of Ziggy Stardust and Warpaint’s Ashes To Ashes, which has become the most successful addition to the comp, having received regular radioplay across the globe and plenty of column inches in the print media. But it’s Lights’ version of As The World Falls Down (from the Labyrinth soundtrack) that’s the stand-out, a doo-wap ABBA/Carpenters hybrid that manages to tap into four eras of zeitgeist in one song – no mean feat! Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes’ take on Memory Of A Free Festival – you know, the one that goes: “The sun machine is coming down and we’re gonna have a party…” – is brilliant, but mainly because it sticks to the original’s hippy vibe religiously. We Have Band strips Let’s Dance of its dancefloor-friendly beat and turns it into a moody beast, whilst A Place To Bury Strangers are at their most self-indulgent yet on Suffragette City. Jessica 6 gets New York art project on with I’m Deranged, while VOICEsVOICEs give Heroes a drag makeover.

Original Sin

It’s coming up to 13 years since INXS tragically lost their irreplaceable frontman, Michael Hutchence. As a longtime, original INXS devotee who’s been driven to throwing things at the television whenever an Idol contestant chooses to tackle one of their songs, this release was approached with some trepidation. The opening three-minute Drum Opera showcases Jon Farriss’ skinsmanship to perfection and, being an instrumental, there are no vocals to compare with Hutch. It also proves a fitting and atmospheric introduction into Mediate featuring Tricky – a snarling beast of a track. This menacing arrangement is custommade for the dancefloor. An increased bpm provides added urgency while the UK trip-hopper brings a nonchalant quality, allowing the message to wash over you, subliminally. Two down, ten to go. Original Sin has a bouncy vibe that calls to mind Infinity by Guru Josh, the first verse of the fully orchestral treatment of Never Tear Us Apart is in French before Ben Harper’s vocal joins Mylène Farmer’s and Beautiful Girl sees Pat Monahan’s vocal delivery remain fairly faithful to that of Hutchence. Dan Sultan’s contribution on Just Keep Walking would have to be one of the most distant relatives from its original counterpart. Sultan supplies a sauntering, bluesy feel where the abrasive phrases, which Part-T-One sampled and spliced to great effect in I’m So Crazy, once were. Sung entirely in French, Mystify is unrecognisable – even the word itself.

See My Friends It’s a back catalogue probably only bettered by Lennon & McCartney and/or Jagger & Richards. But Ray Davies perhaps remains more revered by his peers and musical descendents than the wider world – although you’ll know at least one or another tune hereon. Under The Kinks banner, Davies went and did everything from proto-metal to English music-hall shanties. That makes it reasonable for those putting their hands up for duet duty to go from Metallica to Mumford & Sons. The rough rumble of You Really Got Me would be in Hetfield’s teenage listening, while Days is a folk hymn at heart – easily suitable for Mumford reworking. Most offer respectful covers. There’s not much you could mess with in the perfection of Waterloo Sunset, though Jackson Browne and Davies add some nice overlapping harmonies to give it some more individual colour. And that could only be Black Francis’ strained howl on This Is Where I Belong against Davies’ lighter tones. There are surprisingly few sleepwalks. Springsteen is from the heart, but you’d expect little else. And Billy Corgan whines rather than lusts in All Day And All Of The Night. Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody will see a few more copies sold, as Lucinda Williams will get the alt. country crowd in. Davies’ songs crossed all these genres even before anyone else got hold of them.

It’s certainly an eclectic mix, and whilst not every song works, the majority do.

INXS are one of the greatest bands this country has/ will ever produce and hearing these songs re-imagined definitely serves as a reminder to dust off that INXS back catalogue.

You also get one of Alex Chilton’s last performances, but Spoon’s run at the title track paints them as Davies most obvious spiritual children. There are a great many others on the charts – and on your iPod – who also owe a debt to the man.

DCR

Bryget Chrisfield

Ross Clelland

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tinuing inhumanity to man, Brotherhood Of Man is a pinnacle on an album full of towering classics. Mark Hebblewhite

FACT FILE Length: Ten tracks, 39 minutes. Moods: Brash, passionate and roudy.

JASON COLLETT

RIHANNA

Arts & Crafts/ABC

Universal

Rat A Tat Tat

Ex-Broken Social Scene member Jason Collett’s solo career has remained very much under the radar, despite consistent releases under his own name over the last decade. Rat A Tat Tat is the fourth such full-length effort and is as unpretentious and modest as his entire canon has been, with some great examples of modern songwriting. Opener Rave On Sad Songs dances around a gentle dual acoustic pattern with occasional piano and accordion, and right away Collett’s Americana/alt. country influences are evident. Though he’s Canadian born and raised, there’s a distinctive twang in the pronunciation of some of his words. Lake Superior adopts more of a lo-fi feel, alternating between a big hazy mess of guitar and Collett’s purposefully unrefined drawling. What’s great about this record is the range of moods and genres that it zips through so effortlessly, from the ‘60s in Love Is A Dirty Word to the jukebox doo-wop of Love Is A Chain and the moody atmosphere that permeates the reverb-soaked Winnipeg Winds. Sometimes Collett wears his influences on his sleeve to a fault – closer Vanderpool Vanderpool sees him do his best Dylan impression and while his adopted accent throughout the record is bearable, sometimes even endearing, here it’s just a little too forced, though musically he does a fairly decent job of emulation. There’s a lot of variety here and though not all of the songs are flawless, there is more than enough to like. Like most other singer-songwriters Jason Collett won’t change the world, but it’s a solid record that sees him capitalising on his strengths. Giselle Nguyen

DID YOU KNOW

Loud

Umbrella may have been two albums ago now, but that song is the benchmark by which Rihanna is inevitably judged. It was one of those monster, all-consuming hits that had people singing along whether they be pop fans, punk kids or dance heads. Born in Barbados and still only 22, Rihanna has just released her third album in three years and is again enjoying playing around with the Caribbean rhythms from her childhood, but the only thing that comes close to the sheer pop power of Umbrella here is Only Girl (In The World). Though the verses sound like a young woman hoping her love is reciprocated, in the chorus this young, hesitant lover suddenly turns into a strong, domineering vixen, almost daring her lover to turn away. Songs like the playful Cheers (I’ll Drink To That) and S&M give the album a forward momentum that is almost overturned by the dour California King Bed, but just when a misstep threatens to derail things, there’s a What’s My Name or Skin, a slow and almost understated display of sensuality that reminds the listener just who they’re dealing with. Then of course, there’s Love The Way You Lie (Part II), the continuation of the duet with Eminem that is dark and violent and all the more gripping because, unlike a lot of Rihanna’s other songs, it feels a little personal. Even if Rihanna had released no other single besides Umbrella, she would be worthy of the title pop star, but the young singer has moved on in thrilling fashion. And you get the feeling that there are plenty more monster hits to come.

MÖTORHEAD

The Wörld Is Yours EMI

The last time Mötorhead made anything resembling a sub par album, nu-metal was charging up the charts. Not surprisingly then The Wörld Is Yours does nothing to break the hot streak. The ‘head have been criticised for making the same album over and over again and if we’re being honest they do. But if making album after album of turbo-charged dirty rock’n’roll is a flaw then Mötorhead boasts the biggest flaw in metal history.

• During the recording the father of lead guitarist Phil Campbell died, meaning that he had to return home to Wales during the planned recording time. The band then hired a studio in Wales so Campbell could still work on the album while the rest of the band continued in Los Angeles. • This year marks the 35th year of the band’s existence having started in 1975. Their career really took off with the acclaimed albums 1979’s Overkill and 1989’s Ace Of Spades. • The band’s fan club is called Mötorheadbangers and comes from a fanzine that was started in 1980 by Alan Burridge, who became the band’s official biographer. The fan club still issues the ‘zine to members.

No, there are no 12-piece orchestras, trip hop interludes or metalcore breakdowns here, and thank Lemmy for that. Instead, The Wörld Is Yours (extra points for the umlaut) is yet another patented paean to the redemptive powers of rock’n’roll. On the likes of Rock N Roll Music and Bye Bye Bitch Bye Bye Lemmy continues his love affair with rock’s pioneers by channeling Eddie Cochrane and Chuck Berry with gleeful abandon. Some things just don’t go out of style. The Kilmister/ Campbell/Dee combination has now been in place for 18 years and it shows on every note of this record. Motorhead are wickedly tight and whether it’s the dirty groove of Waiting For The Snake or crushing double bass-powered opener, Born To Lose, the band is simply untouchable. As a composer and lyricist Lemmy is often overlooked, which may not change anytime soon, but once again the man proves his artistic genius with the superb Brotherhood Of Man. Boasting a slow-burning menace and Lemmy’s spot-on analysis of man’s con-

Danielle O’Donohue

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THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 45 •

ONLINE MUSICAL WIN WITH DCR

REISSUE

REISSUE WITH MICHAEL SMITH

BRODERICK SMITH’S BIG COMBO

RÖYKSOPP CORRECTION: In the last instalment of Hyper Music I got carried away with The Walkman’s excellent cover of Holiday Road and mixed them up with Wolf Parade who are, of course – and unfortunately – the band that has decided to (hopefully temporarily) call it a day. The salt in the wound was that in the same week of making that embarrassing error, The Walkman announced an Australian tour. Great news but also, yeah, thanks guys for rubbing it in. Moving on… This is the last Hyper Music for 2010 and, whilst most columnists will spend their few remaining lines dedicated to looking back at the best examples of their topic-fodder from the year, the sheer amount of music that’s available online – and there would be thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, if not millions of songs we haven’t covered – means that we really couldn’t with any great authority list the best of the legal, free music that’s been online this year. Aside from something like Thom Yorke’s charity single, 2 Minute Silence, which was the ambient “silence” of the accompanying celebrity-filled video, any song that we listed as being the best could be eclipsed within minutes by something you, reader, dig up from May. What we can do, however, is point you in the direction of a couple of worthwhile blogs that’ve already tallied up their end-of-year lists, which contain a few free tracks. The legality of these files is highly debatable so, you know, Do The Right Thing. Said The Gramophone (.com), the literary journal of the music blog world, has listed its 100 favourite songs of 2010, all of which are available for download. While we won’t spoil who’s on the list, we will say that there’s a very healthy presence of female talent in the top ten alone, and two of the songs would also be in our top ten, if we were to compile one ourselves. Likewise, You Ain’t No Picasso (.com) has listed its Top 50 songs and, er, made them available for download. Theirs is a little more mainstream (well, for a blog) than STG’s offering, boasting a lot of names that’ll probably appear in our writers’ polls (i.e. The National, Spoon, Grinderman et al.).

Broderick Smith’s Big Combo

TUMBLEWEED

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Aztec Music

Columbia/Sony

The Waterfront Years 1991 – 1993 The early 1990s is a key part of Australian rock’n’roll history and enough time has passed that it seems appropriate to look back and appreciate what was around, where it sat and what influence it had on the music of the future. Tumbleweed are still adored, both critically and by those who devoted themselves to that rock’n’roll with the stink of the garage seemingly embedded within its heavy stoner grooves and psychedelic flourishes. This monstrous two-disc collection shines a light on the band’s earliest material. There’s an exuberance and a charming naivety on Captains Log, the first Tumbleweed single, its b-side Space Friends is possibly a better indication of the direction the band would head in the next couple of years. The original version of Healer has a great energy while Stoned sees the band approach their pop sensibilities with more confidence – it’s a corker. Carousel is tender and sweet without losing the all-important volume. The first disc is packed to its brim, but the great thing is it doesn’t need to be listened to as a whole, its disjointedness works to its favour given the nature in which the tracks were initially released. On the flip side, the second disc – the complete and fully remastered 1992 debut LP – benefits from being played go to whoa. The Daddy Long Legs single that caps off the disc is a fantastic bonus that slots in well. The record sounds as relevant now as ever and the remaster gives it a kick in the guts to bring the recorded quality up to scratch by modern standards. All in all a fitting tribute to a band that oughtn’t to be forgotten.

Aztec Music

The Promise

Having finally become the ‘future of rock’n’roll’, as long prophesied, with the epic Born To Run, Bruce Springsteen then had to work out what came next. If that pressure wasn’t enough, the future got delayed by three years of legal shitfighting as he extricated himself from a bad management deal – famously signed on the hood of a Chevy Nova in a badly-lit carpark. Coloured by such real-life intrusions, the cars-andgirls dreams gave way to bleaker tales. When it finally appeared, Darkness On The Edge Of Town was a different kind of masterpiece, with themes he would build on over the next 30 years. While the legalities bogged down, Springsteen and his increasingly magnificent E Street Band hunkered down and had second, third and fifteenth thoughts about where the music should go. This is sketches, sidetracks and dead-ends in the context of Darkness’ distillation of all that had gone before. Be awed by the stuff he threw away: Because The Night became Patti Smith’s hit, Fire lightened and given pop gloss by The Pointer Sisters, Talk To Me’s brassy R&B appropriated by Miami Steve Van Zandt’s ‘other’ band, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. There is an old-school rock‘n’roll feeling to much of this. Debts owed to Roy Orbison, doo-wop and Dylan. But Springsteen’s musical fandom also had him listening to the new wave records from the UK, leading to the early ‘60s ring of Candy’s Boy mutating into the mumbled minimalism of the eventual album’s Candy’s Room. The Promise is more than a novelty, more than a background history lesson. In parts, it’s excellent in its own right. Ross Clelland

Barry Kobarma

When The Dingoes broke up in the US in 1979, singer Brod Smith came back to Melbourne, initially content to keep things pretty low-key and put a band together just to play some of his favourite blues, R&B and soul covers. By the time the Big Combo, now in its third incarnation, got signed, Smith had cowritten more than an album’s worth of gritty, groove-based Aussie rock originals, and 29 years later, on CD for the first time and remastered, they still hold up pretty well, a reminder of just how good a singer he is and how solid a guitarist Mal Eastick. The only real misstep perhaps is the now just a little too cloyingly nationalistic chorus of My Father’s Hands.

BADFINGER Straight Up Apple/EMI

Badfinger were one of the real tragedies of the whole Apple experiment, featuring as it did two songwriters in singer/guitarists Pete Ham and Tom Evans who were so obviously born to be Beatles and who might have become the Difford/Tilbrook of their generation had they not been so burdened it seems by the Beatles seal of approval they chose suicide. Released in 1972, this was their third and many at the time felt best album and it’s as strong a collection of pop now as it was nearly 40 years ago. The six bonus tracks, from earlier sessions in the circuitous making of the album, provide a little insight into the process.

REISSUE

So that’s 150 free MP3s, just in time for those Christmas roadtrips. Merry Festive Times. Speaking of Christmas, the NME’s Daily Download blog is hosting a few freebies. Firstly, The Pipettes 2.0 have released a track called Santa’s On His Way, which, whilst sounding like the soundtrack to an advertisement for Myer, brings to mind Christmas parties in RSLs and community halls in the 1960s. Perhaps this’ll find its way onto the Christmas Special of one of the fashionable “awkward” British comedies. It’s ridiculously catchy, and sure, The Pipettes aren’t really The Pipettes anymore, but as somebody that really enjoyed Love, Actually, this is a charmer. Ahem. If you like your Christmas music traditional, Röyksopp’s got a fantastic cover of O Holy Night that sounds like a lost track from the Clockwork Orange soundtrack – those analogue synths! – which also makes it slightly creepy (a characteristic it shares with Salem’s masterpiece, King Night, which is built on O Holy Night). Get drunk, crank this to 11 and enjoy a melancholy Christmas. Next up, Slow Club have covered our all-time favourite Christmas song, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), originally performed by Darlene Love but – in my opinion – best immortalised by U2. All the anxious energy of the song is there, Rebecca Taylor’s vocals are sublime. If you can find the whole Christmas EP that this comes from, you’ve got yourselves a very festive record. Finally, we’re big Twin Peaks fans here, equally obsessed with Angelo Badalamenti’s soundtrack as we are David Lynch’s story (and Agent Cooper of course). The most successful song to have come out of the series – aside from the theme – would have to be Falling, a song immortalised by Julee Cruise when it was released over a decade ago. Now, bright young thing Bright Light Bright Light – presumably named after the line Gizmo repeats in Gremlins – has covered the song and is giving it away for free. It’s certainly interesting hearing the song being sung by a male, Thomas’ delicate vocals seemingly about to break at any moment. You can grab the track at recordoftheday.com. And that’s it, folks. See you in 2011. • 46 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

BILLY PRESTON

That’s The Way God Planned It

IGGY POP & JAMES WILLIAMSON PANTERA Kill City

Cowboys From Hell: Deluxe Edition

Mid-1970s and the soap-opera-on-a-ghost-train of The Stooges seemed done. In a haze of scar tissue and recriminations, it had all gone to hell. And Iggy was in a mental ward – fighting himself and the heroin working its way out of his system. Last Stooge standing, latecomer guitarist James Williamson, lived in hope. The goodwill from the first-generation English punks and some wary record company approaches had him thinking there may be a chance for man and brand. There were some leftover songs from The Stooges’ death rattles and Williamson’s own musical visions were becoming clearer. Getting Iggy out on weekend releases, a demo-standard album got done. But money and interest ran out. Then David Bowie came good, and hustled Pop off to Berlin to make his resurrection albums The Idiot and Lust For Life. Williamson traded on Iggy’s renewal to cobble together the cash to finish their record. Kill City wasn’t perfect. A bad pressing (on green vinyl, no less), and someone ‘misplacing’ the master tapes seemed a typical hard luck story. But songs like the title track’s desolate view (“…Where the debris meets the sea”) and a perfect Iggy loser anthem, Consolation Prizes, hinted at the potential. Fast forward and Williamson is now an executive, but with a punk’s heart. Technology has allowed him to clean up the album and make it more whole. His guitar now punches against Iggy’s yelps. There’s some Rolling Stones drug-fucked swagger – but from a dumpster-filled alley, rather than a French chateau. Outbreaks of sax and gothic background screams, and it’s an odd beast. But a sometimes great one.

The importance of 1990’s Cowboys From Hell within the development and evolution of Pantera’s musical scope – and the wider-reaching impact they would have as the ‘90s progressed – is immense. The Texan quartet would refine (and define) their groove-laden, testosteronefuelled metal on future releases. The opening title track’s trademark power groove – an element selected pundits still claim Pantera “borrowed” from fellow Americans Exhorder – immediately commands attention. The band is tight and focused, without the self-imposed pressures of trying to out-heavy themselves, a millstone around their collective necks on future albums. Domination, Psycho Holiday and Heresy are driven by taut, galloping rhythms, razor-sharp riffing and the vocalist’s considerable presence, while late inclusion Primal Concrete Sledge is a short, sharp burst of aggression. The balance of furious musicianship, rollicking pace and memorable melodies ensure Shattered is another highlight; it’s also one of a number of cuts incorporating Anselmo’s soon-to-be-discarded falsetto vocals. Disc two contains previously unreleased live tracks, recorded in LA in 1990, as well as the long out of print Alive and Hostile EP. The latter was recorded in Moscow in 1991 and released as part of the Australian-only Driven Downunder Tour ‘94 Souvenir Collection. The hunger is apparent. “No choreograph, no bullshit,” Anselmo barks, capturing the key element of their then growing appeal, while simultaneously a shot at the glam bands of the time. This version is essential for newbies seeking to uncover what all the fuss was/is about, while long-time tragics will also discover plenty to inspire them to don the black clothing again.

Ross Clelland

Brendan Crabb

Rhino/Warner

Bomp/Shock

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Apple/EMI

The late Billy Preston was already a “star” session man when he was tapped to join The Beatles on a couple of tunes on the Let It Be and Abbey Road albums, having toured with Little Richard and Ray Charles – it was at a Charles concert in London in ’69 George Harrison spotted him – so he was a natural to join the new Fabs label. Preston as solo artist never really seemed to blossom beyond the association, though he remained a sought-after session man, featuring on five Stones albums including Exile On Main Street. Still sounding fresh, this 1969 debut showcases a gifted, soulful singer songwriter who should have been the next Ray Charles.

JAMES TAYLOR James Taylor Apple/EMI

Not even the man who signed him and would go on to be his manager and producer for the next 30 years, Peter Asher, recognised the signs when he met this young man from North Carolina with a bag full of the sweetest, gentlest folk-based pop songs. In time, Asher learned all about the drug addiction and mental issues that would plague James Taylor but, unlike most addicts, the demons he battled never seemed to seep out into his songs, which for the most part would remain soft and comfortable, nostalgic and romantic, the archetypal MOR singer songwriter blueprint. There’s a hint of the darkness though - the quirky Knocking ‘Round The Zoo.

ALBUMS OF THE FESTIVE SEASON WITH SCOTT FITZSIMONS

ANNIE LENNOX

GLEE CAST

KATE CEBERANO

MARIAH CAREY

Island/Universal

Columbia/Sony

Mercury/Universal

Island/Universal

A Christmas Cornucopia

The Music: The Christmas Album

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas II You

Even on face value, there’s a lot more effort that’s gone into this than your regular festive offering. It’s a bold move from the legend Lennox – this is a very easy way to tarnish a reputation – but for the most part these reinterpretations are intelligent and most importantly relevant. Angels From The Realms Of Glory, for instance, stays away from the choral traditions and works to Lennox’s strengths and mature songwriting. There are definitely some moments that would probably have been better left unattempted but some - See Amid The Winter’s Snow, As Joseph Was A Walking and even staple, The First Noel, are highlights of the season.

Perhaps the single most irritating and subversive show on television at the moment, 2010 has been defined by Glee and its ability to shoot a track to the top of the charts. Their cast Christmas album is pretty undisguishable from the multitude of other cast releases apart from the festive songs themselves and contains all the factors for which they’re loved/loathed – strikingly clever arrangements, pitch-perfect Barbie vocals and the sense that the world’s a fun, friendly place even amongst all the broken hearts. Expect it to define this retail period as the show has the year.

Marketed as a new album with its new cover, Ceberano’s 2010 release is identical to last year’s apart from three bonus tracks, being duets with David Campbell, Mark Vincent and Jimmy Little. Vincent’s Emmanuel/Oh Holy Night actually becomes one of the best tracks, his voice and its contrast to hers gives a human element and life rarely achieved elsewhere on the disc, especially in parts where they actually layer vocals. Apart from that it’s obviously the same story as last year, a stretched and rarely inspired effort that has more Christmas jingle than fresh ideas.

SUSAN BOYLE

THE SUPERIONS

VARIOUS

Sony

Fanatic

Sony

Joma

The Gift

Your mind is already made up and chances are if you’re under 30 and don’t own Andre Rieu DVDs you probably haven’t given her the time of day. Nothing in The Gift – a mix of Christmas tracks and non-festive must-covers – will change that, but for what it’s worth it’s another solid recording from “the world’s biggest-selling artist”. Her voice is gentle and familiar while the brewing and accentuating arrangements, presumably the best money can buy, work with her every note of the way. Auld Lang Syne and Hallelujah are delivered better than most but it’s hard to forgive her touching Don’t Dream It’s Over, no matter how competent.

All I Want For Christmas

Destination Christmas! Fred Schneider of B-52s notoriety has earned the right’ to do near anything he pleases, and with Noah Brodie and Dan Marshall to make up the rest of this band they take their kitsch, novelty and camp pop to festive tunes. It does require a bit of work and patience to find the humorous essence; the pseudo-narrations throughout tracks disrupting the flow while the musicianship is little better than a modern-day Sparks. Really, your Christmas gatherings should generate enough interest to not need this sort of desperate kick-start, but that’s not to say that it wouldn’t make a decent ‘relevant-just-for-today’ novelty present.

Major label wheels out a selection of reality TV graduates, old favourites and Australian-only chart stars for a single-disc compilation. Headed off by the usually underwhelming Jessica Mauboy doing her best Mariah Carey, the album struggles to make any sort of impact beyond that. Stan Walker murders Little Drummer Boy – everyone’s favourite usually – as some sort of contemporary urban abomination while others struggle to rise above mediocrity. That said Farnham’s version on One Little Christmas Tree joins Delta Goodrem’s Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and Mark Vincent’s Grown Up Christmas List are better moments.

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One of the world’s biggest pop stars – her bank account says so – takes another stab at the Christmas album after the success of her 1994 effort. This even includes a re-recorded and “Extra Festive” version of the previous single, All I Want For Christmas Is You, alongside a mix of originals and wellknown carols. With a typically polished presentation and traditional gospel/hymnal references it’s stock standard and uneventful (apart from the horrendous experiment of the record, Here Comes Santa Claus – vocals sound pained more than anything else) and given that, you probably have already decided whether a Mariah Carey Christmas album is for you.

A Very Joma Christmas A sampler from American label Joma, it’s the leftfield addition this year (like Bifrost Arts’ brilliant and alwaysrelevant Salvation Is Created last year) as a compilation of unknown but genre-spanning artists. Creaky Boards – the band who claimed Coldplay stole their melody on Viva La Vida – are pleasant on Keep Me Warm And Safe This Winter and Casey Shea (The Undisputed Heavyweights) is uplifting in his interpretation of A Very Merry Christmas. The latter’s representative of the record as a whole, intelligent and removed from the original but without that killer touch that would make it something special and the acts more than unknowns.

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 47 •

METAL AND HARD ROCK WITH CHRIS MARIC

ALICE COOPER

TOP OF THE WORLD Alongside Tom Waits, Dr John and Neil Diamond, one of the most influential bands in rock through the ‘70s and ‘80s and therefore to the present day, especially on the performance side of things, the Alice Cooper Band has been announced as part of the next induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Guitarist Glen Buxton passed away in 1997, but the surviving members made these typically ‘Cooper’ statements after the announcement. Alice Cooper: “Take one part Yardbirds, one part West Side Story, starring Bela Lugosi and Bette Davis, and you have Hellzapoppin! And then poof!! And you have Alice Cooper. Now if you can digest that, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame can digest that, we will happily be the Hall’s arch villains. We are grateful from the bottom of our black little hearts.” Neal Smith: “Sometimes, as we were blazing a new theatrical trail in rock, there were moments in the career of our band that overwhelmingly exceeded even our monstrous expectations. Being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Class Of 2011, with my four best friends, Michael, the late Glen Buxton, Alice and Dennis, is one of those incredible moments for our one-of-a-kind rock band.” Michael Bruce: “The band that couldn’t shoot straight strikes again, from having all our hits to being in so many Top 100 all-time polls – be careful what you wish for because with hard work and perseverance and a good group of people like Neal, Dennis, Alice and Glen, you just might get it. It’s just a shame that Glen couldn’t be here with us to share in it, but we do also share this with [producer] Bob Ezrin and [manager] Shep Gordon.” Dennis Dunaway: “This proves that Glen, Neal, Alice, Michael and I (and all of our fans) weren’t so crazy after all. I’m absolutely thrilled because, let’s face it, this great honour is about as good as it gets.”

• 48 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMEBER 2010

www.utopia.com.au

Well, we made it to the end of the year with our sanity intact. It’s been a huge year of action within the rock and metal realm, so much so that it’s almost been too much. I read that the second U2 gig last week at ANZ Stadium failed to sell out even with a flood of cheap tickets going out at the last minute. It was a spectacular event but it shows people only have so much time and cash to go around and try as we might, we can’t see everything. Maybe all the promoters should have more round table power lunches so the crossover of events doesn’t impact so heavily on everyone. Anyway, next week I’ll be giving you my Year in Review roundup. I’ve been writing and comparing it for years with a bunch of mates so this year the only difference is that I’ll share it with you guys and I’m sure I’ll get a lot of mail about how awesome or crap my list is. Good, nothing like a bit of solid debate to keep things lively! True to form, the live scene in and around old Sydney town shows no signs of slowing during the silly season. Check it out. Leeno and the boys from Melody Black are headlining The Nightmare Before Xmas event at their home away from home, at The Sando Thursday. Joining them will be Familia, Black Label and iJunk. I caught Melody Black’s first ever gig, which happened to be at, you guessed it, The Sando and if you check next week’s Heavy Shit, it will most certainly be in my Top 10 gigs of the year list. If fun, old-school, beer-in-hand, smile-onface rock and fucking roll is what you crave, you should be at this show. The Sando is putting it on again for those who can’t get enough of the place. Orphans Xmas is the night’s title this Christmas Eve, so get down for a bit of a sausage sizzle and performances by Em Fatale & The Scary Rabbits, Taos, Hard As Nails and a bunch more. So after a week of stuffing your guts with Grandma’s awesome leftovers, it’s time to shake off the post Christmas slumber and head back out into rock land and New Year’s Eve is offering up two very tantalising offers. The only true metal event in Sydney this New Year’s Eve comes courtesy of Metal Evilution at The Sando which, along with the Bald Faced Stag, should be renamed Venue 1 and Venue 2 respectively. New Year’s Evilution features five amazing Australian metal acts to help ring in 2011. Sydney’s Rampage is heading the pack,

MELODY BLACK delivering thrash so old school you’ll think it’s NYE 1987! Brisbane progressive death machine Born From The Ashes play their only Sydney show of the year and the first on the back of their new album. Hemina, Sydney’s own prog stars, are on here too. Radelaide’s Arcadia will be making their debut Sydney appearance so they deserve a look in and, sadly, the night will be curtains for vocalist Cat, who will be playing her last ever show with openers of the event Black Horizon. $15 at the door so get in, secure your corner of the room and bang your head into the New Year. Meanwhile the vibe will be more rawk over at Rooty Hill RSL as the place that said it was so big it wanted its own postcode plays host to Kevin Borich’s Party Boyz, L.U.S.T. and Black Label. Now, this Party Boyz lineup is tres impressive! They’ve got Angry Anderson and Swanee on vocals, Kevin Borich and Izzy Osmanovic (of Judge Mercy and The Screaming Jets) on guitars, Harry Brus – bass man for Kevin Borich, Aussie Crawl, Dave Miller Set and Leo Slayer on um, bass guitar – and Mick O’Shea will be sitting up the back driving the machine and he’s kept time for a few little bands in the past, namely Judge Mercy, Billy Thorpe, Dragon and the Tatts. Impressed yet? That question is aimed at anyone over 35. Everyone else, ask your dad if he is. The event will also double as an album launch for the L.U.S.T boys, who are keeping the spirit of the ‘80s well and truly alive. And just to give you advance warning of a few things

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happening early in the new year, Nekrofeist will be delivering a big dose of thrash to the Annandale on Thursday 6 January but if you feel like a long drive southwestward, The Wagga Open Air Festival, surely to put a smirk on Thomas Jansen’s face, will be taking place at the Music Bowl in the Botanical Gardens of Wagga Wagga between 11.30am and 11.00pm. The all ages affair plays host to Darkest Hour and Carnifex, who are on a double bill tour of the country that’s straight from hardcore hell. Joining the internationals will be the following bands who have spent 2010 gaining some serious ground: Death Audio, Anno Domini, Alice Through The Windshield Glass and Aeon of Horus with two more bands still to be confirmed. And proving metal is where you find it, Wagga has coughed up plenty of local talent to share the stage with the big boys. Demonic Tempest, Automata, Nemesphyxia, I Am Atlas and Never Trust A Bunny will all be playing. Tickets are already on sale and you can get them from Moshtix or if you’re in Wagga, direct from Don Tuckwell’s Music where the lovely Jodie will assist you with your metal needs. So that’s that. It’s Christmas on Saturday and I hope Jesus and Satan, I mean Santa, shower you with lots of new CDs or iTunes vouchers and you spend the day annoying the neighbours while hanging out with those you like to, not have to. heavy@drummedia.com.au

PUNK AND HARDCORE WITH SARAH PETCHELL So last week was the annual Short.Fast.Loud Top 50 Albums of 2010 program, and I was actually pretty happy with the result. Three of the top five were Australian, with a lot of Australian bands making the list. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really good to see that people are out there supporting Australian music, as it is what keeps the scene alive! So hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how the top five looked: at #5 Enemy Of The World â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Four Year Strong; #4 Endless Roads â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Miles Away; #3 What Separates Me From You â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Day To Remember; #2 Deep Blue â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Parkway Drive; and the #1 title goes out to The Amity Affliction for Youngbloods (playing Soundwave next year). Congratulations to all the Aussie bands that made the list! Since City & Colour first played in Australia on the Soundwave tour a few years ago, Dallas Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fans have been positively itching for him to come back and play his mellow, honest and emotion-filled acoustic tracks to live audiences. I was lucky enough to catch him at Soundwave and it was definitely one of the highlights of my day. That man knows how to hold an audience! City & Colour will be playing the Metro Theatre, Tuesday 5 April. Tickets went on sale last Friday, so make sure you snap them up quickly because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t last long! Trust me, you really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to miss this. Having earned many an Australian fan through numerous tours here as both a support and a headliner, it looks like Streetlight Manifesto are returning to our shores in April 2011. Announced last week, there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much information in relation to ticket sales and supports yet, but it is confirmed that the band will be playing The Gaelic Wednesday 6 April. It will be an 18+ show, unfortunately for underage fans, but there is an all ages show at Manly Youth Centre Saturday 9. And Newcastle, you get a show at The Cambridge on Friday 8. As we take a little hiatus over New Years, there is a show that will happen in this period so I want to remind you all now (even though some might say itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not really punk or hardcore, but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care because I am excited beyond belief to see the headliners of this tour). Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m talking about the Darkest Hour and Carnifex tour. Tickets are still available for Wednesday 5 January at the Factory Theatre and supports were announced last week, with Sydney featuring Norse and As Silence Breaks. This is the first time that Darkest Hour have played in Australia since 2006.

YELLOWCARD

DEALT A NEW HAND THE AMITY AFFLICTION I got sent an email today about a gig thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening at the Sandringham Hotel in February. While the news is fresh, I thought I might give you all a bit of a heads up. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a covers show happening Saturday 12 February. For a $15 cover fee you get to see The Dead Walk, Ill Brigade, Thickxskin (Qld), Legions and Step Down (Vic) do covers sets. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure it will be a blast, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll remind you guys when it gets closer, but mark this one in your diaries now!

the way the label handled some things - for example, a situation where an unfinished version of I Was A Teenage Anarchist (that was missing backing vocals and had different lyrics) was sent out by accident to Canadian radio stations, instead of the finished version. The band also announced that they will be releasing a new 7-inch 21 December, containing an acoustic version of High Pressure Low and a previously unreleased track called Strip Mall Parking Lots.

In release news, Poison City Records announced that they are the label that is going to be releasing the forthcoming debut full-length by Brisbaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fires Of Waco. To be titled Old Ghosts Never Sleep, this release is the culmination of a year spent forging their own identity through a work ethic that has seen them become one of the most active bands in the Brisbane punk scene. Hopefully the release of this record will see them tour the country more extensively and see them in Sydney a bit more. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know much about them, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a quick bit of info: they formed from the ashes of The Gifthorse, Values Here and Just Say Go, and in June this year released their EP In The Wake Ofâ&#x20AC;Ś If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already gotten your hands on this so you know what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got in store for you. The debut album will be released on 28 March, so keep an eye out for preorders and tracks over the summer.

In case you missed the memo, Soundwave timetables have been posted online. Though they are still subject to change, organizer AJ Maddah called for feedback from fans to try and fix any big clashes now. If you follow his Twitter feed, he has been griping for weeks about silly demands from certain bands in relation to times, and has noted that as the timetables stand, there is a clash between Slayer and Slash (though I imagine that wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a clash for most reading this column) and he is trying to fix it. A quick Google search will help you source the timetables, as the beta versions donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to be posted on the Soundwave website at present.

A few weeks ago it was announced that Against Me! were departing from their label, Warner, after releasing their last two albums with the major, even despite criticisms of â&#x20AC;&#x153;selling outâ&#x20AC;? by punx fans worldwide. In a recent interview, frontman Tom Gabel explained why the partnership ended and noted some criticisms he has over

You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deny that a cheesy, sunny-side-up summer anthem like Yellowcardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ocean Avenue probably had some sort of an effect on teenage you, way back in 2004. The vibrant pop rock of that album (of the same name) caused a flurry in the commercial charts, selling 11,000 records in the first week in the States and finally certified as platinum. However, since then, the band have faced a number of cramp-inducing hurdles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the departure of their longtime guitarist Ben Harper, vocal surgery for singer Ryan Key and problems with Capitol Records, ultimately leaving them label-less and announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2008.

GIG OF THE WEEK(S)

Fresh-faced from two years off, they last week announcing a new album, When Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Through Thinking, Say Yes, to be released in March, seemingly with a greater punk focus. With a newly penned deal with punk-focused Hopeless Records (theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Hopelessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; version of what Nickelback are to Roadrunner) tucked into their back pockets, Key told MTV News that it was hard to get issues sorted out within the band, but it had to be done. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Earlier this year, our drummer, Longineu [Parsons], was the one that kinda started making phone calls, just saying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;What do you guys think about maybe getting back together?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;Ś We definitely sat down with each other and talked about all the things in Yellowcard that had worked and not worked, and what we would need to be this time around to make it work, and everybody really seemed to be on the same page.â&#x20AC;?

With Christmas coming up, the gigs slow down for a week or so. So Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pushing my gig of the week forward to the 5 January. I mentioned it already, but seriously, make sure you get down to the Factory Theatre to check out Darkest Hour. They are an amazing live band, their music rules and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big call, but I think it is going to be one of the best live shows of 2011.

The five-piece have announced that they will be supporting All Time Low on The Dirty Work tour next year across North America, sparking some resistance from old Yellowcard fans who believe that they should be headlining. However, it seems that the only way up is for the band to reestablish their value with their new album in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever-changing pop/punk scene.

wakethedead@drummedia.com.au

ckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Roll

Thursday 23 DEC Sandringham Hotel Newtown with Melody Black

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MKB CONTRACTING

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THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ 49 â&#x20AC;˘

HIP HOP WITH VIKTOR KRUM There have been a few people trying to kick-start the all ages scene this year, from throwing local gigs to trying to provide opportunities for artists and even to campaigning against unsupportive councils, and Canberra’s Drawing North are ending the year in that sort of fashion. The five-piece pop rock outfit have spent a lot of time this year recording and by their own admission refining their sound. The result is their album, Vision In Valour, which they’ll launch at Canberra’s Albert Hall - a 700 capacity venue no less Saturday 22 January. Jot it in the diary and help them help you.

Remember we had a little cry about the end of Dust Tones a little while ago? How could it still be a Dust Tones event if it wasn’t at the Beach Road Hotel? What was a Dust Tones event but an excuse to take a walk on the East Side of Sydney and see how the other half lived? And remember how it was free entry? Oh well. R.I.P. to most of that but – importantly – Dust Tones has not left us forever. It has a new home: Tone. The first night of reborn Dust Tones will be Saturday 29 January 2011. Now let’s get one thing out of the way: entrance fee. It exists. Wah. Wah. Wah. Cry. Cry. Cry. Right? Why even bother leaving the house if you’re just going to have to pay to see some music? Right?! Well, you cowards can cry it up. The rest of us can just be pleased that we’re avoiding the late night cab fare home from Bondi. We can also get pumped for the 29 January show. The lineup is serious business: Raashan Ahmad, Paper Plane Project and Astronomy Class Sound System among others. Not free, but worth the price of entry ($12). Oh. God. The shows happening in early 2011 are looking pretty exciting. We’ve got Doom (Doom!), Guilty Simpson and Phat Kat all over before Easter. And now: De La Soul are coming out! They’re playing Thursday 10 February at the Enmore. It’s good news – sure – but the show has another special element. It’s a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the release of De La Soul Is Dead so… De La are going to play the whole thing live (!) There’ll be no stressing about set lists, no wondering whether they’ll play that Chaka Khan track that’s your girlfriend’s favourite. There’s a slightly depressing side to all of this, of course: how would you feel if the music you made when you were young and insecure was the same music you played to people half your age 20 years later? You’d feel like the Violent Femmes probably. Zing! You know blogs? The online places where angry people get excited about concerts and distribute music illegally? Yeah; they’re great. One of my favourite things about blogs is the “strikethrough” injoke. It’s a way of ironically or sarcastically pointing out contrast, hypocrisy or contradiction. The ironic early statement will still be printed and readable on the blog but it will be crossed out. I say it’s a brilliant joke (but maybe you just have to be there with me). Anyway, if I had a blog I would have made liberal use of strikethrough whenever I mentioned Dr Dre’s Detox album, which is due out in 2005 (strikethrough!),

ALL AGES WITH SCOTT FITZSIMONS

The Museum Of Contemporary Art, always a big supporter of the youth scene, has announced its next workshop - printing. Happening Tuesday 11 January, printing is another aspect of the creative industries that is unfortunately falling by the wayside. The workshop is an introduction to GOCCO printing and you’ll create your own A6 prints. There is a small cost involved head to the website to book - but that also includes refreshments, materials and a tour of the awesome Annie Leibovitz exhibition showing at the moment.

DE LA SOUL 2006 (strikethrough!), 2007 (strikethrough!) etc. It looks, finally, like Dre’s long-awaited solo will be with us in 2011 (no strikethrough). We know because the new single, Kush, is with us. It’s a pretty pedestrian (strikethrough!) understated single. You may like it? I’m warming to it, hey. We’ll talk about it again in future but I want to flag the Platform Hip Hop Festival happening in March 2011 at Carriageworks. It is immense. It goes for a month. You will never want to leave. Rahzel and Supernatural are going to be there. There’ll be raps, photography, graffiti, theatre (theatre?), film and more. It should be incredible. Choose your events carefully though. Funk It Up About Nothing gets a yellow card: it’s a “an audacious, hilarious, outrageous hip-hoptation based on the Bard’s classic comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, a feisty, urban take on a story as old skool as love itself.” Now, making up words and delibrett mizpellingz aside, that’s just a boring idea. There are some amazinglooking other events though. A street art walking tour of inner Sydney will be a joy and there are some excellent looking films lined up. We’ll talk again about this. Promizz. getittogether@drummedia.com.au

The a cappella carols at Darling Harbour continue this week with Ninety Nine & A Half Thursday and then Blues Point on the all important Friday. The Georges River Sailing Club hosts a free show for Boxing Day – that’s this Sunday – with Radio Fashion, Evil Twin and The Struts. It’s a relatively early show, with bands kicking off at 5pm and running until 9pm. The fittingly-named Not New Year’s Eye Show will take place at the Sydney Opera House – always an all age venue unless otherwise marked – Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. It’s not typically what the all age crowd will go for, but if you’re looking to expand your musical horizons this is a good opportunity to do so with local artists, and probably makes a great lastminute present for a parent. James Morrison will be headlining, with Daniel Cant, Roy Best, Tina Harris, the Willoughby Symphony, the Macquarie University Singers and Sergei Golovko. Early next year there’s a tour that a lot of heavylistening fans are pretty excited about. That’s Darkest Hour and Carnifex who’ll be playing at The Factory Theatre Wednesday 5 January. Sydney Festival’s Festival First Night is always a big night for the city, bringing the city to life and giving it a certain buzz Saturday 8 January. At various venues across the CBD there’ll be free events kicking off 3pm with some of the finest acts set to grace stages as part

POP CULTURE THERAPY WITH ADAM CURLEY For all their practical timeliness, it’s really a rosy occurrence that end-of-year music lists arrive at the end of the year. Despite making the decision of what to buy your brother-in-law for Christmas one that need not be made with consideration or sobriety, the best-of countdowns also happen in the season – at least in Australia – when goodwill is at an unreasonable peak, time is at its least valuable and the willingness to be led by an opinion not forged in the oyster shell of the My Life daily grind is about as solid as it’s ever going to be. If nothing else, they come when forced parent time means burying your head in whichever page of words is closest and history dictates that lists are the easiest things to concentrate on while also having to nod and sigh at suggestions of alternative career options and printouts of handily close apartments for sale. Even those for whom music magazines have not been a regular fiscal burden of teen years will have some memory of splurging holiday cash at a coastal newsagency while on a compulsory family getaway. Somehow, those glossy images of city-dirty musicians lazing on New York fire escapes and in back alleys make the long, sweaty hours pondering never-gonna-happen summer hook-ups and glancing hatefully (enviously and lustfully) at tanned, tangled bodies both bearable and unbearably unacceptable. In those hours, with those lists and a music shop within walking distance or i-device in hand, things are realised and discovered, ‘tastes’ and ‘dreams’ forged. For the most part though, much of that list-looking is now done online, via whichever blogs have passed individual filters and been ‘favourited’ for regular check-backs. Or, if you’re like me and don’t mind reading stuff you don’t even particularly like in the vain hope of becoming vaguely ‘informed’, every blog you’ve ever stumbled upon or has been recommended to you. The Top 50 Albums Of 2010. The Top 100 Remixes Of July 2010. The Top Four Bands You Couldn’t Possibly Have Heard Of Because They Only Made One Demo CD And Sent It To Us But Really They’re The Best Bands In The World And We Can’t Believe You Don’t Know Who They Are You Arcade Fire-Loving Piece Of Shit. Indeed, at any other time, most of these lists would result in relocations to Amish farms and even those probably have their own lists of • 50 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

the best German hymns of the 1600s. Thank Christ (or the writers of Pitchfork or whoever) for the openmindedness that comes with summer boredom and midday booze. If the idea of trawling through longwinded opinions is off-putting (or just impossible, if the ale has really got the better of your vision), end-of-year blog lists can be treated even more basically as catalogues of samples. Most these days come with at least snippets of the tracks they’re promoting, although the future of this for US-based blogs is now in doubt thanks to the Immigration And Customs Enforcement arm of the Department Of Homeland Security deciding it’s going to (seemingly) randomly shut down sites it views as pirate operations. Last week, a number of US music blogs were seized despite many of those blogs acquiring tracks and videos from record companies and bands themselves as part of their marketing strategies – just another example of how governments aren’t grasping the new complexities of licensing and copyright as they relate to the future of creative industries and will just bow to powerful organisations acting in their own interests (in this case, seemingly the Recording Industry Association Of America). It is, however, important to remember that the sharing of best-of lists isn’t really about making it easier to decide how to use the vouchers you got for Christmas from the family members who don’t know anything about you. Nor are they ways to test or boast the obscurity level of your music knowledge. That’s for street press writers and John Cusack. Swapping opinions on music – and what’s happened in the past year and why – is also a good, if reasonably shallow, way to learn more about the people around you; what they think and why they think it. If we did it more often, we might know what to buy our brothers-in-law for Christmas without having to resort to popular opinion and we might not have to spend our summer days with our heads buried in silly end-of-year lists. breakdown@drummedia.com.au

DRAWING NORTH

PAUL KELLY of the festival. The main focus is at The Domain, where Emmylou Harris, Dave Arden, Paul Kelly, Amos Roach, Renee Geyer, Archie Roach, Dan Sultan and Tiddas will perform. Down at Martin Place it’s Arrested Development at the top of the bill, with Daara J Family and Hanggai. The other main venue hosting acts is Hyde Park, where The Dynamites, Clinton Walker, Eddie Perfect and iOTA will all be making an appearance. Of course, there’s a whole lot more in terms of all ages shows throughout the festival – and there’s a lot of festival to get your teeth into – so head to their website to get the full details. Things are selling out fast, so you should also get on it in haste. allages@drummedia.com.au

OTHER MUSIC FROM THE OTHER SIDE WITH BOB BAKER FISH Oh man the music is terrible. It’s the kind of bland countrified power ballad that makes you want to stab your mp3 device. But that’s not enough! Then you feel the need to burn it and drive a truck over it just to make sure it’s definitely dead and you’ll never have to hear those horrible sounds again. But all the same there’s something familiar about it, something that taps into your painfully naive past, a history that you’ve tried to block out while pursuing your newfound love of Dubstep or Turkish psych rock from the ‘70s. Suddenly it hits you. You know these words! They’re dead set ‘80s Aussie classics. It was the American accent that had you fooled. You see Dual Plover, a label with one of the sickest senses of humour in Australia (if you don’t believe me check out their catalogue – I recommend Suicidal Rap Orgy as a good place to start) have outdone themselves this time. They’ve tapped into the Nashville song/poem companies, cynical businesses that prey on the dreams of aspiring songwriters. The deal is that you send over your heartfelt words along with a wad of cash and they’ll put your creativity to music. There’s something quietly devastating about the process it’s like two souls with one stone. Firstly there’s the sap who pens the words thinking these insipid clichés could launch them into stardom, then there are the musicians themselves whose own dreams of conquering the industry on their own terms have been shattered long ago, leaving them with the cold hard economic reality of a paying gig. While the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s were the heyday for these companies, the ever curious Dual Plover not only discovered that they still exist, but decided to send over some lyrics from some of Australia’s most iconic tunes that failed to chart in the US, pretending of course that they were their own lyrics. The tunes are Cold Chisel’s Cheap Wine, The Boys Light Up from Australian Crawl, Rose Tattoo’s We Can’t Be Beaten and the Divinyls Boys In Town. What’s so incredible is how these companies are able to expertly, almost clinically remove any power, emotion or spirit from the originals and replace it with this kind of clichéd countrified swagger that simultaneously sounds like nothing and everything else. You can imagine bedroom songwriters getting excited by their package in the mail, thinking they’ve finally arrived in the business. Now they sound like the rest of the spittle on the country music charts. You can download the results for free if you’re curious from dualplover.com/ozrock.php. Since it cost them a bit to do this if you appreciate the irony and artistic despair at the

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COLD CHISEL GO FOR COUNTRY BALLAD heart of the project there’s also a tab where you can donate to Dual Plover. There’s a dark misshapen underbelly to Melbourne experimental music where guitars, noise, field recordings and brooding atmospheres collide and there’s a feeling that anything can happen. It’s a place that new label Iceage Productions has positioned itself, displaying a commitment to the progressive, loud, strange and difficult. Their most recent offering is The Shape Of Sound Vol.1, a collection of weird and wonderful tunes from experimental Melbourne. Guitarist Zac Keiller offers a really gorgeous near ambient piece, while Mystic Eyes work with density of tone, texture, repetition and a feeling of stasis on their piece La Cicatrice Interieure and Constant Light buzz and whir over a huge sludge beat, the kind that can cause avalanches. There are tunes from legendary post-punk outfit Primitive Calculators, hypnotic improv duo Infinite Decimals, a bit of bluster and squeal from the Paul Kidney Experience, and Wolf 359, whose LP, Primitive Assembly, has also been released by the label. If you’re after the really strange stuff though you need to look backwards. The Artefacts Of Australian Experimental Music Vol.2 1974 – 1983 (Shamefile Music) is the step before, where tape machines and early synths provided the catalyst for all kinds of sonic manipulations. It’s a two-CD set of some truly bizarre sounds that trace the development of experimental movements and collectives in this country, some of whom are still active today. Primitive Calculators, who appear on the previous compilation, offer up their debut single from 1979 while there are also tunes from Essendon Airport, Arthur Cantrill, Severed Heads and the Loop Orchestra, alongside all manner of forwardthinking musical iconoclasts and some great liner notes.

OLD GUARD IN H.O.F BLUES AND ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON Grace Jones’ performance at the Sydney Festival back at the start of last year was one of the most talked about of the entire event. Her multi-faceted live shows are constantly raved about for their jaw-droppingly incredible mix of auditory and visual delights. Her voice spans over two and a half octaves and her sense of style and fashion is reason enough to want to be right up the front when she performs. She has just been announced (in an odd single artist announcement) for next year’s Bluesfest, which happens at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm from Thursday 25 April through to Monday 30 April.

available from the venue now, starting at $69, and I’m willing to say they’ll be worth every penny.

Speaking of Bluesfest, there have been a couple of sideshows announced for those of you who either can’t make the trip up north or just want to maximise your chances to see your favourite artists as much as possible. The sideshows always give a different perspective on the acts than the big festival atmosphere. He’s not just the biggest blues artist on the lineup, he’s the biggest blues artist in the world and has been for a very long time. To say that BB King’s imminent return to Australian shores is long-awaited is a major understatement; this bona fide blues legend has been at it since the 1940s, he’s released over 75 albums, played over 10,000 shows and reports from overseas state that he most certainly still performs with the kind of passion one could possibly hope for. The 85-year-old guitar slinger will drop by Sydney’s State Theatre on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 April for two very special sideshows, so do not miss this rare opportunity to witness the King of Blues in the flesh.

GRACE JONES Grab your tickets now from Ticketmaster; they start at $119 and go up to $159. If you like bang for your buck then the Sydney Opera House has one of the most incredible gospel/blues/soul lineups the city has seen in a very long time in April. The names of these artists speak for themselves: Mavis Staples, Blind Boys Of Alabama and Aaron Neville. Between them there are many, many hundreds of years of experience in singing amazing gospel music but they are all still astounding performers this late into their respective careers. You can bet there are going to be a whole lot of good vibes in the air when they play the Sydney Opera House on Monday 25 April. Tickets are

Aside from Bluesfest there have been a couple of other cool tours announced over the past couple of weeks. The electric blend of swing, funk and ska of Cherry Poppin’ Daddies has had audiences grinning for many a year and now they are finally on their way back to Australia. It was 1998 the band really made themselves known to a wider audience, with the release of their hit single, Zoot Suit Riot, from the album of the same name. The band, who formed way back in 1989, are renowned for highly energetic and infectious live shows and given it has been over a decade since they were last here we are sure that when they make their return visit early next year they’ll want to prove they are still as exciting on the live stage as ever. Luckily we get a chance to find out for ourselves when the band drops by the Factory Theatre on Friday 8 April. This show is BYO fedora. A quick note that the lineup for the much anticipated Return To Forever tour has changed. Unfortunately the legendary Bill Connors has some medical issues which will prevent him from making the trip, but never fear, Frank Gambale’s here! Yep, the Aussie virtuoso who was a big part of Chick Corea’s Elektric Band through the ‘80s and ‘90s has stepped in and we’re sure he’ll do a fine job. The show happens at the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday 15 February. rootsdown@drummedia.com.au

Dr John is among the latest musical legends to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, along with the Alice Cooper Band, Neil Diamond and Tom Waits. They were chosen from a group of 15 nominees that also included the Beastie Boys, Bon Jovi and LL Cool J.

BLUES HONOURS The nominations for the Blues Foundations 2011 Blues Music Awards have been announced, with Buddy Guy and Charlie Musselwhite leading the announcement with five nods each. Album of the Year, Buddy Guy Living Proof, Charlie Musselwhite The Well, Eden Brent Ain’t Got No Troubles, Janiva Magness The Devil Is An Angel Too and The Mannish Boys Shake For Me. Band of the Year will be fought out between the Derek Trucks Band, Magic Slim & the Teardrops, Nick Moss Band, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, The Holmes Brothers, The Kilborn Alley Blues Band and The Mannish Boys while the BB King Entertainer of the Year award has Buddy Guy, Janiva Magness, Joe Louis Walker, Kenny Neal and Super Chikan vying and Song of the Year Tom Hambridge/Buddy Guy Living Proof, Charlie Musselwhite Sad And Beautiful World, Bruce Iglauer/Wyzard/ David Kearney Please Mr. President, Dennis Walker/ Alan Mirikitani Still The Rain and Steve Gomes Rained All Night. The 32nd awards will be presented 5 May next year at the Cook Convention Centre in the foundation’s Memphis hometown. In other news for the non-profit foundation, board members will vote to decide whether to purchase its first permanent home in Memphis by March. It’s planned to include a public showroom, presentations and a retail store.

MASTER MOODS JAZZ/WORLD WITH MICHAEL SMITH TUESDAY

Christmas Eve sees the Bald Faced Stag’s The Wall swing hard with The Monday Night Jazz Orchestra reassembling under the leadership of trombonist Colin Philpott.

Queenslander, pianist and composer Sam Keevers and his trio take over 505 tonight and tomorrow night with the inimitable tenor sax of Bernie McGann joining in tonight, singer Lily Dior with pianist Edouardo Santoni Wednesday.

CHRISTMAS DAY Keyboard player and composer Gerard Masters takes the lunchtime session while flugelhorn player and composer Elizabeth Geyer and veteran jazz guitarist George Golla lead the late session at the Harbour Kitchen.

Well, of course you know perfectly well that the James Valentine Quartet are hosting their big Christmas jam tonight at the Golden Sheaf, Double Bay. American-born Sydneysider, pianist and composer John Harkins tucks himself into Jazushi tonight and Christmas Eve.

BOXING DAY Marrickville Golf Club hosts another afternoon with the five-piece Swinging Blades, featuring singer Jane Irving, from 3.30pm.

WEDNESDAY James Morrison and his favourite singer Emma Pask do the honours down at the Basement Circular Quay.

TUESDAY 28 Renee Geyer brings the soul back to the Brass Monkey tonight and the Basement Circular Quay Wednesday and Thursday nights.

The John Redmond Trio plays the Manhattan Lounge. Vanessa Raspa will be delighting all at the Vanilla Room in Leichhardt.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

MONSIEUR CAMEMBERT

Singer Paul Sun heads into Jazushi.

THURSDAY

CHRISTMAS EVE

Popular World Music quintet Marsala is throwing their Christmas party at 505.

It’s a 5.30pm start for the guitar-led Chris Alexander Trio at Rydges Hotel Campbelltown.

Pianist Alan Goodman, resident solo pianist at Dubai’s Grosvenor House Hotel for two years, takes to the Jazushi stage.

Paul Joseph and Doug Williams team up for an evening at the Harbour Kitchen & Bar in the Park Hyatt at The Rocks.

When you read the phrase ‘Sinatra Rocks The Basement’, you know you’re in for another evening of Jeff Duff, Frank Bennett and Grant Galea channelling the spirit of the Rat Pack with the mighty Jeff Duff Big Band. Monsieur Camembert hosts a New Year’s Eve party at the new venue in Marrickville, Camelot. blow@drummedia.com.au

ROCKABILLY/PSYCHOBILLY/ALT.COUNTRY WITH PEDRO MANOY TUESDAY

at the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel and the Steve Edmonds Band keep the party rocking at the Beaches Hotel in Thirroul with both shows from 5pm. The Continental Blues Party mixes soul and funky blues at the Bald Rock Hotel from 6pm. Terry Batu plays the Canterbury Leagues Club from 8pm and Ward’s Xpress, featuring Leanne Paris, rounds off the Boxing Day celebrations at Club Cronulla from 8.30pm.

Adam Pringle & Friends get right into the Christmas spirit with a massive blues jam at the Sandringham Hotel from 8pm.

WEDNESDAY The Bondi Cigars travel to Lizotte’s in Newcastle from 8pm whilst the Musos Club Jam Night invites all blues jammers to a big festive season get together at the Bald Faced Stag Hotel. The remarkable Pugsley Buzzard delivers his grizzly vocals and down home keyboard artistry at the Macquarie Hotel.

COMIN’ ROUND THE MOUNTAIN:

THURSDAY It’s been a big year for the Continental Blues Party, with shows all over Australia during the past twelve months. Catch them at the Old Manly Boatshed in full yuletide mode from 9.30pm. The Bondi Cigars move to Lizotte’s in Dee Why and Isaiah B Brunt is solo at Carlita’s Cafe Restaurant in Cronulla. There’s a big night at the Bombaderry Bowling Club in the Shoalhaven with Kim Churchill, Ashleigh Mannix and Carter Rollins. The Musos Club Jam Night is a fixture at the Carousel Inn Hotel whilst the hard working Steve Edmonds Band tear it up at the Empire Hotel.

FRIDAY The Steve Edmonds Band celebrates Christmas Eve at the Mona Vale Hotel, as does the Continental Blues Party at the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel, with both shows from 9pm. Kim Churchill, Ashleigh Mannix and

KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS Carter Rollins gather under the mistletoe at Club Sapphire in Merimbula whilst the Mason Rack Band dispense Xmas cheer at the Pacific Hotel at Yamba on the North Coast. The nomadic and extremely well travelled Terry Batu plays the Matraville Hotel from 8pm.

SUNDAY The Ray Beadle Band kicks off the Boxing Day celebrations at the Towradgi Beach Hotel from 2pm. At the Sandringham Hotel it’s a slightly later start when country jazzabillies The Hoo Haas present their own unique brand of post Christmas day revival. Chris Mawer’s RedBeans serve up a tasty musical gumbo

There’s a stack of great festivals and shows post Christmas beginning with the 25th Woodford Folk Festival from Monday 27 December to Saturday 1 January. The Sydney Festival has some great international talent in the UK’s Kitty, Daisy & Lewis as well as Los Lobos and the Dynamites featuring the mercurial Charles Walker. One gig not to miss is the resurrection of alt-country legends Deadwood 76 at the Marrickville Bowlo on Saturday 8 January, under the billing of Night of the Living Deadwood. From 4.30pm you will also catch fellow reprobates, Jack Nasty Face, The Ramalamas, Roland K. Smith & The Sinners, Satellite V, The Missing Link, Cash Only and Barry March. Later in the month the Tamworth Country Music Festival, held from Friday 14 to Sunday 23 January, sees a mass exodus of musicians and fans from Sydney for ten days and some 4,000 different performances across 80 different venues, not to mention the 600 plus buskers let loose in the town centre. swampshack@drummedia.com.au

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Another of jazz’s elder statesmen passed away recently, James Moody having died in San Diego aged 85. The New York Times reports that Moody had recently disclosed that he had pancreatic cancer but was opting against receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Something of a character, Moody was known for a self-deprecating humour that broke the stereotype of the cool and ever-serious jazz musician. He told jokes and also chucked numbers like The Flintstones theme into his shows, while his singing was unique and far from perfect – he spoke with a lisp, a result of being partially deaf from birth. His career kicked off with Dizzy Gillespie following the Second World War through which he played with an all-black Army Air Forces band, Gillespie becoming a mentor for Moody. Moody battled with alcoholism twice in his life and also checked himself into a New Jersey psychiatric hospital in 1958 after a nightclub fire destroyed his band’s equipment, uniform and sheet music. His long career was recognised in 1998 when the American National Endowment For The Arts named him a jazz master and his 2008 album, Moody 4B, was nominated for a Grammy award last month. On hearing of his death, fellow jazzman Wynton Marsalis described Moody “a titan of our music”. In an interview posted on NPR’s website Moody described dealing with the death of his mentor, Dizzy Gillespie. “For the longest time, I used to call my wife – I used to call Linda, my honey, and tell her, ‘Honey, I called you and you weren’t home. You know?’ She says, ‘Honey, I’ve been home all day.’ I said, ‘Well, but I called’ – and then I’d say the number. And she’d say, ‘Honey, that’s Dizzy’s number.’”

DECISION TIME Voting for the viewer-voted CMC Music Awards 2011 has opened. The Awards have expanded in scope this year to include four categories – International Artist, New Oz Artist, Music Video and the main award, Oz Artist of the Year. While voting is open now, you’ve got a bit of time over the holiday period to have a think about it as it closes Sunday 20 February – nominees are listed on the website, 30 for the main award, 15 for each of the others – and each vote enters a competition to win a trip to the CMC Rocks The Hunter festival in March, whilst runners up can win merch packs.

SLIM’S CENTRE ON TRACK The Slim Dusty Centre – a centre and museum being built in his birthplace of Kempsey which will hopefully serve as a monument to the country music legend as well as a centre of development for aspiring musicians – has received a boost, and a much needed one given the slow pace at which the project is developing. The Leighton Holdings group has donated $100,000 to the centre after the retiring chief executive of the group, Wal King, visited the construction site to present the gift to Joy McKean – Slim’s widow and head of the Slim Dusty Foundation. “Leighton Holdings and its operating companies... are thrilled to be able to support the development of the Slim Dusty Centre,” King said. “Our companies are constructing vital infrastructure in the Kempsey region and we appreciate the significant boost the Centre will provide to the local tourism industry in Kempsey and the surrounding areas. Slim was an Australian legend and as one of Australia’s leading construction and engineering businesses, we are honoured to support his legacy in this way.” THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 51 •

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FILM

REVIEWS

QUOTE

JUNO

REALLY USEFUL SONGS FROM MOSTLY FORGOTTEN FILMS BY CAM GRACE

BLUE VALENTINE It’s not an easy watch, this film by writer/director Derek Cianfrance. In no way could it be described as entertaining. But it’s a riveting, heartbreaking study of a relationship in a fatal tailspin. Dean (a bearded, laidback Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (a haunted Michelle Williams) are the couple locked in this dance of destruction. When they meet, she’s coy and flirtatious and he’s a James Dean working-class rebel. Fast forward five years and she’s gained weight, he’s lost hair, and they’ve both lost that spark. No matter how hard they try to get it back, it eludes them, fizzling in the damp dreariness of their life together. Blue Valentine pulls no punches in its verisimilitude. It’s more of a horror film than most horror films are – the horror being that you’ll see facets of

yourself in one of these people, and recall with burning shame the leaking holes in a relationship of your own. The pivotal scene of the film, which takes place in a sleazy ‘sex motel’ to which the couple go to try to jumpstart their attraction, is guaranteed to leave you cringing. However much they repulse each other, the two leads are magnetic. Williams startlingly goes from smitten kitten to lumpen sourpuss – and Cianfrance’s clever non-linear structure shows us this juxtaposition in the stark light of day.

1. My Love Has Two Faces by Shirley Bassey in Deadfall (1968) 2. Everybody’s Out Of Town by BJ Thomas in The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973) 3. Down On Me by Janis Joplin in Petulia (1968) 4. Incense And Peppermints by The

Strawberry Alarm Clock in Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970) 5. Once I Loved by Astrid Gilberto in Juno (2007) 6. Take This Waltz by Leonard Cohen in Love, etc. (1996) 7. Nothing To Lose by Claudine Longet in The Party (1968)

“PROBABLY THE LITTLE KID FROM KICK-ASS.” Mark Wahlberg’s response when asked who his sexiest superhero was at Comic-Con earlier this year. (Source: Fox News, via Indian Express) funny, moving and thought provoking thrill ride about love, loss, guilt and forgiveness” follows; Boats, meant for children but looks like a lot of fun – come on: boats! is next, then a second double bill, featuring two plays by Andy Hyman, Drake The Amazing and La Dispute. Stephen Jeffreys’ The Libertine follows, a tale of the decay of civilised values in 17th Century England (you might know the film version starring Johnny Depp); before the season rounds off with 10,000 Beers, a look

THE ADVENTURES OF ALVIN SPUTNIK

There’s no deus ex machina in Blue Valentine, just life in relentless motion, warts and all. It’s like watching a train wreck – highimpact, tragic, and burned into your memory forever.

ideas, whilst the latter play revolves around three gay men who attend a straight wedding, having all slept with the groom. Orange Flower Water follows, involving two married couples and their children all living together in bliss until an affair begins in the household. Then comes I Only Came To Use The Phone, a thriller adapted from a story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Love In The Time Of Cholera); Sydney Festival production The Adventures Of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer by Tim Watts makes its way to Darlo; the Australian premiere of The Coming World – “a

LUKE DOOLAN

impediment which presents itself at the most inopportune moments.

It’s not the most romantic of comedies but with some serious themes at play it’s a suitable approach. Gyllenhaal plays Reidy, a Pfizer drug rep and playa who always gets the girl, usually short-term. Hathaway is Maggie Murdock, a 26-year-old Parkinson’s patient, gun shy of relationships but also open to short-term hook-ups. After they meet during one of Jamie’s sales calls it doesn’t take long for this stunning duo to show us why hot people tend to get naked with other hot people, all the while • 52 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

Flickerfest is back, kicking off Friday 7 January and running to Sunday 16 at Bondi Pavillion, before heading off around the country on a two-month

BAZ McALISTER

Darlinghurst Theatre Company has announced its 2011 season, a heavyweight line-up consisting of, coincidentally, 11 shows. The year kicks off with the return of Open For Inspection: The Real Estate Musical, getting a full run after its brief 2010 season. Following this will be the double-bill of Jane Austen’s Guide To Pornography and Gorgeous Bastard; the first play imagines Austen and a 21st Century pornography playwright turning to each other for

Based on a memoir by Jamie Reidy titled Hard Sell: The Evolution Of A Viagra Salesman, for some of you it will be enough to know that throughout Love And Other Drugs you get to see Anne Hathaway’s boobs, a lot. There’s also a lot of shirtless Jake Gyllenhaal.

JURY CONFIRMED FOR FLICKERFEST

WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas from 26 December

DARLINGHURST THEATRE CO ANNOUNCE 2011 SEASON

LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS

at the relationship between men, sport and friendship, and No Way To Treat A Lady, a comic musical about a failed actor who turns to murder in order to gain the fame he desires. For more information visit darlinghursttheatre.com.

promising each other that their liaisons are purely sexual. Inevitably each is charmed by the other and they must decide if staying together is worthwhile since the road ahead seems paved with heartbreak. It’s hard to create conflict within love stories these days, normally adults in a free society do what they like. The conflict created for Jamie grounds the film in a dilemma the audience can ponder while the sub-plots of Jamie’s fractured relationship with his father, the culture of drug pushing pharmaceutical corporations, and Maggie’s relationship with her disease are all handled with a light but sensitive touch. Fluttering between sexy and serious when the film tries to hit sentimental notes it doesn’t quite work but Love And Other Drugs has more to offer than a tear-jerker moments. WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas now MANDY KOHLER

Aiding him with this is speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an unorthodox and mischievous Aussie whose methods get results. Their off-and-on friendship is truly touching and the film charts it through many trials and doubts, through Bertie’s ascendancy to the throne and the outbreak of WWII, where George’s oratory skills will become paramount to the inspiration of Britons.

THE KING’S SPEECH The awards season buzz surrounding The King’s Speech, happily, is welldeserved indeed. Director Tom Hooper has crafted a gripping, moving film which, on paper, sounds fairly dull – how does one wring drama out of watching a man trying to overcome a stammer?

It helps if that man is Prince Albert, Duke of York, the man who will become George VI. Colin Firth is wonderful in the role of ‘Bertie’, painting a complex, flawed, and wounded figure as much deserving of pity as he is awe or admiration. It’s a deeply personal portrayal of a royal figure as a simple man with many heavy burdens to bear, not least of which is his speech

The King’s Speech is a film of measured and stately pace, with many brilliant supporting roles (Timothy Spall is a hoot as Churchill) and great chemistry between the two leads. It’s amazing how much gravitas and drama Hooper brings to George’s speeches, coached by Logue – when he pulls one off against the odds, you come away jubilant, feeling like he’s taken on the Nazi war machine single-handedly. WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas from 26 December BAZ McALISTER

tour of regional centres and major cities. Now in its 20th year, Flickerfest is not only the sole Academy Award accredited short film festival in Australia, but also boasts official recognition from the British Academy Of Film And Television Arts, meaning that all films from the UK shown at Flickerfest are eligible for BAFTA nominations. Confirmed guests this year include Krzysztof Gierat, director of Krakow Film Festival, who will head Flickerfest’s jury, fellow jury member Eileen Arandiga, director of the World Wide Short Film Festival Toronto. The full jury member line-up includes Movie Extra’s Renee Brack, Hannah Hillard, whose Franswa Sharl had its world premiere at Flickerfest this year before heading to the Berlin Film Festvial and winning the Crystal Bear Award for Best Short Film, actor Susie Porter (East West 101), Academy Award nominee Luke Doolan (Miracle Fish), Anne Vierhut, producer for the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, National Georgraphic’s Peta Watermayer, and documentary maker Tom Zubrycki. The festival will screen 108 films – 11 of which beig world premieres and 46 Australian premieres. For more information visit flickerfest.com.au.

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LIFE THROUGH A

LENS ANTHONY CAREW SPEAKS WITH ENTOURAGE STAR ADRIAN GRENIER ABOUT CELEBRITY AND HIS DOCUMENTARY TEENAGE PAPARAZZO. There’s a great moment in Teenage Paparazzo, the second documentary motion-picture made by celebrity beefcake Adrian Grenier, when he shows up with his camera crew to film the adolescent snapper that’s its subject. Only to find another camera crew is also following the titular tyke, and, thus, there’s two camera crews sitting there, shooting each other, waiting for something to happen.

Grenier’s doc doesn’t sound like much more than a lark - famous human explores the phenomenon of the paparazzi via the absurdity of a professional 14-year-old photographer - but, in this moment, it almost perfectly captures the state of the western world circa 2010: everybody is recording everything at all times, yet never actually living in the actual instant itself; the

undocumented moment now akin to a tree falling in the woods. If you didn’t photograph it and put it up on some social media site, did it really happen? “It’s true,” says Grenier. The 34-yearold star-of-Entourage! is in town for the Melbourne International Film Festival, where his every move is, of course, met by a thousand flashbulbs and a host of digital video cameras.

MOCK THE YEAR

“Nobody’s living anymore, everyone’s just filming.” As if to evince the point further, there’s another sweetly symbolic moment in Grenier’s film, where a pair of girls who just saw Paris Hilton go past lament the fact that they didn’t get a picture of her. “Nobody will believe that it happened!” they screech. Grenier offers an answer: they can take a picture of the display screen of his camera, which has just snapped pictures of Hilton. “If you think about it, it’s so bizarre,” Grenier smirks. “If you see something happen with your own eyes, it’s nothing, but if you take a picture of a picture, that’s enough. If you think about it, what is this, really? It’s just reflections after reflections, caving in on one another. That’s something I tried to contend with: navigating that hall-of-mirrors, trying to make sense of it, yet, at the same time, creating my own reflections.” Grenier’s defining role, as the lead of long-running television serial Entourage, leaps right into the heart of such; the actor having “becoming a celebrity through playing a celebrity in a show about celebrity.” Thus, he felt, the “next step was to attempt to deconstruct celebrity.” As Grenier digs into his principle subject - 14-year-old paparazzo Austin Visschedyk, and the paparazzi as phenomenon - the film transforms into a study on human-beings in the media-saturated digital era. It addresses trenchant topics like the rise of parasocial relationships (e.g. viewers thinking they’re ‘friends’ with reality TV contestants), the globalvillage aspect to mass-disseminated celebrity scandals (which take the place of old-fashioned village

MADE YOU

gossip), and the 21st Century culture of constant performance (where a lifetime of media exposure and the sense of being constantly documented has birthed a generation of selfconscious, performative humans). Grenier interviews a host of celebrity pals - Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Alec Baldwin, Matt Damon, his entourage from Entourage - but also speaks to Jake Halpern, author of Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truths behind America’s Favorite Addiction, and finds a ‘voice of reason’ in Thomas de Zengotita, whose anthropological tome Mediated: How The Media Shapes Your World And The Way You Live In It served as key influence on Grenier. “All these thoughts I had, these suspicions I harboured,” explains Grenier, “became more solidified, conceptually, after I read Mediated, which totally transformed the way I look at the world, and the way we consume media. It’s like my eyes had been opened to the matrix, at the secret human desires behind this culture of celebrity.” Describing himself, with no apparent irony, as “a very philosophical person,” Grenier speaks of having wanted to take “an anthropological look at our culture” with Teenage Paparazzo; hoping to tell the story of what he describes - when we’re discussing celebrity basketballer LeBron James’ decision to defect from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat in a onehour live television special - as “the reality TV generation”. Therein, Teenage Paparazzo toes the line between its high-philosophies and its own essentially-televisual aesthetic. “There’s a fine line between all the different elements in the film; there’s a fine line between being a

either. It’s not a strong, silent set of disciplines that cry craven of nomenclatural sallies: everything’s an ‘-ism’ and frequently ‘proto-‘ or ‘post-‘ one at the same time, and they’ve got subcategories like mad. Even the famous ones (well, arthistory famous, anyhow) get tricky on you, I mean, tell me in five words the difference between Synthetic Cubism and Cubism d’Or? Why are the Die Brucke guys different from German Expressionism as a whole? If they’re all Dadaists, then why make a point of New York versus Zurich? There are whole piles of affixes and weird conjugations [undefined for my purposes but not writing or theatre or music] art’s happy to take up, let alone all the adjectival forms of surnames you can throw at anything that reminds you of anything else. So why?

“I’m lucky in that I get to go first, so I always try to pick the things that I think will be most popular and do them at the beginning. Then it’s not my problem!” The only other slight problem for an MC of a mega comedy line-up is that of keeping to time. While some sensible places have creative ways to deal with keeping acts to their allocated slot (think the Oscars and their classy turn-up-the-music-overthe-end-of-the-speech method), it seems O’Loghlin will need to use something a little less direct.

That Was The Year That Was is an end of year showcase of comedy at the Sydney Opera House and an excuse to review the year’s proceedings while taking the piss. It’ll be MCed by television and radio man, and stand-up comic, James O’Loghlin, and joining him will be Mikey Robins, Peter Berner, Pete Rowsthorn, Jeff Green, Hannah Gadsby, Rod Quantock, Paul McCarthy, and Flacco and the Sandman, with some fine sounds by locals Clayton Doley’s Organ Donors. While hosting such a gig is the type of thing O’Loghlin is very keen on, there’s also an element of danger to it. “Years are quite long things, so when you’re doing a gig about 2010 you’ve got to get your head around all the things that happened in the year,” he says. “These days things are so

immediate that things that happened in May seems like it happened five years ago. The organisers gave us a list of things to think about - no jokes, but just topics. So it’ll have things like ‘WikiLeaks’, then they leave 10 lines, and then another word, then 10 lines, so we’ve got to fill in the difficult stuff ourselves. “Late last year the Tiger Woods thing happened and that was just gold for all of us, everyone had a joke about Tiger Woods and everyone was worried about that, but it was interesting to see how everyone could make a different joke about the same thing; they were all good jokes but they were all different jokes. Wil Anderson, who was the last comedian on last year, said he spent most of the night putting lines through his material going, ‘Well that one’s gone, that one’s gone.’

“Once people are on, what can you do, really? There’s no big hook to drag them offstage. At the old Comedy Store there’s a red light, but if people keep going what can the red light do apart from flash? It can’t get you off. “The Opera House, apparently, can’t even afford the red light.” WHAT: That Was The Year That Was WHERE & WHEN: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House Wednesday 29 December and Thursday 30

WHAT: Teenage Paparazzo on DVD (Madman)

LOOK

AN ENSEMBLE CAST OF AUSTRALIAN FUNNY-PEOPLE WILL BE SENDING UP THE YEAR AT THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE’S THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS. LIZ GIUFFRE SPEAKS TO MC JAMES O’LOGHLIN.

“I remember years ago I did one of these nights where there were 15 comedians on and everyone was supposed to do five minutes and someone who went on early did 15 minutes, and it was a great way to get all the other comedians in the room to dislike him,” he says. “So I’ll stick to time, not because I don’t want to hog the audience, but because I don’t want to be disliked by the audience.

‘documentary filmmaker’ and being a paparazzo!” Grenier laughs. So, while de Zengotita lambasts a generation of humans who’re little more than “method actors”, Grenier tags after his obnoxious adolescent subject (authoring a sentimental olderbrother story-arc along the way), fakes a flirtation with a colluding Hilton just to witness the tabloid feeding-frenzy, and seeks to “humanise the paparazzi, these people who’re often thought of as faceless monsters.” Thus, his grand, farcical stunt involves becoming a paparazzo himself. This, of course, leads to another moment of (more contrived) 21st Century/ celebrity absurdity - Grenier and paparazzi photographing each other photographing each other - but, after some initial hostility, he’s accepted into the pack, and joins them in the thrill of the hunt. “Getting to know these people was important,” Grenier says, “because then you cannot make an absolute judgment, and there are ironies and subtleties their human face behoves you to embrace.” Teenage Paparazzo ends with another hall-of-mirrors moment, in which Visschedyk and his mother, two years removed from principle filming, sit down to watch a rough-cut of the nearly-completed picture. “I wanted to end it on a note of family,” Grenier says. “To show that this is a film about this boy and his parents, and why they let him do what he does, but that it’s also about tabloid as the ultimate parental force in our society; this thing that teaches us what to care about, how to be judgemental and who to judge, and how to be disrespectful to other human beings.”

CUBISM: PABLO PICASSO’S GIRL WITH MANDOLIN

WITH BETHANY SMALL There are novelists and historians and poets, and there are clarinetists and chorists and harpists and drummers, and there are documentary directors and action directors and short film directors, and there are painters and sculptors and performance artists and… well, that last one is a problem, because they are all artists, right? Everyone who makes something creatively is an artist. But while there’s writing and music and film to explain some of the boundaries, art is really just art. ‘Visual art,’ you can call it maybe, for the sake of convenience, but lots of the arts

involve looking at stuff. ‘The plastic arts,’ they’re sometimes called, but an adequately plated dinner is that as much as a sculpture, isn’t it? And if performance art counts then why doesn’t theatre? The other term in common use, ‘Fine Arts,’ I regard as pretty much a non-starter for the implication that they’re either fine in the ‘yeah, fine, whatever’ sense or they’re acting as though they’re more fine than the other arts, which is not okay either. Why do people make mistakes or jokes about Arts degrees involving studio components? How is there not a simple distinguishing term for this yet? It’s not as though the [kind we are discussing] arts are shy of words,

Are [that kind of] artists supposed to be more ‘primitive’ and inspired? Is drafting and revision a more acceptable creative mode than inspiration in other creative forms? I think for music and theatre it’s a yes, as nobody wants improv all the time, and for poetry less, a little, because we all got messed up by Wordsworth. Maybe it’s all like dance, where the audience should pretty much know full well that it’s often sweaty and painful to seem that graceful but part of the training is to be able to seem like you’re not trying. Ah well, everything has an aesthetic and a rhetoric, right? And a poetics and an erotics and maybe a thanatics. And it’s all mimesis of some sort, and it’s really best to use Greek to talk about any kind of art. Except the words ‘appropriation’ and ‘juxtaposed,’ which will get you from year 10 to second year. THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 53 •

frontrow@drummedia.com.au

PEATS RIDGE ARTS SPECIAL UMBRELLA THEATRE

BETHANY SMALL SPEAKS TO UMBRELLA THEATRE’S NATALIA LADYKO ABOUT THEIR ROVING INSTALLATION.

Their website features the slogan “Fuck Rihanna, come under our umbrella” on the front page, there’s a story that begins with “we know we’re doing the right thing when…” and ends with “…and we scared the shit out of her!”, and they work out of a garbage bin. Puppetry, it seems, is tougher than you thought. And while Natalia Ladyko, Umbrella Theatre co-founder and public face for today at least, is blonde and cute, she’s definitely not to be messed with. She has skills, in a very literal sense. She’s trained in acting and dance, she can make puppets, and “yeah, I can walk on stilts,” she throws into the conversation. The groups construction policy, which is “we make everything, and we want it to be, you know, really good,” seems to be their whole philosophy as creatives, too: alongside what they’re doing, being fun, there’s a feeling of responsibility to the arts generally, that “if someone, a show or an actor or a musician does something and they’re good, it’s good for the whole community.” Umbrella Theatre had its first public outing at Underbelly Arts in July this year, “which was great,” Natalia says, “because it gave us a deadline, and a space to work.” And while Underbelly was an arts festival and Peats Ridge is first and foremost a music one, the group’s confident that the vibe will carry across. “It’s getting really integrated, yeah, the arts and all the other stuff with the music.” And somewhere like Peats has added advantages atmospherewise: while she regretfully confirms that there’s no ostentatious rockstar style rider (“maybe one day!”) the people “are generally cool, and relaxed, and they’re having fun. I • 54 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

don’t know if that makes it a good place to try stuff out or not, but we’re trying out lots of new stuff.” Also, as if a bunch of people on acid won’t enjoy a velvet tent and puppets, right? Each performance runs for about ten minutes, with a two-hour session of performances on each day of the festival, with people switching in and out from under the umbrella in shows that change every time they’re played. “We’re literally shoulder-to-shoulder with the audience, we’re packed into this tiny space,” Natalia explains, “and so of course there’s heaps of interaction, participation. With all our shows the audience makes certain decisions.” Not explicitly, though, it’s not Choose Your Own Puppet Adventure, it’s the performers reading the crowd and shaping the stories and characters they’ve created according to the dynamic that’s happening. “There’s a lot of vibes we’ve got, people get different ones, but there’s like, cabaret and carnival and gypsyfortune-teller, it’s disappearing into a little world and getting enough theatre that they’re curious.” It’s all kind of finely balanced between luxury and tawdry, being hidden and being inviting, and making coming to a performance as an entry to a little world within the bounds of the curtain draped from their three-metre-high umbrella mounted in, and foldable down into, an Otto bin, and that little world is taking on more and more of a life of its own. “Because we make all the puppets we know really well how they work,” Natalia says, “but also, like, how they are. We have these characters who live in the theatre, but they might come out some day.”

THE PEATS RIDGE SUSTAINABLE ARTS & MUSIC FESTIVAL IS HAPPENING ONCE AGAIN OVER THE NEW YEAR PERIOD, BRINGING TOGETHER A WHOLE BUNCH OF MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS. HERE WE SPEAK TO THREE OF THE PERFORMANCE ARTISTS YOU CAN EXPECT TO FIND ON LOCATION.

WHAT: Peats Ridge Sustainable Arts & Music Festival WHERE & WHEN: Glenworth Valley Wednesday 29 December to Saturday 1 January

THE LAND OF HOPELESS UTOPIANS

BETHANY SMALL TALKS TO SARAH BREEN LOVETT ABOUT HER EXPANDED ARCHITECTURE PROJECT.

Sarah Breen Lovett laughs when asked how she became involved in Peats Ridge Festival’s arts programme. “I maybe shouldn’t tell you this,” she says, “but I put in the application and so on and they called really excited, saying ‘Ooh, we love your work!’ and then I went in and the person I spoke to, I won’t say who, but they’d thought I was someone else. They were expecting Sarah Breen the performance artist, and I had to say

‘Er, no, I’m Sarah Breen Lovett the architect...’ “But it was all really good, they were just, ‘Sit down and tell us about yourself,’ and I did and we actually worked out all this common ground.” Since she ends up having two pieces in the festival line-up it seems like they managed to connect. Her Expanded Architecture project, an exploration of “nonnarrative cinema as a way of

understanding architecture, like people’s relationship to a doorway or a window say... how we can be determined by these spaces” has shown all over the place as a film festival, and here it’ll be projected in The Land Of Hopeless Utopians, a giant geodesic dome where all kinds of aural and visual projections will be running across the three days. The film, which is getting projected upward onto the dome, is a sort of consideration of domes as spaces. “They’re not the kind of space we’re used to,” Sarah says, “so it’s looking at what it’s like to be in them, experientially. It’s footage I’ve shot in these various actual domes, around the world, which is a bit more the classical, but that being laid over the more geometric dome of the space.” Its sort of a conceptual mapping that layers dome as shape and dome as structure to function immersively, and also is “a bit like that film, you know, Inception, that bit where they,” pause while we make vaguely folding sort of gestures at one another, “do that. But better! “I’ve never actually seen how it’s going to look actually there,” she says, which must make things exciting. “I mean I’ve got programmes that simulate, you know, projection onto that surface, but not the scale or anything.”

But having mysterious elements to how she works isn’t entirely a new thing for Sarah: she’s in fact never met her long-time sound collaborator. “I send visuals to him and he sends audio to me and we adjust things back and forth with what we come up with... He actually suggested that we Skype the other day and I was just, no, we can’t! I like not knowing!” Her other project at the festival has more rehearsal behind it, though, and the collaborators are definitely more tangible. Called BOWhaus, it’s an art and theatre and installation piece developed together with Newtownbased performers MamaDada and her husband, playwright Micheál Lovett. The 30 minutes of the work follow a couple who have to decide what objects they’ll take with them as they count down to ‘The End’ in a consideration of relationships and how they’re defined by the possessions that enable but also determine them. Sarah’s current research is very focussed on the Bauhaus and their ideas of objects conditioning and defining people, and that gets a timely centrality here by a concentration on “rectangular objects”. “Everything is rectangular now,” she says, “I don’t know if people even realise, but all these screens...!”

TRASH TEMPLE MARTY JAY EXPLAINS TO BETHANY SMALL WHAT THE DEAL IS WITH TRASH TEMPLE.

“I’m always in charge,” Marty Jay says of his Trash Temple project, a statement that’s later elaborated into forewarning that “this year there’ll be a cult. I’m gonna be the head of a cult, I’ve always wanted one.”

Further questioning elicits that the Trash Temple performers are already in on this, and that they’ll be recruiting across the whole of Peats Ridge, and that recruits will get some kind of insignia. “Yeah, definitely

insignia. We’re still working on what it’ll be, but they’ll get something.” Commitment seems to be a thing with his concepts: converting this year, and joining himself and a co-performer in, um, holy matrimony in 2009, and also taking the environmentally sustainable platform the festival runs on very much to heart. The Trash Temple is not just recycled, it’s made from garbage that’s been left at other festivals. Also, it’s inflatable. Yes. A giant inflatable sideshow thing with magicians and bands and a PA system that’s gotten them threatened by “giant security dudes” at the 2am shutdown. “I kind of wanted to make it a venue,” explains Marty, “and I love inflatables; well, a little bit because they’re easy to pack up and take down.” This, it’s worth pointing out, is practical as well as a little bit flippant given the level of funding artists can get for projects like this. And it’s been a good year for inflatables, with David Cross’ Hold and Brook Andrew’s Cell and the Biennale piece. The construction of Trash Temple makes it function a little bit differently to most inflatable works, though, with Marty explaining that the salvage aspect of the piece means “you get the whole atmosphere of people coming in and like recognising their tents, like pointing and yelling ‘that’s mine!’” He points out a “cool ’70s orange” tent that surmounts the whole

construction on one of last year’s photos, and says that “it literally turned out to belong to one of the bands, these guys came in with their, you know, triple-A passes going ‘cool, you’ve got our tent!’” It’s not all so benign, though: the fact is that “you would not believe how much shit people leave afterward, like, a skip’s worth outside of every camp spot, all this crap and this is a sustainable festival. People leave these cheap Bunnings chairs they broke, or they just lose their tent pole or don’t even take down their tent.” Shame, you guys. Shaaaame. There are also those who can’t help equating inflatable with bouncy castle, and a drunk girl who decided to steal a crocodile off the front. There are also some fairly terrifying colour and pattern combinations, but they’re probably a good indication of the circus freakshow influence and general chaos that are at play. As far as scheduling goes, performance artists from the Pork Collective are getting title billing, but otherwise “sure, you’ve gotta say, for the organisers, that you’ll have this person on at this time, and balance it with all the other acts, like who’s coming to see us at 11 on New Year’s Eve? But it develops from the atmosphere as well, we have people who come and say they want to put on a show, so we end with like this impromptu nine-piece drum’n’bass thing happening. It just happened and it was right.”

frontrow@drummedia.com.au

EDDIE PERFECT TALKS TO LIZ GIUFFRE ABOUT HIS WORLD PREMIERING PUN-TASTIC SHOW MISANTHROPOLOGY, WHICH PLAYS MIDNIGHTS AT THE SPIEGELTENT DURING SYDNEY FESTIVAL.

BOOK

REVIEW

ENTER NIGHT: METALLICA: THE BIOGRAPHY

Mick Wall Orion Books Once publicly challenged to a fight by Axl Rose, veteran UK journalist Mick Wall is an old hand at rock biographies. There’s few more qualified to pen a tome about metal’s most successful act, Metallica – whom he has maintained an occasionally bizarre association with for the past 25 years. Wall introduces each chapter with a personal memory of his encounters with Metallica. This presents numerous insights – particularly the progression of his complex relationship with drummer Lars Ulrich. Exhaustively compiled and meticulously researched, the author goes to great lengths to place the band’s formation in the proper context and features numerous interviews – including eminent rock reporters, former managers, and musical peers. Metallica made a seemingly unlikely ascent to the

C U LT U R A L

top of the music industry ladder, transcending genres to become the “U2 of heavy metal” and surviving PR nightmares (Napster), a key member’s death, and inner power struggles. Wall is equally at ease celebrating 1986’s Master Of Puppets as he is dubbing 2008’s Death Magnetic “tokenistic” (and more controversially, mauling 1988’s … And Justice For All). He’s also not afraid to call them out on what he deems calculated career decisions, such as aesthetic concessions to the ’90s grunge and alt-rock revolutions. Wall’s insistence on dispelling distorted half-truths regurgitated so many times by band members even they’ve started to believe it hasn’t always endeared him to his subjects. However, questioning Metallica’s ancient party line that they soldiered on in the wake of bassist Cliff Burton’s death “because that’s what Cliff would have wanted” is fascinating. The sheer amount of detail ensures this won’t be for casual fans, but even the most dedicated fanboys will discover details they didn’t know beforehand. BRENDAN CRABB

CRINGE

HUGH JACKMAN AS WOLVERINE

MIDNIGHT’S

CHILD

“Sydney Festival is such an amazing festival and I’ve never been involved in it before,” begins Eddie Perfect. “When [festival director] Lindy Hume asked me if I had any ideas I just lied and said ‘Yes’, because I was thinking about a month in Sydney in January. “That’s the best time; it’s the time when Sydney kind of makes sense completely, there’s such a great summer energy going on, and so I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to be involved in that with a show about how shit everyone is.’” In fact the more Perfect rolls around the concept, the more the Helpmann Award winner sees the potential. “Playing in a tent, in a park, at midnight, it sounds like a Shakespearean play doesn’t it? ‘In a tent, at midnight, get told how awful you are’. A midnight show, that’s pretty late, that’s going to bring out a certain kind of person so that’s going to be interesting, and you know.” While Perfect is, indeed, tempting fate by playing cabaret comedy midnight shows with a darkened theme, he’s not an unhappy chap generally. Rude? Yes. Delightfully naughty? Certainly. But he remains much more jazz hands than adult contemporary. “You could lie and call it integrity, but I just can’t actually write stuff that I think would appeal to a Sunday evening television slot kind of person,” he says. “I’ve tried, and I just can’t. It’s just hard to make metred

lines of song lyrics work without using the word ‘fuck’; it’s a great syllable plugger.” Sunday evenings come up because since we’ve last had him here on stage, Perfect’s also been doing some local Sunday night drama on Offspring, a rare piece of homegrown box action that a) didn’t feature Claudia Karvan and b) wasn’t scared to be quite properly unusual at times. Perfect was instrumental in this, providing the show with an awesome finale song and some fine acting, but it seems TV will remain only a good pitstop (so much so that he only calls the acting stuff ‘the TV thing’). Perfect instead prefers to go live doing his own thing. “With the TV thing, if you think about it too much it makes you go crazy. When I was doing the TV thing I would go and do it and then come home and pretend that I didn’t do anything that day, and certainly, you know, people are really full-on about TV. You’re on the TV, it’s so exciting for people, so maybe because of the TV I’ll have a pretty healthy audience in Sydney, but it could be the wrong people, you know. The people who like Offspring on Sunday night and then come along to Misanthropology might have some kind of heart attack, but it’s the stuff that I’ve always been doing, so I suppose people who are into my dark brand of satire will be into it, and it’ll be a new little experience for some of the people who’ve just kind of come

across what I do lately.” Does he have any pre-conceived ideas of what audiences only familiar with TV Eddie might be like? “No, I’ve just been hanging out writing this show in my house so I don’t really know what brand of crazy is out there waiting for me.” The idea behind Misanthrology is to explore how we humans rate ourselves, and more importantly, why we rate ourselves so highly. The production to date has been a cross-border affair, with the band and rest of the creatives in Sydney while Perfect flew back and forth from Victoria for prep. “The band are really, really good,” he says. “I’ve worked with two of them before, they were in the band of Keating The Musical [Perfect played Alexander Downer for part of the show’s run], plus we formed our own band working around Sydney so we have our own shorthand for working together which makes life really, really easy. “When I’m here we just go to various places just whoring ourselves around and the show’s coming together fantastically.” Directed by Craig Ilott (who’s also the director and co-creator of Smoke And Mirrors), Perfect’s show will run on his twisted cabaret goodness, but will also be about taking stock. “I think we [humanity] are a little bit shitter than we think we are, that’s

WITH JAMELLE WELLS

probably what has sparked the show. I think what it is...all the text book and history books and research and literature and BBC documentaries about human anthropology start with the premise ‘aren’t we awesome’ and then they go from there. “It’s a lot of back-patting, and the voice-over always sounds like it’s in the third person, ‘And then humans started fire’, and then you realise, hang on, this is a human being voicing over a documentary about humans to other humans. While the tone is all ‘Aren’t we amazing?’, I thought, ‘Well, what about a show that looks at the ways that we aren’t so amazing?’ Maybe there’s some humility in there. You know, we are the top of the food chain on our planet and we are the dominant species, but just because we’re better than everyone else doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re really operating at our best. And there’s some pretty heavy character flaws with human beings, so it’s exploring what those are to see if we can shake them off, and then get where we want to go in a more efficient, more noble, more involved way.” He stops, though, and adds, “But it’s hopeful.” WHAT: Misanthropology WHERE & WHEN: The Famous Spiegeltent Sunday 9 January to Thursday 30

Hugh Jackman seems to have recovered from his eye injury after riding a 100-metre flying fox from the sails of the Opera House to a stage on the forecourt where Oprah was waiting last week. After the show stopped, Winfrey called for an ice-pack and paramedics went to the stage to treat him. He returned a short time later with a small bandage under his eye. The incident was apparently the only hiccup on a day that saw thousands of hysterical fans turn up for the filming of two shows. We are not sad it’s all over. Brisbane dancer Dana Stephensen and New Zealand’s Ty King-Wall have won this year’s Telstra Ballet Dancer Award. It’s the first time the award’s been shared in its eight-year history. They each get $20,000. Victoria’s Amy Harris was the people’s choice winner for the second time, taking home $5,000. Tributes have poured in after the death of 87-year-old newsreader James Dibble, who read the ABC’s first TV news bulletin in 1956. Dibble spent almost 30 years with the ABC and continued news reading and presenting stories until his retirement in 1983. It’s no surprise Jacki Weaver has secured a Golden Globe nomination for her role as the matriach of a Melbourne crime family in Animal Kingdom. It follows her being named Best Supporting Actress by the National Board of Review in the US and winning Best Actress at the Australian Film Institute Awards. The nomination improves Weaver’s chances even further of an Academy Award nomination. Other Australians

nominated include Nicole Kidman for Best Actress, Drama (Rabbit Hole), Geoffrey Rush for Best Supporting Actor (The King’s Speech) and Toni Collette for Best Performance In A TV Series, Comedy (United States Of Tara). The Sundance Film Festival in Utah has included Aussie film Deeper Than Yesterday in its January programme. It’s one of only 15 films to compete in the international shorts competition programme. The program seeks original filmmaking that transcends the rules of conventional storytelling. Another Aussie film Mad Bastards will screen in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition and feature documentary Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure will screen in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Pay TV channels could face tighter local content rules as part of a federal government review of broadcasting legislation. Draft terms of reference indicate the government will examine the rules, which require at least 55 per cent of free-to-air programmes on commercial stations to be locally produced. By contrast, pay TV operators are required to spend 10 per cent of their drama budget on Australian shows. Internet broadcasters have no local content restrictions. Sydney Festival has put on an extra performance of The Giacomo Variations, with John Malkovich bringing the legendary Casanova to the stage. The extra show is on 19 January at the Opera House Concert Hall. It’s a staged concert about Giacomo Casanova, who is in his approaching decline, but still has plenty of questions about life, desire, and love. THE DRUM MEDIA 21 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 55 •

frontrow@drummedia.com.au

A GIRL AND

GUN

Having worked with nongovernmental organisation Ba Futuru to assist conflict resolution and child protection through the arts in East Timor, Kallista Kaval is now experiencing what it’s like to combine violence and theatre in a way that is slightly less realistic – as a guntoting, sex-deprived military captain. For A Better World is the final show in Griffin’s 2010 Independent season; produced by Company No. 3 it’s been described with three simple words: War. Aliens. Bikinis. A romp through German playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig’s script that draws heavily on sex and the “amoral war-

THE 2010 GRIFFIN INDEPENDENT SEASON ENDS WITH A BANG IN JANUARY WITH FOR A BETTER WORLD, A STORY OF SEX AND WAR. DAVE DRAYTON TALKS TO THE WOMAN AT THE CENTRE OF IT ALL, KALLISTA KAVAL.

as-entertainment swagger of gaming culture.” Working with Ba Futuru, Kaval became accustomed to hearing confronting stories. “It’s always a really interesting thing dealing with violence,” she says. “I did a show this year with a group of youths; some of them have been in gangs and all have witnessed violence at home, at school, on the street. And it’s just a really different thing doing it in East Timor to doing it here.” In Australia, war – even those we are directly involved in – is something confined to the screen, a glorified and

gory battle that guarantees ratings, if not a realistic depiction. So what’s it like bringing that to the stage? “Of course there are serious parts,” says Kaval, “but, it’s also entirely ridiculous in the way that all those Hollywood films are entirely ridiculous. But we still believe them, and we still cry in them, and it still gets our heart racing.” The Hollywood films Kaval refers to include Predator, Alien, and Apocalypse Now; the hyperbolic death-fests with hints of sci-fi that dominated action movies in the late ’70s and ’80s. The cast of For A

Better World are bringing that excess of sex and action to the stage. While they are currently rehearsing in Melbourne, director Daisy Noyes’ hometown, Kaval says that the Sydney rehearsals will be spent feeling out the space for their alien African jungle. “This is a show that’s very design heavy; lots of lights and lots of effects. We’ve got two sound designers that operate live every night.” While it has been raining during the Melbourne rehearsals, Kaval is looking forward to the hot and sticky Sydney summer nights. “Even though it’s festival time and there is a lot on, I think people are really seeing stuff in January,” she says. “And it’s hot! And it’s sexy in Sydney in January. It’s going to be all guns and sweat and bikinis and that type of thing.” Kaval plays a sex deprived captain in a unit of seven soldiers. Desperate for sexual contact, she is taunted by ripped, topless men who can’t sleep with her from fear of dieing. “The guys develop this idea that if you have sex with a woman who is of a superior rank to you, you’ll die.” Isolated and alone in the jungle, the men have developed their own superstitions, and horny or not, Kaval’s character has to deal with the fact that in their eyes, “it’s like copulating with a black widow spider.” With sexual tension and violence driving the play, Kaval says they are approaching it with a real physicality. “We didn’t even read the text until the end of the first week, or the beginning of the second week. We just got on the floor and started feeling out what our relationship would be, what the space would be.” WHAT: For A Better World WHERE & WHEN: SBW Stables Theatre Wednesday 5 January to Saturday 29

FILM

REVIEW

TRON: LEGACY It’s been a hell of a long time since Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) first entered The Grid – Tron came out in 1982, when Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski would have been a wide-eyed eight-year-old captivated, as the rest of us were, by the other world inside the computer. Tron had its faults, but it was a true ground-breaker. Tron: Legacy had the potential to be a modern-day groundbreaker, but falls a bit short of the mark. Sure, it looks fantastic – the updated versions of familiar creations from Tron like the iconic Lightcycles are as far above the original as an Xbox 360 is a Super Nintendo – but it’s the story that’s lacking. Tron: Legacy follows Flynn’s son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) and his journey inside the virtual world where his old man has been lost for decades. Meeting up eventually with his zen-master dad and his apprentice

Quorra (Olivia Wilde) they plan their escape from The Grid, with only Clu – a computerised clone of a younger Bridges – standing in their way. Tron: Legacy looks gorgeous indeed, with some sparkling 3D (the transition into the Grid is great), and pumping tunes courtesy of Daft Punk, which is a perfect fit. Plus, the Benjamin Button-style CG used to make Bridges look younger is superb. However the story is dull, dull, dull and the dialogue trite and hackneyed. A plot device involving the titular character Tron is badly handled, too, considering the huge part the computer warrior played in the original. Put simply, Tron: Legacy is all whistles and bells – a spectacular orchestra of whistles and bells, actually – but they’re playing a simple, repetitive tune. WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas now BAZ McALISTER

aren’t brave enough to, back to the ghosts of relationships past and those that might have been. At times sweet, at times bitter, always honest, the point is not sob-stories necessarily, but just exploring how you get to, well, where you are now. Have any of his past loves seen the show?

to get himself the gig here in the first place. “I’m trying to bone up on my Australian history and understand it a bit before I get there,” he says, with a drawl that only those from America and Canada manage (you know, where there seems to be five syllables in Oz-ta-ray-li-a).

“Well, I’m married now, and my wife’s seen it and likes it and has some of the best lines in the show; that’s me quoting her. But I don’t think any of my previous girlfriends have seen it, but I guess that will happen eventually. People just really like it though, and I’ve had people come see it more than once.” Although this is Birbiglia’s first gigs in Australia (this is his first trip here, actually), what’s sustained him for the last decade on the other side of the world is his style of carefully crafted, narrative comedy. With shows built on getting a story across (think the style perfected by our own master, the criminally under-rated Justin Hamilon), Birbiglia necessarily spends a lot of time reflecting on what’s happened, and what might happen next. Part nervousness, part obsessiveness, but a little bit scaredy-cat, it’s something that he’s already employed tenfold just

This writer lets him know, firstly, that if he knows Australian history, then he’s probably doing better than the locals, but this does little to calm him.

THIS COMEDIAN’S LIFE YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD HIM ON THE NPR PODCAST THIS AMERICAN LIFE, OR PERHAPS THROUGH THE MOTH. NOW MIKE BIRBIGLIA BRINGS HIS BRILLIANT STORIES TO SYDNEY FESTIVAL. THE NEW YORKER SPEAKS TO LIZ GIUFFRE.

New York City comedian Michael Birbiglia specialises in turning medical conditions into comedy and getting pain to be funny. Don’t worry though, it’s his pain, not that of his audiences. A few years back he began this by exploring sleep (and his strange relationship with it) via his show • 56 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

Sleepwalk With Me. The show, which is now a book, Sleepwalk With Me: And Other Painfully True Stories, got Birbiglia to open up his talent and his medical file (he has an actual condition, “REM behaviour disorder”). He’s since moved on to bring a new show to us for the Sydney Festival’s ‘about an hour’

series, something that will see Birbiglia moving beyond sleep, but sticking with the bedroom in a round about way. The show? My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend. “This show is not about sleepwalking, but the similarity is that it’s an honest, true story, taking pain and turning it into a

comedy,” he begins. “While that show [Sleepwalk With Me] was about medical pain, this one is about romantic pain and heartbreak and love and marriage and divorce and all the goods and bads that go into love.” My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend is Birbiglia going boldly where many of us

“And I’ve been reading Bill Bryson’s book, In A Sunburned Country [released here as Down Under]. I’m basically learning that everything that I was afraid of about Australia is true. Basically there are flowers that can kill you, there are seashells that can kill you, there are sharks that have already killed you, you just haven’t realised it yet they’re so big, it’s outrageous.” WHAT: Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend WHERE & WHEN: Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre Thursday 13 January to Sunday 16

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 57 •

live@drummedia.com.au CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: DROPKICK MURPHYS, GWAR & MEGADETH @ NO SLEEP TIL’ SYDNEY. PIC: LINDA HELLER-SALVADOR

NATIONAL

NO SLEEP TIL SYDNEY

Entertainment Quarter 18/12/10

Who said you don’t have to play in cover bands any more once you’ve “made it”? No one told veteran (just don’t call them a supergroup) punkers Me First & The Gimme Gimmes. Amusing stage banter and numerous singalongs ensued, all without an original song in sight. 3 Inches Of Blood simply deserved better than the mediocre turnout that greeted them. Undeterred, the Canucks’ Maiden and Priest-infused traditional heavy metal was highly engaging. Cam Pipes’ dominating screech (expertly offset by guitarist Justin Hagberg’s death growl) was an acquired taste, but he quickly proved adept at working a crowd and Battles And Brotherhood and Silent Killer are anthems in the making. “Welcome to the Descendents’ warm-up show.” Another band on the Red Stage to pay homage to its iconic headliners, Sydney punk mainstays Frenzal Rhomb were in typically boisterous mode. A whirlwind of activity, guitarist Lindsay McDougall and his charges trekked through their catalogue (There’s Your Dad, Ship Of Beers, Russell Crowe’s Band, Punch In The Face, et al). New track, Bird Attack, was more memorable for its hilarious introduction than the song itself, but they haven’t lost the gift of leaving punters with a huge grin on their collective faces. A late afternoon slot, a still potent sun, slightly uneven mix and the outdoor stage – things almost seemed to be conspiring against Katatonia, because none of these factors suited the Swedes. Irrespective, the doom and gloom merchants thrived. They were tight, relaying Liberation, July, a dynamic Ghost Of The Sun and sublime My Twin with considerable passion. A headline run surely beckons. The Red Stage had begun to noticeably swell by the time Dropkick Murphys brought their hearty drinking anthems to the dance. Exceptional as a party-starting band, they performed their brand of Celtic punk with a level of enthusiasm impossible to measure in any tangible manner, with the audience reciprocating in kind. Californian metalcore/rock outfit Atreyu exhibited the appropriate degree of energy to get their own party kicked off in the pit, but the awfully clichéd stage banter and music veering between cookie-cutter and overly sanitised put a dampener on matters. Still, the huge response for lovelorn odes such as Bleeding Is A Luxury and Right Side Of The Bed indicated they have made a firm connection in these parts. Making his second appearance for the day, NOFX’s Fat Mike was as sarcastic and biting as ever, berating George W. Bush and a multitude of other targets. Hook-laden punk nirvana occurred during a fan favourite-packed set (teasing of The Decline included), receiving the biggest reception afforded any band on the Red Stage up until that point. The band’s new T-shirts proudly trumpeted (pun intended) that “NOFX is old”, but clearly, their music will never feel that way for their happily grizzled fanbase. While the wear and tear of a rigorous touring schedule was apparent for Parkway Drive (vocalist Winston McCall’s voice was noticeably wavering throughout), not even that could halt their momentum. The Byron Bay quintet are now old hands at getting large crowds to do their bidding. A monumental Boneyards and Romance Is Dead led to the eruption of circle pits the size of which the Hordern Pavilion hadn’t experienced since, well, the previous occasion

continued pg60

THE SIDETRACKED FIASCO: Dec 18 SFX, Jan 16 Old Manly Boatshed SIZZLING feat. BLUEJUICE, PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY: Jan 13 Woodport Inn, Jan 14 Panthers THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT: Dec 28 Waves GRINSPOON: Dec 30 Entrance Leagues, Dec 31 Shellharbour Workers, Jan 7 Selina’s, Jan 8 Mounties KEVIN BORICH’S PARTY BOYZ: Dec 31 Rooty Hill RSL, Jan 8 Cardiff Panthers, Jan 21 Central Coast Leagues, Jan 22 Waves TUMBLEWEED: Dec 31 Waves, Jan 7 Cambridge Hotel, Jan 14 The Metro, Jan 15 Mona Vale Hotel THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS: Jan 6 Waves, Jan 7 Entrance Leagues ANNO DOMINI*: Jan 7 The Wall, Jan 15 The Maram, Jan 30 Lucky Australian, Feb 18 Lewisham Hotel, Feb 19 Cabbage Tree Hotel, Mar 25 Club Led GYPSY & THE CAT: Jan 13 Oxford Art Factory CHASE THE SUN, CASS EAGER, CLAUDE HAY: Jan 16 Beaches Hotel, Jan 25 Wickham Park Hotel, Jan 28 Coogee Diggers, Jan 29 Old Manly Boatshed, Feb 10 Vault 146, Feb 11 Notes, Feb 12 Brass Monkey, Feb 19 Katoomba RSL ALTYIAN CHILDS*: Jan 14 The Cube, Jan 15 Revesby Workers, Jan 22 Penrith Panthers, Jan 28 Mounties, Jan 29 Australian Brewery Hotel, Feb 4 Southern Cross Club, Feb 5 Cronulla Leagues JOE ROBINSON*: Jan 18 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Jan 19 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Jan 20 Lizotte’s Dee Why, Jan 21 The Basement, Jan 22 The Clarendon, Jan 23 Brass Monkey, Jan 25 Heritage Hotel, Jan 28 Street Theatre HELLO SATELLITES: Jan 19 View Factory, Jan 22 Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills, Jan 23 Front Gallery THE MIDDLE EAST: Jan 19 Richard Wherrett Studio PAUL KELLY: Jan 20 – 23 City Recital Hall RESIST THE THOUGHT, BURIED IN VERONA*: Jan 20 Harp Hotel, Jan 27 Spectrum, Jan 28 Minto PCYC, Jan 29 Cambridge Hotel, Jan 30 The Wall, Feb 19 Blacktown Masonic Hall RED INK: Jan 21 World Bar SHANE HOWARD*: Jan 22 Lizotte’s Dee Why HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY*: Jan 25 Brass Monkey, Jan 27 Baroque, Jan 28 Mona Vale Hotel, Jan 29 Fitzroy Hotel INXS: Jan 26 Centennial Vineyards, Jan 29 Bimbadgen Estate GOTYE: Jan 27 City Recital Hall

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FEATURE TOUR

SANTA CLAUS

VERY EARLY SATURDAY, HOMES AROUND THE COUNTRY Whatever you call him – Saint Nic, Father Christmas and so on – and regardless of the religion you subscribe to (or don’t) there’s nothing to hate about the jolly fat man and there’s a certain charm in Aunty Brenda’s ill-fitting homemade jumper as well (“it’s so you don’t have to buy one for winter”). And really, this is a tour of epic proportions, Bon Jovi doesn’t match him for connective spirit of a good carol, U2’s set-up isn’t nearly as impressive as flying reindeer and the Gorillaz just aren’t as much fun as the presents he brings.

SIA: Feb 2 Enmore Theatre STEALING O’NEAL, THE MISSION IN MOTION: Feb 2 Harp Hotel, Feb 3 Caringbah Bizzo’s, Feb 4 Campbelltown Arts Centre, Feb 5 Penrith RSL, Feb 6 Cambridge Hotel ABBIE CARDWELL: Feb 5 The Vanguard DEEP SEA ARCADE: Feb 9 Beach Road Hotel, Feb 10 Harp Hotel, Feb 11 Oxford Art Factory, Feb 12 Mona Vale Hotel, Feb 13 Brass Monkey, Feb 17 Transit Bar OLD MAN RIVER, PASSENGER: Feb 9 Clarendon, Feb 10 Heritage Hotel, Feb 11 Annandale Hotel, Feb 12 Northern Star Hotel THE GETAWAY PLAN: Feb 11 (arvo and evening) The Metro I EXIST: Feb 11 Bald Faced Stag, Feb 12 Cambridge Hotel, Feb 13 Axis Youth Centre THE NECKS: Feb 13 Street Theatre, Feb 16 The Basement DAN PARSONS & STEVE GRADY*: Feb 16 Brass Monkey, Feb 17 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Feb 18 Oriental Hotel, Feb 19 Clarendon Guesthouse, Feb 20 Fitzroy Hotel, Feb 23 Pot Belly Bar ALBARE*: Feb 24 The Basement SPARKADIA: Mar 24 ANU Bar, Mar 30 Wollongong Uni, Mar 31 Bar On The Hill, Apr 1 The Metro

INTERNATIONAL BUILT TO SPILL: Dec 29 The Metro LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION: Dec 29 Oxford Art Factory MARINA & THE DIAMONDS: Dec 30 The Factory SHORE THING feat. DAVID GUETTA, ARMAND VAN HELDEN: Dec 31 Bondi Beach SHOUT OUT LOUDS: Jan 2 Annandale Hotel BORN RUFFIANS: Jan 3 Oxford Art Factory MYSTERY JETS: Jan 3 The Metro PUBLIC ENEMY: Jan 4 The Metro INTERPOL: Jan 4 Enmore Theatre THE MORNING BENDERS: Jan 4 Oxford Art Factory THE TOM FUN ORCHESTRA: Jan 4 Notes, Jan 9 Brass Monkey FUTURE OF THE LEFT: Jan 5 Annandale Hotel PROMOE & COSMIC: Jan 5 Tone DARKEST HOUR: Jan 5

The Factory THE SOFT PACK: Jan 5 Manning Bar KILLA KELA*: Jan 6 Home JASON COLLETT & ZEUS: Jan 6 Brass Monkey, Jan 7 Oxford Art Factory DAM-FUNK: Jan 6 Tone THE 2 LIVE CREW: Jan 6 The Forum COLD WAR KIDS: Jan 6 Enmore Theatre HOT HOT HEAT: Jan 6 The Factory THE RAPTURE: Jan 6 The Metro THE NATIONAL: Jan 7 & 8 Enmore Theatre JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS: Jan 7 Annandale Hotel FLYING LOTUS, HUDSON MOHAWKE, DAM FUNK, GASLAMP KILLER: Jan 7 The Forum NERD: Jan 7 Hordern Pavilion HANGGAI: Jan 7 Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Jan 9 Famous Spiegeltent JUNIP: Jan 8 The Metro LORD FINESSE: Jan 8 Tone SLEIGH BELLS: Jan 8 The Forum EARTHLESS: Jan 8 The Metro MOS DEF: Jan 9 Enmore Theatre THE DYNAMITES: Jan 9 Beck’s Bar KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS: Jan 9, 11, 12 Famous Spiegeltent EMMYLOU HARRIS: Jan 9 & 10 State Theatre ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: Jan 10 Beck’s Bar DAN MANGAN: Jan 12 Brass Monkey, Jan 13 Gearin Hotel, Jan 14 Oxford Art Factory, Jan 15 Great Northern Newcastle, Jan 16 Heritage Hotel JUDY COLLINS: Jan 12 Wests Leagues Club Newcastle, Jan 17, 18, 19 The Basement Circular Quay THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION: Jan 12 Beck’s Bar HENRIK SCHWARZ: Jan 13 Beck’s Bar MOUNTAIN MAN: Jan 13 & 14 Famous Spiegeltent GOLD PANDA: Jan 14 Beck’s Bar THEE OH SEES*: Jan 14 Red Rattler LOS LOBOS: Jan 14 State Theatre CHARLIE PARR: Jan 14 Grand Hotel, Jan 15 The Vanguard, Jan 16

The Clarendon DJ HARVEY & DJ GARTH: Jan 15 Beck’s Bar G LOVE & PLUTONIC: Jan 15 Oxford Art Factory HOLLY GO LIGHTLY & THE BROKEOFFS: Jan 15 & 16 Famous Spiegeltent HOLLY MIRANDA: Jan 15, 16, 18 Famous Spiegeltent OWEN PALLETT: Jan 19 – 21 Famous Spiegeltent HEALTH, WIRE: Jan 20 Beck’s Bar DJ MARKY & STAMINA MC: Jan 21 Manning Bar MATT & KIM: Jan 21 Beck’s Bar SKILLET: Jan 21 The Metro COBBLESTONE JAZZ: Jan 22 Beck’s Bar GUILTY SIMPSON & PHAT KAT: Jan 22 Tone ROGER SANCHEZ*: Jan 22 The Arthouse OLOF ARNALDS: Jan 22 & 23 Famous Spiegeltent COLM MAC CON IRONMAIRE: Jan 22 Sutherland Entertainment Centre, Jan 23 Riverside Theatre, Jan 25 – 27 Famous Spiegeltent JIMMY BUFFET: Jan 23 & 24 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall LUPE FIASCO: Jan 24 Enmore Theatre PLAN B: Jan 24 The Metro CSS: Jan 24 Oxford Art Factory CRYSTAL CASTLES: Jan 25 Enmore Theatre COCOROSIE: Jan 25 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall ANDREW WK: Jan 25 Oxford Art Factory THE JIM JONES REVUE: Jan 25 The Metro SEAN KINGSTON: Jan 25 Big Top Luna Park AMANDA PALMER*: Jan 26 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Feb 1 James O’Fairfax Theatre BEACH HOUSE: Jan 26 Beck’s Bar, Jan 27 City Recital Hall HOLY FUCK: Jan 27 Beck’s Bar THE GREENHORNES: Jan 27 Annandale Hotel SUFJAN STEVENS*: Jan 27 - 29 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall MIA: Jan 28 The Metro NO TRIGGER: Jan 28 Cambridge Hotel, Jan 29 & 30 Annandale Hotel, Feb 2 Bar 32, Feb 3 Stay Frosty TOMASZ STANKO QUARTET: Jan 28 City Recital Hall EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS: Jan 28 The Forum DEFTONES: Jan 28 UNSW Roundhouse GRINDERMAN: Jan 28 Enmore Theatre TRAIN: Jan 28 State Theatre

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 59•

live@drummedia.com.au from pg59 Parkway Drive played there.

RATATAT: Jan 28 Manning Bar ALOE BLACC & THE GRAND SCHEME: Jan 28 Beck’s Bar THE UNTHANKS: Jan 28 – 30 Famous Spiegeltent PRIMAL SCREAM: Jan 29 Selina’s BOOKA SHADE: Jan 29 The Forum (HED)p.e: Jan 29 Manning Bar OCTAVE ONE: Jan 29 Beck’s Bar THE BLACK KEYS: Jan 29 Enmore Theatre BLONDE REDHEAD: Jan 29 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall BROOKE FRASER: Jan 29 & 30 City Recital Hall CAT POWER: Jan 30 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall THE VERLAINES: Jan 30 Annandale Hotel STING: Jan 31 & Feb 1 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Feb 3 & 4 Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Feb 5 Hope Estate THE NAKED & FAMOUS: Feb 2 Oxford Art Factory SHIHAD: Feb 3 Waves, Feb 4 Cambridge Hotel, Feb 5 Beach Road Hotel VILLAGERS: Feb 4 & 5 Famous Spiegeltent YEASAYER: Feb 7 The Metro MENOMENA: Feb 7 The Factory TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB: Feb 7 Enmore Theatre JENNY & JOHNNY: Feb 7 Oxford Art Factory BELINDA CARLISLE: Feb 8 West Leagues Club Newcastle, Feb 10 Selina’s, Feb 11 Waves, Feb 12 The Cube, Feb 13 Vikings Club, Feb 20 Rooty Hill RSL DEERHUNTER: Feb 8 The Metro STORNOWAY: Feb 8 Annandale Hotel WARPAINT: Feb 8 Oxford Art Factory SURF CITY: Feb 9 Beach Road Hotel, Feb 10 Harp Hotel, Feb 11 Oxford Art Factory, Feb 12 Mona Vale Hotel, Feb 13 Brass Monkey, Feb 17 Transit Bar FOALS: Feb 9 Enmore Theatre ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI: Feb 9 Manning Bar !!!: Feb 9 The Metro MARK SULTAN*: Feb 10 Goodgod JOE COCKER: Feb 10 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Feb 12 Bimbadgen Estate, Feb 13 Centennial Vineyards LES SAVY FAV: Feb 10 Manning Bar DE LA SOUL: Feb 10 Enmore Theatre LOCAL NATIVES: Feb 10 The Metro BEAR IN HEAVEN, THE ANTLERS: Feb 10 Annandale Hotel LLOYD COLE’S SMALL ENSEMBLE: Feb 11 Enmore Theatre ANDREW MCMAHON: Feb 12 The Metro FOSTER THE PEOPLE*: Feb 14 Oxford Art

Loud, abrasive and unapologetically cartoonish, yet also more political than perhaps expected, Gwar stunned the uninitiated and bowled over devotees. It was all about the stage show – cumbersome costumes, spraying of countless litres of fake blood and, naturally, a giant dinosaur. Perhaps in a headlining setting the band’s thrashy fare would wear thin, but a truncated festival set was ideal.

INTERPOL

DRUM PRESENTS

TONE DEFEAT XXXMAS SPECIAL: Dec 24 Annandale Hotel ROXING DAY: Dec 26 Annandale Hotel BUILT TO SPILL: Dec 29 The Metro PEATS RIDGE: Dec 29 – Jan 1 Glenworth Valley MARINA & THE DIAMONDS: Dec 30 The Factory SAME OLD LANG SYNE: Dec 31 Annandale Hotel SHOUT OUT LOUDS: Jan 2 Annandale Hotel MYSTERY JETS: Jan 3 The Metro INTERPOL: Jan 4 Enmore Theatre FUTURE OF THE LEFT: Jan 5 Annandale Hotel COLD WAR KIDS: Jan 6 Enmore Theatre JUNIP: Jan 8 The Metro THE NATIONAL: Jan 7 & 8 Enmore Theatre THEE OH SEES: Jan 14 Red Rattler G LOVE & PLUTONIC: Jan 15 Oxford Art Factory ANDREW WK: Jan 25 Oxford Art Factory RAGGAMUFFIN: Jan 28 Parramatta Park STEALING O’NEAL, THE MISSION IN MOTION: Feb 2 Harp Hotel, Feb 3 Caringbah Bizzo’s, Feb 4 Campbelltown Arts Centre, Feb 5 Penrith RSL, Feb 6 Cambridge Hotel YEASAYER: Feb 7 The Metro TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB: Feb 7 Enmore Theatre STORNOWAY: Feb 8 Annandale Hotel FOALS: Feb 9 Enmore Theatre BEAR IN HEAVEN, THE ANTLERS: Feb 10 Annandale Hotel FOSTER THE PEOPLE: Feb 14 Oxford Art Factory KATE NASH: Feb 16 The Metro CARIBOU, FOURTET: Feb 17 The Metro DOVES: Feb 17 Enmore Theatre SWERVEDRIVER: Feb 18 The Metro I AM KLOOT: Feb 18 The Gaelic TUNNG: Feb 19 Oxford Arts Factory BLACK MOUNTAIN: Feb 19 & 20 Annandale Hotel THE HOLD STEADY: Mar 8 The Metro THE CLEAN: Mar 9 The Factory Theatre WAVVES: Mar 9 Manning Bar THE BESNARD LAKES: Mar 10 Manning Bar BLUE MOUNTAINS MUSIC FESTIVAL: Mar 18 – 20 Katoomba ZZ TOP: Apr 20 Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Apr 25 Wollongong Entertainment Centre, Apr 27 & 28 Enmore Theatre BLUESFEST: Apr 21 – 25 Tyagarah DISTURBED: Apr 25 Acer Arena, Apr 28 Newcastle Entertainment Centre KYUSS LIVES: May 7 Big Top Luna Park

Factory MICHAEL BUBLE: Feb 14, 15 & 17 Acer Arena, Feb 19 Sydney Entertainment Centre DON MCLEAN: Feb 15 Enmore Theatre, Feb 18 Royal Theatre Canberra RETURN TO FOREVER: Feb 15 Sydney Opera House KATE NASH: Feb 16 The Metro CARIBOU, FOURTET: Feb 17 The Metro DOVES: Feb 17 Enmore Theatre I AM KLOOT: Feb 18 The Gaelic KOOL & THE GANG: Feb 18 Enmore Theatre SWERVEDRIVER: Feb 18 The Metro THE BOOKS: Feb 18 Seymour Centre MAYER HAWTHORNE & THE COUNTY: Feb 19 Manning Bar TRICKY: Feb 19 The Metro TUNNG: Feb 19 Oxford Arts Factory BLACK MOUNTAIN: Feb 19 & 20 Annandale Hotel M WARD: Feb 20 Enmore Theatre THE TREWS*: Feb 23 Melt, Feb 24 Sandringham Hotel, Feb 25 Old Manly Boatshed, Feb 26 Bridge Hotel, Feb 27 Brass Monkey, Mar 2 Melt, Mar 3 Sandringham Hotel, Mar 4 Old Manly Boatshed, Mar 5 Bridge Hotel, Mar 6 Brass Monkey, Mar 9 Melt, Mar 10 Sandringham Hotel,

• 60 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

Mar 11 Old Manly Boatshed, Mar 12 Bridge Hotel, Mar 13 Brass Monkey, Mar 23 Annandale Hotel TORO Y MOI: Feb 23 GoodGod Small Club IRON MAIDEN: Feb 24 Sydney Entertainment Centre ROXY MUSIC: Feb 25 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Feb 26 Hope Estate RIHANNA: Feb 28 Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Mar 4 & 5 Acer Arena THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM: Feb 28 The Metro MILLENCOLIN: Feb 28 UNSW Roundhouse

FESTIVALS PEATS RIDGE: Dec 29 – Jan 1 Glenworth Valley HARBOUR PARTY: Dec 31 Luna Park FIELD DAY: Jan 1 The Domain ILLAWARRA FOLK FESTIVAL: Jan 13 – 16, Sticky Flat Bulli Showground JAZZGROOVE SUMMER FESTIVAL: Jan 14 – 16, 505, Macquarie Hotel/Raval, Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills, Redfern Town Hall A NEW BEGINNING: Jan 15 & 16 Lake Macquarie SUMMER VIBES: Jan 16 Newcastle Croatian

Club BIG DAY OUT: Jan 26 & 27 Sydney Showground RAGGAMUFFIN: Jan 28 Parramatta Park ST JEROMES LANEWAY FESTIVAL: Feb 6 Sydney College Of The Arts AUSTRALIAN BLUES MUSIC FESTIVAL: Feb 10 – 13 Goulbourn GOOD VIBRATIONS: Feb 12 Centennial Park PLAYGROUND WEEKENDER: Feb 17 – 20 Del Rio Riverside Resort SOUNDWAVE: Feb 27 Eastern Creek Raceway CMC ROCKS THE HUNTER: Mar 5 & 6 Hope Estate PLATFORM HIP HOP FESTIVAL: Mar 12 – Apr 2 Carriageworks BLUE MOUNTAINS MUSIC FESTIVAL: Mar 18 – 20 Katoomba FUTURE MUSIC: Mar 12 Randwick Racecourse SUPAFEST: Apr 9 ANZ Stadium BLUESFEST: Apr 21 – 25 Tyagarah GUM BALL: Apr 29 & 30 Belford GROOVIN’ THE MOO: May 7 Maitland Showground, May 8 University Of Canberra * indicates new or amended listing this week Check with agencies for booking fees.

returned bassist Dave Ellefson in tow, Megadeth tore into 1990’s stone cold classic Rust In Peace from go to woe. “You can hear songs about being wet, or you can hear songs like this,” was mainman Dave Mustaine’s commentary on a certain monstrously successful band performing at another venue a hefty stone’s throw away. Mustaine audibly strained to properly replicate some of the Rust In Peace vocal passages, but the band were in crushing form, with mascot Vic Rattlehead even making an appearance. The frontman sounded more at ease vocally throughout the finale, as the metallers closed the inaugural festival with a ruthless barrage of hits including Trust, Symphony Of Destruction and Peace Sells.

Finally, the band that every other act on the “punk stage” had honoured throughout the day arrived. Descendents were received with religious-like fervour as the fans knew the importance – and rarity – of the occasion. Frontman Milo Aukerman commanded respect – but had the likeable stage presence to match.

Even with other summertime metal/punk/hard rock festivals continuing to up the ante in terms of size and scope, judging by the enthusiasm with which the punters embraced a highly enjoyable (a few organisation snafus aside) day, hopefully this one is here to stay and will also continue to grow in its own right.

Following a quick dash to the Black Stage, with recently

Brendan Crabb

BON JOVI

Sydney Football Stadium 17/12/10 It would be easy to make fun of a night with Bon Jovi, to assume that the setlist would be drawn directly from the book of clichés, that aging rockers (and their fans) were trying to rekindle the past and that irony was left at the door. However this would all be wrong. The thing about Jon Bon Jovi is that a) he helped write the book of clichés (sure, he wasn’t the first rocker to wear leather, but he was the first to refuse to do it up any higher than his navel and have an aversion to sleeves), b) Yes, he and we are aging (deal with it) and c) there was so much irony in tonight’s performance – and that’s what made it great.

relatively new tracks like We Weren’t Born To Follow danceworthy. Leaving for the obligatory encore and returning with Wanted Dead Or Alive, they did bring it home completely with the finest intro to one of the finest rock songs ever, Livin’ On A Prayer (Jon Bon Jovi pulled it off a cappella – take THAT X-Factor freaks). To end the band was joined on the big screen by videos of bedroom singers serenading into their hairbrushes and pulling epic moves – yet more acknowledgment of their rock god status. Liz Giuffre

There was real love in the stadium as Bon Jovi played and it was because we all, including those on stage, knew that we were just a little bit ridiculous. Although we tend to think of Bon Jovi as just The Jovi himself (Jon Bon), forget not his long-suffering, still-leather-clad-although-not-looking-as-goodanymore bandmates Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Tico Torres, as well as some great covers like Start Me Up and Old Time Rock N’ Roll, with the sum being proof that these guys have indeed been around for a long time, but for a very good reason. Jon Bon Jovi said it himself, “We’re not bad for a bunch of old guys,” and to go back to the book of clichés, they totally rocked. Sleep When I’m Dead, You Give Love A Bad Name, Keep The Faith, In These Arms, Lay Your Hands On Me, as well as the standard ‘move the band into semi-acoustic mode and come down into the audience’ mixup mid-set, all made for the perfect Guitar Hero-era gig (with the young rocker support act, October Rage, suitably hirsute and loud, but not yet fully musically formed). During the set Jon Bon Jovi also had three costume changes (various ways to show off that hair and still lovely torso) and even managed to make the

PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY

HOWL BEARHUG

Waves 18/12/10

You should always try to catch the last show of a tour, as things tend to get loose. Bearhug rocked out despite having three guitars, bass and drums crammed onto the tiny stage. Their soft/loud structure is clearly ‘90s influenced, but the three guitars make beautifully layered melodies. Cartoon Cannibal was a live favourite, while Grapefruit displayed some tight hooks and stoner rock time changes. Mountains, Lakes wandered towards Vampire Weekend calypso rock, but was wrangled back to the Pixies dreamy fuzz. They say they get all the boys, including guest percussionist “Raheem Marie” from Ecuador. There was no introduction – Howl were on. Roadhardened and tight, the anthems were belted out with Blackout and Cabin Fever getting the crowd psyched. New track Brothers In Violence gave hope that there is a wellspring of riff-happy rock still untapped within them. The crowd got rowdy as the band slowly came loose, with singer Lachlan Morrish climbing his way into the go-go cage before dismantling the drums and rearranging the lighting. The drum circle grew to five, including boys from Bearhug and crowd randoms. In the midst of it all drummer Daniel Marie ended up with his jocks torn off by bandmates and spectacularly nudie jumping from the very unstable amp stack. Launching straight into Ready To Roll, Philadelphia

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BON JOVI @ SYDNEY FOOTBALL STADIUM.PIC: TONY MOTT

Grand Jury took the crowd up a notch. A couple of new tracks were slipped into the mix, but the lads delivered all the hits and the throng lapped it up. The stage seemed no less crowded, despite having only three members, as the roadie was called in to hold MC Bad Geniuses’ keys from falling off the edge. The line between band and audience melted as everyone had a turn at getting on or off stage, while the love for the Pinky and The Brain dynamic between Berkfinger and Bad Genius grew each time. Susie Patten’s electronic drumming was special, but her 99 Problems finale was the show stealer. The Good News, Going To The Casino (Tomorrow Night) and I Don’t Wanna Party (Party) each topped the last highlight, with the failing mic stands through I’m Going To Kill You providing a hilarious Spinal Tap moment. Who knew a rock Drew Carey, a psychotic lumberjack and Denis The Menace with ADHD could combine to make such a kick-arse show. Kristy Wandmaker

PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY @ WAVES PIC: LYNLEY REID

Beck’s Festival Bar once again serves up eclectic sounds and cutting-edge music. Make the most of summer and experience some of the world’s best bands and DJs over 14 balmy, star-lit nights at the historic Hyde Park Barracks Museum. January 9

The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker, I Like It Like That Orchestra & Russ Dewbury (Jazz Rooms) January 10

Arrested Development & The Last Kinection

UT DO SOL

January 12

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion ST & Super Wild Horses G FA LI N SE L

January 13

Future Classic: Henrik Schwarz January 14

FBi Night: Gold Panda, Djanimals & kyü January 15

PICNIC: DJ Harvey & DJ Garth January 19

Scribe, Ru C.L, Radical Son & Katalyst (DJ set) January 20

Wire, HEALTH & Popfrenzy DJs January 21

Matt and Kim & The Death Set January 22

Cobblestone Jazz, Mathew Jonson & Murat Kilic (Reckless Republic) January 26

Beach House & Parades

G FA LI N SE L

January 27

FBi Night: Holy Fuck & My Disco January 28

Aloe Blacc & The Grand Scheme, Benji B, Waajeed & Africa Hitech LING FAST SE L

January 29

Mad Racket: Octave One (Live) SE L

ST G FA LI N

Hyde Park Barracks Museum. January 9-29. Doors open 8pm. Free entry after 11.30pm (subject to capacity). Over 18s venue only Sydney Festival: 1300 668 812 Ticketmaster: 1300 723 038 sydneyfestival.org.au/becks *Booking Fees from $2 apply

Tickets on sale now

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 61 •

WAS I THERE IN YOUR FUTURE?

Factory Theatre 18/12/10

Glorious is probably the only word to describe Cloud Control’s farewell event, Was I There In Your Future? If the trippy past/future tense was too subtle for you, the night promised to be ‘mind-expanding’. And that it was, somehow removing the fourth wall between audience and musician. We Say Bamboulee opened the event with their beautiful, summery sound. With their absolutely hypnotic synths and their unpretentious manner, We Say Bamboulee charmed their audience easily – sitting cross-legged on the floor, the crowd slipped into a kind of quiet attentiveness which caused vocalist Doug Wright to remark, “I feel like we’re playing in a smoky jazz room”. We Say Bamboulee wooed the audience with youthful clarity, particularly in their vocals and lyricism.

With tension mounting and the crowd growing, the curators prepared to take the stage. Opening with their epic Meditation Song #2, it became clear that Cloud Control had been allotted rock-star status; a semi-mosh pit developed and the occasional shrill, ‘I love you, Alister!’ punctured the reverential between-song silence. Alister Wright’s vocals were pretty darned incredible, particularly on the band’s very early track Vintage Books. Jeremy Kelshaw’s bass lines were incredibly powerful, particularly in the favourite, Death Cloud. Gold Canary meanwhile showcased the skill of drummer Ulrich Lenffer and sister Heidi Lenffer’s tambourine-and-keys brilliance was demonstrated clearly in the aforementioned set opener.

THOSE DARLINS

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD PUTA MADRE BROTHERS Annandale Hotel 16/12/10 A virtually empty Annandale greeted Melbourne’s Puta Madre Brothers, meaning the latecomers missed out on a pretty interesting and unique trio. All seated,

‘Glorious’ probably sells Was I There In Your Future? a little short. The event presented many different styles, art and film – but better yet, there was no division between artist and audience, which was a rare treat. Jessie Hunt

Otouto’s tunes were enigmatic and mysterious, as the harmonies of vocalists Hazel and Martha Brown were positively astounding and the clear keyboard lines were elegant. The staccato drumbeat reverberated through The Factory’s floor, causing much dancing. A slight keyboard malfunction, in which the audience were assured that vocalist and keyboard player ‘manages to break every keyboard she touches’, only served to make the set more enrapturing. Otouto’s flawless harmonies were particularly clear on the almost scat-inspired Low Dan and every track seemed to have an inadvertently charming quality. The set closer, Spot, incorporated many complex pace changes and even entailed a highly complex audience clap, of which the crowd were most enthusiastic.

GORILLAZ

DE LA SOUL LITTLE DRAGON

Sydney Entertainment Centre 16/12/10 Who really knows what’s going to happen with Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz? There’s going to be some sort of hiatus, that’s known, but beyond that things are unclear – and it was that mixture of the unknown and a long absence that made attendance of their 2010 Australian tour so vital. Supported by members of the main attraction’s own tour party, there was an inclusiveness about both the opening sets, with their aim to spruik for the headliners rather than compete with them.

THOSE DARLINS @ ANNANDALE HOTEL. PIC: ROD HUNT

JAY-Z

CLOUD CONTROL @ FACTORY THEATRE. PIC: CHAZ WEBB

characters were hit and miss, the visuals (if you could remember to look at them) far more effective with video clips and Snoop Dogg, while the show, like most, tested its limits at two hours long, lulling after the first hour. But if this was to be one of, if not the last, Gorillaz show we’ll see, then it served in closing the chapter for undeniable focus point Albarn. It was both a celebration and de-masking. Scott Fitzsimons

Chris Familton

choosing their strongest set of songs. Indeed you can’t please everybody, but by trying to please everybody and exaggerating their already pompous stage theatrics, you sense that U2’s only way forward from here may be to retreat. Chris Familton

It has certainly been heavyweight season lately with the likes of Metallica, Bon Jovi and Guns N’ Roses coming through town, but the biggest of them all is U2. Certainly they are the band with the widest appeal and even the most casual fan knows that the Irish quartet will always deliver a spectacular multimedia show. U2 chose to bring along Jay-Z to warm up the swelling crowd and he did just that. The masses were all to willing to ‘throw their arms in the air and wave them like they didn’t care’ as Jay-Z prowled the stage barking out his tough yet pop-tinged hip hop. The hits were all there – 99 Problems, Young Forever and Empire State Of Mind, the latter of which didn’t have a great live vibe seeing as Alicia Keys was only present as a pre-recorded chorus. Yes Jay-Z got the crowd in the mood for the main act, but hip hop never sounds great in stadiums.

U2 have stuck around long enough to build up a hefty catalogue of songs to choose from so it was unfortunate they took the safe route. The ‘new’ songs like Elevation, Vertigo, Get On Your Boots and I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight all sounded uniformly bombastic and arrogantly naïve, though they served to show how great U2 can be when they do write classics like Bad and I Will Follow.

Right from the outset of the narrative-heavy (even the roadies were in uniform to play their part) Gorillaz show it was a huge one. Gone were the smoke and mirrors/blinds of previous tours, as everything was out on show, including the extremely animated Damon Albarn (who moved across every inch of the stage like he was one of his animated counterparts) and his oh-soable primary musicians. Notably, bassist The Clash’s Paul Simonon, who showed no signs of ill health.

• 62 •THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

ANZ Stadium 13/12/10

With a half full venue, Those Darlins did a damn good job at getting the crowd involved and though their songs did blur together at times – not helped by a harsh and vocally quiet sound mix – they showed enough across their whole set to justify the buzz that surrounded them before their Australian tour. They finished their main set with a great cover of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates’ Shakin’ All Over, which shifted the emphasis from Elvis innuendo to a more sultry, yet still rocking mood. It was a good example of how rock, punk and country can work together without conjuring up the dreaded crossover tag.

A fast-forwarding clock counted down to the moment U2 strode out onto their latest stage construction, the 360 degree ‘space station’. As a structure it is an ugly creature from a budget sci-fi film, but once the stadium lights were out the magic really started. The opening track, Return Of The Stingray Guitar, sounded like a band in a blender, while the group strode cocksure around the ring catwalk. The lightweight intro did serve a purpose though as the crashing chords and blinding lights of Beautiful Day felt like a launching rocket in comparison.

Sweden’s Little Dragon come highly recommended, especially after a club show the night before. The good news for them is that no matter how far they explode, they’ll never have to play a room this size. A little different to their recorded incarnation, they were tribal and electronic, worldly influences evident they’re not bound to a regional pigeonhole. They were somewhat swamped by the occasion though, something De La Soul weren’t with the experience of over 20 years on their side. Smart enough to play the crowd off one another as well as themselves, it was a glimpse into their return next year and testament to the effectiveness of bringing your own supports.

Combined with guests (Bobby Womack the best in both Stylo and the night’s most quietly emotive moment, Cloud Of Unknowing in the encore), the on-stage orchestra, backing singers, brass bands, Syrian friends and everything else in between, it was one of those nights that can reaffirm one’s faith in live music. Gripes were few and far between, but the role-playing animated

Jeff The Brotherhood took the opportunity of a small crowd to tease us with threats that they would play a cerebral set rather than a heavy rock set and thankfully they settled for the latter once the punters shuffled forward to the stage. Dialling up a weird mix of stoner rock, indie pop and grunge they hit their guitar pedals and pummelled the drum skins with a mix of wild abandon and precision. The highlight of their all too brief set was Bone Jam with its surf pop melodies and heady guitar rush and jangle. Those Darlins cut a path that swings from country to garage rock and everywhere in between. The good news is that they didn’t settle too deeply into either extreme, instead mixing things up with femme strut and swagger and a healthy dose of party attitude. They swapped guitars and basses throughout the set while drummer Linwood Regensburg locked down the shuffling beats and between-song banter and they showed they are a well-drilled and tight band. The songs came thick and fast with solo and group vocals sounding like a cross between a country hay dance and the glam garage rock of The Runaways.

The extensive build-up to Oh Ye Denver Birds’ opener, Holidays, inspired a sort of restless tension in the audience and much dancing ensued. The sound improved dramatically after this, ensuring that Buffalo Grass sounded ethereal and almost folksy, captivating the audience. Oh Ye Denver Birds’ keys evolved on Blue Ruin, becoming haunting and dark, demonstrating the range that this startlingly brilliant new group possess.

Djanimals played an intense set immediately after. As the headliners approached, the crowd began to pack around this young performer, whose tunes impressed. Whipping out a guitar whenever he saw fit – and contrasting his clear vocals with his crazy tracks – Djanimals played a set that confused, entertained and was completely enjoyed.

all playing kick drums and cymbals and all playing guitars, the three military uniform clad musicians cut a striking image on stage and their music was a mad mix of rock’n’roll, mariachi and country stomp. There was comedy at work too, which lent an air of novelty act to their set, but not enough to detract from the rollicking music.

The highlight of the show was surely the chiming, spiralling Where The Streets Have No Name with The Edge in his finest hour of inventive and emotive playing. The lowlight on the other hand was a disappointing Sunday Bloody Sunday complete with a pointless Jay-Z guest rap.

GORILLAZ @ SYDNEY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE. . PIC LINDA HELLER-SALVADOR

U2 yet again excelled at putting on a visually impressive light and video show that felt both original and at times truly futuristic. Musically they were often fantastic but their failure was not

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U2 @ ANZ STADIUM. PIC: LINDA HELLER-SALVADOR

live@drummedia.com.au

BOTH HECTIC AND SERENE

SINCE RELEASING THEIR ALBUM, BIG ECHO, EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE MORNING BENDERS HAVE TOURED ALL OVER AMERICA AND EUROPE. HERE, GUITARIST/KEYBOARDIST JON CHU GIVES DRUM A PHOTO DIARY OF SOME BEHIND THE SCENES ACTION.

1) Chris [Chu, vocals/guitar] struggles through another chapter of Anna Karenina in Westhampton, Massachusetts. Tour life can be hectic, but there are many serene moments in between.

2) Tim [Or, bass] gets ready for a night on the town in Stockholm. We only had one night to explore, but he was determined to make the most of it! Our set that night was limited to 45 minutes because there was a crazy dance party in the venue right after we played.

3) Julian [Harmon, drums] loads his camera to document some final moments in Eindhoven and, later that day, the ferry trip en route to Copenhagen. In Eindhoven, we were able to book an apartment with a kitchen for the one night that we were there. So for the first time we were able to cook a meal in the middle of a tour. Granted we only made ham and cheese sandwiches, but it was the idea that counted.

4) Chilling at my parent’s house in Los Angeles, California. It’s always nice to hit familiar territory in the middle of a tour.

8) We try and get in exercise whenever we have the time and energy to do so. Chris gets some jump-roping in while the others toss the frisbee. 5) We were fortunate enough to be touring through Europe while the World Cup was happening. Our show in Amsterdam was delayed in order to wait for their semi-final game to finish, which they ended up winning. So while we waited I took some pictures. The city exploded that night.

THE BLACKEYED SUSANS

CHRISTA HUGHES

The Vanguard 17/12/10

The first of two Blackeyed Susans Christmas shows, it was obvious there were some members of the audience who had enjoyed a long afternoon of Christmas lunch drinks before getting to the gig. But the Blackeyed Susans were in a festive mood. Support act Christa Hughes was most definitely in a playful frame of mind, arriving on stage in PVC shorts, zip up vest, a feather collar and jauntily angled cap. One part Bertolt Brecht, one part Rocky Horror, Hughes playfully regaled the audience with songs about drinking and drugs, but was at her show-stopping best when she put aside her attempts to shock and unleashed a version of old standard Lilac Wine and reconditioned Britney Spears’ Toxic. Hughes has a voice that can stop traffic and while the novelty of her dirtying up The Sound Of Music’s My Favourite Things was amusing, you can’t help but feel there are plenty of wickedly subversive songs she could claim without resorting to novelty. Starting with the first verse of The Pogues’ Christmas classic Fairytale Of New York and ending with a haunting Silent Night, The Blackeyed Susans weren’t about to ignore the fact that this was billed as a Christmas show. Singer Rob Snarksi delivered a gorgeous version of Brook Benton’s You’re All I Want For Christmas but they also had a lot of their own material to cover from Ocean Of You, through to Reveal Yourself and the languid Smokin’ Johnny Cash. Though the band was missing Dan Luscombe from its lineup, it certainly didn’t affect the glorious cacophony the band was able to make. With accordion, upright bass and keys adding to the dark, classic pop mood, the set was a reminder of that Australian tradition of rich, evocative songwriting that includes artists like The Triffids, The Go-Betweens and Nick Cave. Snarski will always have one of the most beautiful voices in Australia rock, the kind of voice that can summon a mood in a few short bars. And together with his band he gave the audience a rare chance to see an often undervalued piece of Australian rock history play out on stage. Danielle O’Donohue

6) Generally we don’t do much sightseeing, but on our free morning in Cologne we decided to check out the cathedral. Julian wasn’t interested.

7) Chris and Julian switch roles while we wait to record a short video for WGN in Chicago, Illinois. I like the background, but I’m not sure why they chose the space theme. Chris kills the drums.

(not so) AND IN OTHER NEWS... LOST SONGS

COVERS OF GREAT AUSSIE SONGS

2. On his 1973 covers album, Pin Ups, David Bowie featured his take on The Easybeats’ classic, Friday On My Mind. 3. Believe it or not, The Goo Goo Dolls released more than just Iris and their twelfth album (yes, really, twelfth), Vol. 2, featured a cover of Slave Girl, an early single from recently reformed garage punks The Lime Spiders. 4. The Australian release of Pennywise’s 1999 album, Straight Ahead, featured an Australian exclusive bonus track, the band covering Men At Work’s Down Under. 5. Snow Patrol took part in Late Night Tales in 2009, releasing the 22nd album in the remix album series and contributing a cover of INXS’ New Sensation to the tracklisting. 6. Booty-shaking pop sensation Shakira released Live And Off The Record in 2004, which included live tracks recorded during her tours over the previous two years. One surprise addition? AC/DC’s Back In Black. 7. Legendary British rockers Status Quo covered the early Bee Gees single, Spicks And Specks, on their debut album, Picturesque Matchstickable Messages From The

WHEN & WHERE Tuesday 4 January, Oxford Art Factory

ber, that on 23 Decem DID YOU KNOW… ack Bl r fo ist ss r, ba 2005, Geezer Butle ion at rm ,000 for any info Sabbath, offered £5 fe return of Toga, leading to the sa been penguin that had a three-month-old of Wight. Is m a zoo on the le recently stolen fro

XXXMAS

Having visited Australia last week as part of the No Sleep Til Festival, punk rock supergroup and cover band Me First and The Gimme Gimmes announced plans to release an EP titled Go Down Under, which features covers of Australian songs, early next year. So we thought it the perfect time to recap some other international artists who have covered some Aussie greats in the past. 1. On their most recent tour Canadian post-hardcore punks Alexisonfire brought along a limited edition seven-inch. The 200 copies sold out promptly but the songs are now available on iTunes. The A-side is a killer rendition of Midnight Oil’s The Dead Heart, and the B-side is a cover of The Saints’ I’m Stranded.

WHO The Morning Benders

Like that uncle who always drinks too much and behaves inappropriately with the roast, Sticky Fingers, Only The Sea Slugs, The Preachers, The Zebs and Crochet Crooks will be bringing cheers and jeers to the Annandale on Friday night.

NOT SO LOST SONGS In 2005 a young Brisbane trio by the name of Art Vandelay took to the stages of Queensland. Come 2006 and their debut album, The Human Comedy, had dropped. Opening track, Donec Floruit, was a snapshot summation of the band; abrassive and passionate progressive hardcore. With the same self-destructive energy as bands like At The Drive-In, the band’s sound was captured with a real desperation on this recording. There is enough of a soundscape created by Josh Coxon’s guitar to induce goosebumps and enough raw force in the rhythm section and vocals to curdle blood.

Status Quo. 8. Duran Duran’s Night Boat is given a staunch working over by American rock band Deftones on their B-Sides And Rarities release. 9. The self-proclaimed greatest rock’n’roll band in the world, Supersuckers, covered Heavy Heart, from one of the greatest Aussie rock bands ever, You Am I. The song was part of the Free The West Memphis Three benefit album. 10. German metal band Blind Guardian included a blistering rendition of John Farnham’s You’re The Voice on the bonus disc for At The Edge Of Time, their ninth album, which was released earlier this year.

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CHOCOLATE JESUS KWANZAA PARTY While traditionally a Kwanzaa Party lasts for a week, the crazy cats at Chocolate Jesus are cramming all the festivities into a single night. That night is Wednesday at Oxford Art with PING!, Old Men Of Moss Mountain, Piano Is Drunk, Sick Python, Domeyko Gonzalez and Disco Club helping to celebrate.

POLAROIDS OF XMASROIDS The online movers, shakers and tastemakers at the Polaroids of Androids blog are throwing a Christmas Party. Intentions, Further, TV Colours, The E.L.F and Assassins 88 will all be tearing it up in Oxford Art’s Gallery Bar Thursday night.

PARTY AT KATHMANDU Party Kathmandu Events are hosting a battle of the bands this Friday night at Oxford Art Factory. As well as competitors there will be guest appearances by The Shadows and The Flemington Project.

JAGER UPRISING While everyone is winding down for the year, the stage at The Annandale will be heating up on Wednesday night with Orca! Straight! Ahead!, Vienne Circus, Mavens and Kell Taylor doing battle as part of the Jager Uprising band comp. THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 63 •

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tasteTEST

DEZ FAFARA FROM DEVILDRIVER The best record I stole from my folks’ collection was… The Doors – Morrison Hotel.

The first record I bought with my own money was…

THE FESTIVE ADDICTION

t seems that every band, at one point or another, feels compelled – you could even say morally obliged – to record a Christmas song. This affinity with the modern-day Christmas carol seems to span all genres, from sweet acoustic numbers to heavier, more rock-fuelled songs.

What’s more, even revered frontmen for hugely successful metal bands get on the Christmas bandwagon (or would it be more appropriate to say sleigh…), with Slipknot’s Corey Taylor recording X-M@$ to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust charity. It’s an odd little song, with an even stranger video clip.

Last year, A Day To Remember released Right Where You Want Me To Be, accompanied by a hilarious video featuring the band in awkward Christmas gear (think reindeer horns, snowman mugs and elf ears). While the song was catchy and boasted the band’s usual blend of hardcore-injected pop punk, the real appeal probably lay in the fact that a bunch of ear-stretched, tattooed dudes looked far too much at home in bright red onesies.

And the list continues. The Killers released A Great Big Sled in 2006, Joseph, Better You Than Me in 2008 and last year, a charity song with Mariachi El Bronx called Happy Birthday Guadalupe. Christian rockers Relient K have released two whole Christmas records, Let It Snow, Baby… Let It Reindeer and Deck The Halls, Bruise Your Hand, both quite punny and containing actual classics like Handel’s Messiah and Auld Lang Syne. Even considerably less successful bands are tempted to release Christmas songs, so the reason behind the tradition can’t be to satisfy the radio masses – Arizona pop/punk band The Maine released a small Christmas EP in 2008, with three originals and a cringeworthy cover of Wham!’s Last Christmas. And while we’re on the topic of George Michael’s sappy Christmas offering, it’s actually astounding to see the whopping number of artists that have covered it, from Jimmy Eat World to Coldplay to the Arctic Monkeys and heaps, heaps more. Circa Survive’s Anthony

Way back in 2001 as part of Take Off Your Pants And Jacket, blink-182 brought forth the cheeky Christmas number Happy Holidays, You Bastard. The trio’s insane holiday energy lasts a mere 43 seconds, the first line, “It’s Christmas eve and I’ve only wrapped two fuckin’ presents”). This season the band’s Mark Hoppus and Ben Folds performed a stripped-down piano cover of the song for fuse.tv’s A Different Spin, adding – ah, shall we say – a dash of class to the original song.

Kiss – Alive.

ESSENTIAL VIEWING

The record I put on when I’m really miserable is…

SNOOP DOG FEAT. MARTY JAMES – NEW YEAR’S EVE

The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me.

The last thing I bought/downloaded was…

NYE is just around the corner and if you’re yet to make plans and have a lazy hundred grand or so lying around, why not take a few pointers from Snoop’s new clip? Invest in a pimp chalice, silver platters covered in caviar, a bottle of ‘yac, a white fur cape and some classy black and white cinematography.

Cancer Bats – Bears, Mayors, Scrapes And Bones.

Directed by Dylan Brown

Devildriver play Soundwave Sunday 27 February, Eastern Creek Raceway

http://bit.ly/d80wXy

The record I put on when I bring someone home is… Apollo 440.

The most surprising record in my collection is… Brigitte Handley & The Dark Shadows.

personalityTEST

How would your mum describe you? God knows? You’d have to ask her, I’m sure it would on the whole be fairly positive... mum?

What’s one genre you would remove off the face of the earth and why? Classical. I mean, it’s just showing off isn’t it? Too many bloody notes.

Who inspires you musically? Too many to mention in one go. Saw Stevie Wonder at Glastonbery this summer - that was jaw-droopingly good.

Name three tracks currently detonating your dance floor. Happy and proud to say they’re all ours, in one shape or another. Lovebird, Want You (Hot Toddy remix), Crazy P, My Love,

ON THE DRUM STEREO

MERRY BEER-MAS

with some seriously catchy new tunes and supported by The Den and Storm Boy.

Finally a Christmas gig complete with presents! Buy yourself a ticket to King Tide, Dog Trumpet and B!G at the Annandale on Thursday night and not only will you get plenty of surf-rock, blues and reggae, but you’ll also get a free beer!

JOLLY RED MEN

He is a little lewd, a little crude and mischievously charming. Not Tiny Tim but the larger than life Tim Rogers (You Am I) doing back-to-back intimate solo shows at The Vanguard tonight and Wednesday.

BENJAMIN SEA, BENJAMIN DO Sydney singer songwriter Benjamin Sea is bringing his indie pop tunes to the Sando on Wednesday night for a final performance for this year. Joining him will be Sepora and The Gentlemen and Milne.

CORDIALLY INVITED Quirky indie four-piece Lime Cordiale will descend upon the Mona Vale Hotel on Thursday night armed

taste TEST

Red Fire Red are making it a less-than-holy Christmas with a gig at the Bald Faced Stag on Wednesday night. Joining the hard-rocking five-piece will be The Author and The Will Maisley Band.

RSL REFRESHMENTS After a huge 2010 which saw the band rock their way back into the collective consciousness of the Australian music scene, Thirsty Merc are hitting some venues outside of the Big Smoke. Catch them on Wednesday at The Entrance Leagues Club and Thursday at Hornsby RSL.

KLONDIKE KRISTMAS Before departing for Spain, Chris ‘Klondike’ Masuak & The North 40 are pulling into the Excelsior Surry Hills on Thursday with Young Docteurs and Decline of the Reptiles. Each band is playing at least one Christmas song and the first 50 payers through the door get a limited CD single from Klondike. When I’m in a funk I actually don’t listen to music because it distracts me and some funks are better left to work out their natural course.

WITH HEIDI LENFFER WITH CLOUD CONTROL

The record I put on when I bring someone home…

Tell us about a classic clubbing moment.

The best record I stole from my folks’ collection was…

When my man gets home it’s Talk Talk ‘80s bliss all the way.

Harvey played in Nottingham at the Sky club, back in 1996. It was a brilliant set and he played Moodymann’s I Can’t Help This Feeling When It Hits. It was the first time we’d heard it and we were both reduced to quivering piles of jelly.

Gord’s Gold (1975) – Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot, who looks like my dad and is my dad’s favourite artist. Only featured songs from his first decade but with his mellow honey voice every track’s classic.

Most surprising record in my collection is…

What’s one record you’re embarrassed to admit you own?

The first record I bought with my own money was…

The last thing I bought/downloaded was…

Heads Together (Ron’s edits).

Not embarrassed to admit to owning, but plenty that would be considered embarrassing. The first record I ever bought with my own money was Huey Lewis & The News’ The Power Of Love. Crazy P play Party Under The Stars across The Loft and Bungalow 8 Friday 31 December for New Year’s Eve • 64 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

I travelled to Canada with my older brother Johann when I was 15 and bought a tape of Louis Armstrong. Five short songs on each side and I just kept turning that thing over until the tape wore thin. The record I put on when I’m really miserable…

Green and ex-Lydia’s Mindy White covered Baby, It’s Cold Outside, Say Anything’s Max Bemis and his wife Sherri Dupree (Eisley) covered White Christmas and if that’s not enough, there are two huge A Santa Cause: It’s a Punk Rock Christmas compilations to fill your Christmas song stocking.

ber, that on 21 Decem DID YOU KNOW… er David rtn pa s hi hn and 2005, Sir Elton Jo es to e first gay celebriti Furnish became th tionship as a civil register their rela y took -minute ceremon partnership. The 20 and. Hall, Windsor, Engl place at The Guild

TINY TIM ROGERS CRAZY P

A DAY TO REMEMBER

Probably my three different versions of Rachmaninov’s Concerto No. 2, my favourite piece of music.

In Red-Eye to buy some Lou Reed the salesman said I needed to understand Velvet Underground before I could listen to Reed. So I bought The Velvet Underground & Nico, the most over-hyped album ever. Honestly the music didn’t appeal much to me though I have a few favourite tracks. Cloud Control play Peats Ridge Festival

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Too Close To The Sun High Violet Depth Of Sound Plastic Beach Demon Days Black Wings Tumbleweed Connection The Ecstatic In Rainbows Innerspeaker

LELLY K THE NATIONAL DUBMARINE GORILLAZ GORILLAZ BANE OF ISILDUR ELTON JOHN MOS DEF RADIOHEAD TAME IMPALA

FBI’S FAVOURITE NEW AUSSIE SONGS FOR THE WEEK University RAPIDS Pon The Dancefloor DUBMARINE JONATHAN BOULET You’re A Animal The Mystery Of Mulungu Cove BUTCHER BLADES Etu Gela DEREB THE AMBASSADOR Eyes Wide Open (PVT remix) GOTYE Lonely Skies THE MAGUS WET STALLION Last Train Song For The Mute (Part II) BRICKS OF BERLIN It’s Won’t Be Long MOTHER AND SON

ARIA TOP TEN ALBUMS 1. Greatest Hits… So Far P!NK 2. Bon Jovi Greatest Hits BON JOVI SUSAN BOYLE 3. The Gift 4. Altiyan Childs ALTIYAN CHILDS 5. Volume 4 GLEE CAST 6. Duet RONAN KEATING 7. Twenty Ten GUY SEBASTIAN 8. The Beginning THE BLACK EYED PEAS TAYLOR SWIFT 9. Speak Now 10. Michael MICHAEL JACKSON

ARIA TOP TEN SINGLES 1. Grenade BRUNO MARS GUY SEBASTIAN 2. Who’s That Girl (feat Eve) THE BLACK EYED PEAS 3. The Time (Dirty Bit) 4. Firework KATY PERRY 5. Yeah x3 CHRIS BROWN 6. We R Who We R KE$HA 7. Like A G6 FAR EAST MOVEMENT FT. CATARACS & DEV 8. Raise Your Glass P!NK 9. Only Girl (In The World) RIHANNA 10. Saturday Night (feat Ludacris) JESSICA MAUBOY

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 65 •

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AND IN OTHER NEWS

GIG OF THE WEEK

ROXING DAY PEABODY

With a lineup this good it doesn’t matter how obvious your puns are. Forget the sales and get to the Annandale from 2:30 Sunday arvo to see Front End Loader, Celibate Rifles, Peabody, Gay Paris, Zeahorse, The Shake Up and more.

e Smiths’ singer Stev 1975, soon-to-be r, be ine NME complainm az ce ag De m ic 27 that on ed in mus ish bl pu r tte le a DID YOU KNOW… d Morrissey ha rk Dolls. ge for the New Yo ra ve co ia ed m of ing about the lack

BONDI CIGARS GO UNIVERSAL With their latest album, Universal Stew, finally released, Sydney R&B mainstays Bondi Cigars are doing the rounds of the Lizotte’s venues this week. They play Newcastle on Wednesday, Dee Why on Thursday and put in a special NYE show at the Kincumber venue.

SANTA’S PLACE

8pm so get down there and make some noise.

JUNK IN YOUR TRUNK

Cass Eager & The Mo’ Debleys are back in the Christmas tour sleigh with their album, Santa’s Got Soul. Ahead of their show Thursday at The Vanguard, we got Ms Eager to list five albums she wants to find in her stocking this year and a few she doesn’t.

EVIL EDDIE Your music is…?

Hip hop. Which acts inspired you to produce your own music and why?

A big influence early on would have to the Beastie Boys. I’ve also been playing music since I was eight so basically it’s all I know. What’s your wildest ambition for your music?

Sydney-based hard rock outfit I-JUNK will be playing the Sando on Thursday, as support for Black Label, Familia and Melody Black. The bands will bring their energetic anthems your way so if you need your daily fix of rock, the Sando is the place to be.

NOT QUITE BUSH

Eventually I’d like to write an album as musically diverse as something like the first album from Mr. Bungle but with a hip hop slant. Crazy shit that’s still as hooky as hell. Why should we come and see you?

‘Cause you like the songs of course. How do you find the local live scene?

YourSpace hosts an eclectic mixed-genre bill of local musicians and bands every Wednesday at the Town Hall Hotel in Newtown. This Wednesday the very best YourSpace alumni – including Double Crosses, Feicks Device, Hal2000, Drop Tank and more – are playing the YourSpace Christmas Party.

For a Christmas party out away from the CBD, the Bull n Bush Hotel is where it’s at! This Thursday, The Initiation will be playing their last show for 2010 and will be supported by Caulfield and Chasing Light. The party will begin at 9pm and will go on ‘til late, of course!

Street press and a refidex.

ALL YOU WANT

HOLD ME CLOSER

For more info see:

Have you made your Christmas wishlist yet? No? Don’t worry – Kiss/Hug know just what you want. With a killer lineup including The Snowdroppers, Bridgemary Kiss and The Ivys, AND a free drink on arrival, Christmas Eve needs to be spent at the 169 Club.

In what’s being dubbed the Xmas Tony Danza Extravaganza, Aussie hip-hop takes over Raval in the form of 2up on Thursday for some not-too-serious fun.

Next available at:

NOISEMONGERS Young Sydney rockers Howler will be bringing their talents to Beach Road Hotel on Tuesday. They play from

taste TEST WITH TRAVIS STEVER OF COHEED AND CAMBRIA The best record I stole from my folks’ collection was… Black Sabbath first album. Funny enough it was my mom’s and if you met her you would never think she would have that record. But she did and she even saw them live around the time that record was released. As a kid I would always be freaked out by the witchy chick on the cover and one day I decided to stop staring at the cover and pop it on the turntable. I was hooked. The first record I bought with my own money was…

Throwing a TV out of hotel window that landed on Andrew Stockdale’s car. evileddie.com

‘TIS GAELIC SEASON The Gaelic is filling up its schedule during the silly season, with a free show starring Missing Children and Mardi Pannan set to go off tomorrow night and a VIP party on Thursday night with Alphamama, DJ Tickelz I tend to become more creative with my own music when I am feeling misery or any other emotion at extreme levels. As for listening to someone else I don’t tend to listen to music when I’m miserable. I just stew in it. The record I put on when I bring someone home is… Bring someone home? First off I’m married and before that I was no Casanova but either way I never had any sex records. I don’t need a soundtrack for fuckin’. The most surprising record in my collection is… Bob and Doug McKenzie – Great White North. Actually if you knew me it would be no surprise but if anyone puts my iPod on shuffle they are up for some surprises.

Iron Maiden – Somewhere In Time.

The last thing I bought/downloaded was… Cee Lo Green – The Lady Killer.

The record I put on when I’m really miserable is…

Coheed And Cambria play Soundwave Sunday 27 February, Eastern Creek Raceway

• 66 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

What’s your greatest rock’n’roll moment?

Wednesday 29 December – Peats Ridge and DJ Lopez. There’ll also be a Christmas Eve bash featuring DJs, and all you need to bring is your jolly self – it’s also free.

RAT SANTA Head to Tone Friday for a night of Brit-pop, indie and dance tunes courtesy of Ratbag Music. With a swag of great bands – WIM, Guineafowl, The Spirits, We Say Bamboulee, Leroy Macqueen and The Gussets – it’s guaranteed to be better than Bad Santa or whatever else is playing on telly, and if you wear anything red you’re guaranteed $5 entry all night.

SANTA’S GOT SOUL Hearing the same Coldplay song blasted out between archaic renditions of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town every time you enter a Westfield is a little draining. Thankfully blues and roots act Cass Eager and The Mo’ Debleys will rework the classics for Santa’s Got Soul, this Thursday at The Vanguard.

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!

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WANT Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone “What a woman! Soul gospel Queen Mavis still going strong! Out through Anti Records, the glorious Jeff Tweedy produced this album in Wilco’s loft studio and so it has the Soul of the Mama with the Grit of the Man.” Bettye Lavette – I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise “This record was actually released in 2005 but is an absolute killer so deserves to be in this list for at least the next ten of my years. I loved it so much when I heard it I ordered her entire catalogue! When it arrived in the mail it was accompanied by two signed black & white 8x10 photos which made me love her even more – so old school!” Linnzi Zaorski – Hot Wax And Whiskey “I was in New Orleans in November and saw this woman sing. Sounds like a siren from the ‘30s and the crowd were dressed up in period style, swinging their hips and shakin’ their tails and generally having a grand ol’ time throwing tips in her jar. I know New Orleans is a long way to go to buy a record (though I recommend it highly!) but you can also grab it on iTunes and get it delivered direct.” Suzannah Espie – First and Last Hotel “I have a self-confessed girl-crush on Suzannah, most definitely Australia’s Queen of country soul, and this album showcases the best of her goodies. I first heard this album on DIG radio and it blew me away, I then stalked her until she gave me a support at one of her gigs at the Vanguard and we became mates. She actually sang on my EP, Down On My Knees, earlier this year.” Cass Eager and The Mo’ Debleys – Santa’s Got Soul! “Is it wrong to want your own album for Christmas? As much as I don’t really listen to my own music for social occasions, the whole reason for making Santa’s Got Soul! was to have something cool to listen to Christmas Day so it’s definitely on the top of the stocking this year!”

DO NOT WANT Susan Boyle – The Gift “Now my mum always told me that if I can’t say something nice then don’t say anything at all...” Anything Metal “We were rehearsing last night and there was a metal band playing in the room next to us. Really impressive on a lot of levels, just not on the level of listening to it.” Mariah Carey – Merry Christmas II You “Christmas songs are cheesy enough without doing this to them. This is Mariah giving Christmas albums a bad name.” Anything Techno “I love to dance, I love soul and funk, disco, you name it. I just really prefer it when it’s done by musicians not computers.”

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 67 •

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21 - 27 DECEMBER 2010

SAM BUCKINGHAM: WEDNESDAY 22, EXCELSIOR HOTEL

TUE 21

AAMAZING ENTERTAINMENT KARAOKE: Penrith Htl ADAM PRINGLE BAND: Sandringham Htl downstairs BNO ROCK SHOW: Scruffy Murphys DAVE WHITE EXPERIENCE: Coogee Bay Htl, Beach Bar HOWLER, FRIENDS OF MAN, BURNING VIOLET BRIDGES, KOKOROLLER: Beach Rd Htl Bondi IAN MOSS, HALFWAY TO FORTH: Lizottes, Newcastle MYME, DISCOROSSO, NATO, GEE WIZZ: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl ROB HENRY: Observer Htl SAM KEEVERS TRIO WITH BERNIE MCGANN: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills STEVE TONGE: O’Malleys Kings X THE COSMIC EXPLORER, 16 TACOS, NIC YORKE: World Bar Kings X THE GIVING TREE, FROM WILLOW: Macquarie Htl, Liverpool THEY CALL ME BRUCE: Maloney’s Hotel TIM ROGERS, SCOTT SPARK: The Vanguard

WED 22

3 WAY SPLIT: Scruffy Murphys ANDY MAMMERS DUO: Maloney’s Hotel ANTHONY SNAPE:

Lizottes, Dee Why BARRY LIVERMORE, LES BELLES DANCERS: Belmont 16ft Sailing Club BEN FINN DUO: Mean Fiddler Htl BENJAMIN SEA, SEPORA, THE GENTLEMEN, MILNE: Sandringham Htl BONDI CIGARS: Lizottes, Newcastle DAVE WHITE EXPERIENCE: 3 Wise Monkeys DAVID SEASIDE: Artichoke Café Manly DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: World Bar Kings X ENDLESS SUMMER BEACH PARTY: Teagardens Hotel, Bondi Junction JP DUO: O’Malleys Kings X MAL’S OPEN MIC NIGHT: Taren Point Htl MARTY STEWART: Rocksia Hotel MEREWETHER FATS, JAMES MUDD, DYLAN HAMMOND: The View Factory, Newcastle METAL MELEE BAND COMP FINALS: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe MIKE BENNETT: Observer Htl MUSOS CLUB JAM NIGHT: Bald Faced Stag OPEN MIC NIGHT: Fitzroy Htl Windsor PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl RECKLESS: Ettamogah Htl SAM BUCKINGHAM, JESS CHALKER, Nick Van Breda: Excelsior Surry Hills SAM KEEVERS TRIO WITH LILY DIOR, EDOARDO SANTONI: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills STEVE TONGE:

• 70 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

Harbord Beach Htl THE FRANK BENNETT AFFAIR: Sandringham Htl downstairs THEY CALL ME BRUCE: Coogee Bay Htl, Beach Bar TOM T TRIO: Opera Bar TRIAL KENNEDY, THE SPIRITS: Beach Rd Htl Bondi TRIVIA: Vineyard Htl Trivia To A Tee with The Doctor: Muree Golf Club Twisted Trivia: Wallsend Sporties VIENNA CIRCUS, MAVENS, ORCA! STRAIGHT AHEAD!, KELL TAYLOR: Annandale Htl

THU 23

031 ROCK SHOW: Scruffy Murphys 2 UP: Raval AAMAZING ENTERTAINMENT KARAOKE: Penrith Htl ANDY MAMMERS: PJ Gallaghers Parramatta ANTHEMS OF OZ: Orient Htl BEAU SMITH: Iron Horse Inn BECCY COLE: Lizottes, Newcastle BIG BEN: Wentworthville Leagues BIG BOZZA BAND, CARLISLE, RAY RAY RAY & THE JETSONS, THE UNDERGROUND ARCHITECTS: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe BONDI CIGARS: Lizottes, Dee Why CALABRO: Brass Monkey CAMBO: Observer Htl

PURPLE SNEAKERS DJS: FRIDAY 24, MONA VALE HOTEL CASS EAGER, THE MO’ DEBLEYS: The Vanguard CHRIS ‘KLONDIKE’ MASUAK, DECLINE OF THE REPTILES, YOUNG DOCTEURS: Excelsior Surry Hills CHRISTMAS KISSES: North Sydney Leagues, Cammeray CRAIG LAIRD: Marlborough Htl DANTE RIVERA, DJ VICCO: Arthouse Htl DAVID AGIUS: Harbord Beach Htl DEL HAMO, PEITER T, TYSON TYLER, LOGIKAL, BIG KASH, + HEAPS MORE!: The Roxy Parramatta DEVEAUX: Landsdowne Hotel DI SOLOMON: Club Five Dock DJ ALEX: Beach Rd Htl Bondi G3: Marble Bar Hilton Htl GORDON: Campbelltown Catholic Club JELLY FISH: Artichoke Café Manly JENNIFER YOUNG, SOFIELLA WATT: The View Factory, Newcastle JO VILL: Windang Bowling Club KID FINLEY, PEE WEE PETE: The Gaff, Darlinghurst KIERAN GLASGOW: Collingwood Htl KIM CHURCHILL, JUSTIN CARTER, ASHLEIGH MANNIX: Bombaderry Htl KING TIDE, DOG TRUMPET, B!G: Annandale Htl LIME CORDIAL, THE DEN, STORM BOY: Mona Vale Hotel MANDI JARRY: Green Park Hotel

MARSALA: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills MARTY from RECKLESS: Northies Cronulla HtlSport Bar MATT JONES DUO: Penrith Panthers, Fluid Bar MATT PRICE: Newport Arms Hotel MICHAEL MCGLYNN: Greengate Htl MUSOS CLUB JAM NIGHT: Carousel Inn Rooty Hill NATURAL SELECTION, TIN SPARROW, PATRICK JAMES: Melt Bar Kings X NICKY KURTA: Dee Why Hotel PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl ROCK FAN: Woollahra Htl RON OSBORN: CLUB BELMORE SAM & ANTHONY TRIO: Maloney’s Hotel SELINAS DJS: Selinas Coogee Bay Htl SINGLED OUT: 3 Wise Monkeys STEVE EDMONDS BAND: Empire Htl SUITE AZ: 36 Degrees Bar Star City SUNSET RIOT, L.U.S.T, VIRGINIA KILLSTYX: Notes, Newtown SYDNEY SOUND BIG BAND: Rockdale RSL TALK OF THE TOWN: Wallsend Sporties THE CONTINENTAL BLUES PARTY: Manly Boatshed THE INITIATION, CAULFIELD, CHASING LIGHT: Bull & Bush THE POD BROTHERS: Chamberlain Htl

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THE UNDERTONES: Royal Htl Bondi TOM T DUO: Coogee Bay Htl, Beach Bar TWO MINDS: Gymea Bay Hotel UNCLE JED: The Basement URBY, EL MARIACHI, JOHNNY SEGMENT, S. KOBAR: World Bar Kings X

FRI 24

13TH FLOOR: Unity Hall Htl 2 OF HEARTS: Brewhouse Pub St Marys 3 WAY SPLIT: Peachtree Htl Penrith ABSURD: The View Factory, Newcastle ACOUSTICA, GEOFFRO & BONES, SALLY KING, DACE GREEN, UNDERGROUD AIRFORCE: Rose of Australia AFTER PARTY B`: St Marys Leagues AM 2 PM: Ingleburn RSL APPLES FOR EVE: Wagga RSL Club BARRY LEEF, PETER NORTHCOTE, PAUL CHRISTIE, ABRAHAM ROUNDS: Royal Motor Yacht Club BASS THEIFS, OH GLAM!, SWEET DISTORTION, + HEAPS MORE!: Candys Apartment BIG SHOTS DEULLING PIANO SHOW: Club Five Dock BLUE TRIANGLE: Coffs Harbour Ex Services Club BLUES POINT: Darling Harbour Convention Centre Forecourt BROWN SUGAR: Marble Bar Hilton Htl CARVERS’ WINE COUNTRY SOUNDS: Wallsend Sporties CHRIS ALEXANDER TRIO: Rydges Htl Campbeltown

CHRISTINA CROFTS BAND: Dicey Rileys CHRISTMAS KISSES: Castle Hill RSL CHRISTMAS KISSES: Revesby Workers, Whitlam Theatre CRUSHED ICE: Dooley’s, Lidcombe DAN SPILLANE: Mean Fiddler Htl DANIEL LAWRENCE: Northies Cronulla HtlSport Bar DAVID AGIUS: Parramatta RSL DIRTY CA$H: Port Macquarie Hotel DJ MATT, SCOTTY SAX: Bankstown Sports Club DJ MICHAEL: Macarthur Tavern Campbelltown DJ WES BOY: Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga DORA D DUO: PJ Gallaghers Parramatta DOUG WILLIAMS: Park Hyatt Sydney DREW MCALISTER: PJ Gallaghers Drummoyne DYNAMIC ROCK: Rockdale RSL ENDLESS SUMMER BEACH PARTY: Marlborough Htl FALCONA XMAS PARTY, SECRET INTERNATIONAL HEADLINER, DJ Hansom, KATO, Devola, NES: Kit & kaboodle, Kings Cross FUNHOUSE: Beach Htl Merewether FUNKTION: Blacktown RSL GIRLS OF ROCK: South Hurstville RSL HELLO CLEVELAND: Coogee Bay Htl HOME GROWN: Eastern Suburbs Leagues HOMEGROWN:

Kro Bar, East Leagues Club, Bondi Junction HOOK N SLING, TOMMY TRASH: Selinas Coogee Bay Htl ILLYA: BAR EUROPA INSTANT REPLAY: Cronulla RSL JACKS IN BLACK: Matraville Htl JIMMY BEAR: Tall Timbers, Ourimbah JIVE BOMBERS: Ashfield RSL JJ DUO: CLUB RIVERS JO ELMS DUO: Ettamogah Htl JO ELMS DUO: Ettamogah Pub JOSH MCIVOR: Sir Joseph Banks Hotel KEEP THE FAITH - BON JOVI SHOW: Bull & Bush KIM CHURCHILL, JUSTIN CARTER, ASHLEIGH MANNIX: Club Sapphire LA VISTA: Petersham RSL MANDI JARRY DUO: Oceans Bar, Coogee MATT JONES DUO, BEN FINN DUO: Castle Hill Tavern MILLENNIUM BUG: 3 Wise Monkeys NEXT BEST THING: Mounties Club Mt Pritchard NICKY KURTA: Macquarie Htl, Liverpool NITE SHIFT: Revesby Workers OVER THE EDGE: Campbelltown Catholic Club PANORAMA: Scruffy Murphys PAUL GREENE: Kareela Golf Club PETE GELZINNIS: Cessnock Supporters Club PHIL SPILLER: Artichoke Café Manly PURPLE SNEAKERS DJ’s: The Attic @ Mona Vale Htl

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 71 •

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21 - 27 DECEMBER 2010

TIM ROGERS: TUESDAY 21, THE VANGUARD

ONLY THE SEA SLUGS: FRIDAY 24, ANNANDALE HOTEL REBECCA JOHNSON BAND: Jewells Tavern, Jewells, Central Coast REEL SESSIONS: Star City Pyrmont ROSS FAHEY: Taree Leagues Sports Club RUNCH & THE VILLES, DJ SONIC: Belmore Htl Newcastle SINGLED OUT: Wentworthville Leagues SKYSCRAPER DUO, 031 ROCK SHOW: Crows Nest Htl SOFTWAR: Beach Rd Htl Bondi SOLVER: Warners at the Bay SOMATIK, NOEL BOOGIE, NOODLES, DJ HUWSTON, MEEM, + HEAPS MORE!: The Loft SOSUEME DJ’S, JOYRIDE, KATO, ALISON WONDERLAND, CASSAIN, + HEAPS MORE!: Greengate Htl SOUL POWER: Tone, Sydney SOUL TATTOO: Penshurst RSL STEVE EDMONDS BAND: Mona Vale Hotel STEVE TONGE DUO: Kirribilli Htl STICKY FINGERS, ONLY THE SEA SLUGS, THE PREACHERS, The Zebs, CROCHET CROOKS: Annandale Htl TERRY BATEAU:

Oasis on Beamish TERRY LEONARD: Dubbo RSL THE ANTHILL MOB: Towradgi Beach Htl THE AUSTRALIAN PINK SHOW: Bombaderry Htl THE CONTINENTAL BLUES PARTY: Pyrmont Bridge Hotel The Elevators Duo: Albion Htl THE J-21’S: Windsor Castle Htl Newcastle THE MARISTANS: Rag & Famish Nth Syd THE SNOWDROPPERS, BRIDGEMARY KISS: HOPSCOTCH CLUB THE ZIPS: Taren Point Bowling Club THRID TIME LUCKY: Brighton RSL TOM T DUO: Parramatta Leagues TRILOGY: Richmond Club TY: Belmont 16ft Sailing Club UNFORGETTABLE: Ramsgate RSL VENUS 2: Penrith Gaels WAYNE KNIGHT: Hawkesbury Htl WILDCATZ: Heathcote Hotel ZOLTAN: Harbord Beach Htl

SAT 25

AM 2 PM: Mounties Club Mt

• 72 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

Pritchard CHRISTMAS KISSES: Cabramatta Bowling Club CHRISTMAS KISSES: Revesby Workers, Whitlam Theatre D-MAJOR: Petersham RSL ED MANEGO: Rydges Htl Campbeltown EVEN ELSLEY DUO: Sharkies FREESTYLERS, YOLANDA BE COOL, D-CUP, PING PONG DJS, + HEAPS MORE!: Bondi Pavilion JAMES LEES DUO: Campbelltown RSL KLASSIC BLAK: Diggers at The Entrance MAKIN’ WHOOPEE, JO ELMS DUO: Penrith Panthers, Fluid Bar MR JAMES: Bankstown Sports Club ROXWELL, VERTIGO: Star City Pyrmont THE DUDES, JOANNA MELES: Baulkham Hills Sports THE MESSIAH, IL FOE, THE PAGES: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery TICE & EVANS, Kaki: Sandringham Htl downstairs ZOLTAN: Cabravale Diggers ZOLTAN: Revesby Workers

ZOLTAN: Revesby Workers, Skyline Lounge

SUN 26

ACE KARAOKE: Brighton RSL AM 2 PM: Paddy Maguires Haymarket ANDY MAMMERS DUO: Orient Htl ANTOINE: O’Malleys Kings X BANG SHANG A LANG, RADIO FASHION, EVIL TWIN, THE STRUTS: Georges River Sailing Club BEN FINN TRIO: Maloney’s Hotel BEN GUNN: Palace Htl Darlinghurst BEN HENDERSON: Central Coast Leagues BIG WAY OUT: Cock & Bull BLAZE: 36 Degrees Bar Star City BRENDAN MURPHY: Belmont 16ft Sailing Club BRIEN MCVERNON: Murray’s Brewery BUDSPELLS, FOREIGN DUB: Beach Rd Htl Bondi CAMBO: Harbord Beach Htl CHART BUSTERS: Campbelltown Catholic Club CHRIS JAMES: Coogee Bay Htl, Beach Bar CLETIS CARR: Macquarie Arms Htl DAVID AGIUS: Ettamogah Htl

DAVID MOYE: Coffs Harbour Ex Services Club EMBER, CHARLIE BROWN, LADY LAURYN, 15 GRAMS, + HEAPS MORE!: The Roxy Parramatta FAT MAN: Tall Timbers, Ourimbah FRONT END LOADER, THE CELIBATE RIFLES, PEABODY, GAY PARIS, THE SHAKE UP, ZEAHORSE: Annandale Htl GEOFF TURNBULL: Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour GOODNIGHT DYNAMITE, DAVE WHITE DUO: Northies Cronulla Htl GREG LINES: Richmond Club GRINSPOON, HOWL: Great Northern Byron Bay IAN BLAKENEY: Ramsgate RSL JAMES LEES DUO: Petersham RSL JOANNA MELES: Dooley’s, Lidcombe LE COVER BAND: The Mark Hotel MARISSA SAROCCA: Cessnock Supporters Club MATT JONES: Mounties Club Mt Pritchard ME ‘N’ IM: Hurstville RSL Club MOONLIGHT DRIVE: Beach Htl Merewether

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NICKY KURTA: Opera Bar OUTLIER: Scruffy Murphys PARTY VIBE: 3 Wise Monkeys PETE HUNT: Miranda Htl PETER NORTHCOTE, SARINA JENNINGS: Bridge Htl Rozelle ROB HENRY, MIKE BENNETT: Observer Htl ROSS WARD, TRAVIS NEW: Coogee Diggers SANTA KLAUS VS MC LOSTY, TRENT RACKUS VS KATO, JAMES TAYLOR VS ILLYA, WAX MOTIF VS LEVINS, + MORE DJs: World Bar Kings X SOUTH WEST ROYALS, BUSTACAP, HIGH NOON, SENNET SQUAD, J NERI: Sandringham Htl STEVE EDMONDS BAND: Beaches Htl Thirroul STRELITZIA: Bankstown Sports Club SYDNEY BLUES SOCIETY: Botany TEEZ, SMS, ZOMG! KITTENS!, DISCO VOLANTE, + HEAPS MORE!: Candys Apartment THE ANTHILL MOBB: Blacktown RSL THE CONTINENTAL BLUES PARTY: Bald Rock Htl Rozelle

THE HOO HAAS: Sandringham Htl downstairs THE LED ZEPPELIN SHOW: St George Leagues THE POTBELLEEZ, SILENT DISCO, 3 LEVELS, LANEWAY: King St Htl Newcastle THE WIZZCATZ: Kro Bar, East Leagues Club, Bondi Junction TIJUANA CARTEL: Queens Wharf Brewery Newcastle TOM & DAVE SHOW, MARK DA COSTA AND THE BLACK LIST: Mean Fiddle Htl, shed TURN PAGE: Fitzroy Htl Windsor UNDERCOVER: Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL UNITY HALL JAZZ BAND: Unity Hall Htl WARDS XPRESS, LEANNE PARIS: CLUB CRONULLA ZOLTAN: PJ Gallaghers Parramatta

MON 27

ANDY MAMMERS: Penrith Panthers, Fluid Bar BILLY & I: Mean Fiddler Htl GRINSPOON, HOWL, CHICKS WHO LOVE GUNS: Yamba Bowling Club GRUMPY GRAMPS, DJ ALLOY:

The Gaelic JAMES MORRISON, DONALD CANT, ROY BEST, TINA HARRIS, WILLOUGHBY, + HEAPS MORE!: Sydney Opera House JOSH MCIVOR: Harbord Beach Htl LT, PAUL WINN BAND: Star City Pyrmont MANDI JARRY: Peachtree Htl Penrith MATT JONES, BERNIE, CAMBO: Observer Htl MYKONOS DJS: Selinas Coogee Bay Htl OPEN MIC NIGHT: Macquarie Arms Htl STEVE TONGE: Coogee Bay Htl, Beach Bar TEEZ, ZOMG! KITTENS!, DISCO VOLANTE, BOOGIE MOSTER: Candys Apartment TIM FREEDMAN, HEATH CULLEN: The Basement TOKIO HOTEL: Darling Harbour TOM & DAVE SaHOW: Northies Cronulla Htl TWO MINDS TRIO: Scruffy Murphys

BIG DAY ART DESIGN OUR COVER

AND WIN BIG! READERS’ CHOICE AWAR Vote for your favourite artwork D in the Readers’ Choice vot Check out the entries exhibit e. summerfestivalguide.com.aued at vote via Twitter. More details and soon!

TO ENTER: ENT NTERR CCompetition i i opens TTuesday d 2 NNovember. Create your impression of an artist on the current Big Day Out schedule and upload your entry at summerfestivalguide.com.au (go to the Big Day Art section). WIN: Drum Media cover art. Artist proﬁle. Double pass to the BDO Festival. A cd prize pack – the latest releases from BDO artists. Design software for each state winner. Free entry to a CATC Workshop for each state winner. ENTRIES CLOSE FRIDAY 7 JANUARY

MELBOURNE SYDNEY BRISBANE

THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010 • 73 •

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PAT PATTISON ON VERSE DEVELOPMENT A Professor at Berklee College of Music, where he teaches Lyric Writing and Poetry, Pat Pattison has been down our way a couple of times now and is a very popular visitor at that, usually hosting songwriting seminar weekends at the JMC Academy. That’s exactly what he’ll be doing again 10am through 4pm Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 January at the Surry Hills campus (though access over the holiday period will be via the Cooper St side doors). This time Pattison will be concentrating on verse development, looking at cracking that all-too-often stumbling block, “Second Verse Hell”, among many other aspects of the craft. To book a place contact the JMC Academy or check into the CMC Productions website.

MEET EGNATER AMPS If you’d caught Chicago in concert on their recent Australian tour, you might have noticed the stack in back of guitarist Keith Howland sported a name you might not be all that familiar with – Egnater Tourmaster. Developed in Detroit by Michigan-born guitarist and amp designer Bruce Egnater, the Tourmaster, through what he’s called the Power Grid, allows you to independently set the wattage on each of the four channels available to you on the all-tube amp – at full power: 25, 50 or 100 watts or at half power 10, 25 or 50 watts – which gives you great power tube distortion at lower levels yet tons of clean headroom to push things up as needed. The four channels all feature three-band EQ, gain, volume, contour knobs and a switch for modern/classic voicing while master reverb, presence and density controls cover all channels. So you get tube-driven reverb, a channel-assignable tube-buffered effects loop, speaker simulated line out and simple master bias adjust with test points among other things. Howland, obviously an endorsee for the boutique manufacturer, uses a Tourmaster TM4100, a modular preamp and three TM412 quad boxes. Now if all this peaks your interest and you’d like to check a rig out, the good news is that CMC Music in Brookvale is now distributing Egnater Amplification locally, so you should be able to find a rig at your local musical equipment retailer.

ONE DAY AS A LION TALK TO SCOTT FIZTSIMONS

like, ‘Okay, this part’s great,’ so we’d listen and we’d set-up a metronome and we’d go back and play it down while it was still fresh. Then we’d go, ‘Let’s flesh this out and see where it goes. Does it go to a more chorus sort of feel?’ So it was slightly more methodical, a little bit more like movie making at that point; ‘Well this bit is going to be a dark, journey through – whatever – like a stormy sea, or this is going to be a straight forward banger. We were able to create context as we went along this time.”

elieved of his duties with his previous band The Mars Volta somewhat unceremoniously, livespecialist drummer Jon Theodore spent a bit of time in the wilderness. Released from the progressive giants in 2006, it wasn’t until 2008 that he made his recent plans evident with the debut and self-titled EP from duo project One Day As A Lion, the other half being Rage Against The Machine’s Zack de la Rocha, himself out of the public eye since his day job went on hiatus then. What they’d been doing together was changing up the direction and context of their music by jamming together when the surf was flat while they both resided in Los Angeles. Originally as friends playing in a room together with no agenda or plans of any form, pieces of those jams were recorded by Theodore in – by contemporary standards – a very primitive fashion, utilising a basic mp3 player. The drummer then began to piece together tracks by selecting sections of jams and creating entire sections that became their aggressive and dynamic entrance. “It was suddenly, ‘How did that happen?,” says Theodore, “‘How were we suddenly gifted with this beautifully imperfect shitbox of a Rhodes [keyboard, which de la Rocha plays while singing/rapping over Theodore pulsating rhythms] that sounded like nothing we’d ever heard before and suddenly created this blast of inspiration and for a couple of weeks we just played and played and played… Suddenly I was burning a disc and I was like, ‘Put this on in your car, this shit sounds killer’. I mean, it sounded like fuckin’ horseshit. I really am a terrible engineer,” he laughs, “but it was like, ‘This is undeniable man, there’s something really beautiful happening here’. Through that haphazard scenario, every single note came from a completely inspired and non-contrived space.” They were a surprise headline addition for next year’s Soundwave festival, considering both their distance from the majority of the punk/metal line-up and their lack of live performances. After releasing the EP, the two went

back into their rehearsal space to start writing again, this time for an album, which is still in the process. “We’re still working on a new album. We’ve got a bunch of songs that are sounding super killer. It’s a slow process for us, you know. We work pretty slowly because we don’t really ever want to force it.” Because of the quick turnaround, there are a lot of similarities in the creation process of the two. “It is, it’s very similar in a lot of ways,” says the enthused drummer, “but there are some differences now. The seeds for these songs all occur the same way, with jams and going back, finding all the good bits and creating moments out of those. The difference with the LP we’re working on now, even though [improvisation] was the seed for every one of these, we would end up going back a lot of times.” That allowed them to map out the tracks a little bit more, attack the project with more strategy. “One of the things we learned from the EP, we didn’t use a metronome when we were jamming, so those arrangements ended up being all over the road tempo wise, because no one’s perfect and something from five minutes in and something from 50 minutes in is probably going to be radically different sounding and that’s what ended up happening. It wasn’t like we rescued bits and learned them and track them in the studio, which we did the first time; this time we actually made a conscious effort to create things. It would be

The duo – new member Joey Karam (The Locust) joined for recent live shows, so hasn’t really been involved in these songs – returned to producer Robert Carranza and mixer Mario C (aka Mario Cataldo Jr.) at Cataldo’s Los Angeles studio, MCJ Studio. “We track the drums in LA and we’ve been working on the mix and the overdubs and the keys and vocals at Mario’s studio. We’re sort of spread out around LA, but just a couple of different places really. I’m still an amateur engineer, so we leave that to the professionals. I mean, Robert makes the best drum sounds I’ve ever heard and Mario and Zack have a really great relationship where Mario’s knowledge of synthesisers and keyboards and the rapport that he and Zack have developed and the way that they hold each other together in the studio, it works really well.” The record doesn’t have a name yet – that’s de la Rocha’s domain – nor a release date. “I don’t know exactly, the day that it’s ready I guess. It’s hard to really say; a lot of different factors have to come together. It’s pretty ready, we’re getting really close. I wouldn’t want to put a time limit on it, because I’m heading to India and then we’re gonna focus on getting our act together to focus on giving a quality show in Australia. But I don’t think it will be very much longer, but I can’t wait. We’ve got a little more work to do, but music has a lifespan so we don’t want to over-analyse it or over-work it. But at the same time we want to make sure it’s exactly how we want it to be before we put it out.” One Day As A Lion’s debut album will be released… “the day that it’s ready”.

JETT SIGNATURE GIBSON The original guitar goddess Joan Jett is coming over to play the Falls Festivals, Southbound in WA, Sunset Sounds in Queensland and the Annandale in Sydney, so it’s got to be worth your while checking out the signature guitar Gibson made for her. With the Joan Jett Double Cutaway Melody Maker, she’s the first woman to be honoured with a signature model. Complete with a headstock angled at 17 degrees that’s carved from the same piece of mahogany as the neck itself, the neck is crafted to the same specifications as Jett’s original guitar, with a slim-taper profile similar to the classic Les Pauls and SGs of the mid to late 1960s. The guitar’s body is also premium mahogany and comes in what’s described as a worn white finish, with a single Gibson Burstbucker 3 Zebra Humbucker and “Kill” toggle switch that effectively switches between the hot signal from the pickup and the ground signal. Check your local Gibson stockist to see if they can get one in for you to test drive.

CUT COPY USE THE MAZE The Cut Copy boys recorded and produced their forthcoming album, Zonoscope, due out in February, over six months in a warehouse in Melbourne, but when it came to mix it, they sent it off to Maze Studios in Atlanta for Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley, Deerhunter) to do his thing. Essentially Allen’s personal studio, Maze is a “hybrid” design, based around a Pro Tools HD2 system with plug-ins from Waves, URS, Sony and others, thus allowing for 16 channels of analogue summing and eight channels of hardware inserts at mixdown. Vocals are recorded through a Lawson U47 copy, straight into a Neve 3118 preamp/EQ, passed through a UA1176 compressor and sent into the studio’s computer through 24 channels of Apogee and Lynx A-to-D conversion. Sounds can be tweaked with plug-ins from Waves like the Classic bundle or pitch vocals with Melodyne or AutoTune. When you’re ready to mix, sum 16 analogue channels through their Neve 8816 analogue buss, which run vocals out to two Demeter tube spring reverbs then compresses your whole mix with the API 2500 compressor. Of course, mastering there is a whole other story, best left for a future column.

SOUND BYTES A quick addendum to my piece on Daniel Lanois of a couple of weeks ago: it turns out it was hearing the Black Dub album that prompted Neil Young to invite Lanois to produce his latest album, Le Noise. • 74 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 DECEMBER 2010

JACKSON RR-5 It has been a long time since this reviewer picked up an axe and thought this needs to be added to the personal collection. On first glance you will fall in love, a beautifully designed instrument. By merely looking at this bad boy you know that is has been designed to shred to your heart’s content. It certainly favours your heavier styles, whether it be your straight up metal, thrash, progressive or grinding all the way to the core and one of the great additions to the Jackson RR-5 is, without a doubt, the pair of Seymour Duncan TB4 humbucker pickups. They allow harmonics to flow with ease. The slightest tap makes it squeal like your missus after you have rolled in the door at 3am, ensuring that through your shred run you will be able to hit pitch harmonics easily. Sitting down and playing with this device is probably not the best way to get maximum usage, as the shape lends itself to chucking on the strap and standing on your own two feet, making playing much more comfortable. With 22 jumbo frets of action, your hand slides like a dream. The action on the Jackson RR-5 is nothing short of phenomenal and speed picking on this baby will never get old. This is a stunning piece of equipment and for fans of metal this has been sent down from the heavens for your endless amusement, plus the look and feel will not disappoint. A hefty retail price is attached to the Jackson RR-5, but if you mean business then this is something that you must have for your arsenal, not only does it look badass, but plays like a demon.

JACKSON RR-5 of feel and playability. It’s in the broader tonal context available through having two separate pickups that makes the difference and the two single coil pickups effectively giving you two pole pieces per string, there’s a lot more tonal control as well as the brightness finger and slap players need that has always been the big selling point with the Jazz. Originally released in 1961 as an alternative to the Precision, each pickup has its own volume control, with a third smaller one controlling the tonal mix between the two. On the model reviewed, the sweep on both the bridge and body pickups really kick in about threequarters of the way to full, so there’s plenty of room for fine tuning your tone and balance between pickups. Though as a pick player, I get just as much treble from a new set of Rotosound Roundwound strings and just as much tonal control from how hard or soft I attack the strings. This little beauty is a gem of a bass nonetheless

and well worth investigating if you’re looking at the big trusted names in bass. Great feel, punchy sound. In Fiesta Red, the big selling point of this particular model however is of course the fact that it’s been “distressed” as it were to replicate a real vintage 1961 model Fender Jazz bass and, as mentioned, you can’t fault the attention to detail, sticking as it does to the original specs, including a nitrocellulose-lacquer finish, complete with wear marks and so on. Essentially though, it’s purely cosmetic and for the player who really, really wants a ’61 Jazz but hasn’t anything like the readies to buy the real thing, aged by use and abuse as against factory stressing. Michael Smith Supplied by Allans Music + Billy Hydes, for stockists see fender.com.au

Raymond Barnfeld Supplied by Allans Music + Billy Hyde. For stockists see jacksonguitars.com.au.

FENDER ‘60S ROAD WORN JAZZ BASS Well first up, you can’t go wrong really. After all, it’s a Fender, and though I’ve always been a Precision rather than a Jazz man, there’s really not a lot in it in terms

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All used, great condition: Samick Piano $3000, Ibanez Prestige Guitar $2000, Peavey Classic 30 amp $800, Hartke 3500 Bass Rig $1000, Cort A5 Bass $900, Pearl Export Kit $1200, Zildgian Cymbals $1600, Mackie ADAT $1500, Digi 002 Rack + Pro tools LE 8 $1100, Focusrite Preamps/Compressor $550, Rode Classic 2 $1100, Rode NT1 x 2 @$175, Shure drum mics $400, ++studio gear, ++BOSS FX pedals, for sale. Full details and photographs at http://tinyurl.com/MusicInstEquip

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For as low as $100, you get a professional PA system with a sound mixer with operator. Suitable for weddings, pub/club band gigs, private parties etc. infovision@yayabings.com.au Contact Chris 0419 272 196

BASS PLAYERSLAPPIN DOUBLE BASS double slappin bass player needed for rockabilly band based in sutherland all experienced players great/singerguitarist-own rehearsal studio-we have the legendery john manfredas on lead/any ages if your the buisness give pete a ring 0419637381 or email pgsmash@ iprimus .com.au iFlogID: 9633

iFlogID: 10149

SINGING LESSONS - MODERN VOCAL

Line 6 Flextone 2 combo. 2 x 12” speakers. Good condition with full pedal board. sell $795 or near offer. Call Frank on 0434 686 755 or 02 9740 8333.

Singing & Songwriting Lessons Rock/Pop/Indie/R’n’B/Punk. Signed artist with 10 years experience. Recorded over 100 times. Pay per lesson - no contracts. Lessons can be either at Gordon music school rooms or in Wahroonga. Beginners through to experienced singers welcome. 1hr Lessons only $60. Also open in school/Uni holidays! Call AJ on 0448-080-619 iFlogID: 10112

ENTERTAINMENT Australia’s leading online employment and news website dedicated to backstage. The website is free to search and join with out any hassles of membership fees. www.backstagejobs.com.au iFlogID: 9953

KARAOKE & TRIVIA HOSTS REQUIRE

iFlogID: 9805

Markbass Studio Pre500 amp. Top of the line unit, used on 3 sessions, still under Warranty. Retail $4395...Sell $2500 o.n.o. Call Frank 0434 686 755 or 02 9740 8333

iFlogID: 9803

Marshall 2x12 cab up for sale! 2x 65watt celestion speakers both brand new, 4 screw in wheels carry handles , great quality , $350 or best offer,so if your interested call us on 0435510600 iFlogID: 9915

P.A AMP. 1800 watt split mono “CARVER” USA made with BOSE controller.rack mount style in case. will run 2 by 4 “W” bins.very powerfull.VGC.cost over $2500 sell $750. Ph.0428744963 Cooroy. iFlogID: 10225

Want to get paid to be a little silly for a few hours with a microphone in front of your face? Maybe you have some audio experience and love playing with speakers and mixers. You’re a performer looking for a way to get in front of a crowd? Everything Entertainment is a decade old company with a youthful outlook that sticks microphones into the hands of hundreds of warblers and melts the brains of just as many quizites in pubs each week. We are in the process of expanding and are looking for life of the party types to help the room have a good time. Must Have: A car An ABN A love of music Be computer literate Be super reliable Would be nice to have: Experience talking on a microphone Experience with audio equipment Be able to sing Be open to humiliating yourself in public What we need from you: To host shows by yourself and be self-reliant Be able to commit to at least two shows a week (preferably at least one on a Fri/Sat night) What you’ll get from us: Full training Equipment to use A boss who is contactible 24/7 (though use small words if you wake me at 7am) Competitive pay rates Gigs to fit in which your existing commitments We’re holding group interviews during the first week of December, please contact the Operations Manager via jason@ ev-ent.com with a blurb about yourself and why you were born to do this. STOP PRESS: We have two gigs right now that needs a host to take good care of it, is that you? iFlogID: 10147

FOR SALE AMPS

PEAVEY BANDIT 11 80 watt 12” combo guitar amp.USA made.2 channel footswitchable.reverb,saturation etc. great fat tones.VGC.$350 Ph. 0428744963.cooroy. iFlogID: 9913

iFlogID: 10063

Fender Super Reverb. 1969 Vintage 4 x 12” combo. Minor cosmetic damage. Great amp. $2895 or near offer. Call Frank 0434 686 755 or 02 9740 8333. iFlogID: 9809

HUGHES & KETTNER TRIAMP MK2 Amazing sounding amp! Used on Top 40 Aria recordings and National Arena Tours. Priced to Sell $2800 PHONE LUKE: 0400077901 iFlogID: 9677

iFlogID: 9996

MIXERS Mackie Onyx 1620 analog mixer w/ SKB Mighty Gig Rig on wheels (Complete mobile PA / recording system can be racked in this rig). 8 preamps w/ direct recording out. iFlogID: 9850

Warwick Streamer II 5 String Bass Guitar. As made famous by Dirk Lance of Incubus. As new condition.

iFlogID: 9774

DJ EQUIPMENT DJ & Midi Gear for Sale Tonium Pace maker dj mp3 & mixer $500, Novation Launchpad $160, Novation Nocturn $150, Icon I-control $79, Korg MicroKorg $400. Newtown ph: 0430 422 902 iFlogID: 10095

DRUMS Drums 4 sale Pearl forum,good condtn $500 call 0439649331

iFlogID: 9791

Roland TD-12 V-Drum Kit. Includes Tama Iron Cobra double kick pedals, HiHat stand and drum throne. Also, Roland PM-3 Sub and Amp box with 2 rack-mounted satellite speakers. All in excellent working condition. $5000 ono. 0404 084 854 iFlogID: 10263

Win a Pearl Forum drum kit with cymbals. Drummers Paradise are celebrating their 21st birthday by giving away a Pearl Black Forum 5 piece kit with cymbals. Just go to www.drummersparadise.com.au to enter. Prize is Drawn Dec 21st a noon.

GUITARS FENDER SRATOCASTER. PINK PAISLEY. genuine early 80’s.with hardcase.all origional.plays great. beautiful tone and sustain.very rare. suit collector. exellent condition. $2500. Ph 0428744963 iFlogID: 9815

FENDER STRATOCASTER DAN SMITH 1982. RARE MOCHA BROWN. ORIGINAL BODY AND PARTS. IN FENDER CASE. EXCELLENT CONDITION. CALL 0432 224 799. FOR MORE INFO.

iFlogID: 9895

MATON accoustic steel string 3/4 guitar.model F 11.dated 10/73. no 1591. all australian timbers. good origional condition.suit collector.$500. Ph 0428744963. Cooroy iFlogID: 9811

iFlogID: 9965

LEGAL / ACCOUNTING DETAX GOT ME A GREAT REFUND!

PENTAX MZ 50 FILM CAMERA WITH SIGMA ZOOM LENS 28mm-80mm. PLUS AA BATT HOLDER/GRIP.VERY GOOD CONDITION.IDEAL FOR PHOTO STUDENT Quested F11.. 2 way active near field monitors. Pro grade quality. Good Condition. $1395 or near offer. Call Frank 0434 686 755 or 02 9740 833. iFlogID: 9813

MUSIC SERVICES BAND MERCHANDISE NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

Detax will maximise your tax refund or minimise your tax liability, by applying years of Entertainment & Arts industry tax knowledge & personal industry experience into each and every tax return. Individual Tax Returns from only $99. Discounted rates available for multiple years. Phone Dave Elliott 0434 979 269 or email Detax@optusnet.com.au iFlogID: 9978

MANAGEMENT MINSTREL MANAGEMENT Need help with your music career? We provide the best in Recording, Mastering, Tours, Promotion, Publicity, Solicitation, Merchandise, Music Video’s, Photography, International Licensing, Direct to fan Marketing campaigns. WANT TO TAKE YOUR ACT TO THE NEXT LEVEL? www.minstrelmanagement.com iFlogID: 9681

MASTERING THE BUTLER MASTERING

- PRO QUALITY BACKING TRACKS! - MIDI or MP3 - Any song you want - Send me the song today, Get the MIDI file the next day! - $25 for MIDI / $35 for mp3 - EMAIL: vangelis2133@yahoo.com PHONE: 0449672435 iFlogID: 9706

iFlogID: 10004

DUPLICATION/ MASTERING Deluxe Mastering: Melbourne’s premier mastering specialists for CD, vinyl and online release. Servicefocused, relaxed atmosphere, decades of experience in all genres, custom analogue signal path. Noobligation quotes & mix evaluations. See website for credits. w: www. deluxemastering.com.au e: adam@ deluxemastering.com iFlogID: 9854

EP RELEASE EVERY SONG - RADIO READY! SPECIAL PRICE avail for singer/songwriters until end of January 2011... Have 5 songs produced, mixed & mastered for ONLY $499 per track!!! Email info@nathaneshman.com for more details as conditions apply. Visit www.nathaneshman.com for audio examples iFlogID: 9963

BAND & DJ SIGNAGE!!

ROCKIN REPAIRS - GUITAR TECH RESTRINGS-SETUPS-UPGRADESREPAIRS Do you live to play? Whether you’ve bought a new guitar or a favourite is feeling faded, we’ll rejuvenate it! We work hard to give you the feel/sound you want! 0405253417 tara@rockinrepairs. com www.rockinrepairs.com

iFlogID: 10166

Heavy Metal Community

iFlogID: 9594

Lisa J Aston presents offers career consultancy to musicians. With over 30 years in the Australian Music Industry, we offer advice on every aspect of your career and also do one on one projects. Contact Lisa J Aston 0411094197

TUITION STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD! Whether it be drumskin decals, logo design, or a portable stage backdrop, allow Brainchild Project Management take your gig to the next level. You sound great, now look great - dont be just another Band/DJ at just another venue...let your fans know who you are, and advertise your name at the same time!

iFlogID: 9941

PA / AUDIO / ENGINEERING CHEAP RATES, GOOD GEAR, 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE. 2x15” AND 2x12” FOH, 2X FOLDBACK AND SIDEFILL. SHURE MICS, STANDS,LEADS. FOUR PAR56 CANS. SUITABLE FOR ANY BAND. INNER SYDNEY BASED. PHONE DANNY 0413694830 OR EMAIL dannypavlovic@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 9768

We have been working in our new room for some of the most talented around the globe and we’re getting some amazing results. // Drop us a line to hear your music in a world class listening environment, or send us some files to hear a sample of our results. We are as passionate about your music as you are, and guarantee our work for a reason. // PRICING IS FIXED... EP $320 / ALBUM $600 // This is a complete package cost and does include attended sessions, which we encourage. // Check us out at... www.the-butler.com ... or drop me a line on 0403 435 686. // Paul Butler Tayar // THE BUTLER MASTERING

Affordable, high quality audio production. Recording/Mixing/Mastering and more. Over a decade of experience, working with award winning artists. Visit www.simonpaul.com for rates and details. iFlogID: 10128

Eternal Post Production

iFlogID: 9698

RECORDING SERVICES

iFlogID: 10140

OTHER DRUM SKIN GRAPHICS, GUITAR & AMP PERSONALIZATION, CUSTOMISED DJ GEAR, BANNERS & MORE! an independent design and graphics service aiming to create a unique & personal magic to performing artists, musicians, venues and events coordinators for reasonable cost. SEARCH 102designs ON FACEBOOK!

Complete Album & Demo Recording, Production, Instrumentation,CD Mastering. Pop, RnB, Country, Gospel etc. I’m comitted to acheiving for you the highest quality in a creative, friendly environment. 30 years of experience. Email info@johnertler. com or visit www.johnertler.com for more info and to hear examples of my work. ph 02 9654 8143 mob 0400 323 982 iFlogID: 8842

SEAN CAREY - PRODUCER

iFlogID: 10047

iFlogID: 10183

iFlogID: 9141

PA Hire - Quality sound equipment with experience operator. FOH up to 6000watts, fit any venue. JBL, Quest, Allen & Heath, dbx, Shure and lightings. Suitable for all types of functions/bands and more. Viera 0431757635

SINGER/SONGWRITERS have a home studio and require a producer to help polish your tracks? High-end recording studio with the convenience and universal application of the Internet. World class session musicians work with you every step of the way- more information www.rockethouseproductions.com

PHOTOGRAPHY SMT Media is all about capturing what live music is all about....... Artists have included Guns’N’Roses, PINK, Beyonce, Foo Fighters etc. Affordable hourly rate for local artists. For further information please contact Sarah at...... Email: smtxposure@yahoo.com

Now is the time to get that guitar out & play. All types of guitar catered for - new to blue.Longtime pro Chris Turner has limited slots available, studio & recording - city office visits by app. www.big-rock.com.au/artists Ph 9552 6663 - Lilyfield iFlogID: 9858

Australia’s Apple Certified Logic Pro 9 Trainer and Apple Master Pro User,is now available for Logic Pro 9 tuition.20 years exp.Best tuition,best rates.Courses start from $299.00. Call Song Surgery on 02-82124522.I guarantee you will learn. iFlogID: 10155

Cameron Jones Guitar and Bass Tuition. I’m an experienced Teacher based in the Canada Bay area. I cater to all styles and levels, covering both practical and theoretical knowledge. Group or individual lessons are available. All ages. Phone 0418113731

Spaces available now. Specialized tuition from Don Hopkins (Big Wheel, Captain Matchbox). Teaching piano since 1985. Individual sessions. Improvisation, piano technique, theory. Songwriting skills. Beginners to advanced. Get to where you want to be. donhopkins@me.com 0425201870 iFlogID: 9712

SAX TUITION--------------Easy way to learn saxophone for students of different ages (from kids to adults) and different levels (from beginners to advanced). $35/hour Lorenzo 0410041979 iFlogID: 9911

SINGING LESSONS Certified Speech Level Singing (SLS) Instructor. Learn the Technique of over 120 Grammy award winners. Extend your Range. No more Breaks/Flips. Develop Strength. All Styles. Eastern Suburbs. www.myspace.com / mazvocalstudio - Contact Maz: maz@ mazmazak.com iFlogID: 9795

TEACHER TO THE STARS STEVE OSTROW VOCAL COACH who started the careers of Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Peter Allan, and countless others now accepting limited amount of private students all styles pop, classical, beginners welcome. Call me on 0408461868 iFlogID: 9227

VIDEO / PRODUCTION

iFlogID: 9708

Sean Carey (ex Thirsty Merc) is now the In-House Producer/Engineer at the original TRACKDOWN Studios in Camperdown. Multi-platinum artist with over 10 years of production experience. Vintage guitars, mics, gear. Get the most out of your songs! www.myspace.com/seancareyproducer. Ph: 0424923888.

iFlogID: 9990

Your voice has the ability to sing at the Audioslave/ Muse/ Aretha/ P.J.Harvey level because of Design. Pick any singer you like and you can sing as good if not better using a relaxed technique. Starting off with extending your vocal range learn to sing the right technique the first lesson, how to start a band or just fun. Microphone technique recording techniques – songwriting – Beginners to advanced Newtown 0405-044-513 learn and start playing GUITAR Instantly InteGuitar.com

ABSOLUTE BEST GUITAR LESSONS

P.A hire, staging, lighting for corporate, pubs, clubs and festivals. Using top quality outboard gear; Lexicon, Allen & Heath, Sure 4.800, DBX drive-racks, 160SL compression, 4-way front-of-house, 3-way active fold-back. 30years+ experience in the music industry. Custom rigs to your requirements.

iFlogID: 10245

iFlogID: 9825

PIANO: BLUES, ROOTS & POPULAR

iFlogID: 9572

PA Hire Sydney.Band Pa systems 500 watts to 5000 watts.Immaculate sound reasonable rates.Phone john on 041 8221680 or 800 40439. Corporate rigs available: see website www.crystalsound.com.au

iFlogID: 10093

HARMONICA AND GUITAR LESSONS All styles taught, from beginner to advanced. Learn from an experienced teacher, with over 15 years teaching experience. In the Balmain area. For more details phone Mitch on 0431599835.

RECORDING STUDIOS

iFlogID: 10168

www.ozjam.com.au is free to join, and with over 4500 members its fast becoming the largest online music community in Australia! If your looking to join or form a band, find a band member, or get exposure check Ozjam out today!

SINGING LESSONS THAT >>ROCK<<

GUITAR/DRUMS/BASS/PIANO Tuition from Conservatorium trained multiinstrumentalist. All Ages, All Styles, All levels. Preparation for AMEB Exams and University Auditions or just learning for fun? Lessons to suit individual preferences. Sample videos at www.fabienmusic.com Ph 0402728532

iFlogID: 9852

iFlogID: 10181

BOOKING AGENTS Gig Launch is Australia’s first online booking agency. Gig on a Japanese Boat for 6 months at AU$3000 per month, Submit your music to feature films, Play at any of the Scorcherfest festivals and Apollo Bay! Just head to www.giglaunch.com.au

www.wigile.com. “360 degree” participation: Artist Management. Business Support. Production Support. Multimedia Design & Management. Customer Care. Web / IT. Software Development. Get the Business Advantage and Go the Next Step. info@wigile.com Office: +61 2 8011 3144

iFlogID: 10031

OTHER

iFlogID: 10097

REPAIRS

iFlogID: 9342

Heavy Metal Music Community. Upload And Promote Your Metal Music Online Free. Create your own band page. Heavy Metal, Black, Thrash, Death Metal, Hardcore, Gothic, Grindcore and many more. Australian owned. Join now! www. onlyheavymetal.com

iFlogID: 9736

Hyosung 2007 GV250 Motorbike, Learner Legal, 5600km. rego until march. Serviced at 5000k and running perfectly. Tyres are good, Clutch is good, brakes good, everything on this bike is in great condition. ph: 0430422902

PRINTING

iFlogID: 9834

INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED PRODUCER! Credits include: Marcia Hines, Candice Alley, Ex-Toto frontman Fergie Frederikson. Have every song produced at radio standard... under every budget. Visit www.nathaneshman.com, email info@nathaneshman.com or call 0403 498 103 for package prices...from demos, to singles and full albums.

Sell Control Surface Digidesign Control 24 (Focusrite) in excellent condition, $5000. Selling because moving overseas. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions and in order to discuss the price.

iFlogID: 9876

BASS

iFlogID: 9939

Bass rigs, (2) Peavey Tour 700 head, as new, Hartke 15 & 2x10 boxes. $1100. also GK 700RB head & RBX quad. $1200. both in cases, great cond. Ph. 0404080319.

Akai-Miniak V.A-Synthesizer just bought in-Canada.Brandnew. In-box with wrappings-manuals-etc. 37 semi-weighted-key-synth with 40-band Vocoder, Drummachine on-board, THREE MODwheels, from Akai-Pro/Alesis. Has N.American plug-adapter, so-I’m throwing in a brand-new Step-down transformer ($60 value) $575. Way-way below Aus-retail. Pickup/cheap delivery within Sydney,

FROM $49/DAY CREATIVE SUPPORT

iFlogID: 9842

Studio Recording and musician services. iFlogID: 9862

SYDNEY RECORDING ARTISTS Professional recording studios with state of art equipment & Producers at a affordable price. Turn your music into gold with our BEST RATE package. We also Market, Manage & Distribute. www.sydneyrecordingartists.com Call 0415 807 137 iFlogID: 9743

DRUM TUITION in Stanmore with a Billy Hyde Trained Teacher. Dip Ed, Dip Drums. All Levels and all styles taught. Beginners Welcome! Call Lee. 0403307796 iFlogID: 10258

Guitar & Bass Tuition. Electric & Acoustic. Private one on one lessons, all age groups catered. Beginner thru intermediate. Theory, Rock, Blues, Slide, Finger Picking & Improvisation techniques. Phone Terry 0402 993 268. Sutherland Shire. iFlogID: 10020

GUITAR LESSONS with experienced and qualified tutor. Who has 20 years of studio and live performance. Rock, pop, jazz, theory, etc.etc. Beginners to advanced. In the convenience of your own home. Good results guaranteed. Phone Oles on 0407413143 email oa@olesart.com iFlogID: 10153

GUITAR TUITION BY MAL EASTICK Guitar tuition customised to the individual-all levels. Blues, rock, theory, equipment & tone my specialties. 37yrs professional experience in Tuition, gigging, recording, production, songwriting, arrangements, the enjoyment of music & improving your best. Central suburban Sydney location. Limited vacancies. Phone: 0407 461 093 - Email: mal@ maleastick.com

Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively - About Us, Photogallery, Videos, Audio Jukebox, Gig Dates, Links, Contact Us, Forums and much more from $399 including Hosting! Contact info@bizwebsites. com.au or see www.bizwebsites. com.au iFlogID: 9994

MUSIC VIDEOS offer a great way to gain exposure. Immersion Imagery has worked with over 20 artists and strives to offer quality creative Music Videos at an affordable price. Visit www.immersionimagery.com or email info@immersionimagery.com iFlogID: 10054

MUSICIANS AVAILABLE BASS PLAYER Experienced bass player who performed internationaly available. I have pro gear and atitude. Can play any style and technique. I’m looking for something serious and full time. Contact tmcbookings@gmail.com iFlogID: 10007

I’m experience bass player wanting to form or join prog rock/metal band. I’ve got pro gear, good atitude. Please hit me back if you need a bass player or are interested in doing something together. Contact tmcbookings@gmail.com

iFlogID: 9375

iFlogID: 10033

For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au

iFlogID: 10078

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

MUSICIANS WANTED

looking for keen and creative drummer to start playing live and wanting to make it big. Must want to make originals and be dedicated. Please get in contact if interested, Sam, 0431953894

BASS PLAYER

iFlogID: 10252

DRUMMER Drummer available, Gosford area, call Patty 0415680575 iFlogID: 9951

Im a 17 year old drummer Based in Sydney im hard working and don’t stop till I get it right I can play most genres of music please give me a call on: 0421814437 iFlogID: 9689

Professional Drummer Available for Gigs, Tours, Recording Sessions. Professional Drum tracks and Band Charts supplied for use at Rehearsals and Live Performance. www. steeledawson.com iFlogID: 10136

GUITARIST Pro guitarist / singer available

iFlogID: 10022

17 yr/o guitarists available to join or create a hard rock/metal band. got quality gear and attitude, keen to get going ASAP , so call us at 0435510600 if ur interested to make something great. iFlogID: 10108

Credits: Marcia Hines, Candice Alley & Fergie Frederikson (ex-Toto)... Nathan Eshman is available for online guitar sessions. Email him your guide tracks & you’ll receive tracks recorded in a pro studio without leaving home. Contact info@ nathaneshman.com or visit www. nathaneshman.com ANY BUDGET! iFlogID: 9967

Experienced Guitarist looking for good Sydney Cover Band. At 23 I have been playing for over 10 years, have 4 years professional touring experience, Pro Gear (Fender, Gibson, endorsed by Mesa/Boogie). Email anthony at anthony320chmiel@hotmail.com No Time wasters please. iFlogID: 9720

Experienced guitarist searching for musicians into hard rock blues - Aerosmith/Cheap Trick/KISS/The Faces/ Thin Lizzy/Rose Tattoo/Pride & Glory/ Whitesnake - to join or start band. I have contacts,pro gear,transport and original music. Contact me on 0433 904 419 or www.reverbnation.com/ shaunchristensen iFlogID: 9718

Lead guitarist looking to form/ join a heavy metal band,on the central coast. Influences: Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest, Metallica,Iron maiden,Kalmah,Dethklok - Blake 0403138542

Bass player , experienced for original trio iFlogID: 10016

~Rock band Black Matches are seeking a good quality bass player to complete their four piece. Originals ready to go and keen to gig asap! If you’re like minded with good gear/ transport please contact Simon on 0414859684. Demo’s at www. myspace.com/blackmatchesband iFlogID: 9739

Alternative rock band looking for a creative, technical bass player dedicated to his art. Influences include SOAD, Tool, RATM, Refused, Radiohead. Age 20-30. Must be proficient at slap bass, own transport essential. www.myspace.com/richuncleskeletonband. contact Fil 0421791018 or Fox: 0408739583 iFlogID: 10041

Bass guitarist and drummer wanted for ‘Veteran Soul’ CD released through ABC Shops and iTunes worldwide. Suit mature players. Next gig confirmed on Telstra ‘Bluey stage’ Tamworth Music Festival, January 2011. Contact Francis on 0458 993 268 or email: franced@ bigpond.net.au iFlogID: 9685

Bass player needed to complete 8 piece soul and reggae type band. Playing mostly covers but working on originals, plan on showcasng band mid Feb so no time wasters please! jon@low-gear.com iFlogID: 10260

BASS PLAYER double[slappin] bass player for suterland shire based rockabilly band any age think jonny burnett/ stray cats / eddy& jean /reverand houghton heat were a bunch or old punks that can play! [own rehersal studio iFlogID: 10151

MUSICIANS WANTED FOR PAID GIGS - INNER WEST SYDNEY Brand new Unplugged night. Thursday nights Details call Stu 0409 306 801 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0409 306 801 end_of_the_skype_ highlighting or email demo to stuford2@bigpond.com iFlogID: 9687

NTL. TOURING GRP WITH AGENCY & UK/US DEAL W/AU DISTRO NEEDING BASSIST NOW! ‘ROCK N ROLL/INDIE/ NEW WAVE’ - MUSICALLY PROFICIENT, MANY GENRES AS BONUS. DO NOT CONTACT IF U NO PLAYING WEB (must have myspace etc.) newplaying@live.com iFlogID: 9880

Slappin’ double bass player needed to complete rockabilly trio. Ph: 0403 30 2884. iFlogID: 9868

DRUMMER

iFlogID: 9836

SESSION GUITARIST available to play on your next track remotely via the internet. Great quality tracks without the expenses of studio time and travel. Perfect for producers/songwriters Excellent equipment,tone and touch, 20 years experience. For examples further information- www. rockethouseproductions.com iFlogID: 9844

OTHER

‘Alexi’ are looking for a drummer. We are a Rock band based near Wetherill Park who require a Reliable and motivated Drummer. Must have own equipment and transport. For more info visit www.myspace.com/alexitheband. For an audition email us via chantellalexi@iinet.net.au iFlogID: 9829

ANIMAL WANTED 4 SUNS OF SU

iFlogID: 10132

iFlogID: 10091

SAXOPHONIST AVAILABLE----Experienced saxophonist based in Sydney is looking for bands and studio sessions. Jazz, funky, afro, reggae, latin, rock, folk. If interested contact Lorenzo at 0410041979 or lorenzo_colombo@tiscali.it Cheers. iFlogID: 9909

SINGER Wollongong area - Versatile female vocalist, student, 22 years old, looking to create band or join band, most styles except metal. Can also play basic rhythm guitar and piano. email hstrong@live.com.au iFlogID: 10256

iFlogID: 9927

DRUMMER NEEDED FOR NORTH SHORE BASED CHRISTIAN FUNK BAND - MUST BE COMMITTED & HAVE GEAR & TRANSPORT CONTACT: Ben 99444984 OR snapper_ watson@hotmail.com

iFlogID: 9897

Drummer required for Inner West Indy band. Influences: Sonic Youth, Soft Pack, The Fall, Die Die Die, Joy Division, Wavves and The Horrors. For MP3’s message herfaktory@ hotmail.com or Rhys 0402 654 514 iFlogID: 9649

Drummer wanted for Sydney rock band. Currently gigging and recording. Prefer aged from 19 to 25. Own Kit and Transport. www.myspace. com/ramshackleau For details call Jared on 0437 670 480.

Alternative rock band looking for a creative 2nd guitarist to expand our sound. Influences include SOAD, Tool, RATM, Refused, Radiohead. Age 20-30. Own transport essential. www.myspace.com/richuncleskeletonband. contact Fil 0421791018 or Fox: 0408739583 iFlogID: 10043

Central Coast band Cat-Head looking for lead/rhythm guitarist to play contemporary country, pop and originals. Must have own gear and transport. Backing vocals essential. Over 30’s and women also welcome. Call Rachel 0414 949 607. iFlogID: 9696

Denham Reagh is seeking a guitarist to solidify lineup. Gearing up for single release, tour and promotion in 2011. Very Radio/commercial sound. Looking for someone 20-28, good gear, good experience, own transport, committed, passionate! Call Aaron 0400203117 or email jobstie@hotmail.com

iFlogID: 9732

iFlogID: 9905

Drummer wanted for weekly jams with view for fun improv, song writing, strange rhythms, gigs, money. Reference points include: Phish, Gojira, Tom Waits, Fishbone, Primus. mrmoolking@yahoo.com

GUITARIST WANTED FOR SYDNEY ROCK BAND. PREFERABLY AGED BETWEEN 18-25. WE ARE SUPPORTING CHOIRBOYS IN MELBOURNE IN JANUARY AND WE ARE LINING UP MORE GIGS IF YOU WANT MORE INFO THEN CONTACT US... 0404 166 433 pippincopps@yahoo.com.au

iFlogID: 9992

Drummer wanted to work with guitarist to form a new Doom/Stoner/ Sludge metal band. call 0431-836604

iFlogID: 10029

GUITARIST WANTED TO TEACH

iFlogID: 10235

Aussie Pub Rock Tribute Show looking for drummer. Age, gender, and look are irrelevant; ability to play is all that counts. bobkennedy62@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 9789

Conga Player/Percussionist wanted for rising working band Novakayn. Rock/Pop commercial sound. Serious musicians only,no druggo’s or boozeheads. We support World Peace. iFlogID: 10237

Drummer experience required

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KEYBOARD ATTRACTIVE FEMALE KEYBOARDIST + Backing vocals with real talent. Regualar paid shows. Possible opportunity to sing some lead.You need to be 18-26yrs, size 8-12, own equipment & transport, driven for a music career. Band has top management & agent. (02) 9590 7601 iFlogID: 9667

FEMALE KEYBOARDIST WITH BACKING VOCALS WANTED! PAID WORK. Must be 18-25yrs with own gear and transport. Regular paid shows with Management backed band with booking agent. Ph: 0410 621 791

DRUMMER WANTED Drummer required for working show band with agency backing. We are situated in Sydney & play all the Sydney clubs. Music performed is Motown & Pop .Must have own transport and be available for weekly rehearsal. Age & gender are open. Please contact the band manager for further details: 0421 901147 iFlogID: 10103

FEMALE DRUMMER - PAID FEMALE DRUMMER WANTED Immediate Start! A fantastic opportunity awaits a skilled drummer 19-27yrs with own gear & transport. Management backed band with booking agent. Regular Paid gigs. Don’t miss out, call 0410 621 791 ASAP iFlogID: 10059

Female drummer wanted for Brisbane rock dance band. Inf: RATM, RHCP, P!nk, Suzi Quatro, Alanis Morrissette. Must be 18 - 35 y.o., photogenic and be ambitious. Ph 0437 428 859 or 3267 6789. iFlogID: 9934

Hey all With a Clenched Fist is looking for a drummer all welcome though someone with a Punk/ Hardcore/Metal back ground prefered contact us via myspace www. myspace.com/withaclenchedfist or txt on 0450493385 iFlogID: 10085

Looking for Drummer to join Hardcore/Punk band think Madball, Raised Fist Etc. Contact us via www. myspace.com/withaclenchedfist iFlogID: 9725

New Wave of Thrash band seeking drummer. Influences range from Gama Bomb, Anthrax and Megadeth to Dio, Judas Priest and Sabbath. Double kick and sense of humour prefered but not essential. iFlogID: 9888

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

We seek guitar players who are looking to earn money teaching guitar. Training and teaching materials are supplied. Teach from one of our schools or your own location. Limited positions available. Visit www.g4guitar.com.au for details. iFlogID: 7447

Lead Guitarist wanted for rising original band Novakayn. Rock/Pop commercial sound. Serious musicians only,no druggo’s or boozeheads. We support World Peace & expect u will too. iFlogID: 10239

Live acoustic duet performances of Beatles, Dylan, Cash and those of similar ilk, join a strong vocalist and rythym guitarist for assured good times. Originals also an option. Call Jay 0420 887 079 (Ryde) iFlogID: 10229

Looking for second guitarist to join Hardcore/Punk Band think Madball, Raised Fist Etc. Contact us via www. myspace.com/withaclenchedfist iFlogID: 9727

National touring band require professional guitarist. Age 18 -25. Must be proficient in all forms of Rock, Blues, Roots.Involves backing high profile artists. Show operates out of Queensland. For further details email marty@thewindupdolls.com or phone 0408 010 789 iFlogID: 9925

Rhythm/Lead guitarist required for 80’s Glam Hard Rock Cover/Concept show. Playing Motley,Gunners,Bon Jovi, etc. Good gear,own transport,learn new songs quickly & ability to sing back up vocals. We’re ready to gig NOW. Call Phil 0425 219 109 iFlogID: 10209

ROCK GUITARIST WANTED

GUITARIST A new metal project requires guitarist and bassist to write and gig/ play energetic metal. No boring crap. Currently in Campbelltown area Professional gear. demo available currently recording mathew_black@ hotmail.com Matt 0406785596 iFlogID: 10177

Singer wanted (male or female) for established Sydney-based altcountry band. Influences include Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Hank Williams, the Rolling Stones, Steve Earle, Neil Young, Nick Cave and the Beasts Of Bourbon. If you’re looking for money or fame, we’d suggest that you look elsewhere but if you want to play regularly, tour occasionally, release stuff and generally have a ball, then you’ve come to the right place. We are recording our new album very soon. You must have a job and a car. All ages are welcome to apply. Phone Graeme on 0434 058 245 or email gra.gra321@gmail.com

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Keyboard player wanted for tex mex, blues band , to join guitar bass and drums . 3 easy going guys , ready to gig .Age is not a consideration just your ability . Call Dan 0411778606

CAUSTIC ATTACK are a Sydney based Grindcore band in search of a vocalist. This vocalist must listen to: Napalm Death Carcass Morbid Angel Repulsion Celtic Frost Discharge Doom Crass If you’re interested contact us via myspace. www.myspace. com/causticattack

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Keyboard player wanted Tex mex blues band , current 3 piece , bass, guitar and drums competent players years of live experience ready to gig need that added element (keyboardist)to complete band easy going guys has to be fun Dan o411778606

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FEMALE SINGER REQUIRED

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Smokin Keyboards required to join two bands. Oz rock covers and Powderfinger tribute.Other musos are professional and ready to go. Must be willing to committ fully and tour end of next year. Agency backing both bands. Serious/professionals only. Peter 0418603619

FEMALE SINGER WANTED for sydney based covers band. Agent backed with gigs booked. Playing pop/rock/ funk covers from katie perry to Jacksons. Experienced singer with own transport required. Please email the band on rob4004@gmail.com

Guitaring psytrance producer located north-west of sydney with ample free-time forming a Rock-Trance act to play at bush parties and eventually clubs using loop pedals and programs. keys/drums/bass/other musicians wanted for collaboration, gigs and good times. Search gmabbit online. iFlogID: 10118

Members wanted for new band in Lower Blue Mountains. Prefer mature age. All styles Must be able to practice Friday 5pm Telephone David 0411 618 536 iFlogID: 9730

Musicians wanted to form hard rock blues band in style of Aerosmith/ Cheap Trick/The Faces/Zeppelin/ Rose Tattoo/T.Rex/Ted Nugent/Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake/The Who/KISS Own gear and transport. Contact 0433 904 419 and leave a msg. iFlogID: 9716

PLAY JAZZ Musicians wanted:especially WIND PLAYERS Style: JAZZ STANDARDS Locale: WEST RYDE Director: DAVID MILLMAN Contact by Phone: 9807 8866 Sydney Mexican Mariachi band requires strong trumpeters who have experience in playing Jazz and/ or Latin music. Call Marc on 0415 073 306. For more info see our website: www.mariachiaustralia.com.au and MySpace: www.myspace.com/ marcsantillana. iFlogID: 10227

Well experienced rock guitarist sought to complete five piece Sydney covers act. Must have good gear, backup vocals, and good tonal knowledge. We play hard rock; no pop. eg ACDC, Stone Temple Pilots, Hendrix, Black Crowes, Zeppelin, Chillis, Foo Fighters etc. Although being fairly casual and having lives outside of the band, we are very serious about delivering a loud,tight,and professional show, and need someone who wants to commit to regular prac and gigs, is competent and seasoned on guitar, has decent backups, good jokes, and is ready learn the songs quickly and proper. Heroes or big egos need not apply.

Trombone for Mean Feet Brass Band. Bass trombone preferred but tenor is OK. You need good groove, rhythm and stamina for this band. We are an accoustic brass and drums band and we cross-over the roots, folk, world jazz. iFlogID: 10220

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Require a strong professional female singer with cover band experience for high end Corporate and Private Functions Party Covers Band and agency backed! Send CV/bio to info@techwebdevelopers.com on receipt I will send applicable band website, setlists, songs etc iFlogID: 9838

Require a strong professional female singer with cover band experience for high end Corporate and private Functions Party Covers Band and agency backed! Send CV/bio to info@techwebdevelopers.com on receipt I will send applicable band website, setlists, songs etc

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Jellybean Jam is looking for a young energetic female Singer. Plenty of work. Check out www.jellybeanjam. com.au and see if this gig is for you! Email andy@jellybeanjam.com.au all your details including bio,headshots and any audio. Auditioning early 2011

OTHER

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LOOKING FOR KEYBOARD/DRUM PLAYERS TO FORM AN ELECTRONIC BAND IN STYLE OF KRAFTWERK, HEAVEN 17, CABARET VOLTAIRE, JEAN MICHEL JARRE. MAYBE EVEN COVER BAND? ANYONE INTERESTED CALL OR EMAIL ME.DANNY, FIVE DOCK, 0413 694830

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Pro-Female vocalist required for working band. Mostly corporate shows, Sydney/Interstate/International gigs waiting. Harmonizing ability and hot stage presence preferred. Good $$$, call 0415 849 559. New to the sport? Try it out! Could suit young upcomer.

Seven on 7 are looking for a dynamic singer ready to learn songs and gig and record and make a full member of the band contact Hindley: 0421814437

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ALT-COUNTRY SINGER WANTED

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Solid rock drummer with dynamics required for 80’s cover band with work available. Must be willing to travel have good gear and reliable transport. Backing vocals an advantage Phone Larry 0404080319 or Kevin 0404775184 Sydney contemporary rock band is looking for a young vibrant 22-30-yr drummer to join now!!! Songs ready to go, gigs waiting for us and we are ready to record our first album early 2011.

SINGER

KEYBOARD/ORGAN PLAYER NEEDED FOR NORTH SHORE BASED CHRISTIAN FUNK BAND - MUST BE COMMITTED & HAVE GEAR & TRANSPORT CONTACT: Ben 99444984 OR snapper_watson@hotmail.com

iFlogID: 9756

We’re looking 4 a dynamic, dedicated and dependable drummer 25-35 with transport, gear and drive to join us. log onto www.sunsofsu. com. If u dig it call 0400101071.

Second guitarist wanted to work with a guitarist to form a new Doom/ Stoner/Sludge metal band. call 0431-836-604

iFlogID: 9702

Experienced drummer required for Blues Rock band Blue Tongue Louie.A good sense of old blues essential.Album out in Dec.Gigs waiting.Must be able to travel,must be able to work a lot.Call Grant on 0400 264 754.

Pedal Steel Player recently moved from London looking for working band/sessions etc. Much experience both live and in the studio.Also plays six string guitar and bass and sings harmonies. Professional Freelance Producer/ Musician available for gigs/touring/studio work. All Styles. Sample Videos and Audio found at www. fabienmusic.com Ph 0402728532

Drummer needed for indie rock band. Influences: early KOL, Bloc Party, Radiohead. myspace/tierraoutlaws. Contact Andrew 0408255644

iFlogID: 9921

Female Vocalist wanted for working and established retro showband Countdown Explosion. Corporate and club market. Experience essential with dance ability. Apply with details to mtmusic23@optusnet.com.au or phone Trevor BH 0411323700 iFlogID: 9866

Front-man wanted for established rock band from Sydney. Big and melodic voice. Must be 20 to 30 in appearance, good image.Committed and driven and prepared to play interstates shows. Influences: Foo Fighter, Alice in Chains and Velvet Revolver. Contact amp211@y7mail. com iFlogID: 10241

Hey, I’m a 19 year old guitarist/ singer in the Sutherland Shire seeking singer to jam with; ability to play instrument a definite plus. Wide music taste a must. Call Matt on 0423 417 150 if you’re interested. iFlogID: 9903

Hi, I’m looking for a great male vocalist. To sing only one dance song. Thanks

iFlogID: 9860

Indie/electronica/dance producer looking for singers/songwriters to collaborate. Looking for vocal style like Passion pit, MGMT, The Empire of the sun, DOM, Wolfgang. For more info mail to reigovilbiks@gmail.com iFlogID: 10130

Looking for a vocalist for Hardcore/ Punk band. Contact us via www. myspace.com/withaclenchedfist iFlogID: 9723

New Dynamic 60’s concept show looking for a Lead Singer.Must be a fan of the music & times rehersals in Eastern suburbs 1-2 times a week must be reliable with own transport. Call 0420511187 for an audition

SINGER FOR COVERS BAND DOING RATM AUDIOSLAVE SOUNDGARDEN TOOL MUSIC OF THAT ILK BASED @ WETHERILL PARK WESTERN SYDNEY HAVE AGENCY INTEREST iFlogID: 10116

Singer wanted for established Sydney heavy metal band “ Vendetta of the Fallen “ Contact: vendettaofthefallen@hotmail.com or 0408445664 to arrange an audition with the band

EARPLUGS FOR MUSICIANS 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: 10110

Is your life a cluttered mess? Unsure of where you are headed? Unsure how to identify your strengths, your values? Visit www.tisi.me and find out how a life coach can help you. Free DVD. Xmas gift vouchers iFlogID: 10124

Launch My Label by Chic Petite Events provides a platform for emerging artists/talented people wanting to launch their label. A quarterly event, we’r looking for emerging fashion designers/performers/ models.Helping talented individuals gain deserved exposure in a competitive market,assisting with PR/ marketing. iFlogID: 10243

Need costumes/outfits for your music video and live show? Online Costumes Sydney can deliver them to your shoot, and custom make for special rates. www.onlinecostumes. com.au iFlogID: 9801

STUDIO AND PRODUCTION SERVICES Experienced and talented producer available for your project now. Comfortable and isolated studio 30 mins from city. I can supply all musical services including mobile recording setup. Great team of musicians for any music writing project also available. I have many writing / recording credits including music and television in various style and genre. Please contact for a quote to suit you. Studio : 02 97731149 Mobile : 0412 621330 Email : tonx@ optusnet.com.au www.myspace. com/simontonx iFlogID: 9369

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SINGERS NEEDED FOR NORTH SHORE BASED CHRISTIAN FUNK BAND - MUST BE COMMITTED & TRANSPORT CONTACT: Ben 99444984 OR snapper_watson@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 9901

SONG WRITER

TUITION Introduction to Sound and Music technology, 2 day seminar at Trackdown. Lecture series covers: •Audio recording fundamentals •Pro Tools 9 and Sibelius 6 in detail •Notes provided, ideal for senior High school students Visit www.Sumsound.com. au/seminars for info iFlogID: 10120

GET SIGNED TO A 360 DEAL! You MUST be a great male singersongwriter! Drummer is forming a fast paced original rock band to get signed to a 360 deal. Must be ambitious, self-motivated, committed, reliable and have a lot of drive. Musical direction: Muse, The Killers etc. Age: 18-30. Rehearsing at Wetherill Park N.S.W. Only contact me if you want to get signed to a 360 deal! E-mail Will: cooleywill2@ hotmail.com

SHARE ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE Single room for rent.

WANTED OTHER

iFlogID: 10201

SERVICES GRAPHIC DESIGN Professional Band and Business Websites: Videos, audio clips/jukebox, Photogallery, Gig Dates, About Us, Contact Us and much more from $399 fully hosted. See www.bizwebsites.com.au or contact info@ bizwebsites.com.au today!

iFlogID: 9840

providing unique designs at affordable prices. Our services include logos, web design, banners, business cards posters and many more services listed on our site. Prices start from as low as $140. Mel 0402 7796 254 www.melissahowarddesign.com Qualified and experienced designer. iFlogID: 10185

V E R D E S I G N website designs for small businesses www.VERDESIGN. com.au iFlogID: 10216

OTHER Do you have an Iphone? If yes, please download my free app, radio bondi, cheers

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Sharon where are you?...My Disco Queen! we tared up the dance floors at the Black Soul in Enfield & at the Zero6 at the Xross.....Paul 0414669730 iFlogID: 9946

to matt damon.. and the 7foot something guy from the yha.. does anyone know you?? i keep trying to ring the places where i think you’d be to no avail..i know its been years.. please call.. iFlogID: 9741

to the guy from the sydney central yha.. please send me a message.. ill take you out for christmas dinner.. love, maxine iFlogID: 9955

to the man from the sydney central yha.. the man with the red hair and leather cuffs.. its maxine.. would you like to catch up some time?? iFlogID: 10145

Tomorrow Starts Tonight an original Australian movie musical is looking for investors to help with the release and distribution of CD soundtrack and DVD. All investments receive film credit plus more in exchange. www.darphiimages.net or darphi@ tpg.com.au for full details.

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For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au

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