Drum Media Sydney Issue #1048 by TheMusic.com.au

YOUR DREAM, YOUR CHOICE

Start Here AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MUSIC Leading school for today’s music industry

www.aim.edu.au

AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MUSIC

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HEAPS AWESOME AUSSIE FESTIVAL VIP EXPERIENCE TO BE WON A VIP experience to an Aussie music festival of your choice, with 9 friends in tow sounds heaps good, doesn’t it? If you’re a full time or part time student, or an apprentice, simply sign up for an Everyday Account with Debit MasterCard® by 2 April 2011 and that’s what you could win. If you already have an Everyday Account, just make sure you select Debit MasterCard. To find out more, drop into your local branch or visit commbank.com.au/heapsfree

Important information: Competition starts on 31/01/2011 and closes on 02/04/2011. The winner will receive a VIP Music Festival experience of their choice. The total prize value is a maximum AUD4500. The draw will take place on 13/04/2011 at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (the Promoter) ABN 48 123 123 124, Level 13, 201 Sussex St Sydney NSW 2000. The winner will be notiﬁed by telephone and details published in The Australian on 20/04/2011. Authorised under NSW Permit No. LTPS/10/12507, ACT Permit No. TP10/5697. For full terms and conditions please go to commbank.com.au/heapsfree. MasterCard and the MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated. CBC2319_E

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Contents Issue No. 1048 Tuesday 22 February 2011 All entries must be sent to giveaways@drummedia.com.au and include your full name, address and a contact number. Please note – prizes that are to be collected from the office must be done within four weeks of notification of winning.

DRUM MEDIA Giveaways – Look to your left for free stuff, silly! 22 The Front Line hits hard with industry fact and conjecture, plus Sony announces its entry into the digital music sector. 24 Mailbag – Your say on what floats your boat or makes the red mist descend, plus Backlash and Frontlash. 26 The News – Just like it says, with tours, releases and more. 28 Bring Me The Horizon has a dream to unite the general music scene under one roof. 34 Holly Throsby regresses to a childish frame of mind before making her new grown up album. 36 It’s become intuitive now for The Waifs.

THE HOLIDAYS

AMP ALIVE Wednesday 2 March, the Annandale Hotel hosts an evening showcasing some of the acts shortlisted for this year’s Australian Music Prize (AMP) – The Holidays, Pikelet and Richard In Your Mind – the night before the ultimate winner gets officially announced. Obviously this is going to be a biggie this year with the contenders for the prize the strongest bunch of local and national talent yet, each with really solid albums well worth our collective attention. We have ten double passes to the AMP Alive night to give away, so email us with AMP Alive giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Friday.

ALBARE GIVES GUITAR He first made his mark on the local scene in the early ‘90s as one of the pioneers of acid jazz, but through much of the noughties, Melbourne guitarist Albare was sidetracked playing artistic director of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. Last year however saw him not only back playing but also recording, releasing his latest album, Travel Diary, not only here but also in Canada. Thursday, Albare launches that album at The Basement in Circular Quay and we have three double passes to the gig away plus a copy of the album, so email us with Albare giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Wednesday.

IT’S THE ART TO FOLLOW

He who laughs last laughs best, according to punk rock survivors Social Distortion. 42 Thanks to music, Bethany Cosentino from Best Coast is no longer lazily strutting through every day.

Having guns pulled on them and boning pop stars is part and parcel for The Art. 46 Come for the whole experience that is Gabby Young. 48 Paddy Casey fainted the first time he busked. Thankfully he’s a bit more steady on his feet now when it comes to live performances. 48 Ever think of a combination of gypsy music and hip hop? Gipsy.CZ show us how it’s done. 48 Copywrite is not a misogynistic cartoon character. 4

The filter between Mickey Avalon’s brain and his mouth is broken according to his mum. 50 The Strides get into the groove.

D. Rogers goes under the surface with some Morse code. 52 Nick Murphy extols the virtues of the iPod shuffle. 52

They got quite a rap from the Linkin Park guys when they opened for them late last year and have been getting a bit of attention around the place opening for Marilyn Manson, but Friday night, The Art get to headline in their own right down at the Annandale Hotel where they’re launching their debut album, Here Comes The War, supported by Creo, The Sculptures and The Blush Foundation. You can get the full story a little later in this week’s edition, but here of course you get the chance to score yourself one of five double passes we have to the gig to give away. Email us with The Art giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Thursday.

On The Record reviews new release albums and singles from Radiohead, Hugo Race, Lanu and more. 54

EDDIE IS EVIL

Viktor Krum asks you to Get It Together with the latest in hip hop. 64

You’ll remember him from his time fronting Butterfingers but for the past little while Evil Eddie has been working on his debut solo album, the first single from which, Queensland, was released at the end of last year and has already racked up more than 55,000 views on YouTube and topped triple j’s Super Request chart. So it’s obviously time he took himself out on the road to get better acquainted in his new guise and that East Coast tour rolls into The Gaelic Saturday night. We have three double passes to the show to give away, so email us with Evil Eddie giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Thursday.

ALWAYS GREAT STRIDES Also profiled in these pages is another great Sydney collective, The Strides, getting very dubby as they explore their passion for all things ska/ reggae on their second album, Reclamation. The Strides launch the new album Friday night at Notes and Saturday night at the Heritage Hotel. We have three Strides packs, each including a double pass and a copy of Reclamation to give away, so email us with The Strides giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Thursday.

CATHERINE LOVES YOU Sydney’s own Catherine Traicos scored a lot of attention for her 2009 album, The Amazing, and deservedly so, as assured a second album of songs to match the likes of Gillian Welch or PJ Harvey as you could want. Her third album, The Love Inside, is due for release in June, but Friday 4 March, Traicos launches the first single from that album, Beg For Love, at Roxbury Hotel in Glebe, where she’ll joined by mcArtney and Western Australian duo Simone & Girlfunkle. To celebrate, we have five prize packs, each including a double pass to the launch, a copy of the single, Beg For Love, plus a limited edition T-shirt to give away, so email us with Catherine Traicos giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Tuesday 1 March.

POPFRENZY SUMMER The little indie label that could, Popfrenzy, has been going from strength to strength the past couple of years, delivering not only some of our finest local talents like kyü but also picking up some pretty impressive overseas names like Wire, Superchunk and Gruff Rhys. As a bonus to everyone who has supported them and a preview of some of Popfrenzy’s artists touring through the summer, they’ve put together a neat little Summer Sampler 2011, featuring 13 cuts including the aforementioned along with Casiokids, Neon Indian, Summer Camp, Jonny, Twin Sister, Surf City, Best Coast, Beach Fossils and Abe Vigoda and sent ten copies our way to give away, so email us with Popfrenzy Sampler CD giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Tuesday 1 March. • 22 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

PJ Harvey looks at what was not being said about the war in the Middle East. 40

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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 coincidental album releases in The Breakdown.

Scott Fitzsimons gets Young & Restless with all ages goings on. 64 Tom Hawking sends us a snapshot of life in the Big Apple with New York Conversation. 64 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. 65

FRONT ROW This Week In Arts plans the next seven days (and beyond); opera singer William Schimmel discusses being in the fine company of Juliette Binoche and Abbas Kiarostami in Certified Copy. 67 Chi-Town rappers Q Brothers discuss bringing Shakespeare to a new crowd with Funk It Up About Nothing; Cultural Cringe wraps up the week’s arts news and gossip; the week’s new release films, Conviction and The Way Back, are reviewed. 68 Ross Noble talks about his motorcycling adventures and surviving safari scares, whilst plugging his new DVD; Made You Look wraps up the world of celebrity art news. 69 White Rabbit Collection curator Beau Nielson previews their upcoming Decade Of The Rabbit exhibition, opening this week. 70

LIVE It’s all here: gig reviews, tour guide, what’s happening this week, charts, gig guide, random shit and more, plus Alpine is how you feel after a nice swim and Yae!Tiger focus on their artistic side. 71 Backstage and BTL – your guide to studios, recording, gear, courses and more. 88 The Classies – need a singer/bassist/ drummer/any other service/product you can think of? Your answer is here. And on iflog.com.au. 91

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Gallery Burlesque

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Roska + Lorn

Oh No

+ Kato & Prize

Sounds of LA Tour

- Sun 27th -

Planet Asia & Copywrite

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LINE

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NEWS FROM THE INDUSTRY WITH SCOTT FITZSIMONS

DIGITAL NOT ENOUGH YET ARIA released their report for 2010’s wholesale figures last week, painting an expected picture of dwindling physical sales and a rise in digital that’s not yet strong enough to sustain the drop. For the physical side of things, 29,174 CD singles were sold, down 94.25 percent, while the 23,521,928 album units shifted was a 16.27 percent drop. Overall physical revenue shed 23.83 percent. Digital had better percentages, with the 49,180,48 individual tracks sold a 36.74 percent increase and the 3,301,366 albums sold a 44.82 percent increase. Unfortunately as a whole, the industry’s dollar value was down 13.92 percent.

BIDDING FOR THE CAUSE The Rock’n’Roll Auction is still underway to raise funds for the Queensland Flood Appeal. Two of the biggest prizes currently available include a meet and greet with Katy Perry at her Brisbane concert and flights and tickets to the sold out Coachella festival in California. Head to rocknrollauction.com.au to browse them all.

EXCELSIOR HOTEL SOLD TO Sydney property heavyweight Justin Hemmes and his Merivale Group have added the Excelsior Hotel in Surry Hills to their portfolio, paying about $4.5 million for the venue, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. It is believed that Hemmes is taking a gamble on the small venue due to the influx of wealthy people moving into the Surry Hills district, but this places doubt over the venue’s future with live music. Hemmes bought the struggling Beresford Hotel for $14.6 million last year and is expected to make more purchases in the Surry Hills district in the future. The Merivale group owns properties such as Ivy, Chinese Laundry and Tank, and is responsible for the Good Vibrations festival.

AN END IN SIGHT The Living End will re-enter the studio with Nick Didia (best known in Australia for his work with Powderfinger) to begin recording the follow-up to their White Noise record. In a statement frontman Chris Cheney said, “The aim has been to construct something more direct, simple and therefore tougher and bigger sounding than anything we’ve done before. We’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with the parts of the songs to achieve this. Also and most importantly this will be an album, not just a bunch of songs.” The band has reportedly written 40 songs for the record, with a release slated sometime mid-year.

FRESHLY INKED Bertie Blackman has signed a deal with Mercury/Universal for her new record, which she is currently recording with Francois Tetaz. According to the label the new material is sounding more percussive and ‘landscape-y’. Industry veteran Jon Stevens has signed a management deal with Ralph Carr Management in the lead up to the recording and release of his new album Changing Times, which is due for a release summer this year through an as-yet-undetermined label. “Having known and respected what Ralph has achieved over the years,” Stevens said in a statement, “I am really excited to be working with him and his team and really looking forward to the next phrase of my career.” Carr added, “I am thrilled to be part of this new chapter in his career. We look forward to helping Jon reach even greater heights”. Gold Coast’s Skinwalkers have announced that they’re working with manager Greg Sawers and their next EP, due May/June, will be distributed through MGM. Sydney buzz-band Cameras are starting to make international inroads, having signed a deal with LA-based indie label Manimal Vinyl. Owner Pail Beahan gushed in a press release, “never has such a band graced us with their presence with such integrity and encapsulate the true spirit of Anglo-Pop as Cameras. We are thrilled to be a part of their journey and make them a part of the international consciousness.” Lenny Kravitz will release his new album Black And White America through Roadrunner in June.

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CLOVER MOORE

WHO’S GOT THE BEST SCENE?

An about face by Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has come as welcome news to the Sydney music scene, while comments from Victorian Police Commissioner Simon Overland have thrown doubt on Melbourne’s. In a statement last week, Moore called for more late-night trading in the city to help establish its international reputation. “People should have choices if they are heading out at night – from a street bar with live music, to an energetic club to an inspiring art exhibition or bookshop,” she said. “Currently most cultural venues and cafes operate normal business hours and are not often open till late. It needs to change – it’s time Sydney catches up to the rest of the world.” It’s a stark change from last year when her council tried to push through amendments to the city’s Development Control Plan that would have granted the council power to review licenses at any time and at their will, a move which was stopped by New South Wales Planning Minister Tony Kelly. Kelly’s office was surprised at the announcement by Moore. It seems possible that Moore is also targeting Melbourne’s mantle as Australia’s creative hotbed as much as international recognition, given that Overland lashed out at the Melbourne CBD in a column written for the Herald Sun last week. “Sadly, it is all too clear to me that we have lost our way,” he wrote. “The drinking culture has transformed to exploit a new determination among some people to drink until excessively drunk. Melbourne CBD has too many licensed premises,” he claimed. “A balance needs to be struck between the interests of the licence applicant and the potential impact on local communities. Government might also look at alcohol pricing and taxation. There is evidence to suggest this would be an effective intervention in changing behaviour.” The dark horse is of course Brisbane, who hope their Fortitude Valley entertainment precinct will surpass both cities’ claims to the mantle.

VOICE GROWS LOUDER The Artist Voice agency has announced that it has added Dave Batty, Stephanie Sulway and Rob Jefferson (heading up their new New Zealand office) to their staff as well as adding Custom Made’s CW Stoneking, Tegan & Sara and The Jezabels and Select Music’s Cloud Control to their roster.

KIDS TUNING IN ABC digital channel ABC 3 has announced that a new youth-focused music show has gone into production in Sydney. Stay Tuned will be user driven as viewers submit questions to artists and those with industry experience via video on the internet. Production started in Sydney last week with a view to 30 15-minute episodes. The program’s developers hope to take a behind-the-scenes industry approach and executive producer Lisa Gray said in a statement, “We wanted to take a different approach and create a music show that was driven by the viewers.” ABC TV’s Children’s Head of Commissioning and Development Carla De Jong said, “ABC3 has been waiting for a music show like Stay Tuned to connect our audience and the music industry. We are thrilled the online component will be play such a huge part in the show.” In a statement to The Front Line Music Victoria’s CEO Pat Donovan congratulated the ABC. “While the new Adam Hills show is offering some opportunities, it’s virtually impossible for Australian acts to obtain the mass exposure that was traditionally offered by such as Countdown, Simon Townsend’s Wonderworld and Recovery that helped take them to the next level,” he said. “And considering most music shows on commercial TV these days are basically three minute soft porn videos, it’s refreshing to see that ABC3 will be offering insights into the reality behind the gloss of the music industry. Hopefully it

will tap into Australia’s young talent and showcase live performances.”

SAXON OUT, HOLT IN Saxon has pulled out of Soundwave, it was announced through festival promoter AJ Maddah’s Twitter, citing a family illness and work on their next album taking longer than they’d anticipated. The band won’t be replaced at this late stage; instead their slot will be filled by other acts extending their playing times. “Saxon have had to postpone their touring plans due to a combination of album recording running late and illness in the family,” Maddah posted. “Their allotted 30 minute set at SW will now be split between Slayer, Dimmu [Borgir] and one or two of the other bands.” In other Soundwave news, it seems Exodus’ Gary Holt will be joining Slayer as a fill-in guitarist for Jeff Hanneman, who’s currently recovering from surgery. Hanneman contracted the flesh-eating disease necrotising fasciitis after a suspected spider bite. The band decided to continue with their commitments due to their recent form of injury and not wanting to disappoint fans again.

BEST OF BRIT The Temper Trap missed out on a BRIT Award last week in the International Breakthrough category, but even being nominated with the likes of Justin Bieber (the eventual winner), Bruno Mars, The National and the Glee Cast indicates how strong their presence is in the UK at the moment. Big in Australia before anywhere else, Mumford & Sons won British Album Of The Year for Sigh No More, Laura Marling Best British Female, Plan B Best British Male and Take That Best British Group. Rumoured to be visiting Australia on a promotional tour in the upcoming months, Jessie J won Critic’s Choice. In this week’s 3D World cover

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story, the starlet confirmed that she was interested in both men and women. “I’ve never put a label on my sexuality. I’ve been very comfortable to be open that I’ve dated men and I’ve dated women. I’m 22, I’ve not been in a failed relationship, but I love who I love – I fall in love with a person. I think my generation is very more accepting of that. I’m happy to not deny it because it is what it is. I’m all about being honest,” she told the magazine.

GO SOUTH DEAR ARTISTS The Australian and New Zealand acts officially accredited for Texas’ South by Southwest festival have been announced, with 45 Aussie acts and 13 Kiwis set to make the showcase. From Australia there’s An Horse, Art vs Science, Beni, Blank Realm, Bliss N Eso, Blue King Brown, Boy & Bear, Clare Bowditch, Cloud Control, Dan Brodie & The Grieving Widows, Darren Hanlon, Dash & Will, Dom Mariani, DZ Deathrays, Hungry Kids Of Hungary, Injured Ninja, Kim Churchill, Lenka, Little Red, Matt Corby, Miami Horror, Operator Please, Qua, Sampology, Sherlocks Daughter, Snob Scrilla, Sparkadia, The Amity Affliction, The Boat People, The Cambodian Space Project, The Chevelles, The Holidays, The Jefferson, The Jezabels, The Level Spirits, The Novocaines, The Snowdroppers, The Vaudeville Smash, Twerps, Wagons, Washington, Whitehorse, Wolf & Cub and Young Magic. New Zealand will be represented by Battle Circus, Brooke Fraser, Die! Die! Die!, Family Cactus, Kids Of 88, Kimbra, King Kapisi, Liam Finn, Ruby Frost, Street Chant, Surf City, The Naked & Famous and Zowie. The festival’s music leg kicks off Wednesday 16 March and runs until Sunday 20. Latest rumour is that Radiohead will be making an appearance.

front

IS YOUR MUSIC LIMITED?

SONY’S MUSIC UNLIMITED SUBSCRIPTION STREAMING SERVICE LAUNCHED TO LITTLE FANFARE LAST FRIDAY, AS A CYNICAL INDUSTRY SEEMS TO DOUBT ANYTHING WILL WORK. IT’S NOT WHEN SOMETHING WILL WORK, NOW IT’S IF IT WILL. BY SCOTT FITZSIMONS.

LINE to work on and will come down to working with the Government to make it harder for people to do the wrong thing.”

SONY’S TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER PAUL COLLEY (LEFT) WITH CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT, MICHAEL EPHRAIM.

ast Friday Sony announced their intentions for the digital music market in Australia with the launch of Music Unlimited and Qriocity – a ‘cloud’ based subscription service. Anyone even remotely interested in the music industry will have been, over the last couple of years, inundated by discussions of the future of the industry, whether subscription models or any other plan were the future or the answer. While there’s been an abundance of talk there’s been very little action, the reason seeming to be that no one has ever actually been convinced that they had the answer or has the money to implement them. Apple’s iTunes has undoubtedly been the dominant distribution service for online tracks and they’ve enjoyed a monopoly because of the lack of strong competition, particularly in Australia. Sony hope that Music Unlimited will be the first big challenger to that standard download platform, but speaking to The Front Line, Sony’s Technology Communications Manager Paul Colley was realistic about what immediate effect the launch will have. He’s hesitant to comment on the battle between the two and it seems that earlier reports that Sony would pull out of iTunes are untrue. “I’d say for a while both download to own and streaming services will compliment each other,” he said, “but really the way that, particularly young consumers, nowadays are

SONY’S MUSIC UNLIMITED SERVICE

accessing content, it’s ‘I want it now’. They don’t think about where they’ve got it.” There he’s referencing the ‘cloud’ model of Music Unlimited. For the $12.99 monthly fee, users will get access to the six million-plus tracks available in the cloud (all four majors are involved as well as ‘leading’ independent labels, although Sony couldn’t provide The Front Line with an exact list) across their internet-enabled Sony devices. At the moment that’s TVs and PlayStations, but will extend into mobile devices such as phones and the next PSP model, whenever they appear. The beauty, so Sony claim, lies in the ability to streamline those tracks across the devices, allowing playlists and other managers to be accessible from whichever platform. Looking long term, Colley is confident that they’ve got the correct model. “The ease of use and access is critical… A lot of the services [available] at the moment are bound to the PC. Unless you get third party technical gadgets to expand it over devices, it’s not very consumerfriendly. So the fact that you can now stream music straight to your home stereo system rather than having to manage it off your PC… makes it a much more seamless experience. Additionally the sound quality and range of content is also critical.” In a statement, Kazuo Hirai, Sony’s President of Net-

worked Products & Services Group said Music Unlimited, “signifies a paradigm shift which redefines the existing music listening experience by revolutionising music access, discovery, integration and personalisation.” Colley carried the line saying that the way that new releases will be instantly available at no additional cost “changes the way we explore music and discover music”. Still, it means little at the moment because unfortunately for copyright holders, that’s the way that most people already consume music, through illegal downloads. And they’re rarely worried about trivial things like release dates, as these days it’s harder to find an album that hasn’t been leaked before release than one that hasn’t. Reports released by ARIA last week of the wholesale sales figures for 2010 proved that digital track and albums sales are on the rise, but they’re still not compensating for the huge losses being sustained by the physical markets. While digital revenue was up 31.94 percent and physical was down 23.83 percent, together the market suffered a loss of 13.92 percent. Singles are virtually dead and the promising vinyl rejuvenation has faltered. Speaking on the reports, PPCA and ARIA CEO Dan Rosen said, “Clearly it’s not entirely replacing the reduction in physical, so that’s something we need to continue

There are international rumblings worth remembering as well. European-based Spotify recently signed a deal with EMI that boosts their launch into the United States and Google’s music service is rumoured to be closer than ever after plenty of speculation and ‘insider sources’ regarding their dealings with various labels. What Google have launched this week is their paid subscription service for magazines, apparently rushed through the day after Apple launched in order to have theirs directly compared – the big difference is that Apple are going to take 30 percent of the takings, whereas Google are offering it for ten percent. “[It’s] a fascinating time,” says Rosen. “Apple came out with their subscription, not for music specifically but I think [it’s the future] and Google came the next day. It’s going to be a very, very interesting time.” In a statement from a spokesperson to The Front Line, copyright protectors APRA|AMCOS were “pleased to have concluded a licensing agreement for the Qriocity – Music Unlimited service in Australia and New Zealand,” given that the service pays songwriters, artists, publishers and labels. “We are extremely pleased that Sony has included Australia and New Zealand in the initial rollout of the service as this demonstrates their confidence in our markets and represents yet another positive step in bringing music creators and consumers together,” they said. Even though Sony have made one of the first moves of the new year, there’s still a long way to go in their model. “We’re focusing on the home devices at launch, but obviously its critical to be able to consume music especially on mobile devices. So you’ll see the platform expanded out to Android, PSP, all those sorts of devices,” says Colley, but there’s little he can provide by way of time frame. “We can’t – we don’t have any information on timing at this stage, but this is one of the fastest global rollouts of a music service and that’s obviously a critical piece.” What’s critical for the music industry is that plans like this are carried out this year and not just discussed.

blue mountains music festival 18-19-20 March 2011

Join us in the reat ag mountains fo’sr Day St Patrick weekend

the waifs Justin Townes Earle (USA) Luka Bloom (Ire) The Backsliders

Martin Simpson (UK) Tony McManus (Scot) Tim O’Brien (USA) / chain Alan Kelly Quartet (Ire) Les Chauffers À Pieds (Can) Rosie Flores Trio (USA) Katie Noonan & The Captains sale now The cottars (can) / christof (ned) tickets on u a . Crooked still (USA) / Ajak kwai (sudan) b m f f . o rg Mama Kin / tinpan orange 100 concerts on 9 stages over 3 days And many More! twitter.com/drummedia

THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 25 •

YOUR SAY

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All letters must have author’s correct phone number, name and address to verify identity – not for publication (NFP)

A STRANGE MATTER

GRAMMAR VS GRAMMY

Dear Drum,

Upon opening my copy of Drum last week I came across an interesting article in The Front Line regarding a name mix up between the bands Strangers and Strangers v Strangers. At first I thought that the Strangers I know (ex Fifty Six/Fifty Sixx) were doing pretty well to get such an extensive article on one of the opening pages of Drum. Quickly my thoughts changed however and I realised the hilarious nature of the article. The manager of Strangers v Strangers, Kimberly Galceran, is quoted saying, “I think the reason they got the gig at Spectrum is probably because of the Strangers I work with, because they played Phoenix two months ago”. I find this statement rather funny for multiple reasons. Firstly as noted in the article, Spectrum is booked by Select Music. Select Music also happens to be the booking agents for Strangers and have been for many years (previously under the names Fifty Sixx and Fifty Six), so I doubt that they would have trouble securing a gig at a venue booked by their own agents. A simple google search by Galceran would have unearthed these facts. Secondly I find it rather funny that she notes that her Strangers v Strangers have been playing for over a year. Under their previous names the other Strangers have been touring Australia since 2005 and have headlined Spectrum on multiple occasions as well as bigger venues during this time.

Seriously, I don’t understand Americans. What was with all the brouhaha over Arcade Fire winning best album for The Suburbs at the Grammy Awards? It’s a good album, so it’s fair enough it won. I thought they were fairly recognised in America, so I’m having trouble fathoming all these “Who the fuck are Arcade Fire?” tweets/Facebook posts/whatever (or, even better – “Who is this band The Suburbs?”). Is something like Pitchfork not the definitive authority of what is cool and haven’t they absolutely loved Arcade Fire, meaning is their reach not very far? Is it maybe read by like the people that put it together and a few of their mates for a lot of people to not know the band, but let alone not know what the band name was when presented with their name and their album’s name?

Whilst I wish Galceran and her Strangers all the best in their future endeavours, I also believe that in the future she should take a bit of time to research a band before deciding that the only reason anyone cares about them is because of the high level of acclaim that her band is receiving. Hopefully there isn’t a mix up once her Strangers snag themselves that much deserved ARIA they have been working towards. Nick

Not everyone can win awards so maybe just suck it up and move on. If Bieber is smart he’ll try not to be a flash in the pan and will have a lengthy career and plenty of other opportunities to win a Grammy. And while your opinion may be that Arcade Fire didn’t have a better album than Eminem or Lady Gaga, it’s definitely an album that’s worthy of winning a Grammy.

Grays Point

Tom

Yes, we found the whole affair odd… bizarre… weird… peculiar… no wait, there’s gotta be a better word for it… – Ed

Epping

FRONTLASH

We think the bigger scandal is Kenny G not winning Best Pop Instrumental Album – Ed

BACKLASH

THE KING OF LIMBS

WHO THE FUCK IS ARCADE FIRE?

We’re pretty happy that Radiohead not only announced the surprise release of their new album, but that said release occurred within a week of the announcement so we already possess it. Now, if only those tour rumours prove to be true…

Those in cyberspace who thought the band that won the album of the year was, in turns, R K Fire, Arcade Flyer, Arcane Fire, Arcade Faya, or, our favourite, The Suburbs. Those thoughts were usually expressed by profanity-laced tweets.

SHURLEY Thank god Liz Hurley has finally left the country. Now we don’t have to get hourly updates of what her and Shane Warne are up to. Probably the biggest nonnews event this year.

MUSIC FILM MIX While the film has been out for a couple of weeks, we just noticed 127 Hours has a pretty bloody good music-fits-moment scene, as Sigur Ros’ Festival plays during the powerful montage-esque scene just after he’s cut his arm off and gone up to ground level to be rescued.

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• 26 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

Furthermore, what’s with all the Bieber fans and their hating on Esperanza Spalding? He didn’t win, so get over it. It’s like when Short Stack here fucked up with that album review and all their narrow minded fans posted these incomprehensible posts in his defence when he was clearly in the wrong. Bieber seems to have done remarkably well for himself so there’s probably no use crying foul over this, or worse, borderline death threats. Maybe it’s just a generational thing – Bieber attracts young fans who are constantly plugged into the matrix, so will post online responses constantly. Maybe Spalding’s fans are a bit older hence why you haven’t seen as many responses jumping to her defence. But credit where credit is due – Spalding was the first jazz artist to win this category, so well done to her.

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AFL SCANDALS We’re only into the pre season and already scandals are starting to rear their heads thanks to manager Ricky Nixon. At least trouble magnet Brendan Fevola seems to be out for the foreseeable future.

THE BIEBS While there was backlash from his fans over his non-Grammy win, he should have probably kept his mouth shut over recent comments to Rolling Stone regarding abortion and rape. While it emerged that it was only part of a larger quote (so there’s a backlash on its own for the mag), 16-year-old Bieber should probably be more mindful on commenting on situations well out of his experience.

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THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 27 •

NEWS@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU The second round of artists performing at Supafest 2011 Saturday 9 April at the ANZ Stadium has been announced, with Timbaland, T-Pain, Busta Rhymes, Ciara, New Boyz and DJ Benny-D, as well as local artists Israel, Miracle and DJ Nino Brown, joining the already announced Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Taio Cruz and Bow Wow.

BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE

BUFFY ANNOUNCES SIDESHOW

TUMBLEWEED If you thought you’d pick up a ticket to the forthcoming reunion tour by one of the most influential bands of the ‘90s, Kyuss, a little closer to the even, you can forget it – the entire Australia tour has sold out! Lucky ticketholders can now also smile at the fact that opening for Kyuss when they play the Big Top in Luna Park Saturday 7 May, they’ll be joined by Tumbleweed. Due to circumstances beyond their control, Cobra Starship will no longer be supporting Maroon 5 when they come to Australia in May. Instead, Sara Bareilles and Australian singer/songwriter Ry Cuming will step up to the mark Friday 6 May at the Acer Arena. He’s been described as a young Keith Jarrett in the making, and you can decide for yourselves when one of the UK’s most respected young jazz pianists, Gwilym Simcock, plays the Sound Lounge in the Seymour Centre Thursday. Brisbane’s I Heart Hiroshima and, rather appropriately, China’s Rebuilding The Rights Of Statues will be opening for the UK’s legendary Gang Of Four when they play The Gaelic Tuesday 1 March. London-based Irish retro-rocker Imelda May has added a second Sydney show to her visit, now playing The Basement Circular Quay Saturday 7 March, supported by Mojo Juju. She also plays The Gaelic Saturday 5 with guests Jordan & The Original Six and Level One at Newcastle Leagues Friday 4. One of the most influential jazz drummers ever, Jack DeJohnette, is bringing a quintet out to revisit an album from 1971 on which he featured, A Tribute To Jack Johnson, by Miles Davis, in the Sydney Opera House Opera Theatre Sunday 6 March, the performance including a rare screening of a 1971 doco on the boxing champ who inspired Davis.

Already announced as part of the massive 2011 Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival, Buffy Sainte-Marie has just announced a headlining sideshow while in the country. Sainte-Marie made her stamp during the protest movement of the 1960s and remains an extraordinary concert artist, songwriter and composer and has not toured Australia since the ‘70s. Still performing with as much passion as when she first started, Buffy SainteMarie will play the State Theatre on Saturday 23 April with Michelle Shocked.

GLITCH ROCK

Liverpuddlians The Wombats shot to international recognition in 2008 when their single, Let’s Dance To Joy Division, spread like wildfire around the world. They’re back now with their second album, This Modern Glitch, set for release in April and a new single, Jump In The Fog. On top of their appearance at Groovin’ The Moo, they’ll now also play the Enmore Theatre on Monday 9 May.

SCHOOL IS COOL

HARMONY AND SEARCH

Who said uni had to only be about learning? Bag Raiders and Muscles (doing a DJ set) are adamant to prove that you can study and party at the same time with their run of university gigs. Bag Raiders have been a staple on the electro scene for a while now and with new single, Sunlight, they’re sure to bring the good times, while Muscles needs no introduction, having become a festival favourite over the years with songs like Ice Cream. It’s happening at the University of Wollongong on Thursday 10 March, University of Newcastle on Friday 11, UNSW on Wednesday 16 and the ANU on Thursday 17.

Having only very recently toured Australia, Bone ThugsN-Harmony are heading back for more. They’ll play Waves Wollongong Thursday 21 April, an all ages show at Blacktown Olympic Park Saturday 23 and Oxford Art Factory Sunday 24. On top of their performances, they’ll also be hosting a talent search for unsigned musicians of all ages and genres in Sydney. If you think you’ve got a good shot at winning why not check it out? For details and registration visit hiphoptvonline.com.

Smudge have been invited to open for New Zealand’s The Clean when the Flying Nun legends take over the Factory Theatre Wednesday 9 March.

NEON INDIAN

Singer/songwriter Rebecca Moore, whose album is being recorded by UK producer/engineer Martin Russell, has scored the opening guest spot on the forthcoming Sydney Opera House concert Monday 14 March by the band he’s in, Afro Celt Sound System. It’s been four years since production and DJ duo Audifoly were last in Australia, but Saturday 12 March, they join the Future Music Festival and after-party, returning to perform in their own right at Heads Up in Wollongong Friday 18 and then, with Emerson Todd and Monkey Tennis, at the AGWA Yacht Club in Sydney Saturday 19. Frenchman Teddy DKC of Bawdy Festival is heading over on his own for an Australian tour where he’ll be hooking up with SA horrorcore rapper KidCrusher, playing the Bald Faced Stag Saturday 25. Excluding Perth, Sydney’s own Heroes For Hire will be accompanying America’s Unwritten Law around the nation on their Australian Swan Tour, hauling into the Roundhouse at UNSW Saturday 25 March, where they will also be joined by Strangers. Unwritten Law release their Swan album locally Friday 1 April. Our very own Toe To Toe have the honour of opening for the godfathers of crossover thrash and creators of skate punk, Suicidal Tendencies, Saturday 14 May at the Metro Theatre. If you’ve missed out on tickets for the Oxford Art Factory Friday 4 March when Illy brings his The Chase Tour with special guest M-Phazes to town, supported by Pagen Elypsis and Dutch, or the Saturday 5 gig at the Cambridge in Newcastle, then there’s no excuse to miss out on the just announced Thursday 7 April show in the Manning Bar, where the headliners will be joined by Dialectrix and The Tongue. Described by some as the best Celtic guitarist in the world, Scotland-born Canada-based Tony McManus, also here for the Blue Mountains Music Festival, follows that with a night at Notes Thursday 24 March and then the Merry Muse in Canberra Friday 25. Sydney duo The Jewel & The Falcon will be doing the opening honours when America’s Jimmy Eat World hit the Enmore stage Friday 8 April. Amaya Laurica showcases her double A-side single, Sleeping In Your Shadow/Anywhere She Went, opening for Adalita in the Transit Bar Thursday 14 April, the Great Northern Friday 15, the Sando Saturday 16 and the Clarendon Guesthouse Katoomba Sunday 17. • 28 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

IT’S ELECTRIC Formed in 2009 but already becoming one of the country’s foremost soul acts, Melbourne’s Electric Empire is about to release their debut album, with single Baby Your Lovin’ already sailing the airwaves. The year has been big so far for the group, having recently played at Playground Weekender and receiving an invite to perform at Glastonbury. They head to Oxford Art Factory on Friday 18 March.

JEBEDIAH TOUR KOSCIUSZKO

CUT COPY

PARKWAY DRIVE

CUT COPY NEED YOU Following their much-lauded spot on the Laneway festival and the positive reception of album number three, Zonoscope, Melbourne synthpop band Cut Copy is heading out on tour. To coincide the band has announced the album’s second single, Need You Now. Tickets to all shows can be coupled with a purchase of the album for discount prices. Cut Copy, joined by special guests The Holidays, will play the Enmore Theatre on Thursday 12 May.

AUSSIE BLUES EXPLOSION Two of the biggest up and coming blues rock bands in Australia right now, Melbourne’s Black Devil Yard Boss and Blue Mountains band The Delta Riggs, are teaming up for a tour together after both having a pretty big 2010. The Four To The Floor tour comes to the Beach Road Hotel on Wednesday 23 March, Lansdowne Hotel on Friday 25, Hotel Gearin on Saturday 26 and the Old Manly Boatshed on Thursday 31. No need for extra cash, as all shows (with the exception of Hotel Gearin) are free of charge.

CROOKED VISIT Boston-based all-string quintet Crooked Still will make their debut appearance on Australian shores in the upcoming month. They’ve recently released their latest album, Some Strange Country, and caused waves overseas with their nontraditional bluegrass sounds. Aside from their appearance at the Blue Mountains Music Festival, they will play Notes Live on Wednesday 9 March, Lizotte’s Newcastle on Tuesday 22, Lizotte’s Kincumber on Wednesday 23 and then return to Notes Live for another show on Friday 25 before heading to the nation’s capital on Saturday 26 to play the Southern Cross Club.

PARKWAY AT SIX

Following a quiet few years, Jebediah blasted back onto the scene with a whirlwind trip of the country, playing sold-out venues late last year. With their single, She’s Like A Comet, whetting audiences’ appetites, the band is now preparing to unleash their new album, Kosciuszko. Heading out on a national tour to support it, the band stops in at The Maram on Thursday 26 May, Factory Theatre on Friday 27 and the Cambridge Hotel on Saturday 28.

Last year our own Parkway Drive made some new mates when they played Warped Tour, buddying up with UK pop/punkers You Me At Six. Seems the boys have all gotten on so well that they’re teaming up for a tour all around the country that they’re calling The Mix ‘N Mash. They’ll be joined by The Wonder Years, Bleeding Through and Melbourne’s Confession. This massive lineup comes to the Hordern Pavilion on Friday 20 May, Newcastle Panthers on Saturday 21 and WIN Entertainment Centre on Sunday 22. Tickets are on sale this Friday.

BUSY LAZYS Central Coast boys The Lazys have been anything but, releasing their debut album, Prison Earth, last year and intend touring in the coming months to show everyone what it’s made of. They kick off at the Cambridge Hotel on Saturday 19 March with Nat Col & The Kings, before moving to The Harp Wollongong on Thursday 24, Caringbah Bizzo’s on Friday 25, Lucky Australian Hotel on Saturday 26, Charles Sturt University on Thursday 5 May and the Fitzroy in Windsor on Saturday 7.

WILDE TIMES Melbourne alt-country band The Wildes have recently released a new EP, Unfortunate Rose, and are touring in support of it. Aside from their appearance at Gum Ball, the band is also playing The Phoenix Canberra on Thursday 24 March, Bulli’s Heritage Hotel on Friday 25 (with Jeremy Edwards & The Dust Radio Band), the Brass Monkey on Saturday 26 (with The Feral Swing Cats), the Grand Junction on Sunday 27 and the Excelsior Surry Hills on Thursday 31 (again with Jeremy Edwards and band).

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SAMPOLOGY

SUPER VISUAL MONSTER MASH Sampology was most recently seen at the Big Day Out festival, starting dance parties around the country. Before that he was touring New Zealand, the UK and Germany collecting inspiration and footage for his latest project, the Super Visual Monster Mash national tour. The AVDJ (or audio visual DJ) will display mash-ups of excerpts from films, TV shows, film clips, YouTube clips and vintage footage he encountered on his travels over the past year on huge wide screens live as he mixes up a storm. He steps into Oxford Art Factory with Tom Thum on Friday 6 May.

THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 29 •

NEWS@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU

PROPAGHANDI

TIM ROBBINS

SUPPORTING PROPAGHANDI

TIM’S MUSICAL DEBUT Tim Robbins & The Rogues Gallery Band, fronted by none other than Shawshank Redemption actor Tim Robbins, recently released their debut album and are heading down our way for their first Australian shows. As well as appearing at Bluesfest, Robbins and band will also play one show in Sydney, at The Basement, Circular Quay on Thursday 28 April.

OVALS IN YOUR EYES Taking cues from musical revolutionaries like Pink Floyd and Radiohead, Melbourne quartet The Ovals wasted no time once they hit the live scene in 2009, releasing their debut EP, Innerspace, which captured their love for psychedelic, progressive rock. They took their time with the follow-up, but their new EP, Into The Eyes Of Those That Sleep, is finally ready for release. The Ovals launch their new EP on Friday 8 April at Oxford Art Factory.

ADALITA

MAGIC ADALITA Magic Dirt frontwoman Adalita has a debut solo record coming up this week following the hiatus of her longrunning band and to celebrate its release she’s hitting the road to show her stuff. She’s joined by Amaya Laucirica and will play Newcastle’s Great Northern on Friday 15 April, the Sandringham on Saturday 16 and Clarendon Guesthouse on Sunday 17.

PARTY ON While the Future Music Festival lineup is impressive enough, they have just one-upped themselves with the announcement of the Future Music after party. Some of the biggest names have been called in for DJ sets. Dance party DJ and Dim Mak Records (Bloc Party, Battles, Gossip) founder Steve Aoki will be headlining the after party for the sold-out festival joined by Berlin-based DJ extraordinaire Tai. It takes place Saturday 12 March at The Metro.

They’ve worked hard in the punk scene for 25 years and Canadian hard rockers Propaghandi are returning once again to Australia to play a string of shows in May. Tickets are on sale next Monday for the shows at Canberra’s Green Room on Tuesday 24 May, Bar On The Hill on Wednesday 25, The Metro on Thursday 26 and Wollongong Uni Bar on Friday 27. Propaghandi’s last album, Supporting Caste, was released in 2009.

IN THE FUTURE It’s almost Future Music time, and the stages for the festival have been announced. There’ll be 12 stages to party at on the day, all boasting a bunch of most loved acts from near and far. Speaking of near, the local acts for the day have also been announced, with The Vines doing a DJ set, as well as sets from Alison Wonderland, F.R.I.E.N.D.S. DJs, Trentertainment and many, many others. A reminder that the festival is on Saturday 12 March at Randwick Racecourse, but of course those attending know the date off by heart by now.

MY DISCO

TOURING DISCO During April, in what will be their first and only Australian tour for 2011, Melbourne trio My Disco will launch the deluxe double LP version of 2010’s Little Joy. There will be limited green and white swirled vinyls available for the tour and each record will come complete with a 24” x 24” foldout poster, etched vinyl and a free MP3 download. A formidable live act, you can catch My Disco on Friday 1 April at GoodGod, Saturday 9 at the Croatian Club Newcastle as part of the Totally Autumn Festival and Thursday 21 at ANU Bar as part of the Peking Spring Festival.

AUTUMN IN NEWCASTLE The sequel of the successful Summer Vibes festival, Totally Autumn, will take place at the Croatian Club in Newcastle on Saturday 9 April. The first announcement for the festival includes Eat Skulls, all the way from the US, as well as Aussie favourites like My Disco, Slug Guts, Holy Balm, Electric Jellyfish, TV Colours, Dead Farmers, Secrets (NZ), Crab Smasher, Woollen Kits, Rites Wild, Bare Grillz, Rat King, Cock Safari and The Fighting League. This one’s already generating quite a buzz so best to get there early, as tickets are only being sold on the door.

HEAPS OF TALENT A DAY TO REMEMBER

AN OATH TO REMEMBER Soundwave Touring is bringing yet another dynamic tour to Australia, with pop/punkers A Day To Remember and Christian metal-turned-emocore band Underoath teaming up to deliver some powerful tunes this May. Have your mosh shoes at the ready when the pair roars into Luna Park Big Top on Friday 13 May. Tickets are on sale Wednesday 2 March.

HELPING GAV Melbourne drummer Gavin Smith has been at the heart of the Melbourne music scene for years, sitting behind the kit for The Cants and Sons Of Lee Marvin and offering gear, advice and beds for countless touring bands. Last year tragedy struck when Smith’s wife, the mother of his one-year-old twin sons, died in her sleep. This Saturday the Annandale hosts The Smith Kids Are Alright, which has some of Sydney and Melbourne’s finest acts coming together to help out a mate in need. Raising money to help Smith through these tough times, bands like The Camels (who are performing for the first time in three years), Hell City Glamours, Dave Larkin (Dallas Crane), Jamie Hutchings, Bow & Davis (Front End Loader), The Rumjacks, Ben Nash (78 Saab) and heaps more have signed up to the cause. The gig runs from midday to midnight and tickets are $20.

When Imogen Heap last toured our country, the twotime Grammy nominee sold out five shows in three cities. It’s no surprise, then, that she should want to return so soon. With her most recent album, Ellipse, an exercise in DIY recording earning her a Grammy award for Best Engineered Album, Heap has again proven herself a true musical talent. She plays the State Theatre on Thursday 21 April. Tickets go on sale Friday.

HEADING FOR THE HILLS With Youth Week rapidly approaching all sorts of all ages gigs are starting to crop up. Hopscotch Music Festival is being put on by Millennium Music in conjunction with the Hills Shire Council and will be held at Bruce Purser Reserve in Rouse Hill on Saturday 9 April. Special headliners The Mission In Motion and Envy Parade will be joined by up and coming locals like Miramar, Stone Parade, Red Fire Red, The Author and Monks Of Mellonwah, with five more acts still to be announced. Tickets go on sale this Saturday.

SHOT TO 505

THE DANDY WARHOLS

WARHOLS RETURN The dudes behind such hits as Bohemian Like You and We Used To Be Friends are coming back to town. The Dandy Warhols have garnered many kind words of praise for their wild live shows, so if you haven’t seen one before (or if you have!) your chance has arrived, as they will Sunday 29 May at the Enmore Theatre. Tickets are on sale Thursday 3 March.

The fact that Brazil is Costa Rae’s home away from home speaks volumes about their sound. The Sydney trio, previously known as Dubbly, blends indie and folk with a touch of ‘70s surf. Having just recorded their new album, Shot From The Moon, with Tony Buchan (Blue King Brown, John Butler, Tim Finn) at 301 Studios, the band has just released the album’s first single, Gone Forever. They will play 505 on Friday.

WASHINGTON

LAUGH, FORGET, TOUR Washington is the Australian success story of the last year, having enjoyed an enormous skyrocket to fame with her debut album, I Believe You Liar. The record dropped only six months ago and has already gone platinum, earning Washington a swag of ARIAs too. With special guest Lissie, Miss Megan will be embarking on her only Australian national tour for 2011 before she heads overseas to tour there. The Tour Of Laughing & Forgetting will hopefully involve lots of the former (with her, not at her, of course) and little of the latter, unless it’s in a euphoric manner. The tour comes to The Metro on Friday 6 May, with Deep Sea Arcade also joining the bill.

LIVE THE DANCE Sydney songstress Liz Martin has some impressive stuff on her resume, including gold records, support slots with the likes of Sigur Rós and The Black Keys. Her third album, Dance A Little, Live A Little, is due for release in April, and she’s hitting the road to promote the album’s first single of the same name. The Sydney launch will take place at Raval on Wednesday 2 March, with a performance from Brian Campeau and DJ sets from ollo and Trevor Brown.

GO HARD OR GO HOME Having been around for 30 years now, The Hard-Ons could very well be considered one of this city’s treasures. Their latest album, Alfalfa Males Once Summer Is Done Conform Or Die, was released last year but they are still fond of playing old favourites live, so expect a mix of both when they play the Cambridge Hotel on Thursday 3 March, the Sandringham Hotel on Friday 4 and The Patch Wollongong on Saturday 5. If you want to make absolutely certain that your favourite tune will be played, the band is taking requests for songs at mgt@ hard-ons.net. • 30 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

DATAROCK

DATAROCK EXTRAVAGANZA

THE FUNKY METERS

GET YOUR FUNK ON An offshoot of New Orleans band The Meters, The Funky Meters features several of the band’s members playing updated versions of their songs. The Meters are widely regarded as one of the founding funk bands, having recorded with artists as varied as Wings and Robert Palmer and toured with bands like The Rolling Stones, while in more recent years they’ve been sampled by the likes of LL Cool J and Queen Latifah. On top of appearing at Bluesfest, the band will play a special show at The Metro Theatre on Wednesday 20 April.

Norwegian electro masters Datarock are returning to our shores as a part of Groovin’ The Moo, but will also play their own shows. Their newest single, Catcher In The Rye, is about to be released, but it’s no ordinary single – it will be released on a USB stick with 110 tracks, 1500 live photos from 33 different countries, 20 music videos and Never Say Die, an hour-long concert film, as well as their digital five-track EP and new album, Music For Synchronization, old albums with bonuses, a remix album and a B-sides/rarities compilation. A lot to take in! On top of all that they’ll also be playing Oxford Art Factory on Thursday 5 May.

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CABINS

BOOTLEG AT OAF Bootleg has been an important staple of the live scene since its foundation in 2005 and last year teamed up with Jim Beam to make it even bigger and better. Coming to Oxford Art Factory on Saturday 19 March, Bootleg will be a chance for music lovers in Sydney to discover some up and coming talent from near and far. From Sydney, Belles Will Ring, Cabins (pictured), Magnetic Heads and Lanie Lane will play, while The Cairos represent Brisbane.

THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 31 •

FUNKY GEORGE

Big funk shows all around for Bluesfest it seems, with George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic set to electrify The Metro on Sunday 24 April with a massive show. Expect no less than 26 dudes rocking out on stage for up to three hours – and on top of that, considering that Clinton’s career has spanned over half a century and seen him work with artists from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Primal Scream and Outkast, it’s set to be a pretty incredible night with one of music’s most revered veterans.

SYNDICATE SHOUT Sydney five-piece Syndicate have been holed up in the studio for the past few weeks working on their yet-to-be-titled new album, the follow-up to their 2010 debut, Shout. While the recording process has so far taken the band to LA and seen them working with some of the best in the business, it seems cabin fever has set in because the band has taken some time out from recording to road test new material on the stage. A month-long residency at the Bridge Hotel in Rozelle will see Syndicate performing every Saturday night from 19 March to 9 April.

LOOKING FORWARD After a relatively quiet 2010, a few shows towards the end of last year showed that Trial Kennedy were ready to give 2011 everything they’ve got. Hard at work on the follow-up to their debut LP, New Manic Art, Trial Kennedy have announced the Best Of Tomorrow East Coast tour. Best Of Tomorrow is the second single to be lifted from Trial Kennedy’s upcoming album, Living Undesigned, after first single, Strange Behaviour, put them back on the map last year. The tour pulls into Sydney on Saturday 19 March, when the band will launch the new single at Spectrum.

A CLASSIC TOUR Hailing from the musically fertile breeding ground of Seattle, The Classic Crime burst onto the scene a few years ago with their debut album, Albatross, on Tooth and Nail Records. Skip forward a few years through not one but two stints on the Warped Tour and supports for bands like MxPx and Emery, and the band is ready to make the maiden voyage down under. Touring in support of 2010 album, Vagabonds, the band have enlisted Sydney’s own up and coming alternative pop rock band Chemical Transport as supports for the entire tour. The Classic Crime will play Spectrum on Saturday 16 April, all ages at Tuggeranong Alliance Church on Sunday 17, The Grove Newcastle on Tuesday 19, Blush Nightclub on Wednesday 20 and Newcastle’s Great Northern on Thursday 21.

THE BUZZ Previous Australian Music Prize nominee Tobias Cummings had the right idea enlisting Tim Whitten (The Go-Betweens, Art Of Fighting) to produce his 2010 album, A Trophy. The album was loved by critics and spawned an excellent single in Goldmine. Now comes single number two, Busy Bees, a hard-hitting track that breaks the singer/songwriter mould. In order to launch Busy Bees, Cummings has announced an East Coast tour, with full backing band, which will come to Raval on Thursday 14 April with Holland supporting.

LONG LIVE ATTILA

MARCH 5

Factory Theatre SYDNEY

In the world of music, playing Glastonbury is considered a pretty big deal. Imagine, then, the kind of person who has performed at the festival every single year since 1983. That man is Attila The Stockbroker. Having celebrated his 30-year anniversary tour in 2010 Attila shows no signs of slowing down, despite an epic back catalogue that boasts over 20 albums and six books of poetry. A punk poet and musician, Attila was last here in 2000 and will finally visit Australia once again in March and April. Attila The Stockbroker plays Phoenix Bar Canberra on Wednesday 30 March, The Harp Wollongong on Thursday 31, The Bald Faced Stag on Friday 1 April and the Cambridge Hotel on Saturday 2.

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Canada’s Metric have released a special Originals Session EP exclusively through iTunes, taken from a recent live impromptu session in LA, and while it’s called an EP, you get eight songs and a 30-minute interview with the band.

MARCH 18 Lizotte’s - DEE WHY

With Robbie Williams having decided to rejoin the old firm, his record label has decided to reissue his entire back catalogue, all seven albums, in a series of special limited edition expanded formats including all manner of previously unreleased stuff, both audio and visual, from Friday 18 March.

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It’s already available for download, but Friday 25 March, Radiohead officially release the physical version of their eighth studio album, The King Of Limbs. The Gin Blossoms have a new album out titled No Chocolate Cake, a statement that many readers may find offensive. Sydney duo Coupons have released a first single, D.I.S.C.O., from their debut album, Dream Rave, first up in, would you believe, Portugal? AVA I L A B L E N O W

He spent much of last year touring with the guy whose Sea Of Joy album he produced – yup, Robert Plant – but Buddy Miller has his own album to show off, Majestic Silver Strings, out Friday 25. Among the guest vocalists are Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and Shawn Colvin. The Co-founder and Co-CEO of Cash Money Records is expecting 2011 to be the year that his signing, UK R&B/pop singer Jay Sean, really takes off, with the release Friday, of his second album, Freeze Time. Montreal collective The Luyas see their second album, Too Beautiful To Work, released locally Friday, and features guest turns by Owen Pallett and a couple of Arcade Fires among others.

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Sunday sees UK alt-rockers Feeder joining the mammoth Soundwave festival their third Australian visit and coinciding with that visit is the release of their latest album, Renegades. You know and love him fronting Special Patrol; now Myles Mayo is releasing his eponymous debut solo album Friday 4 March.

• 32 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

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SYDNEY FEB 26TH @ THE FORUM ALL SHOWS ARE AGE 18+ , TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MOSHTIX.COM.AU / OZTIX.COM.AU MORE INFO GO TO VONZIPPER.COM.AU OR VISIT MICKEY’S FACEBOOK, TWITTER OR MYSPACE. THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 33 •

PART OF THE GANG

Bring Me The Horizon’s Australian connection comes – apart from a horde of fans – from their guitarist Jona Weinhofen, an Adelaide boy originally. After being instrumental in the rise of one of Australia’s most-loved metalcore bands I Killed The Prom Queen, he spent time as guitarist for Bleeding Through before being drafted into the ‘Horizon ranks. Curtis Ward left ‘Horizon in 2009 and Weinhofen – already friends – was asked to join as a touring guitarist. It wasn’t long before he was confirmed as a fully-fledged member. According to him the move was a seamless one and he definitely sounds settled in the group.

heaven and hell,

PUNK ROCK and professionals

“I joined just over a year and a half ago and luckily and thankfully the guys invited me straight in to help with the writing of the album, so I was there the entire way through and I even wrote some of the music and had some production ideas and recorded on the album. “They could have just said, ‘You’re a trial guy or a session musician for now and you can sit this one out.’ But we’d been friends for a few years before and we’d worked together in other bands, so I was really luckily that they were willing to let a new guy come straight in and have a big part in the album. I think that benefited both of us as well, because that was a big part of me showing them what I can do and that I was a decent musician who has something to offer to a band that is as established as Bring Me The Horizon.”

IT’S OKAY GUYS, IT’S BEEN ACCEPTABLE TO LIKE BRING ME THE HORIZON FOR A WHILE NOW. WITH A NEW ALBUM THAT’S HARDER TO HATE THAN ANYTHING THEY’VE PRODUCED BEFORE, SCOTT FITZSIMONS SAT IN WITH THE BAND LAST TIME THEY WERE IN AUSTRALIA AND THEN CALLED IN TO JONA WEINHOFEN MIDWAY ON THEIR ALBUM RELEASE TOUR TO TALK ON THEIR USE OF BACKING AND CLICK TRACKS AND WANTING WHAT PARKWAY DRIVE HAVE. COVER AND FEATURE PICS BY KANE HIBBERD.

ven as they emerged on the back of their 2006 album, Count Your Blessings, released through Visible Noise, which gave them a bit of profile, Bring Me The Horizon were a band that self-respecting metal fans stayed away from. Be it because it was the height of the unjustified ‘emo’ backlash or because their breakdown-heavy deathcore was predictable, they were firmly in the ‘love or loathe’ basket. But that all started to change with 2008’s Suicide Season, which broke down some of those walls with its diversity, the trend continuing following last year’s There Is A Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let’s Keep It A Secret, which expanded the Sheffield five-piece’s songwriting template even further. Speaking to Drum backstage at the Hordern Pavilion the last time the band were in Australia – supporting Bullet For My Valentine and about to be announced on Soundwave – with the record still awaiting release and while the band were excited for it, their focus was – perhaps rightfully so – firmly on their upcoming show. They didn’t get a soundcheck (the headliners certainly did though, rattling the venue, with the vibrations making a mess of audio recordings) and seemed kind of bored but definitely professional. That said, frontman Ollie Sykes was getting a tattoo of what looked like a Japanese-style pin-up girl headshot at a glance as Drum left, which was something to think about. Five months down the track and the album’s out – it debuted atop the ARIA charts in Australia, albeit controversially with low sales – and the band have just finished a show in Berlin. Backstage, things are starting to get a little bit “rowdy” when the responsible vegan/straight-edge Australian connection of the group, guitarist Jona Weinhofen, jumps on the phone. “There are definitely nights where we’ll come off stage, have a shower and go straight to bed or go straight to the bus and watch a movie and keep quiet,” clarifies Weinhofen. “Or nights like tonight when we’re in a cool city, there’s a lot of friends here and everyone’s keen to get a bit rowdy. “I don’t think being a professional musician really interferes with us just having a general social lifestyle • 34 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

and vice versa. It’s not really to the point that we get so hammered at night that we can’t play well the next day; that would make it a bit more of a problem and we’d probably have to cut back on the social side of things… “I’ve been touring full-time for six or seven years and part-time for a couple of years before that. I can’t really talk either because I don’t drink or party or smoke really or anything like that so I’m kind of like the responsible

“

We’ve had a lot of people that hated us in the past... confessing up that they actually tried to hate the new album but they couldn’t.”

clean-living one, but the other guys in the band they’re all at an age now – their mid-twenties – where they’re like, ‘We’re not going to go out and party seven nights a week, hang out with girls backstage and all that kind of stuff.’ It still happens, but it’s a bit more of a part-time thing; it just gets a bit old after a while.” As things start to build for the band – most of that German tour was sold out and the venues they’re playing all around the world are getting bigger – so too is that professionalism that keeps getting mentioned. Sitting backstage at the Hordern they were just starting to work out how the tracks from There Is A Hell… would translate live, something they’ve largely figured out now. “I guess we’re still in the process of learning to work with them all like that,” the guitarist says. “We have stepped everything up production-wise on stage and we are now almost all running click tracks and in-ear monitors and backing tracks just to make those new songs come across the way we want them to live.

“There always seems to be some sort of discrimination towards using click tracks and backing tracks. Some bands believe that it’s not punk rock enough, too rock star, and other bands really like to work that way and they would hate to have people come and see those songs live and go away thinking, ‘Where were all the strings and all the keyboard parts?’

they couldn’t help and liked it.” As if to ensure he doesn’t give one side too much weight in his answer, he continues, “And the other way, people who thought of us not being a professional enough band or not being a tight enough band have heard this album and come and seen us live playing these songs and thought, ‘They’ve stepped it up.’”

“We want to give [fans] a full performance, but in a way [where] we’re actually still playing our instruments. It’s not like we’re playing to a CD or something like that. So yeah we’ve been using click and backing tracks on the new songs and we’ve even started converting some of the older songs from the last album that have electronic drum beats and ambient parts like that ‘cause those songs have never been played live with those extra elements.”

As a full-time project they’ve got to think about fans and how they want to present themselves – it comes with the territory. Unsurprisingly, they’ve outgrown their initial cut of the music-listening public and as There Is A Hell… will scream to you, they’re looking outside of their own box. “We’re not out to alienate any fans and we’re not out to… I mean you always want to make some new fans along the way. I guess the whole thing we’re about is combining all of our musical influences into one band and somehow trying to make that come across so it doesn’t sound like fifty bands chucked onto one CD… We have electronica parts so hopefully some people that are into dance music will come to our shows and we have hardcore breakdowns so we please a lot of the hardcore fans. And we have fast thrashy metal parts and ambient parts. I guess our dream is to unite the general music scene under one roof.

As everyone saw during their early career, Bring Me The Horizon were and are a band that will inspire different opinions. However the drop-off rate of fans from the last two albums was less than the rate at which they were picking them up. Even if they’re using technologies on stage that will invariably take away the absolute freedom of a live show, the band’s honesty – especially Sykes’ vocals – is ever apparent. The last notes of the new album are led out with the cry of “Revive me”. “I guess you could call it a cry for help,” he said last year, never shying away from the personal nature of the lyrics. So are they still punk rock kids from Sheffield or a stadium-bound touring outfit these days? “I think Bring Me The Horizon sits in a pretty even place between both of those worlds,” Weinhofen suggests. “There are so many elements of our music, the genre we play and our live show and the fact that we make it all about moving around and going nuts and playing in the crowd and climbing on stuff that people can relate to us being the more ‘punk rock’ and the live vibe of a live show. “I guess we get discrimination from both sides of the fence. But thankfully people from both sides seem to like our album. We’ve had a lot of people that hated us in the past and hated all our old stuff, confessing up that they actually tried to hate the new album but

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“Because we come from the hardcore/metalcore/metal scene, our fanbase is primarily going to consist of that, unless we were to go ahead and write an album that was radio friendly, then who knows what would happen? But even if you look at bands like Parkway Drive, they’re a hardcore band from a hardcore and metal scene but they’ve become so successful – especially in Australia – that the average Joe is getting into that band. And I guess that’s what we want as well.” WHO Bring Me The Horizon WHAT There Is A Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let’s Keep It A Secret (Epitaph/ Shock) WHEN & WHERE Sunday, Soundwave; Tuesday 1 March, UNSW Roundhouse

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TEAM WORK

AFTER RECORDING AN ALBUM IN NASHVILLE WITH AN AMERICAN PRODUCER, IT FELT LIKE IT WAS TIME TO SCALE THINGS DOWN A LITTLE, BUT AS HOLLY THROSBY TELLS MICHAEL SMITH, NOT BEFORE THE CHILDREN’S ALBUM.

n 2008, Sydneysider Holly Throsby was invited by Lambchop producer Mark Nevers over to Nashville to record her third album, A Loud Call, which, as it happens, has only now, three years later, been released in the US. As enjoyable as the experience was – which included the fact that she had various members of Lambchop and Silver Jews playing on it as well as Bonnie “Prince” Billy, aka Will Oldham, contributing guest vocals – by the time she got around to recording her latest album, Team, she wanted to make it a much more intimate affair. An old decommissioned 19th century sandstone church in Wildes Meadow, down along the NSW south coast, wasn’t necessarily what she had in mind though. “Tony [Dupé, who produced Throsby’s first two albums, On Night and Under The Town] was already there,” she recalls, on the line from her inner city Sydney home, “and had set up and I came down to do the first day of recording and we stood in the middle of the room and just clapped a little bit and we were like, ‘Ooh, it sounds nice!’ There were various things that I was looking for in making this album. In the first instance, when I had all these songs and thought I was ready to record them, I just thought I wanted to do something very small in terms of the recording process. There were a couple of people I knew who had sort of bedroom-style studios that I was interested in, because it just felt like I’d demoed the songs on my own and I liked them being in an isolated kind of small space. So finding the church was beautiful, because it’s quite a small church but the actual room within it was just beautifully kind of reverberant enough and lovely-sounding. Tony had walked back into my life and into Sydney just at that point where I was making these decisions and showed me these photos of it and I was very much sold.” Before Dupé and Throsby got down to recording Team though, there was a little matter of a children’s album, See!, which she released last year. “The children’s record we did first, at the beginning of last year, we kind of felt it would put us in a good mood to start the grown up one – and it did. Tony had arrived back from Berlin, where he’d been for some time, and we were both feeling a little love-lost at the time, staring at each other thinking, ‘My God, it’s nice to see you’. I’d had this idea to do this children’s album, which was just something I’d always wanted to do, for my kids’ friends to start with, then I thought I should actually release this and have fun with it. Though in the first couple of days recording it, Tony would look at me saying, ‘What are we doing?’ “Tony has such a lyrical approach to making music. He loves to illustrate my music with his arrangements – that’s really how he thinks about it; what the song’s about and how to illustrate that musically. So I knew that once I gave him these kids’ songs, he’d start finding sound effects and players and voices and all this sort of stuff and he’d just have the best time and be into it. By day three, he suddenly just had this huge smile on his face for the rest of the time and just loved it. He just loves reinvention and especially with making records. “Having allowed the inner child to come out, we had to go away for a little while – I went to the States for about three weeks to stay with some friends and Tony worked on something else – and we came back and started doing Team. But I think we felt quite liberated from doing the children’s album because we gave it a lot of care but we didn’t really care what people thought about it. So by the time we made Team I think we felt like we wanted to not be too careful about those arrangements – we wanted to make something that was just exactly about how we were feeling at the time and how the songs were and not think too much about it. I think it has a rawness to it that we might not have found otherwise.” Joining Throsby in the church for the sessions were her regular collaborators, drummer Bree van Reyk and cellist, bass and mandolin player Jens Birchall, while Dupé added organ and worked out the string arrangements. Violinist Veronique Serret, a long time friend of Throsby’s, jumped at the chance to add a few parts, despite the fact that it meant flying down from Hong Kong – where she was in transit to London to rejoin her main gig these days, playing in Joanna Newsom’s band – for just one day of recording. “These songs were all written over a period of about six months,” Throsby continues, “which for me is quite short, so this felt like a very specific kind of time of my life album. To me the songs all feel connected and I like that kind of thing about making albums, that it can represent this temporal, cyclical kind of thing. Obviously they’re quite personal songs and hopefully they go together in a complementary way. “Team is a kind of an ironic title in a way – given some of the subject matter – and I like that about it. It was also a title that Tony was mainly responsible for because I’d done these overlapping groups of vocals coming in and out of each other, which was the main thing that was different about a lot of these songs for me. I’d write one song and then try and write another song over the top of that with the different groups of vocals and he called the different vocal groups teams and he wanted the instruments and the arrangements to match that. So I thought by the end of the album, that was a really good title, given what it meant and what it didn’t mean about the whole thing.” WHO Holly Throsby WHAT Team (Spunk/EMI) WHEN & WHERE Thursday 3 March, Lizotte’s Newcastle; Friday 4, Lizotte’s Dee Why; Saturday 5, Lizotte’s Kincumber; Sunday 6, Balmain Town Hall; Friday 8 April, Clarendon Guesthouse; Friday 15, ANU Bar; Friday 6 May, Brass Monkey; Saturday 7, Annandale Hotel

• 36 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

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THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 37 •

BACK IN THE FIRM

IT’S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE BETWEEN ALBUMS FOR THE WAIFS, BUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR AUSTRALIA ONCE AGAIN FINALLY SPURRED THEM INTO ACTION, AS MICHAEL SMITH DISCOVERED FROM VICKI THORN.

hese days the three core members of The Waifs – sisters Vicki Thorn and Donna Simpson, plus Josh Cunningham – are scattered across various parts of America – Simpson in Minneapolis, Thorn in Utah and Cunningham in California, while their rhythm section, drummer David Macdonald and bass player Ben Franz, live in Canada and Australia respectively, so, as Thorn, on the line from Perth, admits, “We can’t make decisions very quickly any more, being all over the world. “We got together a couple of times the year before last – we hadn’t seen each other for a while so we thought it might be a good idea for the three of us to get together and play music – and we met at my house, did a couple of new songs and it was pretty social and half-hearted – nothing very serious – and nothing came out of that really other than it was nice to see each other. And then our US agent called up last year because we’d got some really good festival offers in the States, so we booked this two-week tour. “When we got together to rehearse for that tour, in the year that we’d last seen each other we’d all written quite a few songs and when we put the live set together we found that most of the new songs worked really well in the set and we were excited about them. After that tour we ummed and ahhed, ‘Shall we do an album?’ ‘I don’t know, have we got time?’ ‘Do we want to?’ Then in about October we sent each other an email suggesting we go into the studio, we wanted to go to Australia so let’s do a tour and try and have an album out in time for it – and within two weeks we were in the studio recording it.”

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It might have all been a bit last minute, but The Waifs were never going to pull together a bad album, what with three strong songwriters and a 19-year career that has seen them release six studio and two live albums, win a swag of ARIA Awards and play countless festivals both here and overseas. The result of that two weeks is the album Temptation, recorded in a ramshackle old house-cum-studio in Minneapolis. “It was a great experience,” Thorn admits. “A lot of jamming in the studio, which we haven’t done before and ended up as songs on the album. Even though it was just 10 days, it never felt like there was any pressure and I just realised how intuitive it’s all become now when we sit and play music together. That’s something to be cherished really.” Of course the biggest obstacle to the three Waifs getting themselves back together in that headspace has been the inevitable pressures of normal life – getting married, having kids, becoming members of new and different communities, all that life stuff that happens, as John Lennon once said, while you’re busy making other plans. For Simpson came the added burden of finding herself far from home a single mother. Yet she provided the most celebratory country pop song of the set in first single, Falling. “That’s the song that stands out for me the most,” Thorn says. “That’s the most like an old Waifs song and while it’s the obvious single, we were all really hesitant to release it because it’s not very representative of what the album is I think – it stands on its own. Anyway, it’s a bit of light relief in the middle of the album. “I had eight songs that we recorded of mine and that’s the first time – I’ve never contributed more than two songs for any of our albums – so I’d had a very productive year or two. Though in the end we left two of my songs off so it wasn’t so weighted one way. I think it was because it was the first two years of my adult life where I’d not gone anywhere – I had a house for the first time, so I had time and space to write I think. And I live in a very isolated part of southern Utah, so I was away from anything familiar – just kids and cows! That was probably a big part of it too.” Not that you hear anything much about kids and cows in Thorn’s contributions to Temptation, though marriage and parenthood are certainly in there. “All my songs are very melancholy actually,” she admits. “I felt that’s probably why some of them didn’t get on there, because it was a bit too much of that sentiment coming through. Actually I love it over there – I’m having a great experience [laughs] – but every time I pick the guitar up these wistful melancholy songs would come out.” All of which is in sharp contrast to joyous, celebratory gospel-soaked songs Cunningham contributed. “Josh has undergone this religious conversion in the last couple of years, so pretty much all of his songs were gospel songs and we were a little nervous at first, or at least I was, even though I know he writes good stuff. But the ones we chose are great songs and they’re fun – fun to perform too. That track Moses, when Ben came into the studio, he’d never heard it before – he put this almost jungle bass line on that changed the whole thing. It suddenly got this really funky and groovy feel. We’ve never played it live with that yet and I can’t wait!

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• 38 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

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“I think Donna’s songs were probably driven by the isolation that she goes through living over there as well, on her own. I mean, she’s in a big city but it’s a very cold place, Minnesota, and she’s a single mum out there and sometimes I think she questions how she ended up there. Yet she came up with the happiest song on the record. Actually, for me, her songs are my favourite songs on the album. I really hear a lot of my sister in them and I find them very moving. The way she sings, she’s got a lot of pathos in her voice. I don’t know – I really connect with Donna through her songs.” It’s certainly all a long way from that unassuming trip two dreamy young sisters from Perth with hearts full of music began in a Kombi van back in 1992, driving up the west coast. WHO The Waifs WHAT Temptation ( Jarrah/MGM) out Friday 4 March WHEN & WHERE Wednesday, Anita’s Theatre; Thursday, Canberra Theatre Centre; Saturday, Enmore Theatre; Sunday, Civic Theatre Newcastle; Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 March, Blue Mountains Music Festival

THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 39 •

AMBIGUOUS NARRATIVE

PJ HARVEY SEEKS OUT FIRST-HAND INFORMATION AS THE BACKBONE OF HER NEW ALBUM, SHE TELLS SASHA PERERA.

n her new album, Let England Shake, PJ Harvey’s beguiling inner-angst has been temporarily set aside in favour of a more outward-facing contemplation. Very different to the ethereal, other-worldly soundscape of her last album, White Chalk (2007), her new album focuses its lyrics on a more jarring and newsworthy theme. Despite the title of the album, the album isn’t so much just about England as it is about the human consequence of war in the Middle East and the resonance of its effects throughout modern society. It is a very present-sounding album and sees Harvey take centre stage with her lyrical prowess and unique arrangements. Sitting in a dimly-lit library and in the glow of a warm fireplace, the enigmatic and fairy-like PJ Harvey wants to make it immediately clear that this new album is anything but a work of protest. According to the esteemed songwriter this isn’t an album that preaches politics but is more of an observational work of art. However, whilst this may have been the original intention, it’s pointed out that surely she must concede that her words will now resonate with her fans and in turn then becomes a political work of art. Less inclined to go along with that, Harvey explains herself slowly – and very deliberately. “It meant that I had to spend a lot of time because I was very aware of trying to get the balance right. I didn’t want to dip into using language that was too dogmatic or self-important, finger-pointing or opinionated. I wanted to present quite an ambiguous narrative that could be read in different ways and leave an openness. Basically I wanted to work towards what’s not being said, as opposed to what is said.” The embryo of the new album can be traced back to April 2010 when PJ Harvey debuted the title track on a British current affairs programme – albeit with a strange off-kilter and off-key sample of Istanbul (Not Constantinople), which has since been axed from the final recording (YouTube it). Fortuitously enough, she appeared on the very same programme that then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown was on. As the Prime Minister looked on, Harvey sang, “The West’s asleep/ Let England shake/ Weighted down with silent dead/ I fear our blood won’t rise again”. Just a few months later Gordon Brown departed Downing Street… was Harvey to blame? “I’m pretty sure it wasn’t because of me,” she laughs. “It was a wonderful opportunity to be asked to do that show. The request came out of the blue – I had no idea it was going to happen. I was just asked a couple of weeks beforehand by the host Andrew Marr. I didn’t even know Gordon Brown was going to be on, but I said yes immediately because I really like that show. What an opportunity – it was amazing. I was so grateful to be able to play for them.” As for Gordon Brown’s response, “There seemed to very little from him at all – I didn’t see him tapping along,” she smirks. PJ Harvey’s lyrics paint pictures and captures moods. One minute she’s talking evocatively about date palms and orange trees, the next she’s jolting the listener with soldier’s experiences of decapitation and death. In writing the lyrics for her new album, Harvey actively spent a large amount of time researching as many aspects of her theme as were available to her. “I tried to seek out as much firsthand information as I could and I also sought out as much written information as I could. I always tried to look for people’s first-hand accounts and people’s writings, both civilians and soldiers. I looked at blogs, interviews, documentaries – all of these things – as well as talking to people who’d been there as well.” In the lead-up to the album coming out, PJ Harvey has released a couple of short films on her website that accompany the songs on her album, made in collaboration with award-winning photojournalist Seamus Murphy. The first two works – for the songs The Last Living Rose and the contagious first single, The Words That Maketh Murder – are beautifully striking representations of the over-arching theme of the new album, mixing together footage of modern Britain and the war it has involved itself in. A film is planned for release for each of the songs on Let England Shake. “I came across Seamus Murphy’s work in 2008 and that was an exhibition of his called A Darkness Visible, which covered the last ten years of his photo-journalism in Afghanistan,” Harvey explains the collaboration. “I was so affected by his photographs that I got in touch with him then and sent him the words to this record, which hadn’t been recorded at that point. I asked him whether he’d ever consider working with the likes of me. I don’t think Seamus had ever really heard of me or knew what I did. He read the words and said he would like to work with me and that’s how it began. I wanted these films to be very much his interpretation of what he got from the words and music and that’s the way it is – it’s very much his thing.” Over the length of her career PJ Harvey has been described as one of the greatest songwriters in modern-day music. Her striking poems and suggestive wordplay certainly mark her as an original and unique talent. Whilst she certainly appreciates the praise from critics and fans alike, Harvey is adamant that her art is the result of her need to express her truth. “I find when people recognise my work and acknowledge it… I feel that to be very strengthening because to go about one’s work is often a very solitary path; you need a lot of space to go about what you’re doing and you work in your own vacuum. To have that, later on down the line, appreciated and recognised is very helpful to keeping my strength about moving forward with the work that’s yet to come. Having said that I think I have too much drive anyway to keep expressing things that move me and need saying in some way and so I’d always do that regardless of the accolades. It’s certainly strengthening for me to continue down that path and feel that sense of recognition from other people.” She smiles warmly and adds. “I am thankful for that,” WHO PJ Harvey WHAT Let England Shake (Universal)

• 40 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

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THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 41 •

THE DELIVERY MEN

LEGENDARY US PUNK ROCKERS SOCIAL DISTORTION HAVE BEEN WAVING THE FLAG FOR THREE DECADES AND ON THE EVE OF THEIR FIRST TOUR TO AUSTRALIA, THE BAND’S HEART AND SOUL MIKE NESS TELLS STEVE BELL ABOUT SURVIVAL, INTEGRITY AND ABOVE ALL DELIVERING THE GOODS WHEN IT MATTERS.

ustralian fans of legendary Californian punk rockers Social Distortion can finally relax, because they’re about to end a 30-year drought and witness their heroes in action for the first time when they arrive for this month’s Soundwave Festival. Well maybe not relax, because there’s been a few misfires in the past – Social Distortion tours that have been announced and then subsequently cancelled – but this time it appears that they’re actually going to make the long journey southwards. Not only that, but they’re coming armed with a brand new album Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes – their seventh studio album and first for almost seven years – which maintains the fire and brimstone of their early output but builds on the flourishes of rockabilly, country and blues that has crept into their work over the years. This is a band who, after three decades in the game, are striving to build on their legacy rather than rehash it and anyone who’s been privy to the uncompromising attitude of founding member, frontman and songwriter Mike Ness over the journey would hardly be surprised at this turn of events (well, except maybe the bit about them finally coming down under). “I’m really happy with it. I spent all summer in the studio, kind of in my own world there, but I’m really happy with how it came out,” Ness offers from on the road in San Francisco about the band’s new record, which he also produced himself for the first time. “I wanted it to sound different to the last record, I knew that. I’ve worked with a lot of other producers and I’ve learned things from them, but this time I wanted to just do it myself and see what happened – it really allows for

• 42 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

an intense amount of focus on detail and from start to finish I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed producing it as well as writing it – it was not a hard record to write, because a lot of these songs are four or five years old so I had a great start on the record.” On Hard Times... Ness, as is his wont, has crafted a batch of songs that portray him as the consummate survivor, facing down the travails that life throws at him and conquering all before him. The road is long and hard and sometimes survival is its own reward. “I don’t know – I mean there’s probably an underlying theme about life’s lessons and struggles,” he ponders of any thematic links to the album’s tracks. “I don’t know if it’s anything new and profound. I think more than anything – more than a theme – I think that this record is more a statement of what this band is about and what we’re capable of doing. Yes, we have deep roots embedded in punk rock, but we’re also a lot more than that... The thing that I kind of wanted to do is embrace what I got from punk rock – the honesty, the energy, the angst, the attitude – but incorporate all of the other styles of music that I love and grew up with as well and to craft it into one soup.’ Their rollicking cover of Hank Williams’ Alone And Forsaken on the record probably speaks volumes in this regard – harking back to Ness’ pair of 1999 solo albums

Cheating At Solitaire and Under The Influences, which both also contained versions of Williams tunes (says Ness, “as far as country music goes he’s probably the one who shaped me the most, so to do his songs is just my way of paying tribute”) – but closing number Still Alive is also a telling moment, almost seeming like a rejoinder to early nihilistic tunes such as the menacing Hour Of Darkness. “Definitely, I thought it was great closure for the album,” Ness shares. “The piano’s almost a moment of reflection and it’s a combination of things lyrically – mainly to the people who told us that we couldn’t do this 30 years ago. Not only did we survive, but we succeeded and got good at what we did, so it’s kind of like he who laughs last, laughs best.” Ness seems unsure of what to attribute Social Distortion’s longevity – even given the fact that he’s the only surviving original member, it’s incredible that they’re still touring and releasing relevant music some 30 years after their inception, especially given the tales of hard living and debauchery that used to follow the band like the plague and which Ness spent many years documenting lyrically. “I don’t know,” he muses. “Obviously I have a passion for this. I love what I do – I love touring, I love making records. I don’t know, you’d think we’d be burnt out by now. But all the guys in the band love what they do – I

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look at these guys sometimes and I have to smile, because I realise that these guys would be doing this if they made $100 a week, because they just love playing music. I’d still be doing it too – I just love playing music. I’m so grateful at being able to make a living at doing what I love, you know? But I am lucky also that I never had to make any compromises, I never had to change anything – I did it my way and I guess Frank Sinatra did it his way too,” he guffaws. Ness reckons that the new material has been going over like a treat live, but that Aussie audiences aren’t going to be hearing too much of it because they’re going to be pulling out the classics for their inaugural visit to these shores. “Yeah, it’s so fun,” he tells of playing the new material, “but right now we’re only doing about five new songs in the set. Especially coming down to Australia for the first time, we can’t just go there and showcase our new album. People want to hear Mommy’s Little Monster and Ball And Chain, they’re going to want to hear Story Of My Life, they’re going to want to hear Ring Of Fire... And that’s great because I love playing those too, but of course I love playing the new stuff because it’s fresh. It fits so well – you could put this album alongside [1983 debut] Mommy’s Little Monster and be like, ‘Yeah, it’s a little different, but it could fit right on!’ I wanted to keep the signature sound, but at the same time show people that we’ve evolved. “We’re so excited about coming to Australia – the vibe we’ve been getting from the press and in interviews has been overwhelming, everyone’s just as excited as we are. For us it’s just so cool to go to a new place and play, because it’s uncharted territory. So to go over there and already have fans is amazing – we certainly don’t take that for granted. We’re just sorry it’s taken so long, but everyone can look forward to a high energy, fun Social D show – that’s what we take pride in, our live shows. We try to deliver every night – that’s the job. We all look at each other before we go onstage and remind each other that we have to deliver – we’re the delivery men!” WHO Social Distortion WHAT Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes (Epitaph/ Shock) WHEN & WHERE Sunday, Soundwave; Tuesday 1 March, Enmore Theatre

LINE UP INCLUDES 17 Hippies GERMANY Adam Page AUSTRALIA Afro Celt Sound System UK Afro Mandinko AUSTRALIA/SENEGAL/GAMBIA Alan Kelly Quartet IRELAND Amadou & Mariam MALI Ana Moura PORTUGAL Angus & Julia Stone AUSTRALIA Angus Watt UK Archie Roach AUSTRALIA Asa NIGERIA/ FRANCE Ash Grunwald AUSTRALIA Band of Brothers AUSTRALIA Bob Brozman USA Caliente Guitar Trio AUSTRALIA Calypso Rose TRINIDAD & TOBAGO Creole Choir of Cuba CUBA DakhaBrakha UKRAINE Compagnie Ekart FRANCE Dereb The Ambassador ETHIOPIA/AUSTRALIA Don Letts UK Dubmarine AUSTRALIA Faiz Ali Faiz PAKISTAN FĂŠfĂŠ NIGERIA/FRANCE Flags of the APY Lands AUSTRALIA The GadďŹ&#x201A;ys AUSTRALIA Gracie Spoon â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Tigerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brideâ&#x20AC;? FRANCE Hanggai CHINA Horace Andy & Dub Asante JAMAICA/UK Huri Duna Dancers PAPUA NEW GUINEA Imelda May IRELAND Joanna Newsom USA Juan De Marcos AfroCuban All Stars CUBA Leah Flanagan AUSTRALIA Leigh Warren & Dancers â&#x20AC;&#x153;Breatheâ&#x20AC;? AUSTRALIA Le Phun â&#x20AC;&#x153;Les GĂťmesâ&#x20AC;? FRANCE Luka Bloom IRELAND Marshall McGuire AUSTRALIA Martha Wainwright CANADA Nathalie NatiembĂŠ REUNION Murundak: Songs of Freedom AUSTRALIA The Necks AUSTRALIA Nitin Sawhney UK Norman Jay UK Omar Souleyman SYRIA Os Mutantes BRAZIL Rajendra Prasanna INDIA Rango EGYPT/SUDAN Rhombus with Michel Tuffery NEW ZEALAND Roundabout Theatre Company â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Slow Showâ&#x20AC;? AUSTRALIA ScrapArtsMusic CANADA The Shaolin Afronauts AUSTRALIA Sidestepper COLOMBIA/UK Space Invadas AUSTRALIA/UK Tawdry Heartburnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Manic Cures AUSTRALIA Tanya Tagaq CANADA Tim Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Two Oceans Trio USA/IRELAND/NZ Whitireia Dance Group NEW ZEALAND The Woohoo Revue AUSTRALIA The Yabu Band AUSTRALIA Yasar Akpence HAREMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;de TURKEY Wildbirds & Peacedrums SWEDEN...

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YOU’VE GOTTA BE CRAZY, BABY

WITH A HIGH-SELLING, CRITICALLY LAUDED DEBUT ALBUM, A CHARMINGLY HIGH PROFILE PERSONAL LIFE AND THE KIND OF WORK ETHIC SOLID CAREERS ARE BUILT ON, BEST COAST’S BETHANY COSENTINO HAS EMERGED AS A NEWLY SHINING STAR OF INDIE-ROCK. SHE TELLS DAN CONDON ABOUT DEALING WITH HER NEWFOUND POPULARITY.

gentlemen are overly flogged press fodder. She wants that to change. “I’m definitely trying to lose that ‘Oh, you’re obsessed with boys!’ thing, because it’s so fucking annoying to talk about, even though it’s my own fault, because I did write a record about a relationship,” she admits. “I don’t regret doing it at all; I just want to prove that I can write stuff that’s not about being a lazy, crazy baby [laughs].”

osentino is in a tour van riding through the ranges of Wyoming, making the nine-hour trek from Boulder, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah as the band continues their insanely hectic tour alongside Wavves and No Joy. It’s nothing new; since bursting onto the scene with the first Best Coast singles in 2009 the band has spent a huge amount of time on the road, even more since the release of debut album, Crazy For You, mid-last year. “I’m really good now,” Cosentino says of her adaption to life as a touring musician. “I had a lot of difficulties with it at first; I dealt with homesickness and feeling lonely and getting sick and tired all the time. Those things still happen, but I think I have better control on it now. Touring is really physically and emotionally draining and when you complain about it people want to jump all over you and tell you, ‘Fuck you, you don’t appreciate what you’re doing.’ But it’s not that at all – I am thankful every day for getting to do what I get to do. But it’s very tiring.” Cosentino has played music for the majority of her life and enjoyed a small amount of underground success with prolific drone-folk project Pocahaunted towards the end of last decade. But then, following an ill-fated decision to move from her native California to New York City to study, Cosentino began writing sweet and dark pop songs, enlisted fellow Pocahaunted member Bobb

Bruno and former Vivian Girls drummer Ali Koehler and Best Coast was born. Given their debut album is barely six months old, it has been a rapid rise to indie rock superstardom for the trio – a point not lost of Cosentino. “It’s been kind of like a whirlwind since it started. It started off very, very fast. The pace that everything has gone for us has been extremely quick and we still sometimes are like, ‘How did we get here? What’s going on? How are we doing some of the things that we’re doing?’ But at the end of the day we’re all really excited about it and I don’t think any of us would want to be doing anything else. I know if I wasn’t doing this I’d be working a retail job doing absolutely nothing, so this has kind of saved me from the life that I was kind of living before where I was just kind of lazily strutting through every day.” While her decision to move to New York City didn’t herald the results she had anticipated, it did give her a newfound appreciation for her home city. It’s an appreciation worn well and truly on the band’s sleeve. “Before I moved to New York I was living in LA and

everything was just a routine. There were things about [LA] that I didn’t notice and appreciate and it was kind of just like, ‘I’m sick of this place, I want something different,’ but then when I got to New York I was like, ‘This is not what I want, what I really want is just to be back home.’ I think that it is imperative for people if they’re feeling bored by the place that they live, or just bored with anything, to kind of distance yourself from it for a little bit and when you come back to it you really learn to appreciate it. “I think that I needed that time away from home. Spending that time experiencing seasons and all that stuff for the first time in my life really made me appreciate California more and that’s obviously why I named the band Best Coast, because it summed up the way I felt. I’m a big fan of California now as everyone knows,” she beams. Weather is clearly a huge influence on the band’s music. Nary a description of their sound exists that doesn’t espouse the word ‘sunny’ throughout. Likewise Cosentino’s obsession with cats, smoking weed and

Yes, that does mean planning for LP number two has begun. “A lot of the content of the songs are about the things I’ve come to realise about myself throughout this whole kind of [touring] process. When you’re in a van for eight or nine hours a day driving or you’re backstage with six other people, you spend a lot of time in your head, because you don’t have a lot of alone time. So you spend a lot of time thinking; you’re just sitting there staring at a wall, drinking a beer, which is the same thing you did last night and the night before last night and the night before that night and you spend a lot of time thinking about yourself and life and all that stuff. So the songs I’ve been writing are about those feelings that I’ve sort of discovered in these numb sort of trapped-in-a-van experiences.” Then there is the oldest cliché in contemporary music; the second-album slump. Is Cosentino anxious about having to live up to lofty expectations that Crazy For You set for her? “When the idea of a second record was presented to me and I realised it was something I was going to have to end up doing, I was like, ‘Shit, how am I gonna do it again? How am I gonna do it when there was so much positive feedback for the first record?’ I’m a human being, of course I doubt myself,” she admits. “But I’m also starting to realise that if I do a second record and it’s not as good as the first one or not reviewed as good as the first one, then it doesn’t fucking matter to me. If I‘m happy with something that I’ve made and if I make a record that I’m proud of then that’s what matters.” WHO Best Coast WHEN & WHERE Monday 7 March, Oxford Art Factory; Wednesday 9, Enmore Theatre

THE HERD RETURN FROM AN EXTENDED HIATUS FOR THEIR FIRST SYDNEY SHOW IN ALMOST TWO YEARS TO LAUNCH THEIR NEW SINGLE “THE SUM OF IT ALL” AS WELL AS MARKING THEIR 10TH YEAR OF EXISTENCE IN STYLE TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THEHERD.OZTIX.COM.AU and also at tickets.newworldartists.net, Oztix phonecharge 1300 762 545, www.oztix.com.au and all Oztix outlets Herd merchandise available now at www.elefanttraks.com

WITH SPECIAL GUEST JOELISTICS SATURDAY 9 APRIL FACTORY THEATRE • 44 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

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When have you had enough?

When you get a little loud?

When you’re on your ﬁfth shot?

When you fall down?

When you let down someone you love? www.whentosaywhen.com.au Call the Alcohol and Drug Information Service: 02 9361 8000 or 1 800 422 599 (outside Sydney)

THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 45 •

WAR STORIES

THE ART HAD A PRODUCTIVE 2010 AND ARE ABOUT TO GET BUSY ALL OVER AGAIN WITH A RUN OF EAST COAST SHOWS TO PROMOTE THEIR NEW RECORD. BRENT BALINSKI CAUGHT UP WITH FRONTMAN AZARIA AND BASSIST KJ FOR A COUPLE OF JUGS OF BEER AND SOME TALES FROM THE FRONT LINE.

many haters? Part of it probably has to do with jealousy – what rock fan wouldn’t be jealous of a band that had their first album produced by Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth? Or who had former Guns N’ Roses manager Vicky Hamilton as their booker when they lived in LA? Another part probably has to do with the attention Azaria has gained from gossip hacks, due to his appearance in the third series of Popstars, his relationship with one of The Veronicas and his high-profile and much talked-about disappearing act in late 2008. Azaria himself suggests that he’s always been up against it: “I think I’ve got a face that people who don’t know me dislike. Even growing up I found that people always had an opinion about me, because I’m quiet.” But the frontman and his bassist are sensible enough to not give two shits about what people think of them. “I’ve learned to deal with things,” suggests Azaria, while KJ has realised, “It’s really easy to write things that expose people on a more personal level… but I don’t think anyone in the band has anything against entertainment media.”

“T

he Pixies, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, 30 Seconds To Mars, Linkin Park, Them Crooked Vultures, the Big Day Out – pretty much being in our band the last year has been the best rock’n’roll college you could hope for,” enthuses KJ – aka Kara Jayne, the bassist and musical partner of vocalist/guitarist Azaria Byrne – and she can’t help but beam when reflecting on what has been a highly busy and successful period for Sydney-via-LA-via-Sydneyvia-Brisbane band The Art. Their list of supports and high-profile friends and supporters is the envy of many Sydney acts and there are a few punters who sneer involuntarily – whether from jealousy or something else – at the mere mention of the band, previously known as The Follow. The four-piece has found a stable lineup and overcome a series of dramatic setbacks and is just about ready to release its newie, Here Comes The War. The album comes after an 18-month writing period (though Azaria suggests pre-production may have been closer to three years), a rather ugly switch in producers, a tense 40-date US tour that ended with fights and drama and, of course, a bumper year of gigs in 2010. Recording the album with Manny Nieto (who has worked with Health among others), The Art (currently featuring Jak on guitar and Yoshi on drums) appreciated the fiery producer’s approach. “Originally we went over to America to record with Nick Launay. We did five songs with him. That got released in America, which was cool. Then Manny took us down a completely different direction, once again made our band kind of grow,” says Azaria. KJ explains that Manny was a big

fan of Steve Albini. “He didn’t even have any computers and did things manually. A great experience, but kind of frustrating for us because everything took so much time.” However, creative differences ensued. “When you get a gun pulled on you by a producer saying you’re not pronouncing words right it kind of creates a wall,” tells Azaria. “My mum’s Canadian and my dad’s Scottish so I’ve always pronounced things a little differently.” The band decided that Nieto’s approach wasn’t the ideal one, but the singer hastens to add there are no hard feelings and says he caught up with Nieto the last time he visited Los Angeles. Late 2009 saw The Art on the tour from hell, 40 US dates in a similar number of days, ending in Texas. On that very busy stretch (“We pretty much didn’t sleep,” says Azaria), in New York they met Chris “Frenchie” Smith (Dandy Warhols, …Trail Of Dead), with whom they shared a management company. KJ says, “The fact that we’re still a band owes [something to] Frenchie,” who was mixing a Jet record at the time and who followed The Art to Austin. “He saw a show of ours and just said, ‘Look, I’m a producer and I want to produce you guys.’ And we said we don’t have any money. He said, ‘I don’t care.’”

Austin saw the band about to disintegrate, with Azaria spitting beer at Jak and the two exchanging punches after a performance. “The band was stressed and fed up and tired,” remembers KJ. Frenchie stepped in and helped calm down a broke, pissed-off and slightly smelly bunch of musicians. “He managed to make us feel better after we’d been feeling pretty rough. He was like a little oasis for us… He took me shopping.” “He bought me socks,” Azaria adds. “We call him our rock’n’roll janitor! [laughs] He’s like The Wolf from Pulp Fiction.” Here Comes The War, which name refers to the moving/ stopping/destruction/negotiating/starting again nature of touring, was recorded at Smith’s Bubble Studios in Austin. Smith proved to be different in many ways from Nieto as a producer – and a better match for The Art. “Frenchie likes clean sounds and he had a whole studio that was very high tech in comparison,” says KJ. Azaria goes a little further. “Manny tried to take the approach of making everything basic in a beautiful, Joy Division kind of way, but my band isn’t Joy Division. Where Frenchie focused on an idea and often asked us to play better, busier parts and really pulled a lot out of us.” Azaria and co. don’t really expect everyone to love them or their new album. And why does the band have so

The first single from Here Comes The War is Step Inside, a radio-ready power ballad with sparkly, Cureish guitars, tasteful, minimal rhythm section work, tambourines that come in at just the right part in its verses and an epic chorus. Its music video was shot in Cairns, where Azaria spent part of his childhood. “If you see the clip, the waterfall is kind of a metaphor for love. It was at the biggest waterfall in Australia, the Barron Falls. And I am at the base of it – there’s no CGI, there’s no Green Room, it’s all very real,” Azaria explains. “It’s a metaphor for love – it can kill you but at the same time it’s very beautiful. It’s a metaphor for a certain kind of love.” And does he have a problem with listeners interpreting any of his love-related songs as being penned for, say, a member of a certain Top 40 act? Azaria smiles and – perhaps in a way that would irritate a few of his haters a little further – replies: “Which one? I’ve boned a few pop stars!” WHO The Art WHAT Here Comes The War (Silverback Records) WHEN & WHERE Wednesday, Great Northern Hotel Newcastle; Friday, Annandale Hotel; Wednesday 9 March, ANU Bar

YOU ARE INVITED OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN LAUNCH TOUR MUSIC PRODUCTION & RECORDING DEMONSTRATION To mark the launch of Steinberg’s Cubase 6 and Cubase Artist 6, the team from Yamaha Music Australia will be in-store for a workshop and Q&A session designed to demonstrate the impressive new feature set.

Wed 2 March - 7pm

Sat 19 March - 10:30am

Sat 19 March - 2pm

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Allans Music & Billy Hyde 228 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 www.allansmusic.com.au

Allans Music & Billy Hyde 130 Pyrmont Bridge Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050 www.allansmusic.com.au

• 46 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

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DRESS-UP SONGS

BUSKING THE CHARTS

IT SEEMS DE RIGUEUR THESE DAYS TO TAKE ALL MANNER OF MERCH WHEN YOU TOUR YOUR ALBUM, BUT ENGLISH SINGER GABBY YOUNG HAS GONE ONE STEP BEYOND. SHE CHATS TO MICHAEL SMITH ABOUT MUSIC AND CLOBBER.

WITHIN THREE YEARS OF BEING SIGNED, FORMER BUSKER PADDY CASEY WAS THE BIGGEST THING IN IRISH MUSIC. NOT THAT THERE WAS EVER ANY PLAN, AS MICHAEL SMITH DISCOVERS.

“W

abby Young originally released her debut album, We’re All In This Together, on her own independent label Gift Of The Gab, before it was picked up for a major distribution deal and re-released in September last year after it topped both Amazon UK’s folk and rock download charts. But the vibrant singer/ songwriter has been getting as much attention in the fashion pages as the music pages after opening her own clothing shop, Gabberdashery, the logical extension of which was including vintage clothing stalls as part of her concert tours. “I have so many friends that are creative and making wonderful things,” Young, sounding bright as a button on the line from her place near Hampstead Heath in north London, replies laughing, “and I really wanted to bring that to my audience, so yes, I started having stalls at my shows. That soon built up into my own pop-up boutique and there’s artware, there’s stuff to put in your hair, there’s jewellery; there are all sorts of accessories. So it’s really important to me that it’s all-encompassing – when you come to a show, you don’t just come for the music, you come for the whole experience.” Since on her forthcoming first visit to Australia Young will be travelling with just a guitar rather than her eight-piece band Other Animals, she won’t really be able to embellish her performances with anything more than her own theatricality. Her music is similarly allencompassing, embracing as it does elements of gypsy folk, pop, rock, jazz, cabaret and soul. “I’ve always had such an eclectic taste from a really early age and always been one of those kids that just wanted to find out as much music as possible, from any genre. I’ve never really sat down and thought, ‘Oh, I want to make an album that’s lots of different types of music.’ Every song I write is a different type of music because it’s just what I feel and it just happens. I feel like every song has its own sort of little life that comes out and starts its own journey and I don’t have that much control over it after a while. Hopefully people think that they go together and they all have

a nice journey together. I don’t know where they all come from. “Mainly my lyrics are autobiographical but I’m quite a drama queen, so I have quite theatrical feelings about my songs anyway. You know when you walk away from someone and you’re like, ‘I should have said that’? That always becomes a song.” The eclecticism was probably inevitable considering her father is a jazz buff and at 17 she was training to be an opera singer. “I’m quite a free spirit so the thought of doing opera became quite terrifying to me because it’s such a heavy discipline, you know. You can’t do anything else – you have to eat, sleep and drink it. So I started looking into other things and I was really inspired by Jeff Buckley, who had an operatic voice but did something completely different with it. “I was never very good at sticking to the notes on the page – I kind of added blues notes and things [laughs] – so it kind of made sense to me that I started to write my own notes to follow or not follow as I felt the need and I never ever stop with a song; it’s always a jumping off point to carry on and on. Even with this album, when we play these songs live, they’ve changed quite a bit already and I think that’s how songwriting began for me, because I wanted to see what I could do.” WHO Gabby Young WHAT We’re All In This Together (Other Tongues) WHEN & WHERE Wednesday, Raval

THE MC’S MC

“My whole thing is this – when I was doing my High Exhaulted stuff and I got burnt all those times, people would say shit about me as a person, which was unfair because they never got to know me in person. So I figured I’d give them an album which was basically like sitting in the room with me. Which, when you really get down to it, would be like listening to everything that happened to me.” The life and times of Nelson have indeed been emotional for the man behind the character, as he discusses in the open-wounded tracks, Forever And A Day – a tribute to the 2008 passing of MHz member Camu Tao (Tero Smith) – Confessional and Don’t Kill Me, the latter penned in prison. “If it were my last album I’d rather go out with people having a better understanding of me rather than just • 48 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

being some misogynistic cartoon character running around like, ‘Hittin’ on hoes and suck my dick,’ you know?” Nelson jokes, with an obvious serious undertone to his voice. “I want them to see the real me and give them reason to have to listen to my album. Then you can go, if you don’t like me, you don’t wanna fuck with me, or listen to me as a human being after this album – cool. At least give me that chance.” The critics don’t always get him, but hip hop has always shown him love. During 2010, The Life And Times… found Nelson residing in California and trading verses with MCs Crooked I (Slaughterhouse), Planet Asia, Dilated Peoples, Sean Price, Motion Man and his original MHz crew. The end result was strong on lyrics, beats and originality. “It was all good man, I got respect for everybody I worked with – I’m a fan of their craft. It was a pleasure to make some good classic real hip hop with them,” says Nelson, who considers his track with Crooked I to be the best union he’s had on the mic. “Me and Crooked I actually did Crooked Cop in the same studio. I’m a battle MC first and I’m all about lyrics first; that’s how I take to every song. I’m an MC’s MC and working with Crook, he’s on point.” Ranking Crooked I under Jay-Z and Eminem, Nelson admits, “When I was up in the studio with Crook I felt that anything can happen – the fucking depths we take each other. He is a killer MC and that was my favourite collab, ever!” WHO Copywrite WHEN & WHERE Sunday, Tone

As its title suggested, when Casey recorded Addicted To Company he similarly found himself with enough material for two albums and when he spoke to the media at the time, he was talking about releasing Part Two soon enough. It turns out that’s not going to happen – at least not any time soon. “The second part might come out in about five years though, or ten years maybe,” he states. The whole concept of time seems a pretty flexible one to Casey. For all his popularity – his second album, Living, became the biggest-selling album in Ireland in 2003, outselling U2, with whom he shares management – he’s never been one to rush out an album to capitalise on any success, having released just three albums since he

scored a deal back in 1998, when he was still essentially surviving as a busker. “I don’t know,” he admits. “I suppose a couple of things have happened between albums. Every time something weird happens in between. Between this album and the last I finished with my label. It wasn’t a big deal – it was quite friendly actually, the way they finished – so this one I’m putting out on my own, just to do it for once, just to try it.” Casey’s musical career might have ended before it had even started had he not been so determined to get out there and be a performer. “I started busking when I was 12 as well, two weeks after I got the guitar. I learned some Prince songs and, I don’t know, a few Smiths songs and U2 songs and I just went out. I was very shy but it’s what I wanted to do. I remember the first time, standing on the street, I actually fainted. I heard the first chord I strummed and it seemed like the loudest thing in the world and I felt like everyone turned round and looked at me but they didn’t – no one even noticed.” WHO Paddy Casey WHEN & WHERE Saturday, The Factory Theatre

SYDNEY IS ABOUT TO HOST ITS FIRST INTERNATIONAL GYPSY MUSIC FESTIVAL – KARAVAN! – AND ONE OF THE FEATURED INTERNATIONAL GUESTS ARE THE CZECH ROMA BAND GIPSY.CZ, WHO HAVE CREATED A NEW MUSICAL HYBRID – ROMANO HIP HOP. MICHAEL SMITH INVESTIGATES COURTESY OF RAPPER RADOSLAV BANGA.

The angst rapper came up in 1998 in the midwestern scene of Columbus, Ohio with his crew MegaHertz (MHz) and released a string of underground hits before finding ground with his debut LP, The High Exhaulted, in 2002 – a ‘battle on wax’ piece he refers to as “fascinating garbage”. With ill-minded punch lines and cocky whiteboy rhymes spat in a dark and sickening tone – too dark for most – reviewers trashed the MC’s underground career. Eight years on and keeping himself mixtape-heavy until the drop of his second release, Nelson wishes to be defined and remembered on his open-book narrative LP.

“I like all sorts of different music – it’s probably a bad thing, but I don’t really want to record the same song twice in the same way, you know? I really like what I’m doing now – I’m recording songs for their own sake on the day because I’m not thinking about whether it’s going to be a single or whatever. It’s definitely closer to what I would have done I suppose had I not got signed. I’ve always been a fan of Bob Marley and stuff, so I suppose I’ve always been slightly driven towards folk songs in that way, the way he writes folk songs. Right now I’m trying to leave my head open and let anything that kind of wants to come out, come out. I started writing songs before I started playing guitar, but to be honest with you I’m only really learning now how to do it.”

GYPSY BEATMASTERS

HIS LATEST RELEASE ALLOWS YOU TO SEE BEHIND THE CHARACTER THAT IS COPYWRITE. RIP NICHOLSON LIFTS THE MASK.

n the studio tapping out the early creases of a new MegaHertz album with producer RJD2, Jakki Da Motamouth and Tage Future, Copywrite’s Peter William Nelson rings into Drum to “give a little interview”, as he explains briefly to someone interrupting on the other end. His second album dropped at the close of 2010 and what unfolds on The Life And Times Of Peter Nelson is an enduring trip through a tumultuous period in Nelson’s personal affairs of late. Here the cartoonish Copywrite is shredded back to reveal the Peter Nelson alter ego experiment. “When it’s time to write that ignorant shit, that ridiculous shit – my metaphors and all that –Copywrite is a character and Peter Nelson is the person,” he explains.

ell, I think I’m working on the next three – by accident.” Paddy Casey is on a dodgy mobile in a car driving back to his home in Dublin after doing some recording with a friend – as a favour – and he’s talking about his own recording. It’s been more than three years since he released his last album, Addicted To Company (Part One), for which he won Best Male at the Irish Meteor Music Awards the same year it was released, 2007. “Well, it feels like that. There’s a few different kinds of songs coming out and I don’t think they belong together on the record, so maybe it’s two records.

n the line from Prague, capital of The Czech Republic, is the mastermind behind Gipsy.CZ, former street kid and rapper Radoslav Banga, who is explaining what prompted him to try fusing contemporary energy of hip hop with the vitality and exotic romance of gypsy music. “The idea came up with one single man; it was my friend [Czech gypsy violin player] Vojta Lavicka. In 2004, I released my first solo English album and there were just elements of gypsy traditional music and my plan was to have somebody playing live on the violin or guitar on my shows. But after that, on a stage, when we have seen how well it worked together, the deep connection between Roma music and hip hop is possible and we realised it should be amazing to continue in this idea. “To be honest, many people think the idea came, boom, abracadabra, but it’s not true. It was very difficult, how to find the ideal combination – but after six years we have found it. So the first album, [2006’s] Romano Hip Hop was like a flash – we couldn’t believe how it sounds! We just recorded the violin, the guitars and the beat and when we heard it we didn’t believe it was us. We said to ourselves, ‘What is it? It’s not hip hop, it’s not gypsy music, it’s something completely new’.” And they continue, now as Gipsy.CZ – with the CZ of course denoting Czech – rather than continuing under Banga’s name, with the album becoming the first Czech album to make the top ten in the European World Music Charts the following year. A second album (Reprezent) followed in 2008 and the band has been invited not only to world music festivals across Europe, but also the prestigious Glastonbury festival, as well as being invited to collaborate with Gogol Bordello. “I was a hip hop artist since I was thirteen,” Banga continues. “So before Gipsy.CZ, I was in the deep

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underground Czech hip hop music here in Prague – I had a band which was strictly hip hop – but, you know, after ten years, when you are a musician and you have ears, when you hear the tones and all the chords, you start to be very bored of hip hop. But of course, you’re talking about a message, you know – hip hop music is about message from a culture, from the street, from a race, from your individual present inside of you – so of course I had to keep it in the lyrics. “We are very political. Sometimes our lyrics are very radical, some are ironical, but everything we say, it’s coming up from the street – it’s still the street music. The real spirit of hip hop comes from the street. I’m not talking about being like some MC – I’m talking about a real life transformation into the rift. So I’m speaking as a gypsy, I’m speaking as a Roma growing up in the Prague streets. I’m talking about the person who knows how it feels when somebody is a racist; I know how it can hurt you. So it’s still very personal, still very realistic, deep, radical, still very hip hop. “But, it has to have some limit, so on the gypsy scene, the limit is to be very ironical. So the first verse, you are trying to be very serious but in the second verse you’re trying to be very, very funny, because that’s what the life of a gypsy is about. Gypsy energy – we are either trying to be very melancholic or celebrating, very drunk! That’s why I’m trying to keep the beat very fast – hip hop beat isn’t that fast.” WHO Gipsy.CZ WHEN & WHERE Friday, Factory Theatre

68 INTERNATIONAL BANDS, 800+ BANDS AND CREW ON THE ROAD, 10 DAYS, 5 FESTIVALS, 48 SIDESHOWS Themusic.com.au takes you backstage at Soundwave (Brisbane) to catch up with your favorite artists Hit themusic.com.au on Monday and check out all the action. SATURDAY S ATURDAY 26 26 BRISBANE, BRISBANE, R RNA NA S SHOWGROUNDS HOWGROUNDS - SOLD OUT! SUNDAY 27 27 SYDNEY, SYDNEY, SYDNEY SYDNEY SHOWGROUND SHO OWGROUND - Sydney Sydney O Olympic lympic P Park ark SUNDAY F RIDAY 4 M ELBOURNE, S HOWGROUNDS - SOLD OUT! FRIDAY MELBOURNE, SHOWGROUNDS S ATURDAY 5 A DELAIDE, BONYTHON BONYTHON P PARK ARK SATURDAY ADELAIDE, M ONDAY 7 P ERTH, C LAREMONT SHOWGROUND SHOWGROUND MONDAY PERTH, CLAREMONT

themusic.com.au - powered by Street Press Australia Streaming exclusive album previews… a taste of things to come.

LAUNCHING 2011 For information on sideshow tickets go to www.soundwavefestival.com THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 49 •

SHOCK JOKER

DUBBIN’ OUT

FULL-TIME BRINGER OF CONTROVERSY MICKEY AVALON SPEAKS TO ROB BROWNE AHEAD OF THE ROCKING RAPPER’S NEW EP. WELL-MANNERED PEOPLE, DO NOT READ ON…

GROWING UP WITH A PASSION FOR REGGAE AND AFROBEAT HAS GIVEN THE STRIDES A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO THE DAY JOB SOME MEMBERS ARE BETTER KNOWN FOR. MICHAEL SMITH GETS TO THE DUB OF IT ALL WITH NICK GARBUTT.

t has been said that 21st century popular music severely lacks the larger-than-life personalities that once defined the culture. The Mick Jaggers, Bon Scotts and Ozzy Osbournes of the world have been largely replaced with bland, disposable artists who will inevitably be forgotten over time. However, it seems that Hollywood glam-rapper Mickey Avalon is a cut from the old crop of rock stars and drug abusers, making a name for himself as one of modern music’s most intriguing and crazy characters. The 35-year-old Mickey Avalon, born Yeshe Perl, never had the typical middle-class, white-American upbringing. His dad battled heroin addiction for a large portion of his life and his mum sold weed as a way to make ends meet. Avalon married a teenage bride, had a daughter at the age of 20 and then became addicted to heroin just like his father. Avalon’s previous life as a male gigolo has been well documented, not only by the media but also as a constant source for his lyrics. So how does Avalon feel about that stage of his life compared to his musical life now? “Shit, music is a bigger prostitution than that; I never got out of it! I just… now I just really get it. Now I just make music for a pimp. But, nah, I left my record label because they were a pimp that just took too much,” Avalon laughs as the distinct sound of a suspicious tailor being lit and inhaled resonates down the line. Avalon’s personal journey and colourful past are frequently exposed in his comedic and often graphic rap songs and it’s largely what made him such a hit with fans around the globe. Of course his extremely honest lyrics with strong sexual themes have often seen him make enemies, with the artist sometimes even being accused of using controversy as a promo tool. “I don’t chase it, but, you know, whatever. If people are talking then it’s good, right? People are paying attention. So you know… I’m just myself. I can only be myself – I don’t know how to be anybody else. My mum said that the filter between my brain and my mouth is broken, so [hesitates] I just say what’s on my mind but, no, I don’t look for controversy.”

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As the sound of the lighter flicks again and Avalon struggles to talk with a mouth full of smoke, it’s clear that he’s extremely content with the position he’s in. “I’m just happy that I have a job. I can support myself; I can take care of my daughter. You know, I get to go to Australia every fucking year, like… I don’t really know how to do anything else. So it’s not like it’s either this or some other fancy job. It’s like this or minimum wage shit, so it’s a good situation.” Knowing Avalon’s reputation as a party animal and womaniser, it would seem stupid not to ask about the craziest incident of late. “Um… a girl asked me if I was gonna fuck her in the ass. [The girl said,] ‘You’re gonna fuck me in the ass after the show, right?’ and I’d just met her. And, ah, I was kind of drunk and was like, ‘Ah, alright.’ But she actually wasn’t that hot. She wanted me to fuck her in the ass ‘cause she was on the rag, so I dunno if that’s so strange or crazy, more just straightforward and abrupt,” he explains matter of factly. He played a string of sold-out shows on the east coast of Australia last year, and Avalon reckons “I’m ready to get down, have fun and do the deed… And I’m bringing a four-song EP, so it’s called Back On Top and it’s coming right now, so you don’t need to wait ‘til the record.” WHO Mickey Avalon WHEN & WHERE Saturday, The Forum

e all sort of just love that music,” explains Strides trumpeter Nick Garbett who, with tenor saxophonist Jeremy Rose, guitarist Matt Smith and drummer Al Hicks, all grew up together in the Illawarra and, after various other musical adventures both here and overseas, came together about five years ago to form the core of the now ten-piece band. “It’s quite a sophisticated kind of groove, in both reggae and Afrobeat. It’s something that makes you feel great to listen to.” With saxophonist Matt Ottignon, keyboards player Danny Pliner, bass player Rory Brown and percussionist Fabian Hevia filling out the musical side of things, it only took meeting singer Ras Roni, who came to Sydney from Barbados via London a few years ago, plus Fijian MC Ltl Gzeus, to complete the line-up, which released its eponymous debut in 2009. Writing reggae and Afrobeat with any authority demands a very different approach to composition to that which Garbutt, Pliner and Rose for instance might take in their incarnation as jazz musicians. “I think it all comes back to the bass line; especially in reggae, the bass line is the melody and everything comes from there – the groove and all the other melodies, the vocal melodies, the horn melodies all kind of refer back to that bass line. A lot of the writing just comes from a long time playing together. But Afrobeat and reggae are totally different styles. Jeremy comes up with a lot of the more Afrobeat songs and Al, our drummer, played in Afrobeat bands in New York, so those two guys bring their knowledge on that side of things. “We wanted to keep this [second] album [Reclamation], not primarily but strongly instrumental, because we’re really about that too. With this album – and it’s sort of where the title comes from – we wanted to bring back to our music the aspects that we feel are important in that sort of music, in groove music. So we went down the [south] coast to this place called Umbi Gumbi,

which is one of the tracks on the album. It’s a house on this property down near Bermagui and we just spent a week fishing, surfing; doing all the things we’ve always done which have always excited us to play music. We just hung out as mates and jammed so a lot of the songs were completed down there, spending a week in paradise.” They then chose two of the eight cuts they’d recorded – Stormclouds and Fresh Lady – and gave them the deep dub remix makeover. “Those two tracks just lent themselves – there were others that were already kind of dubby – and they were both tracks that we wanted a dub sound on, but we also wanted to keep them as songs. So we compromised, kept the original tracks and then dubbed them right out as well. Live we don’t really go down the full dub path – you need to have a really good live producer out the front to do good dub live; we keep it a bit more raw, but we just love that music. “We had an amazing engineer/producer, Mike Burnham, at the studio we worked at, Tardis Studios in Marrickville. He’s done a lot of that stuff and is a huge reggae-head. He had the gear – he has a big old 48-track Neve desk and all the analogue echo machines and delays – so he did his thing on it. But we didn’t want the album to become too eclectic either. We still wanted it to sound like us playing.” WHO The Strides WHAT Reclamation (Earshift/Fuse) WHEN & WHERE Wednesday, Macquarie Hotel; Friday, Notes; Saturday, Heritage Hotel

ENROL TO VOTE. BE HEARD ON 26 MARCH. The State Election is on Saturday, 26 March 2011. To be heard, you must be correctly enrolled. If you’ve changed address, you will need to update your enrolment. Or if you’ve turned 18 or become an Australian citizen, you’ll need to enrol to vote for the ﬁrst time. REMEMBER VOTING IS COMPULSORY.

To check your enrolment, update your address details or enrol, visit www.votensw.info or call 1300 135 736. For enquiries in languages other than English, call our interpreting service on 13 14 50. Hearing or speech impaired? Call us via the National Relay Service on 13 36 77.

YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE. BE HEARD. Authorised by Colin Barry, Electoral Commissioner, Level 25, 201 Kent Street Sydney, NSW, 2000. • 50 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

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MURPHY’S LAW

FROM LITTLE THINGS

MELBOURNE MUSICIAN NICK MURPHY TELLS DANIELLE O’DONOHUE HE’S HITTING SHUFFLE ON THE IPOD IN THE TOUR BUS AND FINALLY HEADING NORTH AGAIN.

IT’S THE SMALL THINGS THAT INTRIGUE MELBOURNE SINGER/ SONGWRITER D. ROGERS, BUT, AS MICHAEL SMITH DISCOVERS, IT’S THE DETAIL THAT OFTEN INFORMS THE BIG PICTURE.

t’s been a long time since former Anyones guitarist Nick Murphy has stepped out on a Sydney stage. In fact, Murphy’s last album, Breaking The Light, was released in 2006 and he’s hasn’t really played here since. That will change this week, with the launch show for his new album, What’s In Your Mind?. Murphy began recording the album with famous producer Johnathan Burnside in a studio in Melbourne, but after he began work, Murphy realised that the album being made wasn’t the album he was hoping for. So the singer/songwriter cut his losses, returned home to the burgeoning creative suburb of Coburg in Melbourne’s north and made the album himself. “It’s weird the creative process,” Murphy admits. “You’ve got to be happy obviously. You want to finish something you’re happy with and I wasn’t happy with the way these other tracks were coming out. I loved them live, but just in the recordings they sounded like another, I don’t know, power pop band or something. I wanted to make something with a bit more of a closer relationship with the listener; something a bit more me for this time of my life.” What Murphy has come up with is a blend of power pop, country, psychedelic rock and most points in between. It is, like Murphy suggests, an intimate and cohesive listen, whether enveloping you late at night in a lounge room lit by candles or in concentrated headphone form. Though Murphy’s band has ditched the name they used on the last album, Shylo – and though this is most definitely Murphy’s project – the Melbourne musician is looking forward to sharing the stage again and is in the process of turning the lush album sounds into a live set. “To do it justice you could bring like eight musicians on the road and then sometimes some of those eight musicians would be not playing something for a while and then come back on, but these guys [I play with] are great. It makes it more of a special show really. For me it’s all about reproducing the album live and doing it in a way that makes them shine.” Considering the wide range of styles Murphy uses to

• 52 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

make his music, it’s no surprise his taste is fairly eclectic. Recent favourites include Deerhunter, Bon Iver and Ariel Pink, while his favourite way of listening to music is the iPod shuffle. “It was actually Myf Warhurst, who has a massive collection of music, but was saying, ‘I’m bored with my collection.’ I said, ‘I bet you’ve got amazing stuff and I would suggest you do the shuffle.’ And she said, ‘Shuffle? What’s that?’ You’ve gotta do the shuffle man. It’s like your own kind of radio station. It chooses it for you. Let’s just see what happens. And sometimes it’s crap and you don’t want to listen, so you fast forward it onto the next one, but sometimes it’s weird how much it feels like a coincidence that it plays what you want to listen to.” For Murphy, who started his musical career over 15 years ago, technology is the key to being able to be a DIY musician. “What’s happening these days is the technology is so amazingly accessible. Most people are recording at home and have a good set-up. You can do really good things. There are not those constraints of high studio recording bills. You can just do it at your own leisure and you’ve got your own canvas to paint on.” Murphy pauses for a moment before letting out a hearty chuckle, “Which, in my case, is a crappy old 2002 PC.” Technology indeed. WHO Nick Murphy WHAT What’s In Your Mind? (Other Tongues) WHEN & WHERE Thursday, Raval

he clue is in the titles to some of the songs on this fourth album, Natural Disasters, from D. Rogers (the D. stands for Dave, who first came to public notice in the late ‘90s in a band called Klinger). Titles like Food And Electricity and Pay To Pay, all the little niggly things that seem to gang up on us all to get in the way of the hopes and dreams, the passions and aspirations that we carry with us as we enter the baffling world of growing up. “That’s kind of exactly what I was thinking about when I wrote it,” Rogers explains. “That’s kind of what the title refers to is the fact that as you go through life yourself, these hopes and dreams you had when you were young get whittled away – that’s the kind of disaster I’m talking about I suppose. “I take songwriting really seriously and it’s really important to me to write about the things that I know and the things that I see. I’ve never really been interested in grand sweeping statements of love or life with songwriting. I just try and get across what I see and am going through, so in some ways whatever I write is going to be about smaller things. It’s part of me trying to understand it as much as anything.” Like so many others, he decided to have a crack at a solo career, releasing his first album The 14th Turn in 2004, ‘Neath The Dark Of Fuses Blown followed in 2006 and Sparks On The Tarmac in 2009. “Those albums have maybe been too low energy,” Rogers suggests. “I think I took the slow song option, ‘cause that’s what comes really easily, but I also wanted to write something that was musically up but lyrically down if you know what I mean [laughs]. I record at home alone, so it’s definitely what they sounded like – a guy in a room hunched over a laptop – but this album, I really wanted it to sound like a band. In some ways, I really feel putting it out under this D. Rogers moniker is probably not exactly right anymore because it feels so much more like a band.” Sparks On The Tarmac, while still recorded at home on the laptop, was coproduced by Boom Crash Opera

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guitarist Peter Farnan. “I’d always recorded and mixed stuff myself and as a result it kind of had that lo-fi bedroom kind of sound, but working with Pete on that album I learnt so much – he’s brilliant but he’s cruel, but for good reason. He asks those hard questions that when you work by yourself you stop asking. All through making this album I could hear his voice in my head asking me, ‘Are you happy with that?’ or ‘Why is there no second verse here?’ He gave me the confidence to go forward and make an album that I’m really, really proud of.” Joining Rogers in that room with the laptop are singer and guitarist Emma Heaney from Gorgeous and drummer Dave Kleynjans from Groundswell and Knievel, with the live line-up augmented by additional guests featured on the album, multi-instrumentalist Amy Bennett and bass player Glenn Arnup. Just by the by, if you listen closely to track three, Pay To Pay, you’ll hear this sort of high, modulated beeping kind of sound. Older readers might spot it as the now obsolete communication medium, Morse Code. “No one has picked up on that,” Rogers admits. “This might take the romance out of it, but it’s saying, ‘This is the second verse’ in Morse Code [laughs]. When I listen to albums I like stuff like that. I like something that’s a little bit under the surface.” WHO D. Rogers WHAT Natural Disasters (Popboomerang) WHEN & WHERE Saturday, Raval

ALEXANDER NEW SOLO ALBUM

- ALEXANDER EXCLUSIVE PRE-RELEASE STREAM ONLINE NOW Alexander, AKA Alexander Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, follows his band’s whirlwind Australian tour with the release of his debut self-titled solo album. During breaks from Magnetic Zeros over the past year, Alexander began building the songs for this album alone in his bedroom. From guitar and organ to clarinet and violin, there isn’t a single sound on the ten track album that Alexander didn’t perform himself. Inﬂuences cited for the solo project include Mungo Jerry, Zip A Dee Do Da and children’s clapping game Patty Cake.

ALEXANDER by ALEXANDER is released Friday 25 February.

WITH ROSS CLELLAND

THE STROKES Under Cover Of Darkness RCA/Sony What to make of a band already talking down their long-awaited reunion album? Are the rifts that deep? Or merely the cold feet of insecurity? The first sample doesn’t really add insight. The trebly and nervy guitar lines are familiar, as is the New York yarl and whine of the vocals. Suppose we’ll have to wait for the album to see if they are doing Strokes-by-numbers on auto-pilot, forcing it out, or just getting used to each others’ musical and/or personal development. Or maybe they’ll just have a fist fight on stage.

WAGONS Downlow Spunk And if The Strokes are maybe having to work hard to be themselves, Henry and his eponymous collective are working with a higher level of public awareness than previously. And maybe a bigger budget. Thus, there’s a lot going here. Sure, there are still the country underpinnings, and his own lugubrious tones. But wait, there’s more. From somewhere between early ‘80s Nick Lowe and a hint of The Gurus’ Bittersweet, the result is a grand thing you might be able to take home to your family.

LIME CORDIALE Say It Independent The perhaps odd choice as Chris Bailey’s support in his intimate little studio affair the other week being somewhat lighter in tone to the sometime Saint’s gleefully surly musings. But please, please, please don’t call yourself ‘quirky’. That makes you sound like a novelty act. What they actually are – with somewhat askance lyrics, occasional outbreaks of brass, some percussive sidetracks and production by Iva Davies of all people – more resembles some architecture in the outer suburbs of Helsinki.

ATTACK! ATTACK!

BAYSIDE

BRITISH SEA POWER

Hassle/Shock

Wind Up/EMI

Rough Trade/Remote Control

The Latest Fashion

Killing Time

Not to be confused with Attack Attack! – who are from the United States and have one fewer exclamations in their title – this Welsh quartet sound as though they listened to Panic! At The Disco’s (there’s another band with that dog’s dick of punctuation in its name) A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out and very little else when they wrote The Latest Fashion. The album’s title is a misnomer, as it sounds like it came straight from a top 40 countdown circa 2006. There’s nothing that’s “latest” about it. And it’s damn near impossible to believe that singer Neil Starr’s whine isn’t an American one. Attack! Attack! have things in common sonically with their countrymen Lostprophets, and the angsty, ridiculous singing on this should appeal to any unhappy middle-teen who wants to sing along to lyrics that could have easily come from poems they themselves have written in their diary (“Has anybody seen me lately? I’ve been missing now for so long and I can’t seem to find myself.”) This sort of music has its place, sure – and that place is on the iPod playlists of girls who enjoy reading paranormal romance novels. Producer/engineer/mixer Romesh Dodangoda has done a masterful job slapping these outpourings of middleof-the-road high school angst into a format that would suit Nova FM or a similar station. The cleanliness and burnish-and-quantize-it-until-it-all-sounds-the-same production aesthetic is absolutely spot on for the genre. The most amazing thing about this album is that this band is not from the United States.

Bayside have always been on the verge, a punk band with a tragic past and the potential to have a really strong future. Killing Time, their fifth studio album, delivers with a tightly honed, blistering wallop. Ideally this album would’ve come out five or six years ago when bands like Alkaline Trio, My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy where making sure this brand of bleeding heart, emo rock was at the forefront of everyone’s consciousness. But just because metalcore is the current genre de jour doesn’t make this album any less addictive or well executed. A big part of what makes this album surely has to be down to producer Gil Norton. Norton has been responsible for albums by Foo Fighters, The Pixies and Jimmy Eat World, so he seems particularly good at producing this kind of sugary sweet – but at the same time muscley – rock. The Queens four-piece veer between violent and bitter Alkaline Trio-esque musings on love gone wrong (Sick, Sick, Sick) and sweet, almost Ben Folds-esque tenderness (On Love, On Life), with detours through Weezer and Saves The Day territory in between. It’s been almost six years since drummer John Holohan was killed in a van accident while the band was touring their second, self-titled album and it’s the kind of setback that most bands would never recover from, but Bayside, perhaps partly in tribute to their former drummer, have stayed the course and become the band that a lot of people knew they could be. Killing Time is more than enough reason to check this band out at Soundwave.

Valhalla Dancehall

Whilst British Sea Power’s 2009 Man of Aran saw the band ambitiously attempt to score a 1934 silent film, it was not the follow-up to their critically acclaimed album, Do You Like Rock Music?, that fans might have hoped for. It has now been three years since BSP delivered Do You Like Rock Music? and whilst it is difficult for Valhalla Dancehall to live up to these expectations, British Sea Power just may have delivered their most innovative and coherent album yet. The ‘90s indie rock of Who’s In Control opens the album and the anthemic chorus ensures the song will be archetypal fist-punching fodder for summer festivals across the world. Whilst British Sea Power at times resemble a slightly more brutish Arcade Fire, their ability to create a pop rock number like Stunde Null, which is luminescent in its melody and pulsating beat, sets them apart as a band truly in their own league. Yet the contrasting balladry of Georgie Ray and the shoe-gaze shimmering of Luna marks this album as one of contrasts. It is the work of a band unafraid to explore different genres outside of their comfort zone. The 11-minute opus and highlight of the album is undoubtedly the electronic kraut rock pilgrimage, Once More Now, which is a modern rock overture. British Sea Power, for all their kookiness and overzealous press gimmicks, may have just released the album that revives the indie world’s once rabid fascination with them.

Brent Balinski

Danielle O’Donohue

Denise Granse

CLOUD NOTHINGS

DEAF WISH

FEFE

Rogue Records /Inertia

Radio Records

Cartell Music

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS Damn These Vampires Merge/Remote Control As above, let’s dispense with ‘quirky’. It’s much preferable to head straight to ‘happily eccentric’, for that’s certainly more interesting. John Darnielle is proof. Taking a lead from a perfectly cheap George Romero horror flick, he rages (gently) against the dying of the light – even though he might not need to. The drums skitter as the thoughts and doubts flail about. And in welcome turnabout, we’re warned this is not typical of the whole upcoming album but merely one view from and to it. Long may they remain idiosyncratic.

LANEOUS & THE FAMILY YAH Scissors Creative Vibes To be followed by Paper, and thence Rock (really). Building reputation and audience in the olde worlde manner of playing all the summer festivals they could inveigle their way onto, L&TFY are into the mainstream of the alternative – airplay in all the acceptable places. They are also somewhat adaptable and adjustable, this pushing a floaty pseudo-soul and harmony element, while those later elemental EPs will get more indie and punky and hippity-hoppity in various degrees. Which one is more representative remains to be seen.

KHANCOBAN Until It Takes You Over Departed Sounds Always more than the merely folky band some may have decided they are. There is a new realisation in this first sample of an album still some months away. But there is a richness, and their own namechecking the likes of Calexico does make more sense in the context of this. There are layers of guitars and noise, but the distinct Australian heat haze remains, making them something individual. This rises and maintains a drama to it, without ever overselling it. Many have great hopes for this band, and well they should.

Oh the pressure of being touted as the next best thing. Time will tell if Cloud Nothings (Dylan Baldi) will become as popular as many say he should be but in terms of the ‘is he any good?’ question the answer is yeah, the 19 year old kid from Cleveland who draws from Wavves, The Strokes and R.E.M. has the magic touch in many respects.

Deaf Wish kind of sound like Mystik Spiral. For the unaware, Mystik Spiral (but they’re thinking of changing the name) is the band fronted by Trent Lane, the archetypal slacker with rock dreams in the ‘90s MTV cartoon show, Daria. And if there is any song I bet Lane wishes he had written, it would be the intense, guttural rip of Elementary School.

Baldi keeps things on a lo-fi tip from most of this album with trebly, fuzzed-out vocals and a heady rush of drums forming much of his sound. He is a dab hand at superhooky melodies that dance all over his songs of teen issues generally centred around relationship problems. Understand At All sets the tone with its jerky, punk pop rhythms that segue seamlessly into Not Important, that has an ‘80s US punk feel to it but is smeared with much more chiming, ‘get inside your head’ moments.

Lucky for Deaf Wish that they are absolutely more than a two-dimensional band, especially in their soundscapes. For every knockout, brash rock song on Mercy there’s a scorching come-down, like the grim spine-tingling sensations of Not By Myself. Sarah Hardiman is a chameleonic singer; tortured, swooning and screeching, she shifts between guises with no trouble. It’s the female voice that places Deaf Wish on a level above their contemporaries. That and the sharp shock delivery they apply to each and every song. If there ever was a time to point out all killer, no filler, this would be it. A 12-track record with numerous songs that don’t tick into two minutes means lean listening, and it does the record better for it. The music Deaf Wish make could be an extended, improvised jam of psych riffs and disparate time signatures but their ability to edit back to the bare bones of songs makes the experience all the richer. Depth is found in tunes like The Way It Is, as voices seem to battle for harmony against a guitar riff that seems to be playing from the other side of the room. Mercy is a record for those seeking sonic bravado married with raw vocal emotion.

Most songs are around the three-minute mark, which serves his songs well given their straightforward structures and tendency to focus on only a few central musical ideas. Should Have and the standout You’re Not That Good At Anything repeat their infectious choruses multiple times until they stick in your head for the rest of the day. Also recently re-released is a collection of earlier songs, Turning On, that shows he hasn’t strayed far from those earlier songs. The same jangle and sugar rush is there albeit in a more primitively recorded form. It will be interesting to see how he progresses from here, either retaining the charm of his rougher moments or tidying up his sound. Chris Familton

• 54 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

Mercy

Cloud Nothings

Sevana Ohandjanian

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Jeune A La Retraite I wish I had listened a little more in my French classes at school. Fefe is a melodic rapper who combines some great genres to come up with his own brand of hip hopmeets-pop music. Even if you don’t understand French the album has a joyous effect with its energetic playing and great studio production. The French language has never sounded better in the hands of a hip hop artist. There is a certain element of English hip hop evident on tracks like C’est comme ca, where the instrumentation lends itself to a soul feel. Its street savvy without being indulgent. On the other hand, tracks like Clichés, ironically, given the title, take more risks using elements of hip hop with a pop sensibility. Even on a laid-back track like Miss Wesh Wesh Yo there is a sense of burning energy, as if Fefe can’t get enough said in the structure of a song. Perhaps the best moments are when a reggae inflection creeps in. Cherche is a rapping reggae tune that certainly makes a mark, with Sir Samuel as guest rapper. Some of the production here is cutting-edge, using cut-up samples and beats to accentuate the Fefe’s rapping cycles. Overall there is enough variation here to keep the whole thing alive, with an abundance of interesting instruments and harmonies. One of the best tracks, which uses a choir behind Fefe’s vocal, is VPC, a wonderful song that has a great community feel behind it. If you want to hear something out of the ordinary then let Fefe grab your imagination. This amalgam if hip hop and soul genres is perfect for opening up the dance floor and the mind. Sebastian Skeet

In the Pines, and it’s here that one truly appreciates the fact that Race has perhaps created the opus which will define his long career. Denise Granse

FACT FILE Length: 8 tracks, 28 minutes. Moods: Raw, dark and morose.

JUPITER MENACE

LANU

Independent

Tru Thoughts/Inertia

DID YOU KNOW

Her 12 Faces

Jupiter Menace

Starting out as very young, shameless though not-halfbad AC/DC/Deep Purple rip-offs, Powerage replaced a couple of members and changed their name to Jupiter Menace mid-last year. As Powerage, they did remarkably in 2008’s Global Battle of The Bands, played Acca Dacca covers on The Footy Show and generally made anybody who saw their music video for Let’s Jam remark, “How cute! Look at that School of Rock band, and that chubby little singer in his bandanna.” That was then, this is slightly later. Jupiter Menace have fallen in love with 30 Seconds to Mars and Paramore, and it shows. They still bang out above-average riff rawk tunes, but songs such as opener, Break These Chains blend syrupy, layered guitars that seem lifted straight from Josh Farro’s notebook. And it’s pretty catchy most of the time. The lyrics are silly, but it’s hard to write anything that people will take seriously when you’re 16 or so. “This is the take down! I’m going to bring you down!” No you’re not, you’re going to brush your teeth and go to bed or it’s no TV for a week.

Better known as Lance Ferguson of The Bamboos, under the alias Lanu comes the release of his second solo album, Her 12 Faces. Dreamy. Pop. Electronic. Soul. Funk. All these describe Lanu’s music, but it’s not really enough. Words simply don’t cut it when it comes to compositions by Lanu. Her 12 Faces is a sonic opus that must be heard to truly understand. Five of the 12 faces feature Australian golden girl, Megan Washington. The single, Beautiful Trash, opens the album and Washington’s indie/pop vocals are a great addition to Lanu’s unique style. His ability to eloquently mix funk beats with dreamy indie pop makes for a stylistic experiment like no other. Two of the Washingtonvoiced tracks, Fall and Wire, are definite highlights on the album, the former being a sentimental treasure that would definitely be lacking without Washington’s storytelling vocal talent and sees Lanu stepping back, with a more simplistic approach, easy beats and dreamy samples, with Washington’s wistful pop vocals to heighten the mood.

But for all the silliness, and there’s quite a bit, these guys are musicians, and pretty solid ones. The stabs and harmonising, for example, in the chorus of Runaway are fantastic and though these kids have some decent chops, they’re always deployed in the service of the songs. Some day Jupiter Menace will grow into their own sound instead of sounding like a mishmash of classic rock and modern-day power pop. Until then, they’re doing a good job making radio-ready songs with silly lyrics and big choruses. Good luck to ‘em.

Of course, Lanu’s solo instrumentals are highlights for what the lack of vocals does for the music. The Coral Route takes you away to an island paradise, with the Hawaiian steel guitar and tropical sonic samples. The instrumentals have a way of emoting images and feelings that vocals never can. 1988 creates a sexy, ‘80s dance image, while Jean Paul creates a laid-back, pensive impression. Perfectly executed, this mix of indie pop and funk and everything in between will break new ground for Lanu, leaving him still to be the “Aussie King of deep funk” and so much more.

Brent Balinski

Christine Caruana

HUGO RACE Fatalists

Other Tongues Melbourne native and now international tourist Hugo Race has released an LP that not only reassures the world of his prolific nature but also the depth of talent, vision and mesmerising songcraft of which he is capable. Hugo Race’s history as a member of the Bad Seeds and The Wreckery has often bound his name to the Melbourne mafia or simply as one of Nick Cave’s lackeys, yet on Fatalists he has revealed his penchant and undoubtable knack for writing death ballads which, whilst lying in the realm of traditional folk, exude a morose and at times fragile sonic quality. Whilst the solo work of Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Rowland S. Howard and Hugo Race all share aesthetic and aural similarities, they also are highly individual works from unique and creative figures.

• Fatalists was recorded in a rural Italian villa and Race was unable to participate during much of the recording. “Because most of the songs I had for Fatalists were about death, this seemed a fitting background, and for the duration of the recording sessions I was laid-up with a fever in a room adjacent to the studio. I could hear the band tracking my songs but couldn’t participate. So the sessions were really produced by Antonio and the other Fatalists, and they gave the songs a different slant,” says Race. • Hugo Race is the creative visionary behind Helixed Productions, which represents his projects across varied collaborations such as the industrial blues pioneers True Spirit, sparse rockers Dirtmusic, experimental pop group Sepiatone, the multimedia musical project Merola Matrix, the electro-acoustic instrumental Between Hemispheres and cult alt punk band The Wreckery. • In the 1986 Richard Lowenstein film Dogs In Space – which was loosely based on Melbourne band The Ears – Hugo Race had an acting role alongside Michael Hutchence, who was playing the drug-addicted frontman of the band from which the movie takes its name. The impressive soundtrack featured songs from Michael Hutchence, Iggy Pop, Brian Eno, Gang Of Four, Boys Next Door and Thrush And The Cunts among others.

The quasi-murder ballad feel of Call Her Name opens proceedings and sets the tone for the album: the minimalist folk guitar is indebted to John Fahey yet it’s the haunting drawl of Race’s voice and his ability to narrate a story through song that makes it a captivating opening gambit. Too Many Zeros is a depressive work that’s as close to a pop song as Hugo Race gets on this collection. The swamp balladry of Serpent Egg is akin to The Devastations’ later work and is truly the highlight for it exposes Hugo Race as a true craftsman in his ability to transform a well-worn style into a unique statement. As the album nears its close Race explores the traditional

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THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 55 •

ONLINE MUSICAL WIN WITH DCR

PENNY & THE MYSTICS

THE GET UP KIDS

THE WARRIORS

Independent/MGM

Quality Hill/Other Tongues

Victory/Riot!

Penny & The Mystics COLIN STETSON This past week has been met with a new song from The Strokes (Under Cover Of Darkness) and a new album from Radiohead (The King Of Limbs). Since at time of writing this column Radiohead’s album isn’t in our hands, we’ll leave any mention of it to the future. So to The Strokes. Most of you have probably heard the single by now. It was free for 48 hours last week, which was your chance to get it legally. Of course, blogs being blogs, it’s been posted everywhere since, slapped beside some note about it being for sampling purposes only and that, you know, you should totally be buying it. Judging by Under Cover Of Darkness, the past ten years for The Strokes never happened – certainly, Room On Fire and First Impressions Of Earth were never made – as the song is a midway point between their two catchiest singles, Someday and Last Nite – which makes the line “everybody’s been singing the same song for ten years” all the more interesting. All bouncy rhythms, simple orchestration and nonchalant drawl from Julian Casablancas, it’s the best song they’ve written since anything from Is This It and is a remarkable return to form. One can only hope the album delivers on this teaser. Just like printed magazines will run features on similar artists around the time of an album release, blogs also start picking up on the same folks. One week you’ll discover somebody on Said The Gramophone, the next you’ll read about that same artist on Pitchfork. Horn player Colin Stetson has released a new album, New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges, which has been getting some press on the less mainstream music blogs. Still, it wasn’t enough to garner much attention from me in the beginning. Then, The Playlist (a film blog specialising in soundtrack news) revealed that Tindersticks would be releasing a box set collecting together all the work they’ve done for French filmmaker Claire Denis since 1996. The five-disc collection will contain the mostly out-of-print soundtracks to White Material, 35 rhums, L’intrus, Vendredi soir, Trouble Every Day, and Nénette et Boni. This collection – simply titled Claire Denis Film Scores 1996-2009 – will be released in pretty amazing packaging (on CD or vinyl) through Constellation. And so here we have the link. Thankfully this news came through because had I continued to skim over Colin Stetson’s work I wouldn’t have been introduced to such a talent. There’s a track available for free to download at cstrecords.com, The Stars In His Head (Dark Lights Remix) and it’s remarkable stuff. If you like the work of fellow saxophonist Jan Garbarek you’d be wise to give Stetson a listen. On his artist page on Constellation’s website you can sample two other songs for free, the flighty and autumnal The Righteous Wrath Of An Honorable Man and the album’s title track, Judges, all swollen bass tones, eerie voice-sounds that evoke background harmonies from a lost TV On The Radio recording and some of the most inventive sounds to be made from a horn in memory. Oh, and if you need further inspiration to investigate: Stetson’s opened for Arcade Fire (who, right?) and The National, as well as playing with Bon Iver, Tom Waits and the aforementioned TV On The Radio. Finally, in brief, James Blake has been getting a lot of positive publicity of late – his debut album a genius blend of singer/songwriter emotion and the hip electronica fields of dubstep and down-tempo 2-step. Basically, Blake sounds like the sweet spot where Antony and Burial meet. The Brit recently covered the Joni Mitchell song A Case Of You on Zane Lowe’s BBC show and if ever you wanted evidence of the guy’s talent, you’ll find it here. Whilst he borrows from Antony’s singing style heavily, he completely owns the cover, an intimate, beautiful and soulful rendition, which is what a Joni Mitchell cover deserves. Grab it via the Hype Machine. • 56 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

There Are Rules

See How You Are

While the likes of Agnostic Front, Madball and Sick Of It All still have their share of shelf life remaining, in the not-too-distant future hardcore’s forefathers will eventually move on. With the genre cross-pollinated and diluted so much during the past decade, a younger crop of bands needs to rise up to keep the genre’s true ethos alive, while still seeking to push forward creatively. While they aren’t the style’s best exponents, nearly a decade into their career California’s The Warriors have the necessary qualities to ensure they’ll be one of those bands ensuring hardcore’s roots remain intact.

On pressing play on this album, many will be unsurprised to learn that Penny & The Mystics are a product of the South Coast town of Kiama, for while it blends numerous stylistic ideals, their musical foundations and core summertime vibe (the band name derived from a beloved surfing spot) could conceivably have sprung from impromptu jam sessions around a beach campfire. Boasting a sound rich with a thick, but not overbearing pop veneer, the quartet’s self-titled debut also integrates folk, roots, reggae, country and straight-up rock‘n’roll, yet flows more coherently than such a fusion perhaps suggests. The Beautiful Girls are an obvious reference point – especially on the harmonydrenched and male vocal-focused Red Van and Bushfire – but frontwoman Penny Hartgerink takes centre stage on the lion’s share of tracks. Already something of a rising star as a solo performer, Hartgerink slots easily into the more conventional band format, infusing ethereal, smooth yet personable and commanding vocal lines. The subject matter tackles refugees (Welcome Here), animal liberation (Hoop of Fire) and speeding on the roads (Red Van), but Hartgerink sounds equally comfortable during the acoustic-laced, relationshipthemed material. So much so that she almost gets closing ballad, Why Not Me, over the line – a tongue-incheek, yet still cringe-inducing and too-idiosyncraticfor-its-own-good teenage lost love ode. The band is shamelessly fun when kicking out the jams – the folk/ rock percussion workout of Wake Up or Directions are cases in point. Already bordering on veterans of the live circuit, this could be the momentum Penny & The Mystics require to coast into the consciousness of many more likeminded individuals.

Seminal second-wave emo punk outfit The Get Up Kids are not likely to win many new fans with this release and old fans of the Kansas fivesome have long since given up on the band recording anything as good as Something To Write Home About ever again. There Are Rules is an indistinct splatter of delay-heavy, dissonant guitars, atmospheric keys and layer-upon-layer of fuzzy blandness.

Brendan Crabb

Brent Balinski

Brendan Crabb

as quietly as the tide retreating, the past sounds washing away.

the song, which doesn’t include a great deal more, just Yorke in full-falsetto mode, the romance a character ever present in the song.

This album follows the reunion offering (after four years apart) that was Simple Science, an EP that followed the band getting back together for the decade anniversary of its classic …Write Home About, which put Vagrant records on the map and was the first Get Up album to feature James Dewees on keys. There Are Rules has lo-fi touches and an eeriness – thanks in large part to Dewees – that brings goth ‘80s acts to mind. There’s also a little pop/punk gone experimental in the vein of Viva Death about this. But the most important thing to mention about the Get Up Kids’ latest is that it is almost completely without hooks. Sure, there’s a solid chorus to the track, Keith Case, and you could say the same for closing song, Walk ‘Em With Grace. But these are two examples – and maybe the only two examples – out of 48-plus minutes worth of music. Is it worth wading through so much that is so forgettable and so unrewarding to get to these two bits of relief? You know that it’s not and you know that this band belongs in the “shoulda stayed broken up” file.

Morning Mr. Magpie

The first guitars of the album and Jonny Greenwood steps in subtly here with a simple melody allowing Thom Yorke to bellow over the top; all the angst is there in his voice. Its chorus is Beatles-esque in its imagery. After the avant garde nature of the album’s opener, here we have the first semblance of a pop song, with a more traditional structure of verse-chorus-verse etc. It’s a song that works well alongside the likes of The National Anthem and Jigsaw Falling Into Place.

Little By Little

RADIOHEAD

The King Of Limbs XL/Remote Control

On their eighth album Radiohead returns to the experimental nature of Kid A and Amnesiac – perfectly melding the electronic and the analogue – contributing a fine inclusion to the band’s oeuvre and an album that’s instantly a modern classic. The King Of Limbs is an incredibly rich listening experience, the most intimate record Radiohead has released yet, with the angst and paranoia of old present, yet making way for the spiritual and psychological, which takes centre stage here. Stunning stuff.

Bloom “Open your mouth wide/A universal sigh/And while the ocean blooms/It’s what keeps me alive.” Welcome back, Radiohead. An erratic introduction to the album, Bloom starts out a cacophony of sounds, two songs vying for your attention, a simple snare rhythm and rippling piano line, before a stunning double bass line joins the chorus, developing into a somewhat melancholic post-jazz piece that seems to have come from the same creative head space as 2009’s Harry Patch (In Memory Of). It ends

The dark Americana evoked in the band’s latest press shot obviously was echoing Little By Little – with all the mysteriousness and fear of the Appalachian Mountains coming through here. Or, you know, since the album’s title (apparently) references an oak tree in an English forest, it could be that. This is the closest tie to the Radiohead paranoia of yore. The whole song has an ever-increasing sense of dread and tension, so when the song finally ends it’s cathartic release. Kinda like watching a David Lynch film, really.

Feral

The most experimental song on the album, Yorke’s fascination with ambient and experimental electronica is never more apparent. If you’re a fan of the Flying Lotus/Yorke track And The World Laughs At You, or indeed The Eraser, there is much for you to love here. A multitude of layers is present; drums, synths and vocal samples giving Yorke a Big Brother menace. All that’s missing is the massive bass drop and this could be a leftfield dubstep track. Remix please.

Lotus Flower

Since this was the first released track from the album – even if it only preceded the album release by a mere few hours – this can be considered the lead single. It is by far the most accessible song on the album, even if it’s perhaps not so on first listen. But that’s what is so brilliant about the song – it catches you off guard with its seemingly complex makeup, only revealing its simplicity on repeat listens. A killer bass line provides the backbone of

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Imagine the proudly “old school” attitude of Sick Of It All (not to mention Marshall Lichtenwaldt’s frequently Lou Koller-esque vocal delivery) colliding head on in the pit with the melodic thoughtfulness of Comeback Kid. Then throw Earth Crisis-esque metallic riffing and a few shots of Rage Against The Machine’s groove-laced hard rock into the already bloodied mess and you’re getting close. The Warriors are busier and more wide-reaching than most bands of their ilk - see the subtlety of Where I Stand or melody-drenched guitars of The War Unseen - even if they aren’t redefining the genre. Pit Of Shame is decidedly hooky, Mental Chains exudes so much intensity you can almost see Lichtenwaldt’s neck veins popping out, and the more up-tempo Subirse El Muetro will have considerable mosh appeal. Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall also drops by to lend some growls to Panic. Without breaking the mould much, See How You Are boasts enough variations on the theme to maintain your interest throughout the half-hour running time. Even Cyrus would dig this.

Codex

This album’s House Of Cards, No Surprises, Street Spirit… you get the point. A song of painful beauty, it feels like the album’s swansong, dropped two-thirds of the way in; a red herring of closure that isn’t yet ready to come. Yorke and piano make up the most part of the song, before backing strings enter in the final minute, hinting at the orchestral work Jonny Greenwood’s been doing in the band’s downtime over the past few years – shrilling violins that ache to come forth into the limelight of the song, but never do. If they did, the song would become bigger than the album, becoming something entirely of its own, which is perhaps why they settled for restraint. Still, a larger string part at the end would’ve been welcomed.

Give Up The Ghost

Acoustic guitar. “Don’t haunt me, Don’t hurt me” repeated al fine. Yorke inviting the “lost and sold in[to] your arms”. Intimacy reigns supreme here, while the repetition adds impact (as repetition is wont to do). Greenwood mans his guitar like a violin, giving the song a brooding blueprint to what is a very tender moment on the album. It’s a difficult song to describe – no other Radiohead song that’s come before it is as lonely, isolated or transcendental.

Separator

Dreams, water, flowers and birds are the themes drifting through The King Of Limbs, so it’s only natural that they all come together for the final act. Drums and a simple bass line are the only accompaniment to Yorke, before Greenwood enters to sign off the album. The repeated drums play out like a heartbeat, before stopping, the final breath having left the body, leaving you alone with your thoughts. (Also, let’s hope that when Yorke sings, “If you think this is over then you’re wrong” – one of the most beautiful deliveries from him on the album – he’s explicit in what it means and that we don’t have to wait another three years for album number nine.)

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THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 57 •

METAL AND HARD ROCK WITH CHRIS MARIC

BLACKGUARD

BLACKGUARD FIGHT WITH FIRE Canadian melodic death metal band Blackguard have changed labels, lost a member and returned with a vengeance – and a new album, Firefight.

What inspired the name change from Profugus Mortis? Well before we signed with Nuclear Blast for the release of our last record they informed us that there were quite a few bands with very similar names. So they asked if we’d be willing to change the name. Since we already tried to change it once before – just prior to our releasing our first record, So It Begins – we figured we’d give it another shot. What prompted your switch from Nuclear Blast to Victory? We loved working with Nuclear Blast but in the end it just made sense to make a move. They had us just in Europe and that ended up not being the most efficient thing for us. We needed a label that would handle us on a worldwide basis. With the departure of keyboard player Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc, how have you adapted your sound as a five-piece? The songs are far more guitar-driven this time around. Obviously there’s going to be less keyboard presence on the new record. We’re experimenting a little more with groove and tempos than we did on the last record too. How is new album Firefight shaping up? I’d like to think it’s shaped up very nicely. As I said before we’re experimenting a lot more with our sound and expanding on what we’ve done previously. Some people might be put off by the change but we’re growing as a band and as songwriters and I feel this record is going to add some needed flavour to our overall sound.

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Okay – It’s Soundwave time. The festival that has something for everyone (except for those who are trve kvlt and therefore claim everything is too commercial) is now upon us. I’m not going to re-list the insane number of Sidewave shows or the festival lineup since you definitely all know by now. It would help me to reach my word count but I’ve got plenty of other stuff here to inform you of. I will mention however that in the wake of Jeff Hanneman’s unfortunate condition, which has forced him to drop out of the tour, the great Gary Holt from Exodus has been recruited by Tom, Kerry and Dave to fill in. If anyone is qualified to step into Jeff’s shoes, it’s Gary! Slayodus, Slayodus! This Friday, Rock Bar, which is at The Gaff on Oxford Square, will be hosting the Iron Maiden Final Frontier Launch and Soundwave Party and has a bunch of stuff happening on the night and some major DJ action too – those spinning the rock backwards will be Jimi from Syndicate and Ameera, who is doing an acoustic set between 8 and 9pm. Snake Sixx, the club’s resident DJ, is on at 9pm with Pete from Familia going up against Milosz from Nobody’s Fool between 10 and 11pm. My mate Andy from Lord will have the hour to himself from 11pm until being kicked out at midnight by Mo Mayhem from the Hell City Glamours. The music continues late into the night with another battle at 1am, this time between Ronnie from LUST and Woodie from The Licks and the reins will be handed back to Snake Sixx at 2am who will be joined by Metal Matt until it’s time to leave. Get there before 10pm and it’s free, get there after that, be prepared to fork over ten bucks.

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The Dawn, serious hardcore from Agnostic Front and molten modern metal from Sylosis. And one to watch – Black Veil Brides – who are a bit like Escape The Fate meets The Murderdolls. Mastodon will release their first ever live concert DVD + CD, Mastodon: Live At The Aragon, on 11 March, and Amon Amarth’s scorching new saga, Surtur Rising, will be out at the end of March.

BABYJANE The Fall, with Scar The Surface, BerserkerfoX and Deliverance We Prey up from Melbourne. The Festival begins Friday 11 March at the Hotel Gearin and continues Saturday 12 at The Factory Theatre with a licensed allages event. $25 a ticket.

Rock Bar you say? Wass ist die Rock Bar? I haven’t mentioned it here before now and with good reason, I only just discovered it myself! Rock Bar features lingerie waitresses, live music, celebrity DJs, HB VIP Lounge, live performance art, rock’n’roll and giveaways. It sounds just like how Oxford Street used to be when I was 16 years old reading Hot Metal and being too young to go there. It runs on the last Friday of every month.

We also have a new Australian record label. 100% Rock launched last week and are proud to be at the vanguard of the new age of the record industry – part record label, part distributor, part promotions and marketing company, and all rock, 100% Rock will only sign artists they believe in. They welcome enquiries from unsigned and independent artists, and from established artists currently unreleased in Australasia. All enquiries should be directed to shane@100percentrock.com. Their first release is Gypsy Pistolero’s new album, Duende – Last Of The Pistoleros, which is available now via the label’s site. Their second release will be from Western Australian hard rockers Babyjane. This dynamic and melodic four-piece recorded their debut album, Are You Listening, last year, then took it to Nashville, USA to be mixed by legendary producer Michael Wagener (Motley Crue, Metallica, Accept, Skid Row) at his Double Trouble Studios, then to George Marino at Sterling Sound in New York (Guns n’ Roses, Metallica, Kiss, John Lennon, Aerosmith) for initial mastering, then final mastering at Independent Mastering, Nashville (Skid Row, Dokken, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Neil Young).

The Skull and Bones Metal Festival will descend upon Sydney and the Blue Mountains in mid-March. This year’s lineup features a host of brutal acts from NSW, Vic and SA. Headliners Buried in Verona and Double Dragon (SA) are supported by Sydney acts Our Last Enemy, Celebrity Morgue, Tensions Arise, F.U.C. and Engage

There are also some other killer new releases on the horizon too. The following are all hitting the shelves in the next two to three weeks - Nonpoint (who are on Soundwave), new thrash from the old school via Destruction and Flotsam & Jetsam, new Finnish stuff from Children Of Bodom, Stratovarius and Before

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And the concept album to end them all, Jenarium is now complete. Rise Of The New Sun is available now online with the physical release happening in April. The album’s concept is based on the Jenarium sci-fi/fantasy mythology of good and evil, hope and glory. The story unfolds over a vast geological and historical timeline which sequences the events that take place within the Jenarium Universe, or as its creator Robert Dominic Gennari likes to call it: The Hydroverse. The album features a world renowned cast of people including, Craig Parker from Lord Of The Rings and Underworld 3, a 100-voice choir and a 70-piece orchestra. Combining elements of electronica, rock, epic choirs and an orchestra, this album is like nothing you have heard before and makes Ayreon sound like three-chord punk. The ‘Upcoming Heavy Shit’ folder in my email account is looking a bit thin post-Soundwave activity so if you’re putting on a gig somewhere, have an album you’re releasing, a shop you’re opening or have anything else you need to tell the world via me and the column, then you know what to do. Send it to the email address listed below and then send $25 to my PayPal account and you could be reading your own words right here – yes you! Ah I crack me up.

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THURSDAY

Automata, Nemesphyxia, The Last Light O’Maille’s Pub

FRIDAY The Seer, Crowning Swarm, Grim Demise, Norse, Automata Newcastle District Tennis Club

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THE HOME OF METAL THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 59 •

PUNK AND HARDCORE WITH SARAH PETCHELL

DROPKICK MURPHYS

PUNK STREAMERS It seems like the digital revolution is well and truly under way, with a number of big name bands streaming new albums in full online, giving fans a free test run. Scottish post-rock behemoths Mogwai are streaming their latest, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, at http://bit.ly/i58M36. Queens, NYC-based punks Bayside, who are in Australia for Soundwave, are streaming their newie, and their first release on Wind-Up Records, Killing Time, on their Myspace. Also streaming in full on Myspace is the latest full-length from hardcore metallers Darkest Hour, The Human Romance.

DROPKICK MURPHYS GOING OUT OF STYLE With Dropkick Murphys’ highly anticipated new album, 13 Days Of Going Out Of Style, just a week from release the band are offering exclusive video content to fans on their Facebook page. Beginning last week the band are uploading new content every day until the album’s US release date of 1 March. Expect to hear the band discuss the making of the songs, the meaning behind the lyrics and some serious studio antics.

A.F.I. VS GREEN DAY In what is quite possibly the wet dream of many 16 year olds A.F.I. frontman Davey Havok will take the starring role as St Jimmy for a two-week stint in the Broadway production of American Idiot The Musical. Based on Green Day’s album of the same name, Havok is one of quite a few that have stepped into the role recently, including Billie Joe Armstrong himself and Grammy-winning pop star Melissa Etheridge.

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So welcome to Soundwave week! Needless to say, everyone has been gearing up for this for a while now and with the change in venue to Sydney Showground at Homebush, punters are as excited as ever. Don’t forget to check out the Soundwave website for all the maps, travel and timetable information that you will need to plan your day. If you want my recommendations, the unmissable bands are going to be Slayer, Social Distortion, The Gaslight Anthem, The Bronx, Terror, Trash Talk and Fucked Up. And if you miss any of these bands on the day, don’t forget that there are always the Sidewaves. In case you need a reminder of what’s happening, here is a list of the Sidewaves happening in the couple of days post-Soundwave that have not yet sold out. Monday 28 February your choices are Millencolin, Pennywise and Mad Caddies at UNSW Roundhouse; Anberlin, The Starting Line and Bayside at Manning Bar, or MXPX All Stars, The Ataris and Feeder at the Annandale Hotel. The following night, Tuesday 1 March, Social Distortion and The Bronx rip up the Enmore Theatre; Sum 41, The Blackout, There For Tomorrow and Veara play The Metro; Bring Me The Horizon, The Amity Affliction and Asking Alexandria will bring the UNSW Roundhouse down, and This Town Needs Guns are performing an intimate set at The Vanguard in Newtown. Soundwave just announced a tour that is going to blow the socks off quite a few fans. In May A Day To Remember are hitting our sunny shores for a tour with Floridians Underoath. Both bands will be touring on the back of excellent albums that were released last year. For ADTR, their album, What Separates Me From You, spawned that awesome clip I raved about just before Christmas. As for Underoath, Disambiguation represented a return to form after drummer Aaron Gillespie left the band. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday 2 March for the Sydney show that will be happening under the Big Top at Luna Park on Friday 13 May (ooooh, Black Friday). Shorefest was also announced this week. This free, all ages music festival happens every year as a part of National Youth Week. The lineups are usually insanely good local bands and this year is no exception. Headliners, Carpathian, will be an excellent drawcard to the event, especially given that Break Even are also on the bill. From what I’ve heard, Carpathian are not doing a whole heap of domestic touring this year, so this

release of this 7-inch, but you will have to read the next issue of No Heroes to find out all about that. On Thursday 24 February Antagonist play an 18+ show at the Bull & Bush Hotel in Castle Hill, where they will be joined by Pledge This, Villa Rise and The City He Loves. This is a free show, so if you live in the area or are keen to make the trip out to Castle Hill, there’s no excuse for you not to be there. Antagonist A.D. make the move up to Newcastle the next night, Friday 25 for a show at the Cambridge Hotel. Here they will be joined by fellow heavy hitters in Sydney’s Relentless, Taken By Force, Renegade and Grave Fears. Tickets for this night are $12 at the door, and this lineup is too good to miss out on if you’re a fan of heavy hardcore.

A DAY TO REMEMBER will be one of the few times you’ll get to see them for a while. Also on the bill are locals Hand Of Mercy, Lungs, Northlane, The Driftwood Theory and Stolen Youth from Adelaide, so it is a mixed bill with something for everyone. Shorefest 2011 is happening on Saturday 9 April at St Leonard’s Park in North Sydney. As I said, it’s free so just mark it on your calendars and head down on the day. I guess the fact that it’s Soundwave week has made it a fairly quiet news week, but it hasn’t stopped the number of hardcore shows that are happening in town this week. Austrian hardcore act Bloodshed Remains are in the country with Mark My Words from the Central Coast. On Wednesday 23 February, the two bands hit up the Hamilton Station Hotel in Newcastle for an 18+ show headlined by Brisbane’s Against. The next night the tour hits Sydney for Hot Damn (supported by Taken By Force) and on Friday 25 February, the two bands will be joined by Knives To The Throne, Break A Leg and Token at Axis Youth Centre in Queanbeyan. New Zealand’s Antagonist A.D. are in the country in support of their soon to be released 7-inch, Old Bones Make New Blooms. There’s a whole saga behind the

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And here’s one just for Canberra. Your dangerous locals, 4 Dead, have a show at Bar 32 on Wednesday 23 February. Sydney tough guys Relentless as well as locals Venom Eyes and Useless Children will also be playing the show. But the support of Walls (from the US) has me intrigued, mostly because the most that I can find out about them is that they’re a hardcore band from Seattle with a terrifying vocalist and a brutal, yet powerful sound. If you have more information send it through because, as I say, I’m intrigued. Also starting next week is a tour featuring Iron Lung, another US act this time with a bit more information available. Essentially a power violence act, these guys hit up the Croatian Club in Newcastle on Tuesday 1 March, supported by Cistern Corrupt, Cock Safari, Lenin Lennon and Cumlungz. Then the next night (2 March) sees the tour move down to Sydney’s Dirty Shirlows with Ether Rag, Do Not Resuscitate and None Remain.

LOCAL GIG GUIDE

FRIDAY

Michael Crafter, Pop Singles, Little Killing, Fighting Mongoose North St Bar

SATURDAY Chinese Burns Unit, Ether Rag, None Remain Blackwire Records Mental Powers Croation Club, Newcastle wakethedead@drummedia.com.au

THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 61 •

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THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 63 •

HIP HOP WITH VIKTOR KRUM I’m like you: I find mixed messages disconcerting and disorienting. On one hand Ozi Batla’s “last ever solo show in Sydney” was announced on The Tongue’s Facebook feed. On the other hand, we have been told on the Elefant Traks website that The OB will merely be “farewell(ing) his latest project”, Wild Colonial. The difference between those two positions is material. We only saw Ozi Batla branch out from The Herd and Astronomy Class to be a proper solo artist last year. What does that mean for rap fans in future? How do we reflect on such a short solo career if he pulls out so quickly after first jumping in? Simply: is this it or is this not it? Thinking it through, The Tongue should know all the facts. He’s been a close colleague and touring partner of Mr Batla for half a decade. The two have shared stages, songs and schooners together and appear to get along well. If someone were to know whether OB’s solo retirement was imminent, then it would be our man with the goatee. But if The Tongue does have the inside knowledge, he was only delivering it through the not-as-casual-as-some-social-networking-sites-but-stillpretty-casual medium of Facebook. Perhaps that means we should be more inclined to trust the Elefant Traks website. It’s a tricky problem certainly, my dudes. The best solution is to head to Tone on Saturday 5 March and enjoy what may (or may not!) be your last chance to hear any of Wild Colonial live. Ellesquire, Shantan Wantan Ichiban and Josie Styles are in support. Also: The Tongue will be there! If you want to confront the guys that your girlfriend is cheating on you with, they’re all going to be playing at The Basement in Circular Quay on Sunday 6 March for “One Day at The Basement”. The swoon-inducing Horrorshow are headlining. The home-wrecking Spit Syndicate are the first support. The heart-stealer Joyride rounds out the lineup. And if you were thinking that your hosts might have a bad hair day and you could win Jessica’s heart back with a big, romantic gesture, you can forget about it – it’s an acoustic show. Game over. Single ladies: the cost for the show is $25 plus booking fee. Bitter soon-to-be-single dudes, don’t worry, as there are plenty more fish in the sea (and they will all be at The Basement on 6 March). Dust Tones will also be wandering into Tone in the coming week or so. On Friday you will have the opportunity to hang out with Dialectrix, DJ Morgs,

ALL AGES WITH SCOTT FITZSIMONS This year’s Shore Fest has been announced and will take place at St Leonards Park Saturday 9 April. It’s a top lineup this year with some of Australia’s top hardcore bands, many we haven’t seen for a while. Carpathian are headlining, with Perth’s brilliant Break Even close behind. There are also Hand Of Mercy, Lungs, Stolen Youth, Northlane and The Driftwood Theory. It’s drug and alcohol-free and runs 11am to 5pm. Best of all? It’s free. If jazz is your thing – or you’d like it to be – take a look at the Jazz In Continuum for 2011. The program started last year with the idea of bringing jazz musicians into secondary schools and has since evolved into holding stand-alone concerts, a CD and a radio show. Next on the agenda is the next Jazz In Continuum Concert, happening Saturday 2 April from “noon ‘til dusk” at the Paddington Uniting Church.

OZI BATLA Axiom and Kade & The Karneez. Remember: Dust Tones has changed venue and is no longer free. Bring your $15 with you and stop crying – it’s just money and you can live without it. It’s also worth parting with the cash to see the return of Axiom. Bom and Kay Illa have had a bit of stop/start career as Sydney hip hop welterweights. A good mixtape, a great digital 12-inch, a solid reputation and little else. Their absence has been a frustration. It’s refreshing news, then, to have some of our favourite youngsters back on stage where they should be. Who knows – this show may be the one that gets things really moving for our boys. If you haven’t seen The Ax before, now’s the time. “Any NSW promoters interested in a leg of a potential Xzibit tour in April contact patrick@heatwavefestival. com.” That sentence exists. In real life. Ugh. It’s a sentence that says a lot about a lot of things. Xzibit’s popularity, surely, is one. The haphazard way some promoters go about their business is another. I’m not a promoter so I don’t know many things about being one or doing it well. If this is the way you go about successful promoting and you want to bring Xzibit out, you know who to email. To the rest of us, this just seems a little bit embarrassing. Right? getittogether@drummedia.com.au

Before Soundwave takes over Sydney Showgrounds for Sunday, the Lucky Australian Tavern are hosting a warmup gig Saturday from 3pm. Hiding From The Gallows, Never Trust A Bunny, Sludgemander, Beneath Night Skies, As Chaos Unfolds, Armour Of Misery, Oreana and headliners Hearts Like Wolves and The Truth Is will be doing their best Iron Maiden impressions. In benefit of the Queensland Flood Appeal, Moonpies And Misfits – one of the last remaining Castle Hill venues, when they’re not selling skateware – will host seven bands this Saturday from 5pm. Monks Of Mellonwah will be on first with Sabriel, Ryab, Alex & Shannon (although this acoustic set is yet to be confirmed), Last Child, Mercury Sky, Withintent and Sunset Riot all doing their bit for the cause. The Music For Trees (a program that plants trees around the world, 40,000 last year) concert is happening at CarriageWorks this Saturday. Liz Martin, BhangLassi, Eman Younan, Thomas Hespe & Richard Mason and James Brennan will all be in a planting mood. Last year the online band competition Red Bull Bedroom Jam launched in Australia, giving young Australian bands the chance to indulge in a spot of recording at Red Bull’s Los Angeles, and awarded Melbourne pop punk band Way With Words the privilege, now returned with a new EP. While this year’s competition is underway,

POP CULTURE THERAPY WITH ADAM CURLEY Dear In A Couple Days When This Is Published,

February finds NY Conversation fleeing the New York winter for a month in Australia and this necessitated a fairly surreal 24 hours in LA en route. When you visit the city, you can see what Gehry was getting at. As a city that’s basically an invention of the 20th century, LA provided a de facto canvas for the expression of what was the dominant cultural vision for that century, an era that history will remember as the American century.

Best, Adam PS. Speaking of ‘artist comparisons’, have you noticed that there have been a few of them lately? Or, if not meme-conversations, two album releases around the same that seem to relate to each other? And I don’t just mean Cut Copy’s new album and everything else on Pitchfork. There have been others, too. Like the new PJ Harvey and Adalita records coming out and repelling each other’s sense of personal and political where they once would have shared some similarities in the melding of the two as, respectively, England and Australia’s prevailing female voices of rock’n’roll dissent. Or The Decemberists putting out their recent countryinfluenced, Gillian Welch-featuring album, The King Is Dead (EMI), as if as some kind of (pretty ridiculously good) addendum to Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning, just as Conor Oberst is showing off the new cult-of-glam Bright Eyes concept with The People’s Key (Universal). Or Hercules & Love Affair’s Blue Songs (Shock) arriving around the same time as the new Teengirl Fantasy track featuring !!! collaborator Shannon Funchess, Dancing In Slow Motion (True Panther Sounds), as if to signpost the opposing directions New York’s club scene is taking with ‘80s/ early-‘90s R&B pop, one towards jumpy-keys house and the other towards skewed, lo-fi scapes. Some people would say it has something to do with some kind of ongoing conversation between artists and that all music is inextricably linked, which is justifiable but also seems too much like a shrug-off and doesn’t allow for kind-of-interesting specific considerations. Foxy Brown would probably say it has something to do with ‘bitches tryin’ ta break her down’, but she’s a bit of a hard-arse and should probably just stop trying to win publicity points from Nicki Minaj and come up with some new ideas of her own. It seems natural that ideas and sounds come in waves or cycles or whatever, but sometimes it’s just difficult to pick why those ideas or sounds are occurring, or why they seem to be creating • 64 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

JAMIE XX a significant shift in general thinking away from other ideas. Like dubstep. A little while ago it seemed like dubstep was one of those genres that anyone not interested in going on daytrips to collect shrooms for Earthcore didn’t have to worry about and now it’s being talked about as the largest current influence on pop music and is moving the media focus from West Coast America over to London. Well, more specifically to James Blake and his eponymous debut album (Universal) of sparse, ‘crunchy’ beats under soulful vocal melodies, which to me also sounds at times a bit like a structurally experimental extension of what Sade was doing in the early ‘90s (though lots of UK pop from around that time was already extremely loopy and repetitive), but I guess that’s where the argument that all music is in conversation at all times comes in. Just following Blake’s album, XL Records (through Remote Control) this week released We’re New Here, the 2010 album, I’m New Here, from old hip hop dude Gil Scott-Heron as remixed by The XX’s Jamie Smith, or “Jamie XX from The XX” as the radio people seem to like saying, and the two records seem somehow connected, as if they’re ‘talking to each other’ or something. While everyone seems happy to peg Blake as a ‘dubstep’ producer, people generally seem less inclined to label Smith’s production work, though ‘dubstep’ is sometimes listed alongside all the same annoying ‘emotion’ words used to describe The XX. And ‘sparse’. Maybe it’s a bit ‘minimal techno’ as well? Or maybe we should just give up the comparisons and accept that, baby, they were born this way to express themselves. breakdown@drummedia.com.au

Young & Restless spoke to the band’s drummer Jack Nicholls about the experience. Describe Way With Words’ sound for us. Haha, our sound. Difficult to put into a genre due to us having a range of different sounds through different songs. We seem to have a Jack’s Mannequin, Panic! At The Disco sound with a pop rock sort of edge. How has recording your own EP changed your perceptions of music and what life is like for musicians? Recording the EP has given us such a great perception of what the future could hold. The life of a musician is what all of us would consider the dream and thanks to Red Bull we have started our journey and are one step closer to fulfilling the dream. Nothing beats doing what you love and for us, it’s MUSIC. How was the Los Angeles experience, did you ever think you be travelling the world with your band? At 18 years old just finishing school, going to America to record at such a prestigious studio was something I still can’t comprehend. It seriously is amazing and I have to say I had the time of my life. What are your plans for the future? I really don’t want to jinx things right now! Everything is going at such a quick pace, it’s so amazing, we just want to keep up with everything and see what happens! allages@drummedia.com.au

TALES FROM THE BIG APPLE WITH TOM HAWKING “Los Angeles,” said Frank Gehry in Vanity Fair a few months back, “is a city free of the burdens of history”.

Has everyone stopped talking about the Lady Gaga song yet? Did Madonna win? Is it safe to go back to the internet? I kind of need Facebook to tell me when to come up with a ‘wacky/original’ birthday message for my ‘friends’.

WAY WITH WORDS

It’s a place that embodies ideas that are fundamental to America’s cultural identity, a seemingly limitless expanse of empty land sketched in by the modernist straight lines of highways and super-sized city blocks. If New York is the country’s most European city, then LA is its most quintessentially American (and American in a broader sense of the word, too – the place is virtually bi-lingual and there’s a strong Hispanic influence on the culture). A night in the place gets you thinking about the cultural tropes that it has come to represent – the American Dream, the idea of meritocracy and opportunity, the idea that you can have a big car and as much petrol as you want and drive everywhere, the idea that consumerism and freedom of choice will lead to a trickle-down cornucopia of goodness for everyone. It’s all terribly romantic of course – and a healthy slice of it is complete and utter horseshit. But the interesting thing is how pervasive these ideas are, how vital they are to the way America sees itself and how much the continued health and very existence of LA – as their actual physical avatar – is tied into their ongoing power. After all, the city’s dominant economic role is that of a culture factory. Its biggest business is entertainment and for all that it’s one of America’s largest manufacturing centres; even its material exports are culturally charged – clothes, computers and, inevitably, cars. Much of this has its roots in the idea to which Gehry alludes – going west and writing your own history (conveniently shunting aside whoever happened to be there first, of course). But the more time you spend in LA, the more you also come to realise that Gehry’s statement isn’t entirely true. LA is certainly a young city, a place that grew in tandem with America, a small city

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that exploded into a metropolis as America positioned itself for global superpowerdom. But for all that it shares nothing with what Donald Rumsfeld contemptuously called “old Europe”. There’s one history that LA can’t escape – its own. As it embodies America’s ideology, so LA embodies the dark side of that ideology. The darker moments of the city’s past mirror the underside of America’s best-ofall-possible-worlds vision of capitalist democracy. Investigate the city’s past and you find whispers about things like the Great American Streetcar Scandal, wherein tyre companies apparently conspired to force public transport out of LA (and various other cities in the US). Or the Battle of Chavez Ravine, where a public housing project was abandoned to make way for a new sports stadium, resulting in the forced relocation and disenfranchisement of an entire community of largely poor Hispanic residents. Or the recent closure of public libraries due to budget constraints in a city that’s home to some of the richest people in the world. And now, as the US economy continues to splutter and the era of the country’s role of sole global superpower draws to a close, LA starts to feel like a city-sized cenotaph for a faded dream. It’s a city steeped and struggling in its own mythology and history – the ‘50s stylings of its diners, the pockmarked motorways, neon lights and alienation. Drive at night in LA and you can almost see the old ghosts – The Doors haunting the Rainbow, Guns N’ Roses in faded photos at Kantor’s (where a fish-eyed old waitress will sell you a signed copy of their book), the faintly desperate posing of starlets for paparazzi outside the Viper Room. Every time I’ve been to the city – which is several over the last few months, for various reasons – I’ve tried to express in words the almost indefinable sense of nostalgia that pervades the Californian night, a strange melancholy longing for an age that is gone and perhaps never existed. All this, of course, makes LA a perversely enchanting and evocative place to be. It’s strange and fascinating and almost entirely alien. Much like the country it calls home, it’s a city free from the burden of all history but its own – and that’s a burden that seems to grow heavier with every passing year.

BLUES AND ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON In this week’s Roots Down we’re going to take a trip down the red carpet to look at some big awards that have been presented in the blues and roots world in the past week or so both at home and abroad. If you were to listen only to the mainstream media’s coverage of the Grammy Awards then you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s all a bit of a yawn-fest full of lame pop and country acts (with the exception of Arcade Fire’s completely unexpected win), but fact is there are 110 different categories, some of which are very weird but a lot of them actually honour artists who really deserve it. Neil Young picked up a pretty high profile award, winning the Best Rock Song award for Angry World from his incredible new record, Le Noise. Young’s form of late has been shaky, but that record is a genuine return to form. Pinetop Perkins & Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith were the well-deserving winners in the Best Traditional Blues Album category, though the Best Contemporary Blues Album category wasn’t so clear cut. I think Buddy Guy’s Living Proof, the winner, is deserving, though maybe not more so than Solomon Burke’s Nothing’s Impossible or Dr John & the Lower 911’s Tribal, who were also nominated. Genuine Negro Jig, the Joe Henry-produced fourth record from Carolina Chocolate Drops took out the Best Traditional Folk Album award – another excellent decision – while Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs’ God Willin’ And The Creek Don’t Rise knocked off some heavy hitters, among them Richard Thompson,

NEIL YOUNG Guy Clark, Jackson Browne & David Lindley and Mary Chapin Carpenter, to take out the Best Contemporary Folk Album gong. It’s a very good album but I’m really glad I didn’t have to vote for one of these – a tight contest if I’ve ever seen one. Mavis Staples’ stunning You Are Not Alone album, made with Jeff Tweedy last year, would have won heaps of awards if there was any justice. Thankfully she got one, picking up the Best Americana Album ahead of Willie Nelson, Roseanne Cash, Los Lobos and Robert Plant (who is English of course). I never thought I’d get stoked on the winner of Best Traditional Gospel Album at the Grammy Awards, but Patty Griffin’s Downtown Church was one mighty fine piece of work from last year so it’s great to see it being recognised. Closer to home, the winners of the Australian Blues Music Chain Awards were announced at the Australian Blues Music Festival in Goulburn last weekend. Hard-

touring one-man-band Claude Hay picked up the Song of the Year award for Get Me Some, Stevie Paige won the award for Female Vocalist of the Year with her song, If You Don’t Love Me, the Male Vocalist of the Year award was picked up by Dr Charlie, his performance on I’d Rather Be Blind beating out some mighty stiff competition and Chase The Sun picked up two gongs – their Rednecks and Gentlemen album was awarded Album of the Year, while their song Live On earned them the title of Duo or Group of the Year. Word is that the Australian Blues Music Festival, where the awards are held, was once again very successful and that it will possibly expand further in 2012. Finally, the International Blues Challenge has been and gone for another year, with Melbourne’s Sweet Felicia and the Honeytones making it all the way to the semi-finals before bowing out. The three winning bands of the 2011 event were The Lionel Young Band from Colorado, The Mary Bridget Davies Group from Kansas City and Rob Blaine’s Big Otis Blues out of Chicago (Blaine also picked up the Best Guitarist award). Denmark’s super-classy George Schroeter & Marc Breitfelder and Canada’s very cool Harrison “Sweet Taste” Kennedy were the winners in the solo/ duo category, loosening that American stranglehold somewhat! We look forward to seeing what Australia can dish up for next year’s awards. rootsdown@drummedia.com.au

CLAUDE HAY

BLUES & ROOTS BEST OF The Best Of Blues and Roots 2011 was released last week. The third instalment of an ongoing compilation series, The Best Of Blues And Roots puts Australia’s own top musicians alongside those from around the world in a two-disc set. This latest instalment features tracks from Ben Harper, Angus & Julia Stone, BB King, Dan Sultan, John Butler Trio, The Audreys, Lisa Mitchell and many more.

CLAUDE HAY GETS SOME A regular on the blues and roots scene, it is great to see Claude Hay getting some recognition for all his hard work and great music. The lead single from Hay’s 2010 album, Deep Fried Satisfied, Get Me Some, won song of the year in The Chain Awards, which were announced at last week’s Australian Blues Festival. It’s been a good year for Hay, with Deep Fried Satisfied also making number five on Amazon’s Best Blues Albums of 2010. The success will see Hay touring for much of the year before heading overseas to offer up some deep fried treats to the USA.

A WIN FOR JAZZ JAZZ/WORLD WITH MICHAEL SMITH RSL this afternoon from 2pm, then 2pm Sunday she’s in quartet mode at Illawarra Master Builders Club.

TUESDAY

Melbourne-based drummer Aaron McCoullough brings his combo, Elements 5tet, up to play 505 in Surry Hills, with guitarist James Muller taking up the second half of the night with his trio.

Veteran pianist and composer Mike Nock presents an evening with his New Quintet at the Sound Lounge. 505 hosts an evening with singer, songwriter Edoardo Santoni with the Sam Keevers Trio.

The hyperactive and vivacious Elana Stone is tonight’s special guest when the James Valentine Quartet plays the Golden Sheaf in Double Bay.

WEDNESDAY

Pianist Tim Bruer heads into 505 with his trio and special guests Elana Stone and his saxophonist brother Jason. Drawing its repertoire from American ‘20s and ‘30s Big Band, swing standards and crooner classics mixed up with contemporary neo-swing, The Velvet Set play the Basement.

THURSDAY

One of the fastest-rising jazz musicians in the UK at the moment, pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock comes to the Sound Lounge in the Seymour Centre. Singer Rebecca Barrett backed by the John Hardaker Direction in guitar trio mode at the Kudu Lounge in Darlinghurst. Fresh from touring the UK pub/festival circuit, Fergusson heads into the Vanguard. The bass-led Jonathan Zwartz Quintet head into the

GWILYM SIMCOCK Presbyterian Hall in Springwood for a night of Live at the Village, joined by The String Contingent.

FRIDAY

Saxophonist and composer Sandy Evans take her trio into the Sound Lounge for a session that features special guest Bobby Singh on the tablas. One of the pioneers of acid jazz in Australia in the early ‘90s, guitarist Albare returns to the Basement to launch his latest album, Travel Diary, with his quintet. Singer and violinist Charlotte-Jane takes her trio into Berkelouw Wine Bar in Leichhardt. The guitar-led quartet Urban Gypsies showcase their most recent album, Beautiful Catastrophes, and more at Camelot in Marrickville.

SATURDAY

Singer Yuki Kumagai takes the quintet into Penrith

TUESDAY

Adam Pringle & Friends have their regular blues jam at the Sandringham.

WEDNESDAY

The Continental Blues Party begin a four-night run at the Laugh Garage in the Sydney CBD right through until Saturday night. The Musos Club Jam Night is a magnet for all blues fans at the Bald Faced Stag and Ray Beadle goes solo at the Rose Hotel in Chippendale from 7.30pm

THURSDAY

The Musos Club Jam Night moves to its regular outer west haunt at the Carousel Inn and the Steve Edmonds Band play their regular spot at the Empire Hotel with an early 7pm start.

FRIDAY

Killer Joe have an early start at Briars Country Lodge Inn in Bowral from 6.30pm. There’s a great acoustic night featuring Steve Russel at the Harmonie German Club at Narrabundah in the ACT from 8pm. Satellite V are back in orbit at the Rose Of Australia while Ward’s Xpress rock the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel. Terry Batu does his classic solo show at the East Hills Hotel from 8pm

SATURDAY

Dave Tice & Mark Evans play their long-running early evening set at the Sandringham Hotel from 4pm. Stormy Monday on 2MBS-FM is hosting a huge night at the Petersham Bowling Club with The Hippos, reforming for one of their rare appearances these days

THE HIPPOS complete with many members of their original lineup including keyboard whiz Bridie King, who will also play a special set of her own. The BluesAngels play the Troubadour Acoustic Club in the CWA Hall at Woy Woy from 7pm and the Blues Pirates hoist the jolly roger at the Bald Rock Hotel from 8pm. The Eastern Suburbs Legion Club will swing to the sound of the Jive Bombers while Newcastle’s historic Belmont 16ft Sailing Club features the Lemon Squeezin’ Daddies with Pearl Noire. The Steve Edmonds Band get bluesy at Dicey Riley’s Hotel in Wollongong and Terry Batu lets the dogs out at the Canterbury League Club.

SUNDAY

The Lemon Squeezin’ Daddies are joined by Pearl Noire and the Chris Mawer Band at the Towradgi Beach Hotel from midday as part of the Food & Wine Festival. BluesAngels play Randall’s On The Beach Restaurant in Killcare on the Central Coast from 12.30pm. Phil Edgeley is solo at the Macquarie Arms

Miriam Lieberman presents songs from her tricontinental album, This Is The Story, at Camelot, from 7.30pm. Singer and guitarist Anna Salleh takes her group, Bossa Boots, down to the Park Hyatt Harbour Bar in the Rocks, from 8pm.

At last week’s Grammy Awards Esperanza Spalding, a 26-year-old jazz vocalist and bassist from Portland, Oregon, picked up the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. This is the first time in the awards’ 53-year history that a jazz musican has been presented with the accolade. It was no mean feat either; Spalding had to beat stiff competition in the form of Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence and The Machine and Mumford and Sons for the win, which is good news for jazz musicians and fans everywhere. Spalding took to Twitter after the announcement to express her gratitude, tweeting “What an amazing night!!!!”

RISING JAZZ STARS

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As part of the Walsh Bay Jazz Festival, this Thursday the students of the jazz program of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music will have their opportunity to shine as the festival throws open the door to a showcase of the up and coming stars of the Australian jazz scene. This is a free event, dubbed Simmer On The Bay, and a not-to-be-missed opportunity to the see the future of Australian jazz in action. The Festival ends this weekend, but before it does there are still plenty of great shows; Judy Bailey’s Jazz Connection play Friday night at Bangarra Dance Theatre and the Craig Scott Quintet play the same venue the following night to close the festival. There is also another top-quality free show with Diane Hirlian and Lionel Robinson’s band Sixty Six performing a 2pm afternoon set on the boardwalk.

ROCKABILLY/PSYCHOBILLY/ALT.COUNTRY WITH PEDRO MANOY

VICTORIAN & NATIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS

Brendan St Ledger will accompany jazz diva Lily Dior when she pops into the Berkelouw Wine Bar. Singer Paul Sun returns to Larrikin’s Café in Walsh Bay in trio mode. Carmella and her world music combo, The Bhakti Rag Ensemble, take to the Paddington Uniting Church stage from 8pm, and presents a vocal workshop at the church Sunday from 11am. The Idea Of North head due west to Springwood Civic Centre to deliver their a cappella magic.

Hotel in Windsor from 1pm and Matt Black & The Phat Cats play the Time & Tide Hotel in Dee Why from 2pm. Ross Ward does his solo show at the Heathcote Hotel from 2.30pm and Cash Only do the Johnny Cash thang at the Marrickville Bowlo from 3pm. Dave Tice, Mark Evans & Mick O’Shea combine at the Tudor Hall Hotel in Redfern and the Dennis Boys Band are down from the scrub to let loose at the Sandringham Hotel, both shows from 4pm. Matt Ross is solo at the Bald Rock Hotel from 6pm and the John Leigh Calder Band get jiggy at the Woollahra Hotel from 6.30pm. The hardworking Sydney Blues Society host another of their very popular jams at the Botany View with the Chris Mawer Band from 6pm onwards. The Steve Edmonds Band journey to the Kent Hotel in Hamilton from 8.30pm.

MONDAY Olivia Pipitone and her combo play the last night of a very rocking residency at the Town Hall Hotel in Newtown.

COMIN’ ROUND: Great to see that Texan country, rockabilly and honky tonk singer and guitar picker Rosie Flores will be back in Australia to play The Basement in Circular Quay on Wednesday 16 March. Rosie’s live shows are legendary and this should be an exceptional night. swampshack@drummedia.com.au

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Last week the winners of the 2011 Victorian & National Country Music Awards were announced at the Whittlesea Country Music Festival. New South Welshman Jason Lee did us proud, taking out three awards in the national section: Male Vocalist of the Year, the Trailblazers Heritage Award and the Songwriter category with his song, Just A Memory. Other notable winners were Tania Kernaghan, who won Female Vocalist of the Year with Droving Cattle With The Boys. Leaping Lizards took out the Group category for Good Old Days and the Duet category went to Kristy Cox & the Davidson Bros for their efforts on Breaking New Ground. Kristy Cox was a star of the awards, also picking up the Bluegrass Award for One Step Away and cleaning up the Victorian section of the awards, winning gongs for Best Group or Duet, again with the Davidson Bros for Breaking New Ground, Female Vocalist of the Year and the welldeserved Entertainer of the Year.

KEITH URBAN COUNTRY Speaking of awards, Keith Urban, perhaps the most successful country music export Australia has yet offered picked up his fourth Grammy Award at last week’s ceremony. Urban was presented with the Best Male Country Vocal Performance award for his efforts on ‘Til Summer Comes Around, and showed off just why he deserved it by joining John Mayer and Norah Jones for a performance of Jolene in tribute to Dolly Parton, who was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award on the night. THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 65 •

• 66 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

frontrow@drummedia.com.au

THIS WEEK IN

ARTS

TUESDAY 22

ONGOING

Jurassic Lounge – up late at the Australian Museum, featuring live music, live art, performance, drinks and of course, dinosaurs and other awesome museum-y stuff, curated by The Festivalists (Kino, Possible Worlds). Guests tonight include The Brutal Poodles and Charity Turner performing, live art from Jumbo, silent disco with DJ Jack Shit, videos from Kino Collective, the Wildlife Photographer Of The Year exhibition, VJs Eightfilters, card tricks with Illusionist G and the talk: 50 Years Of Gay Life In Australia (for an additional fee). Australian Museum, from 5:30pm.

Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life 1990-2005 – presented as part of the biennial Reportage photography festival, this exhibition, the largest collection of photography by Annie Leibovitz to be shown here, is organised by the Brooklyn Museum and comes direct from touring the US and Europe. The exhibition features Leibovitz’s portraits for Vanity Fair and Vogue among other publications, as well as fieldwork and intimate shots. MCA until 27 March. Canary – love story spanning five decades and the landscape of modern gay history, a darkly funny and honest tribute to those whose lives are affected by homophobia and the courage of activists. Australian Premiere. New Theatre until 5 March. Catherine Nelson: Creation – visual poetry, nature photography and digital design come together in these transcendent landscapes. Shot in Australia and Western Europe, each natural environment is dramatically reformed into a perfect globe floating serenely in space. ACP, Paddington until 12 March. Images From Adland – exhibition of works celebrating the art and business of photography in contemporary commercial communications such as advertising. ACP, Paddington until 12 March. In The Next Room, or the vibrator play – SEASON EXTENDED! Sarah Ruhl’s Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-nominated play transports its audience to the time of the invention of electricity, where one doctor is using a particular vibrating device to alleviate women of hysteria – for purely medicinal reasons, of course – and his wife’s sudden interest in the method. Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House until 2 April. Polixeni Papapetrou: Tales From Elsewhere – first major retrospective of work by internationally renowned Australian photo artist Polixeni Papapetrou focusing on the growth of her children over the past decade with great detail and complexity. ACP, Paddington until 12 March. Speaking In Tongues – Griffin Theatre Company kick of 2011 with this new production of the play, which debuted at SBW Stables in 1996, later adapted into the film Lantana. SBW Stables Theatre until 19 March.

THURSDAY 24 Above: Here Today Gone Tomorrow – the first exhibition of Above’s work to be held in Australia. One of the important identities in the world street art scene, this collection includes new arrow mobiles, stencils and wordplays. Lo-Fi Collective, Darlinghurst, 6pm.

FRIDAY 25 Dog Day Afternoon / Bonnie And Clyde – brilliant double billing of two of cinema’s greats; Al Pacino in Sidney Lumet’s ‘70s NYC portrait, Dog Day Afternoon, and arguably the greatest gangster/crime flick ever, Bonnie And Clyde, starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Cult Fridays at Chauvel Cinema, 8:30pm.

SUNDAY 27 Hand On Heart – group exhibition of alternate process photography, featuring the work of Gene Bagdonas, Anthony Browell, Wendy Currie, Ann Everingham, Silvi Glattauer, Bob Kersey, Jill Lacina, Chia N-Lofqvist, Hans Nohlberg, Tony Peri, John Studholms, Mike Ware, Ian Williams and Ellie Young. Closing day. Meyer Gallery, Darlinghurst. The Rules Of The Game – Jean Renoir’s masterpiece, La Règle du jeu, is a scathing critique of corrupt French society cloaked in a comedy of manners. Chauvel Cinémathèque, 6:30pm.

MONDAY 28 Monday Comedy at The Fringe – stand-up comedy featuring Sam Bowring, Garry Who and MC Mike Goldstein. The Fringe Bar, Paddington, 8:30pm.

GIVEAWAYS Rob Zombie - musician-cumfilmmaker - is in Australia for the Soundwave music festival, but has also agreed to partake in a Popcorn Taxi event whilst here. The PT guys will be screening Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects at Event Cinemas Bondi Junction Monday 28 February, which boasts a live in-house Q&A with the film’s director postscreening. We’ve a double pass up for grabs to the event, so for your chance to win email giveaways@drummedia. com.au with ‘ROB ZOMBIE’ in the subject line. Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy – which consists of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest – is one of the biggest literary phenomena of the past decade. From the books came the excellent Swedish film adaptations (the third and final of which hits Australian cinemas on 3 March), and a decent-looking English-language remake is due soon, helmed by David Fincher. To celebrate the release of The Girl

Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest (the Swedish original) and to get you up to date if you’re late to the party, we’ve five pretty awesome prize packs to giveaway, each including all three books, the first two films on DVD, and an in-season double pass to The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest. For your chance to win one of the packs, email giveaways@drummedia.com. au ‘with ‘MILLENNIUM’ in the subject line. The Farrelly brothers – best known for There’s Something About Mary and Dumb And Dumber – are back in cinemas with Hall Pass, starring Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis (SNL), Christina Applegate, Jenna Fischer (The Office (US)) and Stephen Merchant (The Office (UK)). Wilson and Sudeikis star as happily married men whose wives let them have a week off their marriage, via the titular hall pass. LOLs ensue. We’ve three in-season double passes to the film up for grabs so for your chance to win one email giveaways@ drummedia.com.au with ‘HALL PASS’ in the subject line.

SEMI-PERMANENT REVEALS FIRST SPEAKERS Semi-Permanent have announced the first speakers for their 2011 event, which will take place at Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 May. They include production designer Annie Sperling, who has worked with the likes of David LaChapelle, Lady Gaga and Brett Ratner; the Surface To Air fashion/ film/collumnication collective, who’ve worked with the likes of Justice, Banksy, Gonzales and Feist; artist/ musician Reg Mombassa (Mental As Anything/Dog Trumpet); graphic designer Seb Lester, whose typefaces grace the logos of British Airways, H&M and Barclays, and numbers as clients Apple, Nike, Penguin and Victoria’s Secret; graphic designer Michael Leon (Commonwealth Stacks, ex-art director Nike); Sydney creative agency Moffitt.Moffitt (clients: Sydney Film Festival, Sydney Theatre Company, Vodafone etc.);

7 UP

NZ design studio Alt Group (winners, Cannes Design Gold Lion, Red Dot Grand Prix among others), and visual effects company Fuel, who’ve worked on Iron Man 2 and The Spirit, as well as upcoming blockbusters Thor and Captain America. Four more speakers are to be announced so keep eyes locked to these pages. Tickets through semipermanent.com. Get in before 15 April for a serious discount.

ROB ZOMBIE TO GUEST AT POPCORN TAXI SCREENING In Australia to play the Soundwave festival, Rob Zombie has agreed to a rare non-festival appearance, at a Popcorn Taxi screening of the musician/filmmaker’s cult hit, The Devil’s Rejects. The sequel to his House Of 1000 Corpses, we follow the Firefly family from the original on the run from a sheriff hell-bent on revenge. Depravity and subversive humour are dishes best served cold and here Zombie puts them on ice. Following the screening, Zombie

MOST CONVINCING PERFORMANCES BY ADULTS IN THE ROLE OF A TEENAGER BY JOHN EAGLE 1. James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause (1955) and East Of Eden (1954) 2. Florence Carrez in The Trial Of Joan Of Arc (1962) 3. Zhang Yi-Zi in The Road Home (1999) 4. Ellen Page in Hard Candy (2005) 5. Summer Bishil in Towelhead (2007) 6. Steve McQueen in Nevada Smith (1966)

REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE

7. Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)

will engage in an on-stage Q&A with the audience. A rare chance for fans to get up close and personal. Popcorn Taxi presents The Devil’s Rejects + Rob Zombie Q&A will be held at Event Cinemas Bondi Junction Monday 28 February. More information from popcorntaxi.com.au.

so we’re expecting a mix of supertrendy hot new things and some leftfield classic choices. (Pavlovic toured Nirvana back in the day.) The mind boggles at the possibilities.

VIVID SYDNEY 2011 REVEALS DATES

Supanova Pop Culture Expo has announced its tenth anniversary lineup. Sydneysiders get to check out ‘90s pin-ups Luke Perry (Beverly Hills, 90210) and Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride and Robin Hood: Men In Tights) at The Dome, Olympic Park Friday 17 June to Sunday 19 as well as Buffy/Angel star James Marsters, Firefly/Serenity’s Morena Baccarin, Torchwood’s Gareth David Lloyd and more. Tickets through supanova. com.au.

VIVID Sydney has announced the dates for this year’s “festival of light, music, and ideas” - Friday 27 May to Monday 13 June, taking over Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay and The Rocks for a third year. While no programming announcements have been made, the curator of its music strand, Vivid LIVE, was revealed late last year, Modular’s Stephen Pavlovic,

THEATRE NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND Cell Block Theatre, National Art School Do you know about opera? Dostoyevsky? That some people spell it ‘Dostoevsky’ without the first ‘y’? How impressive NSW Governor Prof. Marie Bashir is? These are all things that came up at the premiere performance of the Sydney Chamber Opera’s first show at the Cell Block Theatre at the National Art School. Composed by SCO’s music director Jack Symonds with a libretto by playwright Pierce Wilcox and with absolutely genius costume and set design and very competent other production values, Notes From Underground adapts the story of a Russian civil servant getting more and more disillusioned, failing at life and love and generally declaiming against the world. Now, opera is very good for declamation, what with

LUKE PERRY, CARY ELWES FOR SUPANOVA

REVIEW the loud singing and acceptability of dramatic repetition, and the loud singers in question were very, very good. Somewhat compressed by running an overlapping time-scheme in which the protagonist/s before and after his fall (characterised as Aboveground Man and Underground Man) play out their parts in alternation rather than sequence, the story could have been a little confusing if you came in without background, but the program was helpful and comprehensive. The only thing not accessible about the show was the setup, with the audience onstage and the performance below them, which meant that anyone not in the front row couldn’t see much of what was happening at the front of the stage. This was a shame since the pin-up retro/Russian chic/High Opera Bronze Dude aesthetic was stunning, but the SCO are off to a very impressive start. Season finished BETHANY SMALL

UNDER THE TUSCAN SPELL OPERA SINGER WILLIAM SHIMELL MAKES HIS FEATURE FILM DEBUT OPPOSITE JULIETTE BINOCHE IN ABBAS KIAROSTAMI’S LATEST, CERTIFIED COPY; THE BRIT TAKES SELF-DEPRECATION TO A NEW LEVEL WITH IAN BARR. “If you were thinking of somebody to be in a film, an opera singer would probably be at the bottom of your list. Acting in opera is not the best preparation for film work, really.” That’s British opera singer William Shimell, taking a self-depreciating view of his screen debut in Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy, opposite arthouse goddess Juliette Binoche. He goes further: “Can you imagine, this poor woman, who has worked with the greatest actors and the greatest directors in the world, working with someone who doesn’t know anything?” Despite his lack of formal experience, Shimell was unfazed about his participation in the project or collaborating with Kiarostami. “You have to go back a few years, 2008 I think it was. I was in the South of France doing Così fan tutte and Abbas Kiarostami had been asked to direct the opera. We got on very well and it was only the second day and he asked me, ‘Have you ever been in a film?’ I didn’t know what he had in mind, but I said ‘Yeah.’” Binoche won the top prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival for her characteristically electric

performance in the film, but contrary to what his modest attitude suggests, Shimell more than holds his own as her male counterpart, a British author arriving in Tuscany to give a presentation on the value of artistic frauds, the ‘certified copies’ of the film’s title. There, he meets Binoche, playing an antique dealer, and the two discuss the subject of his lecture before testing the universality of some of those concepts in increasingly fascinating ways. Throughout the film, we’re constantly asked to call into question the reality of the relationship we’re witnessing blossom. The nature of Shimell’s character – a man playacting a character assigned to him by Binoche – was something of an entry point for the non-professional performer into his character. “In the very first scene, I’m giving a lecture. So in a way, I was presenting myself. And he’s playing the role assigned to him by Juliette Binoche.” He credits much of the success of his performance to both Binoche and Kiarostami, the latter perhaps the most reknowned of Iranian filmmakers and a legendarily astute director of nonprofessional actors.

“I didn’t know anything,” Shimmel admits. “In a way, it was better than knowing a bit. One of the reasons I accepted was that I knew [Kiarostami] was used to working with non-professional actors, so he wasn’t going to be fazed by my complete incompetence. He would’ve had to find ways around it.” On Binoche, he effuses: “She was so kind, and she was so helpful, and she really worked hard to give me the opportunity to work to the best of my abilities. I’m not saying it was any good, but it was the best I could do.”

Rest assured, Shimell’s beating up on himself is largely flippant and he has even spoken to his director about future film collaborations. “There are possibilities. I keep going on to Abbas about making another one, but I’m not sure if that’ll happen, he’s a very busy man. There are other possibilities, but I don’t want to jinx them.” WHAT: Certified Copy WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas now THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 67 •

frontrow@drummedia.com.au get into is hip hop, and the wordiest artform that people got into back then was Shakespeare.”

MUCH ADO ABOUT

SOMETHING MOVE OVER, KANYE. CHICAGO MCS Q BROTHERS ARE BRINGING THEIR HIP HOP VERSION OF SHAKESPEARE, FUNK IT UP ABOUT NOTHING, TO AUSTRALIA. THEY INTERRUPTED THEIR PACKING TO SPEAK TO ALEKSIA BARRON. The more you think about it, the more sense it makes. Translating Shakespeare’s intricate verses into hip hop lyrics sounds insane at first, but for Chicago rap duo Q Brothers, it’s the most natural thing in the world. “It’s a perfect marriage,” says JQ, one half of the Q Brothers juggernaut. The name Q Brothers refers to JQ and GQ, actual brothers (not just rap brothers) whose bank statements are addressed to Jeffery Ameen Qaiyum and Gregory J. Qaiyum respectively. They’re pretty prolific, with each

C U LT U R A L

boasting a few screen credits and numerous musical projects, but they particularly thrive when working together. Their current collaboration takes the rather unusual form of a hip hop version of Shakespeare’s famous comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. The Q Brothers have created Funk It Up About Nothing, having achieved some notoriety for their previous play, The Bomb-itty Of Errors (obviously a rap take on The Comedy Of Errors). The decision to take on Much Ado for their second Shakespeare adaptation

was, in the end, a bit of a no-brainer. “Our oldest brother said, ‘I really like that one – can you do it?’” According to JQ, the idea to combine Shakespeare’s language with modern hip hop was also a no-brainer. “Shakespeare is so close at the heart of hip hop,” he says passionately. “It’s so close that it’s overlooked constantly. Us rappers use the same devices and poetic ways that Shakespeare was using.” There’s certainly a synchronicity between the two performance forms. “Nowadays, the wordiest artform that people

CRINGE

The creative process that they undergo to create their work resembles that of most great artists – it involves mood-altering substances and a lack of sunlight. “Usually [GQ] takes 16 pots of coffee and the original play and, like, the Oxford English Dictionary and a computer into a room for a couple of weeks,” laughs JQ. What follows is an extensive rewriting process and some beatmaking work from JQ, and then, if you’re lucky, a slot at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It was at Edinburgh that Australian producers Simon Hinton and Richard Jordan first saw the show and began the arduous process of bringing it out to Australia. “They saw the show two and a half years ago in Edinburgh when we were performing there,” explains GQ. Now, finally, they’re heading down under and GQ couldn’t be happier. “Right now we’re in the thick of a Chicago winter. I’m packing light,’cause I’m planning on wearing a lot of flip-flops and swimsuits.” You heard it here first, ladies. In the meantime, Funk It Up About Nothing has played to sold-out crowds in both Chicago and New York, and the Q Brothers have never tired of seeing audiences get into their unusual show. As JQ explains, “We’ve had Shakespearean classicalheads come in and they’re thinking, ‘These guys are gonna butcher my Shakespeare.’ Then, they find out that we’re paying homage.” Part of it lies in the fact that Funk It Up is a dedicated adaptation and doesn’t rely on the gimmick of putting a few guys

FILM

A State Government audit of Sydney’s theatres and exhibition spaces that would have influenced decisions about developing a cultural hub at Barangaroo is unlikely to be finished before next month’s election. It’s thought the audit will also influence plans to expand performing arts facilities at Walsh Bay. A spokeswoman for Arts Minister Virginia Judge says the audit is expected to be completed sometime this year. Musical theatre performer Anthony Warlow got plenty of publicity ahead of the opening of Doctor Zhivago. Warlow, who plays the lead, tore his calf muscle before the $6 million dollar show’s first preview. The preview audience was shown just 20 minutes with an understudy, but Warlow made a brief appearance on crutches and sang. After a few changes to the choreography he was back on track for opening night at the Lyric Theatre. Actor Jessica Marais has left Packed To The Rafters to work in the United • 68 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

States. The 25-year-old silver Logie winner has apparently filmed enough footage to keep her on local screens until June. Her departure follows that of Mel Rafter, played by Zoe Ventura, who also left to work in the US. Marais’ on and off screen boyfriend James Stewart is staying in Sydney. There are two ducks in Belvoir’s current production of Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck. The female is called Beryl and the male Bob - although apparently only one is onstage at a time and the other an understudy. Director Simon Stone says the glass walls of the set stop them wandering into the audience. World renowned choreographer Lucy Guerin will be at Brisbane’s Judith Wright Centre on Monday 7 March, auditioning guys with no formal dance training for her latest show Untrained. She says the show began as a workshop exploring her interest in choreographing for non-dancers and evolved into a theatre piece that premiered in 2009 as part of the Dance Massive festival in Melbourne. It has since played to critical acclaim

at Sydney Opera House, the Adelaide and Perth Festivals, and the Hong Kong Festival. Award-winning artist Locust Jones has created a 25-metre canvas with refugee students for a pioneering literacy programme. In September last year, Art & Australia magazine initiated a collaborative artwork between Jones and the 21 students at Lurnea High School in South Western Sydney. The work has been unveiled as the centrepiece of the exhibition Subtext: Art for Literacy at CarriageWorks. The exhibition has been curated for the Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation by Marni Williams and Chloé Wolifson. Sydney playwright David Bulmer’s Beautiful, directed by Lisa Eismen and starring Gerard O’Dwyer and Kate Hardy, is part of the final week of Short+Sweet at Newtown Theatre. O’Dwyer, who has Down Syndrome, has acted in short films before (winning Best Actor at Tropfest for Be My Brother), but has done little serious stage work. He says this is a real challenge for him.

On the flipside, they’ve seen a lot of interest from younger audience members who haven’t had much time for William S in the past. “We’ve gotten a lot of kids who are into hip hop to think more than twice about Shakespeare now. One thing that we’re really proud of is that we keep blowing these expectations away.” Of course, those familiar with Much Ado About Nothing would surely wonder how a renaissance play set in Tuscany could be adapted suitably into a hip hop theatre experience. According to JQ, the secret lay in the script. “This was a good one [for us to adapt] because of the banter between the characters... It seemed to lend itself to a hip hop battle-rap thing already.” Still, as GQ explains, there were certain aspects of the play that needed to be revised. “Where we’ve changed the original piece is the journey of the women. Shakespeare wasn’t known for being very fair to his woman characters, especially in this play.” It’s a fair point, given that Much Ado leaves its female characters aiming for little more than marriage, in some cases to people who wouldn’t appear to be very deserving of their affections. Referring to the young, virtuous

female character who ultimately forgives a terrible slight her fiancé inflicts on her, GQ says, “In the original, Hero is so weak. We had to change that, because a modern audience wasn’t going to get that.” They decided to change Hero’s journey a little. “We tried to give a strength to the female characters. Hero... gets a little tougher, and she forces [her fiancé] to earn her back, in the end.” GQ is charmingly unapologetic for altering the Bard’s original plotline: “Frankly, those parts of the play were kind of weak.” It’s a sentiment echoed by JQ, who explains the necessity of Shakespeare’s plays to move with the times. “I really feel that if something is going to be timeless, it has to adjust to hit people the same way nowadays that it did when it was created,” he says thoughtfully. “Obviously, Shakespeare’s stories are timeless. His talent is forever. But in order for a modern-day audience to receive the piece the way an audience did five hundred years ago, that’s where we come in. That’s where we see our job as fitting.” WHAT: Funk It Up About Nothing WHERE & WHEN: Illawarra PAC, Wollongong Wednesday 23 February to Saturday 26 / BMEC, Bathurst Tuesday 1 March and Wednesday 2 / Orange Civic Theatre Friday 4 and Saturday 5 / Civic Theatre, Wagga Wagga Tuesday 8 / Albury Entertainment Centre Thursday 10 to Saturday 12 / CarriageWorks Hip Hop Festival Wendesday 16 to Saturday 26

REVIEWS

CONVICTION

WITH JAMELLE WELLS

in baggy pants and incorporating a smattering of the Bard’s verses into the script. “We’re not dumbing him down.” He’s been surprised too by the response to the music from audiences. “We’ve gotten a lot of people who have never really listened to hip hop to open their ears to it and realise that it’s a culture. It’s an artform. It’s not a bastardisation of anything.”

Conviction’s a terribly bland film when it really, really needn’t have been. Sam Rockwell plays Kenny, wrongly convicted of murder and brother to Hilary Swank’s Betty Anne who, convinced of her brother’s innocence, puts herself through law school to help clear his name. Wisely, the film makes the tried-and-true decision to play coy with placing a definitive finger on the validity of Rockwell’s charges. However, it also completely fails in being any way compelling by never totally committing. Right from the start, the narrative’s bent on the assumption that Kenny’s innocent, and this completely trips up the film. Betty Anne’s a martyr and in telling a martyr’s tale, it’s unbecoming to have it undermined by the fact that the person’s efforts could all be in vain. There’s no hope there, and the film knows this, treading the bizarre line of teasing some intrigue, and then immediately rescinding it. Lines of dialogue that seem poised to flood the story with some ambiguity always conclude on some annoying, unassailable definitiveness. The vital bits of information the film hinges its development on seem embarrassingly obvious and are addressed so unremarkably that you always see their developments coming. The film quickly becomes

a watch that’s no more challenging than seeing it abstracted on the news. Drawn in broad strokes, appealing to the most fundamental of senses and in the most uncomplicated of ways, Conviction’s quick-fix writing’s not suited for the big screen. WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas from 24 February SAM HOBSON

THE WAY BACK Some people had a big problem with The Lord Of The Rings. “It’s just a movie about people endlessly walking through forests and over mountains,” they’d sneer, contemptuously. Here’s a tip: if that’s you, avoid The Way Back at all costs.

Set in 1941, Peter Weir’s new film is loosely based on war memoir The Long Walk, about a group of prisoners who escaped from a Siberian Gulag and walked 4,000 miles south to India and freedom, through frozen forests, across pitiless deserts and towering mountain ranges. Jim Sturgess is Polish POW and de facto leader Janusz, driven by a desire to get back to his wife. He’s aided by quiet American Mr Smith (Ed Harris) and violent Russian criminal Valka (Colin Farrell, having great fun with the role) along with a rag-tag group of ragged fellow escapees. The Way Back is infused with Weir’s typical gravitas at every turn. It’s a remarkable chronicle of a remarkable physical ordeal and the performers’ portrayals of exhaustion and sunstroke are first-class, particularly Harris and Saoirse Ronan, who plays a late addition to the group, a Polish waif. But one can’t help the feeling that Weir is asking rather a lot of us, to sit through more than two hours of conversation and perambulation. Shorn of some of its length it might have been a taut, tense thriller but – not wishing to take away from the real-life escapees’ feats – as it stands, it evokes feelings of ‘Are we there yet’ by about the 90-minute mark. WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas from 24 February BAZ McALISTER

frontrow@drummedia.com.au

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME

THE SHAPE MADCAP GEORDIE COMEDIAN ROSS NOBLE HASN’T GOT AUSTRALIA ON HIS ITINERARY FOR 2011 – BUT WE’RE GETTING TWO DVDS AND SCADS OF FREE YOUTUBE CLIPS TO FEED OUR ADDICTION, AS HE TELLS BAZ MCALISTER. It might be hard to believe, but it’s 20 years this year since Ross Noble first strode on stage with microphone in hand to make people laugh. “I was 15 when I did my first gig, and I was always the young kid on the bill, and now you see these young kids doing stand-up and you go ‘Bloody hell, when did I become one of the old ones’? Most people get to about 35 and then try and stop doing stand-up as quick as they can. Me? They’ll have to drag me off the stage and pry that mic out of my cold, dead hand,” he says with the gravitas of Charlton Heston at an NRA rally.

After 20 years of solid slog that’s made him a household name both here and in his native UK, Noble’s taking a well-deserved year off. Having lost his Victorian home in the Black Saturday bushfires he and his young family – wife Fran and daughter Elfie – moved to the UK, where they now live. “We did actually discuss the idea of moving somewhere in Australia that’s not as prone to fire, and we thought ‘Oh, we could move to Queensland’. Luckily we didn’t entertain that idea! That really could have been the worst idea anyone could have ever had.

Can you imagine? That would shit you!” he says. With the family safely relocated, Noble is taking it easy following a massive UK tour, saying that he plans to indulge his passion for riding motorbikes and also just spend time with his daughter, now two years old. “What I wasn’t expecting was the lying,” he says of Elfie. “She’s talking now, and she’s just coming out with all this stuff that I know to be lies. She told me the other day that she’d taken my car. ‘Daddy’s car, me drive daddy’s car’. She told me she’d driven down to see her equally

two-year-old friend, who lives two hours away, and apparently she was peeping the horn at the horses. “The crazy thing is not that she’s just created this scenario, it’s the detail. You just think, OK, if you’re gonna pretend to steal my car and go and visit your friend can you at least drive it responsibly? Don’t go hooning around peeping the horn. But I like the bizarre logic of it.” Bizarre logic, mixed with the ability to make up crazy stories on the fly? Wonder where she gets that from? “Yeah,” laughs Noble. “Between her and me, it’s not making a particularly smooth time for my wife – ‘Oh god there’s two of them’.” So, Aussie fans, to feed your Noble fix this year you’ll have to content yourself with two DVD releases – Things, out now, with Nonsensory Overload looking like making an appearance by Christmas. Noble says the plan for that is to include six two-hour shows from the same tour on the one DVD, to highlight his ‘no two shows the same’ approach to comedy. “Also – which probably isn’t helping the sales of the DVD – is I release ten-minute clips on my YouTube, the Ross Noble Channel,” Noble says. “There’s about two hours of free stuff up there now. Someone sent me a tweet saying ‘What happens when the clips run out’ and I sent a message back saying ‘Don’t worry about that, by the time that happens the sun will have burned out and we’ll all be long gone’.” WHAT: Ross Noble: Things on DVD (Shock)

MADE YOU

LOOK

WITH BETHANY SMALL So David LaChappelle is suing Rihanna over her video for her single S&M. I mention this in an art column because he is totally a photographer of legitimate talent and importance to contemporary culture and Rihanna is very fashion and postmodern, and because having it in here basically asks for accompaniment by some kind of sexy photograph by him or of her that will hopefully get people’s attention and encourage them to read this and send me admiration and job offers (bethanyleesmall@gmail.com). Also it is interesting in ‘industry’ terms as regards intellectual property and appropriation and how Shepard Fairey got in trouble over using that photograph of Obama and whether people need to make all their own stuff and ideas. Personally, I think the side-by-sides of stills from the clip and LaChappelle images show that the former seems pretty definitely to have been influenced by the latter, but this is more in terms of the overall vibe than of the specific images cited. David LaChappelle is not the first to have girls in dresses made of newsprint or with boys on leashes in his photographs (and whips and ball gags have of course a rich pictorial tradition in their own right). In terms of saturated colour, surrealism, hyperactivity and overt sexuality comedically treated Rihanna is a LaChappelle kind of a pop star, but then he has a couple of influences of his own, like maybe the whole working for Andy Warhol at Interview magazine thing and

concomitant fame-oriented high-low culture suture, right? In other art and celebrity news, Al Pacino is going to play Henri Matisse in a film (to be directed by Deepa Mehta) called Masterpiece, and you can interpolate yourself into the Wills & Kate story at a London gallery courtesy artist Jennifer Rubell, who has made a life-sized wax figurine of the prince and engagement ring as they appeared in the announcement photo. Visitors get to step up on a white pedestal and get their picture taken as if they, too, had the chance to have their common origins discussed in the papers. Somewhat less colourfully, it’s recently been worked out why some of van Gogh’s sunflower paintings went brownish, and no, it’s not dried blood from his ear. According to scientists with an enormous X-ray machine, there are extra pigments on the ones that’ve gone brown, which were originally white and designed to lighten and give a sheen to the flowers. Pigment actually does go bad pretty often, especially when artists mess around with it without knowing about chemistry, and there’s a great case of that right on our very doorstep. If you go through the 18th Century galleries at the AGNSW, take a close look at the complexions of Stephen Croft, Jr. and James, 7th Earl of Lauderdale by terribly important portraitist Sir Joshua Reynolds. No, English people weren’t actually that pasty; the skin tone pigment has faded heaps. And the Earl’s ermines were not entirely unlike something you’d see in a Rihanna clip.

THE DRUM MEDIA 23 FEBRUARY 2011 • 69 •

frontrow@drummedia.com.au

THE NEW BREED OF

ARTISTS WHITE RABBIT COLLECTION ARE ABOUT TO OPEN THEIR LATEST EXHIBITION, DECADE OF THE RABBIT, WHICH CELEBRATES THE GALLERY’S TENTH BIRTHDAY AS WELL AS THIS, THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT. BETHANY SMALL TALKS TO CURATOR BEAU NIELSON. WANG ZHIYUAN - THROWN TO THE WIND, 2010 “That zebra is drunk.” This is Beau Nielson’s opinion as gallerist and collector at White Rabbit, and it really seems like she’s right. The zebra in question is peering seedily out of an Henri Rousseau-ish jungle that’s backdrop to a Hogarthianlooking bewigged judge and a dumpster full of a pinkish Animal

Farm scene where “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which,” - and that is just one painting in their new show. “This is a piece I love as well. Look how creepy it is,” is how Nielson introduces the work. “This

dude, with his hands down his pants, and the pigs…” And that zebra, who definitely does look seedy. This show, Decade Of The Rabbit, is an exploration of ten years of Chinese art and ten years of the Neilson family collecting it, and features works from 30 artists. Some of these works have been

seen before in this space, and some of these artists have never shown anywhere but in their art schools. “The Kombi van, we’ve brought that back,” Beau explains, “and the eggs which were in the first exhibition, they were a bit sick and we had to get them to the doctor and get them working properly but now they’re back, so yeah it’s a really good variety, a few old favourites but the majority of the pieces haven’t been seen outside China.” A week out from the opening, Decade Of The Rabbit is in the critical stages of unpacking and installation, which for a space as big as White Rabbit’s four ex-warehouse floors, is a huge job. “The slowest part is pulling things out and then knocking down some walls, because usually we do some reconfiguration, and then once the new walls are setup we have to paint them and, you know, that’s the slow bit, and then suddenly in the last week everything comes together. At the moment it looks like a bit of a construction site, but soon!” Keeping Wang Jian’s multistorey garbage cornucopia, one of the stars of the last show, The Big Bang, takes at least one major logistical issue, but there have been hiccups. A shy little animal robot whose assembly instructions didn’t quite work out for the installers has necessitated getting the artist out to fix it, but it’s apparently okay now and ready to run away from visitors with a squeal once the show opens. “He’s gorgeous,” Beau says fondly, after most kindly imitating his onomatopoeic call. She gets excited about all the works we look at on the first floor,

the only one that’s really ready to be seen. A trio of big glossy prints are “so amazing because you look at them and then see how creepy they are, you know, with this little guy hiding in the corner; it’s very, very… and this one, there are rats crawling in, it’s called Rats’ Post Office, you can see this little dude crawling in a window…” She’s equally pleased with a big sculpture of a beat-up Kombi for being “all fibreglass, but it still looks like, you know, you could write ‘Clean Me’ in it with your fingers,” and with a Gao Rong soft-sculpture installation of the interior of a kind of dingy apartment block, the verisimilitude of which is even more amazing when you consider the materials. “This piece, when I first saw it I almost walked past it,” is how it’s introduced, but “what you must understand, is, this is all made of fabric. Look at it! It’s all sewn… even the footprint is sewn on to the wall, it’s just exceptionally detailed.” This enthusiasm, rather than any kind of disaffection, is what’s behind Beau’s statement that “I find I don’t really have favourites anymore, honestly. There’s just so much skill and talent, and also, just, you know, when you see something a number of times your initial response to it is very different to what you end up feeling; it becomes far more developed.” That enthusiasm is definitely helped, in her view, by White Rabbit being a collection rather than a gallery per se. “We get to buy things because we like them, not to push a certain

angle or promote a certain artist,” is how she puts it (a point her sister Paris also made when I spoke to her about The Big Bang last year). “We’re not in the position of buying things we hate, going ‘Oh but it will resell well…’ I think that’s a terrible way of going about things.” As collectors, the Neilsons have the luxury of closer relationships with their artworks and artists, which is something Beau rates highly. “I think the relationships and knowing the narratives of something makes it far more interesting than just trying to overanalyse things and put your own meanings into them, which sometimes people tend to do with art.” But what, for someone just coming into the show, not necessarily knowing Chinese art, is the context here? In a compact expert summary: “The contemporary art scene really blew up in like the ’80s and ’90s, most of the contemporary works that go to auction are from that period, so there were a few artists who were really well represented, but after 2000 you get a whole new batch of people, some younger artists and, you know, people who haven’t lived through the Cultural Revolution so it’s a different experience, it’s far more of a melting pot of New China. Rather than responding to the history directly it’s more artists who’ve been influenced by foreign culture and, you know, Western culture and so on.” WHAT: Decade Of The Rabbit WHERE & WHEN: White Rabbit Collection from 25 February

closing date

LIVE MUSIC

All entries must be received by 20 October 2011 and be accompanied by an entry form

CARRIAGEWORKS

national cannabis prevention and information centre (ncpic)

short ﬁlm competition The National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC) Short Film Competition gives young people between the ages of 15 and 25 years the opportunity to showcase their creative talent and express their thoughts and ideas about cannabis and its negative impact upon sporting performance.

brief

LIZ MARTIN

+ BHANGLASSI + TOM HESPE & RICH MASON + EMAD YOUNAN + JAMES BRENNAN + THE BRUTAL POODLES CURATED BY MUSIC FOR TREES

SAT 26 FEB F R E E ! NOON-5PM (ARTIST TIPPING WELCOME)

CARRIAGEWORKS’ CAFÉ & BAR OPEN CARRIAGEWORKS 245 WILSON STREET EVELEIGH MAIN ENTRANCE: CNR CODRINGTON STREET | TRAIN: REDFERN OR MACDONALDTOWN

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UNPLUGGED + UNCOMPLICATED IS PRODUCED BY CARRIAGEWORKS + OCCURS ON THE LAST SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH

• 70 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

The ﬁlm can be in any style or genre (i.e. drama, comedy, documentary, science-ﬁction, etc.), but must creatively explore the issues associated with how the use of cannabis may impact negatively on sporting performance.

prize money

There will be one national winner selected with prize money oﬀered of $5,000 for the designer of the winning entry. There will be two runner-up prizes of $2,000 each. To download the entry form and for more information, please go to: http://ncpic.org.au/go/ﬁlm2011/ or call (02) 9385 0208

live@drummedia.com.au KATE NASH @ ENMORE THEATRE. PIC: LYNLEY REID

NATIONAL

KATE NASH

JONATHAN BOULET

Metro Theatre 16/02/11

It seems festival fatigue is finally settling in. The curtain was pulled across just behind the mixing desk for this return visit from bouncy British pop-rocker Kate Nash. But it’s only six months since she last played the same venue, so it really can’t be that big of a surprise that gig goers would rather spend their dollars elsewhere. Only support Jonathan Boulet whipped up a very tasty slice of feedback drenched indie pop. His sound, when filled out by guitars, keys and essentially two drummers contained a lot more oomph than you’d probably expect listening to his delightfully charming recordings. His set was bookended with his biggest songs. You’re A Animal made great use of the duelling percussion and mass chorus effect of having four singers, while at the end of the set A Community Service Announcement proved perfect singalong fodder for the small but very enthusiastic crowd. Young women eager to buy into her naughty girl from a good school style persona seemed to dominate the room and were more than happy for Kate Nash to fire off shouty, aggressive pop – played with a dazzling smile on her face, of course. Not that she needed a smile, considering the red bow on her head was the size of, well, her head. Songs such as Take Me To A Higher Plane and Do-Wah-Doo were full of sass and jagged guitar lines. There was lots of screaming and Nash’s voice was, while still staying true to that quirky indie pop girl sound, still different enough to enjoy and make the crowd wish that she would take her voice further and explore what it can do. That said, one of the strongest moments of the set was when Nash’s band, who spent most of the night in the shadows at the back, disappeared for a couple of songs and Nash waited until the entire crowd was quiet to sing I Hate Seagulls. It was when Nash was stripped back and vulnerable and seemingly a little unsure on the guitar – rather than pogoing around full of fire – that the real connection between audience and performer was possible. Every girl needs a bit of sass and snarl, but we all know it’s the quiet moments that have the biggest impact. Danielle O’Donohue

DAN PARSONS & STEVE GRADY: Feb 23 Pot Belly Bar RICK PRICE: Feb 23 Brass Monkey, Mar 12 Asquith Leagues, Mar 19 Castle Hill RSL OWL EYES, ANDY BULL: Feb 23 Otis Bar, Feb 24 Brass Monkey, Feb 25 UNSW Beergarden THE WAIFS: Feb 23 Anita’s Theatre, Feb 24 Canberra Theatre, Feb 26 Enmore Theatre, Feb 27 Civic Theatre Newcastle KISSCHASY: Feb 23 UNSW Roundhouse ALPINE: Feb 24 GoodGod ALBARE: Feb 24 The Basement BRIGHT KNIGHTS: Feb 25 Town & Country, Feb 26 Lass O’Gowrie THE LITTLE STEVIES: Feb 25 Raval MENTAL POWERS: Feb 25 Black Wire Records, Feb 26 Croatian Club Newcastle, Feb 27 Vox Cyclops EVIL EDDIE: Feb 26 The Gaelic DARREN HANLON: Mar 2 Street Theatre, Mar 3 Gallipoli Legions Club, Mar 4 The Factory THE TRIPLE RAINBOW TOUR feat. BALL PARK MUSIC, EAGLE & THE WORM, WE SAY BAMBOULEE: Mar 3 Brass Monkey, Mar 4 The Gaelic, Mar 5 Transit Bar HOLLY THROSBY: Mar 3 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Mar 4 Lizotte’s Dee Why, Mar 5 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Mar 6 Balmain Town Hall, Apr 8 Clarendon, Apr 15 ANU Bar, May 6 Brass Monkey, May 7 Annandale Hotel DEEZ NUTS: Mar 3 Spectrum, Mar 4 Centennial Hall, Mar 5 Blacktown Masonic Hall, Mar 6 Oasis Youth Centre GUINEAFOWL: Mar 3 Transit Bar ILLY*: Mar 4 Oxford Art Factory, Mar 5 Cambridge Hotel, Apr 7 Manning Bar, Apr 8 ANU Bar OZI BATLA: Mar 4 Cambridge Hotel, Mar 5 Tone ABBIE CARDWELL: Mar 4 Roxbury Hotel DRAGON: Mar 4 Penrith RSL, Mar 5 The Cube, Mar 11 Southern Cross Club, Mar 18 Mounties, Mar 19 Doyalson RSL, Mar 26 Blacktown Worker’s, Apr 1 & 2 Brass Monkey ONLY THE SEA SLUGS: Mar 4 Oxford Art Factory, Mar 11 Great Northern Newcastle, Mar 12, 19, 26 Oxford Art Factory KATIE NOONAN & THE CAPTAINS: Mar 5 The Factory, Mar 18 Lizotte’s Dee Why HUGO RACE: Mar 9 The Basement Circular Quay MAT MCHUGH: Mar 10 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Mar 11 Lizotte’s Dee Why, Mar 12 Heritage Hotel, Mar 13 Lizotte’s Newcastle THOUSAND NEEDLES IN RED: Mar 10 ANU Bar, Mar 11 Waves, Mar

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FEATURE TOUR

THE WAIFS

Though they’ve been living, playing and travelling abroad for a while now, The Waifs will always call Australia home. They’re about to release their new album Temptation and they’re coming back to their home country to play at some of their favourite venues. Tomorrow they’ll be at Anita’s Theatre, on Thursday you can find them at Canberra Theatre Centre, on Saturday they’re playing the Enmore Theatre and on Sunday they’re at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre. They’re joined on all dates by Mama Kin.

12 The Gaelic BAG RAIDERS*: Mar 10 Wollongong Uni, Mar 11 Newcastle Uni, Mar 16 UNSW, Mar 17 ANU DIESEL: Mar 11 The Vanguard SEABELLIES: Mar 11 Cambridge Hotel, Mar 12 Beachcomber Hotel, Mar 17 The Gaelic, Mar 18 Mona Vale Hotel, Mar 20 Brass Monkey 78 SAAB: Mar 12 Northern Star, Apr 2 The Gaelic IN HEARTS WAKE: Mar 17 Spectrum, Mar 18 Menai Youth Centre JONATHAN BOULET, THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS: Mar 17 Newcastle Uni, Mar 18 Wollongong Uni, Mar 19 The Metro LAURA: Mar 18 Sandringham Hotel MY FRIEND THE CHOCOLATE CAKE: Mar 18 The Factory ELECTRIC EMPIRE*: Mar 18 Oxford Art Factory TRIAL KENNEDY*: Mar 19 Spectrum THE MCCLYMONTS: Mar 19 Blacktown Workers, Mar 20 Mean Fiddler, Mar 24 South Sydney Juniors, Mar 25 Bankstown Sports Club, Mar 26 EVAN Theatre, Apr 8 Mounties, Apr 9 Wenty Leagues, Apr 28 Mingara Recreation Club, Apr 29 Civic Theatre Newcastle, May 20 Hornsby RSL, May 22 North Sydney Leagues GARETH LIDDIARD: Mar 23 The Maram, Mar 24 The Factory, Mar 25 Lizotte’s Newcastle OH MERCY: Mar 23 The Clarendon, Mar 24 The Maram, Mar 25 Oxford Art Factory, Mar 26 Northern Star BLACK DEVIL YARD BOSS*: Mar 23 Beach Road Hotel, Mar 25 Lansdowne Hotel, Mar 26 Hotel Gearin, Mar 27 Old Manly Boatshed SPARKADIA: Mar 24 ANU Bar, Mar 30 Wollongong Uni, Mar 31 Bar On The Hill, Apr 1 The Metro ED KUEPPER: Mar 24 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Mar 25 The Basement Circular Quay HOUSE VS HURRICANE: Mar 24 Bar 32, Mar 25 The Metro, Mar 26 Cambridge Hotel, Mar 27

Oasis Youth Centre THE WILDES*: Mar 24 Phoenix Bar Canberra, Mar 25 Heritage Hotel, Mar 26 Brass Monkey, Mar 27 Grand Junction Hotel, Mar 31 Excelsior Surry Hills BONJAH: Mar 24 Oxford Art Factory CLOUD CONTROL: Mar 24 The Metro BIG SCARY: Mar 25 Spectrum ANNO DOMINI: Mar 25 Club Led THE AMENTA: Mar 26 Valve Bar, Apr 9 The Maram, Apr 29 Club LED, Apr 30 The Gaelic LANEOUS & THE FAMILY YAH: Mar 26 Annandale Hotel DEAD LETTER CIRCUS: Mar 26 The Metro PAPA VS PRETTY, LAST DINOSAURS: Mar 31 Transit Bar, Apr 1 Oxford Art Factory, Apr 2 CBD Hotel THE HERD: Mar 31 Cambridge Hotel, Mar 9 The Factory MY DISCO*: Apr 1 GoodGod THE HOLIDAYS: Apr 2 Oxford Art Factory MILES AWAY: Apr 2 Bald Faced Stag, Apr 3 Axis Youth Centre, Apr 6 Cambridge Hotel THE JEZABELS: Apr 8 The Metro THE CHURCH: Apr 10 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall KEITH URBAN: Apr 14 Sydney Entertainment Centre ADALITA*: Apr 14 Transit Bar, Apr 15 Great Northern Newcastle, Apr 16 Sandringham Hotel, Apr 17 Clarendon BRITISH INDIA: Apr 16 Annandale Hotel, Apr 21 Entrance Leagues Club, May 12 Fitzroy Hotel, May 13 Cambridge Hotel, May 14 Hornsby RSL, Apr 2 The Maram GRINSPOON: Apr 21 Rooty Hill RSL, Apr 22 Hornsby RSL, Apr 23 Roxy Theatre, Apr 24 Waves, Apr 25 Newcastle Panthers CHILDREN COLLIDE: Apr 21 The Metro

INTERNATIONAL TORO Y MOI: Feb 22

& 23 GoodGod 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, Mar 11 Old Manly Boatshed, Mar 12 Bridge Hotel, Mar 13 Brass Monkey, Mar 23 Annandale Hotel GABBY YOUNG: Feb 23 Raval IRON MAIDEN: Feb 24 Sydney Entertainment Centre OH NO: Feb 24 Tone STRANGER COLE: Feb 25 The Basement Circular Quay ROXY MUSIC: Feb 25 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Feb 26 Newcastle Entertainment Centre ROSKA: Feb 26 Tone PADDY CASEY: Feb 26 The Factory CALVIN HARRIS: Feb 27 Greenwood Hotel PLANET ASIA: Feb 27 Tone ANBERLIN: Feb 28 Manning Bar RIHANNA: Feb 28 Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Mar 4 & 5 Acer Arena THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM: Feb 28 The Metro MILLENCOLIN: Feb 28 UNSW Roundhouse PRIMUS: Feb 28 Enmore Theatre STONE SOUR: Feb 28 Big Top MXPX ALL STARS: Feb 28 Annandale Hotel THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS: Mar 1 The Vanguard GANG OF FOUR: Mar 1 The Gaelic SUM 41: Mar 1 The Metro BRING ME THE HORIZON: Mar 1 UNSW Roundhouse SOCIAL DISTORTION, THE BRONX: Mar 1 Enmore Theatre MAYDAY PARADE: Mar 1 The Forum MURDERDOLLS: Mar 1 Big Top THIRD EYE BLIND: Mar 1 Annandale Hotel SHELLEY SHORT: Mar 1 Raval

THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 71 •

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I AM KLOOT

JACKSON MCLAREN

The Gaelic 18/02/11 WE THE KINGS: Mar 2 The Metro DEVILDRIVER: Mar 2 The Forum TERROR: Mar 2 Manning Bar QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE: Mar 2 Enmore Theatre JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE: Mar 3 Lizotte’s Dee Why, Mar 4 The Basement, Mar 5 Heritage Hotel, Mar 6 Annandale Hotel IMELDA MAY: Mar 4 Newcastle Leagues, Mar 5 The Gaelic, Mar 7 The Basement Circular Quay MONARCH: Mar 4 Manning Bar BEST COAST: Mar 7 Oxford Art Factory THE HOLD STEADY: Mar 8 The Metro WILDBIRDS & PEACEDRUMS: Mar 8 Church On Chalmers OS MUTANTES: Mar 9 Enmore Theatre THE CLEAN: Mar 9 The Factory Theatre JOANNA NEWSOM: Mar 9 City Recital Hall WAVVES: Mar 9 Manning Bar MOUNT KIMBIE: Mar 9 GoodGod, Mar 10 Oxford Art Factory BELLE & SEBASTIAN: Mar 9 The Metro, Mar 10 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall CROOKED STILL*: Mar 9 Notes, Mar 22 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Mar 23 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Mar 25 Notes, Mar 26 Merry Muse SONNY & THE SUNSETS, KELLEY STOTLZ: Mar 10 Goodgod EUGENE HIDEAWAY BRIDGES: Mar 10 Lizotte’s Dee Why, Mar 11 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Mar 12 Lizotte’s Kincumber ILL BILL: Mar 10 The Gaelic THE BESNARD LAKES: Mar 10 Manning Bar PULLED APART BY HORSES: Mar 10 Annandale Hotel THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS: Mar 10 Sydney Entertainment Centre KE$HA: Mar 10 Hordern Pavilion MGMT: Mar 10 Enmore Theatre MARTIN SIMPSON: Mar 10 Notes DOA: Mar 11 Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills HAWKWIND: Mar 11 Manning Bar JOE PUG: Mar 11 Notes MARK RONSON & THE BUSINESS INTL: Mar 11 Enmore Theatre ULCERATE: Mar 12 The Wall SWANS: Mar 12 The Metro OMAR SOULEYMAN: Mar 12 Annandale Hotel STEVE AOKI*: Mar 12 The Metro AFRO CELT SOUND SYSTEM: Mar 14 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall EDDIE VEDDER: Mar 15 Royal Theatre, Mar 16 Civic Theatre Newcastle, Mar 18 – 20 State

Melbournite Jackson McLaren seemed thrilled to be playing in Sydney with his full band. He delivered a performance that showed maturity in his music, despite his young age. With a well-balanced momentum throughout, his songs were engagingly melancholic without tipping into the maudlin. With folk-pop reminiscent of Things Of Stone & Wood and the storytelling tone of Paul Kelly, he is a singer/ songwriter well worth keeping a look out for.

DARWIN DEEZ

DRUM PRESENTS

THE WAIFS: Feb 23 Anita’s Theatre, Feb 24 Canberra Theatre, Feb 26 Enmore Theatre, Feb 27 Civic Theatre Newcastle THE ART: Feb 25 Annandale Hotel AMP ALIVE: Mar 2 Annandale Hotel THE TRIPLE RAINBOW TOUR feat. BALL PARK MUSIC, EAGLE & THE WORM, WE SAY BAMBOULEE: Mar 3 Brass Monkey, Mar 4 The Gaelic, Mar 5 Transit Bar 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 THOUSAND NEEDLES IN RED: Mar 10 ANU Bar, Mar 11 Waves, Mar 12 The Gaelic MARK RONSON & THE BUSINESS INTL: Mar 11 Enmore Theatre GARDEN MUSIC: Mar 13 Government House BLUE MOUNTAINS MUSIC FESTIVAL: Mar 18 – 20 Katoomba MONSTER SESSION 3: Mar 19 Manning Bar THE HOLIDAYS: Apr 2 Oxford Art Factory ZZ TOP: Apr 20 Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Apr 25 Wollongong Entertainment Centre, Apr 27 & 28 Enmore Theatre THE FUNKY METERS: Apr 20 The Metro BLUESFEST: Apr 21 – 25 Tyagarah CHILDREN COLLIDE: Apr 21 The Metro OH SLEEPER, THE CHARIOT: Apr 23 The Gaelic, Apr 26 Harp Hotel GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC: Apr 24 The Metro DISTURBED: Apr 25 Acer Arena, Apr 28 Newcastle Entertainment Centre HUGH CORNWELL: Apr 28 ANU Bar, May 4 Cambridge Hotel, May 5 Manning Bar TIM ROBBINS & THE ROGUES GALLERY BAND: Apr 28 The Basement Circular Quay DATAROCK: May 5 Oxford Art Factory HOUSE OF PAIN: May 6 Manning Bar KYUSS LIVES: May 7 Big Top Luna Park GROOVIN’ THE MOO: May 7 Maitland Showground, May 8 University Of Canberra THE WOMBATS: May 9 Enmore Theatre DARWIN DEEZ: May 10 The Metro Theatre DEAD PREZ: Mar 15 Oxford Art Factory SIDESTEPPER: Mar 15 The Metro HORACE ANDY: Mar 16 The Metro ANN VRIEND DUO: Mar 16 Raval, Mar 19 Illawarra Folk Club DONAVON FRANKENREITER: Mar 17 Cambridge Hotel, Mar 18 The Metro, Mar 19 Mona Vale Hotel, Mar 20 Wollongong Uni LEFTFIELD: Mar 17 Enmore Theatre NEIL DIAMOND: Mar 19 Hope Estate, Mar 26 Sydney Football Stadium NANO STERN: Mar 20 The Basement Circular Quay STONE TEMPLE PILOTS: Mar 20 Hordern Pavilion, Mar 24 Newcastle Entertainment Centre THE WOLFE TONES: Mar 20 Enmore Theatre REBIRTH BRASS BAND: Mar 21 State Theatre CHRIS ISAAK: Mar 22 & 23 State Theatre, Mar 25 Wollongong Entertainment Centre LIONEL RICHIE: Mar 22 Acer Arena, Mar 26 Bimbadgen Estate, Mar 27 Centennial Vineyards LUKA BLOOM: Mar 22 – 24 Tilley’s, Mar 26 Enmore Theatre, Mar 27 Heritage Hotel, Mar 29 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Mar 30 Lizotte’s Central Coast USHER: Mar 22 Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Mar 23, 24, 28, 29 Acer Arena DOOM: Mar 23 The Metro PAUL COLLINS BEAT: Mar 25 Sandringham Hotel

• 72 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

SANTANA: Mar 25 Acer Arena, Mar 26 Hope Estate DOOBIE BROTHERS: Mar 25 Enmore Theatre FINNTROLL: Mar 26 Manning Bar UNWRITTEN LAW: Mar 26 UNSW Roundhouse MOTORHEAD: Mar 30 Big Top FOR TODAY: Mar 30 Great Northern Newcastle, Mar 31 Spectrum, Apr 1 Campbelltown PCYC ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER*: Mar 30 Phoenix Bar Canberra, Mar 31 Harp Hotel, Apr 1 Bald Faced Stag, Apr 2 Cambridge Hotel CYNDI LAUPER: Mar 31 & Apr 1 State Theatre, Apr 2 Newcastle Entertainment Centre URIAH HEEP: Apr 1 Enmore Theatre TIM BARRY: Apr 3 Cambridge Hotel, Apr 9 Sandringham Hotel CITY & COLOUR: Apr 5 & 6 Enmore Theatre THE SCRIPT: Apr 8 & 9 Hordern Pavilion JIMMY EAT WORLD: Apr 8 Enmore Theatre DMZ: Apr 8 Oxford Art Factory CHERRY POPPIN’ DADDIES: Apr 8 The Factory GOOD CHARLOTTE: Apr 9 Sydney Entertainment Centre DEAD KENNEDYS: Apr 9 Manning Bar BB KING: Apr 12 & 13 State Theatre ERIC BIBB: Apr 12 & 13 Tilley’s Devine Café,

Apr 15 Enmore Theatre, Apr 16 Sutherland Entertainment Centre, Apr 28 Lizotte’s Dee Why, Apr 29 Blackheath Community Hall, May 3 Lizotte’s Kincumber, May 4 Lizotte’s Newcastle BRUNO MARS: Apr 14 The Big Top ARMIN VAN BUUREN: Apr 16 Acer Arena THE CLASSIC CRIME*: Apr 16 Spectrum

FESTIVALS KARAVAN: Feb 25 The Factory SOUNDWAVE: Feb 27 Sydney Showground CMC ROCKS THE HUNTER: Mar 5 & 6 Hope Estate PLATFORM HIP HOP FESTIVAL: Mar 12 – Apr 2 Carriageworks FUTURE MUSIC: Mar 12 Randwick Racecourse BLUE MOUNTAINS MUSIC FESTIVAL: Mar 18 – 20 Katoomba SUPAFEST: Apr 9 ANZ Stadium TOTALLY AUTUMN*: Apr 9 Croatian Club Newcastle BLUESFEST: Apr 21 – 26 Tyagarah NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL: Apr 21 – 25 Exhibition Park Canberra GUM BALL: Apr 29 & 30 Belford CREAMFIELDS: Apr 30 Showring & Hordern Pavilion 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.

Manchester’s I Am Kloot have been going for over ten years but this was their first trip to Australia, albeit to an audience inevitably mostly from their homeland. Taking to the stage after a dramatic orchestral intro, the band opened with From Your Favourite Sky, edgier live than on record with a poetic vitriol in its sound. Their most recent album Sky At Night was full of carefully crafted stringladen orchestrations, and singer John Bramwell commented that, with a lack of visas for an extended band, they would be limited in what they could play from that release as just a trio. The songs that they did include, particularly Northern

Skies and To The Brink, were delivered in a manner that emphasised the beauty and imagery of the lyrics. If anything, the absence of strings made them into even more powerful songs with the added transparency – much of that was to do with Bramwell’s honest and heartfelt vocals. A three-song section mid-set further demonstrated the fact when he played solo, with an air of vulnerability displayed in No Fear Of Falling, while the highlight, I Still Do, dripped with unguarded emotion. His genuine manner continued between songs with some gentle witticisms and off the cuff remarks. Other songs went for a harder hitting approach, with the direct Someone Like You and the angular guitar chorus and pounding drum-led verse of 86 TVs being much less subtle than the gentle picturesque moments. Aided with electric guitar, One Man Brawl took things up a notch with its harshness contrasting the sweetness of the lyric. Indeed, it’s the way that the band controls and varies the atmospherics of their tone in each song so well that is their true strength. With the inclusion of their signature song Proof, which dwelled in its roll-along quality, their fans were left fully satisfied. Anyone else who was just checking them out would also have been richly rewarded. Paul Smith

I AM KLOOT @ THE GAELIC> PIC: JOSH GROOM

LOCAL NATIVES

of Talking Heads’ Warning Sign, World News and Sticky Thread got the biggest response as did encore numbers Who Knows Who Cares and Sun Hands. This was definitely one for the true believers.

Metro Theatre 10/02/11

Fiona Cameron

One easy way to shed the day’s irritations and petty frustrations is a drink and a night out with the indie kids in their skimpy clothes and chunky shoes and a couple of their favourite bands. The Paper Scissors were the first to kick things off with their take on dark pop. It’s a nice mix of sinister and shimmer fuelled by the seriously good beats of drummer Ivan Lisyak. The set, albeit brief, was a fun ride through their catalogue that spiced things up and set the mood for the show to come. Highlights included Turn It To Gold, Dozens, Yamanote Line and set closer Disco Connect.

HOLLY THROSBY

LEADER CHEETAH THE PAPER SCISSORS

The real joy of the evening for those of us who did not drink the Local Natives Kool-Aid was the other support band Leader Cheetah. Put it anyway you like, theirs is an enviable package – the right combination of easy on the eyes and so good to the ears. These boys managed to pack a lot into a brief outing that translated the best of Neil Young-infused downhome tunes into their own language. It’s no simple task blending real country stomp into a big expansive soundscape. Midnight Headlights, Dark Stands Over, Our Love and Fly, Golden Arrow Part 1 stood out in a strong set. Makes you wonder what they’d do with more time on stage. Headliners Local Natives have a dedicated fanbase that all came out to play and to all outward appearances, a good time was had by all. The band seemed genuinely pleased to be here – “This is our first trip to Australia and this is quite a sight to see. This is fucking crazy!” – and delighted with the ardent reception they received. The fans clapped along, sang along and cheered at all the appropriate moments in a set of rambling, hippie, dreamy, inoffensive groovy pop. Stranger Things, a cover

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M. WARD

Enmore Theatre 20/02/11

As M. Ward admitted tonight, it had been a while since his last visit and he was touring to promote his 2009 album Hold Time. That was no deterrent to the fans that packed out a reduced ‘intimate’ Enmore Theatre for a solo performance. Holly Throsby played a set that showcased some of the tracks from her new album Team, which was released just a couple of days prior. With backing band The Hello Tigers, she gently eased the audience into the mood of the evening with some hushed and delicately structured songs that showed she is fast becoming a unique songwriter who isn’t afraid to experiment with textures, rhythms and a range of instruments like banjo and accordion to colour her songs. On his first visit to Sydney, M. Ward played the Newtown RSL with a baseball cap drawn low over his eyes, little contact with the audience and the air of an artist who hadn’t quite come to terms with the scope of his ability. Now, with a few more albums, the ongoing She & Him and Monsters Of Folk projects and numerous shows played, he strode onto the Enmore stage a much more assured musician. Serenading us with an instrumental acoustic piece, he then opened his mouth and from the first notes that rang out crystal clear, loud and rich through the theatre, it was clear we were in for a special evening. The quality of sound was exceptional, allowing us to hear the creak

CARIBOU

FOUR TET SARANGAN SRIRANGANATHAN

Metro Theatre 17/02/11

It was surprising to see Tamil sitarist Sarangan Sriranganathan take the stage ahead of the headliners. The foreign tones of the sitar, sometimes a little clogged, rang out from underneath his fingers and in his half hour he never once stopped playing. It felt more like background music, but when he finished his set the applause was palpable. He had no commonalities with the headliners, but more exposure for world music on our scene would be a positive thing.

mention – using both a traditional kit and drum pad, he was the ferocious machine gluing the sounds together. Born Ruffians’ Luke Lalonde made a surprise appearance to sing Jamelia and Odessa closed the main set with a thumping groove – John Schmersal’s thumping bass gave it extra oomph and Snaith’s recorder solo provided a light flourish. The encore comprised only Sun, beginning with Snaith screaming the word into the mic. As it echoed, chaos was unleashed and the song was barely recognisable in the jam, but it emerged – what felt like a euphoric eternity later – spotless again. If you thought Caribou was a sonic rollercoaster on record, the live show made the albums look almost like child’s play. Giselle Nguyen

Speaking was also unnecessary for the silent Kieran Hebden – Four Tet’s complex compositions came to life under his hands and though it would be easy to get bored watching someone fiddle with a laptop for an hour, Hebden made it intoxicating. Heavy bass permeated the set and the sheer scope of his compositions allowed only a few songs to be played (mostly from latest album There Is Love In You), but they swelled to enormity and transformed the feel of the venue into an ecstatic throbbing club vibe. There wasn’t much to watch on stage, but the feeling of being in the crowd was more than enough, with huge sounds inviting huger reactions. Caribou is a similar story on record, with Dan Snaith plugging away at a computer to create the sounds, but live, three musicians join in a more complex setup. From opener Kaili it was evident that with the band, none of the music’s intricacies are compromised – electronic sounds are still achieved via a synthesiser and the other instruments contribute towards a bigger sound. The band showed their penchant for extended jams, but rather than feeling self-indulgent they was incredibly passionate, especially on the vocal-free Bowls where Snaith took to a second drumkit. Drummer Brad Weber deserves a special

and rattle of the guitar strings and all of that distinctive burr and character that makes Ward’s voice so unique. Song-wise his selection was pretty impeccable, from favourites like Fuel For Fire, Undertaker, Poison Cup and Sad, Sad Song to covers of Don Gibson’s Oh, Lonesome Me, Daniel Johnston’s The Story Of An Artist and his gorgeous rendition of David Bowie’s Let’s Dance. There wasn’t a dud or misstep over the 90 minutes he graced the stage with his guitars and piano. Ward is at his best playing slow, sad love songs and they were in abundance tonight. His voice was perfect and at many points quite moving. The ability to sustain such brilliance alone on a stage is a powerful thing and shows how truly great an artist M. Ward has become. Chris Familton

RETURN TO FOREVER

Sydney Opera House Concert Hall 15/02/11

It was 8.20pm (despite the tickets stating that 8pm sharp was the start time) before Return To Forever IV played a note and the 20 minutes of dramatic orchestral bombast (which this reviewer was told was Mars from The Planets by Gustav Holt) saw the Opera House crowd restless and annoyed. All it took was a few bars from the all-star band to make everything better though. The first set drew heavily on jazz-rock flavoured material, such as that from Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy. Stanley Clarke – who, along with pianist Chick Corea is an original member – was mesmerising, his inimitable, buzzing bass rumble thrilling yet seldom seeming overplayed. The virtuosic Australian guitarist from Corea’s Elektric band, Frank Gambale, seemed restrained in this outfit, but dazzled with superhuman sweep arpeggios when the spotlight was thrown on him. The intermission was followed by a sensitive rendering of Romantic Warrior, with Clarke playing a bow on his upright bass, accompanied by Flamenco guitars, plinking piano and cymbal flutters, before the band kicked into driving, half-time funk. A couple of new numbers by legendary (though who in this band isn’t?) violinist Jean-Luc Ponty went over well, after unconvincing modesty about the band being unfamiliar with and worried about handling the material adequately. The final quarter of the performance contained the most magic. A Stanley Clarke solo ran about two minutes and was – understood if you can’t imagine this for a bass guitar solo, but please try – greeted by a roomful

BLACK MOUNTAIN

THE NIGHT TERRORS Annandale Hotel 19/02/11

Black Mountain were repeating their March 2009 two night stand at the Annandale, a venue perfectly suited to their psych/stoner rock sound. It needs to be filtered through beer and humid air to really connect and feel like the real deal. The Night Terrors were a nice counterpoint to the more traditional sounds of the headliner. Bass, drums, two keyboards and a theremin made for an interesting combo of sounds, with frontman Miles Brown the visual focal point of their performance. A towering figure with a shock of blonde hair, he looked part lanky rocker and part tranced out mad scientist when he unleashed the otherworldly sounds of his theremin. With a set that swung from moody horror soundtrack vibe to chugging space rock, they were a compelling band sounding both futuristic and classically grandiose.

Black Mountain have two types of song - progmetal, psych-rock juggernauts and the pastoral country-tinged quieter ones. They got the balance right between the two, making for both an epic and intimate gig. Playing a great selection of tracks from across their three albums, songs from last year’s Wilderness Heart sounded fantastic live. That album gave us The Hair Song, The Way To Gone, Old Fangs and the monstrous Deep Purple-ish title track that came late in their set. The sound mix was loud and crunchy with each instrument placed in its own unique spot in the PA. The only criticism was that the vocals were crying out for higher volume. The crowd even led a chant of ‘turn up the vocals’ at one point that fell on the deaf ears of the sound guy. The highlights came with their biggest songs Stormy High, Druganaut, Tyrants and Wucan. Many bands attempt to replicate key sounds from past eras, but most struggle to make them sound as vibrant and ‘now’ as Black Mountain does. They pummelled and hypnotised their fans with the perfect soundtrack to a hot summer’s night. Chris Familton

CARIBOU @ METRO THEATRE. PIC: LUKE EATON

of bottoms on the edges of seats and mouths open not in yawns, but amazement. A piano/audience call and response section during Spain bordered on the numinous and the final jam, on the classic School Days, was followed by a crowd moving off to catch their train, bus or taxi able to think of little else but what might be the most infectious bass line ever conceived. RTF are a bit like Glengarry Glen Ross – a cast that looks phenomenal on paper, but which creates something even better than the sum of its parts. Brent Balinski

BLACK MOUNTAIN @ THE ANNANDALE HOTEL. PIC: ROD HUNT

SWERVEDRIVER

TUMBLEWEED THE LAURELS

Metro Theatre 18/02/11

TRICKY

Metro Theatre 19/02/11 For the $70 ticket price (reduced to $50 if you waited until the last couple of days before the gig to purchase), there wasn’t a whole lot of Tricky on show at The Metro. Sydney DJ Hezekiah was the only support for the Bristol trip-hopper and even when the headlining performer took the stage, the show was really only his in name only. Instead it was his band that shouldered the bulk of the performance. A fairly lackadaisical performer even on his good days, Tricky spent most of this gig wandering around the stage poking his tongue out, standing on the keyboard riser and bouncing up and down, or perched on the edge of the stage with the microphone pressed against his chest somewhere around the heart. When he did step up to the mic, his indistinct, low-down breathy vocals barely left a mark on the music. An underwhelming performance from the main act – and such an important artist in his genre, as Tricky once was within trip-hop – would normally signal the death knell for a gig, but that was far from the case. For any fan of live performance, Tricky’s band was a captivating proposition. While trip-hop was Tricky’s bread and butter when he was knocking around with Massive Attack back in the early ‘90s, his sound has evolved into a much musclier, rock-based version of his earlier work. Though trip-hop got a workout at the gig (Karmacoma/ Overcome was one of the early highlights), it was when the band blended that with the kind of rock that Hendrix and Prince’s band traded in that things really made this more than just another show. At times getting bogged down in Tricky’s cheeky chappy

Walking into the Metro was like taking a step back to 1992. There were plenty of flannel shirts and pairs of old Cons, and the crowd was nearly all in their mid-30s. Unlike some of the bigger reunion tours of the last few years, Swervedriver hasn’t really taken on that mythical underground legends status to draw in a legion of new fans. This crowd was definitely about recapturing a moment from their own pasts rather than coming to see a band they’d only ever heard about.

picking up the pace for a popular rendition of early single Rave Down. And from there, even during the songs with the most momentum, there was a coiled tension springing from the repetitive guitar lines. In true shoegazer style, frontman Adam Franklin only spoke when the band came out for the encore, but by then his band had well and truly crafted a set of incredible grace and poise. Danielle O’Donohue

Though they looked young, The Laurels have been playing their fuzzy, feedback soaked psychedelica for over five years. That experience has failed to tighten up their playing, which is both a blessing and a curse. While the set’s loose rhythm seemed natural and more about feeling than countless hours in a rehearsal room can manufacture, there was certainly an impressive rumble and fire to the band that would become even more intense with a bit of extra precision. A lot older than The Laurels, Tumbleweed haven’t lost their ability. Though live sets have been rare since they reformed 15 months ago to play Homebake, the band from the ‘Gong offered heavy riffs, basslines that begged for the feet apart, long hair hanging, bass strapped on low stance and the always distinctive vocals of frontman Richie Lewis. When Lewis wasn’t singing hits like Sundial and Daddy Long Legs, he was dancing lizard king style around the stage and letting his band’s instruments run over the top of each other in carefully organised chaos. In contrast, nothing about Swervedriver could ever be considered chaotic. There was an efficiency and control that was breathtaking to watch. The band was constantly pushing each song forward, never expanding songs out and never deviating from their musical path. The set built slowly and carefully,

SWERVEDRIVER @ METRO THEATRE. PIC: ROD HUNT

continued pg. 74

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THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 73 •

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FOSTER THE PEOPLE

Pumped Up Kicks.

BELLES WILL RING

Oxford Art Factory 14/02/11

Belles Will Ring opened the festivities, seeming a strange choice of support act for the LA headliners. Their rocky guitar solos and tight three-part harmonies were features of what was otherwise a fairly ubiquitous sound. The two lead guitarists worked well together swapping vocal and guitar melodies effortlessly. While their words were meaningfully sung, the sound mix remained uncomfortably loud and the delicacies of their lyrics and harmonies were lost. A highlight was the upbeat blues/rock number Mad Love, but what could have been very easy listening became at times an aural assault. The volume remained an issue for Foster The People but the band matched it, hitting the stage with ferocious energy. They opened with thundering drums and heavy synth that rose to a rave frenzy before dropping to a funky pop number that had everyone dancing. Having only formed a year ago, Foster The People are a largely unknown entity, mostly recognised for their feel good summery track

Their live show displayed a fantastic richness to their music, with much more depth and diversity than their recent three-track EP belied. They were totally unpredictable, with every song switching musical styles and beats, ranging from Beach Boys-style pop to electro dance and hip hop bass. The trio was expanded to a five-piece for the live show, every member caught up in the moment, pulsing like live wires. Frontman Mark Foster was the band’s prized centrepiece. He showed off a vast bag of vocal tricks, alternating Bee Gees-style falsetto, passionate screams and gutsy belts. Foster also proved to be a talented musician, switching effortlessly between guitar, keys, percussion and synth. In fact everyone was armed with a synth alongside their respective instruments and their sound was thick with synthetic layers. Quite sweet and poppy three-part harmonies added a nice contrast.

single FOCUS

NATURAL DISASTER IN SURRY HILLS D. Rogers has just released his fourth solo album, Natural Disasters, through PopBoomerang Records. To celebrate he is heading north and launching it on Saturday night at Raval. Special guests are Lazy Susan and 49 Goodbyes.

50-50 THE PREACHERS

Blowing expectations through the roof, this band whipped the audience into a joyful frenzy. Foster The People are destined for big things.

Pale Rider

Alex Hardy

The thrill of the doomed relationship. Original, yes.

What’s the song about? Is this track from a forthcoming release? We’re now working on a series of high-quality demos as part of The 66 Project, a sort of continuous, evolving EP. For six months we’re putting out free tracks in collaboration with local artists, designers and filmmakers and documenting the process on our website.

How long did it take to write/record? The track was recorded with five other demos in a day at BJB Studios with producer Tony Buchen, with overdubs the following week at 301.

What’s your favourite part of the song? Tony convinced me to skimp on the understated country harmonies I originally had planned for the chorus, instead turning it into this grand pop anthem. I was horrified, but now I love it.

Do you play it differently live? FOSTER THE PEOPLE @ OXFORD ART FACTORY. PIC: JOSH GROOM

from pg.73 persona, like when an extended Ace Of Spades cover involved 30 odd fans getting up onstage to dance – a move that was repeated again later in the gig – the most intense and worthwhile musical moments of the show where when vocalist Francesca Belmont was at the mic and Tricky’s female guitarist and bass player were showing off their chops. Though the show should’ve culminated in a very expressive and dark version of Past Mistake that ended with more people up onstage and Tricky wandering through the crowd, it actually finished in the style it was played out in, with Tricky noticeably absent and his band doing all the very impressive work. Danielle O’Donohue

TUNNG

FERGUS BROWN

Oxford Art Factory 19/02/11

Local talent Fergus Brown greeted a filling Oxford Art Factory with his tender vocal, which glided smoothly over the chit chat of the punters. His sound dances around strung-out, self-deprecating lyricism and a simple pop sensibility, with rocky guitar backed by chirpy synth and drums. The spectacle-sporting troubadour certainly can sing and some of his more oddball songs are a real treat. If there is such a thing as a ‘folktronica giant’, Tunng is it. Their music is rich and textured, balanced between lush picked acoustic guitar, experimental percussion and synthy elements of electronic noise. Tonight they dived into an enchanting little set on the first stop of their Australian tour.

• 74 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

A stylistic mismatch, Becky Jacobs looks more like an admin worker in a one-shoulder dress than a folkie, while if alternative tendencies are not clear enough from Mike Lindsay’s rugged appearance, the word ‘folk’ splashed across his T-shirt is a pretty strong indicator. Musically, however, there was an overwhelming sense of unity between the six-member group as Jacobs and Lindsay bounced warm harmonies off each other before a backdrop of bells, chimes, wooden blocks and whisks emanating from a super busy percussionist. Despite the copious amount of instrumentation cluttering the stage, each tune was deeply enveloping, but never too overwhelming. The complementing guitar work between Lindsay and Ashley Bates provided a fertile ground for percussion and synth to grow and develop around. Tracks from their latest work …And Then We Saw Land, such as Hustle, have a definite pop feel but still tend to drift off in freaky directions. A highlight came in a wonderfully ironic, self-gratifying Strat solo from Lindsay, who energetically tore up the fret board in a very Guitar Hero moment. Donning a pair of ridiculous comedy sunglasses he bounded on top of the monitors, shaking his guitar in true hedonistic rock god glory. It was a far cry from the mellow yet serious nature of the tunes, which cover themes such as murderous minds and drug dependency. By the time Bullets came late on in the set the group were in their element, the tune garnering a singalong and a dance from a generally conservative crowd. The acoustic drift, Woodcat, ignited an encore steeped in the beautiful melancholy that haunted the gig, with Tunng graciously accepting a rapturous appraisal they totally deserved. Nolan Giles

STEVIE AND PERCIVAL Melbourne folk/pop dears The Little Stevies are bringing their charming little songs to Raval this Friday, having already won hearts over all around the States. Joining them will be Mr Percival for the show beginning 7.30pm and for only $16.

It was tracked live and the only thing you’ll miss is the theremin and harmonies – unless we get us a line of backup gals.

Will you be launching it? Wednesday – Low 302.

For more info and free downloads see: thepreachers.com.au

ON THE DRUM STEREO The King Of Limbs RADIOHEAD High Violet THE NATIONAL Warp20 (Chosen) VARIOUS THE BRONX Mariachi El Bronx JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN The Deep Field +Dome SEEKAE The People’s Key BRIGHT EYES No More Idols CHASE & STATUS Look Who’s Talking OST VARIOUS VARIOUS Road Trippin’ 2 OST

ARIA TOP 10 AUSTRALIAN SINGLES 1. Who’s That Girl GUY SEBASTIAN FEAT. EVE 2. Friday To Sunday JUSTICE CREW 3. Rapunzel DRAPHT 4. Saturday Night JESSICA MAUBOY FEAT. LUDACRIS 5. Big Jet Plane ANGUS & JULIA STONE 6. Wild At Heart BIRDS OF TOKYO 7. Plans BIRDS OF TOKYO 8. Rock It LITTLE RED 9. Reflections BLISS N ESO 10. I’d Do Anything JOHN BUTLER TRIO

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The new drinkin’, dancin’, swingin’ club night at the Vanguard, 50-50, is ready for round two. Dress dapper, dance well and head down on Friday to catch The Fearless Vampire Killers and DJ sets from Jaykatz and Le Mancha Negra.

A PSYCHEDELIC INSTANCE This Friday psychedelic Sydney trio Alba Varden launches their new double A-side single, This Instance, at World Bar. Entry is $10.

ANNANDALE ALL AGES Hard-rocking local trio Ninth Pillar are headlining an all ages arvo gig this Sunday at the Annandale. Kicking off at midday, the bill also features Los Alamos, Pistol and Anomaly.

CASTLE HILL AIDS QUEENSLAND Castle Hill band Sunset Riot will continue to help bring aid to those affected by the tragedy of the Queensland floods, with an all-ages relief concert to be held at Moonpies and Misfits on Saturday.

BLUES AND KINGS In the lead-up to their appearance at the Blues and Roots Festival in April, Nat Col & The Kings are playing a series of shows to get crowds eager. First off the mark is a gig on Saturday at The Vanguard.

JAGER UPRISING FINAL This Wednesday The Annandale hosts another showcase of local talent. This week’s Jager Uprising presents the crème de la crème, as competition finalists The Glimmer, Elle Kennard, Sealion and UIS duke it out as the final four in the contest.

A FIRST FOR 2ND Bankstown independent rockers 2ND have just released their first ever music video for their debut single, Don’t Be Gone For Long. The video was shot on location at Stanwell Tops and The Rocks, and will be launched live at the Roxbury Hotel on Saturday.

WARD’S WEEK Singer, songwriter and guitarist Ross Ward has two shows coming up this week. Ward plays Friday night at the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel with his band Wards Xpress, and plays a solo show at Heathcote Hotel on Sunday afternoon from 2:30pm.

LANE AMONGST THE PINES Sydney songstress Lanie Lane will play two free shows this week at the intimate Shady Pines Saloon. On Monday 28 February and Tuesday 1 March Lanie will be performing her sassy set from 8pm.

SIGNS AND SYMBOLS Melbourne-based duo Symbols are launching their new EP, Signs Of Truth, and taking Sydney’s own electro-rockers Alien Zoo along for the ride. The bands stop in at the ANU Bar on Thursday with support from Fighting Mongoose and Saturday at Spectrum with Ali Mireskandari.

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FULLY CUT

single FOCUS

DAN WHITFORD FROM CUT COPY TAKES US BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE ST. JEROME’S LANEWAY FESTIVAL NATIONAL TOUR AND THEIR OWN AFTER PARTIES. SORDID STORIES ENSUE.

Day 1 - Brisbane Laneway Festival We kicked off our Laneway experience last weekend with the east coast leg of the festival. Not only is it the first chance for us to play a set full of Zonoscope tunes, it’s also the best festival lineup we can remember since the ill-fated but rather excellent and indie-star-studded Summersault in the late ‘90s. The opportunity to listen to bizarre rambling stories about German prostitutes and cowboys of the old West from Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox or see Ariel Pink sporting a red polka-dotted pair of women’s flares reminiscent of Bianca Jagger was almost too much for most of the members of Cut Copy. When we arrived at the Brisbane fest, suddenly we weren’t festival headliners, we were just gushing fanboys with our attention bouncing from one record collection favourite to another. “Sign my tits Ariel!” an anonymous member of CC (i.e. me) shouted as he headed to the stage. Cutters’ favourite DJ Nile Delta’s set was incredible, a sprawling house-a-thon so charged with emotion it brought the first row of girls in the crowd to tears. We bottled those tears for the making of our next record. Midway through the festival, when the fandom died down, I remembered that our new record Zonoscope had come out that day, so I snuck out of the festival to pick up a copy of our record from JB. It was good, but probably a bit expensive and I thought some of the songs were too long and weird. I like the last one better… Dark descended. Our band room became available. Mango daiquiris arrived and we started into our pre-show ritual of NBA Hangtime and psychedelic karaoke. Show time was epic. So much anticipation and so many new songs to remember. I was so nervous that

TIM CUT COPY PRE SHOW WARMUP I didn’t make it out onto stage until 15 minutes into our set, forcing the others to reinterpret the first three songs as instrumentals. Things picked up after that, thankfully. Tim and Ben brought the crowd to their knees with an extra ten minutes of improvised percussion jam dressed as monkeys from Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey. Cutters Records Party Brisbane In true Cutters form, we finished the show and headed straight to the club with bouquets of flowers and a trolley full of 45s. Nile Delta had somehow beaten us there and stole our DJ slot. The crowd was full of freaks. A lot wilder and artier than I remember the Valley being last time. Foals and Warpaint were at the bar drinking shots and talking about Fluxus art and I saw a dead ringer for Grace Jones making a sexy strut across one corner of the dancefloor with the Rio Lobotomy lads. It was like being at the paradise garage, except in a parallel reality where disco started in Brisbane rather than New York and Larry Levan was actually Nile Delta. Cut Copy DJs pushed the bar higher with some late ‘80s piano house then slowed it to half tempo with Primal Scream’s Come Together. Then Edwin from Foals brought it home with some off-beat, up-tempo disco jams, featuring the absent but eagerly anticipated Japanese Cutters records hombre, Das Moth.

Day 2 - Melbourne Laneway Festival Ariel Pink kicked his set off riding a boa constrictor onto the stage. In true Melbourne fashion, the extreme rainfall was replaced by extreme winds. Shit was blowing all over the place. Jonathan, our guitar tech, had to be taken to hospital with an eye injury after the sharp end of his veggie ‘not-dog’ blew up into his face. It’s a jungle out there. “He was a good man, one of the best.” Somehow the band seemed to harness these ominous weather conditions and channelled them into performance vibes. We were like shamen, summoning up the wind spirits and the spirits of the crowd. As the last chord of the set was struck, the rains poured down on the crowd, like the poetic waterfall from the Zonoscope cover. Day 3 - Sydney Laneway Festival Spirits were buoyed by ‘East Brunswick Project’ coffees on the way to the airport. It was a necessity. Browning had been out all night. It was commented that he looked and smelled like pub carpet. Mitchell had disappeared the previous night holding a slab of Asahi and woke up empty-handed on the couch in some person’s house with Wheel Of Fortune running on the TV. Having gotten in early, I finally got to catch Beach House’s set. They looked pissed off, but they sounded spectacular. I wish I had a voice like her. Danny Rogers, the director of Laneway, was in the crowd for our set. In an inspired feat of timing, he somehow managed to crowd surf to the front of the stage and give me a high five right at the final breakdown for Hearts On Fire. It didn’t connect properly, but I felt the vibe. Still waiting for that perfect high five. WHO Cut Copy

ROB SAWYER BAND Come Our Way What’s the song about? It’s based around the old saying ‘good things come to those who wait’… I was spending a lot of time on the road touring, constantly longing to spend time together face to face with the girl I was with, when it never really seemed to happen that often.

Is this track from a forthcoming release? The track is from the forthcoming album, Lose Discover, due to be released in May.

How long did it take to write/record? I remember penning the chorus at a friend’s place in Western Australia a couple of years ago, and the rest of the track was a collaboration of notes and random journal entries I had over time. It only took a couple of hours to record as we had the song for a little while before entering the studio and it was played pretty much live.

What’s your favourite part of the song? I love the melody and harmony in the chorus, and I love the guitar solo. It’s the first time I’ve let loose on an electric guitar on a recording.

WHAT Zonoscope (Modular/Universal)

Will you be launching it?

WHEN & WHERE Friday, GoodGod (DJ Set), Saturday 7 May, Groovin’ The Moo Maitland; Sunday 8, Groovin’ The Moo Canberra; Thursday 12, Enmore Theatre

Wednesday – The Vanguard

For more info see: robsawyer.com.au

DREAM ON

WHITE BOY.

GIDEON SHOES ARE AN ENDAGERED SPECIES IN FACT, OUR FIRST RELEASE HAS GONE BYE BYES. WITH 100% OF OUR PROFIT GOING BACK TO THE STREET UNIVERSITY - PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE WEARING THESE HAND-MADE HOTTIES WITH PRIDE. 2ND RELEASE HITS BOTH OUR WEBSITE AND SURRY HILLS FLAGSHIP STORE (WHICH LOOKS LIKE A CHURCH BECAUSE IT IS A CHURCH BUT NO LONGER A CHURCH) ON THE 1ST MARCH.

GIDEON FLAGSHIP STORE 142 Chalmers St, Surry Hills (1 minute from central station) Open MON-FRI 9am-5pm T : ( 02 ) 9305 8800 www.GIDEON.com.au

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THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 75 •

KEEPING IT FRESH

SIGNING TO IVY LEAGUE, GETTING PROPS FROM PITCHFORK AND THE PRESSURE OF BEING A BAND TO WATCH ISN’T FAZING ALPINE, AS PHOEBE BAKER EXPLAINS TO ANDY HAZEL.

etting signed to a label like Ivy League within months of getting your first triple j airplay, which happens hours after your songs are uploaded to their Unearthed website, is a dream most bands in Australia would be thrilled to have realised. Phoebe Baker from Melbourne band Alpine is one of them. “It’s been a very fast year in terms of momentum,” she laughs. “Lou [James, other vocalist] and the other guys joined the band only last year - since our first gig – then we got signed to Ivy League and since then there have been so many gigs – it’s been intense.” Some have likened their music to Phoenix or Electrelane, yet they have such a simple and distinctive sound with dry chugging guitars, reverb-laden vocal harmonies, crunchy bass lines, washes of synths and compressed beats. What creatively sets Alpine apart is an interest in a specific time and place, in a similar way to Norwegian band Je Suis Animal. The sound, the songs

and the over-arching aesthetic of the band shares very little in common with other similarly lauded Australian bands. Once called Swiss and now with a debut EP, Zurich, there is clearly something of a Central European fixation going on here. “I suppose there is,” Baker admits, as if it had just occurred to her. “When I think of Alpine I think of this kind of fresh clean beauty, which kind of reminds me of… not fresh like zesty, more like how you feel as if you have just had a nice swim.” Any creative individual thrust into the spotlight could expect to shrink a little, but not Baker. “No, I don’t feel pressured,” she says matter-of-factly. “I think it’s important not to take any notice of that, proceed as normal as a group of friends making music and releasing an EP and performing. We’re trying to just take it in our stride; each day feels like another day of fun.” These changes have meant a sharp upswing in the speed of songwriting for the band. “When we started writing songs it was just me and Christian [O’Brien, guitarist], but now we work in a different dynamic - because we’re in the band and performing, the writing process is faster and more varied as well. We have six opinions and six musical minds put to work, so it’s different and faster because of that.”

WORLD MUSIC WEDNESDAYS World Music Wednesdays, an initiative of the Macquarie Hotel, is proud to be hosting the reggae/Afro-beat tunes of The Strides as the ten-piece collective play a free gig there this Wednesday night. But wait, there’s more... though you’ll have to read a little further along through these pages to discover just what (or then again, you’ve probably already read this week’s feature story).

WHO Alpine WHAT Zurich (Ivy League/Liberation) WHEN & WHERE Thursday, GoodGod

on Wednesday night joined by special guests Scott Spark and Stephen Rever (UK).

MENTAL AS ANYTHING The one and only ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Mental As Anything will be going, well, mental as anything, on Saturday night at The Lansdowne. Joining the band are The Jeferson, The Medicated Youth and – doing a special DJ set – Howling Bells.

ROB SAWYER DISCOVERS LOSS RAID THE LANSDOWNE

Armed with a trusty six-string, a strapping voice and an audacious allure, Rob Sawyer’s music combines acoustic sensibilities with punk filth and deep-seeded reggae. Rob will be performing this Wednesday night at The Vanguard playing tracks from his upcoming new album, Lose Discover.

MIND OVER MURPHY

ALBARE What do you think is your act’s greatest strength? We play great music and especially, we make people dream.

If you could time travel back to any gig in history which would it be and why? Any gig of Jimi Hendrix would have been a blessing.

What movie do you think your music would best accompany and why? The movie hasn’t been filmed yet. It’s coming!

What are your plans for the immediate future? I’m about to embark upon a national tour promoting my latest album, Travel Diary.

What is your favourite song lyric and why? Any of The Beatles’ songs. I simply love the harmonies: those guys created a timeless series of songs.

Favourite “pick me up for a big night” drink? I have passed that stage in life!

Favourite hangover cure? Don’t start. It’s the best cure. When and where are your next gigs? Thursday – The Basement, Circular Quay

For more info see: albare.info

Nick Murphy is set to release his second album, What’s On Your Mind?, on Thursday night at Ravál. Joined by his backing band, Murphy will showcase his new collection of songs alongside sets from 78 Saab’s Ben Nash and Jason Walker.

FUNK COMEDY A regular renaissance man, Luke Escombe is many things - a comedian, performer and musician among them. This Thursday night he combines his skills to deliver a unique blend of comedy, funk and soul for a free show at the Macquarie Hotel, in the comedy jungle of deepest, darkest Surry Hills.

YOUNG ANIMALS Combining elements of gypsy music with folk, jazz, rock and pop, UK songstress Gabby Young is a truly spirited performer. She plays Ravál with her band The Animals

BOWLED OVER A venue relatively new to hosting live music, the Petersham Bowling Club has had some standout lineups recently and this weekend is no exception with Smudge, Dog Trumpet, Grand Banks and Gloomchasers playing on Friday night for $5 and The Hippos and Bridie King playing Saturday night for $15.

GET ABDUCTED Abduction X is the Inner West’s best metal, industrial, elektro and alternative nightclub. Held at the Lewisham Hotel, this week A World Less Cruel, Rabid Terror, Under The 8 Ball and Ruins Of An Empire will play with the house DJs keeping things moving between sets.

LIVE AT LEWISHAM Vienna Circus, The Postmodernists and Mercury Sky take to the stage of the Lewisham Hotel on Friday for a night of alternative rock that will only set you back $10 but take your head and heart to places you never imagined.

taste TEST WITH GRANT NICHOLAS OF FEEDER The best record I stole from my folks’ collection was… Probably a Beach Boys album my father had in his car. I remember loving the harmonies and melody of the songs. He used to have an old Rover and we would drive around playing Surfing USA… I think it was a Beach Boys collection album. The first record I bought with my own money was…

soundtrack. It’s was of my favourite films and the music is very quirky with some great arrangements and sound. We sometimes use it on the PA before Feeder shows.

Abba’s Arrival. Still a classic pop album… Timeless.

The last thing I bought/downloaded was…

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

Julian Casablancas’ Phrazes For The Young. My friend mixed the album in NYC and there are some catchy tunes. I really like his melodies and vocal delivery. It’s more electronic than The Strokes but worth checking out.

It really depends but usually Neil Young’s Harvest, something by John Lennon or Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. The record I put on when I bring someone home is…

Upcoming shows: Sunday – Soundwave, Sydney Showgrounds

Something by Radiohead, Eels, Pixies, John Lennon or some Air for a chill-out.

Monday 28 February – Annandale Hotel

The most unusual record I have is…

feederweb.co

Probably the One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest • 76 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

Sydney duo The Raids will be launching their new single, Mean Girl, on Friday night with a free gig at the Lansdowne Hotel. Supporting the band are The My Tys, Le Venge and The Religion.

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I-JUNK FOR YOUR I-POD Western Sydney hard rockers I-Junk will be flogging their new self-titled CD when they open for Kissteria, the Australian Kiss show on Saturday at Blacktown RSL. Entry is free.

CARRIAGE WORKS UNPLUGGED Carriageworks, right in the heart of things in Redfern, are hosting a series of shows called Unplugged and Uncomplicated. Adding to the uncomplicated nature of the whole affair is its running time, from midday to 5pm - so that it doesn’t interfere with your Saturday night plans - and free entry! This Saturday Liz Martin, Bhanglassi, Thom Hespe and Rich Mason, The Brutal Poodles, Emad Younan and James Brennan perform.

LIL’ MISS SUNSHINE The Sando have a triple offering this Sunday with The Sunshine Laundry stepping into the Sydney live music scene, with the help of Green Beaver and Apex Breed. The show is only 10 bucks and starts at 7pm.

TREW TO THEIR WORD Rather than knowing Canada for producing Justin Bieber, know Canada for producing rock kings The Trews. With two albums certified gold and ten Top 10 singles, the four-piece are returning to Australia for a thrilling month of shows in Sydney and Melbourne. They play the Excelsior on Wednesday, the Sando on Thursday, the Manly Boatshed on Friday, the Bridge Hotel on Saturday and the Brass Monkey on Sunday. In fact, keeps those nights and venues in mind because The Trews will return to each venue again on the same night over the following two weeks yup, a three-week residency over five different venues. They do work hard, these Canadians.

END OF THE AVALANCHE

YAE!TIGER TAKES A CREATIVE APPROACH TO ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR MUSIC. IT MIGHT TAKE A WHILE, AS BROOKE COTTON TELLS DAVE DRAYTON, BUT IN THE END IT’S WORTH IT.

For those unaware of Yae!Tiger’s crafty tendencies, this is nothing new; their two-track double A-sides are housed in similarly arty packaging. “One of the big things with Yae!Tiger that we’ve tried to focus on is that artistic nature of the band… We try to make something creative to promote the shows and give people a bit of a visual taste of hopefully what they are going to see live,” says Cotton.

riginally intended to be a five-track EP, it’s been nearly two years in the works with recording taking place in bedrooms, warehouses and – on rare occasions – actual studios. Finally, the debut album from Sydney’s Yae!Tiger, Casualty Of The Avalanche, is ready to see the light of day.

With the aforementioned double A-side floating around for nearly two years, why has it taken so long to finish the self-recorded, mixed and produced album? It seems that with a cast of players that has grown from Cotton and original collaborator Vincent Scagnetti to a live band of five or six musicians (a number that swells again once recording), it’s difficult to navigate conflicting schedules.

On the phone at her day job, founding member Brooke Cotton is happily exhausted. “I have total RSI at the moment. For 100 of the CDs, the inside will be a pop-up book. The other ones are still pretty awesome – we’ve been spending time cutting and pasting and scalpeling and gluing over the past couple of weeks.”

“We could have gone in and done it at a studio in one week, but we just thought it would be a more creative process and more interesting to do it this way,” Cotton admits matter-of-factly. “In total there’s actually ten people involved with it and everybody

who plays with us plays multiple instruments so doing it this way has been great because we’ve been able to spend time layering stuff up. You don’t just have one day to do vocals – we had six months. You can play around with stuff a lot more, it’s a lot more creative and expansive.” WHO Yae!Tiger WHAT Casualty Of The Avalanche (Nice Filly Records) WHEN & WHERE Friday, Town And Country; Saturday, Lass O’Gowrie

LONG JOURNEY Aussie band The Trip continue to hone their stage skills after five years of live performance. They’ll be playing the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre this Thursday from 7pm, with special guests Glen Mead and David Christopher. With music they claim appealing to the Adult Contemporary radio market, are they there yet? You be the judge.

DEAD HAPPY This week, 34B will be making garage and rock fans happy. Happy Wednesdays will be welcoming The Dead Heads, Unity Floors and The Summervilles into their happy hub so for some strength to carry on ‘til Friday, get down this hump day for $8 entry.

YOU PLAY THE WHAT? Kim Sanders and Friends are providing another world music extravaganza at the Camelot Lounge this Sunday, after their amazing set at Peats Ridge. With the magic of instruments such as the ney, the gaida, the bouzouki, the bass and the tabla at their fingertips, the group come together with Modern Gong Ritual from 7:30pm. You shouldn’t miss this!

RECLAMATION The Strides and the ten musicians they call a family prove that true roots still lives on. They’ll be launching their second album, Reclamation, at Notes this Friday with special guests, The Liberators. They’ll go onto the South Coast album launch at the Heritage Hotel the next day, only to be back in Sydney to play the Sydney Morning Herald Wine Festival at Hyde Park on Sunday. With their mix of reggae, jazz, hip hop and more, it’s sure to be fun - it might even turn out to be dubby the fun.

TALK IT UP It’s hard to feel good about going back to uni until you remember that cool bands often play at O-Week. The University of Wollongong’s O-Party on Thursday will have Melbourne indie/ pop band, Strange Talk, playing their sparkly feel-good tunes, the same they dispersed on crowds at Good Vibes and Playground Weekender recently. Doors open 7.30pm and it’s free for UoW students and $10 for general admission.

EVIL KNIEVEL They’re not evil but they sure are back from a six-year hiatus. Knievel have just played this year’s BDO, nearly finished their new record and are now playing the Annandale Hotel this Thursday. Joining the foursome will be Matt Purcell and the Blessed Curse and the Sam Shinazzi Duo.

HINT: THE PLACE IS NOTES For a laid-back and chill-axed Thursday night, get down to upcoming singer/songwriter Nikki Thorburn’s To The Place EP launch at Notes. Produced by The Cat Empire’s Ollie McGill, her acoustic capabilities combined with the music of Sydney band Tin Sparrow and roots/folk duo The Young Lions will surely make for a good night.

TRAVEL DIARY Renowned Melbourne-based jazz musician Albare, a local pioneer in the then emerging genre of acid jazz back in the early ‘90s, is touring his new album, Travel Diary, with his band, with a stop in Sydney’s Basement this Thursday. Critically acclaimed and with music said to feel like you’re on a southern European holiday, don’t miss Albare’s showcase for his newest offering.

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THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 77 •

for the benefit OF…

HANDSOME YOUNG STRANGERS

GAVIN SMITH

MOONLIGHT RINGTONES As summer draws to a close, so too do the Markets by Moonlight in the Rocks, having hosted a slew of fine acts through the past three or four months, and with the end of Markets By Moonlight comes both Belles Will Ring and The Lovetones playing double shows next Friday amidst a myriad of other stuff to do. Belles Will Ring will play their psychedelic pop at both 6 and 6:45pm while The Lovetones will also create a lovely moonlight soundtrack at both 8 and 8:45pm. It’s free!

OXFORD ROYALTY

What’s the benefit gig for?

Raw indie rock is what it’s all about for Royal Chant apparently, as they play Oxford Arts this Saturday for the last night of their three-week residency. The Port Macquarie natives know how to bring the gritty so be sure to come down on their last free show at the OAF.

The benefit is for drummer Gavin Smith from Melbourne bands The Cants and Sons Of Lee Marvin.

SINKING SHIP

WITH HANDSOME YOUNG STRANGERS

Why do they need the help? Gavin’s partner Cate Groufsky tragically died in her sleep in 2010, leaving Gavin with the task of raising their one-year-old twin sons on his own.

What’s the current situation like? A big benefit at the Tote Hotel in October 2010 raised enough money to help in the short term. However, Gav has had to quit work with the full-time job of raising his sons and their upkeep, plus weekly expenses like rent and fuel make it a constant battle to make ends meet.

Who else is helping out on the night? The Camels, Hell City Glamours, The Rumjacks, The Maladies, Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss), The Cants, Sons Of Lee Marvin and more.

Why is music/art appropriate for this cause? Gav has been a part of the Australian indie rock scene for nearly 20 years. For Sydney bands touring Melbourne, Gavin has always been the man to help out with equipment, transport and a bed.

When and where can we help out? Saturday – The Annandale. If you can’t go but still want to help out you can purchase an ‘I’m Not Going’ ticket from Zombie Dog.

For more info see: zombiedogentertainment.com/shop/tickets/thesmith-kids-are-alright/

• 78 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

PANIC! AT THE DISCO – THE BALLAD OF MONA LISA With the term “steampunk” being thrown around fervently since the release of this video, this is a triumphant return to P!ATD circa A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. With nods to their past film clips (the top hat, the same pews with the same ribbons), the characters, set and storyline are decadent, sinister, slightly macabre and just as intriguing as the band has been known and loved for. Directed by Shane Drake http://bit.ly/gejWbI

Young Sydney rockers, Bridgemary Kiss will be sinking the Manly Boatshed this Wednesday. Having supported heaps of national tours and played Big Day Out in the past, the boys will grind out their gritty rock this week with nothing stopping them.

GET LOCO A new tropical bass and dub party is coming to the Gladstone on Saturday in the form of Troppo Loco, with the sub-continental bass of Ritual, Tropicante, 555 (cinco cinco cinco), Winklerotaryengine and Trevor Brown there to spin some great tropical-fused tunes. From 9pm ‘til 3am!

(not so) LOST SONGS Melbourne trio Horsell Common were one of those unfortunate classic cases, a hard-working local band that slogged it out for years, only to disappear once they finally earned some recognition. After a 7”, three EPs and a split with Trial Kennedy, the band was finally ready to record their debut album. Getting progressively more melodic with each release, though never losing their tenacity, the release of a full-length album gave the band the opportunity to explore slower tracks. No song better displayed the band’s full capabilities than the album’s penultimate track, Gone For The Summer, featuring one of the catchiest choruses Horsell Common have ever written (despite its ridiculous counter-rhythms and timing shifts) and an eerie prediction of the band’s fate as Mark Stewart sings We can tell everyone/We are gone for the summer/No one will ever find out.

STAYING AT HOME CIRCA 2008

ESSENTIAL VIEWING

SO EVIL Having conquered the stages of Peats Ridge and Woodford, ex-Butterfingers frontman Evil Eddie is now setting off to take over the east coast, complete with debut single, Queensland. With an awesome Brisbanebased backing band, he’ll hit up the Gaelic Club this Saturday. Not only get to hear some Evil, you get to hear some too - good and loud

MUSIC FOR TREES Music for a good cause always sets our hearts a-flutter. Music For Trees, an organisation whose program aims at planting some 40,000 trees a year around the world in order to redress mankind’s propensity to chop them down and tip us into the abyss of global warming, is hosting an event at CarriageWorks this Saturday and BhangLassi are playing their upbeat indie rock for your listening pleasure. Also on the lineup? Liz Martin, The Brutal Poodles, Emad Younan, James Brennan, Tom Hespe and Rich Mason. It all kicks off at midday and if you don’t come, at least plant a tree!

DON’T RETREAT The Excelsior this Friday are holding a triple-bill of awesome with Sydney’s The Retreat bringing their self-proclaimed “alternative country-tinged pop” to the stage, alongside pop rockers from Melbourne, The Coincidents, and also locals Tom Stone and the Soldiers of Fortune. A triple treat indeed.

IRISH BOUZOUKI Fergusson , he of the Irish Bouzouki is returning down under after spending much of the past two years gigging around the UK, to play the Vanguard on Thursday after a thorough tour of the United Kingdom. He’ll play his mixture of contemporary folk and roots with the help of supporting artist Phillip Bracken, so make sure you get down there to welcome him back! It’s a quick visit too he’s back off to the UK to record before midyear, so catch

him while you can.

PALE RIDER The Preachers will be preaching – uh, we mean launching – their new record, The Pale Rider, this Wednesday at the Low Bar 302, as part of The 66 Project. With free entry, music all night from The Babyshakers and the Beating Hearts and Psychonanny, and free limited edition hard copies of the CD, so come on - confess - it’d be sinful not to come along.

PLANET AUSTRALIA Hip hop heavyweights Planet Asia and Copywrite are heading down under for their Life and Times tour, to kick off this week. With a number of awards and artist collaborations under their collective belt, the two will play Tone Bar on Sunday, seeking help from Tage Future of the MegaHertz crew and Tristate to raise the roof.

OWLS, BULLS AND BIRDS There seems to be an animal theme happening here with indie pop songbird Owl Eyes joining forces with Sydney singer/songwriter Andy Bull and We Are The Birdcage for a chain of shows this week, starting with the Otis Bar on Wednesday. They’ll enlist a fourth animal at the Brass Monkey on Thursday and finally they’ll play a show at the UNSW Bear, er, Beergarden on Friday. Animal lovers, unite!

MAKE WAIF FOR THEM Having long ago made a name for themselves, West Australian folk rockers The Waifs , now essentially US-based, at least as individual members, are making their way back home to this side of the planet for a number of dates this week, starting with Anita’s Theatre in Thirroul on Wednesday, the Canberra Theatre on Thursday, the Enmore Theatre on Saturday and the Civic Theatre on Sunday.

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it’s not what you know, it’s who you know...

OR IS IT BOTH? THE CAMELS HELL CITY GLAMOURS DAVE LARKIN SPURS FOR JESUS JAMIE HUTCHINGS THE RUMJACKS THE CANTS THE MALADIES BEN NASH (78 SAAB) BOW & DAVIS HANDSOME YOUNG STRANGERS END T ON (FR GO/NO GO SONS OF LEE MARVIN LOADER) VEGAN MOSQUITOS DENVER AIRPORT FAB PRIZES E/ (DALLAS CRAN GUN ST GIRLS)

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DANCE LIKE NUTTERS

single FOCUS

RECENTLY IN EAST TIMOR PLAYING FOR AUSTRALIAN TROOPS STATIONED OVER THERE, ART VS SCIENCE’S DAN WILLIAMS KEPT A TOUR DIARY OF THEIR ADVENTURE. INCLUDES POP UP DOOFS AND HELICOPTER JOYRIDES.

than average doof. They danced like nutters and seemed genuinely appreciative of us coming over to play for them. I got the vibe that so little entertainment had happened on base during their six-month deployment’s down-time that any band would have rocked their socks off, but anyways. My grandma could have worn rollerskates and played accordion for them and they would have clapped. That gives me an idea...

t is safe to say that most of the Art Vs Science shows these days consist of a couple of hundred people or more (it wasn’t always that way), many of whom have had a few jolly drinks and many of whom have paid some money to go out of their way to see us. Lovely. So when we were asked if we would like to play pro bono to a few dozen sober men from the military in an occupied country, I would be lying if I said there wasn’t some hesitation. Would they like it? Would they be allowed to mosh? Would they rather Barnesy? Thankfully we got our heads straight and realised what a rare and possibly great opportunity this was. To live on an Australian military base in East Timor for three days and three nights sounded too good to pass up.

The rest of our time in Timor was spent in the fine hospitality of the Australian military. We were given tours of Dili, went to markets, climbed hills to see statues of Jesus and checked out a bunch of army equipment... At one point we were using these thermal scopes, which allowed us to figure out that Jim’s skin temperature is way hotter than either Dan Mac’s [McNamee] or mine. It seems that Jim actually vibrates several thousand times a second in order to rid his body of excess energy, which in turn raises his overall body temperature. What a strange guy.

Along for the ride was our manager Claire, TM/sound guy Drew, comedians Greg Fleet and Mad Mike Bennett, Nova’s James Kerley and a host of army personnel. There were two gigs on two consecutive nights in two different aircraft hangers. Both were way more fun than expected. The crowd loved Fleety and Mad Mike. The soldiers have these night kits with glow sticks in them, so as soon as we started playing the dancefloor looked like a better

I’m pretty sure the highlight for everyone who came to East Timor was the ride in the Blackhawk helicopter. Jim was grinning so hard I thought the two sides of his face were going to relocate at the back of his head. It was basically a 45-minute, low-altitude, high-speed journey through the mountains and valleys of the interior, doors wide open, wind rushing in and everyone hoping their seat belts worked. Incredible. Kudos must go out to all the soldiers at the various bases we visited, who showed us a great time and a great

THE RAIDS Mean Girl deal of hospitality. Special thanks to Cam, Lacey, Ellen and Chris. And special thanks to whatever pharmaceutical company manufactures those Doxy anti-malaria tablets. Sweet dreams in the land of Oz...

What’s the song about? The game, the commitment, the consequences… and then the future.

How many releases do you have now? This is our first.

Is this track from a forthcoming release?

WHO Art Vs Science WHAT The Experiment (MGM) out Friday WHEN & WHERE Saturday 12 March, Future Music Festival; Saturday 7 May, Groovin’ The Moo Maitland; Sunday 8, Groovin’ The Moo Canberra

In process now, more to come soon.

How long did it take to write/record? Three months all up.

Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? Matching the song to the actual Mean Girl.

MONKEYS GO MOBILE In a fairly futuristic twist given that every second person has an iPhone these days, Sydney fusion trio The Three Wise Monkeys are performing at the launch of their 3WP iPhone app at the Excelsior this Saturday. The app will serve as a portal for videos, gig dates, songs and a place for fans to interact and upload photos from shows. Pretty nifty and it’s available for free on their website. Joining the genre-bending trio are 30Three and The Last Cavalry.

ABSOLUTELY ‘80S The ‘80s, the era of bad hair and even worse clothing, is returning in 2011 with Absolutely ‘80s, featuring Brian Mannix (Uncanny X Men), Scott Carne (Kids In The Kitchen), Dale Ryder (Boom Crash Opera), Paul Gray (Wa Wa Nee) and Sean Kelly (Models). The colourful and buzzing show will hit Mounties on Friday and the North Sydney Leagues Club on Saturday, so if you’re in the mood for some nostalgia or are intrigued by those funny

looking bands you see on Rage whenever they have a Countdown retrospective night, this is a show you won’t want to miss.

GYPSIES

What’s your favourite part of the song? The end.

Do you play it differently live? We invite you to judge for yourselves.

The Urban Gypsies are just that – contemporary but playing a fusion of gypsy, jazz and world music. They’ll be playing at the Camelot Lounge this Friday for only $15, so come and feel the rhythm of these very different urban gypsies.

Will you be launching it? Friday - Lansdowne Hotel For more info see: theraids.com

DANCE TO THE SOUND OF A

different drum beat!

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02 9438 3333 | 46 Nicholson St, St Leonards NSW | info@naturecare.com.au •80 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

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PSYCHIC Perth’s Mental Powers are launching their 12”, HOMOH, and are playing three dates on this side of the continent to celebrate. Their energy is guaranteed to take Black Wire Records by storm on Friday, the Croatian Club in Newcastle on Saturday and finally Vox Cyclops on Sunday.

gettin’COMFY

CHASED INTO O-WEEK UNSW have bagged rockers Kisschasy to play their O-Week festivities this year, no doubt to lure unwilling uni students back out of holiday mode into their studies. Joining them on Wednesday will be Papa vs Pretty and Enola Fall – sounds like a pretty good way to get oriented! You might even learn something! It’s got to be a better alternative than joining the campus beekeeping or stamp collecting club!

ESSENTIAL VIEWING CHILDREN COLLIDE – ARROWS Think of a visual representation for singer John Mackay’s powerful, brash voice. Personally, we think a tough-as-fucking-nails kid with a stern face, a few pimples and flanno with the sleeves cut off is pretty spot on. Considering this, the video clip comprises the visual representation of Mackay’s voice riding a BMX around some other pretty gnarly-looking street kids (one of whom is sporting a mean mullet). Then they all play at being Yahoo Serious-esque Young Einsteins.

GREENE & THE OTHER COLOURS

Directed by Tim O’Keefe http://bit.ly/h5xlsd

just VISITING

ALPINE REGION It may be summer but Alpine are in town and they’ll play Goodgod this Thursday night with Boy In A Box and The Fearless Vampire Killers. The six-piece from Melbourne have already won credentials from triple j and are now launching their EP, Zurich, so you best see them sooner rather than later! The show starts at half eight and tickets at $15.

He’s been touring pretty much constantly for the last ten years and quietly prolific Paul Greene is finally more than ready for a breather. Playing a selection from his back catalogue and most recent album, Everywhere Is Home, the singer/songwriter, more often seen around the place in solo mode, will be playing with his band The Other Colours, with support from local folk/ roots act Dave Calandra over three consecutive night at the three Lizotte’s venues this week. He starts with Kincumber on the Central Coast Thursday, Newcastle on Friday and rounds up the tour with Dee Why on Saturday.

THE TREWS What is it about the venue that makes you want to a run of shows there? Our priority is to establish a fan base in Australia. The best way to do that in our experience is to be present in the market. That’s how we broke in Canada… by playing a lot.

Same set every week or mixing it up? We very rarely do the same exact set two nights in a row. Luckily we have a catalogue of four records to draw from as well as rare, unreleased stuff and covers we can do. It’s as much for us as for the audience.

Any special guests going to make an appearance during your tenure? Jeff Martin is a good friend and he tends to join us on stage if we find ourselves in the same town at the same time. We also made fast friends with some other Aussie bands on our last trip such as Dead Letter Chorus and Stone Parade so you never know.

Favourite position at the venue when you’re not on stage?

THE WELLINGTON INTERNATIONAL UKULELE ORCHESTRA

As near as possible to the rider…

When are you in residence? Melt – 23 Feb, 2 Mar, 9 Mar

Why are you coming to visit our fair country?

Sandringham Hotel – 24 Feb, 3 Mar, 10 Mar

We’ve been hiding out in Wellington long enough – it’s about time we started living up to the “international” part of our name. Australia is lucky first!

Old Manly Boatshed – 25 Feb, 4 Mar, 11 Mar Bridge Hotel, Rozelle – 26 Feb, 5 Mar, 12 Mar Brass Monkey – 27 Feb, 6 Mar, 13 Mar

How long are you here for? Six days. Unless we get married.

What do you like about Australia, in ten words or less? John Clarke, Russell Crowe, Crowded House, Keith Urban, Phar Lap.

Any extra-curricular activities you hope to participate in? Beautiful music is the full curriculum. That’s how we prefer to roll.

What will you be taking home as a souvenir? Sweet memories, tall stories, a spring in our step, a love letter home.

THE ART

GIG OF THE WEEK

THE ART ANNANDALE HOTEL, FRIDAY

The last 12 months for Sydney band The Art seem somewhat unbelievable, with appearances at South By Southwest, tours of the States and supports for Marilyn Manson, Them Crooked Vultures, Pixies, 30 Seconds to Mars, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Linkin Park. Finally back in their hometown, The Art launch their debut album, Here Comes The War, on Friday at The Annandale.

Where can we come say hi and buy you an Aussie beer? Friday – Oxford Art Factory. We have heard of a number of boutique Australian beers like XXXX, VB and Fosters, and we are very excited.

For more info see: ukulele.co.nz

• 82 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

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ARIA TOP 10 AUSTRALIAN ALBUMS 1. Aftermath HILLSONG UNITED 2. Twenty Ten GUY SEBASTIAN 3. Down The Way ANGUS & JULIA STONE CUT COPY 4. Zonoscope 5. Altiyan Childs ALTIYAN CHILDS 6. Birds Of Tokyo BIRDS OF TOKYO 7. Get Closer KEITH URBAN 8. Running On Air BLISS N ESO 9. Gilgamesh GYPSY & THE CAT 10. He Will Have His Way: The Songs Of Tim & Neil Finn VARIOUS

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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THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 83 •

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22 - 28 FEBRUARY 2011

TUE 22

AAMAZING ENTERTAINMENT KARAOKE: Penrith Htl ADAM PRINGLE BAND: Sandringham Htl downstairs ALEX: Coogee Bay Htl, Beach Bar BNO ROCK SHOW: Scruffy Murphys DAN PARSONS, STEVE GRADY: Raval DJ ATO, MYME, GEE WIZZ, + HEAPS MORE!: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe DJAWOWENZ: Star City Pyrmont JAMES VALENTINE QUARTET: Golden Sheaf jazzgROOVE feat…, JAMES MULLER TRIO, AARON MCCOULLOGH’S ELEMENT 5TET: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills KARAOKE, CRIS ANGEL, DIAGO: World Bar Kings X KELLY AUTY: Commercial Club, Albury PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl REBECCA MOORE, SHUNKY ZEN, TOM PRICE, RUSSELL NEAL: The Basement STEVE TONGE: O’Malleys Kings X Sun Solider, JESSY WADESON: Beach Rd Htl Bondi THE WAIFS, PAGE STREET: Moruya RSL Hall TONY SLAVICH: Dee Why RSL TORO Y MOI, BON CHAT BON RAT, Future Classic DJs: Good God Small Club

WED 23

ALISON PENNEY: Dee Why RSL ANDY BULL, OWL EYES: Otis Bar, Wollongong ANGELYN HOR, THE CLUE, THE JULEES, + HEAPS MORE!: Town Hall Htl, Newtown BOB DOWNE: Factory Theatre CHELSEA REED, JACOB PEARSON, STICK FIGURES: Lizottes, Newcastle DEEP SEA ARCADE, SURF CITY, MOSMAN ADLER: Pacific Htl Yamba GABY YOUNG, AMAYA LAUCIRICA: Raval HELPFUL KITCHEN GODS, THE LOOKS GOOD, THE HATTY FATNERS, LITTLE GHOSTS: Valve Bar and Venue,

Tempe JIM REEVES TRIBUTE SHOW: Batemans Bay Soldiers Club KISSCHASY, PAPA VS PRETTY, ENOLA FALL: Roundhouse Kensington LENNOX, DROP TANK, LIE DORMANT, THE BLINDFOLDS: Sandringham Htl LONG JOHN SALIVA: Good God Small Club LUCID DELIRIUM LAST GROUP ART EXHIBITION, PLUS XOS: World Bar Kings X LUCKY STARR, VICKI FORREST: Blacktown Workers MAL’S OPEN MIC NIGHT: Royal Htl Bondi MARTY STEWART: Rocksia Hotel MUSOS CLUB JAM NIGHT: Bald Faced Stag NAG CHAMPA: Marble Bar Hilton Htl NUTS: Lakemba Services Club OPEN MIC NIGHT: Fubah on Copa, Copacabana PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl POD BROTHERS: Ettamogah Pub RED RIDERS, CONVAIRE: Beach Rd Htl Bondi REPLIKA: Scruffy Murphys RHYTHM METHOD: Fitzroy Htl Windsor THE CONTINENTAL BLUES TRIO: The Laugh Garage, Sydney THE FRANK BENNETT AFFAIR: Sandringham Htl downstairs THE GLIMMER, UIS, ELLE KENNARD, SEALION: Annandale Htl THE PREACHERS, PSYCHONANNY & THE BABYSHAKERS, THE BEATING HEARTS: Low302, 302 Crown St Darlinghurst THE SMITH: Artichoke Café Manly THE STRIDES: Macquarie Htl Surry Hills THE TREWS, GAY PARIS, RAPRAGER, THE MEDICATED YOUTH: Excelsior Surry Hills THE VELVET SET: The Basement THE WAIFS, MAMA KIN: Anita’s Theatre Thirroul THE WIDOW-BIRDS, MONSIEUR MOON, JESS CHALKER: The Gaelic THEY CALL ME BRUCE: Coogee Bay Htl, Beach Bar TIM BRUER WITH ELANA STONE: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills

THU 24

AAMAZING ENTERTAINMENT KARAOKE: Penrith Htl

LUKE ESCOMBE: THURSDAY 24, THE MACQUARIE HOTEL ALPINE, BOY IN A BOX, FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS: Good God Small Club ANDY BULL, OWL EYES: Brass Monkey BIG WAY OUT: Scruffy Murphys BLOODSHED REMAINS, MARK MYWORDS, TAKEN BY FORCE: Spectrum BRIAN GILLETTE: Guildford Leagues CITY CALM DOWN DJS, URBY, NIK V, JOHNNY SEGMENT, MONKEY GENIUS: World Bar Kings X CRAIG LAIRD DUO: Marlborough Htl DAVE WHITE DUO: Dee Why Hotel DJ ALEX MITCHELL: Beach Rd Htl Bondi FERGUSSON, PHILLIP BRACKEN: The Vanguard FRANKY VALENTYN: Club Five Dock GARY MARA: Unity Hall Htl GARY WHO, PAUL MCMAHON, MANDY NOLAN: Ballina RSL GAVIN STOKER, PETER MILLER ROBINSON, EMMA DRIVER: Excelsior Glebe GENEVIEVE CHADWICK, TWO GIRLS: Fitzroy Htl Windsor GLENN WHITEHALL: Edinburgh Castle Htl GOOD TIME BOYS: Five Islands Brewery, Wollongong GRAND TANGO FANDANGO, TERRY SERIO’S MINISTRY OF TRUTH, AIDAN ROBERTS: Excelsior Surry Hills HARD ROCKIN AMIGOS: Gymea Bay Hotel IRON MAIDEN: Sydney Entertainment Centre JAZZ FACTORY: The View Factory, Newcastle JO VILL: Windang Bowling Club JOHNATHAN DEVOY: Sandringham Htl downstairs KIRK BURGESS:

Wentworthville Leagues LAWRENCE BAKER: O’Malleys Kings X LIONEL ROBINSON: Dee Why RSL LOUNGE SOUNDS: Artichoke Café Manly LUKE ESCOMBE, REYES DE LA ONDA: Macquarie Htl Surry Hills MAL’S OPEN MIC NIGHT: STING BAR, CRONULLA MANDI JARRY: Green Park Hotel MARTHA WAINWRIGHHT: Sydney Opera House MATT PURCELL & THE BLESSED CURSE, kNIEVEL, SAM SHINAZZI: Annandale Htl MICHAEL MCGLYNN: Greengate Htl MUSOS CLUB JAM NIGHT: Carousel Inn Rooty Hill NICK MURPHY, BEN NASH, JASON WALKER: Raval NIKKI THORBURN, TIN SPARROW, YOUNG LIONS: Notes, Newtown OH NO (USA): Tone, Sydney OPEN MIC: Mars Hill Café PAUL GREENE, DAVE CALANDRA: Lizottes, Kincumber PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl PIANOMAN: The Loft REBECCA JOHNSON BAND: Brighton RSL ROB HENRY: Harbord Beach Htl ROXWELL: Star City Pyrmont RUSSEL MORRIS, DARRYL COTTON, JIM KEAYS: Lizottes, Dee Why SAM & JAMIE TRIO: Maloney’s Hotel SKYSCRAPER: Miranda Htl SONIDO: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills STEVE EDMONDS BAND: Empire Htl STEVE TONGE: Observer Htl SUITE AZ: 36 Degrees Bar Star City

THE CONTINENTAL BLUES TRIO: The Laugh Garage, Sydney THE DASH, GROWLING HOUNDS, JASON KEARNY: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe THE HOUSE OF SHEM, V TRIBE: Coogee Bay Htl THE PROJECT: Horse & Jockey Inn THE SUSPECTS: Marble Bar Hilton Htl THE TREWS: Sandringham Htl

FRI 25

2 OF HEARTS: Camden RSL ACHTUNG BABY-U2 SHOW: Towradgi Beach Htl AGENT 69: Kro Bar, East Leagues Club, Bondi Junction ALADDIN ROYAAL, DJ SEIZ: The Roxy Parramatta ALBA VARDEN, THE BENNISONS, HATTIE CARROLL, ARTIFICIAL INTERNATIONAL, + HEAPS MORE!: World Bar Kings X ALL STAR DUO: Robin Hood Htl ALMOST FAMOUS: Moorebank Sports Club AM 2 PM: Courthouse Htl AMERICAN GRAFFITI: Ramsgate RSL ANDY BULL, OWL EYES: Roundhouse Kensington ANDY MAMMERS, BJ: Kirribilli Htl ANGIE DEAN: Greengate Htl ANTON KORYTNYJ: Guildford Leagues BANDIT DUO, CRUSHED ICE: Dooley’s, Silverwater BARNSTORMIN: Revesby Heights ExServices BARRY LEEF: Unity Hall Htl BELLES WILL RING, THE LOVERTONES: The Rocks Markets by Moonlight BEN FINN: Castle Hill RSL BLAMING VEGAS:

Colonial Hotel, Werrington BLAZE OF GLORY-BON JOVI SHOW: Mosman RSL BRIGHT KNIGHTS: Town & Country, St Peters CARL FIDLER, DREW MCALISTER: Observer Htl CASSIAN: Beach Rd Htl Bondi CHRIS ALEXANDER: St George Leagues CHRIS BYRNE: Central Coast Leagues CHRIS JAMES: Club Central, Hurstville CHRIS ORCHARD: Oasis on Beamish CLUB BLINK DJS: St James Htl Sydney COSTA RAE: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills CREEDENCE & BEYOND: Taren Point Bowling Club DAN & TIM, NILE DELTA, DAS MOTH: Good God Small Club DAN LAWRENCE: Macquarie Htl, Liverpool DANIEL LISSING DUO, FUNKSTAR: Crows Nest Htl DAVE WHITE EXPERIENCE: Coogee Bay Htl, Beach Bar DAVID AGIUS: Novotel - Brewery Bar, Olympic Park DIALECTRIX, FDEL, AXIOM, + HEAPS MORE!: Tone, Sydney DIRTY DEEDS - AC/DC SHOW: Bankstown RSL DJ HEAVEN, DURESS, RUBY, + HEAPS MORE!: The Gaff, Darlinghurst DJ MATT, SCOTTY SAX: Bankstown Sports Club DJ MICHAEL: Macarthur Tavern Campbelltown DJ MICHAEL STEWART: Jacksons on George DJ RETRO: Australian Hotel & Brewery, Annangrove DJ SODA, BROSMAN, KNOCKED UP NOISE, + HEAPS MORE!: STING BAR, CRONULLA DJ TONE: Oatley Hotel DOLLSHAY: Adams Tavern DOUG WILLIAMS, ALPHA MAMA:

Macquarie Htl Surry Hills DYNAMIC ROCK: Rockdale RSL EBONY & IVORY: Crown Htl City ERNST CARTER, HANNAH MATYSEK: Mars Hill Café ERROL EARL: Guildford Htl FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS, JAY KATZ, LA MANCHA NEGRA: The Vanguard FLAVA BAND: Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL G WIZARD, DEF ROK, TROY T, + MORE DJs: Tank Nightclub GIPSY.CZ, HAREM’DE, BANDALUZIA, LOLO LOVINA, DELAY: The Factory Theatre GTS: CLUB RIVERS HEATH BURDELL: Grand Htl Rockdale HIP NOT HOP: Hillside Htl Castle Hill HOORAY FOR EVERYTHING: Lithgow Workers HUE WILLIAMS: Avalon RSL HYPE DUO: Brewhouse Pub St Marys INTIMATE LOUNGE MUSIC: Fairfield RSL, Supper Club JENNY MORRIS: Lizottes, Dee Why JONT: Artichoke Café Manly JOSH MCIVOR: Harbord Beach Htl KILLER JOE: Briars Inn, Bowral K-NOTE, DREANJAUN, MAC, DENNIS, + HEAPS MORE!: Collingwood Htl LA VISTA: Petersham Bowling Club LAWRENCE BAKER DUO: Pioneer Tavern LIQUID SKY feat., VENGEANCE, SMS, LIGHTS OUT, + HEAPS MORE!: Candys Apartment MARK EASTON: Gearins Htl Katoomba MARTIN MULHOLLAND: Ettamogah Htl MATT JONES: Parramatta RSL MAZ MAZAK VS NO QUALMS: Northies Cronulla Htl MISSION JONES: Matraville RSL MONKEY WRENCH - FOO FIGHTERS SHOW: Penrith Htl MORANDY: Mean Fiddler Htl MR PERCIVAL, DAN GRANERO, SAM BUCKINGHAM, SARAH HUMPHREYS, KENT EASTWOOD, RENNY FIELD: Manly Fig MUDDY FEET:

Jannali Inn NICKELBACK SHOW: Bull & Bush NICKY KURTA: Harbord Diggers OLD MAN CROW, MAVIS & HER CHINA PIGS: Excelsior Glebe OTOUTO, LOVE CONNECTION, CITY CALM DOWN, + HEAPS MORE!: The Gaelic PAUL GREENE, THE MY TYS, LE VENGE, THE RELIGION: Lizottes, Newcastle PETER BYRNE: Club Five Dock PHATCHANCE & COPTIC SOLDIER: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery POWDERFINGER SHOW: Engadine Tavern REBECCA JOHNSON BAND: Narrabeen Sands RECKLESS SCARECROW: The Cube, Campbelltown RED HOT NUMBERS: Matraville Htl RENAE KEARNEY: Chatswood RSL REPLIKA ROCK TRIO: Vineyard Htl RICK PRICE, FLOYD VINCENT: Taronga Zoo, Mosman RIP IT UP: Eastern Suburbs Legion Club ROB HENRY: PJ Gallaghers Drummoyne ROXY MUSIC: Sydney Entertainment Centre RUSSELL MORRIS, JIM KEAYS, DARRYL COTTON: Lizottes, Kincumber SAM & JAMIE TRIO: PJ Gallaghers Parramatta SARAH PATON: O’Malleys Kings X SATELLITE V: Rose of Australia SCOTT CARNE, DALE RYDER, SEAN KELLY, PAUL GRAY: Mounties Club Mt Pritchard SHINDIG: Penrith Gaels SINGLED OUT: Sharkies SNEZ: Clarendon Guest House SOMATIK, NOEL BOOGIE, NOODLES DJ, + HEAPS MORE!: The Loft SOUL NIGHTS: Tokio Hotel SOUND STREAM: Engadine RSL STICKMIKE: Fitzroy Htl Windsor STRANGER COLE, KING TIDE: The Basement SVETA, FANCY PIECE PRODUCTIONS, LILLIAN STAR, + HEAPS MORE!: The Red Rattler TAYLOR MAC: Sydney Opera House THATS LIFE!: Western Suburbs Leagues Club THAT’S THEM, KERSER & RATES, SKEAMO, MATHMATICS, MAX

CATCH THEM BEFORE THEY FALL Five hundred Australians are required for a world-ﬁrst study to pinpoint the causes of bipolar disorder. The focus is on 12 to 30 year-olds who have at least one relative with bipolar disorder or who are sufferers themselves. One in 50 Australians suffer bipolar disorder yet there is still no way of identifying a person in the very early stages, or, who is at high risk. Researchers from the Black Dog Institute and the University of NSW (UNSW) are undertaking the study in collaboration with major universities in the USA. They will look at all the factors that may contribute to the illness, including a patient’s DNA, brain imaging and psychological testing. Early prevention for better results.

To participate: Please phone 1800-352-292 or email: bipolar-kidsandsibs@unsw.edu.au BLACK DOG INSTITUTE • 84 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

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THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 85 •

gigs@drummedia.com.au

22 - 28 FEBRUARY 2011 GOSFORD, JUZLO: Sandringham Htl THE ART, CREO, THE BLUSH FOUNDATION, THE SCULPTURES: Annandale Htl THE AUSTRALIAN PINK SHOW: Beresfield Bowling Club THE CONTINENTAL BLUES TRIO: The Laugh Garage, Sydney THE DOORS EXPERIENCE: Bombaderry Htl THE ELTON JACK SHOW: Kirribilli Club THE FROCKS: Blacktown Workers THE HOLIDAYS, JINJA SAFARI, EAGLE & THE WORM, Fishing, Idea Idea: Hermanns Bar Darlington THE KILLERS SHOW: Scruffy Murphys THE LITTLE SETVIES, MR PERCIVAL: Raval THE LOVE HANDLES: Empire Htl THE MARISTIANS: Rag & Famish Nth Syd THE NEVILLES: Commercial Htl Parramatta THE POD BROTHERS: Shellharbour Workers THE RETREAT, THE COINCIDENTS, TOM STONE & THE SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE: Excelsior Surry Hills THE SANDY EVANS TRIO, BOBBY SINGH: The Sound Lounge Seymour Centre THE STRIDES, THE LIBERATORS: Notes, Newtown THE SWINGING SXTIES, VICKY TURNER TRIO, SIMONE MASTRO & STUART COSTELLO: Dee Why RSL THE TREWS: Old Manly Boatshed THE WAYSMITHS: Caringbah Bizzos THE WELLINGTON INTERNATIONAL UKULELE ORCHESTRA: Oxford Art Factory, Live Art Space THE ZEROS: Heathcote Hotel TINA PETRONI: Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club TOM T DUO: Customs House Sydney TOMBSTONE RAMBLERS, THE ESCAPES, THE MENTALS: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe TONGUE AND GROOVE: Marlborough Htl TRILOGY: Jewells Tavern, Jewells, Central Coast UNFORGETTABLE: Regents Park Sporting & Community Club

URBAN GYPSIES: Camelot VIP: Wentworthville Leagues WARDS XPRESS: Pyrmont Bridge Hotel WILDCATZ: Richmond Club ZU2 - THE U2 EXPERIENCE: Hawkesbury Htl

SUN 27

SAT 26

031 ROCK SHOW: RG McGees 2 OF HEARTS: Brighton RSL AAMAZING ENTERTAINMENT KARAOKE: Gymea Bay Hotel AL ALDERMAN: Ballina RSL ALIEN ZOO, ALI MERISKANDARI: Spectrum ALMOST FAMOUS: Rooty Hill RSL ALPHA MAMA: Tokio Hotel AM 2 PM: Parramatta RSL AMERICAN GRAFFITI: Petersham Bowling Club ANDY MAMMERS DUO, BNO ROCK SHOW: Mean Fiddler Htl ANGIE DEAN, STEVE TONGE: Castle Hill RSL ANNA SALLEH’S BOSSA BOOTS: Park Hyatt Sydney ARMANDITO Y SU TROVASON, LOS CUERVOS, AFRO PERUVIAN PROJECT: Addison Road Community Centre ARMCHAIR TRAVELLERS DUO: Coogee Bay Htl, Beach Bar BEN FINN: PJ Gallaghers Drummoyne BIG WAY OUT: Kro Bar, East Leagues Club, Bondi Junction BLACK DIAMOND HEART CLUB: Crows Nest Htl BLUE MOON QUARTET: Fairfield RSL BLUE MOON QUARTET: Fairfield RSL, Supper Club BORICH X BORICH: Beach Rd Htl Bondi BRIGHT KNIGHTS: Lass O’Gowrie Newcastle CAMBO: Sir Joseph Banks Hotel CAROLYN WOODORTH: Picton Bowling Club CHARTBUSTERS: Epping Htl CHRIS ALEXANDER: Mounties Club Mt Pritchard COBWEB, ECHO: Metro Theatre Cotton Keays, Morris: Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club DALE RYDER, PAUL GRAY, SEAN KELLY, SCOTT CARNE: North Sydney Leagues, Cammeray DAN MURPHY, JOHAN KHOURY, MARK ALSOP: Phoenix Bar, Exchange Htl

• 86 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

SPURS FOR JESUS: SATURDAY 26, ANNANDALE HOTEL DAN SPILLANE: Brewhouse Pub Marayong DANIEL CHIGWIDDEN: Greengate Htl DAVID AGIUS TRIO: Peachtree Htl Penrith DESPERADO: Penrith Panthers DETNUM, JAMES TAYLOR N MC SHURESHOCK, RAYE ANTONELLI, BEN MORRIS, + HEAPS MORE!: World Bar Kings X DIRTY DEEDS - AC/ DC SHOW: South Hurstville RSL DJ MICHAL STEWART: Jacksons on George DREW MCALISTER: Rydges Parramatta EDOARDO SANTONI, SAM KEEVERS: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills FIONA LEIGH-JONES: Harbord Beach Htl FLAMIN’ BEAUTIES: Home Tavern Htl, Wagga Wagga GTS: Miranda RSL HAPPY HIPPIES: Novotel - Brewery Bar, Olympic Park HEATH BURDELL: Clovelly Htl HIDING FROM THE GALLOWS, NEVER TRUST A BUNNY, SLUDGEMANDER, BENEATH NIGHT SKIES, + HEAPS MORE!: Lucky Oz Tavern, St Marys HOORAY FOR EVERYTHING: Richmond Club HOT GRASS: Mars Hill Café HUE WILLIAMS: Empire Bay Tavern HUMP DAY PROJECT: Baroque Bar, Katoomba JAMES MORRISON: Lizottes, Newcastle JENNY MORRIS, JOSH QUONG TART: Brass Monkey JIVE BOMBERS: Eastern Suburbs Legion Club JOHNNY ROCK: Woolloomooloo Bay Htl

JOSH MCIVOR: Bankstown Sports Club JUICY FRUIT: Bradford Hotel, Rutherford JUMP SHIP: Western Leagues, Leumeah KEEP THE FAITH - BON JOVI SHOW: Sharkies KELL TAYLOR, PETER MILLER ROBINSON, SPIKE FLYNN: Cat & Fiddle KIRK BURGESS: Picton Htl KISSTERIA: Blacktown RSL LAUREN DAWES, ADRIAN PETLEVANNY, JAMES PARRINO, OUTLIER TRIO: Dee Why RSL LAZY SUSAN, 49 GOODBYES, D ROGERS: Raval LEADFINGER: Beaches Hotel LEAH FLANAGAN, EMMA DONOVON: Notes, Newtown LIES N DESTRUCTION: Oatley Hotel MAGNOLIA MEMOIR: Macquarie Htl Surry Hills MAINLINE: Carousel Inn Rooty Hill MAL’S OPEN MIC NIGHT: Panania Htl MANDI JARRY DUO: Ettamogah Htl MARK EASTON: Imperial Htl, Bowral MATT JONES DUO: Del Rio Resort Wisemans Ferry MICKEY AVALON: The Forum Ent Quarter Moore Park MIKE NOCK QUINTET: The Sound Lounge Seymour Centre MR JAMES BAND: Ramsgate RSL NAT COLES & THE KINGS, INDIGO RISING, RUSTY BROWN: The Vanguard NICKY KURTA TRIO: Kirribilli Htl OMG!: Scruffy Murphys ONE HIT WONDERS: Macarthur Tavern Campbelltown PADDY CASEY, CAMERON MATHER, MATT PURCELL: Factory Theatre

PARTY VIBE: Teagardens Htl PAUL GREENE, DAVE CALANDRA: Lizottes, Dee Why PAUL SUN, ALEX COMPTON, CAMERON ANDREWS: LARRIKINS CAFÉ & LOUNGE PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl PHIL SPILLER: Artichoke Café Cremorne PHIL SPILLER: Artichoke Café Manly RADIO CITY CATS: Marble Bar Hilton Htl RED HOT NUMBERS: Earlwood Bardwell Park RSL RICK PRICE, FLOYD VINCENT: Taronga Zoo, Mosman RITUAL, TROPICANTE, 555, + HEAPS MORE!: Gladstone Htl RITUAL feat…, ZOMG! KITTENS!, TEEZ, DISCO VOLANTE, + HEAPS MORE!: Candys Apartment ROB HENRY, CARL FIDLER: Observer Htl RON ASHTON: Guildford Leagues ROSKA, LORN, KATO, PRIZE: Tone, Sydney ROXY MUSIC, CAMERAS: Hope Estate Winery ROYAL CHANT, THIEVES: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery SKY BAR: Watershed Htl Darling Harbour SOLID GOLD HELL, DAVE LARKIN, ROBBIE POTS, + HEAPS MORE!: Sly Fox Htl Enmore SOUTHLAND: Jannali Inn STEVE EDMONDS BAND: Dicey Rileys STREETBEAT: Panthers Newcastle THE AVO’S: Engadine Tavern THE BANDITS: Unity Hall Htl THE CAMELS, HELL

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CITY GLAMOURS, SPURS FOR JESUS, DAVE LARKIN, JAMIE HUTCHINGS, + HEAPS MORE!: Annandale Htl THE CONTINENTAL BLUES TRIO: The Laugh Garage, Sydney THE LEISURE BANDITS: Star City Pyrmont THE NEW CHRISTS, LEADFINGER: Beaches Htl Thirroul THE REMIXES: Penrith Gaels THE STRIDES, ALOTTA PRESHA: Heritage Htl THE THREE NEVILLES: Bull & Bush THE TREWS: Bridge Htl Rozelle THE WAIFS, MAMA KIN: Enmore Theatre THE WIL MAISEY BAND, THE LAZY FLIES, DUSKER, THE SPOON COLLECTORS: Excelsior Surry Hills THEY CALL ME BRUCE: PJ Gallaghers Parramatta THREE WISE MONKEYS, 30THREE, THE LAST CAVALARY: Excelsior Glebe TIME MACHINE: Dooley’s, Silverwater TOM BURLINSON: Club Forster TOM SKOLARIKIS, VENUS DUO: Northies Cronulla Htl TRILOGY: Paddy Maguires Haymarket TWILIGHT SHADOWS: Blacktown Workers TWO MINDS TRIO: Mercantile Htl UNKNOWN TO GOD, FROM BLUE PINTS TO DUST, SUNSHINE LAUNDRY, ANEDRIOUS BASTARDS: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe URBAN STONE, DAVE MCMASTER: Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL VENUS TRIO: Maloney’s Hotel YUKI & JOHN MACKIE, TONY BURKYS, BOB GILLESPIE: Penrith RSL

AAMAZING ENTERTAINMENT KARAOKE: Penrith Htl ACCA DACQUIRIS: Bankstown Sports Club Adam Hole and Marji Curran Band: Great Northern Hotel ANDY MAMMERS DUO: Cronulla RSL ANTHONY HUGHES, DJ TONE, UNDIE SUNDIE DJS: Oatley Hotel ANTOINE: O’Malleys Kings X BIG BEN: Coogee Bay Htl, Beach Bar BLUES SUNDAYS: Artichoke Café Manly BRETT THOMAS: Sawtell RSL CAROLYN WOODORTH: Avalon Beach RSL CHAMPANGE SUNDAES: Mean Fiddler Htl CHRIS ALEXANDER: Campbelltown RSL CRAIG LAIRD: Richmond Club DARYL BRAITHWAITE: Lizottes, Dee Why DAVID AGIUS: Harbord Beach Htl DISCO PUNX: World Bar Kings X DJ MEL, + GUESTS, HARD AS NAILS, SCATTERFLY, JD MO: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe ELEVATION-U2 SHOW: Orient Htl FINN: Home Tavern Htl, Wagga Wagga GARY JOHNS DUO: Club Five Dock GEOFF RANA, ROB HENRY, MIKE BENNETT: Observer Htl GLENN WHITEHALL: Miranda Htl HAPPY HIPPIES: Gymea Bay Hotel HUE WILLIAMS: Hardys Bay RSL JENNY MORRIS: Lizottes, Kincumber JIM CONWAY’S BIG WHEEL: Cat & Fiddle JIM GANNON: Dee Why RSL JUNGLE KINGS: Bradford Hotel, Rutherford KIM SANDERS, MODERN GONG RITUAL: Camelot KIRK BURGESS: Collaroy Beach Hotel LANIE LANE, JOYRIDE, MIKE ABILITY, BENTLEY: Beach Rd Htl Bondi LATIN VIBES: Dooley’s, Silverwater MAL’S OPEN MIC

NIGHT: Appin Htl MANDI JARRY: Woolloomooloo Bay Htl MARIO BROTHERS: Kro Bar, East Leagues Club, Bondi Junction MARK EASTON: Balgownie Htl MATT JONES: Mounties Club Mt Pritchard MENTAL AS ANYTHING: Manly Fishos PANORAMA: 3 Wise Monkeys PETER NORTHCOTE: Bridge Htl Rozelle Randy: Hurstville RSL Club RENAE KEARNEY: Waverley Bowling Club ROSS WARD: Heathcote Hotel SAM & JAMIE SHOW, DAVE WHITE DUO: Northies Cronulla Htl SCREAMING SUNDAY: Annandale Htl SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL feat., IRON MAIDEN, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, SLAYER, PRIMUS, SOCIAL DISTORTION, + HEAPS MORE!: Sydney Showgrounds Homebush STEVE EDMONDS BAND: Kent Htl Hamilton SYDNEY BLUES SOCIETY: Botany View Htl The Dennis Boys Band: Sandringham Htl downstairs THE NEW CHRISTS, + HEAPS MORE!: Excelsior Surry Hills THE TREWS: Brass Monkey THE WAIFS, MAMA KIN: Civic Theatre Newcastle THE WHITE BROS, NICKY KURTA: Ettamogah Htl YUKI & JOHN MACKIE, PAUL FURNISS, JOHN SMITH: Illawarra Master Builders Club

MON 28

John Hill: Dee Why RSL Matt Jones Trio: Scruffy Murphys MOTION BAND: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills MXPX, THE ATARIS, HERO’S FOR HIRE: Annandale Htl SARAH PATON: Observer Htl SONGWRITER SESSIONS: Excelsior Surry Hills

THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 87 •

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

BEHIND THE LINES WITH MICHAEL SMITH BTL@STREETPRESS.COM.AU

BONJAH

BEHIND THE (WHITE) LINE Bonjah recently released a new single The White Line and vocalists/guitarists Glenn Mossop and Regan Lethbridge tell the story behind it. “The song came to life after five days of doing demos for the forthcoming record,” Mossop begins. “We were at a friend’s place up near Mount Bulla, [Fraser Montgomery], who was engineering the demos at the time. Regan came up with the initial tone and tempo of the song on an old rusty acoustic. Sure enough, one by one each of us all joined in, Fraser hit the big red button and there was the song.” “When we hit the studio with our producer Steven Schram we wanted to change the acoustic country vibe and make it a little more New York and hard-edged,” Lethbridge adds. “After playing the song through for a couple of hours in the studio under the direction of Schramy we found some cool tones, a mint tempo and got the vibe happening. We were all in one room, pretty close to each other and really focusing on being relaxed, having fun and just getting the right take. We recorded a bunch of takes; I can’t actually remember which one we picked but it was the take where you listen back and even though there are imperfections in the music there is a certain vibe and magic about it. Maj [James Majernik] then nailed his percussion in an hour or two, I went over with an electric and two acoustics and, boom, the music was down. Then Moz [Mossop] went in and belted out such a cool vocal take. I’m pretty sure we ended up keeping the whole first or second take, he had some serious attitude in his voice and it sounded fucken awesome in the control room.”

CUBASE 6 GETS ARTY To mark the launch of Steinberg’s Cubase 6 Artist 6, Yamaha Music Australia is presenting a series of workshops and Q&A sessions at various musical instrument stores, kicking off 7pm Wednesday 2 March at Turramurra Music. Among the new features to be demonstrated will be creating the perfect vocal take and multitrack drum editing. 2pm Saturday 19 March, the workshop rolls into the Camperdown Allans Music + Billy Hyde store.

CAN YOU HEAR DRUMS? Speaking of Allans Music + Billy Hyde Camperdown, Saturdays through March, they’ll be hosting two drumming-related courses – Introduction To Percussion and Introduction To Samba – the former running 11.30am to 1pm, the latter 2pm to 4pm. Each course costs $80/$60 concession for the four Saturdays, kicking off Saturday 5 March, so to book a place for either, call Jess on (02) 9557 7500.

SOUND BYTES The self-described “mostly based in Melbourne” fourpiece [ME] recorded their latest EP, Naked, at Sing Sing Studios in August/September last year with producer Matt Voigt (Oh Mercy, Big Scary), then found themselves back in the studio in November, this time recording and mixing with UK producer Simon Barnicott (Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys, The Temper Trap). Teenage Fanclub guitarist Norman Blake has recorded an album with Euros Child as Jonny, the pair coproducing the eponymous album, which they recorded at a studio called Chem 19, near Glasgow. UK three-piece Erland & The Carnival are another combo that opted to explore the sonic possibilities of a space not designed for the recording of music, in their case recording their latest album, Nightingale, “deep in the bowels of a WWII-era ship” moored at Embankment on the river Thames, where the sound of water against the bulkhead created an ambience. Sydney session drummer Luke Herbert, home after living and working in Nashville the past four years, recorded a debut album with his band The Deep Vibration at Masterlink Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, with producer Rob Clarke (Neil Young, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris). Birds Of Tokyo are the latest Logitech endorsees, extensive users of the company’s Ultimate Ears range of earphones. • 88 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

QUEENS OF THE DIGITAL AGE

ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER 1998, THE SELFTITLED DEBUT ALBUM FROM QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE HAS BEEN RE-ISSUED, EXPANDED AND REMASTERED BY THE BAND’S FOUNDER, SINGER, SONGWRITER, GUITARIST AND – ON THAT ALBUM – BASS PLAYER, JOSH HOMME. HE DISCUSSED THE ORIGINAL RECORDING SESSIONS AND MORE WITH MICHAEL SMITH.

s it happens, August last year saw the re-release of the second Queens Of The Stone Age album, 2000’s Rated R. That was the band’s first major label release, while their eponymous debut, which was essentially just Homme and drummer Alfredo Hernandez, was originally released on Stone Gossard’s indie label Loosegroove and the reissue includes three additional tracks from the original recording session. “The Rated R thing was the label’s idea,” Homme, on the line from his home in California, admits. “‘Oh, it’s been ten years, let’s put all of these songs together in a collection,’ which was a great idea. But the first record has been out of print for years and it feels like in the digital age, when you can get anything online, it seemed stupid not to have this record available. Hearing it again has been affecting everything else we’ve been doing – it’s making us go back to all the other records and examine where we were.” Revisiting that debut album, not only in order to re-release it but also in learning to play it as the current five-piece “note-perfect”, as Homme proudly explains, has influenced the way he’s approaching the writing of the material for the new record the band is preparing to record. “It’s all of a sudden made everything more trancey and

It wasn’t like ProTools editing or anything like that – if you needed to add it, you just played it again. So I had to know what I was doing basically, so all those parts are really deliberate and that’s why it’s been kinda cool to play in that way again.”

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE CIRCA 1998 more strange repetitions are popping out now, so some of the first record informs the new record in a way.” About two days before the original recording session, Homme, decided to let the singer, guitarist and bass player he’d been rehearsing up the songs with go and instead headed off with Hernandez to Studio Monkey in Palm Springs, California, run by engineer Chris Goss. “I spent every penny I had making it and it was all on tape. We did it really fast. The hard part was realising the fact that I was about to be the singer, mostly because I’d never really sung and I sounded kinda shitty I guess. I’ve come to really enjoy it, but I basically had these melodies and I was just very conservative with them and it sounds very vulnerable and conservative, very careful, but I think that actually transfers well. The vulnerable side is really cool. It’s very cautious but it plays into the record, juxtaposing heavier music with softer vocals. “I had to record the bass performance of some songs first while I’m humming it in my head – the vocals – and then other times I had to do guitar. I couldn’t really sing and play and I was wondering if I could find another singer. I could hear [the record] in my head, and basically it was just a chase to see if I could what I was hearing in my head down to tape. In a song like You Can’t Quit Me Baby, where I play bass with the drums, I basically had to go [hums the core riff] for four minutes before it changed and then you go in and listen and wonder, ‘Is it right? Is it the right amount of times?’

Two of the three tracks added to the original album for this reissue – The Bronze and These Aren’t The Droids You’re Looking For – came from the same sessions as the rest of the album, but were originally released as part of the split EP Queens Of The Stone Age shared with a band called Beaver, released the same year as the debut album. Spiders And Vinegrooms was recorded at Ironwood Studio in Seattle, Washington, with Goss co-producing with Homme, and originally released in 1997 on another split EP on which Homme included tracks from Kyuss along with Queens Of The Stone Age. Brian Gardner at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood remastered the album. Gardner has been a mastering engineer since the mid-‘60s and while he’s mastered records for a huge number of artists across every conceivable genre, from shock rocker Alice Cooper to jazz man Art Blakey through to Xzibit and Yolanda Adams, he’s become particularly well known in recent years for his work on hip hop albums and in particular his collaborations with Dr. Dre. Hence his nickname, BigBassBrian! “I’m not searching for perfection and I don’t try to correct something and, honestly, I was like, ‘It doesn’t need to be corrected’. It’s smaller than other records when you put it on, because of where it was recorded. It’s raw, but I don’t have a problem with that. It was more adding these other songs that were recorded on the same session, so in a way it was almost ‘preserving’ it I guess. It’s got a sound and a thing to it – there’s no need to finger it all day, you know what I mean? What was great was, ‘Let’s not do anything to it,’ you know? Sometimes it’s hard to get people to listen to the idea of, ‘Hey, can you do nothing to this except make all the songs the same volume?’ Brian’s just a great mastering guy here in LA. I use him on and off all the time.” The remastered Queens Of The Stone Age album is out now on Rekords Rekords/Liberator Music.

THE ROCK DEPOT

Answered by: Stephen Parsons - Manager What’s the studio set up you have there equipment-wise? Our studios have the latest JBL technology and Soundcraft consoles, Mo2 digital interface, Pre-sonus studio Live. Any tips for artists entering a studio for the first time? We encourage everyone to make themselves feel comfortable and they can be assured if they need anything or have any questions, our staff are very knowledgeable and are always there to help. The studios have a very professional but relaxed and casual vibe. We keep the studios in tip top shape and pride ourselves on keeping a high standard of equipment and facilities on the premises making the space your in whether you are rehearsing or recording an easy going experience. Who do you have on staff and what’s their background in the industry? Stephen Parsons – Owner; Matt Smart, Zoltan Budemsevic, Daniel Gibson and Belinda Adams – have all been working in the industry for over 20 years with knowledge in all areas from live production to recordings and performance. Belinda and Zoltan also have many years experience in producing and vocal coaching. Analogue vs digital – discuss. We have analogue and digital facilities at our studios so we can have the best of both worlds from “old school” technology and today’s digital advantages.

Yes, we have the facilities for this set up. We’re an impoverished indie band – do you offer any deals for acts in our situation? We’re a very friendly bunch and are more than willing to help out up and coming artists with rehearsal time. Do you have any in-house instruments at the studio acts can use, or is it totally BYO?

Working in the studio can be arduous and we’ll need a break – what are the amenities in the local area? We have a café where coffees, cold drinks, munchies, etc are available. We are located right next door to Hungry Jacks and Bunnings. McDonalds is a three-minute walk away. Winston Hills Shopping Centre is a four-minute drive away (or ten minute walk) and right next door to the shopping centre is The Winston which is a boutique pub and pizzeria/bistro.

Can bands bring in their own engineer or do they have to solely use a house engineer?

Yes, we have a full drum kit, bass rig, guitar rig, keyboard and acoustic guitar available for hire. We also have various musicians’ utilities – i.e. plectrums, drum sticks, etc available for purchase.

We are more than happy for you to bring in your own engineer.

What’s the access to the studio like with regards to parking, flat load, etc?

What are your contact details?

Is the studio capable of holding a full band at once for recording?

The studio has a flat load with plenty of parking available directly out the front of the building.

Mobile – 0426 276 257 Email – stephen@therockdepot.com.au

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YOUR AD IN THIS SPACE CALL JAMES AT DRUM MEDIA ON 9331 7077

THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 89 •

REHEARSALS - RECORDING

We have moved 200 metres me down the road to 6/26 Phillips Rd Kogarah - Turn left at the end of Production Ave and we are on the left hand side -

www.thesoundbasement.com 9588 6952 - 9587 0180 info@thesoundbasement.com

• 90 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011

EMPLOYMENT ADMINISTRATION Female Vocalist Wanted for Working and Established Band CountDown Explosion. Performing Retro covers in a Show Format to the Corpoate and Club Market.Experience Essential see www.countdownexplosion.com.au ph Trevor 0411323700 or Email iFlogID: 11238

LEAD SINGER 50’S ROCK’N’ROLL Lead singer that can play rhythm guitar wanted for 50’s style rock’n’roll band. Professional attitude, own transport and a willingness to rehearse a must. Contact Darren on 0418410209 iFlogID: 11490

SINGER/PIANIST WANTED FOR GIGS Singer/pianist wanted for well paid gigs starting immediately. Piano and PA supplied. Modern covers repertoire as well as piano-man classics. Please send CV and any You-Tube links to redlightmusic@ y7mail.com iFlogID: 11435

EDUCATION & TRAINING Piano/Guitar Teacher required 3 days per week to work in established studio in Campbelltown (near Train Station). Wages according to experience. Willing to train right person i.e. school leaver. Please contact Michael at Chalker Music - 46 281 829 iFlogID: 11091

ENTERTAINMENT 3D Animator needed to collaborate with musician/sound designer on experimental audio/visual project. An interest in music or a musical background preferred. If successful, our content will be seen at large scale live events such as festivals, concerts, etc. Email: info@immersivemovement.com iFlogID: 11267 Theatre,Backstage,Lighting,Sound,Cre wing jobs online now at backstagejobs. com.au join our facebook page search backstagejobs.com.au and press like or join the fun on twitter/bsjaustralia its free to join and search iFlogID: 11112

PROMOTER Kings Cross venue with legal capacity of 400 seeks live music proposals iFlogID: 11035

MUSIC ARTIST MANAGER REQUIRED. I require a special person who has the drive and business acumen to become a successful and well-paid International Music Artist Manager working with a fastemerging Australian talent. You will need past Music Industry and Media experience, energy and enthusiasm. Together we will conquer the world of music entertainment. Phone Geoff NOW at Extraordinary Entertainment* on tel: 9969 1179. Mosman area. Please note, this position will commence on a commission-only basis, then reviewed to include a retainer. Based in Sydney. iFlogID: 11460 Promoters wanted for a nightclub in kings cross easy money Get paid to party Duties will include Hosting/ organising birthdays/ flyering for more details jarrad@therouge. com.au iFlogID: 10887

RETAIL & CONSUMER PRODUCTS Art Gallery Promotions: Refer students to this art course and make $30 commission on each sign-up. Email info@monstrosity.com.au Immediate start, no set up costs. Fun and informative art lessons. Ph 0421356410 iFlogID: 11197

SELF-EMPLOYMENT I need people to send eMails to Libraries around Australia offering a new music Book for sale. Applicants need their own computer - payment is commission based via Paypal. Contact Bill on (02) 9807-3137 or eMail: nadipa1@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 11519

FOR SALE AMPS 80 watt 12”combo with reverb,saturation and more.2 channel footswitchable.USA made.great fat tone.VGC.$350. Cooroy. Ph.0428744963 iFlogID: 11486 Ampeg Classic Quad speaker & Ampeg B2R Amp. Both items were purchased brand new from Turramurra Music in 2003. Both in good condition however have numerous superficial dings & scratches from years of gigging but neither have been dropped. iFlogID: 11006 Fender Super Reverb guitar amp (circa 1969 - 71) 4 x 10” original Fender speakers, top right speaker needs re-coning otherwise unit sounds great. Needs cleaning.Speaker repair cost is approx $200 in Sydney. Will deliver anywhere in Sydney... Sell $1895 iFlogID: 11075 Markbass Studio Pre-500 bass amp. Top of the line unit...Three stage distortion... 2 x valve stages + solid state... Compression on-board....EQ.... 9 months old still under warranty. Retails for $4395. SELL $1950 ...Perfect condition.Will deliver anywhere in Sydney. iFlogID: 11077

ORIGINAL 1973 VOX AC30 Amp! Get the original from the year Brian May made it famouse!It’s now a head & cab as head was taken out and given new casing to preserve it’s condition. pics avail on request. 0403-498-103 info@nathaneshman.com iFlogID: 11000 Vase All Valve Guitar Amp. 1960’s Trendsetter 60 with vibrato.with 2 2/12 matching cabs.very loud,great tone.australian made.Perfect Original Working Condition. suit collector/enthusiast. $1200. Cooroy Qld. Ph.0428744963 iFlogID: 11336

BASS Dave Eden D215XLT bass cabinet. 2 x 15” speakers, 400 watt RMS @ 4 ohm. $600 ono - call 0406 470 424 iFlogID: 11260 SX 4 string bass, active pickups, great tone. perfect for beginner to intermediate. comes with a gig bag $300 ono call 0406 470 424 iFlogID: 11263

CD / DVD Attention Musicians, Record Collectors, Universities, Libraries - new Book available (print/cdROM/direct download) compiling 100 years of popular music. GO TO www.plattersaurus.com for free web-site and information on how to buy. Enquiries: (02)9807-3137 eMail: nadipa1@yahoo. com.au iFlogID: 11523

DRUMS DRUM KIT WANTED...Anything considered. Also vintage drums, snare’s cymbals etc. Ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 11275 SABIAN 14” AA REGULAR HIHATS.Top line series of cymbal. Bargain $100. Ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 11277 ZILDJIAN A CUSTOM 18” CRASH CYMBAL. Brand new in plastic bag. Never been hit! Bargain $250. Ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 11279

GUITARS 1940 Supertone Singing Cowboys Vintage Guitar with original case. This guitar is super, lots of Soul, excellent condition. iFlogID: 11509 1960s Vintage Kingston Acoustic Guitar Single “0” Size Body - with hard case. Neck joins body at 12th Fret Good Delta Blues style guitar. Ph: 0402327153 iFlogID: 11511 Fender acoustic guitar for sale. great for a beginner or a traveler looking for a cheap guitar. comes with a gig bag $200 ono call: 0406 470 424 iFlogID: 11265 Fender Pink Paisley Strat. Genuine 1980s model.all original.plays great. beautiful tone and action.very rare.VGC.in case.$2500ono. Ph.0428744963.Cooroy iFlogID: 11484 Fender Samarium Cobalt Noiseless Strat complete set of pickups used. In excellent condition.Cream Covers. $100 for set of 3.Call Grant on 0400 264 754. Sydney only. iFlogID: 10982 Fender Samarium Cobalt Noiseless Strat complete set of pickups used. In excellent condition.White Covers. $100 for set of 3.Call Grant on 0400 264 754. Sydney only. iFlogID: 10977 Gibson 335 chet atkins tennessean signature guitar ebony neck translucent see thru orange real head turner, no fret wear or scratchers mint condition in case $2000 no offers PH 0449536661 iFlogID: 10920 Guitar clearance up to 30% off marked prices. Yamaha, Hagstrom, Greg Bennett, LAG, Gypsy Rose and Valencia guitars all marked down at Engadine Music. Call Michael on 9520 3044 for further information iFlogID: 10965 Model F11.dated 10/73.steel strings.all australian timbers.original cond.$500. Ph.0428744963. Cooroy. iFlogID: 11488

flying Rex Airlines Sydney Ballina return. Depart Sydney 22/4/11 8.10am arrive Ballina 9.50am depart Ballina 27/4/11 10.10am arrive Sydney 11.55am Total price $730 phone 0405088122 iFlogID: 10984 Korg Mr-1000 1-bit professional mobile recorder.Includes Korg’s exclusive AudioGate software and carry bag. As new condition. Original packaging. RRP $2500. Will sell for $1200 O.N.O. Call Shaun on 0408 993 889 or e-mail billop93@hotmail.com. View online ad for more details. iFlogID: 10769 Lexicon MX 220 Dual Reverb Effects Processor. A pristine, never used unit, ideal for small studios. iFlogID: 11124

Shure DMK57/52 Drum Mic set. Mint. 3xSM57, single Beta52 Including case, Mic clips, Mount bar and clips. Used indoors only. Purchased in Nov. 2009. No refund please. Inspection welcome at Eastwood. iFlogID: 11462

PA EQUIPMENT Australian Monitor, Inter-M, dbx and more. The Princess Theatre is selling a number of PA components including amps, foldback wedges, rack cabinets, and crossovers. Check out the list and prices at http://bit.ly/pasale. Contact Jeremy 0400 404 919. iFlogID: 11167 CARVER 1800W PA. rack mount.split mono. with Bose controller/pre amp.8 speaker outputs.very loud.in case.VGC.cost over $2500.sell $850.Ph.0428744963.Cooroy. iFlogID: 11482 Rode NT5 Pair with case Mint! Clips and poping covers included. Purchased in Nov. 2009. Used only indoor. Inspection welcome at Eastwood. iFlogID: 11464

MUSIC SERVICES BAND MERCHANDISE Create your own merch! Screenprinting workshop at Monstrosity Gallery, inner Sydney $95 full day. Arrive with ideas, leave wearing your band’s merch. Fun and creative. We also print Custom Tees from $15 each. 0421356410 www.monstrosity.com.au iFlogID: 11194

BOOKING AGENTS Gig Launch are looking for artists to receive free radio play in and around Australia. Lots of genres, lots of time slots. Submissions are free, we just need quality songs! To submit, head to www.giglaunch. com.au iFlogID: 10930 Gig Launch is Australia’s first online booking agency, connecting artists and promoters all over the world. Opportunities local and globally, we need quality artists for our gigs! Head to www.giglaunch.com. au to submit. iFlogID: 11207 Gig Launch is Australia’s first online booking agency, connecting artists to promoters. We’re currently taking submissions on a large amount of opportunities and gigs, so head over to www.giglaunch.com.au to submit your songs and information! Go Aussie, go Gig Launch! iFlogID: 10938 OzSong International is now accepting submissions! Choice of prize is yours: fly to Nashville to record or fly to Sydney to record. Runner-up prizes include studio equipment. Head to www.giglaunch.com. au to get submitting! iFlogID: 10932

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 iFlogID: 10926

LEGAL / ACCOUNTING DETAX GOT ME A GREAT REFUND!

OTHER iFlogID: 11122

Going to Byron Bay Bluesfest? unfortunatly i had to cancel my trip. Selling 2 tickets

OTHER Daniel is now giving guitar lessons phone 0432 614 066 iFlogID: 11253

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.

of your own home. Good results guaranteed. Phone Oles 0407413143 email oa@olesart.com iFlogID: 11309 BASS GUITAR LESSONS NORTH SHORE!! Sydney Conservatorium of Music trained bass player with over 13 years experience performing and teaching theory, repertoire, technique and AMEB exams. Look no further to start bass lessons today! Contact Michael 0421 636 827 iFlogID: 11314

Man and van available for small removals etc. Affordable rates for quotes phone Ken 0403357019 or 97590970 iFlogID: 11083 MUSIC PUBLICITY: Got the music but need it to be heard? Need more people at your shows? Take your band to the next level with a publicity campaign designed to put your band in front of music lovers. www. aaaentertainment.com.au iFlogID: 11257

PA / AUDIO / ENGINEERING PA’S AND PROFESSIONAL OPERATOR High end quality rigs BOSE and KV2 ES systems 500-6600watts. No cheap chinese imports. 23 years experience, “Rightsounds Productions” We get it right the first time. Steve 0418964484 Office 48852200 WEB http://users.tpg.com.au/ sds/rightsound.htm iFlogID: 10762 Hire a vocal rig with or without foldback or hire larger system with operator. 2200 watt Front Of House with subs + 600 watt foldback. Reasonable rates. Delivery and set up possible where operator not supplied. Gigs, weddings, functions, etc. iFlogID: 11108 Need a PA for your next gig? FM Audio can hook you up! Bands, DJ’s, weddings or parties - ensure that it’s a “sound success!” Choose FM Audio. Visit us at www. fmaudio.com.au or contact Ferdinand on 0431 294 389. iFlogID: 10730

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: 11212

SINGING LESSONS THAT >>ROCK<<

CREATIVE GUITAR TUITION PROFESSIONAL AND AFFORDABLE band promo photography at competitive rates in the Sydney and Newcastle region. Let us help you or your band get the right look. Call Ben for more info: 0400 808 025 or www.hoskingindustries.com.au iFlogID: 10841

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: 10944 Full multi-track recording and mastering for bands, artists, etc. Will record wherever you play or rehearse. $300 for a full day band recording. No job too small. Call or email me for prices and bookings. matt@neverknowsbest.com. au 0401 273 570 iFlogID: 11240 Have you got a hit song, but no production skills to match??? Get world class production without blowing your budget. Radio quality - EVERY TIME! Don’t sing? We’ll provide session vocalists and any musos needed. www.nathaneshman. com or call 0403 498-103 iFlogID: 11053

SEAN CAREY - PRODUCER

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: 10454 We’re proud to introduce our new recording studio, utilising state of the art technology, at affordable community rates. The studio is available for hire both for production and as a rehearsal space. Located at Liverpool PCYC. Facebook Us!! 02 96086999 iFlogID: 11234

REHEARSAL ROOMS “The Jam Room” in Parramatta is now open for band rehearsals from 8pm-12am Mon-Sun. Would suit regular rehearsing bands. $30/hr. Option to record live rehearsals for demo’s. 0407125837 - www.jamroom.com.au info@jamroom.com.au iFlogID: 11429

REPAIRS 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: 9346 --------SYNTH SERVICE MELBOURNE--------- Specialising in sales and repairs of pre 90’s analogue synths. Complete recalibration/tuning, sliders and keys refurbish only $130. Visit: www. synthservicemelbourne.com.au Call or Text Luke: 0424 420 605 iFlogID: 10928

Petersham/ Sydney. Real guitar for committed students. Attentive, one on one guitar lessons with Craig Corcoran. Fully equipped music studio in centrally located in Sydney’s Inner West. Learn Jazz, Rock, Blues, Contemporary , Funk, Latin , Gypsy, Folk and other popular styles. Learn at a pace and in a direction you want to go. Beginners to advanced, all aspects of guitar are supported. Incorporate a practical approach, using rhythm, harmony, melody and improvisation. Learn theory and all about scales and modes and how to apply them effectively. Learn songs and practice techniques. Ear training, song writing, composition and sight reading. Learn all about chords, arpeggios, substitutions, synonyms and inversions. Alternate tunings, slide guitar, finger style, chord melody and world music. Study your favourite players and learn how to develop your own sound. Comfortable, air-conditioned studio with huge resource library and comprehensive digital recording available to those wanting to demo. Days and evenings, Monday to Thursday and Friday, Saturday day. All guitar lessons are private. Ask about special introductory offer and gift vouchers. Contact Craig Corcoran: 0430344334 (02)95726702 creative-guitar@hotmail.com www.creativeguitar.com.au iFlogID: 11165 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: 11307 Guitar and Drum tuition with qualified and experienced music teacher (B/Mus, B/ Ed. Dip. contemporary music). tuition in all aspects of music from someone used to working with different age groups. Can possibly come to you in south or east. iFlogID: 11110 GUITAR LESSONS for BEGINNER & INTERMEDIATE in the North West Sydney area. Affordable rates. Learn how to get rockin’ today! Call Ben on 0400 808 025. iFlogID: 10843 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: 11081

GUITAR TUITION BY MAL EASTICK Guitar tuition customised to the individualall 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 iFlogID: 11128 GUITAR, BANJO AND VOICE TUITION: Fingerstyle guitar, open tunings, slide, improvisation, blues, folk, celtic styles, music theory, ear training, singing and vocal harmonies. Beginners are welcome. www.acousticfingerpicking.com www. rosestudios.com.au tel. 0431953178 iFlogID: 11163

PIANO: BLUES, ROOTS & POPULAR

TRANSPORT

TUITION “The Jam Room” in Parramatta is now open for tuition in guitar, piano, vocals and violin/fiddle. $35/half hour. Experienced teachers with a vast knowledge of their instruments. Beginners to advanced and everything in between. 0407125837 - info@jamroom.com.au iFlogID: 11431

PA HIRE FOR DISCERNING EARS!

A GREAT WAY TO LEARN GUITAR From blue to new - all styles of guitar from Chris Turner(Buffalo,Tattoo etc) Rhythm,lead, Basic skills & Songs. Recording avail www.big-rock.com. au 9552 6663 Lilyfield guitardoctor@ bigpond.com iFlogID: 11369 ACOUSTIC 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

Your voice has the ability to sing at the Audioslave/ Muse/ Aretha/ YeahYeahYeahs 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 iFlogID: 11044

SINGING LESSONS Voice science is out there to help improve your singing quickly. One on one lessons in hi tech multi award winning studio with fully qualified singing and performance expert. First assessment FREE. Beginners and professionals. I Look forward to helping you find your voice. www.avic.com.au studio - 9588 2184 mob - 0414 453 066 Stephen Baker iFlogID: 10481

SINGING LESSONS

Singing lessons in a positive environment with a highly experienced and professional singer/songwriter. Lessons tailored to suit individual needs. www.realvoice.net.au for more details. Inner West, Rosanna 0431 157 622. iFlogID: 11500 SPEECH LEVEL 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.mazmazak. com /slsvocalinstructor - Contact Maz: maz@mazmazak.com iFlogID: 11184 Studio 88’s now filling vacancies for private music tuition in Albion Park! Studio 88 provides tuition in piano, voice, saxophone and musicianship in a quiet, relaxed environment. All ages welcome. Call Blake to organise your free trial lesson e:studio88music@live.com.au m:0431007910 iFlogID: 10896 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: 10760

VIDEO / PRODUCTION MUSIC VIDEOS offer a great way to gain exposure. Immersion Imagery has worked with a variety or atrists and strives to offer quality creative Music Videos at an affordable price. Visit www.immersionimagery. com or email info@immersionimagery. com iFlogID: 11423 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: 10885

Bass Player Available, Mature age, for subbing into mature bands. Plenty of experience, specializing in 50’s to 00’s pop music, rock and roll, country and blues, Huge repertoire. phone Ken 0403357019 or 97590970 iFlogID: 11085 Bass player looking for a band and/or regular jam. Have been playing about 12 months. Committed, reliable and keen to learn. Sydney (Hills/West). Email: scather@hotmail.com iFlogID: 11396

Private singing and acting lessons with an full time working and interanational award winning performer. Brake new boundries and let go of your inhibitions, develope flawless techniques & have lots of fun. In Sydney inner city. $50/hr. 0412206675 www.damiennoyce.com.au iFlogID: 11269

Bassist avail for band.jazz,latin,blues,rock. email randrewc68@hotmail.com iFlogID: 11010

SINGING LESSONS - MODERN VOCAL

Quality Bass programming avail. Can work on most styles. Prices charged on hourly rate. Visit www.nathaneshman. com for audio examples or email info@ nathaneshman.com iFlogID: 11057

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.

Professional mature-age Drummer/ Vocals/reads/back acts/shows - all styles including jazz - available for casual work. phone:(02) 9807-3137 eMail: nadipa1@ yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 11525

Quality Drum programing available. Great sounds & awesome groove. Able to do all styles. Check out the audio at www.nathaneshman.com or call 0403 498 103 iFlogID: 11059 Session drummer. Live, Studio, Electronic, MIDI tracks, percussion and music production. 0418376901 iFlogID: 11517

GUITARIST 17yo rock guitarist looking to join/form Sydney rock band in the vein of GNR, Thin Lizzy, the Darkness, Van Halen etc. Influences: Clapton, Slash, EVH, Steve Jones, Brian May, Ace Frehley, Keef. No emos, indie kids or Strat players. iFlogID: 11319 18 year old Guitar player wanting to join a rock n’ roll band. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper. I live in the south. Call Tom on 0401722767 iFlogID: 10948 Experienced studio & live guitarist/vocalist available for covers work - duo/trio/band. Able to play all styles & start immediately. I have 20 years experience, my own quality gear and professional attitude. Check out audio examples at www.nathaneshman. com 0403 498 103 iFlogID: 11055 guitarist available/20y exp/all styles/in f;santana,benson,satri,emma,clapton/ equip;mesa,strat,tele/syd north shore. reply randrewc68@hotmail.com iFlogID: 11008

BASS PLAYER

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: 11070

DRUMMER Dynamic Drummer seeks Professional Working Band AND/OR ‘Fill In’ gigs. www. steeledawson.com iFlogID: 11106

Proficient Session Drummer Working Out of Sydney City Looking for new Projects for 2011 No particular style preference Call me for any info 0425820547 iFlogID: 11492

MUSICIANS AVAILABLE

Harriet the TOURBUS Free Coffee and Tea when touring with me. I come with a driver so you arrive alive’r. 11 passengers and loads of gear and we take you from there to here. rolf.schonfeld@gmail.com iFlogID: 11145

Tired of being mixed by a Roadie who makes your band sound like the ass end of a Rhinoceros? Then why not be mixed by a professional musician/studio producer with great quality gear, ears that work and 20 years studio & live experience? I have 2 systems available that are perfect for high end corporate entertainment, wedding receptions & private function gigs! The ‘A rig’ with 32 channel Yamaha desk, 4 fold back sends, Wharfedale speakers/ wedges, QSC power amps and DBX EQ/ compressors is perfect for larger venues

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: 10703

PHOTOGRAPHY

Mal’s Open Mic Night looking for covers and original Bands, duos, singer/songwriters to perform at: Royal Hotel Bondi, Sting Bar Cronulla, Panania Hotel and Appin Hotel. For all venues and dates go to blogs at myspace.com/in4mal_entertainment. register with Mal 0413735773 iFlogID: 11022

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

Yamaha O3D 16ch Digital Mixing Console. Good condition. All functions fully working except two I/O on the back panel (monitor out, 2 track in). Mic pres are very good. manual included. Inspection welcome $850 negotiable 0425358190 Martin, Marsfield. iFlogID: 11419

Excellent studio monitors, Yorkville YSM1P. Sparsely used and in great condition. iFlogID: 11126

We have the experience, the equipment, and the room to deliver world class results in all music genres. We have a fixed pricing structure for attended or un-attended sessions so everyone knows where they stand. We guarantee our results and archive all of our work. Every one of our many clients has been happy with their masters for a reason. Do your music, and your wallet a favour and drop us a line. PRICING; EP $320 / Album $600... including Red Book Master Disc, DDP Master DVD, 2 x Master Listening Discs and Hi-Res Project Archive. - WWW-THEBUTLER.COM or INFO@THE-BUTLER.COM or 0403 435 686 iFlogID: 11068

Studio engineer with 18 years local and international experience offers production, engineering, mixing for studio, home or live. Quality equipment available, Technical Advice and unbiased ears to help bring your music to life. Visit www.michellebarry.com.au or call 0402 013 784 iFlogID: 11118

HIRE SERVICES

while the ‘B rig’ with a Yamaha 12 channel 500W x 500W powered mixer is a compact yet punchy vocal system for smaller bands and gigs. Both rigs come with 2 trees of Par 56 cans, 2 x DMX controlled iColor 3000’s, hazer and dual CD player. Setup, operated, packed up, no fuss! So why not give your client or audience the sound they deserve at a GREAT price? Call Graham now on 0418 423 463 to find out how good your next gig could sound... iFlogID: 11373

RECORDING STUDIOS

EP RELEASE

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

AKG D112. Never used!

THE BUTLER MASTERING

SYDNEY SUMMER 2011 - Compilation of Sydney bands. Download free from www. swimmingpoolrecords.com Now seeking submissions for Sydney Autumn 2011. iFlogID: 11098

KEYBOARDS

For sale Allen & Heath ZED436 32ch Analog Mixing console. 32 mono channels. You can check its function on the website. Superb!!! Used in church only. Clean. Manual & Software, No refund. Inspection welcome at Marsfield. $2000 negotiable Martin 0425 358 190 iFlogID: 11417

MASTERING Mastering by Wayne Lotek (UK), award winning producer of Roots Manuva and Speech Debelle. From $50 per track, online service available or come into the Melbourne studio. All styles catered for, reggae, hip hop specialist. Email: wayne@lotekproductions.com Phone: 0394170760 iFlogID: 11132

Male Siberian Husky 8 month Puppy Great Affectionate Nature Pedigree Papers Chipped and Vaccinated All accessories with sale $500 negotiable call matt 0425 820 547 Sydney iFlogID: 11502

Yamaha and Casio Keyboards on sale now Engadine Music Phone 02 9520 3044 or email shop@engadinemusic.com iFlogID: 10967

MIXERS

Phone Dave Elliott 0434 979 269 or email Detax@optusnet.com.au iFlogID: 11100

hey hey, need a guitarist for a hard hittin soild rock or metal band, well im your guy, i got pro gear and attitude to match. interested ?...call us on 0435510600. cheers. iFlogID: 10900 Wollongong Wedding Guitarist Experience the joy and romance of guitar at your special event. Highly experienced fingertsyle and jazz guitarist available to play at your wedding or special function. Call 0400 391 400 www.scottburford.net iFlogID: 10758

SINGER CHRISTIAN FUNK BAND WANTS SINGERS WE NEED 4 MORE MALE/FEMALE SINGERS YOU MUST HAVE OWN TRANSPORT YOU MUST BE A CHRISTIAN YOU MUST BE WILLING TO COMMIT TO REHEARSALS & SHOWS iFlogID: 11356 Female singer with 80s credentials and strong voice seeks no-age-limit musos / songwriters / existing band to make interesting music for recording and performance. Are you percussive, melodic, bent, eclectic, into lyrics, mood, art, smashing the template? I’m yours. iFlogID: 10764

MUSICIANS WANTED BASS PLAYER “Bass Player Needed Now” for southern rock/country rock band. Gigs starting early April. Contact: 0433 904 419 iFlogID: 11332 ###FREE iPHONE APP### Sydney Underground Fusion Virtuosos, The Three Wise Monkeys, Download the 3WM iPhone app for Free for a limited time @: www. threewizemonkeys.com. Track Previews, Videos, gigs, and social interaction, the Ultimate portal for Three Wise Monkeys. iFlogID: 11451 A Bassist is required for a metal project to write and gig/play. Currently in Campbelltown area Professional gear. demo available currently recording Chase8765@hotmail.com or call chase on 0404146582 iFlogID: 11409 A fun Sydney indie/alt/folk band looking for bassist: Age 18-25, Play by ear, Saturday practice, Own transport, Good gear/ fx, Backing vox. www.polarknights.com for our tunes! iFlogID: 11293 Atmospheric electro-acoustic-psychsurf-swamp-kraut-indie-rock band with an upcoming album release seeks friendly bass player. Call or text Danny on 0407226667 check out our songs www. transatmusic.com.upcoming LP and gigs in March iFlogID: 11334

Double Bass player needed for rockabilly band. Need to be gig-ready and have transport. Please call Kenny for more details: 0405 144 270 iFlogID: 11311

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

BASS PLAYER FOR MATH/ROCK BAND

Indie/rock covers band looking for bass player to join gig-ready duo in Surry Hills to play David Bowie, Killers, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Dandy Warhols etc. iFlogID: 11018 Inner Sydney venues wanting original artists, bands and solos, for mid week gigs. interstate and international touring artists welcome. Contact nowmuzik@gmail.com for more information. iFlogID: 11447

Sydney based progressive/math/rock band Breaking Orbit require a full-time bass player to complete lineup. After two single releases and east-coast tours in second half of 2010, as well as supports for the likes for DLC, COG, MM9 - Breaking Orbit are taking time off to finish writing & recording an album in 2011, and find the right bass player. Potential member needs to be committed, interested in touring with a band, needs to be musically sound (ideally theoretically trained - we play complex music), have a quality sounding rig and ideally play 5 string bass. Backup vocals would be an advantage. Check out www.breaking-orbit.com for sounds, email info@breaking-orbit.com if you are interested. iFlogID: 11413 BASS PLAYER NEEDED FOR ALTERNATIVE/ ROCK BAND iFlogID: 10952 Bass Player required for iron maiden cover show, professional gear and own transport a must rehears LA Studios Wetherill Park email us at warpath6666@gmail.com iFlogID: 11153 Bass Player required for pop covers trio. Mature, reliable, competent, available. Vocal ability essential.Vocal band specialising in forgotten classics: The Beatles, The Everly’s, The Monkees, Crowded House, The Mavericks, Paul Kelly. Rehearsals St George Area. Mal: openmic1@hotmail. com iFlogID: 10816 Bass Player required for pop vocal trio playing rare classics by The Beatles, Everly’s, Monkees, P.Kelly, Crowded House, The Mavericks. Must be mature, available, reliable, professional. Vocals essential. Weekly rehearsals St George Area. Contact Mal 0413735773 openmic1@ hotmail.com - gigs waiting. iFlogID: 11024 Bass Player wanted for 60’s/70’s rock band. Check us out at http://rockmonster. com.au. Call Brendon 0404 007 058 iFlogID: 10752 Bass Player wanted for commercial band. Have management and up coming gigs. call 0420 508 000 iFlogID: 10902 bass player wanted to form original rock act. age between 18 to 30, must have own gear and transport. think kiss, the who, motley crue etc... call michael on 0418435587 iFlogID: 11155 Bass Player wanted. Sydney. Call Paul 0411873761 E:paul@goannaentertainment.com Late60s/1970’s Rock (covers), work waiting. Rehearse Homebush. Must have rig/transport. Rehearse 3 x month. iFlogID: 11375 Bass Player with vocal ability wanted for established Country/Blues OZ Rock artist. Must be versatile as Duo/Trio/ full band. Ability to play swing feel helpfull. Rehearsals inner west. Aged 18-45 Ph:0407281024 iFlogID: 11116 Bassist & singer wanted! (Seperate people). Aged between 18-25. Guitarist & drummer are very serious to start a metal band w/regular jams and gigs. Influences include Pantera, Metallica, Maiden, Sabbath & more! Contact Justin on finchy_77@hotmail.com or 0432905175 for more info \m/ iFlogID: 11425 Bassist wanted for female fronted psychedelic/ shoegaze/ ambient/ dream-pop band. Gigging all over Melbourne with radio play. Aged between 25 and 32. Rehearse weekly in Brunswick. For more information please write to owenleeis@ gmail.com iFlogID: 11437 Bassist with basic singing skills aged 18-21 wanted for established touring Brisbane indie/rock/pop band. Influences include: Bloc Party, Vines, Coldplay, Muse. Must be a rad, easy going person with own transport and gear. Find FUSHIA on facebook, iTunes and Myspace. iFlogID: 11506

Inner-west Sydney needs a bass player. Influences: The Cure, Sonic Youth, The Fall, Die Die Die, Television, Yo La Tengo, Children Collide. Needs own gear & transport. Email: delaybaby@hotmail.com iFlogID: 11178 looking for a bass player in the style of; Ian Rilen, Dee Dee Ramone (must use a pick and play all down strokes) or similar. For jamming once a month and occasional gig, mainly originals and some covers maybe? iFlogID: 11063 MELODIC BASS PLAYER. Auditioning Melodic bass player that is also able to do backing vocals. Must have a positive and committed attitude. Band is highly proactive and ambitious.Has management and started the recording process. iFlogID: 10756 Metal bass player wanted for new band. Influences include Disturbed, Evanescence, and more. Currently writing original material. Preferred age early 20’s, at least intermediate playing level. Practice near Central Station, afternoons, once a week. Contact dragonlugia@hotmail.com for more information. iFlogID: 11285

GET SIGNED TO A 360 DEAL! You MUST be an outstanding male bassist! Rehearsing at Wetherill Park N.S.W. 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. Only contact me if you want to get signed to a 360 deal! Phone Will: 0413 772 911 iFlogID: 11346 Hardworking Canberra band, LAVERS, seeks bass player. Sounds like Big Star, Crowded House and The Beatles - www. myspace.com/thelaversbrothers. Contact Dom: domlavers@gmail.com iFlogID: 11521

Drummer Wanted for new rock band Mature Player. Rehearse one night a week after our ‘day jobs’ Rock out weekends! Phone Andy after 7pm 0415737872 iFlogID: 11244 DRUMMER WANTED for original rock band. Songs written. Gigs waiting. www.30three. com.au 0449 710 697 iFlogID: 11079 drummer wanted for rock covers band playing some originals, dedicated experienced person required playing gigs from Gosford to Newcastle no time wasters Ph 0449521404 iFlogID: 11190 Drummer wanted for Sydney rock band. Currently gigging and recording. We Practice at Zen Studious, St Peters and live accross Sydney. Prefer aged from 19 to 25. Own Kit and Transport. www.myspace. com/ramshackleau For details call Jared on 0437 670 480 iFlogID: 10836 Drummer wanted for up and coming original,covers rock blues band, require committed and experience drummer, influences free hendrix Deep purple Eric clapton to play with motivated Guitarist no band hoppers rehearse between central coast and newcastle 0449536661 iFlogID: 10924

INDIE ELECTRO ACT NEED DRUMS

MUSICIANS WANTED FOR PRO STUDIO & LIVE WORK! Seeking Bassist, drummer, pianist, guitarist & horn players for commercial studio project.Recording and live work. No $$$ paid inadvance unless project generates $$$. Rock/pop www. jumbostudios.com.au email@jumbostudios.com.au Ph:0450144399 iFlogID: 11321

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL Looking for singer, bass player, drummer and 2nd guitarist to form a creative rock band. Applicants must want to create originals and want to expand in playing infront of bigger crowds. Contact if interested iFlogID: 10934 ROCK BAND NEEDS BASS PLAYER. MUST HAVE PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE AND BE READY TO ROCK. 90’S INFLUENCED. CALL. 0404 247 555 iFlogID: 11401 Wanted Bass guitarist between 18 and 28yo that is professional. Must have: • Great gear • Transport • Good attitude (happy and enthusiastic & see it through) • Live experience email: thestellaraffect@ hotmail.com Our links are: reverbnation.com/thestellaraffect Please, no time wasters. iFlogID: 11002

DJ I’m a guitar player who loves dance music. I’m keen to find a DJ wanting to collaborate. I’m a uni student (39yo), so this is more of a fun - creative endeavour. iFlogID: 11384

DRUMMER “Drummer Needed Now” for southern rock/country rock band. Gigs starting ASAP. Rehearsing Wetherill Park Influences - Skynyrd/CCR/Black Crowes/ Eagles/ZZ Top/Gov’t Mule etc. Contact: 0433 904 419 iFlogID: 11352 ###FREE iPHONE APP### Sydney underground Fusion Virtuosos, The Three Wise Monkeys, Down load their 3WM iPhone App for FREE for a short time only at: www.threewizemonkeys.com. Access every 3WM track, video, upcoming shows and social media. The Ultimate 3WM portal! iFlogID: 11455

CIRCLE NEED A DRUMMER

Circle need a drummer! We’re pretty busy so expect a reasonably exciting schedule of gigs, shoots and recordings. No tours planed at present but a possibility for the near future. While we’re happy to give anyone a go, this is not a start up project and we will be auditioning for the spot so a level of ‘pro’ experience is preferred. Please visit www.ilovecircle.com and email radi@mondayrecords.com if you’re interested. iFlogID: 11367 Drummer required for original rock/alternative band. Many songs already written. If you are interested please contact Chris on 0410010134. iFlogID: 11182 Drummer wanted for LIBERATION FRONT Well established Sydney/Newcastle based

Sydney-High Energy, Well Dressed 60’s Garage/Punk outfit looking for Male or Female Drummer who can hold a beat, and wants to gig. Once a week rehursal. Influences-The Stooges, Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Hives. Own kit and transport prefferable. myspace.com/jukeboxzombies Astro:0430243915 iFlogID: 11180 Tortured Willow are looking for a Solid Drummer to complete their line up. Gigs booked in support of recent E.P release. We are a modern Blue/Roots outfit with wide influences. Interested? call Jordan 0411451976 iFlogID: 11199

GUITARIST “Rhythm Guitarist Needed Now” for southern rock/country rock band. Gigs starting ASAP. Rehearsing Wetherill Park Influences - Skynyrd/CCR/Black Crowes/ Eagles/ZZ Top/Gov’t Mule etc. Contact: 0433 904 419 iFlogID: 11354 ###FREE iPHONE APP### Sydney underground Fusion Virtuosos, The Three Wise Monkeys, Down load their 3WM iPhone App for FREE for a short time only at: www.threewizemonkeys.com. Access every 3WM track, video, upcoming shows and social media. The Ultimate 3WM portal! iFlogID: 11453 18 year old Guitar Player looking for another Guitar player to form a band with. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper. I live in the south. Call Tom on 0401722767 iFlogID: 10950 A new metal project requires guitarist and bassist to write and gig/play. Currently in Campbelltown area Professional gear. demo available currently recording mathew_black@hotmail.com Matt 0406785596 iFlogID: 11407

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL Bass player wanted for sydney based rock/funk/blues/hard rock band. We’ll start off playing a few covers then start writing our own material once we’re gigging. Call Ben on 0400120340 or drac-tacular@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 10918

Bluegrass covers band (banjo, mando, dobro & harp) seeks double bass player for shows!! Think pub rock covers BLUEGRASS STYLE!! Must be keen to get your ho-down on!! Contact Andrew 0439584990 iFlogID: 11169 drummer wanted to form original rock band. looking for someone between 18 to 30 with own gear and transport. think kiss, the who, motley crue etc... call michael on 0418435587 iFlogID: 11157

Rock/Alternate/Punk/Hardcore band. Influences include: Green Day, Bad Religion, Against Me!, Rise Against and Anti-Flag. To listen check out myspace.com/liberationfrontau Contact: liberationf@hotmail. com and Call Tim: 0416128852 iFlogID: 11051

As a new-wave, indie-electro duo, our live shows have mainly consisted of loops & sequencers + live keyboards, guitar and vocals. with our new album coming out in the next few months we need a drummer to help rock out the songs and take them live for promo shows. We have management support, and the teaser track from the album has already garnered radioplay and rage airtime. management@theestate.com.au or braden on 0438 363 600. iFlogID: 11515 Indie/rock covers band looking for drummer to join gig-ready duo in Surry Hills to play David Bowie, Killers, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Dandy Warhols etc. iFlogID: 11020 Inner Sydney venues wanting original artists, bands and solos, for mid week gigs. interstate and international touring artists welcome. Contact nowmuzik@gmail.com for more information. iFlogID: 11449 looking for a drummer in the style of; Ivor Hay, Dennis (machine gun) Thompson, Scott Asheton or similar. For jamming once a month and occasional gig, mainly originals and some covers maybe? iFlogID: 11061 Metal drummer wanted for new band. Influences include Disturbed, Evanescence, and more. Currently writing original material. Preferred age early 20’s, at least intermediate playing level, double-kick desirable. Practice near Central Station, afternoons, once a week. Contact dragonlugia@hotmail.com for more information. iFlogID: 11283 MUSICIANS WANTED FOR PRO STUDIO & LIVE WORK! Seeking Bassist, drummer, pianist, guitarist & horn players for commercial studio project.Recording and live work. No $$$ paid inadvance unless project generates $$$. Rock/pop www. jumbostudios.com.au email@jumbostudios.com.au Ph:0450144399 iFlogID: 11323

PROFESSIONAL DRUMMER WANTED Professional drummer required to join one of Australia’s most authentic sounding 60’s Show Bands that performs under many names. We specialise in 60’s Pop music and if other gigs require it , we do 70’s and 80’s music aswell. Need to be able to travel, have OWN transport , voval ability a must. To be familiar in the drumming techniques of Ringo Starr and other famous 60’s drummers , as we advertise as AUTHENTIC SOUNDING , so needs to be as close as it gets. serious applicants need only apply. Contact Bill Croft on 0296107197 or 0402627934 bill@beatlemagic.com.au iFlogID: 10993 Rock`n Roll band seeking drummer & bass player.Currently rehearsing at Stage Door. Any Enquries call Colin 0435-940-917 iFlogID: 11209 Session, possible full time DRUMMER wanted for central coast rock band.On a rock compilation in USA, Itunes, amazon. com, tunecore etc. Press release in late Feb, Contact Kurt on 0403915430 iFlogID: 11089 Shangren, Asian folk metal is looking for full time/session members. If interested, send us a email at shangrenmetal@gmail. com We require: a metal drummer bass player lead guitar female vocals (Asian descent preferred) Music can be checked at www.myspace.com/shangrenmetal iFlogID: 10997 Sydney Inner Vintage funk style need drummer influences Meters, Booker T ....If u like this old school call 0400 313 959 iFlogID: 11388

Established metal band seeks 2nd guitarist. Must be experienced, committed & able to practice 2 nights per week. 18+ Own transport & gear, Western Syd preferred. Influences incl Sevendust, Korn, Slipknot & Lamb of God. Email simulacra_ band@hotmail.com iFlogID: 11390

GET SIGNED TO A 360 DEAL! Rhythm guitarist and lead guitarist wanted. You MUST be an outstanding male rhythm guitarist or lead guitarist! Rehearsing at Wetherill Park N.S.W. 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. Only contact me if you want to get signed to a 360 deal! Phone Will: 0413 772 911 iFlogID: 11350 guitartists required for iron maiden cover show, professional gear and own transport a must rehears LA Studios Wetherill Park email us at warpath6666@gmail.com iFlogID: 11151 Inner Sydney venues wanting original artists, bands and solos, for mid week gigs. interstate and international touring artists welcome. Contact nowmuzik@gmail.com for more information. iFlogID: 11443 Inner Sydney venues wanting original artists, bands and solos, for mid week gigs. interstate and international touring artists welcome. Contact nowmuzik@gmail.com for more information. iFlogID: 11445 LEAD GUITARIST WANTED for “The No Such Things” 60’s punk/garage/psych (Love, Kinks, Seeds, Standells etc.) Central Coast area Ph Rob 0423014819 iFlogID: 11012 Lead Guitarist Wanted:busy original band Novakayn,are looking for an easy going, peacelovin’ person 2 join us. Must be reliable, creative and professional attitude. Soft Rock, catchy songs. Email: novakayn@ y7mail.com or ph. 0403777532 iFlogID: 10971 Lead/Rhythm Guitarist who can sing Harmonies Wanted. I am a singer/songwriter/ guitarist with new material currently performing solo. You can hear some of my previous material at; http://www. myspace.com/davidzaoui/music/albums/ sweet-divine-16739200 Based in the Inner City Sydney. If interested please email: highesteem@hotmail.com iFlogID: 11236 Looking for guitarist/vocalist for Pub_rock. Paul Kelly, Hoodoo’s, U2, Spy’s, Living End, Doobies... Not to play every weekend and someone to fit in. We’re all around 40 so if keen give us a holla. Graeme 0418 113 919 or ghunter@tt.com.au iFlogID: 11295 Metal rhythm guitarist wanted for new band. Influences include Disturbed, Evanescence, and more. Currently writing original material. Preferred age early 20’s, at least intermediate playing level. Practice near Central Station, afternoons, once a week. Contact dragonlugia@hotmail. com for more information. iFlogID: 11287 MUSICIANS WANTED FOR PRO STUDIO & LIVE WORK! Seeking Bassist, drummer, pianist, guitarist & horn players for commercial studio project.Recording and live work. No $$$ paid inadvance unless project generates $$$. Rock/pop www. jumbostudios.com.au email@jumbostudios.com.au Ph:0450144399 iFlogID: 11325

TALENTED GUITARIST NEEDED

looking for artists to perform. Please email Trager at johntragernoiseprojects@hotmail.com for more information. iFlogID: 11120 Sydney indie band looking for violinist: 18-25yo, fun and energetic, own gear, own transport, play by ear and creative, Practice on Saturday in Belmore. Vocals are a plus! Check out our tunes at www. polarknights.com. Email info@polarknights.com if keen! Cheers. iFlogID: 11403

Back to Funk are a tight & funky 4-6 piece band. We’re looking for a talented guitarist who is professional and knows how to sit in the groove (no rock soloists please). You need to be reliable, friendly & able to commit to 2-5 gigs per month (Sydney metro). If interested please email your bio + photo to backtofunk@live.com.au and also feel free to check out the bands website www.backtofunk.com.au iFlogID: 11192

WANTED: LEAD GUITARIST Established Classic Rock “70’s to Now” Covers Band (Framed Music - based in Northern beaches/Nth Shore) require a Lead guitarist to complete line up. Gigs ready. (Have just completed demo & Agency backed). Backing vocals would be advantageous. Must have good gear, transport and availability for gigs. Looking to add more recent and contemporary songs to current list (i.e. U2, Chili peppers, Foo Fighters etc). See facebook or Myspace – Framed Music for song list and band profile. Contact Greg 0414 218 884 or Steve 0437 470 076. iFlogID: 11303 We are seeking a Rhythm Guitarist.1828yo. Professional to join Rock/pop band. (Vocal ability bonus) Must have: • Great gear • Transport • Good attitude • Live experience Please send, MP3’s or myspace link to: thestellaraffect@hotmail. com Our links: www.reverbnation.com/ thestellaraffect & www.myspace.com/ thestellaraffect iFlogID: 11004

KEYBOARD Metal keyboard player wanted for new band. Influences include Disturbed, Evanescence, and more. Currently writing original material. Preferred age early 20’s, at least intermediate playing level. Practice near Central Station, afternoons, once a week. Contact dragonlugia@hotmail. com for more information. iFlogID: 11289 MUSICIANS WANTED FOR PRO STUDIO & LIVE WORK! Seeking Bassist, drummer, pianist, guitarist & horn players for commercial studio project.Recording and live work. No $$$ paid inadvance unless project generates $$$. Rock/pop www. jumbostudios.com.au email@jumbostudios.com.au Ph:0450144399 iFlogID: 11327

Engadine Music Weekend Warriors Play great music in a band with great people. Need to know more? Email scott@ engadinemusic.com or phone 9520 3044 iFlogID: 11203 GUITARIST AND BASS PLAYER WANTED FOR UPCOMING EMERGENZA FESTIVAL! 2 guitarists needed to join electropop/ rock singer to rehearse and perform at the Sydney Emergenza Festival in FebMarch. Listen at http://www.reverbnation.com/bachusmusic then call Matt on 0404099411 iFlogID: 11130 Mal’s Open Mic Night looking for covers and original bands, duos,trios singer/ songwriters to perform at: Royal Hotel Bondi, Sting Bar Cronulla, Panania Hotel, Appin Hotel. For all venues and dates go to blogs at myspace.com/in4mal_entertainment. Register with Mal 0413735773 iFlogID: 11028 MUSICIANS WANTED FOR PRO STUDIO & LIVE WORK! Seeking Bassist, drummer, pianist, guitarist & horn players for commercial studio project.Recording and live work. No $$$ paid inadvance unless project generates $$$. Rock/pop www. jumbostudios.com.au email@jumbostudios.com.au Ph:0450144399 iFlogID: 11329

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL ACCORDION PLAYER wanted to join original rock band with a french influence. Think Queen, Muse with a french twist. www.myspace.com/thenapoleonsband. Gigs lined up, band ready to go. Call Hadrien 0402708 868, hbourely@yahoo.com iFlogID: 10940 OzSong International is Australia’s newest songwriting competition. Grand prize is a paid trip, accommodation and recording time in Nashville or Sydney - the choice is yours. Each contestant through to the finals receives professional recording gear. www.ozsong.com.au for more info. iFlogID: 11205 ROCK BAR LOOKING FOR ACTS!!! Melbourne’s newest original live music venue located in Melbourne Central, is currently

PINK TRIBUTE SHOW

A Vocalist is required for a metal project no straigh sreaming think soad to trivium to write and gig/play. Currently in Campbelltown area Professional gear. demo available currently recording call matt on 0406785596 or chase 0404146582 iFlogID: 11411 Attractive Female Backing Vocalist Required for a working pop-rock Band/ Show with Album on iTunes. You can demonstrate professional experience, melodic voice and harmonic ability. Genuine Singers please, no pretenders. Mosman area. Phone Geoff NOW at Extraordinary Entertainment on: 9969 1179. iFlogID: 11305 Australian music tribute band needs a frontman with stage presence and great voice. We’re pros, rehearsed and ready to gig. Bonus if you play an instrument. Phone Marc: 0419288024 or Glenn: 0414359775 after 6 pm weeknights or anytime on weekend. iFlogID: 11246 Campbelltown three piece hard rock group looking for dedicated and serious male singer between the ages of 18-25. We have material written and are keen to gig and record as soon as possible! If interested please contact Mark at kenny2309@hotmail.com. iFlogID: 11361

CAN YOU SING?!

Cover Band: 2Days Hits is Looking for a new female lead singer. Looking for committed person, looking to join a talented team. 6-8 gigs a month, agency booked. Must have own transport. Call Brad 0404 065 976. iFlogID: 11439 Female Singer required for Soul Funk Band, gigs booked, professional attitude a must. For more info contact newjinu@ gmail.com or phone Jinu on 0403139862 or Glen 0407276303 iFlogID: 11281 Female Singer Wanted for a Covers Pop/ Rock Band. Many gig opportunities that ranges from Pub Scene to Private Functions and Many more. Influences are Pat Benetar, Pink etc. Please call on 0412 186 874. Cheers Ray iFlogID: 10904

GET SIGNED TO A 360 DEAL! Get signed to a 360 deal! You MUST be an outstanding male singer-songwriter! Rehearsing at Wetherill Park N.S.W. 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. Only contact me if you want to get signed to a 360 deal! Phone Will: 0413 772 911 iFlogID: 11348 HEAVY/ROCK SINGER WANTED: We are looking for a talented singer to join our original heavy/rock band. If you are interested and you believe you have what it takes contact Daz: 0407758606 iFlogID: 11338

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL 19 year old guitarist looking for rock singer to start a fresh unique rock band . Must be keen to start playing live asap go for the dream. Please email me on samheidke@hotmail.com if your interested iFlogID: 11299

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL Inner West choir looking for new singers. Wednesday or Thursday nights. Waterloo or Glebe. 0414 869 352 iFlogID: 11427

New Songwriter looking to work with other songwriters. Including Demo recording with basic setup. Any interest, Call Chris 0402139973 iFlogID: 11476

GRAPHIC DESIGN GIG POSTERS Professional Posters at a great price. nicole.a.reece@gmail.com or 1200 Design on facebook iFlogID: 11251

Pink Tribute show require a new lead singer. We are a well established Sydney Based Tribute to PINK. We are and agent backed with Gigs booked and waiting. Experience performer required. Please forward your bio and details to info@ ozpinkshow.com.au or visit our website www.ozpinkshow.com.au iFlogID: 11379 Rock band in ACT seeks singer/mover who can cut it live. Orig plus covers enthusiasm plus attitude, two words: lets rock. Call 6134 6216 or tomein1way@ gmail.com iFlogID: 11480

Seriously Good Design. Website design ranging from only $100 - $400. Free domain hosting and email included. Check out our website for all the information www.seriouslygooddesign.com.au iFlogID: 10987 WIN A T-SHIRT for your valentine! Go to amandawest.com.au/shop Just choose your ink colour and we will hand-print it for the winner. Usually $45! ENTER NOW! iFlogID: 11219

OTHER Boutique T-shirts in Monstrosity Gallery. Hand-printed, unique tees for the fashion evangelist from $45.00 amandawest. com.au/shop iFlogID: 11201

SINGER WANTED - ASAP Experienced Progressive Heavy Groove Band seeks, Strong Heavy/Melodic Vocalist. Think Sevendust, Stone Sour, Karnivool etc. READY TO PLAY!!! iFlogID: 11513 Singer wanted 4 busy original band Novakayn. Harmonies and shared lead vocals required. Must be a peacelovin’, easy going person with a profession, creative, reliable attitude. Soft Rock with catchy tunes.email novakayn@y7mail. com or ph. 0403777532 iFlogID: 10973

SINGER WANTED ASAP!!!!! Singer wanted ASAP!!! 10 song record finished and more songs ready to go! Influences, The Bronx, murder city devils, fucked up. Don’t be shy kids, let’s do it! Call Andy 0416057787 iFlogID: 10726 SINGER WANTED FOR ROCK/ALTERNATIVE/HARD ROCK BAND. MUST WANT TO WIRTE MUSIC AND PLAY GIGS ANYONE 16 18 MALE OR FEMALE. OUR INFLUENCES ARE CHILLI PEPPERS GUNS AND ROSES AND MUCH MORE. IF INTRESTED PLEASE EMAIL US BENNY-6666@HOTMAIL.COM OTHERWISE STAY SWEET iFlogID: 10429 singer wanted to form original rock band. looking for someone with style and stage charisma. think paul stanley, freddie mercury, etc...age between 18 to 30. call michael on 0418435587 iFlogID: 11159

The Cleftomaniacs, the enthusiastic 25-member a cappella choir who brought you the most recent Sydney A Cappella Festival, invite new members (especially those lovely bass blokes). Eclectic repertoire from Sting to classical polyphony to gospel and we love to gig! Rehearsals school term Thursday evenings in Waterloo. Contact Catherine 02 9388 7010 / 0414 517 010 / flittie@iinet.net.au iFlogID: 11344

Inner Sydney venues wanting original artists, bands and solos, for mid week gigs. interstate and international touring artists welcome. Contact nowmuzik@gmail.com for more information. iFlogID: 11441

SERVICES

SINGER 90s Influenced Frontman in Brisbane Originals band with vintage sound of funk, grunge, heavy, experimental looking for UNIQUE frontman with energetic stagecraft, lyrics, crooning, singing, rapping & aggressive capabilities. 11 songs written. Very serious. Ages 18-27. 0423378506. jordanbleiberg@gmail.com. iFlogID: 11291

AUDITIONS - BASS & DRUMS

Classic Rock act wants bass, singer and 2nd gtr. Experienced players 40+ preferred. Fun act, intending 1-2 gigs per month, but well paid. Doing this for enjoyment not as career. Contact dhdiaz2011@ gmail.com iFlogID: 10969

New dynamic 60’s concept show is looking for a professional male vocalist who can cover all vocal ranges and styles. Must be a fan of the music and times with rehersals in Eastern suburbs 1-2 times a week.Auditions 19/2 Call 0420511187 iFlogID: 11104

We’ve revamped and renamed soundornot.com, we’re now online @ www.indiemunity.com! Artists, upload your music and receive 100% commission on all sales. Promote your music even more with a featured ad! www.indiemunity.com! iFlogID: 11242

OTHER Sydney based Progressive/Rock band are auditioning bass players & drummers. Successful applicants will be expected to have good working gear, a comitted attitude & a will to work hard. Auditions will be held 25/3/11-26/3/11 Email gasentertainment@hotmail.com for further info. iFlogID: 11386

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

Singer wanted to record written songs at home studio in Leura upper blue mountains. Recorded demos can then be pitched to music companies. Contact jon@thesongshop.tv iFlogID: 11271

SINGER/FRONTMAN WANTED Male Vocalist needed for working covers band(Ignition). 6-10 gigs a month in Metro Sydney. Must have Pro Attitude, be a Team Player, able to connect with an audience & look like a Rockstar. If you seriously believe you have these qualities,Call James on 0408406076 Email:semaj@ bigpond.net.au iFlogID: 11478

SINGER-VOCALIST we are looking for a versatile vocalist to join us playing covers and some originals ,police ,u2, stp, soundgarden , the cure,depeche mode and many others a very friendly environment rehearsing weekly ,so if this sounds like you come and have some fun with us iFlogID: 11301 vocalist/lyricist needed for MagmaOne. Great range, commited, no junkies. Sabs, Zep, Maiden. Reh once a week Lawson Blue Mountains. M or F. 18-35. Magma1 is instrumental, rock, heavy, classic gonna be massive! totem - wolf. contact 0410276431. iFlogID: 11358 We are a band new to the live scene seeking a charismatic female vocalist aged18-25. Someone determined, open-minded and confident live. Our style includes blues, punk, rock and funk. Jam/practice sessions in Bondi twice a week. Call Bo:0401365924 or Email:andrewakman2001@gmail.com iFlogID: 11174

SONG WRITER Acoustic Open mic nite in Footscray at the Plough Hotel starts Feb 17th Thursday contact nsound@live.com.au for bookings Great Pa and equipment, great atmosphere. All instruments welcome Covers and orignals welcome iFlogID: 11096

GET SIGNED TO A 360 DEAL!

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 Man and Van available for small removals etc. Affordable rates. Ring Ken for approximate quote. 97590970 0403357019 iFlogID: 11394 Senior First Aid $90 Valiant Training www. valiant.net.au Ph: 1300 600 343 iFlogID: 11176

TUITION Calle Salsa School @ Lewisham Hotel starts Wednesday 2nd February. 7.30pm Beginner and Intermediate Salsa, 8.30pm Cuban Rueda (group salsa style) - lots of fun! FREE social dancing from 9.30pm with DJ. Live band last Wednesday of month. Linda@marr.net iFlogID: 10879 Drum Lessons in Bondi! Learn and improve: theory, reading, coordination, timing and agility. Learn techniques and develop your own sound.Beginners to advanced are welcome. Monday to Saturday, all day. WIN ONE HOUR FREE LESSON CALLING NOW! Contact Julio: 0431345282 julio.drumteacher@hotmail.com iFlogID: 10995 SINGING-LESSONS-THAT->>ROCK<< Your voice has the ability to sing at the Audioslave/ Muse/ Aretha/ YeahYeahYeahs level because of Design. Pick any singer you like and you can sing as good using this relaxed technique. Microphonerecording-songwriting-techniques Beginners to advanced Newtown 0405044-513 iFlogID: 11046

SHARE ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE Unfurnished Room- Rent $280 per week including electricity. In 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment with pool and gym, In Alexandria, close to transport.To Share with 1 female who works full time,loves music and enjoy mixing music.Available Now!contact 0411822557 iFlogID: 10946

WANTED BUSINESSES SATURDAY PUB MARKET STALL HOLDERS WANTED FOR MARKET STARTING FEB 19TH IN BONDI $30 INCLUDES TABLE DETAILS ANDY 0426275655 iFlogID: 11273 STALL HOLDERS WANTED FOR NEW SATURDAY PUB MARKET IN BONDI $30 INC TABLE 0426275655 ANDY FOR DETAILS iFlogID: 10961

OTHER Seeking manager or management for Australian,female vocalist returning to Sydney from Tokyo. A versatile vocalist, I’ve recorded many albums and have name in the game music industry.I would like to be booked for decent gigs and studio work. paulat@gol.com iFlogID: 11415 BANDS & DJ’s GET YOURSELVES ON RADIO! Come and play at the Royal Hotel in Bondi for ABM & we’ll showcase you and your music on our network of Radio Stations for a month! Call Andy 0426275655 for details iFlogID: 10959

You MUST be an outstanding male singersongwriter! Rehearsing at Wetherill Park N.S.W. 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. Only contact me if you want to get signed to a 360 deal! Phone Will: 0413 772 911 iFlogID: 11340

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

THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011 • 93 •

Sat Feb 26 & Sun Feb 27 Total storewide clearance!

CYMBALS

Insane deals across Australia’s largest selection of musical equipment! This is just a sample...see and save more instore!

ACOUSTIC DRUM KITS

Yamaha Pocket Recorder W/Cubase AI4 (POCKETRAK2G) - Great deal! $299 Roland TD4KXS V-Drums V-AMAZING! $1,688 All Pearl VSX Series Drumkits - These won’t last! $1,294 Roland 61 Key Juno G Synth (JUNOG) - Synth sell out! $1,399 25% OFF* Martin Acoustic Guitars Epiphone Les Paul Tribute 60’s Trans Black W/Case (ENT6TBNH1) Extra special price! $849 Schecter Guitars & Basses Fender Frontman 65W Combo W/Reverb - Insane! $299 All Zildjian ZBT Cymbal Packs - Out they go! $396 20% OFF* Selected Amps MIN 20% OFF* Sticks & Heads 20% OFF* Selected Acoustic Guitars 20% OFF* Selected Electric Guitars & Basses Fender Blues Junior Valve Combo - Amazing all tube! $749 20% OFF* Fender Electric Guitar & Bass Packs 20% OFF* Selected Synths & Controllers All PDP FS Series Kits Including Hardware - Amazing $1,133 Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal (PEP3002D) - Double the value! $697 Roland TD9KWS V-Drums $1,774 All print Music & DVDs 20% OFF* Selected FX Pedals 20% OFF* Selected Microphones (excludes Boss)

Roland TD4KS V-Drums - Our lowest advertised price at $1,213 Runout Roland TD9KXS V-Drums - WOW! $1,774 Limited Stock! MIN 20% OFF* Percussion 20% OFF* Selected PA All Guitar Accessories BAND & ORCHESTRAL ACCESSORIES UP TO 30% OFF* Electronic Drum Kits Plus 30% OFF* Reeds. Stock up now! Stock up now! PLUS LOADS MORE INSTORE! * % off discounts exclude exisiting Feb Frenzy specials. Limited quantities available. While stocks last. No rainchecks available at these prices.

!LEXANDRIA s 0ITT 3T s #AMPERDOWN s 0ARRAMATTA s 3URRY (ILLS #LARENCE 3T #"$ s 4AREN 0OINT s 7ILLOUGHBY s -ONA 6ALE s .EWCASTLE

Not all stores trade Sunday. Go online for details. www.allansmusic.com.au | www.billyhydemusic.com.au • 94 • THE DRUM MEDIA 22 FEBRUARY 2011