NEWS@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU French beatmaker Onra is in Australia for the first time and will be doing his thing Thursday night at Oxford Art Factory.
NEXT UP
Joining These Kids Wear Crowns on their first visit to our fair city at The Lair in The Metro Sunday are our own Sound Of Seasons.
The Last Kinection’s latest album, Next Of Kin, is their second and is an emotional exercise in power and melody, shaped by events in the trio’s respective lives. The Indigenous group has won five Deadly Awards across its career, and the new album features guests including Trials from Funkoars, Ozi Batla of The Herd and Lotek. They’re out on tour over the next couple of months pushing the record, playing Saturday 26 November at GoodGod and Saturday 3 December at the Cambridge in Newcastle, with Ozi Batla.
Releasing their new single, Pick Up Your Tricks, on 11 November, as in 11/11/11, Amy Meredith will also be opening for Good Charlotte at Selina’s in the Coogee Bay Hotel that very day. Winners of the Best Alternative Act prize at the 2011 Exposure Music Awards in the UK, four-piece The Lost Souls Club are returning to Australia for another tour, playing the Cambridge in Newcastle Wednesday 7 December and The Metro Thursday 8. Mass MC and Reason & Kerser will be the special guests of American underground hip hop crew Jedi Mind Tricks when they hit The Factory Thursday 8 December on their first Australian tour. Indie-folk singer/songwriter Amy Vee has not only scored the opening spot on some of the forthcoming national tour by Tim Freedman & The Idle, but she’s also a member of the Idle, featuring on keyboards, guitar and backing vocals. She’ll be on double duty Thursday 17 and Friday 18 November at the Street Theatre Canberra, then Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 December at Lizotte’s Newcastle. In an effort to combat ongoing ticket scalping activity, Cold Chisel is releasing limited numbers of new tickets to most shows in the days leading up to each of their remaining concerts on the Light The Nitro national tour. This covers their Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 November Allphones Arena, Tuesday 15 Sydney Entertainment Centre and Sunday 11 December Newcastle Entertainment Centre concerts, while new release tickets may be available on the day for the Sunday 13 November WIN Entertainment Centre and Thursday 17 November AIS Arena concerts. All new tickets will be available from box offices and by phone only. Due to the huge demand by fans, the Friday 25 November Metro Theatre show by The Getaway Plan has become a licensed, all ages show. The Cambridge Hotel Saturday 26 and Zierholz at Canberra Uni Sunday 27 shows remain over-18s events. North Queenslanders The Medics will be joining The Grates and Last Dinosaurs when they play Waves in Wollongong Thursday 10 November, the Cambridge in Newcastle Friday 11 and The Metro Saturday 12. Loene Carmen and bleedingintoradio are the special guests of Ron S. Peno & The Superstitions when the former Died Pretty frontman launches his new album, Future Universe, at The Vanguard Friday 18 November. Fresh from opening for Pete Murray on his national tour, Busby Marou are hitting the road in their own right on their What’s Yours Is Mine tour with Winter People and Ben Salter along for the ride, playing The Gaelic Friday 9 December.
IN PERFECT HARMONY
TWILIGHT AT TARONGA
Forming only a year ago, Harmony has already become one of the more rapidly rising bands in Australia. They’ve released a 7” and an AIR-nominated debut album, played all over the country, been added to the Golden Plains lineup for 2012, sold out of records… It’s all coming up, so it seems. They’re planning to head out once more on an East Coast tour across the next couple of months, playing the Pot Belly Bar Canberra Friday 25 November and FBi Social Saturday 26 here in Drum parts.
Taronga Zoo’s Twilight concert series is set to give zoo and music lovers alike some grand musical experiences every weekend from late January until late March in 2012. The series features some of the country’s best bands, both old and new, kicking off Saturday 28 January with rock icons the church. ABBA tribute Bjorn Again plays Friday 3 and Saturday 4 February, before James Reyne and Mark Seymour team up on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 to perform their hits. Tom Burlinson’s big band show follows the week after on Friday 17 and Saturday 18, and Broadway comes to Sydney courtesy Marina Prior, joined by guest Kane Alexander Friday 24 and Saturday 25. March kicks off with an All-Star Salute To Queen on Friday 2 and Saturday 3, the following week welcoming singer/ songwriter Diesel for one night only, Friday 9. Michael Jackson is remembered Saturday 10 with a Celebration of Michael Jackson, featuring singers, dancers and more. Back in time we go with Rock Around The Clock – ‘50s Night on Saturday 17, and Richard Clapton and Wendy Matthews take the stage Saturday 24. The final show of the series happens Saturday 31, with jazz superman James Morrison closing it all out. Tickets are all unreserved so punters can enjoy a picnic or drink while watching the show, but be warned that the 2012 season will see a restricted alcohol policy that allows you to bring in one bottle of wine per couple and a six-pack of beer per group of four. No one wants you going ape!
HEAVEN FORBID Rural rockers Heaven The Axe have just released their debut album, Sex, Chugs And Rock’N’Roll, a heady mix of explosive metal and catchy hooks, all at the mercy of frontwoman Phoebe Pinnock. For the last two years they’ve been gigging hard, recently supporting the likes of Crashdïet and Rose Tattoo. It’s their turn to take the spotlight on Friday 25 November, the Annandale stage roaring to life with their tunes as they officially launch the album. They will also be playing at Summernats in Canberra in January.
RISING STAR Melbourne singer Emmy Bryce is just about to release a brand new single, Every Star Is A Setting Sun To Someone, a breezy pop song perfect for a lazy summer day by the water. She’s been praised by Gotye himself and also scored a grant from the Victoria Rocks program, and is currently working on her debut album, set for release in 2012. She’s in our neck of the woods this month, playing at El Rocco on Friday 18.
IT’S A RAP With a new EP, Le Chat Et Fiddle, just a few weeks away from release, Rapskallion takes to the road once again this summer, heading all around the East Coast areas to peddle their wares. The EP covers ground from femme fatales to gangster felines and is a taste of the upcoming full-length release, Vagabond King, which will hit shelves in both vinyl and CD formats in March 2012. Le Chat Et Fiddle is out 25 November, and the band will play The Front on Thursday 8 December with Mr Fibby and, with Emma Dean, the Clarendon Guesthouse Friday 9 and the Camelot Lounge Saturday 10.
Back from Hollywood, Gold Fields are getting on with touring their self-titled EP down the East Coast, kicking into the Transit Bar in Canberra Thursday 10 November, Oxford Art Factory Friday 11 and Level One in Newcastle Leagues Saturday 12.
Hobart six-piece Ben Wells & The Middle Names are hitting the mainland showcasing their second single, A Good Read, and more, pulling into The Front Sunday 4 December, FBi Social at the Kings Cross Hotel Wednesday 7 and the Great Northern in Newcastle Thursday, before joining Festival Of The Sun in Port Macquarie Saturday 10. Could their music be as surrealistically dark as the UK TV series from which they take their name? Four-piece Royston Vasie are touring their new single, That’s My Girl, showcasing it and their forthcoming debut album Friday at World Bar’s MUM. • 30 • THE DRUM MEDIA 1 NOVEMBER 2011
SWAMP DANDIES
BROTHERLY LOVE
FINE AND DANDY Combining the sounds and moods of ‘60s and ‘70s pop with acoustic delights, Melbourne’s The Swamp Dandies are releasing their debut album, Fall, this week. Headed by ARIA Award winner Greg Arnold, the members of the band come from across all sorts of Australian groups, bringing their expertise in as one. Though this is the band’s first album, they’ve actually been touring together in 2000, when they formed as an acoustic act. Catch them live at the Lewisham Hotel on Saturday 3 December with The Lucky Dutchmen.
TAPES AND TAPES Wrapping up 2011, Bluebottle Kiss frontman and solo muso in his own right, Jamie Hutchings, is embarking on his final East Coast headline tour for the year. The prolific songwriter released a new album, Avalon Cassettes, earlier this year, brimming with personal narratives and soundscapes. With The Maladies and Mark Moldre, he plays Notes on Friday 18 November, and then Yours & Owls on Saturday 19.
SOLDIER ON The brutality of Western Sydney’s Thy Art Is Murder has seen them rise rapidly over the years as a local act to watch and now, with the release of their debut fulllength album, The Adversary, the band is heading out as a headliner on the Soldiers Of Immortality tour. It’s a fairly massive bill for the gigs – joining the headliners are War From A Harlots Mouth from Germany, The Bride and Make Them Suffer. The East Coast tour hits The Wall on Sunday 4 December, the Cambridge Hotel on Wednesday 7 and Unanderra Community Centre in Wollongong Thursday 8. The Newcastle show is 18+, but the other two are open to fans of all ages.
SHOW ME THE MONEY Insert Coin(s) is back once again at Oxford Art Factory on Thursday 10 November, the newest night out in Sydney that’s full of games, live music, art and more. For $10 on the night, you’ll get access to a heap of retro games – including pinball and standing arcades – and DJs will spin ‘80s, ‘90s and modern tunes to soundtrack your evening. The live music this time will come from Glass Towers, and you’ll also get a sneak peek of the upcoming Assassins Creed game. Free candy, alcoholic milkshakes and heaps more are also on hand, as well as art from Scale and Alex Lehours, so it’s sure to be a unique night if you’ve not yet checked it out.
FALLING DOWN UNDER Not to be confused with the Central Coast band of the same name, US rockers After The Fall are heading our way all the way from Albany, New York to bring their melodic hardcore to Australian stages. It will be the group’s first visit to our fine country and they’ll be heading into venues on the East Coast with Melbourne’s Anchors. Friday 18 November they’re at the Hamilton Station Hotel with The Hollow and Safe Hands, Saturday 19 at Hermann’s Bar with Easy Company, 10 Paces and True Gentlemen, Sunday 20 at Black Wire Records for an all ages show with Mary Jane Kelly and Firearms, and finally Wednesday 23 at Bar 32 with Yoko Oh No and Snakepit.
SINGING SIREN Perth singer/songwriter Felicity Groom’s newest single is called Siren Song, the first track taken from her debut album, Gossamer. The musician was named a feature artist on triple j Unearthed and went on to win the Western Australian award for the program, also having picked up other awards over the years and supported various Australian artists. She’s also played Glastonbury, so there are surely plenty of tales to tell from the biggest rock festival in the world. Saturday 3 December, she launches the album at the Upstairs Beresford. Entry is free.
GOLD FIELDS
The Bride are opening for House Vs Hurricane on their Moving On tour, which will see them play an all ages show at St John’s Hall in Sutherland Saturday 26 November followed that night by an over-18s show at Nowhere.
WHIP IT GOOD Whiplash Festival makes its debut in Canberra on Saturday 12 November, ripping up The Basement Belconnen. The lineup is positively enormous, featuring Australian talent Norse, Mad Charlie, Hemina, Dawn Heist, Humonic, Engage The Fall, Devine Electric, Nekrofeist, Katabasis and more. Blind Image has been freshly announced, but unfortunately Tasmania’s Taberah has had to withdraw from the event. Nothing can stop Whiplash though, so it’ll still be going ahead, with heaps and heaps of bands to check out across the day and night.
JAMIE HUTCHINGS
The Hailey brothers, K-Ci & JoJo, are headed back our way in December once again to perform the hits from across their R&B career. The tour is called Love Life and that’s just what the pair has been doing, after coming clean from drug and alcohol problems and taking on a whole new outlook on life. Since the ‘90s, the brothers have issued a string of successful albums, spawning singles like the chart-topping All My Life and scooped up plenty of awards for their contributions to the genre. They play the Enmore Theatre on Friday 9 December, with tickets on sale Monday.
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THE CHURCH
RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE Veteran Australian rockers the church are a big part of this year’s Homebake bill, and they’ve also played some huge shows over the year, including some for which they played albums in full. They’ve got yet another impressive tour planned – an acoustic one, on which they’ll be performing their two acoustic albums, El Momento Descuidado and El Momento Siguiente, in their entirety. It’s called Does Momentos Especiales – two special moments – and you can expect to hear stripped down versions of all your faves when it comes to Lizotte’s Kincumber Thursday 8 December and Lizotte’s Newcastle Thursday 15 and Friday 16.