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www.themusic.com.au
A PERFECT CIRCLE THE OFFSPRING PARAMORE GARBAGE TOMAHAWK STONE SOUR KYUSS LIVES ANTHRAX SUM 41 DRAGONFORCE ALL TIME LOW FLOGGING MOLLY GHOST DUFF MCKAGAN’S LOADED MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK KINGDOM OF SORROW FOZZY SLEEPING WITH SIRENS
THE LAWRENCE ARMS CANCER BATS
MADBALL VISION OF DISORDER PIERCE THE VEIL PERIPHERY SHAI HULUD OF MICE & MEN MISS MAY I DANKO JONES WOE, IS ME THE WONDER YEARS WHILE SHE SLEEPS LUCERO SUCH GOLD SIX FEET UNDER DEAF HAVANA RED FANG CHUNK! NO, CAPTAIN CHUNK! MEMPHIS MAY FIRE ...WITH MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED!
SUNDAY 24 FEBRUARY SYDNEY TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY 23 AUGUST 9AM FROM SOUNDWAVEFESTIVAL.COM, OZTIX.COM.AU & OUTLETS
LICENSED ALL AGES PHOTO ID REQUIRED LINEUPS & VENUES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
THE DRUM MEDIA • 3
LIMITED TICKETS LEFT! DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, WE’VE EXTENDED THE CUT OFF FOR 1ST RELEASE TICKETS TO SUNDAY AUGUST 19 ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT, SO HURRY!
4 • THE DRUM MEDIA
THE DRUM MEDIA • 5
th f e or ha m rperl hoy te
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900 PRINCES HIGHWAY, TEMPE PH: 9559 6300 www.valvebar.com.au WED 15TH 7PM THU 16TH 7PM
“TURN MORTAL COIL” ACOUSTIC SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM SPECIAL GUESTS “JAY SMITH” INDIE BLUES SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM “THE VANNS” , “LANDON ELLIOT RIVER” , “LOBTERFACE”
FRI 17TH 7PM
“LACED IN LUST” GLAM ROCK SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM “THE GUNN SHOW” , “SMOKIN’ MIRRORS” ,
SAT 18TH 7PM
“GRANDVILLE” ROCK SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM “ER AMONG ETHER” , “WINSLOW’S CANCER” ,
“RATTLESNAKE” , “SYLVAIN”
“GREEN RA’ASHID” SUN 19TH 1PM SUN 19TH 4PM
-BANDVIBRATIONS AT VALVECOMPETITION “SUBSTATION X” PUNK ROCK SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM: “ANOTHER BROKEN STRING” , “DEADBEAT DECISION” , “GLASS CHAIN” COMING UP:
Tue 21 Aug: GBOB Launch party; Wed 22 Aug: Indie Rock Show with “Dylan &Co” , “Leslie Speaker” , “Six White Horses” , “Jac McCall” ; Thu 23 August: Indie/Art Rock Show with “Sound Theory” , “Little Voice” , “Stray Pixels”; Fri 24 Aug: Metal Show with: “Metal” , “Paralysis” , “Head In A Jar” , “Soulforge” ; Sat 25 Aug: 1pm: Metal Show with: “The Dark Gift” , “Abacination” , “Grim Demise” , “Exist Within”; 7pm: Flamenco/Funk/Rock Show with: “Dave Bova Band” , “Release The Hounds” , “The Curse Of Mary Sue” , “Radio Cairo” , “Sugar Sun” , “Heaven The Axe”; Sun 26 August: 4pm: Woman In Rock Tribute Show with support from “Steelbound Sounds”
For band bookings please email valvebar@gmail.com
Bistro open Lunch and Dinner !!
FRI 17/08
Nicholas Roy TUE 14TH AUG COMEDY NIGHT WITH
7:30PM - 10:30PM
CHRIS FRANKLIN
SAT 18/08
MC: ASHLEY FILS-AIMES + GUESTS THU 16TH AUG
7:30PM - 10:30PM
THE
H.P CORONADOS
SUN 19TH AUG
LIVE EVERY THURSDAY FREE ENTRY!
3:00PM - 6:00PM
SUNDAY ARVO JAZZ AT THE HPH FREE ENTRY
7:30PM - 10:30PM
SIMON POLOMARES MC PETER MEISEL + GUESTS
EVERY MONDAY
2 FOR 1 MEALS
+ Sarah Humphreys & The Volunteers
WED 22/08
Corb Lund
(Canada) + Harry Hookey
EVERY TUESDAY
FEED the FAMILY
Paul Greene + Guests
SAT 25/08
Afrokings WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY
KIDS EAT FREE
FUNCTION ROOMS - CONTACT JOSH FOR INFO 9660 4745 FREE JOSH@HAROLDPARKHOTEL.COM.AU 6 • THE DRUM MEDIA
The Lucky Wonders
FRI 24/08
TUE 21ST AUG COMEDY NIGHT WITH
+ Brendan Maclean + Annaliese Szota
+ Okapi Guitar Band
Fri 31/08 Idea Of North
Wednesday 15th August
Sat 1/09 Don Walker
Thursday 16th August
Sat 8/09 Kristina Olsen
Friday 17th August
Sat 15/09 Mia Dyson + Simon Meli
Saturday 18th August
GREG ATTWELLS
+ Huntings + Kieran Delaharpe
NICHOLAS ROY
+ Brendan Maclean + Annaliesse Szota
THE LOUISIANA ROADSHOW DRAGON
+ The View
Sunday 19th August Sun 16/09 Bridie King
ROSS WILSON
Wednesday 22nd August
Fri 28/09 Luke Escombe ‘Chronic Symphonic’ Sat 29/09 Phil Monsour Fri 5/10 The Pigs Fri 12/10 First Ladies Of Soul Sat 6/10 Rolling Stones Tribute ‘The Brian Jones Years’ Sat 20/10 Contraban
SONGSONSTAGE BEST OF...
Feat: Daniel Coates, Johnny Wildblood, Matt Lyons, Richie, Laura Bishop
Thursday 23 August Master Class Friday 24 August Radio Ink Saturday 25 August Johnny G and The E Types Sunday 26 August Alloway Wednesday 29 August Andrew Wishart Thursday 30 August Don Walker Friday 31 August Mental As Anything Saturday 1 September Mark Seymour Sunday 2 September Eugene Hideaway Bridges Friday 7 September Ian Moss Saturday 8 September Ian Moss Sunday 9 September Lanie Lane Wednesday 12 September Lanie Lane Saturday 15 September
CASH - The Concert Thursday 20 September Wes Carr Friday 21 September SUPERHEAVYWEIGHTS Saturday 22 September The Foreday Riders Thursday 27 September Lionheir Saturday 29 September Fleetwood Mac Tribute Sunday 30 September Professor Groove Wednesday 3 October Benjalu Thursday 4 October Microwave Jenny Friday 5 October Rolling Stones Tribute Saturday 6 October Chase The Sun Wednesday 10 October DIG (Directions In Groove) Thursday 11 October Richard Calabro’s Alpha Omega Friday 12 October Sharon O’Neill
John Butler Trio (NYE Midnight Set) Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings (usa-nye sEt) tHE bLacK sEedS (nz) fRiEndLY fIreS dj Set (uk-nye sEt)
kRaFty kUtS Vs A.sKilLz (UK) tHE hERd (aus) Kaki King (USA) Blood red Shoes (UK) Unknown Mortal Orchestra (USA) Electric Wire Hustle (NZ) King Tide (AUS) mAt. mChUGh & THE SEPERATISTA SOUND SYSTEM (aus) 65DaysoFstatic (UK) Deep Sea Arcade (AUS) Gold Fields (AUS) Gossling (AUS) Will & The People (UK) Chapelier Fou (Fr) The Medics (AUS) NorthEast Party House (AUS) HatFitz and Cara (aus) Tuka (AUS) The Cairos (AUS) The PreaTUREs (AUS) Battleships (AUS) Lime Cordiale (AUS) Daily Meds (AUS) JONES Jnr (AUS) Tigertown (AUS) MicroWave Jenny (AUS) also featuring — The Return of The Dub Shack Plus many more artists to be announced...
THE DRUM MEDIA • 7
8 • THE DRUM MEDIA
THE DRUM MEDIA • 9
SONGWRITERS ASSOCIATION OPEN MIC
TUE 14 7.00PM FREE ENTRY
MUSO’S NIGHT
WED 15
THE RUBIX
THU 16
8.00PM FREE ENTRY FRONT BAR
ROCKIN WEEKLY BLUES JAM
7.00PM $12.50 - DOOR
+ INICIATE + WE WITHOUT + LINES OF CHARLIE
DYLAN HARTAS
FRI 17 8.00PM $15.00 - DOOR
(ALBUM LAUNCH)
+ JUSTINE WAHLIN & THE MEN + ADRIAN HEATH & THE FAR HORIZONS + LITTLE BIGHORN
SAT 7.30PM 18
SANS VOX
$15.00 - DOOR
FEAT: GRUN + MUSHROOM GIANT + DUMBSAINT + SOLKYRI + DANNY JOHN TRIO
COMING SOON: 24/8: FRANKENBOK, 25/8: FRANK RIZZO, 26/8: LUCY DESOTO & THE HANDSOME DEVILS ‘GOBOOKEM.COM’
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161 GEORGE STREET, WINDSOR • PH: 02 4577 3396 INFO@FITZROYHOTEL.COM.AU www.fitzroyhotel.com.au & myspace.com/fitzroyhotel FOR BAND ENQUIRES CONTACT: bec@fitzroyhotel.com.au
10 • THE DRUM MEDIA
AN OVERNIGHT CAMPING STOPOVER CELEBRATING MUSIC, FOOD AND THE PEOPLE OF DUNGOG
DUNGOG IS 3 HOURS FROM SYDNEY, 1.5 HOURS FROM NEWCASTLE AND A SHORT RIDE FROM A BUNCH OF NEARBY TOWNS
EDWARD SHARPE THE MAGNETIC ZEROS
SARAH BLASKO MATT CORBY WILLY MASON HUSKY YACHT CLUB DJ’S SATURDAY 20 OCTOBER DUNGOG, NSW ON SALE WEDNESDAY 15 AUGUST (This event is 18+) FOR EVENT, TRAVEL AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS CAMPING STOPOVER GO TO GENTLEMENOFTHEROAD.COM PLEASE COME JOIN US IF YOU CAN. IT’LL BE A WHOLE LOT OF FUN FOR MUMFORD & SONS HEADLINE TOUR DATES, GO TO SECRET-SOUNDS.COM.AU Presented by Laneway Festival, Splendour In The Grass, triple j, FasterLouder, Channel V and themusic.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA • 11
THE DRUM MEDIA • 13
14 • THE DRUM MEDIA
Good things happen when we come together Unlimited mobile Facebook access, standard SMS & voice calls to Optus mobiles, within Australia. NEW Optus Prepaid Social
optus.com.au/social Important information: Optus Mobile Fair Goâ&#x201E;˘ policy applies. SingTel Optus Pty Ltd ABN 90 052 833 208.
OPT14950/FPC/DMNSW/G
COOGE E SAT AUGUST 11
TRIPLE SHOT OF ORIGINAL ROCK
Stone Monks (UNPLUGGED) + Crows Feat + Deck of Cards FRI AUGUST 24 – FREE
JUKE JOINT FRIDAY
Tickets $60pp
With Papa Pilko & The Bin Rats
3UNDAY s TH 3EPTEMBER s PM 4WO #OURSE $INNER 3HOW PP ,A 4RATT s PP 3UMMER (OUSE
BLENDING JUKE JOINT BLUES WITH THE SOUNDS OF NEW ORLEANS
Band Bookings
info@codeone.net.au - www.codeone.net.au
Tickets & info from www.coogeediggers.com.au
COOGEE DIGGERS 9665 4466 CORNER BYRON & CARR STREETS 16 • THE DRUM MEDIA
HOWARD JONES intimate concert
USE ME.
Performing his first two albums HUMAN’S LIB and DREAM INTO ACTION live and in full, for the first time ever in the US and Australia. The shows will feature the songs recreated using modern and classic synthesizers. Includes the hits: New Song, What is Love, Pearl in the Shell, Hide & Seek, Like to Get to Know You Well, Things Can Only Get Better, Look Mama, Life in One Day, No One is to Blame.
14 ANZAC Avenue Fairfield 2165 s Tickets available 02 9727 5000 www.fairfieldrsl.com.au
THUR 1 NOV - ENMORE THEATRE TICKETS ON SALE NOW L i s t e n o u t f o r n e w s i n g l e ‘ Wo o d e n C h a i r ’ “ W e w e r e f e e l i n g f i n e … W e w e r e i n l o v e …” ANGUSSTONE.COM FOR DETAILS
THE DRUM MEDIA • 17
GIVEAWAYS
30
THE SANDRINGHAM HOTEL 387 KING STREET NEWTOWN / 9557 1254 S YEAR WWW.SANDO.COM.AU BOOKINGSCONTACT SANDO@ATOMICDROP.COM.AU WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THESANDRINGHAMHOTEL
WED 15 AUG
“AUGUST RESIDENCY ALBUM LAUNCH”
HOMEBAKE: THE TAKE-HOME GIVEAWAY HAMPER
$10
ROLAND K SMITH & THE SINNERS + HANDSOME YOUNG STRANGERS + HANDASYD WILLIAMS AND THE BROTHERS PRIMITIVE
STREET LEVEL BAR:
THU 16 AUG
FREE
DEAD MARINES
SAVE OUR SANDO, SAVE OUR SCENE
As you’ll all be aware, special limited pre-sale tickets for this year’s Homebake Music, Film, Comedy & Arts Festival, to be held once again in The Domain, Saturday 8 December, went on sale for just one day last week, with general tickets going on sale this Thursday from 9am (over-18s only need apply!). You’ll also be aware that for the first time, the festival that has always prided itself as being a showcase solely for Australasian acts has opened its doors to one very special international act – Blondie. Also headlining are Australia’s biggest hip hop combo, Hilltop Hoods, who will be joined on the bill by Kimbra, Angus Stone,
T H E D R U M M E D I A I S S U E 1 1 2 3 T U E S D AY 1 4 A U G U S T 2 0 1 2
PAT POWELL AND FRIENDS + CHRIS DUKE AND THE ROYALS + HANDBALL DEATHMATCH + SUNDAY DUB CLUB DJS ALL PROCEEDS SUPPORT THE SOS CAMPAIGN FREE
STREET LEVEL BAR: JONATHAN DEVOY + SPECIAL GUESTS
$25
BURNING LOVE (CANADA)
+ EPICS + LO! STREET LEVEL BAR:
SAT 18 AUG
FREE
$10
("NEUROGENESIS" EP LAUNCH) + NUMBERS STATION + LINES OF CHARLIE + TAYLOR HOGAN FREE STREET LEVEL BAR:
SAT 18 AUG
DAVE TICE AND MARK EVANS 4PM - 7PM DJ KAKI 8PM-LATE STREET LEVEL BAR:
THE BADDIES
EVERY MONDAY
“SANDO SKETCH CLUB”
EVERY TUESDAY
“THE SONGWRITER SESSIONS”
FREE
FREE
COMING SOON
THU 6 SEP --SAT 8 SEP (AFTERNOON) --FRI 14 SEP --SUN 30 SEP --SAT 20 OCT ---
FRI 2 NOV + SAT 3 NOV ---
SAT 17 NOV ---
NEW CHRISTS JONAH MATRANGA / ONELINEDRAWING (USA)
*** WWW.MOSHTIX.COM.AU ***
PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET SUBHUMANS (UK) *** WWW.OZTIX.COM.AU ***
RABBITOHS BECOME 2012 PREMIERS!!!! "WHIPLASH FESTIVAL"
MNEMIC (DENMARK) + CALIBAN (GERMANY) + UNEARTHLY (BRAZIL) + ARSAMES (IRAN) + MORE *** WWW.MOSHTIX.COM.AU ***
“STEEL ASSASSINS” VOYAGER (WA)
, MEGAHERA (ITALY) + MORE *** WWW.MOSHTIX.COM.AU ***
BASTARDFEST 2012
*** WWW.MOSHTIX.COM.AU ***
----------------DJ’S BISTRO-----------------
OPEN 7 DAYS SERVING GREAT PUB FOOD ALL NIGHT 18 • THE DRUM MEDIA
Giveaways – Check it out for free stuff and head to Facebook for more!
18
The Front Line hits hard with industry fact and conjecture, plus Backlash and Frontlash, plus this week’s BIGSOUND Meet The People profiles.
20
Foreword Line – the latest news on tours, releases and more.
22
Bloc Party are back to show us how it’s done, regardless of what the critics might say.
28
Icehouse reintroduce their finest moments to a new generation.
30
The Pharcyde want to connect with the new kids, not just the old fans.
32
The Yanks are really digging our Monks Of Mellonwah.
34
Antagonist AD come out swinging”.
34
LA’s White Arrows deliver their debut album. Post-tragedy Norwegian grind warriors, Nasum re-form to farewell their legacy properly.
44
Adam Curley muses on all things pop culture in The Breakdown.
44
Cyclone gives you urban and R&B news in OG Flavas.
44
Dan Condon features the world of blues and roots with Roots Down.
45
Michael Smith delivers some Blow with jazz and world music news.
45
Go south as you enter Pedro Manoy’s Swamp Shack.
45
FRONT ROW
34
46
34
Noel Fielding admits to looking at photos of fans’ cats while on his break from The Mighty Boosh. 47
36 36
The Velvet Set are back to The Gangsters Ball.
38
A re-energised Paul Greene shows off his latest as part of the band.
38
42
PUBLISHER Street Press Australia Pty Ltd GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Mast EDITOR Mark Neilsen ASSOCIATE EDITORS Michael Smith, Scott Fitzsimons FRONT ROW EDITOR Cassandra Fumi frontrow@drummedia.com.au CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Adam Curley EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Celline Narinli CONTRIBUTORS Aarom Wilson, Adam Wilding, Alex Hardy, Amber McCormick, Anita Connors, Anthony Carew, Bethany Small, Brendan Crabb, Brent Balinski, Bryget Chrisfield, Celline Narinli, Chris Familton, Chris Maric, Craig Pearce, Cyclone, Dan Condon, Danielle O’Donohue, Dave Drayton, Fiona Cameron, Gloria Lewis, Guy Davis, Helen Lear, Huwston, Ian Barr, Jake Millar, Jamelle Wells, James d’Apice, James Dawson, James McGalliard, Jessie Hunt, Katie Benson, Kris Swales, Liz Galinovic, Liz Giuffre, Lucia Osborne-Crowley, Mark Hebblewhite, Paul Smith, Paz, Pedro Manoy, Rip Nicholson, Rob Townsend, Robbie Lowe, Ross Clelland, Sarah Petchell, Sebastian Skeet, Sevana Ohandjanian, Shane O’Donohue, Steve Bell, Stuart Evans, Tim Finney, Tom Hawking, Troy Mutton PHOTOGRAPHERS Angela Padovan, Carine Thevenau, Chaz Webb, Cybele Malinowski, Josh Groom, Justin Malinowski, Kane Hibberd, Linda Heller-Salvador, Luke Eaton, Tony Mott
themusic.com.au
44
Dave Drayton gets Young & Restless with all ages goings on.
46
From punk metal to alt.country ain’t such a big leap, says Canadian outlaw Corb Lund.
Chris Maric gets local with hard rock and metal in The Heavy Shit.
42
Viktor Krum asks you to Get It Together with the latest in hip hop.
Alice Osborne breathes life into puppets for play The Splinter, and we have Cultural Cringe.
Obese Records show off their new crop of Aussie hip hop talent courtesy a new compilation. 35 Comfortable in her own skin, Ainslie Wills talks up new album, Fighting Kind.
Sarah Petchell brings us local and international punk news in Wake The Dead.
Check out what’s happening This Week In Arts.
On The Record reviews new release albums and singles from Mia Dyson, Grand Salvo, Fabulous Diamonds and a classic from Paul Simon reissued. 40
STREET LEVEL BAR: ADAM PRINGLE AND FRIENDS - FUNKY AS F#CK + TOOHEYS $6 NEW JUGS (7-8PM)
FRI 31 AUG ---
DRUM MEDIA
Eight albums into their career, Yellowcard explain the rejuvenating powers of taking a break. 31
VIDEO JUKE BOX
MONKS OF MELLONWAH
The always popular Ash Grunwald, fresh from a New Zealand tour, is bringing his latest album of groove/ funk-based surf blues, Trouble’s Door, back to Sydney and environs for one last run before he heads back into the studio to get on with the next album. This time he’s playing The Abbey in Canberra Thursday night, Katoomba RSL Friday, and Mona Vale Hotel Saturday, and we have two double passes to the Mona Vale show to give away.
FOR MORE GIVEAWAYS THIS WEEK HEAD TO FACEBOOK.COM/DRUMMEDIA AND CLICK ON THE GIVEAWAYS TAB
(A NIGHT OF SKA AND REGGAE)
FRI 17 AUG
ASH IS TROUBLE
$10
“FUNDRAISING SHOW"
"RESIST RECORDS PRESENTS..."
Birds Of Tokyo, Julia Stone, Tim Minchin, Daniel Merriweather and too many more to mention here. The organisers of Homebake have very generously put together a Homebake giveaway that includes one double pass to the day along with a pack of ten albums chosen from among the artists performing on the day.
Mark Rogers chats about writing his first play, Blood Pressure, opening this week, and The Campaign is reviewed.
47
Anthony Carew previews The Israel Film Festival. 48
LIVE It’s all here: gig reviews, tour guide, what’s happening this week, gig guide, random shit and more. 50 Australian Musician supplement – Incorporating Backstage and BTL – your guide to studios, recording, gear, courses and more.
58
The Classies – need a singer/bassist/drummer/ any other service/product you can think of? Your answer is here. And on iflog.com.au.
61
ADVERTISING DEPT sales@drummedia.com.au Brett Dayman, James Seeney, Andrew Lilley iflog.com.au
CLASSIFIEDS
ART DEPT artwork@drummedia.com.au Dave Harvey, Matt Davis COVER DESIGN Dave Harvey ACCOUNTS DEPT accounts@streetpress.com.au GIVEAWAYS/GIG GUIDE Justine Lynch THE DRIVERS Grant, David, Julian, Ray, Paul, Al, Mark PRINTING Rural Press (02) 4570 4444 DISTRIBUTION distro@drummedia.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are $2.20 per week (Minimum of 12 weeks) – Send your details with payment to Subscriptions Dept, The Drum Media, PO Box 2440 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 (cheques/money orders to be made payable to Dharma Media Pty Ltd) ADDRESS Postal: PO Box 2440 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 Street: Level 1/142 Chalmers St Surry Hills NSW 2010 Phone (02) 9331 7077 Fax (02) 9331 2633 Email info@drummedia.com.au www.themusic.com.au The Drum Media is also available on iPad via the iTunes App Store
LEVEL 1, 354 BOURKE ST. SURRY HILLS
BUY NOW AT WED 22 AUG
THE PHARCYDE (LIVE)
SONIC GLOBAL LOGISTICS: 20 YEARS OF DEDICATED PHARCYDE DELIVERY
FRI 14 SEP
STELLA FELLA
PROJECT FUTURES LAUNCH THE MUCH ANTICIPATED CHARITY CAMPAIGN WITH A LIVE PEFORMANCE BY AMY MEREDITH DOORS OPEN 6PM. FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT. THE WALKING WHO
JAM PRESENTS FRI 17 AUG
THE WALKING WHO
LOUIS LONDON, KARL BROADIE DJ: PHDJ
FANTINE
SAT 18 AUG
FANTINE
BATTLESHIPS, SONS DJ: FRIEND/S
SALOONS
FRI 24 AUG
SALOONS
MORGAN JOANEL + BAND, OLLIE BROWN + BAND DJ: KRISTY LEE
POLAR NATION
SAT 25 AUG
POLAR NATION
BATTLESHIPS, BLONDE ON BLONDE
DJ: BERT & BERNIE
COMING UP DUNE, PHEBE STARR, FURNACE AND THE FUNDAMENTALS, JOYRIDE (LIVE), JAMES WALSH (STARSAILOR, UK), GINGER AND DRUM, RED INK (SINGLE LAUNCH), ELLIOT THE BULL, THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH, TAYLOR AND THE MAKERS, THE STOOPS
UPSTAIRSBERESFORD.COM.AU OR 8313 5050 FOR GIG INFO HAPPY HOUR BEFORE 8PM FRI & SAT. DINNER & SNACKS AVAILABLE
PRIVATE BOOTH & VENUE BOOKINGS 8313 5000 THE DRUM MEDIA • 19
THE
FRONT LINE
INDUSTRY NEWS WITH SCOTT FITZSIMONS frontline@streetpress.com.au
for us to learn what’s gone before and put it into our own context.” Taking place Saturday 15 September in the Judith Wright Centre, tickets are available now.
HARBOURLIFE ANNOUNCES COMEBACK
2012
Promoters Fuzzy have announced Harbourlife will be back this year, taking to Mrs Macquarie’s Point Saturday 1 December. Fuzzy’s Director John Wall said that the event would return to its “musical roots”, which are, “House music all day long,” adding, “With the renaissance of quality house and deep house music over the last couple of years, there’s a wealth of music that’s perfectly suited to a not-too-huge outdoor party in such a feel-good location.”
PRESENTED BY
GOTYE
NICK YATES Name: Nick Yates Business/Position: UNFD | Artist Manager How did you first become involved in the music business? I started out studying Music Business at a few ,institutions in Melbourne which led to me doing work placement for a boutique management company called Melodic Music. What do you perceive to be your area of expertise, and how did you gain experience in this field? I would say my strengths lie in project management and communication. I’ve found the majority of issues that arise day to day are through lack of communication so this has always been an important point for me. I don’t think this is something that can be taught, more a skill that you naturally develop over time. What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the BIGSOUND conference? I believe our panel is discussing the Future Of Heavy Music so I will be addressing this issue and how it relates to our management roster, given that a lot of our acts fall under that category. I will also be making fun of fellow panellist Stu Harvey and shamelessly plugging our BIGSOUND related blog, Ultimate Bigsound (ultimatebigsound.tumblr.com). What are you hoping people will be able to learn from your panel/interview? I hope people will gain a bit of an insight into what goes into working with bands in this genre day to day as well as seeing the vast amount of opportunities available to acts in the alternative (for lack of a better term) genre, both here and on a worldwide scale.
STEPHEN WADE Name: Stephen Wade Business/Position: CEO Select Music How did you first become involved in the music business? I started as a musician playing in bands and touring the country. I then decided to do my own bookings and it grew into a music company. What do you perceive to be your area of expertise, and how did you gain experience in this field? I’ve been lucky enough to have tried everything but I really enjoy being an agent and working with acts to maximise their live touring plans. My experience came from research and lots of phone calls and going to shows to see what works. What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the BIGSOUND conference? A vast array of industry topics, with a particular slant on how bad the music industry is at regulating itself and educating new players looking to establish careers in the industry. What are you hoping people will be able to learn from your panel/interview? To challenge the perceptions that seem to have always existed in the industry and push to try and change them.
GOTYE DOMINATES ARIA CEREMONY
show graduates Karise Eden and Reece Mastin accepted awards and performed. Accepting AC/DC’s award for their number one DVD, Live At River Plate, David Albert of the label and publishing house Albert’s, said that he had tried to get the band, notoriously ceremony-shy, to come to the event before saying that he hoped to have them at one the next ARIA Awards.
The ARIA #1 Awards returned in Sydney last week with a ceremony recognising local artists who have achieved a number one album, single or DVD over the last two years. Both Gotye and Missy Higgins were in attendance while reality TV
THE MEDICS DOMINATE NIMAS
The Medics have scooped up three of the top awards at the 2012 National Indigenous Music Awards held in Darwin. The debut record from the Queensland four-piece, Foundations, has received much acclaim and success, and won them Album Of The Year, New Talent Of The Year and Song Of The Year (for the track, Griffin). The Artist Of The Year award went to Gurrumul Yunupingu for the second year in a row, his collaboration, Bayini, with Sarah Blasko, also winning him Cover Art Of The Year - a second NIMA for artist/ designer Carlo Santone from Blue King Brown.
DAPPLED CITIES LAND IN ARIA CHART TOP 50
Dappled Cities have managed to crack the ARIA Album Chart top 50 this week with their latest album, Lake Air, debuting at 41, while they managed 31 on the Digital Album Chart. This week has also seen the soundtrack to The Sapphires bullet from 17 to five in its second week. Ed Sheeran’s profile boost with his national tour has promoted his album, +, to the top spot for the first time, relegating The Voice winner Karise Eden’s My Journey to two. The week’s highest debut belonged to another soundtrack, with Step Up 4: Miami Heat arriving at 28. The Catalogue Album Charts saw three (relatively) new names back in the top three, with Elton John best of, Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits, boosted by a new tour and up to one from 12 last week, while Neil Diamond’s Hot August Night re-entered at two and Mumford & Sons, having just announced their Gentlemen Of The Road festival, are up from 20 to three.
Also among the winners, Arnhem Land band East Journey nabbed NT Film Clip Of The Year for their film clip, Ngarrpiya, as well as the prestigious G.R. Bururrawanga Memorial Award for outstanding contribution to the NT music industry.
SANDO OWNER TO FIGHT THE BANK AFTER VENUE TAKEOVER
Tony Townsend, owner of Sydney’s Sandringham Hotel, has partnered with lobby group Unhappy Banking after the iconic live music venue went into receivership and was taken over by a bank-appointed controller. Townsend, who has the support of Melbourne live music stakeholders who faced a similar issue with The Tote, believes that the bank acted in an ‘irrational’ manner, while Unhappy Banking’s Geoff Shannon described the actions as “criminal”. “Businesses that are trading successfully, with no default of payments to the banks, are suddenly being forced to the wall because the bank simply changed their internal views and processes. It is criminal,” said Shannon. Townsend said he’s had the situation reviewed by a panel of business advisers and they have told him that there is “no rational case” for the bank’s actions. He is planning a rally for live music on Sunday 26 August at Sydney Park, which will then march up King St to the Sandringham Hotel.
TRIPLE J APOLOGISE FOR ‘SICK’ HOLOCAUST COMMENTS
Triple j have apologised for insensitive and offensive comments made by its breakfast show hosts Tom Ballard and Alex Dyson after Ballard made a joke about the Holocaust live on air last week. The comments, which were made in the context of a game in which they related certain objects to Hitler, incensed a number of listeners who complained to the station and took the radio duo to task on Twitter. Triple j has issued an apology stating that “Triple j agrees the comments made were inappropriate. The matter has been followed up with the Breakfast team. Triple j regrets the matter and apologises unreservedly for any offence caused.” Director of the Centre for Jewish History and Culture at the University of Melbourne Dr Dvir Abramovich has written an opinion piece for the Sydney Morning Herald, in which he slams the presenters’ comments and questions whether they would have been made if the Holocaust was closer to home. “Would they have played the same game if their grandparents, parents, siblings or uncles were executed and their naked corpses incinerated in the ovens?” Dr Abramovich wrote.
Justice Crew hold their number one position on the ARIA Singles Chart with Boom Boom. The only other local artist in the top 20 is Timomatic, with Can You Feel It at 18.
ALEXANDER GOW TO PERFORM AT LITTLE BIGSOUND
Sydney’s The Rubens have joined artist management company Umbrella for Australia and New Zealand. The Sydney-based Umbrella have Cloud Control, Urthboy, Belles Will Ring and Fishing on their roster currently. The band are signed to Ivy League records and have been championed by Mushroom Chairman Michael Gudinski. They will now release their debut album, The Rubens, Friday 14 September, while current single, My Gun, is available now.
KYLIE, FOO FIGHTERS AND PRINCE NOMINATED FOR HELPMANN AWARDS
Kylie Minogue has scored two nominations in the Best Australian Contemporary Concert category of the Helpmann Awards. Minogue is nominated for her Anti Tour earlier this year and her Les Folies Tour last year. In the local concert category she is facing off against Cold Chisel and Keith Urban. The annual awards recognise live performances in Australia in both theatre and concert, with Foo Fighters, Prince, Roger Waters and Sade nominated for Best International Contemporary Concert. Battling it out in the Best Contemporary Music Festival category are Future Music Festival, MONA FOMA, Bluesfest 2012 and Vivid Live 2011. End Of Fashion’s Justin Burford has also been nominated in the Best Actor In A Musical category for his role in Rock Of Ages – he’s up against musical icon Anthony Warlow, up for his work in Annie.
HUB THE LABEL SIGN “EUROPEAN BECK”
The full announcement of speakers at the Little BIGSOUND showcase has been made, with the BIGSOUND sister event aimed at people between the age of 14-25 looking for a start in the music industry. Following the initial announcement, a number of artists, industry professionals and media have been added to the one-day event, including Rene Chambers (Spotify), Craig Spann (Sugarrush Records), Cath Haridy (manager, Jebadiah) and more. Also announced are performances by Alexander Gow (Oh Mercy), Hey Geronimo and Your Favourite Enemies.
HUB The Label, the recorded music division of the HUB Artist Services company, has just announced its second signing with Ireland’s Jape set to release their acclaimed Ocean Of Frequency album through the label next month. Jape have won plenty of praise for their twisted take on pop music, with many pundits giving them the title of the “European version of Beck”. The album has already won the Choice Music Prize for Album of the Year, Ireland’s equivalent of the Mercury Prize – the second time the band has won the award, with their Ritual album of 2008 previously winning the prize, and obviously Australia is the next territory the band are hoping to conquer.
Run between QMusic and Youth Music Industries, the festival director, year 12 student Gonzalo Rodiño, said, “We have grown up in a digital world and as we start our own careers in the music industry it’s time
The deal with HUB The Label is a two-album deal for both Australia and New Zealand. Ocean Of Frequency is set to be released on Friday 28 September and we’re expecting to hear news of an Australian tour very soon indeed.
FRONTLASH
BACKLASH
So Vania Stambolova missed the first hurdle in the womens’ 400-metre event and failed to finish the event. She stambol[ed]ova. Geddit? Best Olympian name since former American swimmer (who won the gold medal in the 200m butterfly in 2000): Misty Hyman (ouch!).
So Kanye and Skrillex are collaborating? Undoubtedly they’ll produce music that channels the sound you hear just before you have a stroke to accompany the smell of burning toast.
OLYMPIC (NAME) GAMES
DR SEALGOOD Tommy Lee wrote a letter to SeaWorld demanding they cease playing Mötley Crüe songs during the theme park’s killer whale show. An excerpt: “Although we like to torture the human fans who willingly come to our shows, we don’t want to be a part of making innocent animals’ lives hellish.”
PUBERTY BLUES You can just tell it’s gonna be great.
music 20 • THE DRUM MEDIA
THE RUBENS SIGN NEW MANAGEMENT DEAL
themusic.com.au
STROKE IT
MONEY MONEY MONEY What’s with advertising cash loans on television and also spruiking a free $50 gift card from a department store with every loan? Morally bankrupt.
EVERYBODY PUKE NOW Channel Ten’s much-hyped Everybody Dance Now sucks. The only good act on the first ep, Nobel Lakaev, didn’t even make the cut.
THE DRUM MEDIA • 21
FOREWORD LINE
NEWS FROM THE FRONT
TOUR NEWS THE RUBENS
WHAT A GUN
MARIA MINERVA
LISTEN UP
ART OF SLEEPING
Estonian princess Maria Minerva tours Australia and New Zealand for the first time this spring. Listen To The Sound is the first track from her upcoming record Will Happiness Find Me?, which is out on 100% Silk on Tuesday 4 September. On Thursday 30 August, Minerva reaches Sydney to play the iconic GoodGod Small Club with winner of last year’s Northern Lights competition: Guerre, Rainbow Chain and Four Door.
Tickets for Peats Ridge 2012 go on sale 10am Monday 20 August from the Peats Ridge website. Those of you who purchased tickets to the Enmore Theatre show this Wednesday will already be aware that, at very short notice, Bell Biv Devoe & Ginuwine cancelled for reasons yet to be disclosed – legal issues apparently – so this is just a reminder that refunds can be made at point of purchase. Two more American acts have just been added to the already huge line-up for this year’s Fat As Butter festival on The Foreshore in Newcastle, Saturday 22 September. They are Far East Movement and Karmin, who join, among others, Good Charlotte, 360, Grinspoon, Hungry Kids Of Hungary, Urthboy, Hunting Grounds and too many more to mention, across four stages. Sydney prog-doom five-piece Rise Of Avernus have been invited to open for Apocalytica when they come to Sydney for the first time to play The Hi-Fi Friday 31 August. The Saturday 29 September Big Top, Luna Park, show has completely sold out, so a second show there for The Amity Affliction, Sunday 30, is now on sale. Bertie Blackman and PVT have been invited to join Gotye when he finally gets to tour the nation in December, playing the Sydney Entertainment Centre Friday 14.
PURAVIDA ROADSHOW ALEXISONFIRE
BURNING BOYS
Alexisonfire have always taken pride in keeping promises to fans. Exactly one year after the members of Alexisonfire announced they were going their separate ways, the band have announced a tenth anniversary farewell tour. Sydney fans will have the chance to see Alexisonfire when they play the Hordern Pavilion on Tuesday 11 December. There is a pre-sale for the tour, with a limited number of VIP ticket bundles available for each show that include a meet and greet with the band and other limited items. The pre-sale is open now and concludes at 2pm on Thursday 16 August (or until allocation exhausted), with tickets going on sale to the general public on Friday 17 August at 9am. Fans should keep an eye on the band’s website and social media for more information.
Brisbane’s Art Of Sleeping bring their Above The Water Tour, showcasing their latest single from their forthcoming EP, to Yours & Owls in Wollongong Thursday 30 August, the Clarendon Guesthouse in Katoomba Friday 31 and Goodgod Small Club Saturday 1 September, with guests Sydneysiders Tigertown. Brisbane band Dollarosa will be showcasing their latest album, The Never Ending Unfamiliar, in Venom nightclub Saturday 1 September. Sydneysider Mark Wilkinson takes his new single, Benny’s On The Rooftop, on a run around the nation that kicks off Wednesday 17 October at Lizotte’s Newcastle, followed Thursday 18 by The Basement in Circular Quay, then two nights, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21, in the Front Gallery in Canberra, before heading to all points west.
22 • THE DRUM MEDIA
KEEPIN’ UP WITH THE JONESES
With The Middle East parting ways mid-2011, Rohin Jones has shifted focus, writing and recording material for his forthcoming solo album under the title RL Jones, which is due early 2013 on Spunk Records. The first song from the album is Everybody Wants To Be Your Friend is a loose, jangly and distorted affair that features a special guest vocal performance from Adalita. RL Jones & The Phony Mexican Diner will perform on Saturday 8 September at GoodGod Small Club, supported by Bearhug and Shady Lane.
DANCING WITH DELTA
Delta Goodrem is heading home to perform a limited run of intimate and exclusive theatre concerts in October and November. She’ll be playing all her hits plus previewing songs from her highly-anticipated new album, Child Of The Universe. To coincide with this tour announcement, she has also released Dancing With A Broken Heart, the second single from Child Of The Universe. It’s a song about flying in the face of adversity and overcoming the negative forces that try to pull you down. Opening these concerts for Goodrem will be Rachael Leahcar, whom she mentored to the grand final of The Voice. They perform at the State Theatre on Wednesday 31 October. Tickets are available from Ticketek starting this Thursday.
BOUNCE WITH BIG FREEDIA SARAH CHADWICK LUKE FAIR
EATING FOR TWO
FAIR’S FAIR
One of the most down to earth artists you’ll meet in the industry today, it’s not cliche to say Luke Fair is “all about the music”. Anchored by classic house roots, Fair has always stayed true to his style of groovy house and techno to funky progressive and electro. He continues to spend countless hours customising tracks and will forever be a DJ who earns the attention of the dancefloor through focus and dedication inside the booth and out. He plays Saturday 15 September at Chinese Laundry.
FAR OUT, IT’S FAR EAST
Far East Movement are returning to our shores this September for a series of shows. The US electro-hop group rocketed to notoriety with smash hit Like A G6, have released their brand new album Dirty Bass, not to mention their latest single Live My Life features Justin Bieber. Having already toured alongside some of the biggest, hottest names in the business including Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Rihanna and Lil Wayne, Far East Movement can’t wait to take the party from the streets of LA back to the dance floors of Australia and New Zealand. Far East Movement perform an all-ages show at Big Top (Luna Park) on Sunday 23 September with special guests American pop duo Karmin, best known for their popular single Brokenhearted.
LET’S GET LOUD
FAR EAST MOVEMENT
Back for the second year with an equally incredible selection of outstanding artists, the Puravida 2012 Road Show is set to bring Australian audiences even closer to the heart of Latin America’s urban music scene. This year, the festival hits the ground running in a series of power-packed roadshows with Afro-Peruvian electronica superstars Novalima and Brazilian DJ collective Sistema Criolina with special guests Public Opinion Afro Orchestra at the Hi-Fi on Friday 28 September; Argentina’s Multi-Grammy nominee Kevin Johansen & The Nada at BlueBeat on Saturday 29 with guest Oscar Jimenez; and Chilean pop princess Francisca Valenzuela (who’s also playing BlueBeat with Abuka on Wednesday 3 October) with Colombia’s “tropical acid Latin” trippers Malalma, Chile’s hottest beatmaster DJ Bitman and special guest Cumbiamuffin at the Standard on Friday 5 October.
RL JONES & THE PHONY MEXICAN DINER
BIG FREEDIA
The Ross Wilson Quartet hit the Lizotte’s chain this week, playing Dee Why Thursday, Kincumber Friday and Newcastle Saturday, with the Brass Monkey in Cronulla Sunday thrown in for good measure. 2pm Saturday, Ricki-Lee hits Miranda Westfield’s Centre Court to perform a few songs and sign copies of her new album, Fear & Freedom, and does it again 1pm Sunday 19 at Parramatta Westfield’s Centre Court. It all gets official Thursday 6 September however when she performs at the Oxford Art Factory.
My Gun is the brand new single from Menangle wunderkinds The Rubens. Recorded in NYC with Grammy Award winning producer David Kahne, My Gun is a blend of frontman Sam Margin’s soul-drenched vocals with steadfast blues swagger, and follows on from radio favourite Don’t Ever Want To Be Found and is another tasty morsel off the band’s forthcoming debut, self-titled album out mid-September. Going at full speed ahead since first getting noticed in 2011, The Rubens are showing no signs of slowing down, with a national run set for September in celebration of their debut album. Catch them with special guest Bertie Blackman on Thursday 20 September at the Uni Bar, Friday 21 at Metro, Wednesday 10 October at Hoey Moey (Coffs Harbour) and Saturday 13 at Great Northern (Byron).
For the first time in her 13-year career, Jennifer Lopez (or, more affectionately, JLO) will be touring Australia as part of her Dance Again world tour, which has already visited countless cities across North America, South America, Europe and Asia in recent months. The addition of these Aussie shows means that the world tour will consist of more than 60 dates. On this tour, JLO will be performing hits from her seven studio albums, which have sold more than 70 million records worldwide. See her at Allphones Arena on Friday 14 December.
On the eve of Sarah Mary Chadwick’s Eating For Two launch tour, the special guests who will be joining her on the road have been announced. Returning to Red Rattler on Saturday 25 August, Chadwick is again joined by Bitch Prefect, local garage trio Raw Prawn and another sick project from Angela Bermuda called Convent. Chadwick has spent the last ten years performing and recording music, both solo and in former band Batrider. Her first solo record Eating For Two comprises songs that represent the melancholy crystallisation of these long years. See Chadwick perform them live at Red Rattler.
Big Freedia, the undisputed Queen Diva of New Orleans ‘sissy bounce’, returns to Australia this October for a week of sweaty, ferocious assshaking. With hits such as Azz Everywhere and Excuse, towering transgender MC Big Freedia and her powerhouse dance posse The Divas will teach and command you to bounce to their frenetic booty beats. For those of you who were lucky enough to see her perform last year at Meredith festival or at one of the sideshows, you can surely attest to the reputation the live show has as one of the most energetic, crowd-involved live shows ever. Check her out at GoodGod Small Club on Friday 19 October.
HAVE MORE FUN
Blonde On Blonde have dropped their latest single Act 1 and with an immense amount of support and eager fans awaiting, this week saw the announcement of the Act 1 Australian East Coast tour. The tour is sure to be something special with six massive shows. They play Friday 24 August at the Lansdowne Hotel and Saturday 25 at Upstairs Beresford.
PAINT IT RED MARLOW
THE MARLOW DOWN
Marlow have returned, hot on the heels of garnering national radio/television airplay and touring the country in support of their debut single I Can Breathe. They are back with a fresh new single Always There to kick off their most extensive run of shows to this date. Always There has Marlow keeping their foot to the floor with another powerful and positive tune that gallops out of the gate and never lets up. They play Friday 17 August at the Annandale Hotel, Friday 31 at the The Patch (Wollongong), Friday 7 September at The Standard, Saturday 6 October at The Basement (Canberra), Saturday 13 at The Great Northern (Newcastle), Wednesday 17 at Lizotte’s (Central Coast, acoustic) and Saturday 20 at the Annandale Hotel.
themusic.com.au
Orchestral art rockers The Red Paintings have announced an intimate run of Australian shows for September, before heading to the UK and Europe for the first time in October.The band will showcase songs from their forthcoming album, playing a series of club shows. They play The Standard on Friday 14 September. Tickets available via Moshtix.
HOT NIGHT AT FORBES
Luger Boa have been long established as one of New Zealand’s premier live rock’n’roll outfits, and have now announced their first ever Australian shows. Their show at Sabotage at Forbes Hotel this Friday promises to be a massive party, since it’s the penultimate show in their run of international mayhem that saw the band head from NZ, across Japan, to finish in Australia in support of the international release of their latest album New Hot Nights. Go give them a hearty pat on the back for their hard work.
THE DRUM MEDIA • 23
FOREWORD LINE
NEWS FROM THE FRONT
WASHINGTON JOINS WAINWRIGHT
Acclaimed Australian songstress Megan Washington has been confirmed to hit the road with Rufus Wainwright his forthcoming national tour in September. Along with already confirmed support artists, Englishman Teddy Thompson, son of the legendary Richard, and sultry American Krystle Warren, Washington will perform with Rufus Wainwright at all shows across the country, with the exception of the Melbourne. The show arrives Saturday 8 September at Canberra Theatre, and Sunday 9 in the Opera House Concert Hall.
MEGAN WASHINGTON
GREEN AND KEEN
Hoodoo Gurus, The Angels with Dave Gleeson, Baby Animals, James Reyne and Boom Crash Opera are set to join forces for five hours of irresistible Oz rock classics for A Day On The Green. The legendary Gurus are by any measure one of Australia’s greatest, best loved and most enduring rock bands; the Dave Gleeson-fronted Angels unleash their eagerly-awaited new album this month to feverish Angels fans; Baby Animals are back in the studio and ready to rock again; James Reyne’s 13th album, Thirteen, has proven to be anything but unlucky with stellar reviews, and openers Boom Crash Opera, fronted by charismatic Dale Ryder, round off this incredible bill with panache. The tour stops off in Bimbadgen Winery in the Hunter Valley Saturday 10 November.
GOT ANOTHER NICKEL?
They recently completed a 54-city trek across North America, and will embark on a string of European dates next month, but then Nickelback return for their first Australian tour in three years. That’s obviously what fans have been waiting for as their first Sydney show
24 • THE DRUM MEDIA
Saturday 24 November at Allphones has sold out, so they’ve announced a second and final Sydney show there on Sunday 25. Jackson Firebird will be on national support act duty.
GERONIMOOOOO
Off the back of their critically acclaimed self-titled debut EP, Brisbane party starters Hey Geronimo are pleased to announce their Special Best tour, their first national headlining tour. The five-piece have quickly built a loyal following thanks to their smash singles, Why Don’t We Do Something? and Carbon Affair, two massive ridiculously catchy, slacker tinged indie-pop anthems. Check out their party vibes live at FBi Social on Friday 21. They’re also on the Fat As Butter Festival lineup, which takes over the Foreshore in Newcastle Saturday 22 September.
PRE-APOCALYPTICA
In anticipation of their first ever Australian tour, Apocalyptica have revealed which local acts will accompany them on their string of East Coast shows this August/September. Sydney’s progressive doom five-piece Rise Of Avernus will accompany Apocalyptica at the Hi-Fi on Friday 31
August. Combining classical nuance with brutal breakdowns, this fantastic Finnish four-piece are quintessential Eurorock with a difference. They’re metal, with cellists. Twenty years from inception, with over four million album sales worldwide to date and a reputation for an incredible live show, one of the biggest names in European metal are making their first ever trip to Australia, and not before time too, we say. Guarenteed this show will sell out in very short order, so first in best dressed.
THE CITY WAITS To celebrate the release of City Riots’ first single from their forthcoming debut album, the four-piece are taking to the stage in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide this August/September as part of their Wait For You tour. Wait For You presents a new sound from the Adelaide fourpiece, delving into dreamy, reverb-drenched textures that they’ve only hinted at previously, while maintaining enough of the jangly guitar elements that they established early as a band. Hear it live and preview tracks from their upcoming debut album, Sea Of Bright Lights, due out in late October, at World Bar on Friday 31 August.
themusic.com.au
THURSTON MOORE
MOORE-ISH Key member of critically acclaimed art-rock band Sonic Youth, Thurston Moore will tour Australia this October performing tracks from his latest solo record, Demolished Thoughts, and his solo back catalogue. Regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Moore formed the highly influential Sonic Youth with Lee Ranaldo and Kim Gordon back in 1981. The seminal New York Citybased band have released 16 studio albums, including groundbreaking records such as Daydream Nation and Goo, which brought them to the attention of the critical elite. He’ll play The Hi-Fi on Friday 26 October.
DRAWLING ON With warm, supple melodies and intricate instrumentation saturated in an earnest North Carolinian drawl, prepare to swoon when psychedelic singer/songwriter Jonathan Wilson embarks on a debut tour of Australia. Having spent a lengthy “apprenticeship” period working extensively with renowned artists such as Erykah Badu, Elvis Costello, Wilco and The Black Crowes, Wilson finally released his seminal debut album, Gentle Spirit, last year. He plays The Standard on Saturday 15 September.
ATP TO RETURN ATP have finally announced their return to Australia for a very special event, I’ll Be Your Mirror Melbourne, curated by ATP and The Drones on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 February at Westgate Entertainment Centre and Grand Star Reception in Altona. As you’d expect, the initial lineup features some heavy hitters in the world of independent music including My Bloody Valentine (first Australian show since 1992!), Godspeed You! Black Emperor (first ever Australian show), the reformed original lineup of Beasts Of Bourbon, Einstürzende Neubauten, Swans, The Dead C, Lost Animal, Thee Oh Sees, Harmony, HTRK, Sleepy Sun, Cam Butler & The Shadows Of Love, Standish/Carlyon and many more to come. Tickets are on sale now from atpfestival.com.
THE DRUM MEDIA • 25
FOREWORD LINE
NEWS FROM THE FRONT
OCEANS OF ACTS
METALLICA
Soundwave 2013 is announcing bands and the list thus far is predictably rammed. The bill to this point includes: Metallica, Blink 182, The Offspring, Linkin Park, Anthrax, Garbage, A Perfect Circle, Paramore, Duff McKagan’s Loaded, Flogging Molly, Sum 41, The Lawrence Arms, Lucero, Six Feet Under, Tomahawk, Stone Sour, Kyuss Lives, Dragonforce, All Time Low, Ghost, Motion City Soundtrack, Kingdom Of Sorrow, Fozzy, Sleeping With Sirens, Cancer Bats, Madball, Vision Of Disorder, Pierce The Veil, Periphery, Shai Halud, Of Mice & Men, Miss May I, Danko Jones, Woe Is Me, The Wonder Years, While She Sleeps, Such Gold, Lucero, Six Feet Under, Deaf Havana, Red Fang, Chunk! No Captain Chunk!, Memphis May Fire and so many more it’s seriously not funny. The Sydney event takes place on Sunday 24 February. Tickets are on sale Thursday 23 August. Check soundwavefestival.com for presale info and all other details as they unfold.
ANGELS AT THE TABLE
Dave Gleeson, who had spent two decades fronting The Screaming Jets, made a last minute decision to go and catch a show by Rick and John Brewster at a pub in Adelaide. At the pub, Dave Gleeson had edged his way to the stage when John Brewster spotted him and invited him to jump up and sing a few Angels classics. He didn’t need to be asked twice. A few weeks later, Dave Gleeson found himself walking into Sydney’s legendary Alberts Studios at noon to record new songs with The Angels, the band that had soundtracked his teenage years and inspired him to take up rock’n’roll as a career. Take It To The Streets is their new album and they’re taking it to the road. They play Friday 21 and Saturday 22 September at The Bridge Hotel in Rozelle and Saturday 10 November at A Day On The Green at Bimbadgen Winery in the Hunter Valley.
GREAT BATCH FOR AIR AWARDS
Presented and produced by the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR), the seventh annual Jagermeister Independent Music Awards will be held on Tuesday 16 October for the second year running at Revolt art space in Kensington (Victoria). With yet another extraordinary year for independent artists unfolding, from the global success of Gotye, The Jezabels, and The Temper Trap, to local domination by artists such as Lanie Lane, The Bamboos and Husky, the 2012 crop of artists look set to raise the bar even higher. Stay tuned for further announcements including nominations, guest presenters and performing artists.
WILKINSON ON THE ROAD
Mark Wilkinson presents Benny’s On The Rooftop, the first single lifted from his forthcoming album. Having become a crowd favourite and staple of Wilkinson’s live show, this dark up-tempo track seemed an obvious choice to introduce his new studio sound. To celebrate, he’ll play Wednesday 17 October at Lizotte’s (Newcastle), Thursday 18 at The Basement, Friday 19 at the Heritage Hotel (Wollongong), Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 at The Front Gallery (Canberra), Thursday 8 November at Brass Monkey (Cronulla), Friday 9 at Mars Hill Cafe (Parramatta), Saturday 10 at Jamberoo Pub, Sunday 11 at Bottlerocket (Nowra), Thursday 15 at Lizotte’s (Kincumber), Friday 16 at Clarendon Guesthouse (Katoomba) and Saturday 17 at Roth’s Wine Bar (Mudgee).
THE SELL OUT AFFLICTION
Five shows have already sold out on The Amity Affliction’s Chasing Ghosts tour. There are no more shows to be added so the shows currently on sale will be your only chance to see the Chasing Ghosts tour. The Ghost Inside, Architects and Buried In Verona will join The Amity Affliction on the road and help launch their debut release on Roadrunner Records, Chasing Ghosts (out Friday 7 September). Shows with tickets still available are: Friday 28 September at Panthers (Newcastle), Sunday 30 September in the Big Top at Luna Park and Tuesday 2 October at UC Refectory (Canberra). These shows are all licenced and all-ages. Tickets are on sale now.
IN BRIEF Out this Friday are: a two-CD best of collection, The Meanest Hits, which includes the new single, Right Outta Nowhere, from Shihad; the new one from Katie Melua, Secret Symphony; Mia Dyson’s new album, The Moment; and the new collaborative album, Songs Of The Southern Skies, by Katie Noonan and classical guitarist Karin Schaupp, reinterpreting tunes by the Finn brothers, Cold Chisel and Nick Cave among others. Fresh from performing to 10,000 people at a massive Occupy Wall Street rally in New York City, singer-songwriter Dan Deacon releases his latest album, America, Friday 24 August, the same day Jeff The Brotherhood release their new album, Hypnotic Nights. The following Tuesday 28, Michael Goldwasser’s reggae crew, the Easy Star All-Stars, release their new album, Thrillah, which features reworkings of the late great MJ’s songs. Complete with new frontman, former Screaming Jets singer Dave Gleeson, The Angels return with a new album, Take It To The Streets, Friday 31 August. San Francisco’s Two Gallants release their new album, The Bloom And The Blight, Friday 7 September, while Newcastle (Australia) six-piece The Phat Controller release their second album, Feed The Pony, Tuesday 11. Canadian breakout pop sensation Carly Rae Jepsen releases her debut album, Kiss, Friday 14 September, on which day the new album, Rattle Them Bones, from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and the debut album, Somethin’ ‘Bout Kreay, from US hip hop artist Kreayshawn, are also released. The new album, Transcendental Youth, from Th Mountain Goats, is released Friday 28 September, as is the album R&B legend Bettye LaVette has recorded to celebrate 50 years in the business, Thankful N’Thoughtful, the new album, Glad All Over, from The Wallflowers, fronted by Bob’s son, Jakob Dylan, and the disconcertingly titled new album, Shifty Adventures In Nookie Wood, from former Velvet, John Cale. Two days later, Sunday 1 October, Edinburgh four-piece Hidden Orchestra release their second album, Archipelago.
26 • THE DRUM MEDIA
themusic.com.au
AFTER ALMOST A DECADE THE LEGENDARY NEW YORK ROCKERS ARE FINALLY RETURNING TO AUSTRALIAN SHORES. NADA SURF IS A NAME SYNONYMOUS WITH MUSIC LOVERS THE WORLD OVER AND ONE THAT TIRELESSLY TRANSCENDS THEIR 1996 SUMMER ANTHEM ‘POPULAR’ WITH A CATALOGUE OF SPOTLESS INDIE POP-ROCK. THEY RETURN TO AUSTRALIA WITH NOT ONLY A BRAND NEW ALBUM ‘THE STARS ARE INDIFFERENT TO ASTRONOMY’, BUT ALSO A SETLIST PULLED FROM THEIR ENTIRE 16 YEAR/SEVEN ALBUM CAREER.
www.thebasement.com.au
The Home of Live Music Since 1973 FRIDAY AUGUST 17
TAKE A LOOK
GLENN CUNNINGHAM & GUESTS
SYDNEY STORYTELLER, FINALIST ON THE VOICE, SOUL MASTER
AMERICANA NIGHT WITH STEVE HOGAN
TUE 14 AUG
BRUCE MATHISKE
WED 15 AUG
DOWN TO EARTH SHOWCASE
THU 16 AUG
DOOBIES, EAGLES & WEST COAST ROCK
SAT 18 AUG
TAYLOR, YOUNG, SIMON & GARFUNKEL & MORE
TUES 18TH SEPT THE COURIER-MAIL SPIEGELTENT BRISBANE FESTIVAL Tickets available on Monday 2nd July www.brisbanefestival.com.au
SIZZLING STRINGS OF AN INTERNATIONAL GUITAR VIRTUOSO
THURS 20TH SEPT ANNANDALE HOTEL SYDNEY SUPPORTED BY THE GOLDHEARTED. Tickets available from www.annandalehotel.com / 02 9550 1078
FRI 21ST SEPT CORNER HOTEL MELBOURNE
SUPPORTED BY THE GOLDHEARTED. Tickets on-sale at the corner box office 03 9427 9198 / www.cornerhotel.com FOR THE FIRST TIME THE ENTIRE NADA SURF BACK CATALOGUE HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE VIA STOP START
PRESENTED BY
NIGHT THREE OF THIS SERIES FEATURES BURN ANTARES, UNCLE JED & THE THOMPSONS
BARRY LEEF RETURNS FOR THIS ALWAYS POPULAR SHOW
Order your copy of AMID ER now! W PO 50 ON ITI ED
VIRGIL DONATI & OTV
TUE 21& WED 22 AUG
ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST PROGRESSIVE ROCK & FUSION BANDS
OWEN CAMPBELL (ALBUM LAUNCH) SLIDE GUITAR & AND A SWAGFUL OF ORIGINAL SONGS
DIESEL:
HITS & BLUES ROUND II THE AUSTRALIAN ICON TAKES ON MUDDY WATERS
% !
% $55.00
DECEMBER
2011 #47
OUT NOW
VISIT WWW.THEMUSIC.COM.AU/STORE
GREEN ROOM BAR PROMOTION 4.30pm – 6.30pm Come and enjoy our Green Room Bar, Sydney’s oldest small bar. The good folk at Diageo have provided complimentary Ketel One vodka for your enjoyment. Follow us on facebook @ The Basement Sydney & on Twitter @ #Door_Diva Check in on facebook every Thursday & Friday for discounts at the bar
THU 23 AUG FRI 24 & SAT 25 AUG
FRI 17 AUG
COMING SOON: DANNI DA ROSS, ALEX GIBSON, ALBARE, EUGENE BRIDGES
THE DRUM MEDIA • 27
CLEANING HOUSE
BLOC’D ACCESS
Four is a record from a sharper Bloc Party. A smarter Bloc Party. A Bloc Party that knows better than to listen to journalists... “I don’t really want to talk too much about the inner workings of our band,” Kele Okereke says in response to rumours of the band’s tension during their hiatus. “I’m happy for people to believe what they want to believe. It doesn’t affect me. It’s all propaganda. This is all stuff that has nothing to do with the reason we got together to make music or with the music that we have made. So, I’m happy for people to believe what they want to believe as long as they don’t say anything slanderous or libelous - but I’m not going to engage with it. “Really, it is all just propaganda. This conversation, even. I’m talking to you right now because I want to promote a record - and you can bet that I won’t be telling you anything other than exactly what I want you to know. I won’t say anything about the inner workings of our band or our relationships - because some things are private,” the singer says candidly. “Like I said, I am generally quite suspicious of the media - because I know how it works. I know how it operates. “Under the premise of ‘news‘ or ‘spreading information’, you can conceal a lot of things - you can conceal power structures and ideologies. I’m fully aware of that. So, I’ve always been somewhat guarded and sceptical about engaging with the media - but I know it’s also a tool to be used. So, I’m going to use what I can to promote my record - but I’m never going to read a word you write. I’ll never know what’s in this article and I’ll never really want to know, either. I don’t read music press.” that group. And I think, to be honest, we’ve always tried to fight against that.”
Bloc Party have returned from the brink of destruction to deliver a raw new album. Matt O’Neill corners vocalist Kele Okereke to get the story behind Four. Cover and story pic by Kane Hibberd. our is a neat album. For all Bloc Party’s sinewy instrumentation and nervous energy, they’ve never been a band of restraint. 2008’s divisive Intimacy threw everything from dubstep breakbeats to choral arrangements at a listener. 2007’s A Weekend In The City was effectively a concept album. Even their 2005 debut, Silent Alarm, was almost overloaded with ideas. Four, though - Four is different.
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It’s tight. Economical. The band’s eclecticism remains - Octopus’s mangled guitar hook, for example, followed by banjo-led melodies in Real Talk - but there’s a sense of liveliness that undercuts even their most ambitious excursions. It’s telling that, in recording the album, the band opted for neither of their previous producers but Alex Newport, a man perhaps best known for his work on Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera’s industrial-metal Nailbomb project. “The only discussion that we had about the musical direction of it was, when we got together at the end of 2010 to discuss what we were going to do with Bloc Party, I said ‘If we’re going to make another Bloc Party record, I think it should be the sound of the four of us in a room together - or as close to that as possible,’” frontman Kele Okereke says of the record. “I think all of our previous records have been quite studio-based records. “You know, from Silent Alarm through to Intimacy, we’ve kind of written our songs and then figured out how to play them live. This one’s quite a bit leaner. In recording it, we knew we didn’t want a producer someone who would craft the album. We wanted more of an engineer - someone who would just document the sound. I remember listening to Alex’s showreel and being very impressed by his restraint and his detail.” Critics have already been quick to explain the record’s direction with a variety of theories, most popularly positing it as a reaction to the electronic experimentation of Intimacy. More ambitious critics have drawn a line from Intimacy through the band’s year-long hiatus and Okereke’s equally electronic 2010 solo album, The Boxer, suggesting Bloc Party’s remaining members had become oppressed by Okereke and that Four is his apology. 28 • THE DRUM MEDIA
“There’s no validity to that idea at all,” the frontman says in response, his tone seemingly pitched halfway between annoyance and amusement. “Without wanting to talk too much about our internal writing processes, I can categorically state that that was never the case. I certainly don’t see Intimacy as any kind of disaster. I see it as being part of our back catalogue. I see it in the same way as Silent Alarm or Weekend In The City. “I look at it in the same way that I’ll most likely look at Four once this touring cycle as finished - it was part of our journey as a band. When I look back at any of our previous records, I hear things I’d like to have redone. I hear things we didn’t get quite right. You know, I have that trouble with our first album. For a period there, I couldn’t listen to it at all because I just heard all the things that weren’t right about it. “Still, I feel they’re all steps on our journey and I think of them all in the same way. You know, listening back to Intimacy, I still think it has some of our best work on it. It has some of our best songs. I think it has some of my best lyrics. So, really, I actually feel quite fond of that record. I don’t think of it as any kind of disaster or missed opportunity or anything of the sort.” Speaking to Okereke, one begins to suspect Four is representative of a much larger shift. Bloc Party have
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Musically, their output has been similarly complex. Given that their initial rise to fame was in no small part predicated on their kinship to classic British post-punk and indie-rock, their sound has showcased an unbelievable scope of influences over the years from elements of grunge, new wave and pop through to aspects of dubstep, garage, grime and hip hop. Four actually seems to reference heavy metal on occasion. “When we started making music together, we were very much bonded by a dislike of what was happening around us at the time. When we started this band, the bands that were popular in the UK were bands like Travis and Starsailor. Real kind of namby-pamby, acoustic singer-songwriter bands. We just wanted to make something with a sense of energy. That’s the only thing I remember wanting to do at the time. “In terms of specific sounds, I’m not sure there ever really was one. One of the clubs that we went to that was one of the biggest influences for us and how we think about genre was this club called Trash. Defunct now, sadly. It was quite instrumental for us as a band because you’d go to this club and hear Joy Division mixed with Madonna mixed with Missy Elliot mixed with Nine Inch Nails.
I LEARNT THEN THAT GENRE ISN’T SOMETHING TO DEFINE YOU. IT’S SOMETHING TO RAIL AGAINST.”
always led a surprisingly complicated existence. The slightest remark from Okereke can lead to any number of controversies and rumours. Most recently, an offhand comment in a triple j interview led fans to believe Four would be the band’s final album. (Not the case, as Okereke later clarified.) “Well, it’s nice to know people are listening,” the vocalist reflects diplomatically of his relationship with the press which, all too recently, also gave rise to the rumour that he had been kicked out of his own band. “It’s nice to know that you can reach people and there are people out there interested in what you do. I’m not going to lie, though - I have always generally been quite suspicious of the media.”
“You’d hear all this music from very disparate places in popular culture - but they were coming together and working together because it was good. It was good music. I learnt then that genre isn’t something to define you. It’s something to rail against. It’s not something I want to be part of. I want people to see I’m as into the Deftones as I am Squarepusher as I am Nicki Minaj as I am Blur. “You know, I think we’ve always tried to distance ourselves from other bands. I can remember in 2005, we were supposedly a part of this British Invasion of bands - that we didn’t really know as people or we weren’t really fans of their music. Wherever we went, we always found ourselves lumped in with
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Four doesn’t seem so much a reaction to Bloc Party’s previous album. Bloc Party’s hiatus seems, in retrospect, a reaction to their career, from an industry that forced them to prematurely churn out a third album, to a media more interested in Okereke’s personal life than music (he came out as gay in 2010), to their own inconveniently expansive ambition; Bloc Party’s career has always been complicated. No longer. The band refuse to tour for more than three weeks at a time. In conversation, Okereke is cordial but guarded (see sidebar). While he will not rule out a fifth Bloc Party album, he is similarly circumspect about committing to one. Having spent their career at the mercy of others, Bloc Party seem to have recently become determined to live by their own terms. And that, more so than anything else, is the sound of Four. “I do think about Bloc Party’s future. I do think about it, for sure,” Okereke admits. “But part of the problem that we had at the end of 2009 was that we felt that our lives were simply going from one year-long world tour and then straight into the studio to make a record and then back out into the world to tour that record. You know, you can only do so much of that before the situation starts to feel a little bit toxic. “You know, you start to find it hard to figure out how to have a life outside of what you do for a living. I think we’re all a bit wary of rushing back into that routine, into that rhythm, because it was quite destructive. “Creatively, right now I’ve got no idea what another Bloc Party record would sound like right now - but that’s a good thing. I think that’s a good thing. We’re ready and willing to be inspired - and I’m sure that will happen over the next year.” “But,” the frontman stresses, “that’s a conversation we would need to have between us - whether we actually want to go through it again. One of the good things I learnt about taking that time out - having six months of not doing anything in particular and just taking time to breathe, is a good thing. It’s very important. You know, none of us need Bloc Party. If we stopped, we’d all be fine. We don’t need to do this. “That actually takes the pressure off, though,” Okereke adds. “I know that, if we do make another record, it will only be because we want to. I just don’t think we’ll know if we want to go through that again until the end of this year.” WHO: Bloc Party WHAT: Four (Frenchkiss)
THE DRUM MEDIA • 29
MY OBSESSION His band Icehouse may be about to celebrate the anniversaries of two of their biggest albums, but Iva Davies tells Steve Bell why he’s not surprised at all that ‘albums’ are being perceived more and more like a relic from yesteryear.
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ithout a doubt, Icehouse were one of the great Australian musical success stories of the ‘80s, the band dropping their debut album Icehouse in 1980 (when they were still called Flowers, before changing their moniker to avoid conflict with a similarly-named Scottish outfit) and then racking up the hits throughout the course of the entire decade. The brainchild of songwriter and frontman Iva Davies, their raft of singles such as Can’t Help Myself, We Can Get Together, Love In Motion, Great Southern Land, Hey Little Girl, Crazy, Electric Blue, My Obsession and Nothing Too Serious – seriously just the tip of the Icehouse iceberg – made them a household name in Australia and gained them major traction globally, even if that success did start to drift away for them once the calendar ticked over into the ‘90s.
Last year Davies pulled a version of the ever-fluid Icehouse lineup together for a run of well-received reunion shows, and now they’re taking the whole thing a step further, re-releasing the entire Icehouse catalogue with special emphasis on two of their most successful albums which celebrate simultaneous milestones in 2012 – sophomore long-player Primitive Man (1982) turns 30 and career pinnacle Man Of Colours (1987) turns 25 – and hitting the road for the aptly-named Primitive Colours tour. “I famously never, ever listen to albums once they’re finished,” a relaxed Iva Davies chuckles. “You put such a lot of effort into recording and mixing and it all seems to go on forever, and then once you’ve come up with a tracklist you sit down and you listen to it – in those days you’d have to listen to test pressings to make sure that there weren’t any clicks or pops – and by then you’ve put such a lot of work into it that I would never, ever listen to them again. Now I’m forced to do that, because later in the year we’re touring with a focus on Primitive Man and Man Of Colours, so I’ve been forced to go back and study them and kind of pull them apart, which has been interesting.” Even though Icehouse had already enjoyed considerable success prior to Primitive Man, Davies recalls that, for all intents and purposes, the album began as a solo project. “The process of Primitive Man was quite accidental on a number of levels,” he remembers. “The first album had been developed by a live band over a number of years, so they were all highly road-tested songs, and by the time we came to record them they’d been though a number of versions. It was a great success, and we went off on our first international tour and we went all over America and were pretty well exhausted when we came back. “I was still pretty unsure about how to write songs, and I had in front of me this prospect of producing a follow-up album to this huge album. That was daunting, but while I was in America I’d picked up a couple of pieces of technology that I’d brought back to Australia: one was a brand new invention called the Linn drum, which was a very effective prototype of a drum machine which sounded like a drummer – before then they’d been funny little electronic beat boxes – and the other thing was the first affordable home eight-track recording system. That allowed me to go into my bedroom and start producing things that sounded like rough finished recordings, and that was how I approached the task of trying to write the next set of songs. “The next thing I knew, it was suggested that the producer [Keith Forsey] from America would come out to Australia, and I’d go into a studio here and basically repeat the demos, which is what I did. [It] was basically me in a studio by myself, so of course what that produced was a completely different style, and a set of songs which were complete studio constructs – quite different to the four-piece band.” Given its ad hoc genesis and reliance on electronic sounds, Primitive Man has dated very well, especially compared to other albums from the time. “Even at that time we’d been though a number of years of synthesisers, and by the time we got into the very early-‘80s I was starting to hear things that I knew wouldn’t date very well,” Davies continues. “There were certain sounds that I thought were more quirky and idiosyncratic than anything else, and I scrupulously avoided sounds like that. To me it’s funny background decisions like that which may have saved some of these recordings from dating in a more spectacular way.” Then five years later came the smash hit Man Of Colours, a seeming success on every level and their highest-charting album all over the globe. “I think a lot of things came together. On the previous album Measure For Measure (1986) we’d worked incredibly hard, it was an expensive album and we’d gone over to record it in England and then toured every pit stop in Australia before embarking on a long and arduous tour of America, and it had a measure of success – a number of American Top 50 singles – without really breaking through,” Davies recalls. “But I firmly believe that the work that we put into the previous album really kind of set the stage for Man Of Colours, and really it was just up to writing a decent set of songs, which turned out to be better than decent. “I was surprised by its reception. In fact I was absolutely gob-smacked by what happened in Australia – it was number one for eleven weeks, and we’d never even had a number one album before. And then Electric Blue was a number one single, and that was the only one that we’ve ever had. So when it started taking off in America, I remember getting a call from our manager who said, ‘Crazy has just hit the Top 20 in America!’ and I was completely numbed by the shock of it.” Does Davies think it’s strange how albums seem to be dying off as a format, even as they’re still embraced by older generations looking back as with these two classics? “It is and it isn’t,” he mulls. “I put a great deal of it down to the technology that my children’s generation have – at their age I’d saved painfully for about three LPs and that was all I could afford, but they can have access to tens of thousands of songs, and as a result they’re going back in time and cherry-picking through the ages. It doesn’t surprise me now when my eighteen-year-old daughter comes to me and says, ‘I’ve just discovered Janis Joplin’, or maybe The Who or The Rolling Stones, or whoever - I think with the access they have to material, it’s not surprising at all that they’re not embracing the album as a form.” WHO: Icehouse WHAT: Entire catalogue re-released (Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 10 October, Waves, Wollongong; Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17, Dee Why RSL; Thursday 30, Canberra Southern Cross Club; Wednesday 31, Rooty Hill RSL; Friday 2 November, Revesby Workers Club; Saturday 3, Enmore Theatre
30 • THE DRUM MEDIA
themusic.com.au
NEW AWAKENINGS Eight albums in and Los-Angeles-based punks Yellowcard show no sign of wilting in the sun. Violinist Sean Mackin explains to Brendan Telford how a break from each other has brought them back stronger than ever.
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steemed pop punk band Yellowcard have wasted no time after announcing the end of their self-imposed hiatus. Having just finished playing this year’s Warped Tour – which included The Used, Taking Back Sunday and New Found Glory – violinist Sean Mackin is enjoying the hot Texan summer with friends made over their decade-long career. “It’s amazing, we are making memories daily,” Mackin begins. “This line-up is so great for us as there are so many friends in bands on this tour. It harks back to the glory days of 2004. It’s like summer camp from sun-up to sundown. You are surrounded by good friends, people you have toured the world with - most notably for us the guys from All Time Low - and everyone has their signings, hanging with the fans all day, selling merch. We played soccer with some of the other bands, and every day is like that. Actually a little bit of trivia is that this tour marks our ten year anniversary involvement with (Warped founder) Kevin Lyman in 2002, and we have since done this tour five times in the last ten years, so it’s been a great history and a great piece of what Yellowcard is.” Yellowcard are also about to launch their eighth studio album in Southern Air, a feat that Mackin stresses has been about taking measured steps. “We have tried to progress as tastefully as possible,” he chuckles. “We’ve all grown up as teenagers and had the same passion for life and music, and that has led us through our twenties and now into our early thirties. What we have always wanted to do is show that we have this passion for life and an intense love for music. So after taking a couple years off and putting out When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes last year, we have travelled to thirty-two countries and it has all led up to Southern Air. [The music industry] is a very hard world to navigate, so for us to come out after a tiny break… we have our chinks in the armour, but we’re pretty unified. We look at Southern Air and we can hang our hat, maybe even say ‘Hey, we know how to write a couple of songs.’”
Australia is an especially momentous one. “Counter Revolution in many ways was an appetiser for the Warped Tour over here, so it was a chance for us to enjoy the summer weather. We had almost a week off in Sydney between the two weekend shows, so we got to let our hair down, run amok and get into trouble. There is something about Australia that makes us feel like kids again, so coming back down there so soon is fine by us!” WHO: Yellowcard WHAT: Southern Air (Hopeless/UNFD) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 22 September (arvo), Fat As Butter, Camp Shortland, Newcastle; Saturday 22 (evening), UNSW Roundhouse
There’s more to this story on the iPad Having such an established back catalogue, Mackin intimates that walking the fine line between familiarity and breaking new ground is a hard yet rewarding journey. It is one that couldn’t have happened without the requisite tumultuous periods that come with being in each other’s pockets and learning from them. “We really tried to highlight or frame the best parts about us as Yellowcard that we have learnt over the past ten or so years. When you’re younger and you are writing songs, you finish up and think, ‘Well that’s it, that’s the best song there is!’ Yet now that we have some years under our belt, we’re tried-and-true world travellers and everything, we realise how much of life goes into music. It’s such an opinionated thing, yet it’s impossible to reinvent the wheel. So we have spent our time polishing the Yellowcard sound, and to do that we had to look back at past albums like Ocean Avenue and Paper Walls and identify what is each member’s strongest moment, then bring that to what we are doing now.” This refinement of each other’s musical strengths produces a confident air to Southern Air that is evident in every aspect of the band aesthetic, from frontman Ryan Key’s personal, reflective lyrics right down to each member’s place within each song. Mackin admits that the hiatus heightened their sense of place in the world and with each other. “Ryan spent a lot of time with his family in Florida and Georgia, a time that allowed for much self-reflection. There’s a song on the album called Awakening, and the album closes with Southern Air – it all embodies this world where we all grew up and came from. It’s like the entire group has received this collective breath of fresh air, this inspired vigour for music and life, and we thought it was just that initial getting-back-together, things-slotting-into-place phase. But it’s continued into 2012, and it has revitalised us.” An unusual factor of the Yellowcard aesthetic has been their long-standing working relationship with producer Neal Avron, who has been on board for the band’s last five albums. Such a relationship ensures that what takes place in the studio remains true and unrushed, a personal journey that isn’t sullied by outside concerns. “Neal has been with us since Ocean Avenue, so he is part of the family,” Mackin enthuses. “He has such a great musical mind. He is able to help us cater and write strong songs that highlight our strengths, he is able to pinpoint a special melody or drumbeat or a lyric from Ryan, and channel us through a conceptual point into a physical recorded moment, one that we don’t foresee. We have worked with Neal for nine years, and every moment is a pleasure. We feel that he is one of the best producers in the world, and we are lucky to have gotten in with him at the ground floor. He is a class act, a privilege to work with, and he helps make us who we are.” The Yellowcard fanbase has always been a strong and resolute one, connecting heavily with the members and vice versa. Mackin admits that this strong connection is paramount to the band’s success, and helps drive them even harder. “The music industry has changed so much, even since we started playing music as a profession back in 2001, which isn’t really that long ago. Yet one thing that has never changed is how much we want to show to our fans how thankful and grateful we are. It often feels like not a lot of artists make the time to be able to do that. There is an argument that the older bands that influenced us, those guys never had to go online to talk to fans, yet it is the world that we live in and the reputation that we wanted to forge. It feels sometimes that bands forget that it is the fans that give us the gift of music. It’s the fans that allow us to do this for a living, which is so incredible.” The juggernaut continues, and the Australian contingent of the Yellowcard fanbase are looking forward to not only a new release but a series of headline shows so soon after they took part in last year’s Counter Revolution festival. Mackin maintains that every moment in
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 31
THE OTHER SIDE Hip hop legends The Pharcyde are heading to Australia to connect with a new generation of fans. Imani and Bootie Brown spoke to Aleksia Barron about labels, live shows and making music.
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f you know your classic hip hop, you’ll know The Pharcyde. Formed in 1989 as a four-piece in South Central Los Angeles, they were integral to the rise of alternative hip hop and gained worldwide fame with singles like Passin’ Me By, Runnin’ and Drop. And like so many hip hop artists that came up in the late ‘80s and through the ‘90s, they didn’t always have the easiest time in an industry where label demands frequently clashed with their talent’s aspirations. The Pharcyde’s history is somewhat chequered – there are the highs of success, particularly as they built their reputation for brilliant live shows and released instant classics like their debut album, Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde. But there were also lower points, such as when founding members Fatlip and Slimkid3 left the group, and when later releases failed to meet the expectations of critics and industry suits.
Through it all, Imani (Emandu Wilcox) and Bootie Brown (Romye Robinson) have remained stoic. They have been in The Pharcyde since the beginning, forming it after meeting through their work as dancers. Now, after over 20 years of making music and performing on stage together, they’re heading down to Australia for the first time in years. “I’d say this is about the third time in Australia,” says Robinson, speaking on the phone from LA. “[The last was] 2009 for the Good Vibes [Festival].” It seems like it’s suddenly all the rage for groups from the ‘80s and ‘90s to get together for reunion tours, but for Robinson, this opportunity is less about giving the old fans a last hurrah and more about getting to know the new generation. “We wanna just like, outreach to the new people,” he explains. “There’s new fans out there, kids sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, and we haven’t had no major records out or anything like that, so I think the human contact, coming to see them, that’s important. They gotta find out what they can expect from The Pharcyde.” It’s a good point. After all, the internet has made it infinitely possible for younger fans to explore older stuff as well as the new, and hip hop, with its tradition of sampling and referential lyrics, tends to be more steeped in history than most musical styles. Wilcox sees the tour as a chance to give fans a sense of The Pharcyde’s full development. “Oh yeah, you’ll get a peek into our world. We’ll let you know what we’ve been working on – the beginning, the middle and right now.” Both Wilcox and Robinson are currently working on their own projects – Wilcox has been working with Ta’Raach, and Robinson has been writing under his alter ego Frank Friction. So they’re both working independently, which gives them greater control than they had in their heyday when they were signed to Delicious Vinyl. Robinson remembers the difficulty of balancing his own opinions with those of The Pharcyde’s label, particularly when it came to following up Bizarre Ride with the group’s second album, Labcabincalifornia. “When we did Labcab, compared to Bizarre Ride, it was so different, you know, the stuff that we used to go through.” The hardest part was convincing the label that a track had the goods to win over fans. “It was a process to say what was gonna be the single, and to argue that and go through that… It’s cool in one way, because you’re fighting for what you believe in, but it’s soul-deadening. You’re trying to move forward, but you’re stuck.” Working independently has given Robinson more freedom. “Now, without having those expectations… If I want to go out there and make some country and western, I can do that. There’s nobody to say what we can or cannot do. And that’s the best place I think you can be when it comes to music.” Wilcox takes a slightly different view of working with his former label. “They didn’t dictate the kind of music we made, they just dictated the releases,” he suggests, adding, “you still gotta take into consideration, you’re [working with] somebody else’s money, so you gotta compromise on some level.” However, he’s not immune to the benefits of working independently. “Now, there’s no compromise. I don’t answer to nobody.” To Wilcox’s mind, an album or a hit single was never the end game. “At the end of the day, we make music. We don’t make records, we don’t make singles. We make music. That’s just how it is. And now less compromises, because we’re not doing it off somebody else’s money right now.” They may have been performing together for over two decades, but Wilcox and Robinson still remember their first gig together as The Pharcyde. “December 1992,” says Robinson. One would assume that The Pharcyde’s live career got off to an auspicious start, but as it happened the gig didn’t quite to go plan. “We wanted to make such a big impact, and it just didn’t click off how we wanted to click off,” laughs Robinson. “It was an infamous day in history that will never be forgotten. [Afterwards] we were like, ‘If we’re gonna do this shit, we’re gonna have to get it together.’” To add insult to injury, the group had actually rehearsed for the show. “It wasn’t like we just came off the cuff for the show – you know what, we practiced,” insists Wilcox. “We thought we were gonna rock the show. We just felt so confident, like that it would just click.” Reality, however, was slightly different. “We got on stage, and stuff just started falling by the wayside. It was a real eye-opening day. No member of the group was satisfied with what went down. The label, they were cool with it, but we couldn’t believe it just happened.” Both Wilcox and Robinson started pushing themselves to learn how to rock a stage and feel good about it at the end of the show. The most important thing they learned, though, is how to roll with the punches. “Nine times out of ten, there’s gonna be a problem,” says Wilcox. “It’s not gonna be perfect unless you’re rolling with Prince or rolling with U2 or some shit.” Wilcox doesn’t look for perfection in his team; he wants people who can push through a tricky situation. “The people that we roll with, like, our drummer has sat on cases because the stool was broken. Those are the people who you want to help you build your team, who can go out there and fight some battles.” For The Pharcyde, the battles are still worth fighting. Whether they’re playing a gig or recording a track, both Wilcox and Robinson are happy to still be in the music business. After surviving more than 20 years in the game, that’s fair enough too. “Right now, I’m just free to do what I want,” says Robinson happily. “It’s the awesomest feeling to just say, ‘You know what? I want to make a beat like this today.’ I feel like I don’t have the pressure that we had with labels. The expectations are not there. The only expectation is to do something good. Do something great.” WHO: The Pharcyde WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 22 August, Upstairs Beresford
32 • THE DRUM MEDIA
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VITRIOLIC THERAPY
US-APPROVED MONKS They might be a local indie rock four-piece with a funny name to you but to the Yanks, Monks Of Mellonwah are something else, as Michael Smith discovers.
NZ hardcore tyrants Antagonist AD have always been passionate about life and making a stand. Reflecting on their latest album, Sam Crocker enthuses to Brendan Telford, “We are coming out swinging.”
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he morning this interview took place, word came through that the video for the new Monks Of Mellonwah single, Neverending Spirit, lifted off their second EP, Neurogenesis, had been added to their regular playlists by the MTV Networks in the US. That came off the back of the boys winning Best Indie Rock Artists at this year’s Artists in Music Awards in LA, and picking up a nomination for Best International Artists in the LA Music Awards. “I’m not too sure,” Monks lead guitarist Joe de la Hoyde admits with regards to how it all came about. “Our manager was surfing the Internet and an opportunity came through his inbox about submitting to the Awards. We didn’t really think… It’s one of those things we sort of thought, ‘Why not?’ So we ended up submitting our song Neurogenesis, and they came back, loved it, they nominated us based on the song and on our social [networking] response. A couple of months later we’d been in contact with the guy who organised the event whose name is Mikey Jayy – he’s host of some [online] radio show in LA [The Great Unknowns presents KGUP 106.5] – and he asked us to come and perform over there as well. It was awesome to say the least. We went over for ten days to play the one show – it was insane!” Based around brother Joe and, on bass, John de la Hoyde and drummer Joshua Baissari, Monks Of Mellonwah started out with Will Maher on vocals but when he was obliged to drop out for a while, singer and guitarist Vikram Kaushik joined, and it was with him they recorded their debut EP, Stars Are Out, off which the track, Swamp Groove, managed to make AMRAP’s top 10 most requested songs across community radio. The new EP is different though, with Kaushik gone and Maher back in the fold. “As soon as Vikram had gone, we had to rethink our whole writing process,” Hoyde explains, Kaushik having been his co-writer in the band. “Me and my brother just started to take over it a bit more with the writing and concentrated more on
that ‘epic’ side of us. I mean it was different from the word go. Vikram had a kind of r’n’b sort of soul voice where Will has this really deep presence kind of voice. “The first EP, we didn’t have many developed song ideas and we sort of went into the studio blind and our producer helped us quite a bit because we’d only been together a couple of months, where on the second EP we really had an idea of what we wanted to sound like and focused songs, that kind of thing. We had a young producer called Ryan Miller, who really gave us some freedom over what we wanted to do. The songs, they’re all different, they’ll all got something different to offer based on, yeah, a lot of different things.” The band then took two tracks, the title and Neverending Spirit, and sent them to the States to be mixed by Grammy Award-winning producer Jeff Bova, whose credits include records for artists as diverse as Michael Jackson, Blondie and Iron Maiden. “We saw his ad online and we were happy with the mixes but not too convinced on a couple of things and considered getting them remixed – Neverending Spirit hadn’t been mixed – so we thought we’d just chuck Neurogenesis over to see what kinds of differences we’d get – and we were really happy with what came out from that,” Hoyde chuckles. “So we sent him the premix of Neverending Spirit to go nuts with.” WHO: Monks Of Mellonwah WHAT: Neurogenesis EP (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 18 August, Sandringham Hotel; Friday 24, The Basement, Canberra; Sunday 26, Old Manly Boatshed; Friday 31, The Patch, Wollongong
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ickey Church is actually quite well-adjusted. Surprisingly so. The White Arrows backstory suggests something of a mad genius. Every article, review and criticism of the band since their late-noughties inception has arrived wrapped in a haze of stories about Church’s upbringing – from his being legally blind until age 11 to his decision to study shamanistic rituals to the spontaneous discovery that his guitarist was his half-brother. “Yeah, I know, it’s pretty trippy,” Church says of the endless obsession with his backstory. “It’s one of those things, though – it sounds like my life was really intense when you cram it all into one or two paragraphs. But, like, being born blind and having an interesting major at college were actually eighteen years apart. I never saw them as connected in my head; or even particularly unbelievable. “The whole process has made me kind of introspective about my life – but, at the same time, it’s also helped me realise that, while my story is unique, so is everybody else’s,” the frontman muses. “You know, everyone I’ve encountered or run into, if you speak with them for an hour or so, you’ll realise that their life is just as full of supposedly weird stories as mine is, you know?” It is undeniably fascinating stuff. What’s more; it correlates fantastically well with White Arrows‘ cerebral, celebratory music. It isn’t difficult, for example, to draw a line between the indistinct shapes and colours of Church’s youth and White Arrows‘ impressionistic, psychedelic songcraft. Similarly, the frontman’s years studying shamanistic rituals seem to make sense alongside the dancefloor drive of debut album Dry Land Is Not A Myth. “Man, I had no intention of even being in a band when I made our first recordings at university,” Church laughs. “I’d never played live before. I’d never even played with 34 • THE DRUM MEDIA
That said, it’s ultimately ridiculous. If anything, tying White Arrows‘ sound to Mickey Church’s background cheapens their accomplishments. Church isn’t some hippy wizard shaman conjuring post-rave celebration for a generation of new modernists – he’s a musician and a songwriter. Dry Land Is Not A Myth is far more impressive than a magic trick; it’s actually a wellcrafted and imminently enjoyable album of music. “Our priority is not to be experimental or out-there. Making what we like to make is our priority,” Church says matter-of-factly. “If nothing else, I think to set out to be experimental is an oxymoron. I wish I could be Howard Hughes about all of the stuff that gets written about our band – just hide on an island with no media contact whatsoever – but I’m far too connected and far too meticulous to pull myself away from it all. “In the end, I think of it as just fuel, though,” the frontman muses. “You know, we’ll try and forget about all of the people talking about our hair or whatever and use all the good things people have said about us to push through and make more music in the studio. It’s always evolving – you know, my simply playing with other musicians these days is a completely new experience for me. We’re just going to keep making music.”
WHAT: Dry Land Is Not A Myth (Dew Process/Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 15 August, ANU Bar, Canberra; Thursday 16, Bar On The Hill, Newcastle; Friday 17, Metro Theatre
Lyrically Crocker has avoided previous fascinations with social and political topics to venture within, with surprising results. “When we started the band I had all these topics that I wanted to sing about, yet it got to the point that we had played these songs so often and I had said what I wanted to say about these issues; I said them the way I wanted to. Hardcore for us is about being real, so I had always been reluctant to write anything personal, to attach myself to the lyrics rather than it being a stance or viewpoint. I focused on more personal issues, feelings of paranoia and anxiety, the idea of being isolated in your own head, and it was so therapeutic. There is so much more connection and energy from me now, being able to relive these experiences and use its weight to push through.”
album and that line stuck out and changed the tone of the album. Geographically, we are a small band from a small country jammed into a hardcore world that is large and significant, and we are starting to make ripples in the pond, so the album sounds like we have a point to prove. We are coming out swinging.” The boys also recently signed up to Mediaskare Records, a deal that has Crocker grinning. “It’s been an awesome move,” he gushes. “We found it hard to believe that they showed interest in putting us out, because as far as we were concerned we were just some band on the other side of the world. To be recognised by a respected American label, who have put out a tonne of music by bands we’ve been listening to for ages – it gives a real sense of validation to what we do. We played our first show at a venue called Youthzone in Hamilton, one of the first places where I went to shows when growing up as a grommet, so playing the final show there before it shut down was the pinnacle – we didn’t really look further than that, that was an amazing thing to achieve. We used to see punk bands like NOFX and wish that we could be doing those things, so [the fact] that we are getting to now is a really humbling thing.” WHO: Antagonist AD WHAT: Nothing From No One (Mediaskare) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 15 August, Tuggeranong Youth Centre, Canberra (all ages); Thursday 16, Hot Damn; Friday 17, Masonic Hall, Blacktown (all ages)
GRIND FINALE
any other musicians before. It was kind of a personal test, in retrospect. I had absolutely no ambition and no foresight as to what was to come or what we would try to do. You know, even down to what kind of music we’d make - let alone whether we’d be touring Australia.”
WHO: White Arrows
“It took the majority of 2011 to write and record,” vocalist Sam Crocker admits. “We didn’t want to set a precedent by placing a time limit on what we were doing. Some of the songs had working titles for months, and we would change a riff here, a line there. In many ways it let us be more direct and thought-out with the writing, by adding more layers and depth to the music. It’s more refined, it isn’t rough around the edges like we jammed certain songs together.”
The title Nothing From No One is particularly pertinent to the band, with the album standing as a sign of intent of what is in store. “There was no rush to find a title for the album, I wanted it to jump out and choose itself,” Crocker explains. “We had gotten through half the
FREAKS OFF THE LEASH White Arrows’ backstory encompasses more dramatic revelations and sudden detours than a soap opera. Matt O’Neill speaks to frontman Mickey Church about the Los Angeles post-punks’ debut album Dry Land Is Not A Myth and its associated legend.
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hree albums in, and Antagonist AD are more passionate than ever. Using their frenetic and powerful performances as a soapbox to vent about societal ills, the band have always espoused that to be hardcore, it had to mean something. The new album Nothing For No One proves to be the most aggressive musical endeavour they have put to tape, yet with its focus coming from a slightly different direction.
Thought you’d never get the chance to see legendary grind warriors Nasum? Think again. The band is heading our way to celebrate 20 years of grinding fury. Mark Hebblewhite speaks to bassist Jesper Liveröd about the band’s surprising decision to say a proper goodbye.
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n Boxing Day 2004, grindcore lost a true visionary when Nasum frontman Mieszko Talarczyk perished in the catastrophic South Asian Tsunami. Not surprisingly, the remaining band members decided that they couldn’t go on without their friend and it seemed that the Nasum story had come to an abrupt and unjust end. Fast-forward to 2011 and grindcore fiends everywhere salivated at the news that Nasum had decided to reform for a limited run of shows. Once the excitement subsided, the questions began. First amongst them: ‘Why the change of heart?’ “For a long time I don’t think any of us could really fathom playing together as Nasum without Mieszko,” reveals Jesper Liveröd. “But at the same time there was something unspoken there among all of us that we’d like to do something to say goodbye properly as a band, because we never got the chance to do that. Then in late 2011, Anders (Jackobson – guitar) came up to Stockholm with the rest of us and we all got together, had some food and some beers, and talked about everything. The decision was made to put something together that could be a dignified end to Nasum. Once that decision was made, it’s amazing how quickly everything came together.” Don’t expect Nasum’s once-off reunion to be the spark for any future releases, however. “There is no chance that we will record a new album,” answers a very blunt Liveröd. “It’s important to all of us that we stay true to the reasons we decided to do these shows in the first place. That is to give Nasum as a band a dignified and fun end, and to give fans that may not have had the chance to see us live – like you guys down in Australia – the opportunity to do so. If we did anything more than that it would just feel wrong somehow. We want to stay away from any hint of capitalizing or profiting on Mieszko’s death - we would never do that.”
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In the context of Nasum’s decision to reconvene, the band’s choice of frontman was particularly symbolic. Liveröd stresses that the band wanted someone who really understood Nasum and the ethos that drove the band. In the end there was only one real candidate. “We didn’t want some mercenary to join the band for these shows,” he explains. “That’s why we chose Keijo (Niinimaa). Not only was he a friend of all of us in the band, he’s an amazing artist in his own right. His band Rotten Sound are incredible – definitely one of the best grindcore bands on the planet right now – and his voice is absolutely brutal and suits our material perfectly. Because we didn’t want to make a choice lightly, we pondered about it for a couple of months, but when we settled on Keijo it was like a bolt of clarity struck the band and we knew that he was definitely the guy.” As they’ve never reached our shores before now, a large percentage of their Australian audiences will be bona-fide ‘Nasum virgins’. This presents something of a problem for the band who admit they have a pretty wide range of material to choose from and simply not enough time to play it all. What to do, what to do? “What do you guys want to hear?” laughs Liveröd, who admits that it will be difficult for the band to construct a setlist that suits everyone’s tastes. “I think what we’ll do is try and construct a ‘best of’ set, but at the same time play some of the lesserknown material from some of the seven-inches to mix things up a bit. We’ve done hundreds of songs over the years and we plan to make the set list for our Australian shows as unpredictable as possible.” WHO: Nasum WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 18 August, The Hi-Fi
FAT RECORD Influential Aussie hip hop label Obese Records release their Obesecity 2 compilation a decade after their first, and Street Press Australia got to catch up with a few of the artists involved.
BIGFOOT (HIRED GOONS CREW, MELBOURNE)
One of the few artists on Obesecity 2, who also appeared on the first Obesecity 10 years ago: “Typically, Australian hip hop 10 years ago had laid-back and easygoing overtones that I could not always identify with. I was striving to make something more indicative of the lifestyle that I was living at the time, also reflecting the more extreme nature of the music that I gravitated towards as a listener. It was my aim to make Destroy The Rhyme the hardest and fastest song on the album, highlighting the differences between myself and the majority of Australian rap at the time. Since then, with the proliferation of relatively inexpensive home recording equipment and influence of the internet, the music industry has undergone a radical change… Obesecity 2 is testament to the years of hard work and solid foundations built by those artists who have stuck to their guns, unfalteringly walking their own path and building their own fan bases from grassroots beginnings. Very few of them are household names in the commercial realm, but the majority are revered and respected mainstays amongst hip hop circles who have invested blood, sweat and tears in pursuit of their passions. Seasoned veterans from all corners of the map are aligned alongside newer generations of talent showing limitless potential.”
week later with a four-verse track about how I got kicked outta school. Got to record it in a full-on studio, learn about production, making beats etc. Around that time the studio engineer introduced me to Ghosty, we connected straight away and formed Ozalians. The rest, as they say, is history. If it wasn’t for that probation officer, I would never have been able to do what I have so far and would still probably be talkin’ about how gangsta my guns are, so thank fuck she cared.” Obesecity 2 is out Friday 17 August on Obese Records.
DWIZOFOZ
CLASS A (MELBOURNE)
One of two lady emcees on the new compilation: “It means a lot to me to be a part of Obesecity 2. I used to catch the train up from Geelong and go to Obese Records (retail) to get my hip hop music and clothes as a little homie; I really looked forward to that. I was just such a big, dedicated fan. I actually dreamt about being on an Obese compilation. I remember saying to some guy at McDonalds in Geelong when Culture Of Kings came out: ‘I’m going to be on one of these compilations, watch me!’. That was the 10-years-ago bratty me. It took me a while but I got there. This album in particular means a lot to me because it has so many of my friends on it, a lot of us started rapping around the same time and started doing shows together years ago in Melbourne. for example 1/6, Maggot Mouf, Fluent… Also me, Raven, Aetcix (Goatmob), Luke Mac and Spit were rapping together in Geelong so so long ago. But yeah, the fact that we’ll be on such a dope, recognised and respected CD that will be distributed nationally is amazing. Being on an album with some of my favourite Aussie rappers such as Lazy Grey, Bigfoot and Newsense is just a spinout really. My track on the album is called The View, produced by Aoi. It’s pretty much head-nodding, sassy, creepy but soulful, thoughtful, Aoi and Class A goodness.”
P LINK (RAWTHENTICS CREW, MELBOURNE)
Part of the next-gen emcees coming through the scene, P Link grew up with the first Obesecity. “Hip hop in Australia today is definitely more exposed and ‘popular’, so to speak, which is always gonna have its goods and bads. But considering the live shows and quality and consistency of local releases, especially in the last couple years, I think it’s mostly good. The scene is a whole different ball game compared to 10 years ago, thanks mainly to the Internet, I think – I’m not sure Myspace was even round back then. Now with YouTube and all the rest, it’s a lot easier to get yourself out there. Anybody with a laptop and Facebook is an emcee these days. But I’ll admit, overall I’m stoked to see crews I grew up on as well as mates of mine able to make a living off their hip hop now. In the future, I wanna see the hard working real heads past and present get credit for their craft. I guess it all started for me on the battle tip, slinging punchlines with the boys, and gradually turned into hitting the pad and getting serious with it. These days it is my everyday life! My sound… It’s Rawthentic! Melbourne-made Boom Bap from a true fan of the art. Go cop my EP for a better explanation.”
DWIZOFOZ (BRISBANE)
Dwizofoz is one of two winners (the other being DVS from Melbourne) to earn himself a place on the Obesecity 2 compilation alongside the nation’s best underground acts. “I actually didn’t discover Obesecity (the first one) until a year or two after it came out. But when I found, it I loved it. I’d heard a bit of Aussie stuff by then, but this was the first time I was really struck by the amount of talent we actually had locally. It changed the way I saw rap from our shores. I actually started dabbling in rap because of my probation officer. I was on parole for a heap of stupid shit you do as a kid to make money to buy weed and eat. Every week she’d come round and I’d basically ignore her with my head in a book writin’. Luckily enough she actually gave a fuck and saw that music was a way to get through to me. She introduced me to Evil Eddie from Butterfingers as a part of a government program running out of a local recording studio. He gave me homework to write a story as a track, taught me to count bars and all that stuff. I came back a
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 35
GOTH GIRLS & COWS
WILLS POWER
There’s still a bit of the punk in Canadian alt.country rocker Corb Lund, but he tells Michael Smith the genres have more in common than you think.
Ainslie Wills is writing from a much different place these days. Stephanie Liew finds an artist empowered and comfortable in her own skin.
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inslie Wills might be about to launch her new single, Stop Pulling The String, the second from her upcoming debut album and the follow-up to the gushed-about Fighting Kind, but she’s already setting her sights on the year ahead. Appearing to be finding her feet in both her professional and personal life, Wills is making the most of her time off touring to work on composing. “I’ve been trying to write as much as I can lately. Sometimes between playing live shows and rehearsing and stuff like that, you just can’t fit it in. I’ve moved around a couple of things in my house so I’ve got a dedicated writing space,” she explains, sounding satisfied. “In my mind, I’m looking into the next twelve months, with the record coming out next year. Once that’s out we’ll be touring it, obviously, but then I want the momentum to keep going, so that’s why I’ve been getting into writing a little bit more, which is good.” However, Wills has come across those who think the term ‘organised musician’ is an oxymoron and it’s a stigma she thinks is nonsense. “People think you can’t actually have both. Speaking specifically about having a career in a creative industry, you really have to look at it as a long-term thing and plan ahead, otherwise you can find yourself anywhere.” She admits that she hates using the words ‘creative’ and ‘business’ in the same breath, but the reality is that music is her chosen profession and hey, a woman needs a roof over her head and food in her belly. “I made that choice to be in this kind of industry and that’s definitely not an easy thing to do if you’re constantly feeling like you’re putting lots in and sometimes you don’t see the fruits of your labour straight away, but you do see it eventually. Yeah, that’s my rant!” Listening to Wills’ releases chronologically – from her 2007 self-titled debut EP, to a 2010 EP called Somebody For Everyone, to her most recent album previews – feels almost like reading her journal entries. Her intricate and layered compositions, once mournful and melancholy, grew more and more defiant and confident in tone and message, paving the way for the overarching theme of “standing up for what you believe
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in and what you are” that is intertwined throughout her debut album, You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine. “When I did my first EP, from a personal point of view, I was in an interesting relationship; I’ll put it that way! I don’t think I was very happy, as you can probably hear.” Then, as time moved on, inevitably so did she. “You grow up and become more comfortable with yourself. By getting out of certain situations, you are empowered by that because you’ve made a choice and it’s the right thing for you.” As well as an evident evolution in her outlook, reflected in her lyrics and the subject matter of select songs, the new album sees Wills exploring cinematic, textural sounds with strong influence from decades past. It also marks a new songwriting process for Wills, courtesy her collaboration with her long-time guitarist Lawrence Folvig, whom she had met while they were both studying at VCA. For her EPs, Wills composed all the parts of a song herself, including Folvig’s guitar parts, but they shared writing duties on numerous tracks on You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine. “Thankfully, it’s evolved from having played lots of shows together and just keeping that relationship going, in that we’ve been able to really trust each other enough to start making the songs together and sharing that responsibility. The title is very much about us coming together with our creative ideas and creative processes; going the same direction in a parallel kind of style, I suppose. We’re lucky we don’t need to discuss much. We can say it through the music, which is really nice.” With eyes straight ahead and a clear head (and writing) space, Wills seems like she’s never been more sure of where she wants to go and how to get there, and it shows in her music. Here’s to the future. WHO: Ainslie Wills WHAT: You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 16 August, GoodGod Small Club; Friday 17, The Terrace Bar, Newcastle
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e might be working the roots/country/American end of the musical spectrum, but you only have to listen to a couple of his songs to know that there’s quite a wicked sense of humour working alongside the regular songwriting muse in Canadian singer/songwriter Corb Lund. Proudly Albertan, fourthgeneration ranching stock, on record Lund doesn’t stray too far from the country in which he grew up. So on his latest album, Cabin Fever, for instance, there’s the hilarious Cows Around, pure traditional country corn reminding us that “everything is better with cows around”, with its I’ve Been Everywherestyle recitation of all the breeds you’re likely to meet [“Is there an Australian breed called Murri?” he asks, hoping to include it for his visit. “It’s funny because, if you miss one, someone will call out, ‘Why didn’t you say this one?’”], followed by the self-explanatory (You Ain’t A Cowboy) If You Ain’t Been Bucked. “There are some dark moments on the record [September and his ‘country suicide ballad’, One Left In The Chamber] so I’m glad that it isn’t entirely a downer,” Lund reassures with a chuckle. “You’ve gotta mix it up though. [With the songwriting] I totally have to roll with it, wherever it goes. There isn’t a lot of premeditation involved.” Cabin Fever, his seventh album, wasn’t the easiest record for him to make. “A lot of it came quickly by but it took a long time to sort of get to see anything. Like, I had some family health stuff goin’ on and I had a breakup and stuff so it took me three years to get the thing done. I kinda hit a wall for a while, but then I eventually broke through it. I think it was the one about the pistol [Priceless Antique Pistol Shoots Startled Owner] was the one that sort of broke the dam, whatever.” The album has once again seen him nominated for Roots Artist or Group Of The Year – with his band The Hurtin’ Albertans – in this year’s Canadian Country Music Awards, an award he won seven years in a row
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between 2004 and 2010, so it’s obvious he’s found his niche. Yet he started out playing bass with what was, in its day, a very successful hardcore punk band, The Smalls, back in 1989, selling more than 40,000 albums over its decade of existence. Recollecting those times inspired the track, The Gothest Girl I Can, on the new album. Anyway, it turns out moving from one style to the other wasn’t such a big leap for Lund. “Not really no. I had both bands goin’ at the same time for the first few years. You know, I guess it seems bizarre to other people but to me it seemed quite natural. I don’t know; to my weird brain, the whole thing seemed natural, but I think that’s kind of what’s given me my current style of writing. The first half of my life I spend rodeoing and chasin’ cattle on horseback and the second half I spent in the punk metal underground scene, and I think that twisted my songwriting. ‘Cause in that scene you’re encouraged to do unique shit whereas in the country scene you’re sort of encouraged to do the same, especially mainstream country.” As for that sense of humour, “I don’t really do it on purpose, it just sort of happens that way. You’ve gotta check out Jerry Reed though – he’s very good.” Not that Corb Lund is likely to try his hand at being a Canadian Kinky Friedman – he admits he doesn’t have the patience to write a whole comic novel. “But I’d like to make a Western – I’d like to be violently killed in a Western.” WHO: Corb Lund & The Hurtin’ Albertans WHAT: Cabin Fever (New West) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 22 August, Notes Live
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PLAY IT AGAIN, VELVET
BACK ON TRACK
The Gangsters’ Ball returns to give us another chance to relive the glamorous side of the 1930s in the biggest, swingin’est speakeasy this side of Chicago. Drum gumshoe Michael Smith pull’s up the file on what to expect.
Taking a break after a decade of constant touring, Paul Greene not only regrouped and re-energised, but found himself a new album, as he tells Michael Smith.
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his time last year, Graham Coupland, whose idea The Gangsters’ Ball is, was admitting there was a slim chance it wasn’t even going to run, but of course it did and was as successful as ever. This time around, not only is it definitely full-steam ahead, but it looks very much like The Gangsters’ Ball will be going global – and before the year is out. “It’s something that I always thought Gangsters’ Ball could achieve,” Coupland, whose ten-sometimes19-piece swing band The Velvet Set are (inevitably) the musical centrepiece, admits, “was playing internationally in a casino, and I’d made some enquiries into Macau a couple of years ago and there was a little bit of interest. But, to be perfectly honest, the concept wasn’t quite there – I really needed to build the brand into something I could market internationally. “Then, at the end of last year’s show I was contacted by a producer who’s based in America, and she was very coy – she wouldn’t tell me who she was – but she said, ‘I’m coming to Sydney, there are a couple of Australian productions I’m interested in’. One of them was Smoke & Mirrors, a fabulous show, and the other one was Gangsters’ Ball. We sat down and talked, she told me about her business partners and it was, ‘right, let’s put a contract on the table – let’s go!’ The plan is get it up and running in Vegas as a casino show, hopefully debuting on New Year’s Eve, and what we’re looking at is doing four shows leading up to the New Year’s Eve extravaganza. All going according to plan, on the bill will also be the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Royal Crown Revue and Dita Von Teese doing burlesque.” And why mention all this you might wonder? Because the lucky door prize at this year’s Gangsters’ Ball is a trip for two to enjoy the show in Las Vegas. “That’s the plan,” Coupland continues, “so it had better happen!” Now into its fifth year, six if you count the year that went into its planning, The Gangsters’ Ball has really
38 • THE DRUM MEDIA
become an essential part of the city’s social calendar. Coupland explains, “It’s the attendees who really make the night. Honestly, Gangsters’ Ball has got to a point where I could do it in a barn,” he laughs. “It really is the audience that’s just as important to the show as the performers, and the effort they go to with their outfits is absolutely mind-boggling, and that really does create the mood. A lot of people turn up in gangster cars and vintage cars and they stand out the front and have their photos taken, it’s such a huge night now. People have been planning for 12 months.” So along with The Velvet Set, the gangsters and flappers will be entertained by usherettes, pinup girls, rockabilly/rock’n’roll DJs, swing dancers, a vintage styling parlour, roulette wheels, poker and black jack tables, acrobatic troupe Circus Trick Tease, juggler Mr Gorski and comedian Dave Callan as MC. “What I tried to do this year is two things in particular. I’ve gone back to my roots, so it’s going to be a very authentic 1930s night. I’m really trying to create that speakeasy vibe, so all the acts are going to be very authentic to the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s, and the real twist this year is the hypnosis show, for the first time ever at The Gangsters’ Ball. Shane Hall, from Melbourne, is going to do a traditional 1940s hypnosis show. He’s going to get 12 volunteers up on the stage and he’s going to embarrass the crap out of them,” he laughs. “And they won’t even know it!” WHAT: The Gangsters’ Ball WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 1 September, Metro Theatre
hen singer/songwriter Paul Greene takes our call, he’s just about to head off to the Snowys for a short run before he kicks off his next tour proper promoting Seek What You’ll Find, the second single off his seventh album – and his first signed to a label – Behind The Stars. As it happens, he’s only just back from three weeks in a place called Yanti in Shandong Provence in China’s North East, at the invitation of a fan working in the area. “Just about everything that’s happened to me has happened by chance,” he adds laughing. “It always seems to go that way, but it was good and I’m definitely going to go back next year. The Chinese really liked it, but it’s also a closed shop – you’ve got to know someone on the ground otherwise it doesn’t work. “I ended up playing in this one bar five nights a week, doing, like three or four hour shows and played all my own stuff and then played a few covers. It was like going back to square one but it felt good; it was a good change. I quite like just being in the trenches! Being in the pubs is still a huge part of where I’m from and a huge part of what I know I guess. So it was kind of like go back and playing in the North Gong [pub] again. It was a good reminder; I think by the end of it I was over it, but it was just such an adventure and I didn’t know what to expect when I went.” Towards the end of 2010, after a decade of living as the archetypal musical gypsy, constantly on the road, Greene found himself pretty much over being a musician altogether. “Your priorities change as you go and for me, I guess, ploughing through gig after gig after gig doing the pub circuit, for a very long time it felt like I was achieving something. It was fun and exciting and new and I think I owe everything I have now to that time that I invested in just the hard slog and doing crappy pub gigs. It could very easily have ground into a pulp but it seems to have actually been good.” Nonetheless he reached a point where there was just too much “housekeeping” to attend to, personally
themusic.com.au
as well as professionally, and essentially stopped; didn’t even pick up a guitar for three months. And that’s when everything started happening for him. Among other things, he started getting invitations to produce records for other artists – he’d played everything on and produced his last album, Everywhere Is Home – among James Blundell’s Golden Guitarnominated album, Woolshed Creek, and, out of left field, was invited to front veteran Aussie Pub Rock band Spy Vs Spy, which got his rock chops up. “One thing was figuring out a way that people would be able to get my records if they wanted them and the answer to that came through a meeting with ABC Music, and I ended up licensing a couple of albums from my back catalogue plus a new album, and I hadn’t even planned, I hadn’t been touring or anything so I didn’t have any new songs, and they were the ones that said, ‘We think you should put out a new record next year,’” he laughs. “So I said okay and set up my studio at home and started writing, which I’d never really done before.” Greene had always written on the road, but he called in a rhythm section, picked up an electric guitar and the result is Behind The Stars. WHO: Paul Greene & The Other Colours WHAT: Behind The Stars (ABC/Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 17 August, Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba; Friday 24, Notes; Saturday 25, The Cambridge, Newcastle; Thursday 30, Lizotte’s Kincumber; Friday 31, The Heritage, Bulli; Sunday 2 September, The Front Gallery, Canberra
THE DRUM MEDIA • 39
You long-term fans can be such an inconvenience to a band. You like the old stuff better than the new stuff. You want the same, but just a little different, for the comfort of familiarity. Before their ‘lead singer needs to make own album’ hiatus, Something For Kate held to that. Essentially, they released the same song – over and over. To diminishing returns. So, you approach their comeback song, Survival Expert (Capitol), with some trepidation. With its keyboard intro, and Paul Dempsey investigating that near-falsetto and supposed lighter touch he put on his own record, it’ll be up to the audience if the love is still there. The Presets are still in a bit of the glow of ongoing success. So, they’re still open to taking some risks. Ghosts (Modular) subsumes their big dance beats for a 21st century plastic sea-shanty, with highland overtones. Weird business, but catchy. Will the audience follow? They don’t strike me as the adventurous types, but again we’ll see.
Moving smoothly (or not) from the east of Australia listening to the north of England, to the southern climes of the US of A, Jeff The Brotherhood make ‘Ooo-ooo-ooo!’ noises as the guitars grind and the boys harmonise in praise of the Six Pack (Infinity Cat/Warner). As it stumbles back from the kitchen, the title would appear to relate to beer packaging method rather than the bodily feature. This should further endear it to local audiences. Theirs and ours. And they know Jack White. What more do you need to know? Sibling, location and attitude link: The Chris Robinson Brotherhood doesn’t actually feature his brother, Rich – he left him back with The Black Crowes. But songs like Rosalee (Silver Arrow) are still fine southern fried bubbling choogle. Fluids and liquid link: Ice Water (True Panther/Remote Control) by Lemonade. It is a cool splash into your face, before you head back to the dancefloor. One of the original points of synthesisers was to make things sound perfect, if a little plastic. This, they achieve, making gorgeous pop music as a sidebar.
MIA DYSON
GLENN FREY
PAUL SIMON
MGM
HIP-O/Universal
Legacy
Now and then there comes a moment that hits you so hard you’re forced to take notice. Mia Dyson, Australian songstress (and ARIA winner) is well attuned to moments like that – if her latest album is anything to go by. The Moment sticks out like a hitchhiker’s thumb willing you to stop, pick it up and keep it in your car for a long drive.
So what kind of album would one of the founding members of The Eagles record 20 years after his last solo album? Well, don’t expect a The Heat Is On revisited. The piano-based After Hours certainly isn’t what anyone still interested in Glenn Frey would have expected, though I suppose the title might have provided a hint. Here is as smooth and laid-back a collection of cocktail hour Great American Songbook jazz standards – though for the most part not the obvious ones – that would do Michael Bublé proud.
The Moment
After Hours
Dyson’s guttural wails are thunderous and, like any great blues artist, telling. Moving to the states, the blues Mecca, in 2009 evidently left her with many stories to tell. Among them, a management change and the subsequent rebranding of Dyson as BOY – an androgynous musical act and the brainchild of The Eurythmics rocker, Dave Stewart. But the gimmick (luckily) didn’t stick for long and Dyson decided the Pandora’s box of opportunities Stewart offered (a reported tour with Tom Petty and the opportunity to work with Bob Dylan) wasn’t worth the compromise. The Moment is a testament that, although physically she may look juvenile, Dyson sounds like a woman with experience far outreaching her years. Howling blues-rock anthems are abundant with When The Moment Comes and Pistol being among the best, and Dyson proves her versatility with ballads like the moving To Fight Is To Lose. If it’s true what they say about writing what you know, Dyson is more than apt at hitting the bottom, dusting herself off and coming back fighting. Every track on The Moment demands attention, be it Dyson on wailing slide guitar or simply strumming away. For anyone who hasn’t come across Mia Dyson, The Moment is a great place to start and, as she’s currently touring the country, one can only hope there are plenty more moments like this still to come. Tahlia Anderson
That’s not meant to be backhanded compliment either. Why shouldn’t Frey pour his musical heart out through a collection of beautifully composed and superbly arranged songs performed with all the subtle understatement that they deserve? No one’s forcing you to buy or listen to it, but I have to say, it’s a very gentle and comfortable little journey he’ll take you on, if you care to join him. The best known of the songs he’s chosen to reinterpret, just because he obviously love these wonderful, wonderful songs, are The Shadow Of Your Smile and The Look Of Love, while a very tame Route 66 is as “uptempo” as he gets.
Graceland 25th Anniversary Edition The importance of this album escaped me when released all those years ago. Simon’s career was well LIVEyet the failure of his previous album helped established him find this new direction, which of cours proved so successful. The politics he found himself involved with had more to do with the times than the actual music and its heritage. With the wisdom of hindsight, it’s easy to see how the music and the message has survived. Graceland is a brilliant melding of pop sensibility with the best of the African music scene.
VD This new release is a reminder of those wonderful hits,
But that’s fine really; Frey is obviously in a sentimental frame of mind and with that clean, clear reed-like voice of his, it all makes perfect sense. You’re probably thinking, if you’ve even read this far, that here’s at best a Christmas CD for your grandparents. But for those songwriters who’ve got this far, there’s a lot to learn from a collection like this. Of course, there are plenty of other and finer singers mining this catalogue, but if you know nothing about it, After Hours is as good a place as any to dip your toes.
among them You Can Call Me Al, which had the hilarious video with Chevy Chase – even though the song is a silly ditty it does feature some great musicianship. It’s the songs like Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes and Homeless that get closer to the mark as a statement against racism and poverty. Simon manages to bring the commercial nature of popular culture into a new world of African culture and vice versa. It really is a brilliant moment in the history of pop music.
D
Tourism would appear happen to steal someone else’s crowd. City Never Sleeps (Major Label) could be an Arctic Monkeys tribute band. Clipped, half-spoken vocals, outbreaks of guitar, melodic chorus – repeat to fade. ‘Don’t overthink it,’ said chorus suggests. Take your own advice. The Jungle Giants are shouty and melodic as well, on the She’s A Riot EP (Independent), but even in the title song seem to have at least one idea more than listening to I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.
ON THE RECORD
D
WITH ROSS CLELLAND
VD
SINGLES/EPS
The package includes the documentary, which really helps explain how the project was conceived and then made a reality. The amount of thought and pre-production for the project is quite amazing. The extra bonuses of live performances are all outstanding and fascinating. Graceland is the perfect album to be reissued and deserves as much praise as possible, all these years later. Sebastian Skeet
Michael Smith
Your Favorite Enemies are from Canada. This is to be taken neither as warning nor recommendation. But, as they ask the music question Where Did We Lose Each Other? (Footstomp), I think it was somewhere just after the first chorus when their fairly anodyne and anorexic take on late-‘90s indie – think REM on a really bad day – made me concerned for the critical faculties of those above the 49th parallel. Then again, these are the people who gave us Loverboy and Bryan Adams. The point became moot. Love Migrate get some of the feeling of a relationship eroding in Making This Hard (Independent), there is an exhaustion, an ache, to it – but the slightly clumsy overuse of the ‘cruddy bike’ in the song’s story makes it sound a bit like a demo recording they might rethink a bit if they get the chance to do it again. A 30 Rock writer and actor in Community. Odd background for a musical artist? So maybe Donald Glover is playing a role under his musical guise of Childish Gambino? Don’t know about that either, but he claims serious intent behind Firefly (Liberator). It’s of that smooth hip hop school, but for some reason I keep singing that, “And so they kick, push, kick, push, kick, push, kick, push, coast” song as it plays. Possibly because it sounds just like it. Also under a new moniker, Simon Foretti of 1200 Techniques is now Cybernetic Express. Love Rocket (Rubber) is just as ‘70s electronic cheesy as the title suggests. Also appears to use that voice vocoder thingy you haven’t heard used since Peter Frampton. And perhaps never hoped to again. Here, it sets the perfect sci-fi underpinnings as the flying saucers appear on the grey horizon, over the grey desert toward the monochrome small town in the distance. Movie as directed by Ed Wood, with a special effects budget of about $13.50. There’s no point in denying the arguments I’ve had with friends and ‘business associates’ about Regular John. The flanno shirt redundant grunge they peddled did more than leave me cold. It shat me to tears. But I accepted their sincerity. Misguided as it was. But something has changed. It may have been as simple as growing up a bit, and their taste improving. Slume (Difrnt Music) is presented by a band much different from the one I recall. It languidly comes at you through a honeyed fuzz, without the need to merely yell. It feels. It is good. 40 • THE DRUM MEDIA
MERE WOMEN
THE CACTUS CHANNEL
FABULOUS DIAMONDS
Tenzenmen
HopeStreet Recordings
Chapter/Fuse
At first, the abrasiveness of Sydney’s Mere Women is a little confronting, even with a vague idea of what to expect. Waiting Room creeps up slowly with ambient washes while a marching drum accompanies singer Amy Wilson’s high vocal wail. It drops back to almost nothing leaving just the mathematical beat and vocals as the guitars start pounding rhythmic noise over the top, which sounds random but is just as uniformly executed as the drumming. The song bleeds naturally into TB with some repetition and a low rumble of a hook that is enough to hang onto if you concentrate. Similarly, this tracks breaks down in the middle to reveal a second half which outshines its humble beginnings.
Let’s not beat around the bush here. Haptics sounds like it has been ripped straight from the golden age of porn soundtracks – this despite the band’s incredibly young age. The entire album perfectly encapsulates that funk sound of the 1970s that became so well associated with the seedier side of cinema back in the day. Brimming with deep, pronounced bass riffs that anchor each song seamlessly throughout the album, smooth-as-butter sax solos and drumming tighter than a hipster’s skinny jeans, Haptics is quite simply a near-perfect funk album.
Melbourne hypnagogic duo Fabulous Diamonds have done a stellar job of eschewing every notion that has been alluded to with respect to their music by shifting their entire focus in their next recording or live performance. Such elusiveness can make them difficult to embrace, yet an interesting by-product of this aesthetic is that such unpredictability creates a vacuum whereby each new release or live performance is essentially discovering them all over again.
OId Life
Haptics
While clearly the band has been heavily influenced by post-punk and no wave, there’s a million other influences that have been distilled into the very dense mix. The high energy tracks in the middle of the album, Hoof Foot and Indian, show just one of the very different directions the band could have taken. Even as late as Mister Minute, the very last track, they still haven’t covered all the bases. A loose jangly riff builds a loop with staccato drums interfering while even more guitar noise is layered up on top. Eventually organ drones start to carve out a melody while the vocals start to emerge. After a brief gap, the most tuneful and catchy part of the album emerges out of nowhere, lasting for about a minute-and-ahalf. It finishes so abruptly that it leaves you hungry for more, just as they’ve created your appetite. Chris Yates
At a time when every Tom, Dick and Harry seems to be attempting to revive older styles of music (how many Morrissey clones will we be subjected to?), The Cactus Channel have delved into an area of the past that has been largely untouched in recent years. Their endeavour to modernise the funk genre has resulted in a rich cluster of solid, compelling instrumental pieces. With the stirring chords of an organ interlaced with fast-paced, fat drumbeats and velvety horns, opening track Emanuel Ciccolini is a delightful listen, and a good indication of the standard of the album. Another strong feature of Haptics is the interchanging positions instrumentally within each song. The album fails to become stagnant because the band is unafraid to experiment and shift. Under The Birdcage is dominated by the sax, whilst in Derty D’s Thang the impressive bass riff tends to take precedent. Having just completed high school a year ago, the members of The Cactus Channel have shown incredible maturity and skill within Haptics. Refreshing and upbeat, the album delivers a musical sensibility far beyond the age of its members. Cate Summers
themusic.com.au
Commercial Music
Third LP, Commercial Music, eschews their previous penchant for averting song and album titles, yet such acts of conformity are yet another ruse. These six tracks, from the opening insistent mantra that is Inverted/Vamp, at once outline the duo’s ever-growing confidence in their craft, and there intention to confound as much of their audience as possible. The album has a much silkier production than anything they’ve previously put to tape, but if anything this heightens the physical, emotional and sexual unease that emanates from Nisa Verenosa’s sultry-yet-detached vocals and Jarrod Zlatic’s sensualyet-monotonous tone. The sparse percussive elements further drive the spike home. There are allusions to sexual tension in the caress that harbours violent undertones that is Lothario and the sweaty expulsion of closer, Downhill, yet more often than not this tension is palpable, unbearably so. John Song offers a tale of Brunswick-set malaise, a weekend of debauched wastedness tied up in a hypnotic grind, whilst Wandering Eye is the closest Fabulous Diamonds have ever got to a traditionally structured song, albeit infused with a trance-like dirge. Commercial Music is anything but. What it proves is that Fabulous Diamonds are more adept at straddling the fine line between dreamscapes and nightmares. Brendan Telford
GANGSTAGRASS
GRAND SALVO
NACHTMYSTIUM
SHANE FAHEY
Laughing Outlaw/Inertia
Preservation
Century Media/EMI
Iceage Productions
Who remembers Bubba Sparxxx? Cast your mind back way back to 2001 and you may recall the muddy chubster’s debut single Ugly. It was dross, but was produced by Timbaland – therefore part of the stutter-beat zeitgeist – and it sold well. More than that, it introduced ‘hick hop’ to the mainstream, and aspiring green belt rappers wondered whether swapping Traktor for a tractor wouldn’t be such a bad idea. And you’re back in the room.
Grand Salvo – aka Paddy Mann –has always refrained from travelling down the beaten path, preferring instead to carve his tales of whimsy and woe out of much finer, eclectic stuff. On Slay Me In My Sleep, his sixth foray as Grand Salvo, Mann relocated to Berlin and enlisted the duties of acclaimed composer Nils Frahm for production duties (and a smattering of piano and celeste) alongside a plethora of bit players on this overtly ambitious album.
In recent years, the pervasive trend within the USBM (United States black metal if you’re not up on your sub-sub-genre acronyms) scene is to take black metal and throw it together with drone and doom influences. Against a backdrop of this slow, meditative black metal, Silencing Machine stands out like a game changer – ten tracks of bleak, unrelenting, extreme music of the highest calibre. Chicago’s Nachtmystium have sped things up, reduced the production value and turned to the work of gritty post-punk outfits like Killing Joke and Throbbing Gristle for inspiration.
You might be aware of Shane Fahey via his role in Australia’s experimental and post-punk past, having delivered synthetic analogue textures in projects as diverse as experimental rockers The Makers Of The Dead Travel Fast in the late ‘70s/early ’80s; Scattered Order between 1982 and 84; and Social Interiors in the ‘90s. An accomplished experimental musician, he is also an acoustic engineer, and it’s difficult not to hear these two worlds colliding on Twin Korg.
Rappalachia
Slay Me In My Sleep
Brooklyn producer Rench of Gangstagrass is a man with a vision, and on paper the pairing of hip hop and bluegrass is so crazy it just might work. But too often Rench sets his tracks up strictly to formula: padded bass + snare claps + banjo + vocal. The thing about formulas is that they’re formulaic, and what first time listeners hope will be a journey to rival the Appalachian Trail is too often a plateau, and occasionally dangerously close to a flatline. Thankfully there are appearances from the likes of Kool Keith and Dead Prez to bring out potential, and Western and Dollar Boss are the standout tracks on the record.
Twin Korg: Winter Drip Code
Silencing Machine
Kicking off with the pagan carnival-esque instrumental The Old Woman And The Boy, it takes no time to disappear down Mann’s rabbit hole. The song titles are ridiculously verbose (one of the shortest being They Sit Facing Each Other At The Kitchen Table. He Notices She Is Missing A Finger), but reads as the chapters of a beguiling folk tale set in France of the meeting of a woman and a young man as he burgles her house in May 1928. Really.
Ultimately, this album of beats, rhymes and life is worth a listen, but probably not a purchase. It’s not the first release under the Gangstagrass name, but it just doesn’t feel like there’s any longevity here. It’s a far better effort than anything by the likes of Sparxxx, but you can’t help feeling the opportunity for an idiosyncratic all-American soundclash has been lost.
The bewitching Mann weaves a tapestry of subtlety and beauty around this highly evocative concept, a suite of songs coming forth that embrace the listener warmly rather than hold at bay. There is inherent in this album the sense that Mann intends this to be a bedtime story, to be told in a wind and snow-swept house by candlelight. It’s difficult to highlight any one song, because alone they feel just that – alone, out of place. The fact that Mann has the audacity to make such an album is one thing; the fact that he has made a grandiose, majestic folk epic with all the emotional toil of a classic novel, is nigh on revelatory.
Tom Birts
Brendan Telford
Though they might seem worlds apart, black metal and post-punk are two genres with more similarities than differences. Both are bleak in sound, dystopic in outlook and unflinchingly caustic. In fact, the two genres fit together real nice on Silencing Machine. Spaghetti. Meatballs. Gin. Juice. There’s a natural congruency at play in the charred buzz of Sanford Parker’s synths and the tremolo-picked riff terror of Blake Judd and Drew Markuszewski, just as frontman Judd’s tortured howls find their counter-point against Charlie Fell’s inventive drum tracks. Silencing Machine is bolstered by Nachtmystium’s decision to stay within the confines of this black metal/post-punk aesthetic for its entirety. The singularity of vision makes the record harrowingly monotonous, recalling some of the Norwegian BM staples in ethos rather than sound. When Nachtmystium hit album standouts like The Lepers Of Destitution, Borrowed Hope And Broken Dreams and I Wait In Hell, they create something artless and raw; definitely some of the most powerful extreme music you’ll hear this year. Tom Hersey
It’s no surprise that the music here is quite experimental; bleak rashes of noise, oscillating pitches and bubbling drones prevail, but it is surprising the degree to which it feels organised, perhaps composed. Fahey’s decades of experiments with analogue synthesis have resulted in a rare kind of control over the savage beast. He works carefully with tone, frequency, dynamics, panning and volume, articulating sounds slowly, evolving into different parts of the stereo field. Feedback systems come hand in hand with synths, where explosive frenetic noise can occur one track, only to be followed the next by gentle acoustic drones that may or may not be field recordings. Perhaps the best way to highlight the accomplishment of Fahey is to point out the diversity of approaches on these 13-odd tracks. It’s all dark electrics, but within each piece he finds something new, whether it’s structural, textural or even bombast. His electronics alternatively sound like field recordings of the interior of a synthesiser when everyone goes to bed, the world coming to an end, or the sweet scattered purr of electrics under stress. It’s a strange, challenging and beautiful journey into the bowels of non-narrative electrics that’s so joyfully exploratory that it sounds like it was made 20 or so years ago. Bob Baker Fish
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 15
Saturday AUGUST 18
CHET FAKER SPECIAL INTIMATE SHOW
Deer Republic EP LAUNCH
SOLD OUT! TUNE IN TO FBi RADIO 94.5 AT 5PM TO HEAR IT LIVE!
Laugh your tits off:
FRIDAY AUGUST 17
Up and comers
BEARS WITH GUNS
HOSTED BY MARK WILLIAMSON
8 PM
$10 AT THE DOOR
BEC & BEN
ENERATE
IOWA
DUSTY YELLOW SUNBEAMS
LYYAR NARROW LANDS 8 PM
$10 AT THE DOOR
GOLDSMITH
OPEN SKYS
THURSDAY AUGUST 16
SOUNDS LIKE SUNSET
THE FORMER LOVE
8 PM
8 PM
$10 AT THE DOOR
$8 AT THE DOOR
Hands up!
ROBOPOP
“THROW DOWN TIL YOU THROW UP”
URBAN CLASSICS!
DJ’S STAGGMAN AND CLOCKWERK
HIP-HOP/R’N’B SPECIAL
11:30PM
FREE
level 2, kings cross hotel
11:30PM TIL THE DEATH
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www.fbisocial.com themusic.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA • 41
THE HEAVY SHIT WEDNESDAY 13
THRASH REGION Sydney’s thrash experts, Hazmat have been kicking much ass of late, some great supports, their own headlines, an album release, videos, the whole lot and they are planning a regional tour of NSW for October. The time has come for them to hand over duties to a proper manager so they can get back to windmilling. If you think of yourself as a bit of a Doc McGee or a Burnstein and Mensch, then give Stu Tyrrell a yell at fertullaghmedia@hotmail.com.
CALLING ALL UNDEAD FANS My favourite undead dude Wednesday 13 seems to be yours too. He has had to up his venue from The Annandale to The Manning Bar to cope with the demand for his Sydney show coming up on Friday 26 October. Calling All Corpses is an awesome foot stomper too.
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM October’s Whiplash Festival has announced the third and final list of additions to the bill. Legendary US brusiers, Merauder have been confirmed as the third international on the fest along with Denmark’s Mnemic and Brazil’s Unearthly. The full list is quite frankly fucking huge. Ready? Dawn Heist, Lynchmada, Anno Domini, Devour The Martyr, Norse, Katabasis, Scar The Surface, Deprivation, Prescient (WA), War Faction, As Silence Breaks, Our Last Enemy, Kunvuk, Rise Of Avernus, Red Bee, Syko Sapian, Modern Murder, My City Screams, Down Royale, A Breach Of Silence, Kyzer Soze, Eternal Rest, Medusa’s Mirror, The Helix Nebula, The Arbitrary Method, Taken By Force, Requiem Of The Damned, Drop Bear, Blackout To Oblivion, Psynonemous, Perpetual End, Thedevilzwork, Rise, Wretch, Law Of The Tongue, Subjektive, Decimatus, Berserkerfox, Abreact and Any Last Words.
PROPAGANDHI RELEASE SECOND SINGLE Manitoba, Canada-spawned four-piece Propagandhi have released a second single with the unlikely title, Duplicate Keys Icaro (An Interim Report), off their forthcoming sixth album, Failed States, due out in September 7 on Epitaph. According to frontman, singer and guitarist Chris Hannah, “I would say Failed States is a little less ‘modern’ sounding than [previous album] Supporting Cast(e) in terms of sonics. It’s probably a more accurate portrayal of what we sound like in our jam space.... It sometimes feels like we haven’t had a record that genuinely sounds like us playing in a room together since the mid-‘90s. I felt more surprised – in a good sense – by Failed States when it was done than I did about Supporting Cast(e).” As to the single itself, Hannah admits on the band’s website that the title is quite the mouthful: “I can’t wait to hear that one guy up front at every one of our shows screaming ‘Play Duplicate Keys Icaro (An Interim Report)!’ over and over.” Hannah also suggest we all get a copy of the album and ingest it before “Nibiru comes flying out of the Oort cloud and annihilates Earth in late December, vindicating paranormalists and pseudo-scientists worldwide for about 14 nanoseconds.” So, maybe the Mayans were right!
DISTURBING AUTOBIOGRAPHY Disturbed frontman David Draiman has tweeted the world that he’s currently working on his autobiography: “3 chapters in. Starting up again when I get back from vacay. Will come out in conjunction w the Device record.” The beauty of an autobiography, apart from the joys of telling the world all about yourself, is that you’re not restricted to 128 characters! The Chicago-born Draiman, 39, voted #42 in the magazine Hit Parader’s Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time, has been busy working up his side project, Device, with Geno Lenardo, former Filter guitarist, since Disturbed went on indefinite hiatus in July last year. They went into the studio in June to demo a number of new songs. 42 • THE DRUM MEDIA
Given it was announced last Wednesday and this is published the following Tuesday, you’ve been living with the Soundwave announcement for a week now and mein gott, didn’t it bring out the best in the Keyboard Warriors! It’s not worth my time to give the haters any more thought since you can’t really complain about a festival that has Metallica and Anthrax both on it! There are a bunch of rad bands you’re probably not aware of like Red Fang and Danko Jones to check out, so go and enjoy the day and some new tunes or just sit at home and sulk about how disappointed you are that they didn’t fill it with every one of your favourite bands. Swedish death metal titans, Hypocrisy are finally making their way to Australia for the first time in their long and distinguished career. Fronted by workaholic Peter Tägtgren, who is without a doubt one of the busiest men in the metal scene – juggling Hypocrisy with his duties as a record producer and several other musical side projects (including Pain) – and joined by bandmates Lars Szoke and Mikael Hedlund, Hypocrisy promise to destroy the Manning Bar on Friday 18 January.
Demarchi, Dallas won the Light Your Fuse comp on triple j in 2006 and hasn’t stopped since, going as far as hitting the Blues Passion Cognac fest in France. Her album Sound Painter came out in May and to see both femme powerhouses, be at Wagga’s Saloon Bar with 20 bucks in your pocket. MELODY BLACK Chaos Divine (WA), Mushroom Giant, Quiet Child (SA), Glass Empire, A Lonely Crowd, This Is Your Captain Speaking, Okera, One, Teramaze, Toehider, Rainbird, Alithia, Jarek, Kettlespider, Bear The Mammoth, Glasfrosch and Harlequin. This week’s road dogs are… Antagonist AD, Lionheart and Shinto Katana roll all over the place hitting the Tuggeranong Youth Centre in Canberra for an all-ages show on Wednesday, Hot Damn on Thursday (over-18s) and Blacktown’s Masonic Hall on Friday (also all ages).
FRIDAY
Huge congrat’s to the boys from Melody Black. Their wicked cover of Ballroom Blitz topped the iTunes metal chart last week ahead of Europe, Korn and Motley Crue. You can only imagine how chuffed that factoid made Leeno feel! Prog is a big deal in this country, as not a week goes by when some time-bending gig is featured in my ramblings. This year’s Progfest is happening on 27 October at The Annandale (can’t wait to see the refit!) and will be headlined by Ne Obliviscaris. Applications are now open for bands to feature on the official compilation that will be available at every stop on the national tour. Your band can feature alongside some of the bands on the bill and a stack of other greats. There will be a cool 1000 copies made and if you want to submit, send an email to welkin.progfest@gmail.com. Deadline for submission was yesterday, Monday 13 August but since I got news of this just a few days ago, I’m sure the Welkin boys won’t mind a few late submissions. By the way, the full Progfest line-up has been confirmed as Jericco (Single Launch), Ne Obliviscaris, The Red Paintings (QLD), Circles, Branch Arterial,
See, more prog! Breaking Orbit’s soundscapy, polyrhythmic and eclectic hour-long opus, The Time Traveller is out now and they will be showing it off at The Annandale tonight. Should be good! Somewhere between hardcore punk and bluesgone-wrong is how Canada’s Burning Love have been described – luring you with infectious hooks and full-throttle blues before going in for the kill. If mixing up Poison Idea, QOTSA and MC5 sounds even remotely like your bag, then you need to be at the Sando tonight to catch them on their maiden tour. Rounding out the evening will be Lo! and Epics. Two of the best female rock voices in the country have teamed with their armies of mad hairy bloke bands to bring Wagga a night of pure vocal volume and hard rawk. The Phantastical Heaven The Axe will be playing a hometown show as they feature Wagga natives Phoebe Pinnock and Steve Watts, and Dallas Frasca has been described as guttural blues howl laced with demonic slabs of guitar riffage, which is very niiice. Channelling Chrissie Amphlett and Suze
WAKE THE DEAD I mentioned last week that the first announcement of the 2013 Soundwave Festival would be made the middle of that week. Now all has been revealed, and it’s fair to say that this is the biggest lineup that the festival has ever announced. No, seriously – Metallica, Blink 182, Paramore, The Offspring, Anthrax, All Time Low, Flogging Molly, Motion City Soundtrack, The Lawrence Arms, Sleeping With Sirens, Cancer Bats, Madball (HELL YEAH!), Vision Of Disorder, Pierce The Veil, Of Mice & Men, Miss May I, The Wonder Years, While She Sleeps, Such Gold and Lucero. But here is my pick of the lineup, the single band that I am the most excited to see: Shai Hulud! The band have just wrapped up work on a new album, so it will be excellent to see them performing new and old material. So Soundwave is happening at an as-yet undisclosed location in Sydney on Sunday 24 February. General public tickets go on sale on Thursday 23 August, but sign up to the Soundwave mailing list to have access to pre-sale tickets. See everyone there… I meant to mention this last week but ran out of room. Adelaide’s Paper Arms have entered the studio to begin recording the follow-up to their critically-acclaimed 2010 debut, Days Above Ground. The band are currently holed up at Capitol Sounds Studios in their hometown with Jimmy Balderston, with the 13 new tracks to send over to the US for mixing by Brian McTernan. “We are so stoked to have Brian on board with this record! He’s recorded such a long list of our favourite albums, everyone from Texas Is The Reason to Thrice, I couldn’t really think of many other people I’d be this excited to work with,” says vocalist/guitarist Josh Mann. The forthcoming album will be out 5 November through Poison City Records. Paper Arms will also being playing the Sunday 16 September show of the Poison City Weekender, but if you don’t already have a ticket, too late - you missed out. While we’re talking about Poison City Weekender, soon to be visitors to the festival, Restorations, have announced a change in their label, with the band moving to SideOneDummy Records. The band have hit the studio this week to record their
METAL AND HARD ROCK WITH CHRIS MARIC
PAPER ARMS second full-length before they arrive on our soil. Most recently, the band released a 7” titled A/B via Tiny Engines/Poison City. As I mentioned, they’re out here for the Poison City Weekender, but will also be touring the rest of the country with The Smith Street Band as a part of their Sunshine & Technology launch tour, including a show at the Annandale on Saturday 8 September (also with Hoodlum Shouts and Milhouse). Having recently announced a new vocalist – Break Even’s Mark Bawden – and intentions for album number two, Melbourne melodic hardcore act Hopeless have now announced further tour dates to their previously announced Brisbane jaunt. At the moment, it looks like they will be playing the Bald Faced Stag in Leichhardt on Sunday 2 September. Local, magical animal hardcore act Totally Unicorn have announced the release of an amazing 7”. Appropriately called 7inches, the EP will feature two new songs, however it is strictly limited to 200 copies. However, if you pre-order now you will receive a complimentary digital copy of a third song, Innertube. But here is why you need to purchase it (and it will make perfect sense if you’re a fan of the band): the vinyl is in the shape of a hot pink dick, which the band described as making the 7” actually a 12”. You can order it through the band’s Bandcamp page, with orders expected to ship around 11 October. The past couple of weeks seem to have been filled with glaring errors by music journalists, from a writer for The New Yorker making up Bob Dylan
themusic.com.au
Friday night does however belong to Swedish grindcore legends Nasum who hit the Hi-Fi as part of their 20th Anniversary and final farewell tour. Joining the chaos are the UK’s Dyscarnate and the one and only Psycroptic who will be playing their first local shows since the release of their critically acclaimed newie, The Inherited Repression.
SATURDAY Tonight’s mega Venom lineup features Vendetta Of The Fallen, Kaleeko, Emergency Syndrome and Hypergiant all playing live. Canberra Prog People, The Basement is the only place for you this evening as Breaking Orbit bring their groove to you. Kicking proceedings off at 8.30pm will be Miscreation, followed by Septimus Prime, Laced In Lust, Heaven The Axe (who stroll over from killing it in Wagga), Toxicmen, Hence The Testbed and Final Lies. Doors are at 8pm and it’s 15 bucks in. However, should previously mentioned hardcore/ punk/blues be your bag instead, Burning Love will be playing some good friendly violent fun at Bar 32 in our nation’s capital. Meanwhile at The Wall the Sans Vox showcase will be putting on a great night of instrumental stuff, so if you want a break from all the shouting, head over and catch Grum, Mushroom Giant (who are up from Victoria), Dumbsaint, Solkyri and Danny John Trio all playing 45-minute intros hehe. Doors at 8pm and it’s $15 in.
SUNDAY Stop in at Blackwire Records on Parramatta Road to catch the Burning Love madness in their final show around here. It’s all ages and features Fattura Della Morte, and Hostile Objects too.
PUNK AND HARDCORE WITH SARAH PETCHELL
quotes in a book he was writing, to now CNN (as in the American news channel) listing long-running hardcore act, Hatebreed, among white-power bands in an article titled Hate With A Beat. Initially, the author merely removed the mention of the band from the article, before later acknowledging the mistake. However, punknews.org makes a valid point when they said that this action didn’t excuse “the sloppy and shockingly irresponsible behaviour by the author or CNN, neither of whom apparently felt that typing a band name into Google would be worth their time.” I’m kind of curious as to what Jamey Jasta would think of all of this… I’ve talked previously about Frank Turner’s hardcore side project, Mongol Horde, which was first unveiled a year ago now (back in August 2011). At the time, he noted that he was aiming for something further from his previous band, Million Dead, with something more akin to Jesus Lizard or Hot Snakes. Lyrically, he also promised a pretty different focus, describing the band’s current material as “quite depraved” with an example being a song which has Natalie Portman infected with a tapeworm that uses her as a sock pocket and leads an uprising in Hollywood. Anyway, the band have unveiled their first track, called Casual Threats From Weekend Hardmen, for which you can find a video floating around the interwebs. One last thing for this week, don’t forget that Burning Love are hitting town for a whole bunch of shows. This is the band’s first trip out to Australia, in support of their second album, Rotten Thing To Say, out now through Resist Records. You can catch them on Friday 17 August at the Sandringham Hotel in Sydney, playing with The Epics and Lo!; then on Saturday 18 August the tour hits Canberra where The Rev and Disavow will be supporting; and finally on Sunday 19 August, Burning Love head back up to Sydney for an all-ages show at Blackwire Records with Fattura Della Morte and Hostile Objects. Rotten Thing To Say is a killer album, and could be up there as one of the best releases of 2012, so these shows are definitely not to be missed!
BUSINESS MUSIC
INVESTING IN CLUB MUSIC WITH PAZ
HOW SWEDE IT IS
The Swedes are making a great impression at the moment. Bilingual booty tracks. Big points to GNUČČI Banana teaming up with Cristian Dinamarca for the 110bpm bumper – 360 Donna. It looks like an official album is in the pipeline. More recently Stockholm’s Ellinor Olovsdotter aka Elliphant has placed her ethereal raps over two stand out tracks, In The Jungle and Tekkno Scene feat. fellow Swede Adam Kanyama. All these tracks have really interesting video clips too. Sticky Stockholm (the man behind 12-3 Recordings) emailed through his latest EP. Going through his back catalogue and kept coming across great bumping house tracks. The one that’s been on rotation is Dual Threat that bumps out a slightly garage bassline and hip hop vox.
MICHAEL DIAMOND – TRAP SHOOTER
I am completely convinced Michael Diamond is going to retire into a hip-hop career. Why has 2-Chainz not mentioned him yet? Maybe we should be promoting him as the person to be seen with on Worldstar. Anyway, it seems trap is blowing up, all the past b-more stars are coming out the closet and all the past 130bpm hits of the last year are chopped and screwed into the latest trap hit. And the best are sitting up the top. The Cobra Krames – Dat Krunk EP smashed two new tracks, Hit Dat and Bounce Dat, which resemble a great part 1- and part 2-style EP. Oh Snap! – once famous for not wearing skinny jeans – has re-upped M.I.A’s Hands Up, Thumbs Down, sampling the B-Town and amping it under a hover bass. Completely “turnt out” and by no means play this at your local bar, it’s massive. A couple of the more major club music players are putting their signature all over trap. You can’t get bigger than the Flosstradamus – Roll Up (Baauer Remix) out on Clubhouse Vol II. If Flosstradamus are the presidents of trap then Baauer is the first lady, and on this one they in the mile high club on Air Force One. The next remix that’s worth its weight is Dillon Francis re-birthing Masta Blasta. Dillon Francis has a unique touch when it comes
MUSICNSW
WORDS FROM THE PEAK BODY OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC IN NSW
This month, MusicNSW offers two fantastic opportunities exist for musicians and their managers in NSW.
CONTROL: THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC MANAGEMENT Mid-career music managers from across the country are now encouraged to apply for CONTROL, a fivestage program tailored to equip music managers with the business skills they need to become successful and maintain sustainable businesses. The program is presented by the Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN), of which MusicNSW is a part of, and supported by the Association of Artist Managers. DIAFRIX to next level club music, keeping the pressure on and always being progressive and upfront. Trap music has taken over my Soundcloud, inbox and RSS searches, but on the local front Mat Cant has released promos to his Make Believe EP out on Scattermusic September 4. The package includes three remixes and a b-side, Are You Ready, that’s got a bumping a garage vibe and rasta call out. One of the stand out remixes in the package is from Brisbane’s answer to Toddla T, Sampology. Snares and hats are riding all over the OG synth horns and bass, the remix puts Make Believe into all your club sets.
ON THE UP
Will Monotone of Boston MA has a jackin’ house anthem for Fogbank Records. Dem Mai Hoes has one foot in hip hop and one on the dancefloor. Also copped a moombahton comp titled Mash It Up! that takes all the tropical elements and keeps ‘em alive in 2012 with the big moombah beat. Stand out’s from Uproot Andy and Dawerfa with Mambotune and DJ Comrad with Neguinho Moombahton. It looks like moombahton is still moving strong look at Walmer Convenience and 110BPM blogs for all the mad new variations of the “ton”. Locally the Styalz Fuego and Wax Motif production on the new Diafrix track Helicopter is a big club track. It’s great that their label allowed them to go out a little bit on the edge. Well worth checking out the growth of Diafrix.
CONTROL will feature two workshops, which aim to provide music managers with practical guidance on developing their business as a music manager. The first workshop will be held in Terrigal from 25-28 November 2012, and the second part of the program will run in 2013. The first workshop will go through the different business models found in the contemporary music sector and will be moderated by industry advocate and lawyer Shane Simpson, who has worked with Australian music managers such as Bill Cullen, Catherine Haridy and Andy Kelly. “CONTROL has really hit its stride,” said Denise Foley, Chair of AMIN and Executive Officer of Q Music. “Past participants sing its praises. They claim its not only changed their businesses for the better, but also their lives.” “Even after 15 years of managing bands, CONTROL was a real eye opener for me,” said music manager Heath Bradby (Drapht, Karnivool, Papa vs Pretty, Downsyde). “I’m working smarter, not harder, now. My work/life balance is a lot better. The course was incredibly beneficial, and I would urge my peers to make the time to do it.” CONTROL Guidelines and application forms are available online at www.amin.org. au, applications close September 10.
QUICK RESPONSE FUNDING 2012
MusicNSW, through support received by Arts NSW, is pleased to announce the 2012 Quick Response Grant Program to support artists and artist managers in developing export opportunities whilst attending
DENISE FOLEY Australian industry conferences, trade fairs and other career defining opportunities in 2012/2013. Export growth has been identified as an area critical to the growth of the Australian contemporary music industry, and providing pathways for artists and artist managers to capitalise on the opportunities presented by a strong export market is the primary purpose of this funding program. Artists and artist managers are invited to apply for one off funding of up to $650 per member of the touring party (artists and artist managers only) up to a limit of $4000. This funding is to support educational, networking and information sharing outcomes with a view to establishing a platform for artists to maximize career-defining opportunities presented domestically. This program focuses on attendance at Australian conferences and trade fairs as a means to develop relationships in international markets prior to traveling overseas, and to assist in the development of business skills required at international trade events within the familiar environment of a national conference. It is also available to support career-defining opportunities that would otherwise be cost prohibitive to artists, which may consist of major support opportunities or other key showcase events. Submissions can only be made by artists (and/ or their managers) based in NSW (i.e. must have a registered business name and/or mailing address in NSW). All applicants must be Australian citizens or have permanent residence status in Australia. The first round closes on August 21. We strongly encourage any independent musicians or managers showcasing BigSound this year to apply in this round! There will be a further three rounds throughout 2012. For information, selection criteria, budget templates and information about other closing dates, head to www.musicnsw.com.
BANDS THE INDUSTRY THE LOCALS THE BLOG RES THE DJS THE GIGS THE PRODUCERS THE REMIXES THE ARTISTS THE FESTIVALS THE GRO LBUMS THE TOURS THEMUSIC.COM.AU THE FA THE INDUSTRY THE LOCALS THE BLOGS THE E S THE GIGS THE PRODUCERS THE CLUBS THE TISTS THE FESTIVALS THE GROUPIES THE ALBU THE FANS THE BANDS THE INDUSTRY THE LOC S THE ENCORES THE DJS THE GIGS THE PROD LUBS THE REMIXES THE ARTISTS THE FESTIVA PIES THE ALBUMS THE TOURS THE FANS THE themusic.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA • 43
GET IT TOGETHER
HIP HOP WITH VIKTOR KRUM
I’m happy to say I’m overwhelmed by the amount of awesome array of all ages shows on offer this week – everything from big internationals like UK band Passenger at the Hi-Fi on Friday to the kinds of small-scale gigs I’m about to fill you all in on. First up, Marrickville Youth Council have brought together the third instalment of their Watch Your Head nights. WYH 3 goes down Friday night from 6pm at Jarvie Park Resource Centre, it’s all free (!) and features obviously your Superhero, Skins & Skeleton, and Sketchead.
Thundamentals! They’ve well and truly earned that exclamation point. What are they? The most popular crew in the country at the moment? Maybe. There’s certainly an argument for that. Foreverlution is nearly a year old now and it’s still everywhere; maybe more pervasive than ever. The Thundakats are going from strength to strength. On one view, it’s a slow burn: Tuka and Jeswon are cipher-sparking technically proficient rappers who honed their skills for a decade before rising to prominence a couple years ago, in part on the back of top notch production. On another view, this is all a bit of a surprise. Where were the ‘Kats a year-and-a-half ago? For those in the know, they were promising and exciting, but this avalanche of success still comes as a (pleasant) surprise. Go Thundas! More exclamation points! You can catch your boys as part of their Get Busy Tour on Saturday 27 October at the Gearins Hotel in Katoomba and on Friday 9 November at Oxford Art Factory. Speaking of Tuka’s crew, you can catch the man himself playing solo as part of the Big Village Big Things Tour. The line-up is heavy with talented Big Villagers: Tuk of course, Ellesquire, Daily Meds, Loose Change, True Vibenation and Reverse Polarities will be playing. Also, there’ll be a performance of Sketch The Rhyme, the rhyming-Pictionary freestyle rap game show. It’s as much fun as it sounds; perhaps more. Sketch The Rhyme is likely to feature some (maybe all…?) of the acts playing that night and a few special guests too so – truly – it’s not one to be missed. You can catch the Big Things Tour on Friday 14 September at the Oxford Arts Factory, 5 October at the Cambridge in Newcastle, 6 October at Gearins, and Friday19 October at the Wollongong Town Hall. The Snoop Lion track is not crap. La La La is competent reggae, even if it is delivered by the most boring man alive: the artist formerly known as The D-O-Double-G. Anyway, the album is called Reincarnated and ordinarily it wouldn’t make for exciting news. Think of it: “Boring person makes okay reggae album!” It’s not headlinegrabbing stuff. But the presence of Diplo and his Major Lazer clique are what make this a release date worth hanging for. We are still bumping their track Get Free first dropped in April and (of course) still recommending 2009’s Guns Don’t Kill People Lazers Do to younger cousins and casual acquaintances. Avoid the Snoop bits (Snoop found himself so “deeply affected by the people of Jamaica”
BREAKDOWN
Skipping ahead to Sunday the Lucky Oz Tavern are playing host to yet another all agers friendly dose of hefty hardcore with Armorial headlining a bill that also includes Exposure, Velocet, Decaying Freedom, Parenthia, and Amodeus. It kicks off at 2pm and entry is ten bones. THUNDAMENTALS that he “wanted to bury Snoop Dogg and become Snoop Lion.” Yawn.) and this could be a nice little bright spark in the coming months. We don’t have a release date yet. We do have a release date for the Snoop documentary about his time in Jamaica. We won’t disclose that to you, though, because that would only discourage you from agreeing with our position: Snoop is a man best ignored or, failing that, gently mocked. Lions can handle it. Remember how you love sneaker-gazing folk pop made by women who were beautiful in the ‘90s? It’s a burden we bear too. Imagine the frisson we felt when Fiona Apple’s name appeared in Rick Ross’ clip for 911. The track’s a yawner, and we’re yet to dive into the album God Forgives I Don’t but – really – FA must be on the list of people least likely to get a name check from the Maybach boss. Lisa Loeb’s probably just around the corner? We’ll say it again: we heart Broken Tooth Entertainment. There’s something visceral – something real (awful phrase, we know) – about the music they make. Whether it’s Maggot Mouf’s longnecksmashing charisma, Ciecmate’s still-waters-run-deep menace, or Billy Bunks’ unwillingness to accept that he’s the smartest man in the room; BTE is a label packed with rappers we just want to listen to. They have a showcase compilation out soon: Dental Records Vol 2. Be on the lookout. We are.
POP CULTURE THERAPY WITH ADAM CURLEY
It’s good timing for our discomposure that a couple of months before their appearance here for the Melbourne Festival, Antony & The Johnsons have released a live album. In October, the group will perform their stage show, Swanlights, in Melbourne with the backing of a 44-piece orchestra, a slightly scaled down version of the show they presented at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall in January with a 60-piece orchestra. Cut The World (Spunk) was recorded last year in Copenhagen with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra – 42 pieces – and is comprised of flourished renditions of ten previously released songs, the new title track and an intimate speech titled Future Feminism. It’s the speech that has been the focus of much writing about the album so far, from Ann Powers on her NPR blog to Kitty Empire in The Guardian, and for good reason: it presents on record what Antony Hegarty has been growing as an artistic theme in recent years, the idea of a more holistic vision of humanity’s relationship to the earth through “feminine systems of governance”. As Hegarty concedes near the end of the sevenminute address to his on-board audience (but then they’re Danish and at an Antony concert so of course they’re liberals) his message is “obviously a very broad statement”. Though you get the feeling he easily could outline specific ideas as ways forward for this movement, Hegarty seeks mostly to awaken in his listeners merely the possibility of a world in which the social and natural processes of motherhood are used as a blueprint for human governance. Hegarty has spoken before about his experience, as a transgendered person, of the impact oestrogen and testosterone have on thinking and the need for us to understand and exploit those differences rather than have the goal of aligning the roles of men and women. But it isn’t a balancing of the genders that Hegarty espouses; his vision is for the wrongs done by men to be greatly righted by women, and it’s very much tied to paganism – and a rejection of “sky gods” – and a need to alter our thinking about the changing environment. Before this column turns into a hammering of Hegarty’s humble ideas, it’s this more humble point I want to make: It’s easy to listen to Future Feminism and Hegarty’s list of progressive (not ‘radical’) ideas and think them wondrous thoughts from the ether, the kind that exist up there somewhere but don’t have a 44 • THE DRUM MEDIA
YOUNG & RESTLESS
On Saturday night my favourite band of youngsters, Brisbane’s El Alamein launch their debut EP New Patterns with an all ages show at Blackwire Records and Stockades, Harbourer and Between The Devil & The Deep support. Read below for an interview with guitarist/vocalist Uda Widanapthirana and download the EP at el-alamein.bandcamp.com. For the uninitiated, what can you tell us about El Alamein? Fruity and fun, like a starburst for your ears. We like bands like Pretty Girls Make Graves, To The North, Kidcrash, and Cap N’Jazz. A little more enthusiasm in everything makes everyone a little more excited. You guys are all still quite young, what do you think of the all ages scene in Australia at the moment? Julian and I are the real babies of the band, whereas Lindsay just acts like one. Lochlan is old enough to get married (and doing so). All ages venues have been opening and closing since the birth of punk, and really, is a vital part of punk. We wouldn’t be getting as excited for shows if we didn’t have a change of venue. If you believe that the AA scene is dying or there are no good bands or any of that bullshit, welcome yourself to a self-fulfilling prophecy. I think people forget that the most important part of a show is them being there. So be there, please.
ANTHONY HEGARTY whole lot of relevance in the drudgery of day-to-day. It’s easy to praise them just as we praise Hegarty’s voice, which we also so often describe with words such as ‘ethereal’ and ‘angelic’ – words that remove him from the human experience because his talents seem so far removed from the limitations of it. It’s even easier, particularly in our rush to embrace ‘atheism’ as a reactionary label against organised religion and in our debates about carbon taxes and industry standards, to forget we’re human and to listen to our own experience of that, by which I mean it’s easy it let those labels and conversations separate us from what we are. It’s also easy to forget that our artists are human, that their voices aren’t from other worlds but can reflect what’s happening to us here. But we shouldn’t. Like Hegarty’s message, the above is a very broad statement. It’s one that comes directly after a couple of days with Cut The World, which features some of Hegarty’s most impacting songs, including Cripple & The Starfish, Another World and I Fell In Love With A Dead Boy. And it’s this impact that makes the sum of Hegarty’s work larger than its parts: his music brings us back to ourselves so that we can hear his valuable message. Really hear it. “Every atom of me, every element of me seems to resonate, seems to reflect the great world around me,” Hegarty says in Future Feminism. It’s a wonderful day to be alive.
EL ALAMEIN Start listening to your mother, open your ears, and go for a wander. Please don’t write something off you don’t know anything about. A positive outlook is key, and worked for Julian and I when we lived in Rockhampton. As teens we promised ourselves we’d get The Amity Affliction up for a show, and the following year we booked it, and I quite vividly remember telling my parents I was going to study for a maths exam. What’s your favourite AA venue? Irene’s Warehouse in Melbourne, it’s super hard to book because it’s so scattered, but the laid back vibe reminds me of a Sun Distortion (old Brisbane venue) that had matured into apart of the local culture, extending further than just music. The current tour was booked in a very DIY mode, was it important to ensure you included all ages shows? DIY is fundamental and needed. We’ve booked a tour and released an EP all by ourselves, and it really shows anyone can do it if they want. Curiosity certainly didn’t kill El Alamein, and if you ask nicely everyone will be supportive and helpful. I think maybe half of our shows are all ages? Every all ages show we have ever played has been a house show, and they are always more fun. Coming from someone who used a passport with a number sticky taped over my Date of Birth for a year, El Alamein definitely approve and endorse all ages shows, and sneaking into licensed ones. Any tips for young musos? Keep going, keep trying, keep your ears open and mouth shut. allages@drummedia.com.au
OG FLAVAS Plan B, AKA Ben Drew, has swagga – ol’ skool style (which we’ll be getting a nice dose of at Parklife Sunday 30 September). Indeed, William Shakespeare, that humble glover’s son, introduced the German word ‘swagger’ into English with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The MC is carrying on the tradition of Britain’s most fabled wordsmith with poetically subversive hip hop in iLL Manors. iLL Manors is the soundtrack to Drew’s full-length directorial debut (as-yet-unscheduled to screen in Australia). However, it stands on its own as a concept album (iLL Manors uses film dialogue, but has additional songs). In fact, the Forest Gate, East London native is returning to the underground rap of 2006’s debut, Who Needs Actions When You Got Words, encompassing the confrontational Kidz. Drew, who once aspired to be an R&B singer, decided that he needed “a break from the politics of hip hop,” as he told NME. For The Defamation Of Strickland Banks he donned a sharp – not shiny – suit, performing retro soul. So successful was that album (UK quadruple platinum) that he could finally realise iLL Manors. Though Drew, a self-proclaimed “polymath”, has established himself as an actor – with roles in Noel Clarke’s Adulthood, Harry Brown (alongside Michael Caine) and the upcoming reboot of The Sweeney (Ray Winstone) – he only cameos in iLL Manors. Riz Ahmed is the drug dealer protagonist. Today’s pop culture is strangely void of socio-political critique, let alone protest – Russian feminist punks Pussy Riot aside. Popdom actually appears to be defending the status quo, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises disturbing with its anti-Occupy theme (Andrew Bolt loves it). More cogent is Ralph Fiennes’ punk adaptation of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus. Fiennes’ (Roman) General contemptuously spits to starving rioters, “Go, get you home, you fragments!” While Tottenham grime rapper Wretch 32 is an ambassador for the corporate marketing opp that is the Olympic Games, Drew is throwing hip hop back to the streets, telling the stories of a demonised underclass living in the Olympic Stadium’s shadows – immigrants included. He exposes the causes of 2011’s London riots, and the profound inequities of David Cameron’s Isles Of Wonder (or Plunder), redressing biased tabloid reporting. Drew is clearly one of those “fragments”. Danny Boyle’s Olympics opening ceremony represented a peculiar co-option of punk (Sex Pistols!), rave (The Prodigy) and urban, yet Drew reclaims them all – and
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ALL AGES WITH DAVE DRAYTON
URBAN AND R&B NEWS BY CYCLONE
PLAN B with a dangerousness you won’t hear from Example. The iLL Manors title-track, aggro bassline sampling German rapper Peter Fox’s quasi-classical Alles Neu, is his counterpart to Melle Mel’s The Message. David Cameron doesn’t care about poor people – and Drew refers to him as a “stupid cunt.” But the MC is as much deconstructing the hooligan stereotype. “Oi!,” he hollers in the chorus. Coriolanus would surely call Drew a “dissentious rogue”. ILL Manors is no mere bass music album, but a furnace of vintage dub, hardcore, Bristolian trip hop, UK garage, and hip hop beats that hark back to seminal Bomb Squad and RZA productions. Brit Al Shux, famed for masterminding Jay-Z’s Empire State Of Mind, is iLL Manors’ primary producer – and dude’s on fire. Still, iLL Manors is inherently musical, and soulful, Drew learning much from fronting a band, circa The Defamation... Reviewers have stressed how divergent iLL Manors is from The Defamation..., but the latter was not only musical, but also narrative-driven. Here, the dubby I Am The Narrator skews Romantic composer Camille SaintSaëns’ Aquarium from The Carnival Of The Animals. Imagine Wu-Tang ambushing a sound system. Labrinth produces, and sings on, the poignant Playing With Fire, about the brutalities of gang initiation. As an MC free of street machismo, Drew considers the struggles of impoverished women in his latest single, Deepest Shame, a necessarily sombre relative of Emeli Sandé’s Heaven. Punk poet John Cooper Clarke leads Pity The Plight – brilliantly symbolic. Lost My Way has RZAish chipmunk vocals. The uplifting and gospelly Live Once, featuring Kano, examines the politics of slang. Drew has taken a commercial risk with iLL Manors, but it’s already hit No. 1 in the UK and, with triple j support, Top 10 here. While Brit critics have suggested that iLL Manors is too much of “a harrowing ride”, and possibly exploitative, Drew has a conviction – and swagger – not heard since Public Enemy’s glory days. Let England Shake.
ROOTS DOWN Well, it’s happened again! You might recall quite some time ago I went on a rant about how Lucero are a great band doing Americana better than almost anyone else in the world right now and that I was all pissed off because they were playing with the Dropkick Murphys and not playing their own show and so on and so forth. Well last week it was announced that the band would indeed be back in Australia early next year, but they are going to be here with the Soundwave festival that heads around the nation. Now I have nothing against Soundwave, they book some good stuff, but there aren’t any other bands on the bill this year (so far) that I’d recommend your regular Roots Down reader ought to go and check out! I have heard rumours that they will play sideshows with The Lawrence Arms (who are a pretty great punk rock band), so there’s always that option. If you do get a chance to catch them, you should do it. And make sure you get on top of their new record Women & Work, which they released early this year. The Angels have just announced a whole bunch of dates; one of them being the headlining slot on the Sydney Blues & Roots Festival, some of them with Hoodoo Gurus, James Reyne, Baby Animals and Boom Crash Opera, and some of them by themselves. Why? Well, turns out their new record is coming out very soon! Just a couple of weeks, in fact. At the time of deadline I had
MALTESE FALCON BLUES AND ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON
up from where she was when she left Australia all those years ago. Great to have her back. There’s a new Tim Rogers record about to drop and one monstrous tour to coincide with it as well; the record is called Rogers Sings Rogerstein and he says this is because the songs were written by his friend Shel Rogerstein, but it sounds pretty much like Tim Rogers penned fare to me… Perhaps I am wrong. I am a big fan of pretty much all of the man’s work, this new record included, and I always relish the opportunity to see him in solo mode, something that hasn’t happened for a while, so these shows ought to be a lot of fun.
LUCERO not yet had the chance to listen to any of the record, so I can’t tell you whether it’s any good or not, but I can tell you it’s called Take It To The Streets and it’ll be out on Friday 31 August. Doc Neeson is no longer with the band, Screaming Jets frontman Dave Gleeson is out the front; so we’ll see how he handles the task soon enough! Quick reminder that the new Mia Dyson record The Moment is out this week; this is a record I have had a chance to listen to and I can confirm that it is very good indeed. I’m not going to condone the fact that she waited so many goddamn years to bring us a new record, but I will forgive her as I believe she’s taken another step
In support is Catherine Britt, a young lady who has just dropped her new record Always Never Enough, which is one of the better Australian country records I’ve had the pleasure of hearing recently. I’ve not paid a great deal of attention to Britt’s work in the past, I must admit, but upon hearing that the aforementioned Rogers made a guest appearance on the record, as well as another one of my personal favourite songwriters of all time – the great Guy Clark – then I knew I had to have a listen. It’s most definitely a country record, so if you have an aversion to that particular style then this isn’t the record for you, but I urge those of you who can handle a little twang to give it a crack. You can see both of these great Aussie artists at the Factory Theatre on Friday 31 August.
BLOW Perth-based saxophonist and composer Jamie Oehlers is taking his quartet, featuring Tal Cohen on piano, Nick Abbey on bass and Jacob Evans on drums, on the road to showcase his latest album, Smoke & Mirrors, recorded in New York City with drummer Ari Hoenig’s quartet, kicking things off Tuesday night in The Loft in Canberra and playing 505 in Surry Hills Wednesday night. Chicago-born, Sydney-based poetry slam wordsmith Miles Merrill teams up with the sax-led Gai Bryant Quintet, which features trombonist Jeremy Borthwick, guitarist Jeremy Sawkins, bass player Lloyd Swanton and drummer Paul Derricott in an evening of spoken word and jazz in the Sound Lounge Saturday night. Led by Australian-born US-based master drummer Virgil Donati, prog-fusion combo On The Virg returns to the Basement Tuesday 21 August where they’ll be performing selections from their catalogue as well as from his previous combo, Planet X. Also in town Tuesday 21 August is another internationally acclaimed American drummer, John Riley, whose CV includes performing and recording with, among many, Stan Getz, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield, Gary Peacock and Joe Lovano. He’s joining fellow American, pianist John Harkin and his trio, featuring guitarist James Muller, and the Sydney All Star Big Band, at Blue Beat in Double Bay.
TUESDAY 14
JAZZ/WORLD WITH MICHAEL SMITH
John & Yuki – Well Connected Café Leichhardt
Janet Seidel Jazz Trio – Concrete Blonde Restaurant Kings Cross
Bruce Mathiske – The Basement
The Swinging Blades – 3.30pm Marrickville Golf Club
THURSDAY 16
Bri Cowlishaw – 3pm The Commodore Hotel North Sydney
Phil Stack Trio – Spice Cellar Martin Place
Natalie Dietz – The Royal Hotel North Sydney
Ultrafox (Melbourne) – Colbourne Ave Glebe
Geoff Bull & The Finer Cuts – The East Sydney Hotel
Virna Sanzone Quartet – Dome Bar Surry Hills Geoff Bull & The Finer Cuts – Corridor, King St City Anikiko & The Edge – The Rose Hotel Chippendale
The Vampires with Shannon Barnett – Sound Lounge Galaxstare with Kristin Berardi – 505 Michael Griffin Quintet – Norton’s On Norton Cumbiamuffin – Camelot Lounge
James Valentine Quartet + Renee
Synergy Percussion – City Recital Hall Angel Place
THE SWAMP SHACK
We’re all aware of the financial problems facing the much loved Sandringham Hotel so it’s great to see a special fundraising show happening for the Save Our Sando Save Our Scene Campaign on behalf of the ska and reggae community, this Thursday with Pat Powell & Friends, Chris Duke & The Royals, Handball Deathmatch and the Sunday Dub Club DJs. Pat Powell is best known as the frontman for such legendary combos as Club Ska, Sly-Tone, TenWedge and Neptune Street while Chris Duke & the Royals are a Sydney-based six-piece party
Anikiko & The Edge – The Dove & Olive Hotel Surry Hills Greg Poppleton – Victoria Room Darlinghurst The Marvellous Mizdemeanours – Camelot Lounge
FRIDAY 17
Bernie McGann Quartet + Harry Sutherland Trio – 505
Ultrafox are a trio of talented musicians from Melbourne who draw their inspiration from the artistry of the immortal gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. The group features Peter Baylor and John Delaney on acoustic guitars and Kane Borlase on bass and have been honing their collective skills for over three years, assembling a vast repertoire of songs – many of which have long been overlooked by the popular market. Peter Baylor is of course well known to Sydney fans as one part of Melbourne’s remarkably talented Baylor Bros and since the 1980s has played in such legendary combos as the Dancehall Racketeers, Mic Conways Whoopee Band, The Stringbusters and the Starliners. Jon Delaney has studied with the great gypsy jazz stylist Fapy Lefertin and toured extensively throughout Europe while Kane Borlase has played with some of Melbourne’s best jazz and roots based bands. With a new CD, Chasing Shadows, just released the band will play a special one-off show this Thursday from 8pm at Colbourne Avenue (cnr St Johns Rd) in Glebe along with Daniel Weltlinger on violin.
NEW JAZZ RELEASES
James Muller – 505
WEDNESDAY 15
TUESDAY 21
Tony Electro Heavy-Vibe + Prophets – 505 James Valentine Quartet – Golden Sheaf Hotel Double Bay Gadjo Guitars – Camelot Lounge Paul Sun Trio – Jazushi
ROCKABILLY/PSYCOBILLY/ALT.COUNTRY WITH PEDRO MANOY
Grunwald is at The Abbey, both gigs taking the chill out of the Canberra winter. Following their sellout 45th Anniversary bash last weekend the King Brothers join Ray Beadle at Venue 505 from 8.30pm.
FRIDAY
ULTRAFOX punk/ska band. Rounding out an impressive trifecta of live acts will be Handball Deathmatch, a four-piece punk/ska hybrid guaranteed to rock the house. The Kings X Whisper Bar & Café is an oasis of sanity amongst the strip clubs and nightspots of Darlinghurst Road and a most welcome addition to Sydney’s small bar scene. The venue is decked out with some great memorabilia from the halcyon days of the Cross in the ‘60s and ‘70s and has been regularly staging live music and DJ events. Thursday you can catch longtime Kings Cross identity Continental Robert Susz and his trio getting funky on the strip from the early evening.
WEDNESDAY Don Hopkins is solo at the Cosmopolitan Café in Double Bay from 7pm while the Musos Club Jam Night hosted by Al Britton is an institution at the Bald Faced Stag Hotel from 8pm.
FREEDMAN WINNER
SUNDAY 19
Galapagos Duck – 2pm Penrith RSL
Gadjo Guitars – Camelot Lounge
One of the great records of 2010 for me rather surprisingly came from Robert Plant & The Band Of Joy, their Band Of Joy record was a really solid collection of roots music and while I’m not a huge fan of Plant’s, I do love the work of Buddy Miller and Patty Griffin and their presence lends quite a lot to the record. Anyway, I digress, Plant and band recorded a session as a part of the Live At The Artists Den series last year and that performance has finally found its way onto DVD and Blu-ray, distributed by Universal, and available in stores now. There’s a mix of Band Of Joy and Led Zeppelin fare in there which is nice, but unfortunate no sign of the awesome cover of Low’s Silver Rider, which was my highlight of the record. Anyway, it’s worth a look so seek it out if you’re a fan or just intrigued.
Arrebato Ensemble – Camelot Lounge
Paul Sun Trio – 8am Civic Centre Park North Sydney
Keyser – Golden Sheaf
JOY PLANT
Congratulations to trumpeter, composer and bandleader Ellen Kirkwood on winning the Jann Rutherford Memorial Award. Saturday 1 September, she’ll introduce her own ensemble, The Ellen Kirkwood Group, featuring Paul Cutlan on reeds, Adam Ponting on piano, New Zealand bass player Tom Botting and drummer Alon Ilsar in their performance debut of a group of compositions inspired by the classical Greek tales of Theseus and the Minotaur, in the Sound Lounge at the Seymour Centre, with narration by Ketan Joshi.
SATURDAY 18 JAMIE OEHLERS
The Black Sorrows have had an enormous year (you can tell, they list all the gigs they’ve played so far this year on their website and there are a lot of them) but they’re not slowing down any time soon. There are a bunch of shows planned for around here, with a date at The Basement on Wednesday 21 November, Lizotte’s in Dee Why on Thursday 22, Lizotte’s in Kincumber of Friday 23 and Lizotte’s in Newcastle on Saturday 24. These shows come following the release of the rather new documentary Joe Camilleri: Australia’s Maltese Falcon, which I haven’t seen but certainly will be seeking out very soon indeed!
Jump Jive & Wail rocks the Lansdowne Hotel from 10pm with Limpin’ Jimmy & The Swingin’ Kitten spinning the platters. Ash Grunwald moves to the Katoomba RSL with Cass Eager and Slim Hips while the Jason Bruer Band featuring Mitchell Anderson play the 19th hole at the Marrickville Golf Club. The Louisiana Roadshow bring the bayou to the Brass Monkey.
SATURDAY
The Sydney Blues Society presents the 2012 Blues Challenge for solo and duo performers at the Cat & Fiddle Hotel. Ash Grunwald plays the Mona Vale Hotel, Blue Venom let rip at the Carousel in Rooty Hill and Wards Xpress promise a big night at the Heathcote Hotel from 9pm.
SUNDAY
THURSDAY
Junior & The Jeweltones get jiggy at Club North Manly from 3pm. The Gail Page Band play Beaches in Thirroul from 5pm.
Swamphouse play the National Press Club and Ash
Swampshack@drummedia.com.au.
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If you attended the Bernie McGann Quartet gig in the Sound Lounge last week, you’ll know that it also doubled as the launch of the prolific alto saxophonist McGann’s latest album, Wending (Rufus), a double album that features four numbers recorded in 2005 with long-time drummer John Pochee and bassist Lloyd Swanton, and six recorded this year with bassists Brendan Clarke and drummer Andrew Dickeson, trumpeter Warwick Alder performing across all tracks. Friday sees the release, through ABC Music/Universal, of the debut album, Night & Day, a classic selection from the Great American Songbook from 18 year old Melburnian Steven Rossitto.
MEET JOANNA MELAS Joanna Melas’ debut, A Natural Selection, released earlier this year might be just the ticket. She will showcase it and more this Friday and next Thursday 23 August in the Bankstown Sports Piano Bar and Sunday 26 at St George Motor Boat Club in San Souci.
MUSSELWHITE SIDESHOWS
Returning to Sydney to headline this year’s Sydney Blues & Roots Festival in Windsor last weekend of October, veteran American harmonica player, singer and songwriter Charlie Musselwhite has announced he’ll also be back in Sydney Thursday 22 and Friday 23 November to play The Basement in Circular Quay. In May, Musselwhite picked up Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year and Best Instrumentalist– Harmonica at the 32nd annual Blues Foundation Blues Music Awards, for his latest album, The Well.
THE BEST SALSA BAND IN THE WORLD
With more than 40 albums and two Latin Grammys under their collective belt, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico obviously have nothing to prove, having spent the past 50 years as that small Caribbean nation’s most successful salsa orchestra. In this, their golden jubilee year, they’ve decided to undertake a mammoth 50-concert global tour, and for the first time, they’ve finally included Australia in their itinerary, which will see them play the UNSW Roundhouse Saturday 29 September.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Nothing to do with music, but with the title, Swamplandia! (Chatto & Windus), we couldn’t ignore one of this year’s nominees for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. By first-time novelist Karen Russell, the story revolves around the curious family who live in a rundown theme park on a small island off the south Florida coast. And yes, she didn’t win. THE DRUM MEDIA • 45
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THIS WEEK IN
ARTS MOVING PUPPETS Breathing life into the lifeless–puppetry/ movement director Alice Osborne talks to Dave Drayton about The Splinter.
EIFMAN BALLET
TUESDAY 14 Monsieur Lazhar – a primary school class is turned upside down when their teacher suddenly passes away. Stepping in to hastily fill her spot is Algerian migrant Bachir Lazhar, who is himself coping with tragedy. Using sensitivity and humour, director Philippe Falardeau celebrates the many ways in which we learn from one another. Part of the Possible Worlds Film Festival, Dendy Opera Quays, 6.30pm.
WEDNESDAY 15 Anna Karenina – an Australian premiere of contemporary ballet company, the Eifman Ballet. They come to Australia with two productions Anna Karenina and Tchaikovsky. Anna Karenina sacrifcies everything; husband, son and social standing for her shallow and narcissistic lover. A ballet in two acts with choreography by Boris Eifman. Opening night, 2pm and 8pm, Capitol Theatre until 19 August. Surviving Progress – from the makers of The Corporation a documentary on evolution, progress and social change. It looks at human advancement as both inspiring and dangerous and questions our tireless pursuit of growth. Part of the Possible Worlds Film Festival, Dendy Opera Quays, 6.30pm. The Splinter – a play inspired by Henry James’s novel The Turn of the Screw, the Hans Christian Andersen tale The Snow Queen and real life stories of abducted children. A new work by Australian playwright Hilary Bell and directed by Sarah Goodes. Opening night, STC: The Wharf, 8pm until 15 September.
THURSDAY 16 Designers Talk – lighting designers chat about the state of theatre. A wideranging discussion on both the current state of affairs and possible future trends. Chair: Tom Wright (Sydney Theatre Company) Speakers: Nick Schlieper, Paul Jackson, Rick Fisher and Nigel Levings. NIDA, 6.30pm.
FRIDAY 17 Face to Face – organically a film by Ingmar Bergman that has been adapted for the stage by Andrew Upton and Simon Stone. With as set design by Nick Schlieper, costume designs by Alice Babidge and music by Stefan 46 • THE DRUM MEDIA
Gregory. This is a psychological thriller about Jenny’s journey, exploring the route we all take to find wisdom in our lives. STC, The Wharf, 8pm until 8 September. Indie Game: The Movie – a look inside the obsessive world of independent games designers. Looking at three independent games Fez, Braid and Super Meat Boy and the trials and tribulations of their creators as they struggle to get their games completed and on the market. Part of the Possible Worlds Film Festival, Dendy Newtown, 9.30pm.
SATURDAY 18 A Hoax – written by Rick Viede who won the Griffin Award with his first play Whore. Staring Shari Sebbens who is currently in The Sapphires screening in cinemas nationally. A Hoax is inspired by the recent spate of fabricated “misery memoirs”, a vicious satire on the politics of identity, modern celebrity and the peddling of abuse culture. Directed by Lee Lewis. Griffin Theatre, 7pm until 1 September.
SUNDAY 19 The London Years 1960 – 67 – Brett Whiteley’s art and life from 1960 to 1967 when he was largely based in London. Key abstract works from his Bathroom, Christie and London Zoo series and the Endlessnessism monoprints that became out of conversations with the artist Francis Bacon. Bacon’s first major exhibition will come to NGNSW in November. Friday and Sunday only 10-4pm, Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills.
MONDAY 20 Magic Mike – “the cinematic surprise of the year, no? Let us count the ways: 1) This is clearly the best commercial/ Hollywood/multiplex movie to screen in 2012 so far. 2) This is Steven Soderbergh’s best film since, what, the Ché movies? Solaris? 3) No film this year may feature a more surprising quality of acting..” according to our Film Carew read more at themusic. com.au. In cinemas now.
TUESDAY 21 No Lights, No Lycra – dancing is good for the soul, go and sweat out your worries and have a good old fashioned ‘cool time’. An international sensations. No Lights No Lycra is a dance collective that spreads from Brooklyn to Berlin. Heffron Hall, 8pm.
When Sydney Theatre Company asked playwright Hillary Bell to come up with an idea for an education show her pitch was, well, not exactly perfectly suited to a younger education crowd. The Splinter, which tells the story of parents (portrayed by Helen Thomson and Erik Thomson) reunited with their daughter, Laura, nine months after her abduction (inspired by Henry James’ novel, The Turn Of The Screw, and the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Snow Queen), did make an impact on STC’s Literary Manager Polly Rowe though, and she soon assembled a team that would bring it to life, with Director Sarah Goodes and Puppetry and Movement Director Alice Osborne at the helm. Osborne came to puppetry during her studies for a Theatre Media course at Bathurst, drawing heavily on her previous training in dance, and has recently been seen maneuvering puppets with the likes of My Darling Patricia, the creative team responsible for last year’s STC hit, Africa. “The thing about dance and puppetry is it’s a great crossover because basically, the way I feel about it is, if you can understand your own movement and the way your own body works, then it is much easier to transfer it to another object. “I worked with Phillippe Genty, in France, and he always said that dancers make good manipulators, something about space awareness or things moving through space,” Osborne recalls time working alongside the French master of movement and image in theatre, almost wistfully. “If we’re not working with a ‘human’ object, even working just with material, the way that the audience sees it is by putting human qualities into it, so by understanding your own physicality it’s a short cut to working out how something else might behave, a sort of physical mechanics.” This physical mechanics is crucial to the visually rich world that holds together Bell’s emotional thriller. “Hillary has written in really exquisite imagery through the whole piece and so part of our job is not to just illustrate that imagery visually – you know, like a children’s book that has the writing and then the illustrations describes what the writing is saying, but we don’t want to just double up like that – we want to create imagery which really drives the piece forward rather than just echoing what the text is saying. “Basically, what Sarah and I have talked about a lot and our main investigation with the puppetry is the fluid representation of Laura. There are questions of identity - the child goes missing and the child gets returned - and we start to wonder if it’s the real child. So we’re interested in if we’re wondering about whether it’s really her, and how she’s changed, in shifting the image of her. It’s not just one puppet child that is the whole way through, we’re testing literal versions and much more abstracted versions of her as well. “It’s fascinating. We’re investigating it and experimenting with it at the same time so it’s not as straightforward as just interpreting a script; the visual parts have to be dramaturgically investigated as well.” WHAT: The Splinter WHEN & WHERE: Friday 10 August-Saturday 15 September, Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre Comp
C U LT U R A L
CRINGE
WITH JAMELLE WELLS The musical Rock Of Ages, which cancelled its Sydney season, has seven nominations for the upcoming Helpmann Awards. Another musical Chorus Line has six, and An Officer & A Gentleman five even though its Sydney season closed early. Best play nominations include Ganesh, Neighbourhood Watch, Griffin Theatre’s The Boys and the MTC’s The Importance Of Being Earnest. The JC Williamson award for lifetime achievement will go to publisher Katherine Brisbane and the late singer Jimmy Little. Tributes have been paid to Australian writer and art critic Robert Hughes, who died in New York last week. The 74 year old, famous for books such as Shock Of The New and The Fatal Shore, died after a long illness. Hughes was born in Sydney, before moving to New York in 1970 to work as an art critic for Time magazine. A Sydney acting school that’s shaped the careers of stars of movies such as Red Dog, X-Men and The Mummy has been nominated for the 2012 City Of Sydney Business Awards. Alumni and current students of The Actors Pulse include Tasneem Roc, Martin DingleWall, Tim Pocock, Luke Ford, Dan Mor and Kip Gamblin. The school teaches the Meisner Technique, made famous by American Sanford Meisner in the 1940s. Other Meisner technique actors include Sandra Bullock, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robert Duvall, Jeff Goldblum and Diane
TOMMY BRADSON Keaton. The Award finalists will be announced 28 August. A $1.3 million sponsorship boost from City Of Sydney council will see four major festivals expand over the next two years. It includes $660,000 for Sydney Writers’ Festival, $400,000 for Mardi Gras, $130,000 for Yabun Festival, and $130,000 for Australia Day 2013. It follows the earlier announcement of $750,000 extra funding for the Biennale and Sydney Festival’s opening night. Federal Education Minister Peter Garrett last week opened a new $1.7 million performing arts centre at Eagle Vale High School in Western Sydney. The centre will be shared by Eagle Vale High, Claymore Primary and Mary Immaculate Primary Schools. It has a theatre space and music recording studio. Poet and provocateur Tommy Bradson is premiering a oneman show at next month’s Sydney Fringe Festival, backed
by a three-piece band. Bradson plays all the roles in the show, which is set during a real time surprise 16th birthday party. The performer’s developed a cult following at arts festivals from Adelaide to Edinburgh. Former Opera House publicist Michael Morcos has moved over to the Griffin Theatre Company. He’s taken over from Siobhan Waterhouse, who is moving back to New Zealand. The Australian Ballet’s longestserving member, Colin Peasley, is performing in his last show with the company in Swan Lake in December. The 77 year old has danced in over 6,000 shows after a career in the army and as a choreographer for television and theatre. Peasley, who has been the company’s ballet master and started its education program, was inducted into the Australian Dance Awards Hall of Fame in 2005 and given the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1996.
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NEVER MIND THE BOOSH Noel Fielding likes to look at photos of fans’ cats while on break from The Mighty Boosh. Anthony Carew does not offer him a picture of his pussy.
Warning: if you watch Noel Fielding’s post-Mighty Boosh TV show, Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy, you will get its groovy, minimalist, hypnotic theme tune stuck in your head. Perhaps forever. “It is a bit of an earworm, isn’t it?” laughs Fielding, the 39-year-old comedian who is, it must be said, pretty much always laughing. “I’ve had so many people say that to me: ‘I can’t get that fucking tune out of my head!’ I’m not sure that’s the best way to win people over, by making them angry due to the catchiness of your theme tune. But it’s like a permanent advert, this insistent jingle that’s always there. When you’re walking around going ‘luxury comedy/ ooooh, yeah’ all day, people are permanently reminded that I exist, that I’m there, on their tellies.” Luxury Comedy finds Fielding and friends — brother Michael, director/ animator Nigel Coan, Kasabian’s Sergio Pizzorno (with whom Fielding plays as Loose Tapestries, and will soon release an album of music from the show) — taking the dress-ups surrealism of The Mighty Boosh further into even kookier realms, with little in the way of narrative coherence at all. Its star describing it as a “pretty homemade... inelegant half-sketchshow/half-sitcom mish-mash.” “I wanted to make this surreal television show, something a bit Spike Milligany, like Q, or like Vic & Bob. I thought, after the Boosh, I just wanted to make a show for myself, like a bit of a Trout Mask Replica, Captain Beefheart kind of a show. Just: ‘This one’s for me!’” Fielding enthuses. “I’m interested in imagination, fantasy worlds, magic
Also big fans of Luxury Comedy: kids and cats. “I love when kids like the show,” Fielding says. “Because they don’t have barriers, they’re quite open to stuff. Some would say I’m like a kid — that, perhaps, I’m childish — because I’m the same way. Adults are the ones who get confused: ‘A man with a shell for a head? Excuse me, that’s not logical!’ Whereas kids are like: ‘A sandwich made out of folk music? OK, cool.’ But, weirdly enough, people kept sending me pictures and letters saying: ‘My cat is obsessed with your show! It’s never shown any interest in television before, but when your show comes on it stands in front of the telly for the whole show, then leaves when it’s over.’ I literally got twenty-five photographs of people’s cats looking at my show. I’ve accidentally made a hit show for just cats! People were nonplussed, but the cats, they loved it! I’m king of the cat world!”
realism, surrealism. I love stuff like that. I don’t like fantasy in terms of Lord Of The Rings; I’m not really interested in science-fiction either. I’m more into Jorge Luis Borges and Lewis Carroll, people who create these unreal worlds. It was a bit like owning my subconsciousness, giving it a place to let all the trippy, weird stuff come out. It’s pretty amazing Channel 4 just let me do whatever I want, in this day-andage. In an era of reality TV, here I am, the berk making unreality TV!” After Fielding and Boosh co-creator Julian Barratt went on hiatus in 2010 (“I’m sure we’ll get back together and do something; I think we should do a Boosh film,” Fielding says, allaying fears of their permanent demise), he found his head “loaded with stuff [he] needed to get out,” ridiculous characters that would’ve once had a happy home on The Mighty Boosh now needing an outlet. Fielding and Barratt had made The Mighty Boosh thinking no one would actually watch it; “forget wanting to attract
a large audience, we never even bothered trying to attract one at all,” Fielding admits. Yet, subsequent live tours brought them face-to-face with a cult following attending in full costume. ”Looking out from stage would be quietly terrifying: there’d be five Hitchers, six Rudi van DiSarzios, and a really amazing Crack Fox in the front row,” Fielding laughs. Thus, his latest lark had a tough act to follow. “It was a bit of a no-win situation for me, because the Boosh had become so beloved. A lot of people saw this and were like: ‘This isn’t the Boosh! What’ve y’done! You’ve killed the Boosh!’ And I was like ‘chill out, we’re just having a break!’” Does Fielding care what other people think? Well, sometimes. “I’m quite shallow, so if someone cool likes my show” — he mentions French electro act Justice, who befriended Pizzorno simply because of his connection to Luxury Comedy — “I’m a sucker for that, but if someone’s wearing bad shoes I couldn’t care less what they think.”
UNDER PRESSURE Mark Rogers tells Dave Drayton about the blood, sweat, tears and, well, organs that went into the writing of his first play, Blood Pressure.
In the larger scheme of things, Mark Rogers is relatively new to the playwriting game. Beyond a stint reworking the classic ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore at Merrigong Theatre in Wollongong, and co-writing Sydney Fringe show Goobledygook alongside performer Aileen Huynh, there was little else before he sat down to write Blood Pressure. But that’s done little to quell his vision, or his confidence… In a video created to raise funds for Blood Pressure’s production on crowd-funding site Pozible, Rogers claims “In a playwrighting fight between myself and William Shakespeare, I would win.” “Well, he’s dead, man, even physically, he can’t get up to swing a punch at me,” jokes a slightly more reasonable Rogers when we discuss Blood Pressure and the Pozible video created by Bodysnatchers, a theatre company born from the
her writing some very freeform adaptations of ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore, and myself and another writer, Jackson Davis, went in with her and we just started impro-ing off the text with actors and writing ideas and I guess I wrote a scene and I was like, ‘Oh, fuck, I quite like that scene.’ There was something in that that I liked, and then I thought, ‘Oh, shit, maybe I’m a… Maybe I can do this writing thing?’
creative collaboration between Rogers and director Sanja Simic. Jokes aside, this is a man on a mission, and despite a somewhat haphazard entrance into the ring Rogers is taking this playwrighting business by the horns. “I always maintained for a long amount of my life that I couldn’t write plays and that it wasn’t something that I was interested in doing. Before Bodysnatchers even formed really, Sanja was doing a development at the Merrigong Theatre Company down in Wollongong and she asked me to come in and help
“And then I made up an idea for Blood Pressure – I smashed in and wrote the first draft of it, which was probably about 15 pages long and totally insane and rubbish, and then it’s extended to this thing we’re putting on at the Old Fitz, which is now 96 pages long and actually a good play I hope!” Rogers reflects with an endearing earnestness. At the centre of the play are two brothers, Michael and Adam; one has given the other a much-needed organ and now, as that organ fails, we witness the physical and emotional deterioration. This act of sharing, of the highest order, resonated personally with Rogers. “A lot of people who I’m around, and a lot of people in the cast and the creative team with this show have had experience with organ donation
He’s also king of the music-themed panel shows, with a recurring stint on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, which is now on UKTV. “I love being captain. I took over from Bill Bailey when he didn’t want to do it anymore. The other captain is Phill Jupitus. We get on really well: we’re like Baloo and Mowgli in The Jungle Book.” So, has Fielding ever been a captain before? “I think I used to be a captain of a football team when I was young,” Fielding recalls. “Hilariously! I bet you can’t imagine me being a captain of anything.” Perhaps a doomed ship? Fielding, as he does, laughs outrageously. “‘There’s no one at the wheel, Noel, there’s no one at the wheel!’ I was up on the deck dancing with some strange sea creatures that we’d just pulled up. ‘He’s dancing with a porpoise! No one’s steering the boat!’ But I can’t be that guy forever, because now I’m the captain of my own ship. I’m the captain of Luxury Comedy!” WHAT: Luxury Comedy out on DVD Wednesday 22 August (Universal Sony Pictures)
FILM
REVIEW
THE CAMPAIGN The Campaign is a surprisingly heart-warming tale about a small town naïve nobody that takes it to the bigwigs of US Congress. Don’t stress, Will Ferrell hasn’t taken a role in a political drama, not a chance. Director of the local tourism centre, Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), is put up to run against long-standing Congressman Cam Brady (Ferrell) for their district seat in North Carolina. Hilarity ensues. However, any tears brought to eyes are more likely to be because through being grossed out by ghastly kissing
scenes than the actual comedy on screen, though the performance of housekeeper Ms Yao (Karen Maruyama) aisle-rollingly funny. You won’t be quoting The Campaign in a manner similar to that of Anchorman and its lines implanting themselves in our daily vernacular is unlikely, but it does have some solid laugh-out-loud moments, even if they are predictable. The Campaign is definitely worth a watch and possibly even a second. Lynn McDonnell Opens nationally Thursday 16 August
ART S TA R T E R
Five minutes with
SHANE HILL in their families, either with people being sick and needing them, or with donating, and I too have a personal history of that in my family. I became kind of fascinated with a strange, weird body and emotional politic that goes along with something like that. “The whole politic of it is amazing. At any time in Australia there is between 1,500 and 2,000 people on the waiting list for organs and they’re waiting up to four years for an operation. And that four years; it’s not just them sitting in their house, it’s them constantly getting treatment, it’s them being sick, suppressed… This is an experience that is massively unpleasant and touches a lot of lives. And us trying to look at that in the context of the play, I’m really glad that we have so many people who have tried to understand it as best they can, not only through their own experience with it, but through coming and talking through it with us and other people.” WHAT: Blood Pressure WHERE & WHEN: Tuesday 14 August-Saturday 1 September, The Old Fitzroy
“WOW! How far back do you want to go?” is Shane Hill’s immediate response when I confess ignorance about hypnotism and mentalism. “Hypnosis has been used possibly since ancient times,” he explains, “Egyptian priests used it to convince the masses of things, but our modern history has it really starting medically about WWII when it was used to help wounded soldiers during battles. Mentalism however really came into the fore I guess back with the spiritualist movement in the 1800s, when people like the Fox sisters and others used the rudimentary form of psychological magic to fool people that they were either having their minds read or that they were talking to Uncle Harry or Aunt May from the spirit world. “Hypnotism and mentalism are very different,” Hill reveals. ”Hypnosis has a scientific back ground – research is done on it constantly – doctors dentists and other professional use it, there have even been cases of the police using it, to enhance
witnesses memory of a crime. Mentalism on the other hand is entertainment, even though the basic principle is the same; a good understanding of the human mind and how it ticks. For example both hypnosis and mentalism rely to some degree on the mind’s ability to focus. If in hypnosis I can get you to focus on me, and what I’m saying, you will drop into a trance – in fact we do this when we are watching TV. In mentalism however I might want you to focus not on me and what I’m doing but on something else. “I’ve been screwing about with this work since he was a kid,” he explains of a skill that has become his polished comic art form. “My ability to convince almost anybody of anything appeared pretty early, I once made my sisters – I have five – convinced that our house had disappeared.“ Paul Andrew WHO: Shane Hill WHAT: The Gangsters Ball WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 1 September, Metro Theatre THE DRUM MEDIA • 47
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REEL ISRAEL
Anthony Carew has spent the last few days watching films for the Israel Film Fest. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s giving us his verdict Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a plot synopsis whose very premise feels like the most embarrassingly literal piece of storytelling symbolism; a pair of babies are accidentally switched in the hospital â&#x20AC;&#x201D;yes, that old chestnutâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; and raised by families who arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t theirs
by blood. Except, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big twist: the Jewish baby is raised in Palestine by an Arab family, and the Arab baby is raised in Israel by a Jewish family. Thus, cultural divisions are writ as symbolic as, oh, say, a wall dividing the families; the text is alive with characters whose internal conflicts are the question of religious identity â&#x20AC;&#x201D;is it by blood or by socialising?â&#x20AC;&#x201D; made manifest. Such a set-up â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the story device is as ancient as myth; verily biblicalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; makes The Other Son seem like it is going to be wild melodrama at best,
ANJA MUJIC
a sledgehammer issue movie at worst. Yet Lorraine Levyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deftlydrawn drama takes its theatrical premise and then examines it real humanist wait; daring to seek out simple, uneasy human truths lingering in the screenwritten contrivance. It helps that the now-grown-up, 19-year-old boys (Medhi Dehbi and Jules Sitruk, respectively) are super-goodlooking, progressive, thoughtful, sensitive souls with gleaming white teeth; and whilst their parents range from bewildered through to wrathful, they become pals open to their new, conflicted cultural identities. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re so open and sweet and attractive that the film moves towards feelgoodism; with a wounded central turn from French starlet Emmanuelle Devos giving it even more of a sense of accessibility. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the highlights of the 2012 Israeli Film Festival, an institution whose existence â&#x20AC;&#x201D;it not just a collection of curated pictures, but an arm of the Australian/Israeli Cultural Exchangeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; is just as weighty and symbolic as The Other Sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plot. Historically, the quality of the IFF hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t made it much of an cinematic event beyond its cultural weight; although, every year, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highlights to be found. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also duds â&#x20AC;&#x201D;like My Australia, a maudlin drama of Polish kids repatriated to Israel in the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s in which the symbolism is big and stupid; and My Lovely Sister, a zany village comedy of excruciating caricatures and horrendous â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;humourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x201D; of course, but letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Order your copy of AMID ER now! W PO 50 ON ITI ED
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forget them; and talk things like Dolphin Boy, an astonishing documentary which chronicles a youth whose post-traumaticdistress manifests itself as a kind of autistic amnesiac fugue state, and for whom â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dolphin therapyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a last recourse. Lipstikka is, however, the unlikely jewel to be dug out from the IFF program. A microbudget English movie helmed by Jonathan Sagall, it uses a device familiar from crime-movies, in which an old, lost friend comes back into the life of a central figure â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;gone straightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, threatening to drag them back into the sinful past theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve hoped to escape from. Except, here, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a pair of Palestinian ex-pats living in London; the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;straightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; half an upwardly-mobile housewife, her friend a walking disaster whose psychological distress is corrosive, creating nearly a state of paranoia-thriller. And, most importantly, the past isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the dramatic tedium of crime; but the painful scars of life under Occupation. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a carefullypenned and artfully-made, a study of female sexuality, the unreliability of memory, and the inability to truly start over. In all likelihood, it wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never screened here save for the IFF; thereby justifying the festâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existence for another year. WHAT: Israeli Film Festival WHEN & WHERE: Sydney: Wednesday 15 August â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sunday 26 August, Palace Verona
CASTING CALL TV: Channel TENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new series The Audience is an hour long documentary series, that will follow one person or couple contemplating a life-changing decision, such as considering giving up a day-job to commit to their band or making it in the arts, moving overseas, launching a new fashion brand or EP. That person is then joined by a group of people, the Audience who help them make the decision. For audition info go to: theaudience.com.au
DANCE: Choreographers are invited to enter five minute dance pieces for the Fast+Fresh Dance youth festival to be held at Riverside Theatres Parramatta in October. The season will present over forty dance works choreographed and performed by emerging artists. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of the Short+Sweet family of festivals and requires new and innovative dance works. To enter go to www.form.org. au by Monday 15 October.
TOUR GUIDE FEATURE TOUR
PASSENGER
If Passenger (aka Mike Rosenberg) doesn’t throw in a teaser of his mean Sean Connery impression when he hits The Hi-Fi stage on Friday 17 August then we reckon you have every reason to heckle. The Brighton, UK-born/adopted Australian singer-songwriter basically funded his last four records from busking and is also taking requests for his upcoming shows via his Facebook wall, so get involved, ask for your fave and there’s a chance it will be included in the setlist.
DRUM PRESENTS PASSENGER: Aug 17 The Hi-Fi THE JUNGLE GIANTS: Aug 22 Beach Road Hotel, Aug 23 Transit Bar, Aug 24 Cambridge Hotel, Aug 25 GoodGod PENNYWISE: Aug 25 UNSW Roundhouse THE LAURELS: Sep 1 Annandale Hotel
JULIA STONE: Sep 12 The Abbey, Sep 13 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Sep 15 The Metro
DALLAS FRASCA: Aug 18 Transit Bar
CLARE BOWDITCH: Sep 27 Lizotte’s Dee Why, Sep 28 The Factory TIM & ERIC: Oct 2 The Metro, Oct 3 Enmore Theatre MUMFORD & SONS: Oct 18 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Oct 26 Royal Theatre Canberra SYDNEY BLUES & ROOTS: Oct 25 – 28 Windsor BASTARDFEST: Nov 9 & 10 The Basement Canberra, Nov 17 Sandringham Hotel
NATIONAL
BLUEJUICE: Aug 14 ANU Bar, Aug 21 Entrance Leagues Club BRUCE MATHISKE: Aug 15 The Basement Sydney, Sep 9 Street Theatre Canberra
Tonight’s launch for The Rubens’ self-titled debut is an intimate affair in a couple of ways. Firstly, it is a relatively exclusive thing; a handful of fans and a barfull of industry, as well as some helpers and relatives to ensure all run smoothly. Secondly, it is intimate because there is a real sense that the gig means something. Kicking off the proceedings is support act Michael Gudinski, Mushroom Records big pin and local music champion. He invites us warmly and with trademark enthusiasm to enjoy what’s to come, but there is also a sense of genuine pride as he speaks. Like a father at a 21st, his address is part paternal pride for where his kids have come, but also part relative joy at being able to now stand back and watch where they’re about to head. The actual set to follow is short and sharp, but a fine example of the boys’ wares. Starting with Lay It Down, it hits not only for its triple j familiarity, but also because of the balls of the three-four rolling time that means you can’t help but sway along (ideally with someone else). And if you’re alone, you’re left to ponder why. Not quite ‘cry me
JINJA SAFARI: Aug 15 ANU Bar, Aug 16 Bar On The Hill, Aug 17 The Metro THE DELTA RIGGS: Aug 15 Beach Road Hotel Bondi, Aug 17 Side Bar, Aug 18 Annandale Hotel, Aug 19 Transit Bar HILLTOP HOODS: Aug 16 UC Refectory
Happily asking us “to enjoy yourselves, and we will do”, the band moves through some of the best of the rest from the said new baby, including album starter, The Best We’ve Got, and a keyboard-led sweet ballad, Never The Same. For the simple piano-led mid-set interlude, lead singer Sam Margin happily admits this track is currently his favourite, and while it starts with a bit of a Split Enz Message To My Girl vibe, there is also a distinct Coldplay-ness about it, complete with big reverb, big vocal intervals and the story of a girl who did some damage. Accessible, beautiful and pop in its simple-buthonest glory, like other good Aussie pop that draws on the established and takes it further (Gotye, Sia), it’s spunky but not over the top; with swagger, but not with too much. Other highlights include My Gun (the single that apparently got them their recording gig in the States), and of course the driving Don’t Ever Want To Be Found. Only complaint? Cliched as it is, it simply isn’t long enough. Liz Giuffre
MONKS OF MELLONWAH: Aug 18 Sandringham Hotel, Aug 24 The Basement Canberra, Aug 26 Manly Boatshed, Aug 31 The Patch SHANNON NOLL: Aug 18 Belmont 16ft Sailing Club, Aug 21 Taren Point Hotel KATE MILLER-HEIDKE: Aug 21, Zierholz @ UC, Aug 23 & 24 The Metro THE JUNGLE GIANTS: Aug 22 Beach Road Hotel, Aug 23 Transit Bar, Aug 24 Cambridge Hotel, Aug 25 GoodGod BOY IN A BOX, KINGSWOOD: Aug 23 GoodGod LOON LAKE: Aug 23 The Patch, Aug 24 GoodGod, Aug 25 Cambridge Hotel POLO CLUB: Aug 24 FBI Social, Aug 25 Oxford Arts, Sep 21 World Bar BITCH PREFECT: Aug 25 Red Rattler 1927: Aug 25 Waves Nightclub, Aug 31 Enmore Theatre BODYJAR: Aug 25 The Metro, Aug 26 Bar On The Hill SARAH MARY CHADWICK: Aug 25 Red Rattler ALPINE: Aug 29 The Patch, Aug 31 Oxford Art Factory, Sep 1 Cambridge Hotel, Sep 2 Transit Bar Canberra ALBARE: Aug 30 The Basement TIM ROGERS: Aug 31 The Factory, Sep 1 The Abbey
BABY ET LULU: Aug 17 Heritage Hotel, Aug 18 Clarendon Guesthouse, Sep 8 Camelot Lounge ILLY: Aug 16 Cambridge Hotel, Aug 18 The Roxy, Aug 24 Zierholz, Aug 25 The Standard
DON WALKER: Aug 30 Brass Monkey, Aug 31 The Vault, Sep 1 Notes
IOWA: Aug 16 FBi Social AINSLIE WILLS: Aug 16 GoodGod, Aug 17 Terrace Bar Newcastle
JOE CREIGHTON: Aug 30 Lizotte’s Dee Why, Aug 31 Panthers Penrith, Sep 1 Blue Beat Bar & Grill Double Bay, Sep 2 Lizotte’s Newcastle
ASH GRUNWALD: Aug 16 The Abbey, Aug 17 Katoomba RSL, Aug 17 Mona Vale Hotel
SLEEPMAKESWAVES: Aug 30 The Patch, Sep 7 The Standard, Sep 8 Cambridge Hotel
CHET FAKER: Aug 16 Oxford Art Factory, Aug 17 Trinity Bar
URTHBOY: Aug 30 Hotel Gearin, Sep 21 Oxford Art Factory
DAN ENGLAND: Aug 16 Northern Star Hotel Newcastle, Aug 17 Club Blink, Aug 18 Fitzroy Hotel
FAIRCHILD REPUBLIC: Aug 31 The Northern Star Hotel, Sep 1 Spectrum, Sep 16 Sunday Safari
JOE MCKEE: Aug 16 Paddington Uniting Church
BLACKCHORDS: Sep 1 FBi Social
NAT COL & THE KINGS: Sep 7 The Vanguard, Sep 8 Fitzroy Hotel, Sep 14 Grand Junction Hotel, Sep 15 Heritage Hotel
DREAM ON DREAMER: Sep 1 The Hi-Fi, Sep 2 Oasis Youth Centre, Sep 4 The Basement Canberra
THE FALLS: Aug 17 The Hi-Fi a river’, but more ‘hey, how you doing?’ Damn you, meta-musical bastards. Damn, you wonderful kids.
DEERREPUBLIC: Aug 18 FBi Social, Sep 21 Oxford Art Factory, Aug 26 Yours & Owls
THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS*: Aug 30 The Hellenic Club, Aug 31 The Metro, Sep 1 Entrance Leagues Club, Sep 13 Bar On The Hill, Sep 27 & 29 Great Northern, 5 Oct Metro, Oct 6 Anita’s (Wollongong), Oct 12 & 13 Mona Vale Hotel
LUGER BOA: Aug 17 Forbes Hotel
BAR AT THE END OF THE WHARF: 09/08/12
PAUL GREENE: Aug 17 Clarendon Guesthouse, Aug 24 Notes, Aug 25 Cambridge Hotel, Aug 30 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Aug 31 Heritage Hotel, Sep 2 Front Gallery & Café Canberra THE SIDE-TRACKED FIASCO: Aug 17 Dicey Riley’s, Aug 18 PJ O’Reilly’s Canberra, Aug 24 The Townie, Aug 28 Old Manly Boatshed
FAT AS BUTTER: Sep 22 Camp Shortland
THE RUBENS
PASSENGER: Aug 17 The Hi-Fi
XAVIER RUDD: Sep 6 Newcastle Civic Theatre, Sep 7 Waves Hotel, Sep 8 Enmore Theatre
THE MEDICS: Sep 12 Spectrum, Sep 27 Transit Bar, Sep 28 The Patch, Sep 29 Cambridge Hotel
THE RUBENS @ BAR AT THE END OF THE WHARF PIC BY JOSH GROOM
CHILDREN COLLIDE: Aug 17 & 18 The Standard, Aug 30 Entrance Leagues, Aug 31 Fitzroy Hotel, Sep 1 Wollongong Uni Bar, Sep 2 University Of Canberra
PIGEON: Aug 16 Transit Bar, Aug 17 Great Northern Newcastle, Aug 18 GoodGod
themusic.com.au
THE MCCLYMONTS: Sep 1 Enmore Theatre, Sep 22 Vikings, Sep 29 Evan Theatre, Oct 5 Newcastle Civic Theatre THE DRUM MEDIA • 49
TOUR GUIDE THE LAURELS: Sep 1 Annandale Hotel
GOTYE: Dec 14 Sydney Entertainment Centre
KING CANNONS: Sep 5 The Patch, Sep 6 Transit Bar, Sep 7 Annandale Hotel, Sep 8 Great Northern Newcastle
KEITH URBAN: Jan 30 & 31 Allphones Arena
GREENTHIEF: Sep 5 Cambridge Hotel (Newcastle), Sep 6 Yours & Owls (Wollongong), Sep 7 Lansdowne Hotel, Sep 8 Bald Faced Stag TIM HART: Sep 5 Front Bar & Gallery, Sep 19 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Sep 20 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Sep 21 The Vanguard, Sep 22 Yours & Owls, Sep 23 Clarendon Guesthouse LITTLE SCOUT: Sep 7 FBI Social STARLING: Sep 7 The Sando NIKKO: Sep 6 The Phoenix, Sep 7 Lass O’Gowrie, Sep 8 Kings Cross Hotel
INTERNATIONAL
ANTAGONIST AD: Aug 15 Tuggeranong Youth Centre, Aug 16 Hot Damn, Aug 17 Masonic Hall KENNY ROGERS: Aug 15 & 16 State Theatre, Aug 24 Newcastle Entertainment Centre OPOSSOM, WHITE ARROWS: Aug 15 ANU Bar, Aug 16 Bar On The Hill, Aug 17 The Metro BURNING LOVE: Aug 17 Sandringham Hotel, Aug 18 Bar 32, Aug 19 Blackwire NASUM: Aug 18 The Hi-Fi
XAVIER RUDD: Sep 6 Newcastle Civic Theatre, Sep 7 Waves Hotel, Sep 8 Enmore Theatre
HAYES CARLL: Aug 22 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Aug 26 The Factory
LANIE LANE: Sep 6 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Sep 7 Clarendon Guesthouse, Sep 8 Heritage Hotel, Sep 9 Brass Monkey, Sep 14 Milton Theatre, Sep 15 Canberra Street Theatre
TRANSIT: Aug 22 Bar 32, Aug 23 Spectrum, Aug 24 Yoyo’s
SEEKAE: Sep 6 & 7 The Basement Sydney THE SMITH STREET BAND: Sep 7 Great Northern Newcastle, Sep 8 Annandale Hotel, Sep 9 Phoenix Lounge JULIA STONE: Sep 12 The Abbey, Sep 13 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Sep 15 The Metro
CORB LUND: Aug 22 Notes DIE!DIE!DIE!: Aug 22 Great Northern, Aug 23 The Standard, Aug 24 Yours & Owls THE ZOOBOMBS: Aug 22 Great Northern Newcastle, Aug 24 The Patch, Aug 25 Sandringham Hotel OBITS: Aug 23 Annandale Hotel THE PHARCYDE: Aug 23 Upstairs Beresford
THE BEARDS: Sep 28 Beach Hotel (Byron), Oct 24 Bar On The Hill (Newcastle), Oct 25 Wollongong UniBar, Oct 26 Baroque Bar (Katoomba), Oct 27 Beachcomber Hotel, Nov 2 Metro
GIN WIGMORE: Aug 24 Standard, Aug 25 Great Northern (Newscastle), Aug 29 Heritage Hotel (Wollongong)
THE MEDICS: Aug 29 Station (Jindabyne), Sep 12 Spectrum, Sep 27 Transit Bar, Sep 28 The Patch, Sep 29 Cambridge Hotel, Oct 5 Great Northern
PENNYWISE: Aug 25 UNSW Roundhouse
CITY RIOTS: Aug 31 World Bar
SLASH: Aug 25 Sydney Entertainment Centre
SHIHAD: Sep 7 The Metro
THE ENGLISH BEAT: Aug 25 & 26 The Factory
BIG TOUR feat. TUKA, DAILY MEDS and more: Sep 14 Oxford Art Factory, Oct 5 Cambridge Hotel, Oct 6 Hotel Gearin
THE BEACH BOYS: Aug 30 Allphones Arena
EMPERORS: Sep 14 GoodGod THE RED PAINTINGS*: Sep 14 The Standard MIA DYSON: Sep 14 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Sep 15 Notes, Sep 16 The Abbey, Oct 6 Lizotte’s Kincumber POND: Sep 20 The Metro THE RUBENS: Sep 20 Uni Bar, Sep 21 Metro THE ANGELS: Sep 21 & 22 Bridge Hotel Rozelle HEY GERONIMO: Sep 21 FBi Social
BLONDE ON BLONDE: Aug 24 Lansdowne Hotel THE REMBRANDTS: Aug 25 Waves Nightclub, Aug 31 Enmore Theatre
MARIA MINERVA: Aug 30 GoodGod APOCALYPTICA: Aug 31 The Hi-Fi JOHN 00 FLEMING: Aug 31 The Academy, Sep 1 Chinese Laundry JOSE FELICIANO: Sep 1 Capitol Theatre PITBULL: Sep 1 Allphones Arena NITIN SAWHNEY: Sep 4 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall JONAH MATRANGA’S ONELINEDRAWING: Sep 6 Sandringham Hotel, Sep 7 Cambridge Hotel
OH MERCY: Sep 26 Heritage Hotel, Sep 27 Cambridge Hotel, Sep 28 ANU Bar, Sep 29 The Standard, Sep 30 Clarendon Guesthouse
CARTEL: Sep 7 Bald Faced Stag, Sep 8 Entrance Leagues, Sep 9 Cambridge Hotel, Sep 12 Manly Fisho’s
CLARE BOWDITCH: Sep 27 Lizotte’s Dee Why, Sep 28 The Factory
THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES: Sep 8 The Metro
THE AMITY AFFLICTION: Sep 28 Newcastle Panthers, Sep 29 Big Top Luna Park, Oct 2 University Of Canberra
RICK ROSS: Sep 7 Big Top Luna Park PATRICK WOLF: Sep 8 & 9 Sydney Opera House RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: Sep 8 Canberra Theatre, Sep 9 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
REGURGITATOR: Sep 29 The Hi-Fi, Sep 30 Cambridge Hotel, Oct 4 Zierholz, Oct 5 Wollongong UniBar
BARRY ADAMSON: Sep 12 The Factory
KARISE EDEN: Oct 3 & 4 St Stephen’s Uniting Church, Oct 6 Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle
SIX60: Sep 12 ANU Bar Canberra, Sep 14 Enmore
DAMIEN LEITH: Oct 6 State Theatre
JASON BONHAM: Sep 13 Enmore Theatre
GOOD CHARLOTTE: Sep 12 Big Top EARTH: Sep 13 The Hi-Fi
JERICCO: Oct 6 Annandale PONY FACE*: Oct 11 Junkyard (Maitland), Oct 12 Greenroom, Oct 13 Yours And Owls ICEHOUSE: Oct 10 Waves, Oct 11 Wyong Leagues Club, Oct 16 & 17 Dee Why RSL, Oct 30 Southern Cross Club, Oct 31 Rooty Hill RSL, Nov 2 Revesby Workers Club, Nov 3 Enmore Theatre KATIE NOONAN & KARIN SCHAUPP: Oct 11 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Oct 12 Laycock Street Theatre, Oct 13 & 14 Street Theatre Canberra, Oct 26 Illawarra P.A.C., Oct 27 City Recital Hall SETH SENTRY: Oct 19 The Factory, Oct 20 Transit Bar LAST DINOSAURS: Oct 20 The Metro DIAFRIX*: Oct 26 Great Northern Newcastle, Oct 27 GoodGod DELTA GOODREM: October 31 State Theatre KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON: Oct 30 Civic Theatre, Nov 1 Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, Nov 2 Seymour Centre ANGUS STONE: Nov 1 Enmore Theatre, Nov 2 Newcastle Leagues Club, Nov 3 Waves, Nov 7 Great Northern
50 • THE DRUM MEDIA
FESTIVALS
FAT AS BUTTER: Sep 22 Camp Shortland PARKLIFE: Sep 30 Centennial Park WHIPLASH: Oct 20 Sandringham Hotel, Oct 26 Cambridge Hotel, Oct 27 ANU Bar SYDNEY BLUES & ROOTS: Oct 25 – 28 Windsor SURRY HILLS FESTIVAL: Oct 27 Prince Alfred Park STEEL ASSASSINS: Nov 2 – 3 Sandringham Hotel BASTARDFEST: Nov 9 & 10 The Basement Canberra, Nov 17 Sandringham Hotel A DAY ON THE GREEN: Nov 10 Bimbadgen Winery (Hunter Valley) NEWTOWN FESTIVAL: Nov 11 Camperdown Memorial Rest Park HARVEST: Nov 17 Parramatta Park STEREOSONIC: Nov 24 Sydney Showgrounds PEATS RIDGE: Dec 29 – Jan 1 Glenworth Valley BIG DAY OUT: Jan 18 Sydney Showgrounds
THUNDAMENTALS: Nov 9 Oxford Art Factory
SOUNDWAVE: Feb 24 TBA
THE LIVING END: Nov 21 – 27 The Hi-Fi
* indicates new or amended listing this week
themusic.com.au
TIM ROGERS @ LIZOTTE’S NEWCASTLE PIC BY MAT LEE
HAVE YOU HEARD
BEARS WITH GUNS Country NSW five-piece Bears With Guns are hitting the road to promote their debut single, Taken For A Fool. Tony McMahon gets the lowdown.
TIM ROGERS, CATHERINE BRITT LIZOTTE’S NEWCASTLE: 12/08/12
Spending a stormy night in a warm Lizotte’s Newcastle with shitloads of wine is a pretty perfect way to end the weekend. Therefore, with mention of a homecoming, her Aussie-comeNashville twang and a few “go the Knights!”, Catherine Britt easily has everyone on side. The Novocastrian’s angry title track, Always Never Enough, is received with a cheer – a song that she hopes we like, because her “ex doesn’t”. The Newcastle-inspired Charlestown Road distracts patrons from their dessert or glass of red to mouth “holy shit” at her perfect alt. country vibrato. A surprise guest (spoiler: Tim Rogers) takes the stage, tripping over equipment, to sing the beautiful Troubled Man duet with Britt, the peaceful atmosphere transforming to Rogers’ self-confessed “creepy old drunk uncle” mood. A perfect, contrasting opener. Tim Rogers is backed by Cameron Bruce on keys, drummer Gus Agars and potential showstealer Shane O’Mara on guitar. Rogers and Bruce begin the set with the Piaf-inspired new track, All Or Nothing. A “merci” to the audience as Agars and O’Mara take the stage. The show is a type of organised disorganisation. Rogers leads the boys with ease as their musicality meshes flawlessly, before awkwardly and hilariously conducting stage banter with horny female fans. Improvisation is the flavour of the evening, with the rock legend delivering a spontaneous a cappella Happy Anniversary at a patron’s direct request. His comedic timing is always present, delivering the final punchline. From jokes about his 11-year-old daughter, to alcoholism, drug taking and semen, what else can fans really expect? The band ventures through a range of new tunes from the Rogers Does Rogerstein record, as well as a few solo and You Am I classics (most notably, the toe-tapping Doug Sahm). Just as the frontman begins to lose his voice, Britt rejoins for another harmonic duet, this time Rogers’ Walking Past The Bars. However, Rogers’ voice isn’t sorely missed. During a placid cover of Bob Dylan’s Boots Of Spanish Leather, audiences are too busy being in awe of O’Mara’s guitar brilliance. The night ends with an impromptu Instant Karma (We All Shine On). Rogers shrugs and bids the crowd adieu. “This is the shittiest tour ever,” jokes the band. On the contrary, it’s a night to enjoy Rogers for who he is: a man who adores music and speaks his mind. Mat Lee
OLYMPIC CLOSING CEREMONY CELEBRATION CONCERT FEAT BLUR, THE SPECIALS, NEW ORDER, BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB HYDE PARK, LONDON: 12/08/12
The London Olympics Closing Ceremony Celebration Concert announced their lineup earlier this year under the banner ‘Best Of British’. In that lineup featured The Specials, New Order and headliners Blur. In their own unique way, each of these bands has come to represent Britain either in their style of music or their lyrical content. The atmosphere at Hyde Park was patriotism
on steroids. Union Jacks were present at every turn: on handbags, dresses, hats, even painted onto faces. As the band sets were interspersed with Olympics highlights footage, the audience would cheer for their English victors as if the results were just being announced. Electric, unifying, call it what you will, there was a definitive Olympic spirit to the whole occasion.
Blur’s songs are memorable pop gems, channelling the British lifestyle with wit and ease, making it easy for the crowd to both relate and join in. And how they did. When they weren’t turning every song into football chants, the crowd leapt spontaneously, rushed towards the stage and cheered Albarn’s every move. By the time the encore came around, the warmth buzzing through the crowd was infectious. As the strings played out on final song, The Universal, and the knowledge dawned on locals that the next day would see their city return to its pre-Olympic tourism state, all they could do was sing the refrain with conviction stirred on by the tears glistening in Albarn’s eyes as he looked out at this sea of adoring fans, “When the days they seem to fall through you, well just let them go.” Blur victorious once more, on their home turf in perfection personified.
Bombay Bicycle Club began proceedings as a last minute lineup addition. The audience lapped up their simple, indie-rock songs, dancing jovially around picnickers in front of the stage. A pleasant if unremarkable opener. The real excitement was felt the moment New Order appeared. With the sky turning gloomy, everyone got to their feet, packed away the blankets and began shouting the lyrics to every song from opener, Crystal, to crowd pleaser, Temptation. Bernard Sumner attempted lighthearted, Olympic-based banter but he soon learnt a concise “C’MON!” would rouse spirits sufficiently. The curious final song choice of Love Will Tear Us Apart felt forced and generally discomforting. There is a strange surreality to watching people shout Ian Curtis’ lyrics like a football chant. This chanting continued for The Specials’ set. Hook-laden and pounding with ska energy, the band made the earth quake as thousands stamped their way around the park, imitating the beat on songs like A Message To You Rudi and Too Much Too Young. The party atmosphere was truly in full swing by the time they came to a close to allow for a brief countdown to the Closing Ceremony occurring in the Olympic Stadium.
Sevana Ohandjanian
GETTING HOSTILE Raging new punk/hardcore outfit Hostile Objects will be hitting up Blackwire Records this Sunday afternoon, supporting Canadian punks Burning Love – who feature ex-Cursed vocalist Chris Colohan – alongside the local, recently reformed band Fattura Della Morte. The doors open at 4pm and the show is all ages. Space is limited, so get down early.
SUNSET IN IOWA
Finally, the main act: Blur. If there was ever a band to represent Britain, in all of its endless contradictions and traditions, with songs that mock their hometown but simultaneously celebrate it, it was Blur. As they played a setlist that felt geared to a London audience (the second track was London Loves after all), fans hysterically jumped around and the band members themselves looked thrilled. The excitement was in the sheer number of people sharing the experience, as the crowd would singalong to the songs. Some fans were so far back that there was a sound-travelling delay, made all the more beautiful as wave after wave of “Oh my baby” came swelling forward from the other end of the park during Tender. Some special songs got a rare airing, including the rediscovered B-side, Young & Lovely, and the Trainspotting soundtrack tune, Sing, opening the encore. Blur have never sounded more in sync, as Alex James hung back with his bass, looking almost exactly as he did in 1996, perhaps with a few new grey hairs, whilst Dave Rowntree attacked the drums with glee on back-to-back, percussionheavy tunes Popscene and Song 2. Damon Albarn’s voice teetered between devastatingly beautiful, on tearjerker, No Distance Left To Run, and painful shouting on Jubilee, whilst Graham Coxon shredded guitar with dexterity, though he often looked uncomfortable within himself on stage, as if he’d rather be holed up in a room alone. Yet when Damon ran over and gave him a peck on the cheek and a sly grin to go with the first strummed chords of Tender, he lit up and simultaneously melted the hearts of every fan from front row to the nosebleed section (aka the park gates).
Underground success story Iowa have supported King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Wolf & Cub, secured extensive radioplay and released a much-talked-about debut album, Never Saw It Coming, which has been nominated as one of the best releases of the year. They’re heading into FBi Social this Thursday night, supported by local favourites Sounds Like Sunset, loud four-piece Lyyar and Narrow Lands.
FULLY ARMED Former country boys Bears With Guns are playing FBi Social this Friday night, pulling out some of their alternative rock/folk/roots tunes. The band, who gave up studying in favour of making music, are receiving plenty of praise over their new single, Taken For A Fool. Sydney’s melodic, alternative twopiece Open Skys and purveyors of red wine-induced melodies Dusty Yellow Sunbeams will join them.
LOST AT SEA As part of The Standard’s Neighbourhood Watch program, a series of remarkable indie acts will take to the stage this Thursday night. The evening kicks off with roots duo The Grease Arrestor’s tunes, followed by the ‘60s rock of The Darkened Seas. The gorgeous indie tunes of Iluka are up next, with the night wrapped up by Sea Legs, who mix eclectic rock arrangements with delicate pop hooks.
BUILDING A MONUMENT Notorious for their searing brand of indie rock, and with their third album, Monument, generating plenty of sales and praise, Children Collide take the Standard stage this Friday and Saturday night. They’ll be supported by local garage punks Dune Rats, whose support for The Drums earlier this year earned them plenty of fans, and Adelaide’s dream pop/rock gang Bad Dreems.
themusic.com.au
“The experience of rejection, heartache and betrayal are just a part of life that everyone goes through in some way or form,” says vocalist and guitarist Rob, talking about the subject matter of Taken For A Fool. “These experiences weren’t sought out, I just expressed in song the way I felt about it all, probably because it was on my mind a lot at the time.” Producer Wayne Connolly, who has worked with The Vines, Josh Pyke and Sarah Blasko among others, was brought in for desk duties during recording, and it seems things couldn’t have gone more swimmingly. “We had no idea what to expect working with Wayne, being our first major recording experience. The whole recording process was really comfortable, and we feel he captured that in a great way with Taken For A Fool. It was exciting when we found out we were recording with such a high calibre producer, especially for our first EP, where the original plan was to record in a mate’s room in Bondi. Ending up with Wayne was an opportunity that was presented to us by our label, and one that was too good to say no to.” As far as a Bears With Guns live show is concerned, it seems the band are seriously into the bonding that goes along with these events. “We like to have fun with the audience and our friends at live shows, and the experience is something you can’t get through recording. We would like to encourage people to go and watch live music. There is an overwhelming amount of talent in the Australian music scene and the best way to support up-and-coming bands is to get out and be a part of it.” WHAT: Taken For A Fool (Highway 125) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 17 August, FBi Social, Saturday 18, The Cambridge, Newcastle;
GIANT PIGEONS This Saturday night at GoodGod, Brisbane fivepiece Pigeon will be introducing the audience to their new single, Oh Hebe, a sneak preview of their new EP, due out in October. With special guests to be announced, this night is bound to go off.
GOOD VIBRATIONS Electric rock four-piece Price Of Fame, punk metal five-piece 40 bends and heavy rock outfit Greyskull are joining forces to make some heavy noise in The Valve Bar in Tempe this Sunday afternoon. The gig kicks off around 1pm and with three bands relatively new to the music scene and on the brink of new releases, this could be a good way to investigate some newcomers.
GUITARS AND STUFF With a career-spanning three decades, renowned guitar virtuoso Bruce Mathiske, who combines genres from gypsy to ambient, swing to African, and folk to flamenco, is known for his ability to experiment and create musical works of art in the process. His latest album, Guitar-Uoso, has just been released through MGM and to celebrate, Bruce Mathiske will be performing at The Basement this Wednesday night. THE DRUM MEDIA • 51
GO WEST
HAVE YOU HEARD
HAVE YOU HEARD
DYLAN HARTAS & THE BLUES MARTYRS
BREAKING ORBIT WITH MARK TYSON (DRUMS)
From bar-room brawls to classical concerts – Johnny Mackay details the crazy start to Children Collide’s epic national tour.
Your music is…? Alternative blues. Which acts inspired you to produce your own music and why? The list is so long. Draw a big scribble between John Lee Hooker and Billy Idol to get an idea. I’m lovin’ the latest Black Keys album.
We kicked off the Monument tour in Bunbury, WA, the jewel of the west. We’d been there before but I’d never noticed what an amazing array of discount/variety stores they have in the immediate vicinity of the venue. My favourites were Hooley Dooleys and Things where I picked up this gorgeous boob apron that had been marked down $5 due to someone having stolen the nipple ring. There was a massive fight and we had to cut our first song short. I didn’t really see any of it but apparently the main protagonist was some ex-boxer dude. We woke up a little hazy and made our way back up the highway to Perth to play Amplifier. I got to watch all of Bad Dreems’ set and it was rad. In particular TMRW MNTN and FCK CSN. I’m not sure why they name all their songs like a 14-year-old girl TXTNG her BFF, but I like their music a lot. It’s FKN KWL. Dune Rats were also excellent. They don’t ever have a setlist and seem to just yell song titles to each other on stage. Last I heard they were travelling to some huge sand dunes outside of Perth to film themselves taking epic tumbles down them. Anyway, our first show at Amplifier was packed full of crazies and a bloody good time. Being our
BRIGHT LIGHTS This Friday night, ambush Gallery will present a free, outdoor event. First shown at Vivid Live earlier this year, the gallery’s project, called Luminous, is an interactive light display, which will be put up in Darling Quarter every Friday this month. Future Classics DJs will be adding to your multisensory experience. Head along and check it out!
OPEN DOOR Renowned Australian groove-blues artist Ash Grunwald calls his latest and sixth album, Trouble’s Door, his “most personal songwriting so far” and describes it as a highly political work, which came to life as a result of his frustration with politics and the mismanagement of the environment. Grunwald will be performing this Thursday at The Abbey in Canberra, Friday night at Katoomba RSL, with support from soul/blues/rhythm artist Cass Eager, and Saturday night at the Mona Vale Hotel.
BREAKING IT UP This Friday night, prepare for a particularly loud lineup at The Annandale. Breaking Orbit is a Sydney band creating modern, eclectic, progressive rock who pride themselves on their eclectic soundscapes, driving polyrhythms and tribal drum breakdowns. Meniscus is eager to create a unique music experience, with lush, ambient soundscapes, driving bass lines and post-rock blends. Finally, rounding out the lineup, Mish are a metal/rock quartet who combine modern math metal with emotional depth.
FOR THE BRITS This Saturday night will see a tribute to the wild and wonderful world of Britpop, coming to us directly from the notorious tribute-night organisers 52 • THE DRUM MEDIA
What’s your wildest ambition for your music? To find the secret combination of notes that simultaneously raises Bon Scott and Jimi Hendrix from the dead.
second-ever proper show with our new drummer Mitch we were still finding our feet at soundcheck but it seemed to all pull together on the night.
Why should we come and see you? Because you will see someone bringing their best to the stage every time, doing what they love. I’ve put everything into this for as long as I can remember.
On the second night Heath, Mitch and I got taken to see the West Australian Symphony Orchestra play Brahms’ Requiem by an oboist who I like to call Yoko Oboe. It was a lovely way to spend those pre-show hours between soundcheck and playing and we all came out of it in a kind of trance.
How do you find the local live scene? By flicking through The Drum Media of course ha ha! I think the local Sydney scene is awesome, great bands and players of all genres any night of the week. It’s a shame the banks and landlords don’t go easier on venues.
Consequently, we had a dream of a show. On the way there I noticed a Yayoi Kusama display in the window of a shop, which added to the joy.
What’s your greatest rock’n’roll moment? Meeting Faith No More in an airport toilet. Nuff’ said!
I ended the night in my favourite place… On a couch, with my arm around Woody [Annison, producer] throwing shapes.
For more info see: www.dylanhartas.com
Looking forward to the next 22 shows!
Next available at: Devil’s Groove Album Launch, Friday 17 August at the Wall, Bald Faced Stag Hotel
WHO: Children Collide WHEN & WHERE: Friday 17 and 18 August, The Standard; Thursday 30, The Entrance Leagues Club in Bateau Bay; Friday 31, The Fitzroy Hotel in Windsor; Saturday 1 September, Wollongong Uni Bar; Sunday 2, Zierholz in Canberra Uni.
LOOK AT THE PATTERNS
Counterfeit. Local bands Alex Party Cat, Middle Aged Youth Group and The Pox will attempt to cover some of Britpop’s greatest, from Ash, The Stone Roses, Elastica and Pulp to Oasis, Supergrass and Happy Mondays and many more. If you’re a Britpop fan, be at the Town Hotel, Newtown.
OOH LA LA! Sydney band Garcon Garcon are packing their bags, preparing to embark on a tour of the US and UK. Before they go thought, they’ll be at Oxford Hotel’s Supper Club this Saturday night. This close and intimate performance will give the band a chance to reveal their brand new single, as well as say goodbye to their committed Sydney fanbase.
HIDE AND SEEK Indie singer/songwriter Paul Greene will be taking to the stage at the Clarendon Guesthouse in Katoomba this Friday night. Having received rave reviews for his remarkable latest album, Behind The Stars, Greene is embarking on an extensive tour to promote his latest single, Seek What You’ll Find. The single itself was mixed by Craig Porteils, who is known for his work with The Potbelleez and Shannon Noll. Greene’s skilful songwriting and masterful vocals have earned him plenty of fans, from his home base in Sydney to provinces of Japan.
FOREIGN GUESTS Next Tuesday night at Blue Beat in Double Bay, legendary American drummer John Riley will be joining forces with some of Sydney’s best musicians for two sets of exceptional jazz. Having played with artists as diverse as Miles Davis and Gary Peacock, Riley is among the best known, and most experienced, drummers on the contemporary jazz scene.
This Friday night at GoodGod Small Club, music scene stalwart Rapaport will release his latest solo piece, a mixtape called Patterns. Rapaport’s efforts as an MC, guitarist and producer over the past decade or so have earned him an army of fans, with his Laughing On The Inside garnering rave reviews from press and fans alike. This latest release combines Rapaport’s leftfield grime raps with deep, bass beats.
PULL THIS
Melbourne singer-songwriter Ainslie Wills takes to the stage at GoodGod Small Club this Thursday night. She’ll be presenting her new single, Fighting Kind, a track that Frankie Magazine called a “musical saviour”, and which triple j’s Zan Rowe acknowledged as her “catch of the day”. Wills will be supported by Sydney songstress Caitlin Park and Brendan Maclean.
LIGHT UP
Melbourne band Chet Faker, whose smooth, polished releases have earned them generous airplay on FBi and triple j, will hit up the Oxford Art Factory this Thursday night to promote his debut release, Thinking In Textures. After incredibly well received performances at Vivid Live as well as the UK’s Great Escape festival, there’s no doubt this show will be in high demand, so get hold of tickets as soon as possible!
WRITING ON THE WALL
This Wednesday night, The World Bar again hosts its weekly, completely unique arts club night: dubstep blaring downstairs, art upstairs. This week has been billed as “an animal rave in the dubcave”, which means if you come dressed as your favourite animal you’ll be granted free entry. Furthermore, there’ll be prizes on offer for the most creative costume. Featured DJs will include Tongue In Moo and Swiss Dubb in competition with Tony Why and Toby Trix, as well as King Lee, Pat Lord and Zwelli.
WHAT? WHO?
This Friday night, Wollongong psychedelic rock group The Walking Who will be performing at
themusic.com.au
How did you get together? We have all being playing music together in various forms for eight or nine years and crossed paths regularly within the Sydney live music scene. Following some earlier projects along with a lineup and name change in 2009, we started to pull together our debut record. We’ve been recording and touring ever since. Have you recorded anything or do you prefer to tool around in your bedroom? We initially put out a number of small releases to showcase our sound back in 2009, with some earlier tracks released under our previous incarnation Nucleus. Since then we’ve released the album singles, My Direction and Callsign (along with a number of b-sides). But by far our most pertinent release to date is our debut record, The Time Traveller. Can you sum up your band’s sound in four words? Eclectic, tribal, progressive, emotive. If you could support any band in the world, who would it be and why? Oceansize – this awe-inspiring UK outfit had a significant influence on our musical development (individually and as a band). When they came out with COG in 2009 we hung out with them briefly, but most importantly it was great to engage with people who spoke a similar musical language to us. They are all both individually and collectively such amazing musicians, it’s just a shame they’re not together anymore. If a higher power smites your house and you could only save one record from the fire, what would it be? Brian Eno, Music For Airports (Vinyl Collectors). Do you have a lucky item of clothing you wear for gigs and what is it? Not really – I’d like to believe none of us require a piece of clothing to play well. If you invited someone awesome round for dinner what would you cook? Peking duck. When and where is your next show? Friday 17 August, The Annandale; and Saturday 18, The Basement, Canberra The Upstairs Beresford. Their devil-may-care attitude, intense, reverb-rich sound and dedicated performances have won over fans as well as industry professionals alike and Select Music assigned them a booking agent this year. With free entry and dinner available, this is a gig not to miss.
WHEN? WHERE? Let’s not lose another great live venue in Sydney. A rally is being organised for Sunday 26 August at Sydney Park to march up King Street, Newtown, to the Sandringham Hotel, to show support for the embattled venue. There are fundraising gigs this Thursday and Friday at the venue. Show them some love.
SET UP This Friday night, prepare to fall in love as Jinja Safari’s Blind Date Tour takes over the Metro. With their first full-length album released this year, this local jungle rock band have recently earned some positive press in both the US and UK, with American record label Neon Gold calling them “a bristling force of nature”. The band will be supported by Opossum, the solo project of Kody Neilson, whose debut, Electric Hawaii, is drenched in groove-laden psychedelia. Rounding out the bill will be Los Angeles band White Arrows, whose “dizzying” indie synth-pop has blown minds from London to New York.
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/#4/"%2ª TH ª ªsª7).$3/2 TICKETS ON SALE NOW www.oztix.com.au
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 53
TUE 14 A NIGHT OF AMERICANA: The Basement Circular Quay ANDREW DENNISTON, TIM WEEDON, STELL BELL: Harbour View Hotel - The Rocks JAZZGROOVE feat, BERNIE MCGANN, HARRY SUTHERLAND: 505 - Surry Hills MANDI JARRY DUO: Maloneys Hotel - Sydney RANI’S FIRE, JIM SAMPHIER, OLIVER THOMPSON, BLACK DIAMOND: George IV Hotel - Picton ROB HENRY: Observer Hotel - The Rocks RUSSELL NEAL, PAUL MCGOWAN, BRIAN MANNING: The Merton Hotel - Rozelle SONS OF MERCURY: Scruffy Murphys - Sydney
WED 15 ANTAGONIST AD, LIONHEART, SHINTO KATANA, REIGNER, FRAIL: Tuggeranong Youth Centre ACT
ILLY, CHASM SOUNDSYSTEM, SCRYPTCHA, FLAGRANT: Plantation Hotel - Coffs Harbour
BREAKING ORBIT, MARLOW, THE HUNGRY MILE: Annandale Hotel - Annandale
JAMIE OEHLERS QUARTET: 505 - Surry Hills
BURN ANTARES, UNCLE JED, THE THOMPSONS: The Basement Circular Quay
JINJA SAFARI, OPOSSOM, WHITE ARROWS: ANU Bar - Canberra ACT JOSH MCIVOR: Mean Fiddler Hotel - Rouse Hill KENNY ROGERS (USA): State Theatre - Sydney NICKY KURTA: Summer Hill Hotel - Summer Hill PETER HEAD: Harbour View Hotel - The Rocks REVERTIGO: The Basement Canberra, ACT ROLAND K SMITH & THE SINNERS, HANDSOME YOUNG STRANGERS + MORE: Sandringham Hotel, upstairs - Newtown RUSSELL NEAL, + GUESTS: Cat & Fiddle Hotel - Balmain SARAH PATON: Observer Hotel - The Rocks STAR WARS BURLESQUE: The Vanguard - Newtown
BEN FINN DUO: Maloneys Hotel - Sydney
STEVE TONGE DUO: O’Malleys Hotel - Kings Cross
BRUCE MATHISKE, PHIL STACK, GREG YOUNG, STEVE COWLEY: The Basement Circular Quay
TAOS, GAVIN FITZGERALD, + GUESTS: Coach & Horses Hotel - Randwick
CASCADE, GANG OF BROTHERS, MOONLIGHT COWBOYS, MR KITE: Annandale Hotel - Annandale DAN SPILLANE: Coogee Bay Hotel - Beach Bar DAVE SEASIDE: Artichoke Gallery Café - Manly DEAD MARINES: Sandringham Hotel, downstairs - Newtown DELTA RIGGS, MONEY FOR ROPE: Beach Road Hotel (Rex Room) - Bondi DJ PAULY: Marlborough Hotel - Newtown FRAT HOUSE DJs: Lansdowne Hotel - Chippendale GRASS TAYLOR: Mars Hill Café - Parramatta GREG ATWELLS: Brass Monkey - Cronulla GREG SITA, SANITY’S COLLISION, THE YELLO: Cookies Lounge and Bar - North Strathfield HELMUT UHLMANN, BRIAN MANNING, BENJAMIN LAM, ADIB AZAHAR: UTS Loft Bar, UTS - Broadway HILLTOP HOODS, HORRORSHOW, BRIGGS: Station Resort - Jindabyne
54 • THE DRUM MEDIA
THE HI TOPS BRASS BAND: The Mac - Surry Hills THE J-21’S: Beauford Hotel - Mayfield
CHET FAKER: Oxford Art Factory - Darlinghurst DAN ENGLAND, CLINT BOGE: Northern Star - Hamilton DARREN BENNETT, BLACK DIAMOND, KATH COX: Corrimal Hotel - Corrimal DAVID AGIUS: Dee Why Hotel - Dee Why EMILLE: Campbelltown Catholic Club Campbelltown FBI SOCIAL feat., IOWA, SOUNDS LIKE SUNSET, LYYAR, NARROW LANDS: Kings Cross Hotel - Kings Cross GROOVEWORKS: Revesby Workers - Revesby HARBOUR MASTER: Edinburgh Castle Hotel - City HAYLEY SALES: Marlborough Hotel - Newtown HEATH BURDELL: Northies, Sports Bar - Cronulla HOT DAMN! feat., ANTAGONIST AD, LIONHEART, SHINTO KATANA, ADVERSARY: Vegas Lounge - Darlinghurst IGNITION: 3 Wise Monkeys - Sydney
THE SILVER DOLLARS, THE FLAMING STARS, DJ BRIAN: Rock Lily, The Star - Pyrmont
ILLY, CHASM SOUNDSYSTEM, SCRYPTCHA, JACKIE ONASSIS, ELEMONT, FRAGRANT: Cambridge Hotel - Newcastle
TURN MORTAL COIL + SPECIAL GUESTS: Valve Bar & Venue - Tempe
JAMES REYNE, OLLIE BROWN: Lizottes Central Coast - Kincumber
THU 16 031 ROCK SHOW: Scruffy Murphys - Sydney AINSLIE WILLS, CAITLIN PARK, BRENDAN MACLEAN: GoodGod Small Club - Sydney ALPINE, CLUBFEET, GEORGI KAY: Great Northern Hotel - Byron Bay
JASMINE BETH, FRANK SULTANA, THE SINISTER KIDS: Bottlerocket Bar - Nowra JAY SMITH, THE VANNS, LANDON ELLIOT RIVER, LOBSTERFACE: Valve Bar & Venue - Tempe JINJA SAFARI, OPOSSOM, WHITE ARROWS: Bar on the Hill, Newcastle Uni - Newcastle
MICHAEL MCGLYNN: Greengate Hotel - Greengate
AINSLIE WILLS, BENJAMIN FRASER: Terrace Bar - Newcastle
DAN LAWRENCE: Observer Hotel (late) - The Rocks
KRISTY LEE: Oasis on Beamish Hotel - Campsie
NAT COLE AND THE KINGS: Port Macquarie Hotel - Port Macquarie
ALPHA MAMA: The Mac (late) - Surry Hills
DAVID AGIUS BAND: Crows Nest Hotel (late) - Crows Nest)
KURT WILLIAMS: Tahmoor Inn - Tahmoor
NICHOLAS ROY: Brass Monkey - Cronulla NICKY KURTA: Harbord Beach Hotel - Harbord PAT DRUMMOND: Pioneer Tavern - Penrith PAT POWELL, CHRIS DUKE & THE ROYALS, HANDBALL DEATHMATCH, + GUESTS: Sandringham Hotel, upstairs - Newtown
ARMCHAIR TRAVELLERS DUO: East Hills Hotel - East Hills
RAOUL GRAF: Gymea Bay Hotel - Gymea
AT THE HOP: Belmont 16’s - Belmont
ROSS WILSON, NIC JEFFRIES: Lizottes Sydney - Dee Why
BABBA: Soldiers Point Bowling Club - Soldiers Point
SAM & JAMIE TRIO: Maloneys Hotel - Sydney
BABY ET LULU: Heritage Hotel - Bulli
SONS OF MERCURY: Bull & Bush Baulkham Hills STAR WARS BURLESQUE: The Vanguard - Newtown STEVE TONGE: Observer Hotel - The Rocks SUNCHASERS: The Mac - Surry Hills TERRY SERIO’S MINISTRY OF TRUTH, FANNY LUMSDEN, ANDY CALVERT: Camelot Lounge - Marrickville THE CONTINENTAL BLUES TRIO: Whisper Bar - Kings Cross THE KING BROTHERS TRIO feat, RAY BEADLE: 505 - Surry Hills THE RUBENS, PHEBE STARR, LIME CORDIALE: Manning Bar, Sydney Uni - Camperdown THE RUBIX, INICIATE, WE WITHOUT, LINES OF CHARLIE: The Wall (The Bald Faced Stag) - Leichhardt THE SMITH: Artichoke Gallery Café - Manly THE STARLETTES: Blue Beat Bar - Double Bay UNMARKED: Crown Hotel - Sydney WILDCATZ: Paragon Hotel - Circular Quay WOLF & CUB, THE WALKING WHO, GRASS TAYLOR: Rock Lily, The Star - Pyrmont
ANDREW WISHART: Hornsby RSL, The Showroom - Hornsby
LITTLE BASTARD, CALLITHUMP, THE MOUNTAINS, JACK DAWSON: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery Bar - Darlinghurst
2 OF HEARTS: Club Engadine - Engadine
MARTY from RECKLESS: Coogee Bay Hotel - Beach Bar - Coogee
AGENT 69: Engadine Tavern - Engadine
BABBA: West Tamworth Leagues Club - Tamworth
ANTAGONIST AD, LIONHEART, SHINTO KATANA, RENEGADE, ASURA: Masonic Hall - Blacktown
PETER HEAD: Harbour View Hotel - The Rocks
JOHN VELLA: Sackville Hotel - Rozelle
ANTHEMS OF OZ: Orient Hotel - The Rocks
ANDREW WISHART: Hornsby RSL - Hornsby
ASH GRUNWALD, CASS EAGER: Katoomba RSL - Katoomba
ANDREW DENNISTON, STEPHEN SAYERS, MADI: Ettalong Beach Club - Ettalong Beach
KENNY ROGERS (USA): State Theatre - Sydney
AM 2 PM: Courthouse Hotel - Darlinghurst
FRI 17
BECCY COLE, LYN BOWTELL: Club Singleton - Singleton BEN FINN: Castle Hill RSL - Castle Hill BENN GUNN: Collingwood Hotel - Liverpool BLAZE OF GLORYBON JOVI SHOW: Iron Horse Inn - Cardiff BLONDE 182: Customs House Bar - Circular Quay BOBBY C: Windsor Castle Hotel Newcastle BOBBY DAZZLER, TIMMY LALA: Mean Fiddler Hotel, Woolshed - Rouse Hill BON JOVI - THE SHOW: O’Donoghues - Emu Plains BROOKS POINT BLUES BAND, TENNESSEE MOON, THE HOMBREROS: Cat & Fiddle Hotel - Balmain CAMBO: Observer Hotel - The Rocks CHANCE WATERS: Beaches Hotel - Newcastle CHIEFROCKERS, SUITE AZ, DJ KITSCH78, + MORE: Rock Lily, The Star - Pyrmont CHILDREN COLLIDE: The Standard Darlinghurst CONCORD JOE: The Merton Hotel - Rozelle CRAIG THOMMO: Royal Oak Hotel - Parramatta CUERVO, THE NECTARS, VULPES VULPES, THE JONES, RIVAL, THE DESERT SEA, LANRAE: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery Bar - Darlinghurst CUMBIAMUFFIN: Camelot Lounge - Marrickville
AARON HOOD: Absolute Thai Restaurant Charlestown
DAN HOPKINS & THE GENEROUS FEW: Orange Grove Hotel - Lilyfield
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DR ZOOM DUO: Hotel Jesmond - Jesmond DYLAN HARTAS & TE BLUS MATYRS, JUSTINE & THE MEN, ADRIAN HEATH, THE FAR HORISONS: Bald Faced Stag - Leichhardt ENDLESS SUMMER BEACH PARTY: Marlborough Hotel - Newtown FALLON BROTHERS: Stacks Bar - City FBI SOCIAL feat., BEARS WITH GUNS, OPEN SKYS, DUSTY YELLOW SUNBEAMS: Kings Cross Hotel - Kings Cross FRANCIS INFERNO ORCHESTRA, BEN KORBEL, ANDY WEBB, JAMES TAYLOR: The Spice Cellar - Sydney GALAXSTARE: 505 - Surry Hills GARY JOHNS: PJ Gallaghers Drummoyne GEMMA GLENDENNING: Tall Timbers Hotel - Ourimbah
KUTA GROOVE: Kincumber Hotel - Kincumber, Central Coast LACED IN LUST, THE GUNN SHOW, SMOKIN MIRRORS, RATTLESNAKE: Valve Bar & Venue - Tempe LACHY DOLEY TRIO: Fringe Bar - Paddington LUKE ROBINSON: Parramatta RSL - Parramatta MACKA: Crown Hotel - Sydney MAL BARNES: Revesby Workers - Revesby MANDI JARRY: Croydon Park Hotel - Croydon Park MATT JONES: Henry Lawson Club - Werrington MATT PRICE: Northies, Sports Bar - Cronulla MICK HART: Great Northern Hotel - Byron Bay MIKE MATHIESON, CHRIS ALEXANDER: St George Leagues - Kogarah
ROSS WILSON, GERARD MASTERS: Lizottes Central Coast - Kincumber RUSSELL NEAL, KAFUNKAFUN, NICK DOMENICOS, SPENCER MCCULLUM: Kogarah Hotel - Kogarah SALACIOUS CRUMB, THE DUNHILL BLUES, SPACETICKET+ MORE: Sandringham Hotel, upstairs - Newtown SAM & JAMIE TRIO: Kirribilli Hotel - Kirribilli SARAH PATON: O’Malleys Hotel - Kings Cross SCRATCH: Duke of Wellington Hotel - New Lambton SHANNON NOLL: Marlin Hotel - Ulladulla SONS OF MERCURY: Miranda Hotel - Miranda SOPHIE JOY MADISON: Chatswood RSL - Chatswood SOUL & SOUND: Mars Hill Café - Parramatta
MISSION JONES: Club Rivers - Riverwood
SOUL SACRIFICE: A TRIBUTE TO CARLOS SANTANA: Blue Beat Bar - Double Bay
MITCH ANDERSON, + FRIENDS: Marrickville Golf Club - Marrickville
SPENCERAY: Crows Nest Hotel (early) - Crows Nest
GOOD COMPANY: Charlestown Bowling Club - Charlestown
NICHOLAS ROY, BRENDAN MACLEAN: Notes Live - Enmore
STAR WARS BURLESQUE: The Vanguard - Newtown
GRASS TAYLOR: Sappho Books, Café & Wine Bar - Glebe
NICK KINGSWELL: Bar Petite - Newcastle
STEVE EDMONDS BAND: The Beach Club - Collaroy
GLENN CUNNINGHAM, + SPECIAL GUESTS: The Basement Circular Quay
GTS: West Tradies Club - Dharruk HAPPY HIPPIES: Coogee Bay Hotel - Beach Bar HARBOUR MASTERS: City Hotel Campbelltown
NICKY KURTA: Scruffy Murphys - Sydney ORIGINAL SIN - INXS SHOW: Bull & Bush - Baulkham Hills OUTLIER, MORGAN JOANEL: Dee Why Hotel - Dee Why
HAYLEY SALES DUO: Parramatta Leagues - Parramatta
PANAMA, MRS BISHOP: Beach Road Hotel (Rex Room) - Bondi
HAZE TRIO: The Stag & Hunter Hotel - Mayfield
PANORAMA: 3 Wise Monkeys - Sydney
HEATH BURDELL: Sharks Leagues Club - Cronulla
PARTY CENTRAL: Cronulla Bowling & Rec Club - Cronulla
HORNET: Exchange Hotel - Newcastle
PASSENGER: The Hi Fi - Entertainment Quarter - Moore Park
IAN MOSS, JORDAN MILLAR: Lizottes Sydney - Dee Why INTIMATE LOUNGE MUSIC: Fairfield RSL, Supper Club JAMES REYNE, JAY MAY JANE: Lizottes Newcastle - New Lambton JINJA SAFARI, OPOSSOM, WHITE ARROWS: Metro Theatre - Sydney
PIGEON JOHN, TALL TEE NATION, GOLDSMITH: Great Northern Hotel - Newcastle POWDERFINGER SHOW: Pioneer Tavern - Penrith QUINI: Figtree Hotel - Wollongong RAOUL GRAF: Bankstown Hotel - Bankstown
KAYLENS RAIN: Hillside Hotel - Castle Hill
RAPTURE: Sutherland United Club - Sutherland
KP: Brewery Bar, Novotel - Homebush
REPLIKA: Huskission Hotel - Huskission
KRISHNA JONES: Abbotts Hotel - Waterloo
ROC A TAC: Blacktown RSL (Celebrity Room) - Blacktown
SUNHILL DRIVE: Orana Hotel Blacksmiths SUPERHEAVYWEIGHTS: The Mac - Surry Hills THE ABSTRACTIONISTS: Artichoke Gallery Café - Manly THE COFFIN BROTHERS: Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre - Chippendale THE DELTA RIGGS, MONEY FOR ROPE, KILL CITY CREEPS: Annandale Hotel - Annandale THE HEADLINERS: Westmead Tavern - Westmead THE LOUISIANA ROADSHOW: Brass Monkey - Cronulla THE POD BROTHERS: Ettamogah Hotel - Rouse Hill THE REMEDY: Warners at the Bay - Warners Bay THE REMIXES: Kingswood Sports Club - Kingswood THE SPHINXES: Vineyard Hotel - Vineyard THE WALKING WHO, LOUIS LONDON, KARL BROADIE, DJ PHDJ: Upstairs Beresford - Surry Hills
THE WAVES: Harbord Beach Hotel - Harbord TOMBA, EMPRESS YOY, A-TONEZ, DOCTOR WEREWOLF, GO FREEK: Chinese Laundry - Sydney TOUCHWOOD: Oriental Hotel - Springwood TWO GOOD REASONS: The Mark Hotel - Newcastle TWO STOMP: Nelson Bay Diggers - Nelson Bay WARDS XPRESS: Heathcote Hotel - Heathcote WILDCATZ: Eastern Suburbs Legion Club - Bondi Junction YUM: Penrith Gaels - Kingswood ZANE PENN DUO: Cessnock Supporters - Cessnock ZOLTAN: Pittwater RSL - Mona Vale
BONEZ, HYPERGIANT, TAKING BERLIN, THROW CATCH, + MORE: Annandale Hotel - Annandale
CHASING KARMA: Oatley Hotel - Oatley CHILDREN COLLIDE: The Standard Darlinghurst CHRIS TURNER & THE CAVEMEN: Taverners Hill Hotel - Leichhardt COL FINLEY, CHAD SHUTTLEWORTH: Cessnock Supporters - Cessnock COLD BLANK: Soho - Potts Point
CRAZY STONE CULT: Tall Timbers Hotel - Ourimbah
ACHTUNG BABY-U2 SHOW: Bull & Bush - Baulkham Hills
CROWSFEAT, KARMIC DIRT, PARIS CLUB: Coogee Diggers - Coogee
ANTOINE: Castle Hill RSL, The Terrace - Castle Hill ARREBATO ENSEMBLE: Camelot Lounge - Marrickville AUSTRALIAN BEE GEES SHOW: The Cube - Campbelltown AUSTRALIAN PINK SHOW: Morisset Country Club - Morisset BABBA: Toronto Workers Club - Toronto BABY ET LULU: Clarendon Guest House - Katoomba BASELESS: Penrith Hotel - Penrith
BLACK DIAMOND, + GUESTS: Hotel William - Darlinghurst BLUES BOMBERS: The Mark Hotel - Newcastle
CAULFIELD, CAST TO STONE, AWAKEN I AM: St James Hotel - Sydney
ABSOLUTE DIVAS: Helensburgh Workers Club - Helensburgh
AM 2 PM: Parramatta RSL - Parramatta
BIG WAY OUT: 3 Wise Monkeys - Sydney
CASS EAGER & THE VELVET ROPE: The Mac - Surry Hills
ABBALANCHE: North Sydney Leagues Club - Cammeray
AFTER PARTY BAND: Macarthur Tavern - Campbelltown
BABBA: West Leagues Club - Newcastle
CARL FIDLER: Observer Hotel (early) - The Rocks
COUNTERFIT TRIBUTE TO BRITPOP feat., THE SEIZURES, THE BLARNEY STONERS + MORE: Town Hall Hotel - Newtown
SAT 18
DAN BEAZLEY: The Mark Hotel - Newcastle DAN LAWRENCE: Sir Joseph Banks Hotel - Botany
BLUES SUNDAY feat., MARK HOPPER: Artichoke Gallery Café - Manly
THE DELTA RIGGS
The Delta Riggs ooze authentic rock’n’roll attitude. Frontman Elliot Hammond has been touring the globe with Wolfmother – on the keys, harp and histrionics – of late (as well as posing for golden photo opps with The Replacements’ Tommy Stinson. Jealous? Us? ‘Fraid so.) The band Hammond fronts are no slouches either. If you haven’t already experienced these cats tearing it up on stage, it’s high time you did. Back-to-back opportunities exist this week: Wednesday 15 August, Beach Road Hotel, Bondi; Friday 17, Side Bar; Saturday 18, Annandale Hotel; Sunday 19, Canberra’s Transit Bar. GARCON GARCON, BRIGHT YOUNG THINKGS, MATT VAUGHN: Supper Club, Oxford Hotel - Darlinghurst
PAUL SUN, ALEX COMPTON, GRAHAME CONLON: Northside Produce Markets - North Sydney
SUITE AZ: Mounties - Mt Pritchard
LUKE MCD, ROBBIE LOWE, SAM ROBERTS, MURAT KILIC, + GUESTS: The Spice Cellar - Sydney
PETE HIBBERT: Town Hall Hotel - Waratah
SWINGSHIFT - COLD CHISEL SHOW: Belmont Hotel - Newcastle
GLENN WHITEHALL: Tahmoor Inn - Tahmoor
LUKE ROBINSON: Harbord Beach Hotel - Harbord
PETER HEAD: Harbour View Hotel - The Rocks
HARBOUR MASTERS: Bexley RSL - Bexley
MACSON: Parramatta Leagues - Parramatta
HEATH BURDELL: Kirribilli Hotel - Kirribilli
MATT JONES TRIO: Brewery Bar, Novotel - Homebush
GAV DARBY: Ettalong Beach Club - Ettalong Beach GIAN: Bar Petite - Newcastle
HOTEL CALIFORNIAEAGLES TRIBUTE: King Street Brewhouse - City
DAVE FEINT: Beauford Hotel - Mayfield
HUE WILLIAMS: Springwood Sports Club - Springwood
DAVE WHITE EXPERIENCE: Crows Nest Hotel (late) - Crows Nest
IAN MOSS, JORDAN MILLAR: Lizottes Sydney - Dee Why
DAVID AGIUS: Northies, Sports Bar - Cronulla DES GIBSON: Lansvale Hotel - Lansvale DIRTY DEEDS - AC/ DC SHOW: Club Windang - Windang DJ MATT: Gymea Bay Hotel - Gymea DOLLSHAY: Mean Fiddler Hotel Rouse Hill
INCOGNITO: The Stag & Hunter Hotel - Mayfield JAMES MULLER: 505 - Surry Hills JAZZ NOUVEAU: Fairfield RSL, Supper Club JESS DUNBAR: Coolibah Hotel Merrylands JJ DUO: Courthouse Hotel - Darlinghurst
DOUBLE BARREL: Eastern Suburbs Legion Club - Bondi Junction
JOCHEN MILLER, RANK 1, LEON BOLIER, NICK ARBOR, THOMAS NIGHT, + MORE: Metro Theatre - Sydney
DRAGON: Brass Monkey - Cronulla
BIG RICH: Grumpy’s Bar - Hurlstone Park
JOHN & RHONDA: The Merton Hotel - Rozelle
DV8: Belmore Hotel - Newcastle
BIG WAY OUT: Coogee Bay Hotel, Beach Bar - Coogee
ELEVATION-U2 SHOW: Club Engadine - Engadine
JOHN FIELD TRIO: Sharks Leagues Club - Cronulla
BLACK LABEL: South Hurstville RSL - South Hurstville
ER AMONG THE ETHER, GRANDVILLE, WINSLOW’S CANCER, GREEN RA’ASHID: Valve Bar & Venue - Tempe
BECCY COLE, LYN BOWTELL: Nelson Bay Diggers - Nelson Bay BEN FINN: PJ Gallaghers Drummoyne
BLAZE OF GLORYBON JOVI SHOW: Dicey Riley’s Hotel - Wollongong BLUE VENOM: Carousel Inn - Rooty Hill BOBBY C: Duke of Wellington Hotel - New Lambton
FANTINE, BATTLESHIPS, SONS, F.R.I.E.N.D.S DJ: Upstairs Beresford - Surry Hills
KAZU KIMURA, JEFF DRAKE, SMOKIN’ JOE MEKHAEL, TIGERLILY, J-TRICK: Chinese Laundry - Sydney KEEP THE FAITH - BON JOVI SHOW: Blacktown RSL (Celebrity Room) - Blacktown KINGSWELL, DJ URBY: Rock Lily - The Star Casino - Pyrmont KIRK BURGESS: Picton Hotel - Picton KP: Crown Hotel - Sydney
56 • THE DRUM MEDIA
AUSTRALIAN BEE GEES SHOW: Revesby Workers - Revesby
GIG OF THE WEEK
LEEROY & THE RATS: Orana Hotel - Blacksmiths LOVE THAT HAT: Belmont 16’s - Belmont
MATT PRICE: Hillside Hotel - Castle Hill MENTAL AS ANYTHING, SUPER FLORENCE JAM: Beach Road Hotel (Rex Room) - Bondi MOONLIGHT DRIVE: Exchange Hotel - Newcastle
PINK CHEVYS: Campbelltown Catholic Club, Caf‚ Samba - Campbelltown POP FICTION: Castle Hill RSL Cocktail Lounge RAIN JULZ, + GUESTS: Luna Lounge, Jacksons On George - Sydney RENAE STONE: Stacks Bar - City RETRO GROOVE: Brighton RSL Brighton-Le-Sands ROB HENRY: Observer Hotel (afternoon) - The Rocks
MUDDY FEET: The Belvedere Hotel - Sydney NASUM (SWE), PSYCROPTIC: The Hi Fi - Entertainment Quarter - Moore Park NECK OF THE WOODS, CHARLES BUDDY DAABOUL: Mars Hill Café - Parramatta NEW WAR, LOST ANIMAL, SCATTERED ORDER, FOUR DOOR: The Square - Haymarket NEXT BEST THING: Sutherland United Services Club Sutherland NICKY KURTA: Northies, Northies Bar - Cronulla NINEMILE DUO: Royal Federal Hotel - Branxton NO BEEF PATTY WITH STU & FRIENDS: Artichoke Gallery Café - Manly NOVA TONE: Kingswood Sports Club - Kingswood PANA DUO: Absolute Thai Restaurant - Charlestown PANORAMA DUO: Paragon Hotel Circular Quay
PETE HUNT DUO: Engadine Tavern - Engadine
ROCK BROTHERS: Riverwood Inn -Riverwood ROSS WILSON, RHYS ZACHER: Lizottes Newcastle - New Lambton RYAN ENRIGHT: Brewhouse - Marayong SANITY’S COLLISION: Newport Markets, Bert Payne Park - Newport SEATTLE SOUND: Ettamogah Hotel - Rouse Hill SHANNON NOLL: Belmont 16’s, Star Lounge - Belmont SHY GUYS, THE DUCK: Penrith RSL, Castle Lounge
SURPRISE PARTY: Wentworthville Leagues (Late)
TALL POP SYNDROME: Marlborough Hotel - Newtown TERRY BATU: Paceway Club - Penrith THE BARRY LEEF BAND, KIMI TUPAEA: The Basement Circular Quay THE BEATELS: Unity Hall Hotel - Balmain THE CAPULETS: Warners at the Bay - Warners Bay THE CORPS, LIBERATOIN FRONT, RUN FOR COVER: The Roxbury Hotel - Glebe THE LONELY BOYS: Mercantile Hotel - The Rocks THE LUCKY WONDERS, SARAH HUMPHREYS, THE VOLUNTEERS, TIM STOKES: Notes Live - Enmore THE REMIXES: Penrith Gaels - Kingswood THE SONGSMITHS: Fringe Bar - Paddington THE THINGOS, AMBRAS, KEN SMITH: Town & Country Hotel - St Peters THE VAMPIRES, SHARON BARNETT: Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre - Chippendale THEY CALL ME BRUCE: Sportsmans Hotel - Blacktown TULLO: Revesby Workers - Revesby
SINGLED OUT: Orient Hotel - The Rocks
WILDCATZ: Bayview Tavern - Gladesville
SONS OF MERCURY: Scruffy Murphys - Sydney
YUKI KUMAGAI, JOHN MACKIE: Well Connected Café/ Wine Bar - Glebe
STAR WARS BURLESQUE: The Vanguard - Newtown STEVE EDMONDS BAND: Wallacia Hotel - Wallacia
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SUN 19 AIMEE FRANCIS: Salisbury Hotel - Stanmore
BRI COWLISHAW: Commodore Hotel McMahons Point CAMBO: Observer Hotel - The Rocks COOL CHANGE: Belmont 16’s - Belmont DAVE PHILLIPS: O’Malleys Hotel - Kings Cross DAVE WHITE DUO: Northies, Northies Bar - Cronulla DAVID AGIUS DUO: Ettamogah Hotel - Rouse Hill DIAMOND-THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE: Penrith Panthers, Evan Theatre - Penrith DJ TONE: Oatley Hotel - Oatley ELEVATION - U2 ACOUSTIC: Orient Hotel - The Rocks FENDERS-BENDERS: Bayview Hotel - Woy Woy FRANKY VALENTYN: Club Five Dock - Five Dock GTS: Coogee Bay Hotel, Beach Bar - Coogee GUILTY PARTY: Kurrajong Hotel - Erskineville HAPPY HIPPIES: Albion Hotel - Parramatta HAYLEY SALES: Oscars Hotel - Pyrmont HP DUO: Bar Petite - Newcastle JAMIE LINDSAY: Northies, Sports Bar - Cronulla JOHN LEIGH CALDER TRIO: White Horse Hotel -Surry Hills KERRIE GARSIDE: Kincumber Hotel - Kincumber KIRK BURGESS: Northbridge Hotel - Northbridge KOOL BANANAS: Oatley Hotel (afternoon) - Oatley KURT WILLIAMS: Bayview Tavern - Gladesville LOVE THAT HAT: Windsor Castle Hotel - Newcastle MANDI JARRY: Mona Vale Hotel - Mona Vale MATT JONES DUO: Paragon Hotel Circular Quay MATT PRICE: Harbord Beach Hotel - Harbord
MICK HART: Hoey Moey - Coffs Harbour NICKY KURTA: Mill Hill Hotel Bondi Junction PAUL GREENE: Campbelltown Catholic Club, Caf‚ Samba Campbelltown PETE: Parramatta Leagues - Parramatta PETER HEAD, + FRIENDS: Harbour View Hotel - The Rocks PETER NORTHCOTE, SARINA JENNINGS: Bridge Hotel - Rozelle ROB HENRY, GEMMA: Observer Hotel (afternoon) - The Rocks ROSS WILSON: Brass Monkey - Cronulla STAR WARS BURLESQUE: The Vanguard - Newtown STEVE EDMONDS BAND: Bradford Hotel - Maitland SUBSTATION X, + GUESTS: Valve Bar & Venue - Tempe (Afternoon) SUITE AZ, THE PINKS, WOLF MAIL, SOHO STRAYS: Rock Lily, The Star - Pyrmont TERRY BATU: Ramsgate RSL - Ramsgate THE BADDIES: Sandringham Hotel, downstairs (Afternoon) Newtown THE BIG BANG QUARTET: Stockland - Jesmond THE DONOVANS: Gymea Bay Hotel - Gymea THE MARVELLOUS MIZDEMEANOURS: Camelot Lounge - Marrickville THE MERCHANTS OF MENACE: The Merton Hotel (afternoon) - Rozelle THE TURPS, TRUE GENTLEMEN, S.P.G.: Botany View Hotel - Newtown TURNER & SIMMONS: Gladstone Hotel - Dulwich Hill WELLSY: Nelson Bay Diggers - Nelson Bay
MON 20 BERNIE MCGANN, THE JOHN HARKINS TRIO: 505 - Surry Hills RUSSELL NEAL, CHRIS BROOKES, MASSIMO PRESTI: Kellys on King - Newtown SARAH PATON: Observer Hotel - The Rocks
FREE POOL 6.00 - 10.00
SUN
19 AUG
THE TURPS
+ TRUE GENTLEMEN + SPG
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 57
FREE POOL 6.00 - 10.00
SUN
19 AUG
THE TURPS
+ TRUE GENTLEMEN + SPG
ALL LIVE SPORT ON THE BIG SCREEN DARLEY ST BISTRO OPEN DAILY 12.00 - 9.30PM SUNNY COURTYARD - WEEKLY SPECIALS - CHILDREN WELCOME BOOKINGS: PHONE 9517 1133
FREE
THIS WEEK’S ISSUE NOW LIVE www.the
Apple and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.
THE DRUM MEDIA • 57
R E CO R DI N G
E DI TI ON
MIDDLETON’S NEW MUSICAL FOOTPRINT THIS MONTH’S AUSTRALIAN MUSICIAN FEATURE PEERS INTO THE WORLD OF RECORDING. WE CHAT WITH SEVERAL RESPECTED RECORD PRODUCERS ABOUT THEIR CRAFT AND SPOTLIGHT SOME GREAT NEW RECORDING GEAR.
A
s a guitarist, keyboardist and a major part of Powderfinger’s songwriting team for 22 years, Darren Middleton learned a thing or two about recording great songs. Since the demise of the band, Middleton has placed his energy into producing other artists. Australian Musician’s Greg Phillips spoke to him about his role as record producer. After more than two decades at the top with Powderfinger, it wasn’t easy to know which way to turn next for Darren Middleton. He’d operated his own studio in Brisbane during the Powderfinger days, had worked with a few acts and enjoyed the production side of things, so music production seemed like a realistic option and when the opportunity came up to base himself at Melbourne’s Red Door Studios, things began to fall in place. A producer’s role can be many things, but for Darren, who has worked alongside some of the world’s best, he believes it’s all about assisting the act to reach their own potential. “I think at the end of the day, the artist needs to be voicing themselves,” Darren explains. “As a producer, you need to be able to say, well I think this would be better in the bigger scheme of the song or the project but if an artist has a very specific view, you’ve got to recognise that it’s a good thing. It’s that person being an artist and expressing that intangible quality that we all look for in musicians and bands.” Like the artists they work with, producers can sometimes bring a unique musical flavour to a project and stamp their own sonic authority upon it. Can you imagine The Beatles’ Sgt Peppers album produced by anyone other than George Martin or U2’s Achtung Baby without Daniel Lanois’ style all over it? For the majority of Powderfinger’s albums they used Nick DiDia, famous for his work with Rage Against The Machine and Pearl Jam. They also utilised Tony Cohen, Tim Whitten and Rob Schnapf, all whom employed different production approaches. “With Nick, in those early days, it was a learning and growing process for him too. He eventually became about the song and the sounds and giving things a purpose. If it didn’t have a purpose, get rid of it,” says Middleton. “Tim was more about not complicating things. Rob was different again. There’s a different way of doing things overseas. The band was in a bit of an odd place at that stage personally, fairly directionless. We were looking for direction and I don’t know if Rob necessarily provided that. We’d record and the song files would go off to a guy in a dark room with his Pro Tools setup. Cogsy and I went into the room one day to look at something and there were splice lines everywhere and you look at your music like that and just back out of that room really slowly. It was more of a technical way of making a record and not one I enjoyed doing that way.” The result was their least successful album, 2007’s Dream Days At The Hotel Existence. With regards to Middleton’s own production style, he suggests a more immediate approach to recording can be rewarding, particularly for the home recordist. “Do it quickly and spontaneously. Don’t overthink it. It’s good to know a bit about how things work behind the scenes but don’t let that get in the way of being creative.” 58 • THE DRUM MEDIA
Having laid down many guitar tracks in the studio, you’d expect him to have a few recording tips for the studio too. “I’m a big fan of the Royer R-121 ribbon mics. I would stick that with just a 57 against a speaker for a direct sound and something a bit further back for ambience. I’m a big fan of double-tracking particularly for slide guitar and little bits of lead guitar if a part requires. Acoustic guitars, I keep fairly simple. In any element of recording, if you can make the links in the chain as strong as possible, good-sounding amp, good-sounding microphone through a good mic pre, through a decent converter into your computer, you’ve got to keep all those links as strong as possible. Once you have added them all up and layered them, it doesn’t become a brittle hollow sound in the end.” For recording vocals, Darren also likes to keep it simple. “I would stick a few mics in front of them. I have an old 87 and a couple of Rode mics as well, Neumanns. I’d definitely try a few out to find the right sound pocket where the vocals sit within whatever is already existing on the beds … which maybe very little or a lot depending on what the singer needs to get the vibe of the song. I prefer very little. Less is more, then you add stuff as needs be.” It’s Middleton’s belief many acts get a little lost in the studio process and over-think, over-crowd songs where it’s not really warranted. “Just look for the focal point of the song and make that up front and centre and embellish where you need,” he suggests. “You’d be surprised what you hear when you mute a few things and you’ve just got drums, bass and guitar and your attention is there.”
“
DON’T OVER-THINK IT. IT’S GOOD TO NOW A BIT ABOUT W THINGS WORK BEHIND THE NES BUT DON’T LET THAT GET IN THE WAY OF BEING CREATIVE”
Apart from working with other artists such as Jac Stone, Renee Cassar and theatre troupe Geppetto, Darren has a few projects of his own which he’s excited about, one being a solo album which he hopes to have out by the end of the year. “The main reason I am doing it is that every song on it has a purpose for its existence. Lyrically they really are reflective of stuff I was going through. We’re into preproduction. A lot of songs don’t have bridges at the moment. I’ll enlist the help of friends because you have your head up your own arse if you do it all yourself.” The other project he’s working on is more hush-hush but could see him move into TV documentary mode. www.darrenmiddleton.com www.reddoorsounds.com.au
themusic.com.au
A SPLICE OF PRODUCTION ADVICE PRODUCER/ARTIST: BRIAN CANHAM
be a nightmare when trying to place vocals in the mix later on, especially when compressing them. Which brings me to compression. This is one of the most important techniques to get your head around when mixing - excluding autotune sadly [laughs]. It’s the difference of sounding like a rough demo and a finished product. So do some homework on understanding what compression does... Oh, and get lots of takes if it sounds like the vocalist isn’t really cutting it, you’ll need them to make a ‘vocal comp’ later on (and then you might want to read up on the autotune). www.facebook.com/pseudoecho
PRODUCER/ENGINEER: MARSHALL CULLEN DAMIEN GERARDS, SYDNEY
Credits include: Chocolate Starfish, Anthony Callea, corporate work for Coca-Cola, Heinz, Austereo.
As a musician, what was the most vital lesson learned in regard to recording?
Record everything at a decent high resolution (bit/sample rate) and be organized with the session files and try not to commit too many ‘effects’ onto a track...rather record any effects that may be essential onto a separate track. Same goes with compression too - no need to commit that to the recording as it can hamper the final mix stage if it’s not right.
Tip for recording guitars? If recording with an amp or even an amp sim, make sure you take a separate D.I. line and record a clean ‘dry’ signal of the guitar too. That way if the recorded amp sound isn’t cutting it in the final mix stage, you can always re-route it back through another amp / sim to get the right sound. Same applies to effects - try to keep delays, reverbs etc on a separate track if possible, as the blend of such is crucial for placement in the mix stage.
Vocal recording tip? The first thing to do when recording vocals at home is to make sure you get them as ‘dry’ as possible! The inclusion of a room reflection can
In today’s world of many generic processors and plugins, I think it’s even more important to have your own unique sound. From an engineering point of view, helping the player find that sound with a great amp (say a classic Vox that you hire in) and also a great well set up in tune guitar, is the start of a great sound. Then add a condenser and a dynamic mic, ensuring they are in phase, put the dynamic right up close to a speaker cone slightly offset to the centre, then move the condenser around while listening to find its ‘sweet spot’ usually about 300-450mm from the amp.
A studio tip for recording vocals? Some less experienced singers are not used to wearing cans. Have them try with one ear off, which can help their pitching. If it’s a large dia condenser, a good pop shield is essential. If they are really struggling with the whole big mic, live room, headphones thing, then put them on a Beta 58a or even SM58 handheld in the control room. If they are a live singer in a band, this is what they are used to and can often change everything! If you use a great preamp and comp chain, give it a bit of air - around 16k. These mics have excellent rejection and if you don’t run it too loud, it’s totally usable.
Never come into a studio without PREPARATION. Not only knowing the songs, arrangements etc, BUT the gear as well. So many times we have had drum kits come in with ancient heads on them, guitars where the strings are so old they are rusty, active basses with flat batteries, pedals that don’t work, leads missing, etc. We have plenty of bits and pieces to try and fix all of that of course but it wastes a lot of time.
Producing Chocolate Starfish - we are all good mates and had so much fun... Many laughs throughout and the album was a hit, so we were all a happy after the fact too.
Home recording tip?
A studio tip for recording guitars?
Biggest studio no-no?
Your most enjoyable recording session as producer and why?
Go for it, but don’t just do what you planned. Though it is VERY important to have a plan, the improv and random things that can happen in the session will often make it onto the final recording and possibly become iconic moments.
else for better quality mixing or mastering. Don’t get lost in plug-ins and sampled sounds, use your ears and common sense.
www.damiengerard.net
PRODUCER/ENGINEER: STEVE JAMES
Studio credits include: Hoodoo Gurus, Divinyls, INXS, The Cruel Sea, Midnight Oil, Rose Tattoo, Icehouse.
Most memorable session ever at studio and why? Some country boys from Tamworth drove down in their refrigerator van full of their gear, beer, a bbq and half a cow! They spent a week or so recording, bbq’ing and consuming. We actually had Kamahl in yesterday to re-record his version of The Gettisburg Address which was pretty memorable. Then there was the very much larger than life Randy Jackson producing Noiseworks’ third album many years ago and his unusual drink and food requests. Finally, I will never forget a touring world music group that stopped off to do an album after their OZ tour and put electric blankets under their persian rugs to heat them to the right temperature for the tablas, harmonium, oud’s etc.
Best tip for a home recordist? Mine would be to look after the source - so ensure at least one high quality condenser mic and then it’s important to know what you are hearing, so standard quality Nearfield monitors that aren’t affected too much by the room acoustics are good (Genelecs, NS10’s, Adams). Use minimal EQ and dynamics when recording so that you can always take it somewhere
themusic.com.au
Credits include: The Rutles, Life of Brian (Monty Python crew), Sex Pistols, The Jam, Thin Lizzy, Hawkwind, Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil, Screaming Jets.
Where did you get your start? Started at EMI, Gooseberry Studios in my teens, then got a job at Chappell which was big studio and publisher at the time and started working with many major stars. That’s when I met the Monty Python guys and that’s when it all started for me.
Most enjoyable session? Working with the Python guys on the Rutles album was one of the most enjoyable and The Screaming Jets first album was the other one. They both had a similar sense of humour too. But the Python thing was with Neil Innes and Ricky Fataar and George Harrison in particular. It was a big learning curve for me because I was only 22. The Jets were so enjoyable because I had just arrived here in Australia and we did the album in about ten days. They were so well rehearsed and the magic just happened.
Best tip for home recordist? Just look at it as doing a demo. Depending on what sort of music it is. When it comes to electronic music, you can do a lot of it at home. When it comes to organic music and bands, it’s very difficult to do it at home for all sorts of reasons like having the mic pre’s and good mics. Having the right A to Ds (Analogue to Digital conversion) is incredibly important, as opposed to Pro Tools LE which sounds like poo. Pro Tools is fine now but don’t ever use an 002 or 003 system. Always use an RME, it’s stand alone.
Tip for recording guitars? Don’t use too many microphones. Use one otherwise you’ll end up with phase problems. People get far too fancy about it. Get a very good dynamic microphone and a good mic pre. If you’ve got a good mic, just shove it in front of the speaker, assuming you also have a good amplifier.
Biggest studio no-no? Interfering with an overdub or walking into the room without being asked, which tends to happen quite a bit. That’s the biggest no-no, walking in on someone else’s session otherwise the world is your oyster.
What do you see the producer’s role as? Overall emperor. There is no such thing as democracy in the studio. The producer has to take control and make the finale executive decision, and also organise the budget etc. Seventy percent of my job is psychology. I don’t really worry about the machinery, that takes care of itself. www.rockinghorse.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA • 59
ZOOM R24 REVIEW
T
he quality of home recording is so high these days it’s possible to go a long way to making a killer record right at home. Back in the day I started out with an old fourtrack cassette recorder, then moved onto a digital multi-track unit after finally arriving at the PC- and Mac-based platforms. The great thing about the Zoom R24 is that it appeals to both the computer gurus or the “all-in-oners” because it functions as both an audio interface/ controller for computer-based Digital Audio Workstations, and a sole multi-track recorder. The uses for this unit are staggering. I think it covers just about all bases when it comes to audio, you can chuck some batteries in it and take it away to the coast and record some demos with your acoustic, plug in your electric guitar or keys and make some “full-sounding” demos by using the on-board drum machine … or use it to multi-mic a full drum kit … or link two units together and capture the full band. You can even use the unit live and add sequencing while your drummer jams along with an independent click track he’s hearing only in his headphones. The Zoom R24 can record up to eight mono inputs simultaneously, playback up to 24 mono tracks
PRODUCT:
ZOOM R24 REVIEW
REVIEWER: REZA NASSERI
INFO:
WWW. DYNAMICMUSIC.COM.AU
LOON LAKE’S NEW EP AVAILABLE NOW
at 44.1/48kHz, 16/24 bits. It comes with a 2G SDHC card (which can be upgraded to up to 32G), PSU, a handy little 4G flash drive and a copy of Cubase LE 6 to top it off. There are two in-built condenser mics that sound great, another six phantom-powered (+24 or 48V) channels and a Hi-Z input for direct input of electric guitars and basses that can utilise inbuilt amp modelling. The unit also has a drum machine that’s not limited to preset patterns, so you can make your own beats by tapping them in with the drum pads. You can even sample, loop and edit like any modern DAW. Out of the box I decided to make a quick demo to sample the quality of this unit and test its features. I pulled out an acoustic guitar and recorded two tracks with the in-built mics, with no compression or EQ added. Later, I recorded a vocal track by using a nice insert preset that gave quite an impressive, slick vocal tone and added
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Melbourne five-piece indie rockers Loon Lake have just released their second EP, Thirty Three, via iTunes. Producer Tony Buchen is thrilled with the way the recording turned out, particularly the drum sounds: “I’ve been loving the sound of drums in as small spaces as possible. I’ve had a long-held love of open room sounds but sometimes there’s nothing quite as immediate as the supertight ‘70s dry tone of a well-tuned Ludwig kit in a small booth. Just watch out for cymbals. Better still, take them off the kit.” Buchen was also keen on adding a Mutron/Moog flavour to the guitars. “Mutron/Moog heaven! It helps create interesting sounds by having a bunch of guitar pedals out on the island and a couple of send/return cables ready to patch over anything in your live-to-tape setup.” Loon Lake’s current single, Cherry Lips, is enjoying high rotation play on Triple J.
some reverb and delay on playback. The in-built mics sound great, true studio quality, even on the vocal track. Next up, make a bigger-sounding demo with electric guitars, a bass, programmed drums and vocals. The on-board drum sounds were pretty simplistic and to learn how to use the sequencer involved consulting the manual. The good thing is that you can use the sample pads to play any sample so I imported some serious drums sounds by downloading free sounds off the net. The amp sims were not too bad either, especially after a little EQ, so the final product sounded slick and professional, especially after using insert effect chains, EQ and the two sends of reverb and delay to gel everything together. The Zoom R24 is a brilliant unit with a tonne of features and uses. It’s perfect for beginners to seasoned professionals, especially if you need to record multiple inputs at a time (drummers look here).
www.loonlake.com.au
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SNOWBALL MICROPHONES FROM BLUE
MXL STUDIO 24 USB 24-BIT USB MICROPHONE
Snowball is a plug-and-play USB mic that works on both PC and Mac with any recording program. Featuring a dual-capsule design, Snowball allows three recording patterns: cardioid (right in front of the mic, best for singing), omni (all around the mic, best for multiple people or band practice), and cardioid w/10db pad (best for instruments), giving you incredible versatility to produce great recordings in a wide range of situations. Snowball is also compatible with iPad via Apple’s camera connection kit! The Snowball is great for the beginner or those who don’t need all the bells and whistles. While it produces quality audio used by many professionals for voice-overs and recording, it’s enough for the first time recordist or the hobbyist. Or maybe you just like the way it looks in your videos. www.ambertech.com.au
YETI MICROPHONES FROM BLUE Combining three capsules and four different pattern settings, Blue’s YETI is the ultimate tool for creating amazing recordings, directly into your computer. THX Certified for exceptional sound and performance, the Yeti can capture anything with a clarity and ease unheard of in a USB microphone. The Yeti features Blue’s innovative triplecapsule array, allowing for recording in stereo or your choice of three unique patterns, including cardioid, omnidirectional and bidirectional, giving you recording capabilities usually requiring multiple microphones.
Transform your PC or Mac into a state-of-theart production studio with the MXL Studio 24. This HD-quality USB microphone shines on instruments, vocals or on any audio source. Most importantly, it captures every detail of your work with 24-bit audio quality. The Studio 24 is the perfect tool for travelling musicians and podcasters. It incorporates a 22mm condenser capsule, which is the same capsule found in high-end studio microphones. Other features include zero latency monitoring and a custom GUI for engineering-level audio adjustments such as phase, roll-off, noise gate and more. www.innovativemusic.com.au
SHURE BETA 98 MINIATURE CARDIOID CONDENSOR MICROPHONE The BETA 98 is Shure’s new lightweight, sensitive diaphragm instrument mic, which precisely and smoothly captures sound nuances. Powered by battery or phantom power supply, recommended uses are for percussion, piano/organ, woodwind, strings and brass. Available options include the BETA 98AD/C Miniature Cardioid Condenser Drum Microphone and BETA 98A/C Miniature Cardioid Condenser Microphone www.jands.com.au
AUDIO TECHNICA AT8031
The Yeti utilises a high-quality analogueto-digital converter to send incredible audio fidelity directly into your computer, a built-in headphone amplifier for zerolatency monitoring, and simple controls for headphone volume, pattern selection, instant mute and microphone gain located directly on the microphone.
The AT8031 is ideal for close-up interviews, vocals, overheads, piano and strings. Its cardioid polar pattern reduces pickup of sounds from the sides and rear, improving isolation of desired sound source. The mic’s proximity effect provides added warmth when used close up. Features include a large protective screen that reduces ‘popping’ and sibilant distortion, and it operates on battery or phantom power.
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BEHIND THE LINES WITH MICHAEL SMITH
JOHN RILEY DRUM WORKSHOP In town Tuesday 21 August to play Blue Beat in Double Bay with The John Harkin Trio, American drummer John Riley will be presenting a free workshop 10am till midday that same day at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Riley studied jazz drumming with Joe Morello in 1971, then played with the infamous One O’Clock Lab Band before moving to New York City in 1976 where he joined the Woody Herman Band. Since then, he’s played with pretty much everyone, from Stan Getz to Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie to Mike Stern. Author of The Art Of Bop Drumming, Beyond Bop Drumming and The Jazz Drummer’s Workshop, Riley is on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music and 62 • THE DRUM MEDIA
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is an Artist in Residence at Amsterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands.
DIESEL MASTERCLASS Wednesday 22 August, Guitar Factory Gladesville is hosting a masterclass with one of Australia’s most successful singer, songwriter, guitarists, Mark Lizotte AKA Diesel, who will be showing you a few of his tricks of the trade and showcasing the latest in Vox amplification along the way. It all kicks off 7pm, costs $20 to participate, the proceeds going to F5M Australia for MS Research and bookings are essential as space is very limited, so call (02) 9817 2173. If you’ve ever seen him in one-man band mode, you’ll love seeing how he works his pedal board! btl@streetpress.com.au
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This brand new studio is great for recording on a budget with all the newest facilities and insanely cheap daily rates (starting from $35 an hour). It comes complete with a vocal booth, a large selection of gear and the FREE option of an ARIA-charting in-house producer, mixer & arranger. If you are interested in hiring an affordable and comfortable studio space, please Contact Jess on: 0419 165 810 / jessica_bedford@hotmail.com
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FOR SALE
Experienced Manager required for established Brisbane based artist. Must have industry contacts, previous and current experience and be ruthless.
400W 1x15” EV bass speaker cabinet. Heaps of volume, great sound. $325. West End, Brisbane. Ph 0400 404 919 iFlogID: 19311
iFlogID: 19087 Experienced original rock band looking to play with other established gigging bands. Will return favour with dates in Sydney venues such as The Wall, Valve Bar, Town & Country. RemmosK@gmail.com
iFlogID: 19270 Get your Band/ Business online with affordable website design. From $299 Services include Seo, Social network marketing Includes free 1000 Facebook likes, 22k twitter followers. Contact: info@earthgoat.com iFlogID: 19089 Guitarist wanted for Sydney folk/rock act Kasandra. Must be willing to learn original songs and interested in playing gigs. Contact kasandra.music@gmail.com iFlogID: 19437
MANAGER/BOOKER SYDNEY BAND THE PREHISTORICS ARE LOOKING FOR A BOOKER/MANAGER. 2ND ALBUM RELEASED IN AUG ON MGM GREEN. EUROPE TOUR BOOKED FOR MAY 2013. LOOKING FOR LOCAL, INTERSTATE & FESTIVAL GIGS. WEBSITE www.theprehistorics.com iFlogID: 19205 Northern Beaches band looking for vocalist rock n blues good fun band playing Stones CCR Chuck B ZZ Top Cream Thorogood n anything your hearty lungs desires. Ring Mark 0424568280
SYDNEY SOUND CABLES ONLINE
One of Sydney’s longest running independent Studios is for sale. Hit the ground running with a fully operational recording studio. Classic desk and mics, 4 separate recording spaces, high visibility website. We don’t advertise, the work comes in from Website and reputation. Will provide income immediately. Low rent, long lease, parking, easily operated as a co-operative. 20 mins from the CBD. Call 0423 681 978 iFlogID: 19399
CD / DVD Attention Musicians, Record Collectors, Universities, Libraries - new Book (print/cdROM/ direct download) compiling 100 years of popular music. GO TO www.plattersaurus. com web-site on how to buy. Enquiries: (02) 9807-3137 eMail: nadipa1@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 13287
DRUMS
POSITION VACANT
0405 331 286
iFlogID: 19230 Pro singer wanted for established 5 piece band Newcastle band. covers and originals. Hardrock,blues.pop,rocknroll. Exp band gigged with Angels 2 booking agents paid gigs booked. Peter 4984 4731 iFlogID: 18745
DRUM KIT WANTED, anything considered. Also looking for vintage drum kit ludwig/ Gretsch etc , snare drums or cymbals, ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 18332 TAMA ROCKSTAR 5 PIECE FUSION KIT IN BEAUTIFUL LIQUID AMBER FINISH, MATCHING TIMBER SNARE, STARCAST SUSPENSION MOUNTS, CYMBALS AND HARDWARE, GREAT CONDITION, BARGAIN, $675. PH 0419760940 iFlogID: 18330 Vintage Drum Kit Imports new and Custom Made kits for sale. Also cymbals, stands, pedals, guitars, accessories and much more. www.atlargemusicstore.com info@atlargemusicstore.com
RADIO SYDNEY possibly the worlds largest digital Radio Station with 100 music channels is offering bands and solo artists their own feature promotional channel visit the Indie channel on www.radiosydney.com.au iFlogID: 18316
http://facebook.com/aTLargeMusic 93362190
Seo Marketing ~ Facebook likes, YouTube, Twitter views
ZILDJIAN 16” DARK THIN K CRASH BRAND NEW $250. ZILDJIAN AVEDIS 18” FAST CRASH BRAND NEW,$250 16” FAST CRASH BRAND NEW,$230. ALL NEW IN PLASTIC BAGS, PH 0419760940 iFlogID: 18328
Promote your business online with Seo services Facebook likes 1k - 10k
0421987370 Hampton Rd, Fremantle, WA iFlogID: 18453
Youtube views 1k - 100k
PA EQUIPMENT
Twitter followers 1k - 100k Prices start from $20
iFlogID: 19091
SYMPHONIC SOUND STUDIOS PENRITH open 7days, 3 large rooms, aircon, storage, flat lug, great rehearsal and recording deals plus cafe and rock gear store sales and repairs! Tuition also avail. www. symphonicsoundstudios.com 02 47225055, 0403263730 iFlogID: 19280
PROMOTER A Manager is required for an alreadysuccessful Singer/Composer/Performer/Poprock Band/Show/Recording Artist. Maintain the success, move with us to the next level: international success. Phone Extraordinary Entertainment 9969 1179 (Mosman). iFlogID: 19232
SALES & MARKETING People needed to send eMails offering a new music Book for sale. Must have own computer - payment by commission via Paypal. Contact Bill on (02) 9807-3137 or eMail: nadipa1@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 13289
SELF-EMPLOYMENT DRUMMER AVAILABLE Experienced drummer looking for studio, band and teaching work. Contemporary styles, 21 years experience. Andrew 0405 073 503 iFlogID: 19028
$380 WITH ENGINEER SET UP & DELIVERED, PARTIES/DJ’S/SMALL BANDS
iFlogID: 19234 For all your production needs, upto 20,000watt systems.Tailored to your requirements.Delivered,setup & operated by professional engineers. Loud ‘n’ Live Sound Systems Ph 0417 268850 iFlogID: 19286
Looking for a new Microphone? Visit Lamba to try out the best vocal mics from Shure, Rode, EV & more. Wireless, Live, Studio Price Beat Guarantee! Lamba 9758-8888 www.lamba.com.au
iFlogID: 19397
MUSIC SERVICES BAND MERCHANDISE For all your production needs, upto 20,000watt systems.Tailored to your requirements.Delivered,setup & operated by professional engineers. Loud ‘n’ Live Sound Systems Ph 0417 268850 iFlogID: 19284
BOOKING AGENTS WWW.DANNYAMMAR.COM Wedding & Corporate Entertainment supplied by the Best Musicians in Australia. Visit www.dannyammar.com for more info. iFlogID: 18717
DUPLICATION/ MASTERING CD MANUFACTURING:Acme is Australias best price CD manufacturer. 500 CD package = $765.05: 1000 CD package = $1320.00 Short run also available. www.AcmeMusic.com.au KevinW@AcmeMusic.com.au iFlogID: 13117
VOCAL PA SYSTEM FOR HIRE Does operating a PA system make you break out in hives? Your troubles are over: sweet sounding, idiot proof vocal PA perfect for small bands, duos, DJ’s etc. 4 x powered Yamaha MSR 400’s (two out front, two for FB), Mackie PROFX8 mixer and SM58 mics. $200 pick up, $250 set up. Contact Paul on 0424841156 or jeffersonproductions@hotmail.com iFlogID: 18946
LEGAL / ACCOUNTING WOOHOO IT’S TAX TIME!
Why risk your vocal performance with substandard gear? Hire the industry standard Shure ULX wireless system + Beta58A microphone, lapel or headset. $60, 2 for $100. Call Lamba 9758-8888 www.lamba.com.au iFlogID: 19387
PHOTOGRAPHY Image is everything! If you have a band wanting to get ahead let me capture the next gig. High quality pictures say everything. http://roybarnesphotography.com/
BUSINESSES
RECORDING STUDIO FOR SALE
Speaker re-cones (most models), hand built base-bins, guitar cabs, P.A. cabs and monitors, using all top quality components. Can also do custom road cases to suit any type of audio equipment. 0414355763. iFlogID: 18953
$250 WITHOUT ENGINEER PICK UP,
Hand assembled Professional Audio, Musical Instrument, IPod, Dmx, Hi Fi and Digital cables. Express post to all of Australia. Buy from our online shop, custom or bulk order. But Once, Buy Right! Cables to suit your needs made from the best parts only. Canare, Neutrik, Mogami. Lifetime warranty. www.sydneysoundcables.com.au call: 0404 222 160 iFlogID: 19215
iFlogID: 19348
Hair by Tommy J is looking for an addition to our great little team. Whether you’re a diehard 50’s fan or a new school style-dawg, hit us up! Or maybe you know a confident senior stylist that would be perfect! Point them in our razor sharp direction... Contact us by dropping in to my salon, Hair by Tommy J 112 George St Redfern.... or give me, a call Tommy, on
650W FOLD BACK,
steveshifter@hotmail.com
300W 2x10” EV tilt-back bass speaker cabinet. Can be straight or tilted back. Fantastic sound. $375. West End, Brisbane. Ph 0400 404 919 iFlogID: 19313
info@earthgoat.com
2000W FRONT OF HOUSE,
CALL STEVE 0400 606 650
AMPS
www.djzokithefab.com -0416306340 for any dj service club or home or birthday call anytime-GET A REAL DJ NOT MP3 PLAYER OR CRAPPY DOWNLOAD.......VINYL DJ ROCKS iFlogID: 16083
Contact Justin
HIRE SERVICES !!! P.A. SYSTEM FOR HIRE !!!
You’ll never regret recording your songs... but we garuntee you’ll ALWAYS regret not doing it! ***Every song Produced, Mixed & Mastered to Radio Release Quality*** studio@musicentourage.com www.musicentourage.com iFlogID: 17747
SWEETLEAF REHEARSAL STUDIO MTDRUITT open 7 days, 3 rooms, aircon, food & beverages, Flat lug, Parking, PA & Lighting Hire Call - 9832-8890 iFlogID: 17546
REPAIRS GUITAR REPAIRS AND SETUPS Professional Guitar Tech and Luthier. Clients have played with Jimmy Barnes, Guy Sebastian, Human Nature, Short Stack, Moving Pictures etc.
MASTERING Audio Mastering, mixing, recording. CD-R music & data duplication, cover artwork, colour disc printing, online global distribution. Full studio package deal for EP or full album projects. Enquiries ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 15156 Audio Mastering, mixing, recording. CD-R music & data duplication, cover artwork, colour disc printing, online global distribution. Full studio package deal for EP or full album projects. Enquiries ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 15162
OTHER ++ play more chinese music - love, tenzenmen ++ www.tenzenmen.com iFlogID: 14468 Award-winning Experienced, Qualified Music Producer: 1.Doing Instrumental version of any song for $40 2. Mix your multi-tracks for $50 and produce personalized original instrumentals for $50. 3. Check lovenabstudio on soundclick.com email: vangelis2133@yahoo.com iFlogID: 18269 Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY - from $299 including Hosting and email addresses! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au
iFlogID: 15452 Music publicity. Do you want to get noticed? Affordable exposure for your band by someone that actually cares! www.perfectlywrite. com.au Drop me a line! iFlogID: 15737
PA / AUDIO / ENGINEERING Does setting/operating a PA system give you headaches? I have recent Wharfedale PA perfect for small bands, duos, DJ’s etc. 2 x FOH speakers + SUB, mixer, mics, stands, lights, $250 including set up. Contact Danny on 0413 694830 or dannypavlovic@yahoo. com.au iFlogID: 19379 Experienced, energetic and proactive live audio engineer for $300/event + equipment hire (passed on directly from Lots of Watts). Free preproduction - call Helmut on 0433946982 to discuss your event. iFlogID: 18062
GOLD COAST BYRON BAY NORTHERN NSW Poster distribution for touring artists & bands. Fast, efficient & reliable service at a competitive price www.thatposterguy.com.au iFlogID: 17120
RECORDING STUDIOS Complete Album & Demo Recording, Production, Instrumentation,CD Mastering. I’m committed to achieving for you the highest quality in a creative, friendly environment. ph 02 9654 8143, mob 0400 323 982, johnertler@gmail.com
P.A hire 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. 0414355763. iFlogID: 18951 PA Hire – Systems to 16000 Watts. Only the best: EV, Allen & Heath, DBX, Lexicon, Yamaha, Soundcraft, JBL, Shure, AKG. FOH, Foldback, Mixers, Microphones. Professional Advice. Call Lamba 9758-8888 www.lamba. com.au iFlogID: 19385
iFlogID: 15158 From Robert Johnson to Eric Clapton. tel. John 0431953178
iFlogID: 19423
CREATIVE GUITAR TUITION
Gold Coast ParallelHarmonyStudioRobina. 30 square metre live room, large vocal booth. Handsome range of range of topoftheline Neumann, Rode and Shure microphones. Call 0755808883 for details. www.parallelharmony.com.au iFlogID: 18640 Recording? Hire the state of the art Presonus Studio Live 24.4.2 desk for your next project. A feature packed integrated hardwaresoftware system. $250 weekly. Call Lamba 9758-8888 www.lamba.com.au iFlogID: 19391
TUITION Up-Picking (Pete Seeger Style) and 3 Finger Picking (Scruggs Style). tel. John 0431953178
Music Entourage Australia’s no1 production house for the independant artist! We’re not just a recording studio / We’ll help you get your music to the masses! www.musicentourage.com studio@musicentourage.com iFlogID: 19274 Recording a single, EP or Album at Radio Release quality isn’t as hard or expensive as you might think. Stop wasting time! www. musicentourage.com studio@musicentourage.com iFlogID: 19276 RECORDING STUDIO $30ph iFlogID: 17084 Recording Studio, Parramatta, $30hr casual rate. No kits! Singers, songwriters, instrumentalists for acoustic, world, classical genres specialist. 25+yrs exp, multi instrumentalist, arranger, composer, producer. Ph: 02 98905578, 7 days. iFlogID: 15152 Recording Studio, Parramatta, $30hr casual rate. No kits! Singers, songwriters, instrumentalists for acoustic, world, classical genres specialist. 25+yrs exp, multi instrumentalist, arranger, composer, producer. Ph: 02 98905578, 7 days.
iFlogID: 15160
SCHOLLUM CITY RECORDS
5 STRING BANJO TUITION
iFlogID: 19427
AAA+ GUITAR LESSONS Special rates $25 half hour lessons for new students. Beginner/Intermediate all Roots/ Blues/Country/Rock/Punk. See other adds for advanced, Steel Guitar etc. Numbers limited. Call Jeff 0412518070 iFlogID: 19189
ADVANCED ROCK GUITAR TUITION Want to get your lead playing to it’s maximum potential? I can help. I’ve been helping people reach new heights in their guitar playing for 20 years.
Check out www.schollumcity.com or call Glen on 0450 544 694 iFlogID: 19358
Classical & other styles. 0402 630 243 www.pgtonline.net pgtonline@hotmail.com Parramatta area
iFlogID: 15320 PIANO/KEYBOARD TUITION. Highly experienced musician and teacher (ADJS Sydney Conservatrorium) . All levels, all styles. Beginners welcome. $35/half hour. Paddington. Call Leonie 0402977331. iFlogID: 19409
All levels, All ages, All styles. Petersham/ Sydney. Real guitar for committed students in a fully equipped music studio. Learn Jazz, Rock, Blues, Contemporary , Funk, Latin , Gypsy, Folk, Country 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. Comprehensive digital recording available. Ask about special introductory offer and gift vouchers. Contact Craig Corcoran: 0430344334 creative-guitar@hotmail.com www. creativeguitar.com.au iFlogID: 19344
Invaluable ProTools & Audio Engineering tuition, Tech Support & Producer’s advice Industry Professional CBD studio – Limited Spaces – Book now customtunes@unwired.com.au iFlogID: 19252 DRUM TUITION. 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. www. lee-carey.com iFlogID: 17906 Eastern Suburbs guitar/ukulele/bass/slide lessons with APRA award winning composer. Highly experienced, great references, unique individually designed lessons from Vaucluse studio. Learn to play exactly what YOU want to play! www.matttoms.com iFlogID: 16690
PHONE JOHN: 0431953178
Experienced and professional teacher based in Croydon, Sydney. -Tuition of Electric, Acoustic, Bass and Theory -Individual or Group Lessons -All ages and skill levels very welcome -Step by step method covering most styles -Accurate and clear scores and transcriptions provided aimed to suit the students musical goals
For a free e-copy of my book ‘On Becoming a Singer..A Guide To How’ email me on sostrow@bigpond. net.au. Lessons include the entire scope of singing...voice production, musicianship, interpretation, performance skills etc. I look forward to hearing from you. iFlogID: 18602
Seven Hills, Sydney.
VIDEO / PRODUCTION
Call Dave 0410 963 972 or email davemormul@hotmail.com iFlogID: 16948 Pro Tools, Logic Pro & Studio One Training. Advice on Home & Professional Studio Recording. Learn from a pro with over 30 years experience. Contact John Ertler 9654 8143, 0400 323 982, johnertler@gmail.com iFlogID: 19185
ROCK GUITAR TUITION with Industry Pro of 35 Years! Rock, Blues, Rhythm, Lead, Technique, Improvisation Tailored Lessons with the Guitarist for Sydney Band ROCK MONSTER ex His Majesty - Ironheart
iFlogID: 19123
SINGING LESSONS
D7 STUDIO MUSIC VID FROM $250. Live gig edits, multi angles, fr $125 a set, 1 live track $100. All shot in full HD. d7studio@iinet.net. au 0404716770 syd based iFlogID: 13368 Kontrol Productions is a highly professional production company that specializes in the production of music video’s. We ensure that our products are of the highest industry standards. For enquiries www.kontrolproductions.com iFlogID: 13827 QUALITY MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION Immersion Imagery strives to offer quality & creative music videos to suit your style & budget. Portfolio of over 30 artists. www. immersionimagery.com info@immersionimagery.com facebook.com/immersion.imagery iFlogID: 18477
WESTERN SYDNEY MUSIC VIDEOS
GUITAR TUITION
My lessons may save you months or years of running around in circles in some areas that may have frustrated you for quite some time. Lessons with Chris Brooks provide real solutions with practical applications. Info: www.chrisbrooks.com or write to cb@chrisbrooks.com. Quakers Hill / Blacktown. iFlogID: 19335
Advanced slide guitar, lead & rhythm & lap steel. All styles. Beginners welcome. Ph Jeff. 0412518070 iFlogID: 19187
For availability call on 0408461868.
Fingerstyle guitar, open tunings, slide, flat picking, improvisation, rock, country, blues, folk, celtic styles, music theory, arranging,
ADVANCED SLIDE GUITAR
Steve Ostrow, New York voice teacher and vocal coach who discovered and nurtured the careers of Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Peter Allen, Stevie Wonder and countless others now Sydney City based and welcoming students on all levels; beginners, advanced and performers; Rock, Pop, Classical etc.
Improvising, Theory, Song Writing, Technique
ROCK GUITAR TUITION DIY Musicians – Need help?
I will help you build and perfect your technique, and equip you with an arsenal of melodic ideas to not only play great lead guitar, but to use them to personalise a style unique to you.
BENNETTS GUITAR TUITION
Schollum City is a Recording Studio in Leichhardt Sydney. Glen Schollum is an experienced Producer, Engineer, Programmer and Multi-Instrumentalist. Being part of the Love Hz facility, gives Glen access to a wide range of recording equipment and instruments, and has a very creative vibe.
Or learn to compose &/or improvise on guitar.
Private Guitar lessons from an experienced teacher.
www.musicentourage.com
Have you got a song in your head? Music Producer available to turn your imagination into reality. Professional results and affordable rates. iFlogID: 18131
Learn to play the guitar.
PICKS AND STICKS STUDIO.
iFlogID: 19183
studio@musicentourage.com iFlogID: 19278
Paramount Guitar Tuition.
Most importantly, learn at your own pace, no pressure!
iFlogID: 19034
Even if you’ve never written a song before, YOU CAN BE A RECORDING ARTIST! Contact Australia’s no1 production house for the independent artist to find out how-MUSIC ENTOURAGE
Need a mixer? Hire desks from 4 channels to 32 – Allen & Heath, Yamaha, Soundcraft, Presonus. PA, Foldback, Microphones, processors also available. Hire the best gear from Lamba 9758-8888 www.lamba.com.au iFlogID: 19393 P.A hire 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. 0414355763. iFlogID: 18949
Ph: 02 98905578
Call Timo 9484 4374
STUDIO HIRE
TEACHER TO THE STARS!
$40 hr, $30 half hr. Mature & patient. Harps for hire.
All repair work and setups.
iFlogID: 18648
POSTERS
iFlogID: 19038 Music tuition, classical / flamenco guitar, celtic harp, theory & harmony, arranging. 9am - 9pm, 7 days. Parramatta area.
REHEARSAL ROOMS SMALL 3m² rehearsal studio PA and small guitar amps included in price $45per 3hours Cubase Recording. suit Solo/Duo acoustic type acts. Singing-Guitar lessons available NEWTOWN 0405-044-533 iFlogID: 19365
Music Lessons at Beat Industry Tuggerah. Guitar, Drums, Vocals, Keyboard, Bass. Certificate courses and AMEB available. Free introductory lesson. www.beatindustry.com Ph: (02)4353 4749
| REHEARSAL STUDIO INNER-SYDENY |
0414 243 811 Detax will maximise your tax refund or minimise your tax liability, by applying years of Entertainment & Arts industry tax knowledge into your tax return. Individual Tax Returns from only $99. Discounted rates available for multiple years. Fully Qualified Accountant & Registered Tax Agent. www.detax.com.au iFlogID: 18987
BLUES GUITAR TUITION
ear training, singing, banjo and mandolin. www.acousticfingerpicking.com
iFlogID: 19429
LAP STEEL & GUITAR LESSONS
Lap steel guitar/Dobro/Slide open tunings & standard style guitar tuition by experienced live & recording musician. Let me get you playing great lap steel & slide or lead & rhythm guitar quickly in any style. Beginner pedal steel lessons also available. Inner west location with relaxed & patient teacher. Phone Jeff 0412518070 iFlogID: 19191
LEARN FROM A SIGNED VOCALIST! Modern-Vocal-Lessons- 25yr Old Signed Vocalist/Artist. Recorded Vocals for #1 Aria Album. Lessons at Gordon. Beginners to experienced singers welcome. 1hr lessons $50, Half-Hour lessons $30. Call AJ on
iFlogID: 18961 Singing lessons in a positive environment with a highly experienced and professional singer/songwriter. Lessons tailored to suit individual needs. Also beginners guitar. www.realvoice. net.au for more details. Inner West, Rosanna 0431 157 622. iFlogID: 19254
SINGING LESSONS
This is a rare opportunity to have individual lessons with Kristy Robinson one of Sydney’s Top Session/ Live SIngers with over 20 years Industry Experience. First Lesson Free! Limited places available. Inner West area.
iFlogID: 18105
MITCH FARMER DRUM TUITION
Professional all round live/studio drummer with 28 yrs experience. All styles and topics covered,check website for details. Beginners to Advanced levels welcome.
reliable, love to perform.
iFlogID: 19165 Electric & upright bass. Good gear. Comfortable in most styles. Experience performing live and in the studio. Check out my website if you wanna hear more. http://www.wix.com/ steelechabau/steelechabau iFlogID: 16159 Experienced Bass Player with professional rig seeking working Sydney cover band. Comfortable playing most styles of music. Please contact Jay 0419 663 997 iFlogID: 19161
DJ
0410 680 100
iFlogID: 18895
All styles from Duane Allman and Ben Harper to Blind Willie Johnson and Son House. www. acousticfingerpicking.com tel. John 0431953178
iFlogID: 19425
Dj available Dubstep to Drum&bass. Willing & able to adapt to your event. Low hourly rates. Everything negotiable. Easygoing, flexible entertainment. Call for a quote today. KN!VZ Entertainment Group Ph:0415680575
iFlogID: 16661
VOCAL TUITION for students having problems with pitch, placement and breathing. tel. John 0431953178
iFlogID: 19431 VocalHub - Sing like no one is listening! Singing lessons for vocal technique and care, audition tips and repertoire in a encouraging and supportive environment. Visit: http://www.vocalhub.com.au iFlogID: 17102
*One Free Introductory Lesson for Anyone Interested!!*
Please call Mitchfor rates and times available.m.0418267827
Please contact Michael @ 0420 371 624 mbennetts_@hotmail.com iFlogID: 19141
e.mitch@mitchfarmer.com wsite.
Parramatta area,
www.mitchfarmer.com
Contact John at... rodt1114@yahoo.com iFlogID: 16308
iFlogID: 19159
BASS PLAYER Bass player available, very experienced (playing 20+ years), professional, good gear and transport, any style. Looking for covers gigs in and around Sydney. Fast learner, friendly,
Call between 1pm-8pm.
SLIDE GUITAR TUITION
0448-080-619.
MUSICIANS AVAILABLE
Wanted left handed electric guitar teacher
Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
DJ Gear Hire – CDJs, Turntables, Mixers, Speakers, Microphones, Lights, Lasers, Foggers. Only the best equipment. Delivery available. Consoles from $70, Full Systems from $120. Call Lamba 9758-8888 www.lamba.com.au
iFlogID: 19389
DRUMMER Drummer available for working band Influences funk jazz drum n bass prog rock. Rex_ matthews@hotmail.com 0401237147 iFlogID: 19105
A1 TOP PRO DRUMMER AVAILABLE FOR SESSION FREELANCE WORK, TOURS ETC. EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE, TOP GEAR, GREAT GROOVE AND TIME.SYDNEY BASED, WILL TRAVEL. PH 0419760940. WEBSITE www. mikehague.com iFlogID: 18334
CREATIVE DRUMMER Sydney Drummer After Established Bands. Progressive, Punk, Hard Rock. (Infl: Mastodon,Thrice,Dead letter Circus)
Experienced singer/songwriter/guitarist has created a new original project and has many Sydney gigs booked. Currently looking for other original acoustic duo’s/bands with a following to do shows together. RemmosK@ gmail.com iFlogID: 19290 Guitarist + Guitarist/Singer looking for a BASSIST + DRUMMER to form Power Pop/ Punk band in Sydney. Think THE RAMONES meets CHEAP TRICK. No time wasters and committed musicians only. Contact 0403 995 832
Full-Time / Fill-in Sessions
iFlogID: 19373
0425 820 547 matt mjl@live.com.au
iFlogID: 19015 Experienced Soul Reggae R’N’B Blues Funk drummer (36yo) available for work preferably in Northern Beaches. Call Michael 0402 549423 email siczex@ yahoo.com.au
Guitarist, Singer & temporary Drummer (19yrs) need to start band! We play anything Tool, Amy Winehouse, Evanescence, Michelle Shocked (rock/blues/altmetal/funk/reggae/ soul) Would like versatile bassist & keyboardist! 18-25yrs preferred! Northern Beaches. Ziggy: 0432872290! iFlogID: 19248
HARD ROCK GUITARIST
See me playing drums: www.youtube.com/user/sydneypollak iFlogID: 17324 Professional drummer/percussionist/vibraphonist available for performances/recording. Toured with international acts such as Dianna Krall, David Campbell and Patrizio Buanne. Have huge range of instruments including vibraphone. More info at www. davekemp.info iFlogID: 17317 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: 16562 Professional mature-age Drummer/Vocals/ reads/back acts/shows - all styles including jazz - available for casual work.
looking to form a rock band in the steeze of GNR,Sabbath,Metallica have demo on soundcloud.com under sneaky attack need bassist n drummer for jammin n drinkn hahaha i live in northern beaches if interested call or text Mitch 0423478128 iFlogID: 19199 Inner West band seeks highly professional bassist, 25-40. Own equipment and transport. Gigs booked and some interstate touring. Go to www.reverbnation.com/thesecretcity and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGtyiohUtw to check out music. 0415409715 iFlogID: 19002 Inner West band seeks highly professional drummer, 25-40. Own equipment and transport. Gigs booked and some interstate touring. Go to www.reverbnation.com/thesecretcity and https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=FGt-yiohUtw to check out music. 0415409715 iFlogID: 19000
phone:(02) 9807-3137 Mob:0413-931-897 eMail: nadipa1@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 17160 TOP INTERNATIONAL DRUMMER available. Great backing vocals, harmonica player and percussionist. Gigs, tours, recording. Private lessons/mentoring also available. www.reubenalexander.net
iFlogID: 14261
GUITARIST 18 year old guitar player looking to form Rock N’ Roll band. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, New York Dolls. Preferably in South. Call Tom on 0401722767. iFlogID: 13358 Musician/Guitarist seeking fame. I play blues and have a good ear for melody and improvisation. Im looking for likeminded people who want to start touring. Go to peterbuckley.me iFlogID: 18014
OTHER Guitarist, Singer & temporary Drummer (19yrs) need to start band! We play anything Tool, Amy Winehouse, Evanescence, Michelle Shocked (rock/blues/altmetal/funk/reggae/ soul) Would like versatile bassist & keyboardist! 18-25yrs preferred! Northern Beaches. Ziggy: 0432872290! iFlogID: 19240
SINGER Depressed female singer seeking purpose. Dark music preferred, eg. metal, rock, industrial. Can also play some electric violin. Contact dragonlugia@hotmail.com iFlogID: 18798
MUSICIANS WANTED BANDS DRUMMER NEEDED Drummer needed for a Alternative Rock band base in the northern beaches area. Influences include Dead Letter Circus, Karnavool, Tool, O’brother, Thrice. Ages 18- 27 Call Nick on 0434407933
iFlogID: 19338
DRUMMER WANTED FOR NEW BAND! Indie sound new band needs reliable committed drummer for new songs. All original, looking to gig as soon as ready and write as much as possible. Inner west rehearsals twice a week. Steve 0433825402 iFlogID: 19307
DRUMMER WANTED covers band is looking for a drummer must be experienced with reliable transport and equipment ,must like rock orientated music ,rehearsals will be held weekly preparing for upcomming shows ,professional attitude a must, leave a brief description of yourself, 0419530569 iFlogID: 19441 EXPERIENCED BASSPLAYER, DRUMMER & GUITARIST WANTED FOR ORIGINAL INNER WEST GARAGE/PUNK/ROCK BAND. Must have backing vocals, females encouraged to apply. Influenced by 50’s with a punk attitude, Detroit Cobras, Otis Redding, Eddie Current Suppression Ring, Abbe May, Ramones and Easybeats to join female vocalist and male guitarist. Call or message 0410296627 or klaveman@hotmail.com
iFlogID: 19294
LEAD SINGER FOR ROCK COVERS Established Rock Covers Band with booked gigs & Agency Backing. Our band has been gigging for the last 6 years. This relaxed group of musicians has over 20 years experience in the industry. We are looking for a new lead singer to take us further. “Talk it up” is a rock covers band with an ever increasing repertoire. Our new front man will require experience and the ability to be a quick learner. Visit talkitup.net.au to see what we are about. We are based in Western Sydney with gigs booked across the CBD and greater metropolitan area. Contact Craig@talkitup.net.au iFlogID: 19418 Looking for bass player, drummer and vocalist. Age 19 - 22. Influences include The Gazette, Avenged Sevenfold, Abandon All Ships, Hans Zimmer, and Machine Head. Contact me at rafaelerion@hotmail.com. http://soundcloud.com/rafaelerion iFlogID: 19238 Looking for singer, bass player, keyboard player, percussionist and horn section for REGGAE band in Northern Beaches NSW. Call Michael 0402549423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au
iFlogID: 18612 MALE SINGER WANTED FOR BLUES / SOUTHERN ROCK BAND BASED IN HAWKESBURY AREA.COVERS FROM BLACK CROWES, SKYNYRD, STONES, ZZ TOP.BAD CO OWN TRANSPORT & BE RELIABLE. STEVE 0404959756 SCOTT 0416256471 iFlogID: 19005 Vocalist, Bass Player, & Keyboardist wanted for Western Sydney prog/metal band. Must have own equipment & transport. Original songs written & live demos recorded: www. reverbnation.com/wintergaunt New line-up wanted to expand sound. Shane 0427009059
iFlogID: 19213
BASS PLAYER CENTRAL/COAST,Covers/Originals [ Newly forming band ] require bassplayer, Covering SRV Deep Purple Clapton Hendrix ZZtop ,Gary/Moore. Musicians dedicated to one band need only apply PHone/Grant. 10am to 8pm 0449536661 iFlogID: 19407
CHRISTIAN BASS PLAYERS NEEDED Christian Bass Players needed for Contemporary New Church Plant in Sydney (2yrs old, 50-100 people), Sunday services and Tuesday practice. Call Lex on 0438654765 iFlogID: 18901 Guitarist, Singer & temporary Drummer (19yrs) need to start band! We play anything Tool, Amy Winehouse, Evanescence, Michelle Shocked (rock/blues/altmetal/funk/reggae/ soul) Would like versatile bassist & keyboardist! 18-25yrs preferred! Northern Beaches. Ziggy: 0432872290!
iFlogID: 19242 Looking for a reggae bass player for a Northern Beaches based band. Call Michael on 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo. com.au. iFlogID: 19193 Mature Rock Bassplayer needed. Must be versatile for covers and some originals. Pro equipment and attitude a must for payed gigs only. Based in campbelltown. Phone William 0419 614 313 iFlogID: 19303 Vocalist, Bass Player, & Keyboardist wanted for Western Sydney prog/metal band. Must
have own equipment & transport. Original songs written & live demos recorded: www.reverbnation.com/wintergaunt New line-up wanted to expand sound. Shane 0427009059 iFlogID: 19209
DRUMMER CAN YOU HIT STUFF GOOD?! Indie rock duo from Campbelltown looking for a dedicated drummer. Between 18 - 25, own gear and transport is required. Contact Anton: 0426822750 iFlogID: 18719
CHRISTIAN DRUMMERS NEEDED Drummers Needed – Christian drummers needed for Contemporary New Church Plant in Sydney (2yrs old, 50-100 people), Sunday services and Tuesday practice. Call Lex on 0438654765 iFlogID: 18897
DRAGONSCLAW SEEK DRUMMER Established metal band DRAGONSCLAW are searching for new drummer full time or temporary. Must have fast consistent double kick ability and able to play live to a click track. Contact: dragonsclaw@live.com.au some songs can be found at www.dragonsclawband.com iFlogID: 19439
DRUMMER WANTED!!! Awesome drummer from inner west wanted to jam and form band. Must have own gear, transport and have an open minded attitude. Preferably under 30, versatility a plus.
GUITARIST WITH VOCAL HARMONIES Solid all-rounder, lead & rhythm guitarist to join 2yr established Sydney based show, featuring the music of Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons. Not loud, but great sound is essential. Must be able to hold a harmony-line and be prepared to learn some light choreography. This is for “Front of Stage” work, therefore no navel watchers please! Applicant will be trained for free. Contact Frankie at: quintone@iinet.net.au or call Mob. 0412 233 300. iFlogID: 19421
LEAD GUITAR ANIMAL WANTED
YOU GOTTA ROCK LIKE F@#K, SNARL AND WEAR YOUR HEART ON YOUR BLACK TORNOFF SLEEVE. MALE OR FEMALE. SERIOUS ROCKERS ONLY. GIBSON PLAYER PREFERRED.. GIGS WAITING/SOME WEEKENDS AWAY. INFO: corrosion999@yahoo.com
iFlogID: 19449
LEAD GUITARIST NEEDED
Guitarist, Singer & temporary Drummer (19yrs) need to start band! We play anything Tool, Amy Winehouse, Evanescence, Michelle Shocked (rock/blues/altmetal/funk/reggae/ soul) Would like versatile bassist & keyboardist! 18-25yrs preferred! Northern Beaches. Ziggy: 0432872290!
iFlogID: 19246 Looking for a reggae keyboard player for a Northern Beaches based band. Call Michael on 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo. com.au iFlogID: 19197 Pianist wanted for established Afro-Cuban/ Latin Jazz trio based in Inner West. Must be a good reader and have a portable keyboard. Ring Garry 0434 615 931 iFlogID: 19383
OTHER MUSICIANS WANTED musicians wanted for rocknroll call vee 93193513 iFlogID: 19098
SAXOPHONE Looking for a sax player to form a horn section for a Northern Beaches based REGGAE band. Call Michael on 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au. iFlogID: 19219
SINGER
CAN YOU SING?!!
Please contact Mike 0420 371 624 iFlogID: 19211
TRUMPET Looking for a trumpet player to form a horn section for a Northern Beaches based REGGAE band. Call Michael on 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au. iFlogID: 19221
SERVICES BEAUTY SERVICES CUSTOM MADE MUSICIAN PLUGS Musician Plugs come in four different filter choices to reduce the volume of loud music to a safer level. They will not distort the tonality of the music, rather simply reduce the volume ‘equally’ across all tones. Fitted by a qualified hearing professional we have a number of locations throughout Sydney as well as in the CBD. To make an appointment call 9223 0225. iFlogID: 17016
FREE HAIRCUTS AT COOL SALON! Free haircuts and blowdries Thurs mornings at cool salon in Surry Hills. Colours are charged at cost of product used. Please call Wednesday on 0420371161 to organise an appointment. iFlogID: 19109 Fully Qualified & 8yrs Experience, Thai Massage $49/hr or Sensual Balinese Aroma $69/hr. In/Out calls, Male/Female Welcome. www.takecaremassage.com.au - By Anson 0433646338 iFlogID: 17428
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Experienced drummer with a commitment to practice and regular rehearsals required for Melbourne-based alternative rock band.
If you want to use DRUGS, that’s your business If you want to STOP, we can help. Narcotics Anonymous 9519 6200 www.na.org.au
iFlogID: 16217 Learn massage! Thai massage shop jobs available $40/hr no experience necessary Central location 0450 758 399 iFlogID: 18957 What happens when you start paying attention? When you become an active member and start participating in this elusive thing we call life. WWW.WHATISTHEHAPS.COM iFlogID: 17980
TUITION DRUMMER AND DRUM LESSONS Avaliable in Gladesville Teach all Levels, ages and experience.16 years experience. I studied at The Billy Hydes Drumcraft Academy and Obtained a Diploma in Drummig. $60/HR Mob: 0402663469 Michael
iFlogID: 18762
LIVE SOUND COURSE, 2 DAYS
100 A4 full colour on Gloss = $40 100 A3 full colour on Plain = $50
www.myspace.com/mollydredd
School of Rock teaches students from primary school to high school, from anywhere in Sydney with any level of musical talent. School of Rock helps students form a suitable band based on each of their musical likes and level of experience. Classes run every day of the week (Weekdays: 4.30pm – 6.00pm, Saturday/Sunday: 8.30am – 10.00am) at $320/per term (including all teacher fees, room and instrument rental). Each term includes a free recording session @ Zen Studios and a live show at The Valve Hotel in Tempe. Contact Ash 0450-406-201. www.schoolofrockinnerwest.com.au iFlogID: 18803
FULL COLOUR BAND GIG POSTERS @ AMAZING PRICES
Influences QOTSA, Foo Fighters, Nirvana…
SCHOOL OF ROCK - ZEN STUDIOS
TUITION BASS, GUITAR, DRUMS
100 A3 full colour on Gloss = $80
0411 372 469
iFlogID: 16936 Guitarist & Singer (19yrs) need to start band! We play anything Tool, Amy Winehouse, Evanescence, Michelle Shocked (rock/blues/altmetal/funk/reggae/soul) Would also like versatile bassist & keyboardist! 18-25yrs preferred! Northern Beaches. Ziggy: 0432872290! iFlogID: 19244 Mature Rock Drummedr needed. Must be versatile for covers and some originals. Pro equipment and attitude a must for payed gigs only.Based in Campbelltown. Phone William 0419 614 313. iFlogID: 19305
METAL DRUMMER NEEDED Professional metal drummer needed. Working metal band. Just released 2nd album. Supporting international band on touring festival in October. Must have own equipment, willing to travel internationally. contact@ kunvuk.com iFlogID: 19174
GUITARIST 18 year old guitar player looking for another guitar player. Influences: GN’R, Aerosmith, Zeppelin, New York Dolls. Preferrably someone in the south (Shire). Call Tom on 0401722767 iFlogID: 13407
CHRISTIAN GUITARISTS NEEDED Christian Guitarists needed for Contemporary New Church Plant in Sydney (2yrs old, 50-100 people), Sunday services and Tuesday practice. Call Lex on 0438654765 iFlogID: 18903 Guitarist wanted for rock/alt band inf: At the drive in, faith no more, muse, RHCP call rob on 0421851708 iFlogID: 19371
GUITARIST WANTEDALT ROCK/FUNK Main Influences: Incubus, Red hot chili peppers. Experienced singer, bassist & drummer require talented guitarist with writing and performing experience. Demos available & required. Serious enquiries only. Southern Sydney. 18 - 25 years old. Contact Evelyn 0431956063 or evelyn.mh@hotmail.com iFlogID: 19054
Garage and roots influenced rock n roll band The Blindfolds seek versatile lead guitarist to replace recently departed member. We have gigged regularly around Sydney over the past three years and have enough original material to begin recording our second album asap. Plenty of space for leads and solos and a strong rhythm presence an advantage. Demos available upon request. Contact Al on 0420314462 or Ben on 0424486380. myspace.com/theblindfoldsaustralia facebook.com/pages/The-Blindfolds/115363711866413 iFlogID: 19319 Rhythm/Lead Guitarist Required for exciting pop-rock band/show, Albums on iTunes. Reliable, excellent Guitarist who can also play jazz and country. Paid performances. Phone today Extraordinary Entertainment 99691179 (Mosman). iFlogID: 19323
SIGNED BAND NEEDS GUITARIST! Sydney-band looking for a young (19-24)-commited-ambitious guitarist with good gear and touring experience. Band has gigs, booker+management+label. Looking for guitarist not in any other bands. Call 0448080619
iFlogID: 19309 The SideTracked Fiasco seeks guitarist.. Influences RHCP, RATM, Primus, Sublime. Nov-Dec east coast tour booked. Pro gear/ attitude. You can listen to songs @ www. thesidetrackedfiasco.com. Rehearsals Petersham. Contact Johnny 0434-970-561. iFlogID: 19172
HORN HORN SECTION I am in the process of recording an album and on this particular song that I am recording I need a horn section to play parts I have written.
The Cleftomaniacs (pun intended!), the enthusiastic 25-member a cappella choir who brought you the most recent Sydney A Cappella Festival, invite new members (especially those lovely tenor & bass blokes). Eclectic repertoire from Sting to gospel to classical polyphony and we love to gig! Rehearsals school term Thursday evenings in Waterloo. Contact Catherine on 02 93887010 or flittie@iinet.net.au iFlogID: 19326
100 SRA3(32 x 45cm) full colour on Gloss = $80 WWW.BLACKSTAR.COM.AU
iFlogID: 16754 Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY from $299 including Hosting and email addresses! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au
iFlogID: 15450 Energetic and charismatic singer wanted to front a newly founded hard rock band with a groove. Must have easy access to Bondi 2-3 times a week. Preferred age:18-26. Call Jonno-0412362425. iFlogID: 18526 GOSPEL SINGERS WANTED for non-denominational music ministry to record triple-CD in Perth. World-class, passionate and devotional vocalists sought. View www.THE001Music. com for details. Jesus is KIng! Reverend Eslam. God Bless You! iFlogID: 13088 Looking for a reggae singer for a Northern Beaches based band. Call Michael on 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 19195 Looking for other original acoustic duo’s/ bands with a following to share the bill and do live gigs together. Contact RemmosK@ gmail.com iFlogID: 18849 Progresive/Nu Metal band in search of singer/songwriter - strong/soft vocals, rap, screams, its all good. Many original tracks down, please call/msg 0432 098 808, we will not respond to emails! iFlogID: 19369
SINGER NEEDED Experienced Progressive Heavy Groove Band seeks, Strong Heavy/Melodic Vocalist. READY TO PLAY!!! Call Sven - 0421540972 iFlogID: 19361
Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY- from $299 including UNLIMITED pages,
Alto and Tenor Sax French Horn The kind of sound I am going are bands like Kool and the Gang, Earth,Wind and Fire and the classic Stevie Wonder (70s). So if you like to help me realise these parts please contact and we can meet up and discuss it. I live in the Newtown Area. iFlogID: 19299
Looking for a sax & trumpet players to form a horn section for a Northern Beaches based REGGAE band. Call Michael 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au. iFlogID: 19401
KEYBOARD CHRISTIAN KEYS PLAYERS NEEDED Christian Keyboard/Pianists needed for Contemporary New Church Plant in Sydney (2yrs old, 50-100 people), Sunday services and Tuesday practice. Call Lex on 0438654765 iFlogID: 18899
02-9950-3977
iFlogID: 19367
Logos, Hosting and 5xemail addresses and much more! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see
iFlogID: 13864 Graphic designs, desktop publishing, logo, cd cover, business cards, flyers - very reasonable price. 7+ years experience. Contact: Nix 0401270304 tw3ntyonedesigns@gmail.com www.facebook.com/twentyonedesigns iFlogID: 18514 Limited Edition mens tees and hoodies with a sense of humour. All hand-screened and numbered. monstrositystore.com iFlogID: 13611
MUSIC PRODUCTION COURSES
OTHER 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: 15216
GET ‘EM TO THE GIG
Singer wanted to record album and play live with heavy rock band. We already have one album out. Melodic and harmonised vocals and some heavier vocals. Call Duncan 0430 406602 iFlogID: 19352
VERSATILE FEMALE SINGER
THE SUICIDE WATCH PROJECT
Learn the ins and outs of Ableton Live over 6 weeks.
www.zenstudios.com.au
Wanted! Your love and support for our hip hop collaboration for suicide prevention. Help us break down the taboos and barriers. Share the message ‘it’s ok to talk about suicide’. Releasing digital mixtape early September to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day and RU OK Day. Visit: facebook. com/TheSuicideWatchVolume1
Contact Zen Studios 02-9550-3977. iFlogID: 18917
Web: crazybandplans.com/SWV1 iFlogID: 19155
For further details check our website.
Transport for bands, musicians and P.A gear Sydney-wide. Prices start at $45. Email will@getemtothegig.com. au for more info iFlogID: 19375
OTHER
ABLETON LIVE
All about PAs, microphones, problem solving and a gig survival guide over one weekend with an optional day mixing at a live rock show.
SINGER TO RECORD HM ALBUM
WANTED
Short courses on: MUSIC PRODUCTION. A practical guide to computer based recording with the emphasis being on hands on training.One day each weekend for 6 weeks.
LIVE SOUND COURSE
SINGER WANTED Sydney alternative rock band MY OH MY looking for someone to stamp their own ideas on us. Influences from Foo Fighters to Rise Against. contact Dane 0407795671 my_oh_my@live.com.au iFlogID: 19356
The School of Rock offers tuition in singing, bass guitar, electric guitar, drums and song writing techniques. Our instructors have years of experience showing young musicians how to play and take that talent onto the stage. For more information visit our website at www.schoolofrockinnerwest.com. au or www.zenstudios.com.au. Ph: 9550 3977 iFlogID: 19181
www.bizwebsites.com.au
Instruments Needed: Trombone
A comprehensive 2 day course that covers basic audio principles, the progression of technology, common audio components, terninology, signal flow, soldering 101, microphone and speaker placement, EQing and more. Handty reference booklet supplied. Optional third days training at a live music venue available. www.zenstudios.com.au
PIANO LESSONS Piano and keyboard teacher. Creative and patient. All styles of music, plus theory and songwriting. Exams or pleasure. 20 years experience. Close to Broadway and Central. Paul 0417171993
Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively from $299 including Hosting, Shopping Cart and 5 email addresses! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au.
iFlogID: 15454
..wanted for Duo Band to play clubs & hotels in NSW. Must have own mic, stand & lead. If you are an instrumentalist, thats a bonus, if suitable. Rehearsals will be in Maroubra NSW 2035. Pls contact Mo: 0415 745 181. iFlogID: 19363
Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
iFlogID: 19056
SATISFY YOUR SOUL
Bob Marley believed in a better world. Today his family are creating it by turning their fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideals into actions and principles into products. The House of Marley brand is dedicated to creating the world he imagined through products that give joy, give back and satisfy your soul. All Marley products are manufactured as earth consciously as possible. With the use of natural, recycled and ecoconscious materials, Marley products support the Marley family charitable foundation. This global movement is dedicated to supporting youth, planet and peace.
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