4:%/&: 4 -"3(&45 $*3$6-"5*/( '3&& .64*$ 16#-*$"5*0/ t 4&15&.#&3 t t '3&&
XAVIER RUDD
5)& .&%*$4
BLONDIE
INSIDE t 36'64 8"*/83*()5 t 4&&,"& t 5)& 99 t #"33: "%".40/
www.themusic.com.au
Enrol Gig Compose Collaborate Record Launch Tour Get signed What will your creative future look like?
Start OCT 2012
Degrees and Diplomas in Music, Audio Engineering, Entertainment Business Management, 3D Animation, Game Design and Film and Television Production. Launch your creative journey through collaboration, education and training at JMC Academy.
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 3
4 • THE DRUM MEDIA
John Butler Trio (NYE Midnight Set) Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings (usa-nye sEt) tHE bLacK sEedS (nz) fRiEndLY fIreS dj Set (uk-nye sEt)
kRaFty kUtS Vs A.sKilLz (UK) tHE hERd (aus) Kaki King (USA) Blood red Shoes (UK) Unknown Mortal Orchestra (USA) Electric Wire Hustle (NZ) King Tide (AUS) mAt. mChUGh & THE SEPERATISTA SOUND SYSTEM (aus) 65DaysoFstatic (UK) Deep Sea Arcade (AUS) Gold Fields (AUS) Gossling (AUS) Will & The People (UK) Chapelier Fou (Fr) The Medics (AUS) NorthEast Party House (AUS) HatFitz and Cara (aus) Tuka (AUS) The Cairos (AUS) The PreaTUREs (AUS) Battleships (AUS) Lime Cordiale (AUS) Daily Meds (AUS) JONES Jnr (AUS) Tigertown (AUS) MicroWave Jenny (AUS) also featuring — The Return of The Dub Shack Plus many more artists to be announced...
THE DRUM MEDIA • 5
ADRIAN BOHM PRESENTS
AWESOME AUSTRALIAN TOUR, GREAT JOB!
45%3$!9 /#4/"%2 s METRO THEATRE BOOK AT TICKETEK 132 849 TICKETEK.COM.AU OR METRO THEATRE BOX OFFICE 9550 3666
DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND 2ND SHOW ON SALE NOW!
WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER FACTORY THEATRE BOOK AT TICKETEK 132 849 TICKETEK.COM.AU OR FACTORY THEATRE BOX OFFICE 9550 3666
ABPRESENTS.COM.AU
0LD '\VRQ
7KH 0RPHQW
ALBUM OUT NOW
6 • THE DRUM MEDIA
TIMANDERIC.COM
‘Dyson’s grit and gravel voice lands her squarely between Lucinda Williams and Bob Dylan’ - Boston Globe ‘With ‘The Moment’, she’s defined herself as an artist, as a person and as a musician to be truly reckoned with, on a global scale. An epic piece of work.’ - Rhythms Magazine
127(6
6(37 7+ 7L[ DQG LQIR ZZZ PLDG\VRQ FRP
MASSIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTIST VOICE PRESENTS
SPECIAL GUEST SCRIBE AND DAMN MORODA
F R I SEPT 14 SYDNEY ENMORE 'sonic hum of synthetic electro bass, acoustic guitar and soft, fluid vocal….Six60 plan to rock you into a new here and now……' - Brisbane Times 'the crowd went wild. I lost my mind…..they were electric…. I witnessed history in the making' - whoisscout.com
TICKETS FROM: WWW.TICKETEK.COM.AU & WWW.ENMORETHEATRE.COM.AU
DEBUT ALBUM OUT NOW ON M A S S I V E E N T E R TA I N M E N T / M G M WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SIX60
WWW.SIX60.CO.NZ
WWW.TWITTER.COM/SIX60
THE DRUM MEDIA • 7
th f e or ha m rperl hoy te
l
OPEN ‘TILL 3AM
900 PRINCES HIGHWAY, TEMPE PH: 9559 6300 www.valvebar.com.au
WED 5
MUSO’S NIGHT
FREE FRONT BAR 8.00PM
ROCKIN WEEKLY BLUES JAM
THU 6
THE BLAND
$10 DOOR 7.00PM
+ PIP & PAT + JAKE MCDOUGALL
FRI 7
CARTEL (USA)
$25 PRE, $30 DOOR 7.30PM
+ WE ROB BANKS + ARMS ATTRACTION + UNCORRECTED
SAT 8
DUMBSAINT
$10 PRE & $15 DOOR 7.30PM
+ GREENTHIEF (QLD) + HAWKMOTH + ISLANDS
SUN 9
JOHNNY GRETSH
WED 5TH 7PM
“ASTROSPHERE”
THU 6TH 7PM
“THRAXAS”
FRI 7TH 7PM
SAT 8TH 12PM
SAT 8TH 7PM
FREE - FRONT BAR 5.00PM
SUN 9TH 12PM
COMING SOON:
14\9 – GRENDEL(USA), 15\9 – SPRING LOADED FESTIVAL 16\9 – IMPENDING DOOM ‘GOBOOKEM.COM’
FUNK/ROCK SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM “HIDDEN ACE” , “REVIVAL” , “COPPER TONGUE”
ROCK SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM “VISITOR” AND SPECIAL GUESTS
BEATS AND PIECES A NIGHT OF UNDERGROUND SOUND: FUNK/ELECTRO/GLITCH/DUBSTEP/DEEP TEKNO FEAT: DJ TRENA, DJ SUB BASS, LEGOBREAKS AND MANY MORE
“DYSTROPHIC” METAL SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM “ROSE FROM RUINS” , “EXEKUTE” , “ON SHOULDERS OF GIANTS” , “TO ENGINEER AN EXORCIST”
“TIGERS & ROGUES” BLUES ROCK SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM “THUNDER THIEF” , “51 PERCENT” , TERRA LEXUS
TAKE IT TO THE VALVE FEST FEAT: “CARMERIA” , “DINKIBIKE” , “WITH CONFIDENCE” , “SWEET SOUNDS” , “PIXELS & SOUND” , “ALL THAT” , “SOUL SURVIVORS” , “SPIRAL CONSPIRACY” , “RETINA”
COMING UP: Wed 12 Sept: Rock Show with “Oscar & The Grouches” , “Shady Drive” and many more ; Thu 13 Sept: Rock Show with “Riff” , “Night Attack” and guests; Fri 14 Sept: Metal Show with “LAB 64” , “Remo Street” , “Skuldogory” , “Heaven’s Down” (-India) ; Sat 15 Sept: 1pm: “1OUTS” Emcee Battle; 7pm: Big Benny Entertainment presents Blues/Funk/Rock Showcase; Sun 16 Sept: 12pm: School Of Rock quarterly showcase; 5pm: Vibrations At Valve band competition wild card heat
For band bookings please email valvebar@gmail.com
Bistro open Lunch and Dinner !!
FRI 7/09 TUE 4TH SEP COMEDY NIGHT WITH
7:30PM - 10:30PM
DAVID WILLIAMS (LAST COMIC STANDING)
THU 6TH SEP
MC: COREY WHITE (QLD)
AND GUESTS
7:30PM - 10:30PM
THE
H.P CORONADOS
ADAM PRINGLE (GUITAR), JEREMY CRAIB (KEYS), MATT “THE RUMBLE” MORRISON(DRUMS) AND ROWAN LANE(BASS)
SUN 9TH SEP
LIVE EVERY THURSDAY FREE ENTRY!
TUE 11TH SEP
7:30PM - 10:30PM
GREG SULLIVAN (TRIPLE M- THE CAGE) 2 FOR 1 MEALS
EVERY TUESDAY
FEED the FAMILY
MC: LILY SLADE (MELB)
WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY
KIDS EAT FREE
FUNCTION ROOMS - CONTACT JOSH FOR INFO 9660 4745 FREE JOSH@HAROLDPARKHOTEL.COM.AU 8 • THE DRUM MEDIA
SAT 8/09
Phil Monsour Sun 30/9 Matt Walker CD launch
Fri 5/10
Pigs Kristina Olsen The Fri 12/10
eBook & CD launch
First Ladies Of Soul
SAT 15/09
Sat 13/10
Mia Dyson
A Taste Of KISS
3:00PM - 6:00PM
FREE ENTRY
Sat 29/09
+ Lucie Thorne
+ Simon Meli
AT THE HPH
EVERY MONDAY
EP Launch + Jess & Jen
+ GUESTS
SUNDAY ARVO JAZZ COMEDY NIGHT WITH
Audio Vixen
Coming soon –
SUN 16/09
Bridie King + guests 1pm Show
FRI 28/09
Luke Escombe 'Chronic Symphonic’
Sat 6/10 Rolling Stones Tribute ‘The Brian Jones Years’ Sat 20/10 Contraban Final Show Fri 26/10 Barbara Blue (US) + Mojo Webb Sat 3/11 Karma County Fri 23/11 Wes Carr introducing Buffalo
Wednesday 5th September
BACK TO BLACK: PAISLEY PARK
+ Lake Nash + Dan Twinning
Thursday 6th September
HIS MERRY MEN
+ Kirrakamere + Alex Gibson
Friday 7th September
IAN MOSS + Ollie Brown
Saturday 8th September
IAN MOSS + Bryley
Sunday 9th September & Wednesday 12th September
LANIE LANE + Jordie Lane
Friday 14 September CASH - The Concert Saturday 15 September CASH - The Concert Wednesday 19 September SongsOnStage - Best Of... Thursday 20 September Wes Carr Friday 21 September SUPERHEAVYWEIGHTS Saturday 22 September The Foreday Riders Wednesday 26 September James Walsh 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 Saturday 13 October Peter Northcote’s DRIVE Thursday 18 October Dylan And Co Friday 19 October King Tide Saturday 20 October Spy Vs Spy Sunday 21 October The Siren Tower Wednesday 24 October The Trews Thursday 25 October Ray Beadle Saturday 27 October Barbra Blue
THE DRUM MEDIA • 9
OCKTAILS CRAFT BEER CIDER C USIC BAR FOOD PINNIES POOL LIVE M
SATURDAY USESTSIICONS ACVO ER S CO
olo) S ( ll e w s g in K Nick Sat 8th Sept sco o R & d a e in S t Sat 15th Sep sco o R & v a r T t p Sat 22nd Se t Sat 29th Saekpe Wedding Crd Island Boab Band Riders Clu Band Bookings
02 9984 9933 AWARDED BEST ENTERTAINMENT RESTAURANT IN SYDNEY
info@codeone.net.au - www.codeone.net.au
5 SEP
Pure Bohemia – Gypsy Jazz & Life Drawing
7 SEP
Mark Seymour
8 SEP
Margaret Urlich
9 SEP
Mahalia Barnes
12 SEP
Drum Media & Lizotte’s presents Live and Local
14 SEP
Daryl Braithwaite
15 SEP
Mal Eastick
LIZOTTE’S CENTRAL COAST
Tickets & info from www.coogeediggers.com.au
COOGEE DIGGERS 9665 4466 CORNER BYRON & CARR STREETS
ST PLEASURES
LIFE’S GREATE
AND MUSIC GREAT FOOD LIZOTTE’S SYDNEY O OF MARRYING TW
02 4368 2017 USE ME.
5 SEP
Lizotte’s presents Live and Local
7 SEP
Margaret Urlich
8 SEP
Mahalia Barnes – SOLD OUT!
9 SEP
Lazy Sunday Lunch with Mark Seymour
12 SEP
Lizotte’s & Kincumber Festival presents Live and Local
13 SEP
Mal Eastick
14 SEP
Joe Moore
15 & 16 SEP
Darren Percival – SOLD OUT!
LIZOTTE’S NEWCASTLE 02 4956 2066 AWARDED BEST ENTERTAINMENT RESTAURANT IN AUSTRALIA 5 SEP
Dog Rescue Newcastle’s Big Night Out
6 SEP
Lanie Lane – SOLD OUT!
7 SEP
Mahalia Barnes
8 SEP
Mark Seymour
9 SEP
Margaret Urlich
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM FATASBUTTER.COM.AU OZTIX.COM.AU & SELECTED OUTLETS
12 SEP
Wednesday Night Big Band
13 SEP
Julia Stone – SOLD OUT!
FAT AS BUTTER WILL NOT BE DOING ANY GROUP BUYING DEALS
14 SEP
Mia Dyson
15 SEP
DRAG!
16 SEP
Sunday Lunch with Joe Moore
FAT AS BUTTER IS A 15+ EVENT 1ST RELEASE SOLD OUT 2ND RELEASE ON SALE $109+BF VIP TICKETS $139.90+BF (18+ ONLY).
supported by triple j
Calling all artists for Live and Locals! Contact events@lizottes.com.au Lizotte’s Sydney 629 Pittwater Rd Dee Why
Lizotte’s Central Coast Lot 3 Avoca Dr Kincumber
Lizotte’s Newcastle 31 Morehead St Lambton
w w w . l i z o t t e s . c o m . a u 10 • THE DRUM MEDIA
THE DRUM MEDIA • 11
12 • 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 Go™ policy applies. SingTel Optus Pty Ltd ABN 90 052 833 208.
OPT14950/FPC/DMNSW/P
THE DRUM MEDIA • 13
Reviving Sydney’s live music scene 1 gig, 1 band, 1 fan at a time
SEPTEMBER
THURS 6TH
N IE R B ’ O IE ID R B T P E ASY RESIDENCY ARTIST S UM FANT + GALLERI & TANTR $10 8PM DOORS
FRI 7TH
+ STRANGERS IN THE
MY REPALNDYRUNAWAYS & XATER BAY
DARK, RASCALS $12 8PM DOORS
SAT 8TH
SIX FEAHRER SBREODVYE&NSTEEL SWARM
MOT + STELLAR ADDITION, $12 8PM DOORS
THURS 13TH
$10 8PM DOORS
RESIDENCY ARTIST SEPT BRIDIE O’BRIEN + CLETUS KASADY & MIS-MADE ACOUSTI
AT THE BREWHOUSE WWW.LIVEATTHEBREWHOUSE.COM.AU
22 The Promenade, King Street Wharf, Sydney NSW
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27
ACOUSTIC CARAVAN GRAND FINAL
-" -Ê" Ê-/ ÊUÊ 1 -Ê " Ê7
,-
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 13
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23
NINE SONS OF DAN Ê -Ê- "7
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29
GARTH TAYLOR
HEY EVERYONE . . .
LOCK IN THE 16TH, 17TH & 18TH OF NOVEMBER ",Ê Ê 6 /Ê/ /Ê7 Ê, // Ê/ Ê "1 / " -Ê OF ANY MUSIC FESTIVAL EVER HELD IN AUSTRALIA. IT HAS NEVER EVER BEEN DONE BEFORE IN AUSTRALIAN MUSIC HISTORY.
STAY TUNED !!!
EVERY TICKET GETS YOU A FREE DRINK
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LIVEATTHEBREWHOUSE + TWITTER: @LIVEATBREWHOUSE
FRI 14TH
HE SHE WONDERLAND
62ND SILENCE + FIRE TILL DAWN & TH E STEAKS $12 8PM DOORS
SAT 15TH
GOOD WILL HUNTING
FROM DEATH TILL REBIRTH + DEAD LIFE & SUBURBIA $12 8PM DOORS
SUN 16TH
SAVE THE CLOCKTOWER
+ BELLE HAVEN, PAST IS PRACTICE + HEARTS LIKE WOLVES + JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED + WHEN GIA NTS SLEEP + ROSE FROM RUINS + MEMORIAL AVEN UE $15 INC FREE SOFT DRINK 3PM DOORS ALL AGES
COMING SOON THURS 20TH s 2%3)$%.#9 !24)34 3%04 "2)$)% / "2)%. ",!#+ 2)6%2 2%"%,,)/. 4"! s $10 8PM DOORS
&2) 34 s 9/,!.$! !.$ 4(% 34/,%. "/93
3#(,!- 425% ,/6% #(!/3 4(% 42/5",%$ 2/-!.4)#3 s $12 8PM DOORS
3!4 .$ s (!:9 #,/5$ %$$)% "/9$ !.$ 4(% 0(!4!0),,!23 7),42)#)49 4"! s %.429 0- $//23
"!.$ !.$ &!.3 2%')34%2 /.,).% !4
www.sydneylivehouse.com 14 • THE DRUM MEDIA
C
PRESENTED BY triple j
|
SOUTHERN CROSS TEN
|
DRUM MEDIA
|
TIME OFF
|
FOCUS
SUNDOWNER BREAKWALL TOURIST PARK – PORT MACQUARIE 14-15 DECEMBER 2012
KIMBRA
BYO EVENT FOR 18+
DEAD LETTER CIRCUS HERMITUDE • THE DATSUNS
BUSBY MAROU • HUSKY DZ DEATHRAYS • THE SNOWDROPPERS THE CAIROS • OVER-REACTOR • JACKSON FIREBIRD NAT COL & THE KINGS • TIN SPARROW DIRTY LITTLE REBELS • THE MORNINGS JOE ROBINSON • SISKIN RIVER THE WIDOWBIRDS • GEOFF TURNBULL MINNIE MARKS • DIRTY CASH DJ'S + TRIPLE J UNEARTHED WINNER
T I C K E T S O N S A L E S E P T E M B E R 5 - 1 0 : 0 0 A M I N C LU D E 2 N I G H T S F R E E C A M P I N G AC C O M M O DAT I O N PAC K AG E S A L S O AVA I L A B L E
THE DRUM MEDIA • 15
Mick on Wheels Alphamama
FREE FOOD
Tony Deveaux’s Funk Soul Brothers
1pm - Alphamama 4pm - Jack Black Magician 5pm - King Tide 8pm - Mick on Wheels 9pm - Tony Deveaux’s Funk Sould Brothers
Promos: P T-shirt giveaway - whilst stocks last James Squire beer & food matching 3 Minute Angels Jack Daniels Honey Promo and HEAPS more.
G N I K E TID
For full details check out
www.pyrmontbridgehotel.com
16 • THE DRUM MEDIA
WEEKEND DELEGATE PASSES NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
WEEKEND PASS ENABLES ACCESS TO ALL CONCERTS, FILM PROGRAM, WORKSHOPS & CONFERENCE SESSIONS
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK : www.facebook.com/AWMEOfficial TERRASPHERE P R OD U C T ION S
THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN ASSISTED BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE AUSTRALIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS, ITS ARTS FUNDING AND ADVISORY BODY, AND THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT THROUGH ARTS VICTORIA.
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 5 SEP STREET LEVEL BAR:
AIMEE FRANCIS AND FRIENDS
POND PACK PRIZE
FREE
JULIA STONE ALONE
She started writing the songs that became her second solo album, By The Horns, in California, refined them in France, India and back home in Sydney before heading to New York City to record them. Now Julia Stone is performing them and more this Wednesday 12 September at the Abbey in Canberra, Thursday 13 at Lizotte’s in Newcastle and Saturday 15 at the Metro. We have three double passes to that Metro show to give away, the winners also getting a copy of
THU 6 SEP
JONAH MATRANGA’S ONE LINE DRAWING (USA) + LET ME DOWN JUNGLEMAN + ACHOO BLESS YOU + BILLY DEMOS + NICK VAN BREDA $17.60 PRE-SALE / $20 DOOR SALE TICKETS ON SALE NOW WWW.MOSHTIX.COM.AU
STREET LEVEL BAR:
FRI 7 SEP
PAUL HAYWARD’S LIVE PUNK ROCK KARAOKE
$15
("SEMAPHORE" ALBUM LAUNCH - ENTRY INCLUDES A FREE CD)
+ STEVE KILBEY (THE CHURCH) (SPOKEN WORD)
+ RESTLESS LEG VIDEO JUKE BOX
FREE
AFTERNOON --- 1:00PM-6:00PM
FREE
STREET LEVEL BAR:
SAT 8 SEP
"PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET #2" FOR MORE INFO VISIT PUNKROCKFLEAMARKET.WORDPRESS.COM
SAT 8 SEP
EVENING --- 8:00PM-12:00AM
$12
LOS CAPITANES + SHANGHAI
+ GODSWOUNDS + TRIANGLE STREET LEVEL BAR:
SUN 9 SEP STREET LEVEL BAR:
EVERY MONDAY EVERY TUESDAY
FREE
DAVE TICE AND MARK EVANS 4PM-7PM DJ KAKI 8PM-LATEDJ
CHUCK’S WAGON
FREE
“SANDO SKETCH CLUB” “THE SONGWRITER SESSIONS”
FREE
STREET LEVEL BAR: ADAM PRINGLE AND FRIENDS - FUNKY AS F#CK + TOOHEYS $6 NEW JUGS (7-8PM)
COMING SOON THU 13 SEP ---
Front End Loader *** www.oztix.com.au ***
FRI 14 SEP ---
Subhumans (UK) *** www.oztix.com.au *** selling fast, buy now to avoid disappointment!
SAT 15 SEP --FRI 21 SEP / SAT 22 SEP / SUN 23 SEP ---
Eat Noise Festival Sons Of Sun – The Sam Phillips Story (a rock’n’roll play) *** www.sydneyfringe.com ***
FRI 28 SEP ---
Splatterheads *** www.zombiedogentertainment.com ***
SUN 30 SEP --SAT 13 OCT ---
Rabbitohs become 2012 Premiers!!!! The Defects (IRELAND) + Bastard Squad (Melb) *** www.oztix.com.au ***
SAT 20 OCT ---
FRI 2 NOV / SAT 3 NOV ---
SAT 17 NOV ---
"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 ***
18 • THE DRUM MEDIA
The ever-changing musical feast of “naff-tropical lo-fi psychedelic pastiche” that is Perth five-piece Pond, fresh from some serious musical conquering across Europe and the UK, which followed some similar mayhem at South By South West and Canadian Music Week, are bringing it all and their fourth album, Beards, Wives, Denim, to the Metro this Thursday 20 September and Newcastle’s Fat As Butter festival Saturday 22. Now, the good folks at Spinning Top and Modular have given us a Pond pack to give away that comprises a double pass to the Metro show, a copy of the album, a Pond T-shirt and a Pond tote bag. Oh, and there’s a runner-up prize of a double pass, so that’s two prizes really.
FOR MORE GIVEAWAYS THIS WEEK HEAD TO FACEBOOK.COM/DRUMMEDIA AND CLICK ON THE GIVEAWAYS TAB
FREE
STARLING
By The Horns, the CD to be collected from the Drum office, while names will be on the door for the show.
Julia Stone
T H E D R U M M E D I A I S S U E 1 1 2 6 T U E S D AY 4 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2
DRUM
Giveaways – Check it out for free stuff and head to Facebook for more! The Front Line hits hard with industry fact and conjecture, and Forward Line – the latest news on tours, releases and more. The Presets talk about new album, Pacifica, and defending youth culture. The xx’s Oliver Sim talks up new album, Coexist. Xavier Rudd finally gets to launch his new album in Sydney in person. Blondie owe so much to Australia ahead of their Homebake 2012 performance. The Medics introduce themselves. Rufus Wainwright gets back to pop. Our intrepid reporter managed to capture a few minutes from Barry Adamson. Seekae want to perform for you. Cartel assure us that pop-punk can come out of Georgia. Case in point? Cartel. These days, America play their own favourites as well as yours. Greenthief offer up their second EP. Ersatz Italo disco the Donny Benet way. Nikko – from Brisbane with love. All the hardcore you need in one pumping package – All The Young. Our two favourite ladies come over all Gallic as Baby Et Lulu. Meet the genre-splicing Jonah Matranga. On The Record reviews new release albums and singles from Calexico, Cat Power, Sugar Army, Animal Collective, The Presets and more.
18 20 26 27 28 28 30 35 36 37 38 38 38 38 39 39 39 39 40
FRONT ROW
Check out what’s happening This Week in Arts, Mark Duplass kevels about Your Sister’s Sister, US comic Anthony Jeselnik will offend everyone. 43 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 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, 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, Cybele Malinowski, Josh Groom, Justin Malinowski, Kane Hibberd, Linda Heller-Salvador, Tony Mott ADVERTISING DEPT sales@drummedia.com.au Brett Dayman, James Seeney, Andrew Lilley
themusic.com.au
We review, Beats Of The Southern Wild, Conversation Piece and more, while Jamelle Wells brings us some Cultural Cringe. 44 The Big Top is invaded by Cirque du Soleil for OVO, while Anthony Carew gets incisive about the Russian Film Festival and Bethany Small provides a field guide to “Not Liking Art” in Made You Look. 45
LIVE
It’s all here: live reviews, tour guide,gig guide and more, plus Fabulous Diamonds get “commercial” and Nat Col & The King give a new single. Cyclone gives you urban and r’n’b news in OG Flavas. Chris Maric gets local with hard rock and metal in The Heavy Shit. Sarah Petchell brings us local and international punk news in Wake The Dead. Dan Condon features the world of blues and roots with Roots Down. Adam Curley muses on all things pop culture in The Breakdown. Michael Smith delivers some Blow with jazz and world music news. Go south and enter Pedro Manoy’s Swamp Shack. Viktor Krum asks you to Get It Together with the latest in hip hop. Dave Drayton gets Young & Restless with all ages goings on. Profiling more BIGSOUND participants. The Classies – need a singer/bassist/drummer/ any other service/product you can think of? Your answer is here. And on iflog.com.au. Backstage and BTL, your guide to studios, recording, gear, courses and more.
iflog.com.au
47 50 50 50 51 51 51 51 52 52 53
60 62
CLASSIFIEDS
ART DEPT artwork@drummedia.com.au Dave Harvey, Matt Davis Dave Harvey
COVER DESIGN
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
THE DRUM MEDIA • 19
FOREWORD LINE
NEWS FROM THE FRONT
SWEET SANCTUARY
Sydney pop rockin’ youngsters This Sanctuary have announced the release of their new single, Rumour, lifted from their EP, Maybe We Weren’t Meant To Get It, and will be celebrating with a launch gig at The Hi-Fi alongside multi-award-winning Indonesian pop rock band Noah on Saturday 15 September.
2012
DANCE MOVES
The Aston Shuffle return from a year in the studio with the first taste of their sd album release, the epic and aptly titled single, Can’t Stop Now, to be released Friday. They will debut their revamped live show at BIGSOUND on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 September, followed by a national single tour through October. They’ll play Friday 19 October at the Academy in Canberra and Saturday 20 at The Standard.
DOMINIC MILLER
Business/Position: Bluebeard Music – manager and booking agent. How did you first become involved in the music business? I played in a Brisbane band called Rocketsmiths for about five years. When we broke up I decided I wanted to manage bands, then I started booking a venue called Dowse Bar, then I started working at The Zoo as assistant booking agent. And here we are. What do you perceive to be your area of expertise, and how did you gain experience in this field? I’d say management. And most of it came from being a self-managed artist and learning stuff the hard way through trial and error. Mostly error. What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the BIGSOUND conference? I am a loudmouth so whatever is asked I’ll try to answer it. I also like pretending I know everything so these two qualities make a lethal combination. I imagine I’ll be mostly talking about managing bands and making a career work in Brisbane. What are you hoping that people will learn from your panel/interview? To make sure you’re not a bully/arsehole to people, because then everyone will just hate you and never want to work with you. And maybe, they’ll learn when to shut up when you’re on a panel instead of just talking lots and lots about things you’re not that knowledgeable on. What are you expecting to take away yourself from your visit to BIGSOUND? A hangover. And maybe some good gigs in the future for my clients. And just generally meeting some good people and “sharing knowledge”, “touching base” and “getting some ROI”.
Ball Park Music
OUT OF THE PARK
With their brand-spanking new second album slotted for release in October, Ball Park Music are proud to announce the Museum tour, the band’s biggest and most ambitious tour to date. Joining Ball Park Music on this adventure are Melbourne five-piece Loon Lake. You can catch them both on Wednesday 24 October at Uni Bar in Wollongong, Friday 26 at Uni Bar in Newcastle, and Saturday 27 at the Metro Theatre.
FREQUENCIES FREAKS
AT THE KIDS TABLE
Progressive surf-roots rockers Band Of Frequencies have played all over the world. True believers in sounds beyond boundaries, Band Of Frequencies draw their influences from a vast spectrum of roots, rock, electronic and psychedelic styles. Soon they’ll be gracing a stage near you as they deliver their signature blend of progressive roots-rock down the East Coast. They play Thursday 8 November at Notes, Friday 9 at Heritage Hotel in Bulli, Saturday 10 at The Mac and Sunday 25 at Mullum Fest.
Finally, after many years and failed attempts to get to Australia, Boston ska punk act Big D & The Kids Table will be hitting our shores for the first time for a whirlwind tour of mayhem. Joining the band will be The Resignators on support duties on each show. You can catch the action on Friday 30 November The Patch in Wollongong and Sunday 2 December at The Wall (early show).
CREO MEMO TOUR
CREO are prepped to give their most fiery performances on their latest tour, and they’ll be taking Australian YouTube sensation Miss Louna Maroun, aka LoopyLady11, to capture them and all the fun in between. Pre-sale tickets are now available for their The Memo tour, which will celebrate their EP release of the same name. The tour touches down at The Annandale on Saturday 22 September.
AWAKEN I AM
Member/role: Ashley Jackson – guitar Hometown: Gold Coast Short description of your band and your music: We’re a progressive pop rock band. We like big riffs, loud drums, high vocals and big hooks. We’re often compared to bands like Saosin, Dead Letter Circus, Closure In Moscow, Sleeping With Sirens and Hands Like Houses. We’ve shared the stage with some awesome bands like As Tall As Lions, Dream On Dreamer, Tonight Alive and Closure In Moscow and had the chance to play Push Over 2012. What are you hoping to achieve from showcasing at BIGSOUND? We’re aiming to put on a great show and turn heads! We feel very privileged to be chosen to showcase at this year’s BIGSOUND Live and just being given the opportunity to chat to industry professionals and the other bands on the lineup is amazing. We’re hoping to meet some new fans and industry people so we can hopefully learn more about the ever-changing industry. We recently had our booking agent depart into a different aspect of the industry, so we’re hoping to find a new one at the conference. We’re also scheduled to record a new full length at the beginning of next year, so we’ll definitely have our eyes open for any interested record label/publishing/distribution professionals! Why should people come and see you from amongst the myriad bands at BIGSOUND? We’re definitely a different style of band on this year’s bill. We’ve a massive live show with lots of energy and crowd interaction as well as some production. We’re hoping to turn a few heads at this show, so we’ll be going all out! We’re definitely the band to see.
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Dead Can Dance
DEAD SET
Led by the silken, golden vocal nobility of band founders Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry, Dead Can Dance are true music pioneers, producing beguilingly beautiful, elegant music that incorporates sounds from around the globe and across the centuries. Sydney Opera House will present the long-awaited homecoming in the Concert Hall on Sunday 3 February.
LE WOLF
Fresh from multiple world tours, France’s ever-prolific psych mystic High Wolf is hitting Australian shores for a September-October national tour, with new album, Know Thyself, on Sun Araw’s Sun Ark label, replete in High Wolf’s miasmic loops and drones. High Wolf plays Friday 28 September at Sound Summit in Newcastle and Friday 5 October at The Square.
Husky
A BIT HOARSE
Right now Husky are celebrating the international release of Forever So, having become the first Australian band to sign to the seminal Seattle-based label Sub Pop. The boys are coasting along endless highways in the USA, drinking oceans of filtered coffee in roadside diners, playing headline shows and winning hearts along the way. Next, Husky will tour Europe and the UK before heading home. Their Tidal Wave tour will continue once home and you can catch them on Saturday 20 October at Gentlemen Of The Road with Mumford & Sons in Dungog and Sunday 21 at Oxford Art Factory.
COERCING UNICORNS
Coerce and Totally Unicorn, while being both unique and also challenging from a listener’s perspective, come from different sides of the post-hardcore coin – but also have some common elements that are, for the better part, stronger than any sonic comparison. The two bands touring together seems to create a slight dischord, but it is this dischord that will make these shows unique, and certainly not to be missed. They’ll play Sunday 14 and Monday 15 October at Yours & Owls in Wollongong, Wednesday 17 at Bar 32 in Canberra and Friday 19 at the Sandringham Hotel.
A LITTLE SOMETHING
Something For Kate have announced that they will embark on their first national Australian tour in five years to mark the release of their new album, Leave Your Soul To Science. With the first single from the album, Survival Expert, giving an excellent indication of the adventurous and eclectic nature of the forthcoming album, Something For Kate recently previewed new songs to a lucky few hundred fans at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney and Northcote Social Club in Melbourne. Both shows sold out within minutes. Their ‘proper’ tour will hit town on Friday 12 October at The Metro.
TROBES LIGHTS
COLOURWAYS
Over The Sun, the highly ambitious new work from recent triple j Unearthed winners Tinpan Orange, will be released this month. This record sees the folk darlings transplanted into the middle of some lost opera, third act, high drama all around, orchestra in flight, the drums of war rumbling. The band will bring the new album up from Melobourne to play Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 October at The Vanguard.
Something For Kate
Pop/rock Western Sydney band The Trobes are releasing their second EP, Out & In Focus, at The Metro Lair on Friday 12 October. Supported by Melbourne rock band Busy Kingdom, seven-piece jazz/funk band BrotherFunk and blues’n’roots class act Jordan C Thomas Trio, The Trobes will be playing songs from their first EP plus all numbers off the new release, including single, All Or Nothing.
SUMMERS LOVIN’
Bill Summers is a musician of the highest order, playing anything from traditional African instruments to pop bottles, and a cultural visionary who brings diverse people and ideas together. In the spirit of bringing diverse minds together, Summers has invited brass virtuoso James Morrison to join him as a special guest at his headline performances in Sydney and Melbourne. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience two of the planet’s greatest jazz masters perform together on one stage, at the same time. They play Monday 1 October at the Manly Jazz Festival and on Sunday 7 at the Darling Harbour Fiesta as well as The Basement Circular Quay.
ON A BENDER
Having plundered the world mercilessly on the back of their Back Through Time album, Alestorm are sailing their way through the seas of time to their favourite place on the planet with one last mission in mind… the filming of their very first live DVD. To be titled Live At The End Of The World, director Tommy Jones will be filming the entire Alestorm Australian/NZ tour to catch all the craziness, all the debauchery, all the tomfoolery, all the heroic drinking shenanigans and every single Australian metal fan is invited to be part of this world exclusive. Get involved on Saturday 19 January at the Manning Bar.
VOYAGER OF DISCOVERY
The incredible upward spiral of Perth prog metal masters Voyager continues as the band announce their Meaning Of I East Coast tour in November. Recently returning from an extensive North American tour supporting Rhapsody Of Fire, Voyager captivated larger than expected audiences at every show. They play Thursday 1 November at Hamilton Station Bar in Newcastle, Friday 2 at Steel Assassins Festival at the Sandringham Hotel, Saturday 3 at The Patch in Wollongong, and Saturday 10 at Bastardfest at The Basement in Canberra.
themusic.com.au
Benjalu
BIG TOUR BENJALU
Benjalu are set to clock up the miles (and waves) on an extensive national tour in support of their new EP, Way To The Coast. Catch them on Wednesday 3 October at the Brass Monkey, Friday 5 at The Heritage Hotel in Bulli, Saturday 6 at The Front Gallery in Canberra, Thursday 25 at Lizotte’s Kincumber, Friday 26 to Sunday 28 at Sydney Blues & Roots Festival in Windsor and late on Sunday 28 at Moonshine Bar in Manly, Wednesday 21 November at 34 Degrees South, Thursday 22 at The Vanguard, Friday 23 at The Heritage Hotel again and Saturday 24 at The Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle.
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NEWS FROM THE FRONT
DOUBLE SWEET DEFEAT
Caulfield and Sierra are teaming up for the Sweet Defeat tour and are hitting major cities with some allages shows. Sweet Defeat will also be Caulfield’s first release since Clarity In A Sea Of Confusion. The single will be available online in October to coincide with the tour. They play Friday 19 October at Lanyon Youth Centre and Saturday 20 at The Lair (early) and SFX (late).
I N D U S T RY N E W S W I T H S C O T T F I T Z S I M O N S frontline@streetpress.com.au
BIGSOUND SELLS OUT, TICKETS ADDED FOR LIVE SHOWCASES Conference tickets to this year’s BIGSOUND have officially sold out, while additional tickets for BIGSOUND Live have been made available. The BIGSOUND conference will see local and international industry members and artists – including Steve Earle, Ben Lee, Peter Noble and Ken West – while BIGSOUND Live will feature 120 artist showcases – including Clare Bowditch, Violent Soho and Ball Park Music – across two nights in Fortitude Valley and surrounding venues. Executive Programmer Graham Ashton said, “It’s amazing news that the BIGSOUND Conference is now sold out for 2012, but we all know the event is about live music and adding more tickets to BIGSOUND Live today means that even more people still have the opportunity to discover their next favourite band.” BIGSOUND Live takes place Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 September in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. The official BIGSOUND iPhone app, developed by ZAPPP, is available for free download now with the Android version due next week.
TIN SPARROW TOUR
Sydney four-piece and BIGSOUND performers Tin Sparrow have announced details of their new single due out in September and a blistering weekend of headlining shows this October. After a two-month hiatus band members Matt Amery, Mark Piccles, Dean McLeod and Sonja Van Hummel regrouped, armed with a selection of killer new tracks including their yet-to-be-titled new single. Catch them on Friday 26 October at The Standard. Bobby Gillespie
EVERYBODY SCREAM
After 30 years as a band, British game-changers Primal Scream remain at the cutting edge, blending rock, psychedelia and electro into a space where echoes of the past meet a beautiful future. Last seen last year performing their era-defining album, Screamadelica, in full, Primal Scream, fronted by Bobby Gillespie (pictured), return to Australia this summer armed with classics, fan favourites and brand new songs. Outside of their Meredith Music Festival appearance they play Wednesday 5 December at the Enmore Theatre.
WALSH RETURNS
Following the success of a run of shows here in March, James Walsh will be returning to Australia this September for a full month to undertake a number of different projects including co-writing and collaborating with some high profile and up-andcoming Australian artists, promoting the release of his new solo EP, Time Is Nigh, and a performance at BIGSOUND in Brisbane. In addition to all this he’ll play a Thursday residency at The Star in Pyrmont through September, Fridays 7 and 28 Upstairs at the Beresford, Friday 14 at Florida Beach Bar in Terrigal, Sunday 16 at Clarendon Guesthouse in Katoomba, and Wednesday 26 at The Brass Monkey in Cronulla.
PETER GARRETT ANNOUNCES NSW LABOR MUSIC POLICY Federal Minister and Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett has announced New South Wales Labor’s Labor Loves Live Music campaign, which local government representatives will use for the upcoming elections in September. Announced at a recent party conference, the campaign is based around the Agent Of Change principle – that is determining responsibility for noise management – and Garrett, who currently holds the School Education, Early Childhood and Youth portfolio, said that, “Over-regulation is killing our live music venues and to see great institutions suffer is very upsetting – like the Annandale, which has long been an incubator of the music industry.” Live music campaigner and advisor of this policy John Wardle told theMusic.com.au, “Live music’s always been newsworthy. It’s our identity, it’s so important… What’s fantastic about this policy is you’re going to see elected representatives across New South Wales for whom this is their policy position.”
THE AMP ANNOUNCES NAMING SPONSOR Adelaide-based beer company Coopers have been announced as the major naming rights sponsor of The Australian Music Prize – or The Amp. The $30,000 music prize, for the best local album of the year, will now be known as The Coopers Amp for at least the next three years. Prize Director Scott Murphy said, “From back in 2004 when I was tinkering away to produce the first, a naming rights sponsor has been on the ‘to do’ list. The very nature of The Amp warrants that a naming rights deal is the best way to secure the best value for both the sponsor and The Amp.”
$100,000 PAID TO INDUSTRY BY SEED FUND The Seed Fund – the private, non-profit arts grant fund – have announced their successful applicants across their three grant categories and six initiatives. Across grants and initiatives, the total funding for emerging industry workers and artists amounts to $99,730. Twenty-four managers will attend The Seed’s management workshop in October, with the total value of the project being $45,000 while money was also given out to artists to aid with publicity and art installations. For the full list head to theMusic.com.au.
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John Butler Trio
PEATS RIDGE PAYMENT PLAN With New Year’s Eve still a few months away, Peats Ridge are happy to once again offer you the chance to pay for your ticket for this year’s festival over a few months via lay-by. Registrations for your initial lay-by payment are open and will continue operating through to Sunday 14 October. Payment is split over four instalments – an initial payment on registration, followed by a further three equal instalments. Lay-by tickets can be purchased at peatsridgefestivallayby.oztix.com. au for $340 per-adult plus lay-by admin fees. So even if you don’t have the cash now, you can still see the likes of John Butler Trio (pictured), Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, The Black Seeds and more at the festival.
POST-PUNK DISCO
My Disco are taking to the road to celebrate the release of their forthcoming 12”. Picking up where they left off on 2010’s acclaimed Little Joy, Wrapped Coast is post-punk clatter at its finest, like a slightly deranged bastard spawn of Boredoms and Mission Of Burma. The -side stretches out, showcasing one of My Disco’s strongest suits - their ability to craft mesmerising music using space as their secret weapon. Catch them on Thursday 27 September at ANU Bar in Canberra, Saturday 29 at the GoodGod Small Club birthday, which also features The Laurels, NO ZU, The Fighting League, Songs, Absolute Boys, Bloods etc, and Sunday 30 at The Patch in Wollongong.
SAINTS ALBUM AND TOUR The Saints’ founding member Chris Bailey and drummer Peter Wilkinson have teamed up to deliver a new album for The Saints, which will be backed up with a run of shows. The album, King Of The Sun, comes with a special-edition disc, Songs From The Stash, containing B-sides and other unheard material from the band. They’ll play Homebake on Saturday 8 December. Keep your eyes peeled as more dates will follow.
The Fray
FRAYED ENDS
Already touring major arenas across Australia with Kelly Clarkson this September, The Fray have decided to play an exclusive one-off show in Sydney. Intent on giving their Australian fans a chance to see the band in a more personal setting, The Fray will be visiting Sydney to play one show at The Basement on Wednesday 26 September. Tickets are on sale Friday.
FRINGE BROUHAHA
Coming up in September, Haha will be hosting a string of events in conjunction with the Sydney Fringe Festival as the official sound providers including an epic festival closing night shindig with Africa Hitech and, of course, a very special three-week D&D’s Beat Ballroom series on Thursdays at Five Eliza Bar with special guest visual artists each week. The closing night Brouhaha happens on Saturday 29 September at Marrickville Bowling Club.
OVER DEVELOPED
Arrested Development have announced a 20th Anniversary tour with special guests to be announced. With a shared belief in making socially savvy music with a message, Arrested Development are set to continue spreading the good word down under. Performing classic tracks such as Mr Wendal, Tennessee and People Everyday as well as a setlist boating their ever-expansive catalogue, these purveyors of partying will once again solidify their place as one of the best hip hop acts in the world. They will play Thursday 25 October on Cockatoo Island.
SPRING CHICKENS The first annual national Drunken Moon Festival will pull out all the stops across each and every town it rolls into this spring. Headliners include Brothers Grim & the Blue Murders, Midnight Woolf, Kira Puru & the Bruise, Mother & Son, Frank Sultana & the Sinister Kids, Little Bastards, Gruntbucket, Papa Pilko & The Binrats, Gay Paris, Jackson Firebird, Howlin’ Steam Train and more. Lineups differ slightly at each stop, so check the event Facebook page for all details. The show hits Wollongong’s Digger’s Club on Friday 12 October and Manning Bar on Saturday 13.
HOUSE ENERGY REVENGE After the huge success of Bacchanalia’s The Dawn Of House party held recently at the Imperial Hotel, and with many people asking on Facebook if there will be another one, Bacchanalia is very proud to announce the next fantastic event, House Energy Revenge, to be held on Saturday 13 October in the Imperial’s basement nightclub. Tickets are $15 on the door only.
DOWNWARD SPIRAL WA punk rockers The Decline have just announced their third Australian tour for the year. Heading out on the Abbott Proof Fence tour this September/October promoting their latest album, Are You Gonna Eat That?, the band will play Wednesday 3 at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle, and Thursday 4 at the Lansdowne Hotel.
Over-Reactor
JOIN THE STAMPEDE
Stamping Grounds events are an opportunity for the best independent artists to showcase their talent. Stamping Grounds Festival this year takes place on the Labour Day weekend Sunday 30 September at The Manning Bar and features Over Reactor (pictured), Gay Paris, Cash Savage & Last Drinks (Melb), Black Devil Yard Boss (Melb), Melody Black, Little Bastard, Fait Accompli, B Massive, The Lazys, Graveyard Rockstars, Casino Rumblers, Doc Holliday Takes Shotgun, Reckless Vagina, Berkshire Hunting Club, Spirit Valley, Particles and a heap more.
MARTIKA SCHEDULE SHUFFLE
A scheduling conflict has arisen for pop icon Martika’s upcoming Australian tour, resulting in new dates for Sydney, Melbourne and Newcastle, and the unfortunate cancellation of the Adelaide and Perth shows. The Thursday 27 September Metro Theatre show will now take place on Sunday 7 October at the same venue and the Saturday 29 September Panthers show in Newcastle will now take place on Saturday 13 October at Unity Nightclub. Patrons unable to attend the rescheduled dates are asked to seek a refund from point of purchase.
themusic.com.au
Alt-J
KEY IT IN
Next month, Alt-J (∆) will bring their intricate harmonies and inspired electronica to Australian shores for the first time. Don’t miss the opportunity to see why this four-piece have caught the attention of countless critics and music lovers across the globe. They hit town on Thursday 18 October at Oxford Art Factory.
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FRI 7 SEP
JAMES WALSH (STARSAILOR, UK)
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SAT 8 SEP
RED INK (SINGLE LAUNCH)
ELLIOT THE BULL, WILL AND THE INDIANS
DJ: F.R.I.E.N.D/S
THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH
FRI 14 SEP
THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH
(FOLLOWING STELLA FELLA FINALS) DJ: KRISTY LEE THE STOOPS
SAT 15 SEP
THE STOOPS
TAYLOR AND THE MAKERS, GNOMES DJ: BERT AND BERNIE RICHARD IN YOUR MIND
FRI 21 SEP
RICHARD IN YOUR MIND
ILUKA, JORDAN SLY DJ: PHDJ
COMING UP TOURISM, YOUNG ROMANTICS, SMOKE & SILVER, RADIO INK, THE SLIPS, GOLDSMITH, BELLE AND THE BONE PEOPLE, KING TIDE, TALES IN SPACE, I AM APOLLO, BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS, NUMBER STATION, CROOKED SAINT, RAPIDS, TIN CAN RADIO, COGEL (EP LAUNCH)
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FOREWORD LINE
NEWS FROM THE FRONT
AWESOME DJS, GREAT JOB! DJs Eric Wareheim and Douggpound will boost off stage after their Tim & Eric shows to party ‘til late with their interactive DJ parties. They have mics and it’s funny. They play Tuesday 2 October at Oxford Art Factory. Tickets are only $5, with doors 10pm til late.
I N D U S T RY N E W S W I T H S C O T T F I T Z S I M O N S frontline@streetpress.com.au
SUNN O))), PELICAN TOUR OFF
OTHER NOTES…
The October Australian tour of drone metal pioneers Sunn O))) and Pelican has been cancelled, after promoter Heathen Skulls admitted that the cost of Sunn’s involved live show was too much to be viable. Ticket holders should keep their eyes peeled for further information on refunds.
Shock Records imprints have announced new signings, with Sydney metal act Thy Art Is Murder joining Halfcut and Sydney rapper Chance Waters (previously Phatchance) signing to Permanent Records. Brisbane-based Mucho Bravado have signed Andy Bull and Gung Ho to their management roster. Cut Copy, Eskimo Joe, Katie Noonan, Van She, Muscles, Eskimo Joe and more have starred in Tourism Australia’s Great Southern Land promotional video, unveiled last week on the 30th anniversary of the Icehouse hit’s release. The Australasian World Music Expo has announced that applications are open for this year’s Scholarship Program. Parkway Drive’s DVD, Home Is For The Heartless, has been certified platinum as they gear up for their fourth album, Atlas, due in the coming months. Much-loved Melbourne indie band Twerps hit another milestone last week, with their eponymous debut record, released in Australia in October last year, cracking the Top 20 of the hugely influential and wellrespected CMJ College Radio Charts. The Meredith Music Festival sold out of its remaining general public tickets in 20 minutes last week, the quickest it has done so in the festival’s history. Tickets are first offered through a ballot process before offered to the public.
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STREET TATTOOS
Rose Tattoo have been announced as the headlining act for the Saturday night entertainment at the Street Machine Summernats from Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 January at Exhibition Park in Canberra. Known for their legendary 35-plus years of shaping the sound of Aussie rock’n’roll, the iconic rockers, led by singer Angry Anderson, will hit the main stage on Saturday night at Australia’s biggest horsepower party.
SIX60 SUPPORTS Six60 are extremely pleased to have hip hop prodigy Scribe joining them at their Enmore Theatre show this Friday 14 September along with Damn Moroda. Joining them for their ANU Bar show on Wednesday 12 September will be Sticky Fingers.
GOOD GRIEF
JURASSIC MADNESS
Velociraptor are back with a special edition vinyl and digital release of their game changing mini-LP, The World Warriors. As a thanks for buying your ticket to The World Warriors tour, Velociraptor are giving you the opportunity to pre-order a digital copy of their new mini-LP for a special price when going through the ticket checkout. The tour hits BIGSOUND on Wednesday 12 September, GoodGod on Thursday 4 October and the Patch in Wollongong on Saturday 6.
ALL NIGHT LONG
If you’re locked in for the all-nighter with Perfecto boss Paul Oakenfold this Spring, you’ll be happy to hear he’s bringing a solid supporting cast along for the party. Alongside Oakenfold, there’s high-flying trance gun MaRLo, production team Binary Finary and familiar faces VLN, Thomas Knight, Nick Arbor and DJ Ange. Also locked in is a room curated by Future Entertainment’s techno brand The Likes Of You, featuring a local lineup led by Matt Cahill and T-Boy. It all goes down on Sunday 30 September at Hordern Pavilion.
Good Charlotte’s near sold-out shows in Sydney and Melbourne are right around the corner, and now there is even more cause for celebration as they’re bringing Sydney’s Strangers along for the ride. Get in quick for tickets to their Friday 21 September Luna Park Big Top and Saturday 22 Fat As Butter (Newcastle) shows.
ART & ABOUT DETAILS OUT Mark Friday 21 September in your diary: you’re invited to Art & About Sydney’s free opening night party – Friday Night Live. From 6 to 10pm, Martin Place will be transformed into a massive free party featuring The Bamboos, Van She, RÜFÜS, Jingle Jangle and a heap more. In addition to a great night of free music, the $10,000 prize winner of the Sydney Life photography competition and its junior counterpart Little Sydney Lives will be announced. Keep your energy levels up with a smorgasbord of culinary delights from one of the city’s food trucks, or grab a drink at one of the pop up Art & About bars. Art & About Sydney will run from Friday 21 September to Sunday 21 October. Visit artandabout.com.au for all the details.
themusic.com.au
Henry Wagons
JUMP ON BOARD
Henry Wagons could never be described a shrinking violet. With his first solo offering, Expecting Company?, due for release on Friday 28 September, he’ll be bringing together a bunch of hotshot vagabonds both old and new as he premieres this brand new round of songs as duets. Catch the tour on Thursday 8 November at Transit Bar in Canberra, Friday 9 at Clarendon Guesthouse in Katoomba, and Saturday 10 at the Annandale Hotel.
THE DRUM MEDIA • 25
Aussie electro duo The Presets are back in a big way with their third album, Pacifica. Troy Mutton chats to Kim Moyes about life since their world-beating second album and staying in touch with troublesome youth.
TALK LIVE THAT
Of course with any new album comes a new live show. The Presets will be debuting at Parklife in a few weeks and Moyes was happy to divulge a few details on how the new set is shaping up. “We’ve been working on [the live show] the last two months. It takes a while for us to actually put the show together obviously a lot of it’s in the computer and pre-programming. And we have a few of the older songs and remixed them and spiced a few things up. We can’t wait to start playing these new songs live… I’m real excited to see [Pacifica tracks] You Can Travel and Go live for the first time, real excited.
PARTY MUSIC I
n some ways The Presets were a precursor to what would become – within Australia anyway – a mainstream obsession with electronic dance music, or ‘EDM’ in the States. Their second album, 2008’s Apocalypso, to put it simply, smashed the collective Aus’ music scene like no dance record before it, becoming the first of its kind to win the ARIA for Album Of The Year, which went with Best Dance Release and Best Group gongs. It’s been a few years since that record’s domination of the charts – and the twosome’s obliteration of the touring and festival circuit – and they’re finally back with album number three, Pacifica. Kim Moyes, who together with Julian Hamilton form The Presets’ nucleus, has noticed the upsurge in the popularity of that kind of dance music in their time away from the scene. He’s not a fan. “Well it’s not even just the Australian dance scene. I mean, if you look at the charts in the States – this whole term ‘EDM’ that’s getting around, I mean, it’s hideous,” Moyes states matterof-factly. “We do pay attention to it.
I mean it’s unavoidable,” he laughs. “You listen to the radio; you know its stuff that’s there.
“There’s always a large percentage of pop music that is hideous and I just happen to think – to sound like a grumpy old cynical man – the sort of pop music that is kind of really glossy, hyped-up dance music is probably some of the most horrible examples of pop music that I can remember. And while it’s not worlds apart from what we do, it’s something that we totally – well I’m not talking on Julian’s behalf here, I’m just talking on my behalf – something that I find pretty intolerable.”
Unsurprisingly they’ve been approached to get involved, and thankfully for us, common sense (or is that decency?) prevailed. “There were certain ‘pop star’ guys who have namechecked us as being big influences and stuff, and they wanted to work with us… Personally it’s just not what I’m interested in. I’m not interested in just having people jump on
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bandwagons that you may or may not be a part of in their minds. I’m more interested in following a musical direction that has been set out in my mind.” Moyes sounds fresh on the phone, although it’s not through a heap of down time since the touring cycle for Apocalypso finally finished up. Both he and Hamilton have since had children, and it was pretty much straight into working on Pacifica once their second album cooled off. “There was a little break that we had after the final Apocalypso Tour when we just had a few months off and enjoyed some time away from the band and from music, but that was only a small amount of time. And since about September 2009 [we] had been working pretty consistently on the record.” And now it’s all about getting back into “match fitness”. “Even things like physically being able to get the point where I can actually play and not feel like a giant sack of ice-cream. It takes a little bit of effort; you’ve got to get up early, go for a walk, play the drums a couple of times a day, it’s hard,” he jokes. And did the whole ‘having kids’ thing have much impact on the recording of Pacifica? “I’m sure it did. I mean, with like any album it’s a little record of people’s lives who’ve made it. And it’s a culmination of experiences up until that point in time. So there’s definitely an impact from all the experiences that we’ve had. Even the hangover of the success of Apocolyso, and the new live set. What it created
“We had a pretty tight, high-octane set when we finished the Apocalypso tour and there were certain things within the set that we didn’t feel could go anywhere else. There’s a song we started with and a song we ended with, so it was really hard to smash that mould. And then not only that, we’ve got an album to promote, so we need to get as many new songs in there as possible. So you [end up] making a completely different image out of essentially the same jigsaw puzzle pieces. And that’s why we decided to remix a few of the old songs and turn them on their head and update them a little bit more and bring them more into line with what we are doing now. It’s just a matter of – we just need to play these new songs and start to fit [them] into the new set; you’ve just got to dive in the deep end at some point.
“After playing [older songs] for a while they do start to lose their sparkle, and it is nice to think of new ways to inject a bit of spice into them. We’ve done a really great remix of Talk Like That, which is going to be super fun… Making it a little bit more dramatic and things like that – things that you know are going to work well in a live setting, it’s lots of fun to do that.”
for us - as a result of the success and obviously the ability to take some time off and take our time in making this record, and having children and all that – it’s all fed into the album. “For instance, the song It’s Cool is an obvious lullaby for Julian’s kid that he wrote. But there’s also things that are kind of, I don’t know, not so obvious, like our point of view as Australians and what we wanted to inject into our music that sets us apart from everybody else. Obtuse things like that as well.” And although it might sound like The Presets are growing up, the first single, Youth In Trouble, is not only a dirty, dark techno throbber, but it speaks fairly directly to the youngsters out there that have helped make the band who they are today. Moyes clarifies that they’re on both sides of the age fence. “We have liked techno and partying from a very young age, so it’s very much a part of who we are, and we built a career around it… On the surface level
[Youth In Trouble] is a song talking to the youth and a song that’s hands-in-theair and partying. “But on another level it’s a song about the media’s portrayal of the youth and demonizing youth, and saying to everyone that we should be scared of our youth and that we should be worried about our youth. We started the band with very specific ideas in mind, like we wanted it to be very much a thing that you could experience, with high energy, and something you could listen to loudly and something you could lose your mind to. I mean, just because we’ve grown up a little bit doesn’t mean that we want to completely smother those ideas and do a completely adult contemporary record. We still want to stay true to what we feel are the essential Presets ingredients; basically rocking party music.” And Pacifica is full of said music. It opens with the two lead singles, Youth In Trouble and the much-debated Ghosts (give it time,
the drinking-style sea shanty grows on you), and from there heads into a mix of electro-pop anthems before regressing into a few darker, techier moments towards the end. Moyes is fully aware of the expectations that come with following an epic like Apocalypso, and he points out the reception to that record was initially not so hot from fans of Beams. “We appreciate that we’ve gained a lot of fans that expect a certain thing from us but we also want them to have a little bit of faith in the decisions that we make. “And if they want to stick with us and when I can say, ‘Look we’ve done Apocalypso, we’ve done My People, we’ve done that, and now we’re moving onto something else’…” Moyes pauses while considering. “We’re not completely turning the table or reinventing the wheel, we’re just moving forward. We’re professionals at what we do and you need to trust us and follow us and if you don’t or if you’re not into it and it doesn’t speak to you, then it’s fine for you to bail out and find another band that you can call your own. “We were painfully aware of the expectation that we needed to fulfill and it made it real difficult at times. Because we’d often cock-block ourselves and it took a while for us to say, ‘Hang on a second, we need to just do something, we need to do what we’ve always done and just be true to ourselves’… And I mean, looking back at when we released My People, there were people who like Beams who hated that sort of stuff, so you can’t please everybody. Any artist would go mad if they were consciously trying to do that and deliver that sort of stuff, and I think the sound of My People and the sound of some of Apocalypso, while it was very exciting, it was a product of a time and that time has come and gone, in our minds. And this is the new era for us.” Make no mistake, The Presets are back and they are the soundtrack to your summer. WHO: The Presets WHAT: Pacifica (Modular/Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 30 September, Parklife, Centennial Park
COEXXISTING Three people in one recording bunker for a full year – that’s how The xx laid down the follow-up to their hugely successful debut album. Guitarist/vocalist Oliver Sim explains why to Anthony Carew.
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liver Sim is fresh off the plane having arrived in Melbourne after 42 hours of flying from Finland. It’s part of a surreal stretch in the The xx’s schedule, when the band, in advance of their second LP, Coexist, will couple performances with press duties; lurching about the planet, answering endless promotional duties and playing shows amidst the mayhem. This not of the same repetitious familiarity as touring, but something beyond. It’s an itinerary befitting the young London outfit’s unlikely rise to stardom, with a run of instantly-sold-out Australian shows just the latest landmarks in a career that’s growing increasingly surreal. “I have even less idea than you,” says Sim, 23, jetlagged yet affable, an imposing figure both tall (6’2-ish) and in boots of sizeable heel, wearing, of course, all black. He’s attempting to answer the unanswerable: just how it is that The xx – Sim, the band’s vocalist and bassist, guitarist/vocalist Romy Madley-Croft and beatmaker Jamie Smith – have achieved such straight-up popularity with music that is minimalist, half-whispered and almost never attention-seeking. “I’m in it, so I have absolutely no perspective on it,” Sim admits. “I don’t know. All I can say is that I’m thankful. I’ve always loved what we do. But it is — and still is — surreal to me. It never ceases to surprise me. It wasn’t just the first time I went to Australia it felt surreal, it feels that way now.”
xx’s unexpected rise may continue apace and life for Sim is to continue its increasingly surreal feeling. “It’s so surreal just coming places like here, coming to Australia,” he says, again, gesturing around him with disbelief. “I didn’t imagine our music would ever leave London, let alone bring us to the other side of the world, let alone take us to places we’d never thought we’d ever go and find people there that knew all the words. To go to places like the Deep South of America, to be eating alligator in Baton Rouge, it’s like, ‘How did our music actually lead us here?’” WHO: The xx WHAT: Coexist (Young Turks/ Remote Control) out September 7
The first time The xx came to Australia was early in 2010, when the band were booked to play the touring Laneway Festival and found themselves playing their hushed, nocturnal music - “I do a lot of my writing very late at night when I’m half-asleep,” Sim says. “It’s when we work, so it’s only natural that it seeps into what you do” – in the heat of the Australian summer, in the blazing afternoon sun. It seemed a strange setting to see them in, and it was a shock for the band themselves. “We were really used to dingy clubs, to the safety of hiding behind darkness, coloured lights, smoke. Not having any of that, it makes you approach performing in a different way; makes you think of really having to perform, which we’d never really been forced to do. We’d never intended our music to be heard in a setting like that. So it was good to be thrown into that setting. It helped us grow a lot.” At their return shows in July this year, Sim proved the one who’d taken those lessons in performing to heart, coming as close to a prancing showpony as any member of a band so bashful, moody, and meticulous could be. It’s the audience’s – and, in many ways, the world’s – first taste of the material from Coexist, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2009’s xx. The success of the band’s debut – it won the Mercury Music Prize, went platinum in the UK, soundtracked endless adverts and the Euro 2012 soccer tournament – took everyone involved by surprise; even Young Turks, the XL-affiliated label that signed them as diffident teenagers. XL has had a run of ridiculous successes on their books – Adele, Dizzee Rascal, MIA, Vampire Weekend, The White Stripes et al – but The xx hardly thought they were next. “I can’t work out what I was expecting when we made the first thing, but it certainly wasn’t this,” Sim admits. “It came as a shock to everyone. It would’ve been really unrealistic of me – or of any of us – to expect anything on the scale of this.” The xx were formed as a high school outfit, the product of the lifelong friendship between Sim and Madley-Croft. With Smith, a DJ from his early teenage years, invited to improve the rudimentary drum machine tracks that back the spartan deployment of guitar, bass and voice, it was, from the beginning, a study in minimalism. “In the beginning it wasn’t really thought out. Me and Romy don’t have very loud voices, it didn’t make sense to make a big sound that we can’t contend with vocally. And the simplicity came from where we were as musicians. A song like VCR, I couldn’t have played any more if I wanted to; I was literally just learning to play my bass. We were recording our demos on a five-track multi-tracker, so it was just two guitars, two voices and drums. It was limitations like that in the beginning which made the sound; it was very natural. Over time it’s become a lot more aware, and it’s been a case of having restraint. I think we all enjoy the subtleties in music. And we want to preserve those in our music.” Which makes Coexist a preservationist work; in which the band admirably ignore all the temptations of multi-tracking and orchestration that could’ve come their way and instead keep space their defining element. Beyond preservationist, it was even reductionist: where the recordings for xx were made in a studio built in the basement of XL’s offices – ”People were just naturally coming in and out a lot,” Sim says. “There was lots of input from others” – this time they used their Mercury winnings to build a studio space of their own, appointed Smith as engineer and producer, and set to work. Just the three of them, alone in the studio. For a year. “We were working on it for a year before we played anyone anything. When we finally played it for someone else, our management, they didn’t even have to say anything; it was just nice knowing that someone else had heard it and it wasn’t just the three of us. Because it had been just the three of us for too long; I think in the end we went a bit nuts. Having three people in the one room together, fifteen hours a day, it gets intense.” The bunker mentality was, in part, to keep out the expectations of others; or, at least, attempt to. “It would be an impossible mission to block out everything that’s happened from our minds,” Sim says. “But because it was so internal – it was literally just the three of us for a year – it made is easy to be… This sounds naff, but: ‘in the moment’. The people we work with were very, very patient, and understanding, and trusted us, and just let us do it on our own terms… The most pressure we felt came from ourselves. We weren’t going to release something that we didn’t feel confident in, that we didn’t love.” And, after their first album proved so beloved by the world, Coexist seems likely to attract just as ardent a following; meaning, The
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 27
INWARD AND UPWARD Xavier Rudd’s new record Spirit Bird is every bit the soul journey we’ve come to expect. Tyler McLoughlan enjoys a yarn with the barefoot cultural warrior to learn about the experiences that shaped his seventh studio album.
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rom his position as one of Australia’s most loved roots artists both at home and abroad, Xavier Rudd is fulfilling his lifelong mission of creating awareness and change for the country’s environmental and Indigenous issues. Never mind that Rudd’s new album Spirit Bird has produced his highest selling single to date in Follow The Sun; music is merely a vehicle for the Sea Shepherd ambassador to share his deep connection to country. “I had a really, really profound experience with a redtailed cockatoo in the Kimberly,” explains Rudd of the creature that named his new record. “It’s hard to put into words, but basically what happened was I was coming back from a sacred site one day and I had this urge to stop the truck… There was this dead tree, and in it was a big mob of red-tailed cockatoos. Usually [they’re] pretty flighty birds, but they just stayed there and there was this one big bird and she locked eyes with me and didn’t take her eyes off me and she just started to screech and groan; as she did I felt like I was anchored to the earth and started seeing all these visions of places and faces and things were flashing through my mind like memories, but they weren’t my memories – [it was] stuff I’d never seen. And basically later that day the song Spirit Bird just poured out of me; I wrote the first half of it on the sand in the beach. It was pretty emotional and I was drained at the end of it.
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“Then a few years passed and I was recording this record – and a lot’s happened between now and then; I guess my connection with the Kimberley was a lot to do with James Price Point and building the gas [hub], protesting that. I was in Canada and I was recording this record sitting by the fire at ten o’clock at night, writing the song and the back half of it just poured out of me again – really strong and really fast and really emotional. I was drained, went to bed, woke up the next day and I had all these messages
and realised that at the time that was coming through me – Western Australia time – the police had moved in on James Price Point and started to drag elders off, and protestors and kids and all the rest, and moved in with bulldozers and it was just a toxic thing.” Rudd has a wonderfully warm way of revealing his creation stories – it’s like listening to a spoken-word version of the mythological Dreamtime stories that many Australians are first exposed to in primary school through the tale of the rainbow serpent. “I knew it was a spirit – I knew it was an old, Aboriginal spirit,” he continues. “From where and when and how and who I wouldn’t know and it would be just ego to try and know; I just knew what it was and respected that it was coming through me and that I just had to leave it in its raw form and just let it be what it is… I do understand that I’m a vehicle for some kind of spirit because it happens more often than not that strong music comes up through country and through me. I don’t know why and I don’t really want to know why or try and tell it what to do or try and alternate the music at all for whatever reason in my mind – I think it’s important to leave it in its raw form, almost like you wouldn’t tell your grandmother what to wear to church. It’s the same kind of thing; I respect it and it is what it is.” Following the personal loss documented across his 2010 opus Koonyum Sun with the aid of the distinct vocal and percussive personality of South African musicians Tio Moloantoa and Andile Nqubezelo, Rudd has returned to a solo setup for Spirit Bird to emphasise the feeling of a new chapter. It also allowed him the space to incorporate the sounds of his beloved bush friends, beginning with the cacophony of kookaburra chuckles accompanying didgeridoo on opening track Lioness Eye. “It was something that I’d definitely wanted to do for a while, so I left a bit of an open canvas for it. I recorded some [birds] myself, but it’s a bit of a mission, it’s hard work – so I ended up finding this guy called David Stewart on the internet whose spent the last
35 years of his life recording bush sounds and bird sounds around Australia. So I basically bought the samples off him,” he says quite chuffed of the find. “Kookaburra’s are big for me, they’re always bringing the sun down and bringing the sun up… They’re a very strong presence in this country and I see a lot of people in kookaburras and it just made sense.” Rudd’s work on Spirit Bird was perhaps enriched rather than delayed by an on-going back problem that progressed to the point of surgery last year, the cause of which even his surgeons are unsure. “When I wrote Comfortable In My Skin I could hardly move, so yeah it was an interesting time of reflection,” he admits. “It was at the end of a massive change in my life and it was like – I guess in Chinese medicine and a lot of cultures, a lot of what I was going through manifests in your lower back, and I feel like that’s probably what was goin’ on. And I guess I dealt with a lot of that stuff by just being active – I’d go run or do whatever – and I couldn’t do that. It was interesting just to reflect and go within myself; I’ve had an amazing dozen years of touring internationally and the crazy journey I’ve been on, and two kids and a beautiful life of high highs and low lows, and I think this record and that
time was part of just like, ‘Okay, all of that aside, where am I at?’ You know, where am I at inside and through my back thing I was spending hours painting and reflecting and listening to music and just sort of going inward. It was interesting; it was tougher than I thought it would have been, but it was definitely necessary.” Due to head out on a 28-date tour, his most extensive trip around the country to date, followed by a North American tour that takes him well into December, Rudd is eager to share Spirit Bird with the world. “I’m ready to play – I get back here… months from now,” he says with a big, joyful laugh. “It looks like a long daunting tour but it’s gonna a beautiful one and I’m just gonna have to stay healthy and fit.” WHO: Xavier Rudd WHAT: Spirit Bird (Salt X/Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 6 September, Civic Theatre, Newcastle; Friday 7, Waves, Wollongong; Saturday 8, Enmore Theatre; Sunday 9, Playhouse Theatre, Canberra
IN THE FLESH Blondie may have been a surprise inclusion on this year’s Homebake bill – seeing as their passports are not of the Australasian variety for a start – but as guitarist Chris Stein tells Steve Bell, they’ve long considered our country to be a home away from home.
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f ever a band has earned the status of honorary Aussies, it would be New York new wave legends Blondie. The pioneering band were massive in Australia long before their smash hit album, Parallel Lines, made them worldwide stars in 1978, our fans having cottoned onto their considerable charms long before radio hits like Hanging On The Telephone and especially Heart Of Glass made them household names in the rest of the world. Which is exactly why the news that Blondie are headlining this year’s instalment of the annual Homebake festival – which since its inception back in 1996 has primarily consisted of all-Australian line-ups, with the odd Kiwi act thrown in for good measure – isn’t really that much of a surprise. They mightn’t be Australian by birth, but they’ve been visiting here since before most of the people they’ll be playing to on the day were even born – and they’re certainly looking forward to another jaunt down to the heart of the Southern Hemisphere. “I love Australia!” enthuses founding Blondie member Chris Stein, the band’s guitarist and co-songwriter. “I’ve very much loved seeing the transition in the culture from when we very first went down in the mid-‘70s, when it was like stepping into a time warp to the ‘30s or something, to now where it’s like going into the future – everything is so bohemian.” It’s hard to believe that our national psyche has undergone such a pronounced shift in the lifespan of one rock band, but Stein is adamant that that is indeed the case. “It’s really extreme. The very first gig we played was in Perth and it was like going into the ‘50s or something – the women were wearing ankle-length floral skirts; it was very strange. And the whole gear and touring situation was so primitive. We were there during John Denver month and every time we asked for a piece of gear for our tour, it was like, ‘No, John has it.’ Now touring is an industry; it’s a whole other reality now.” Blondie’s first tour Down Under was in November 1977 (supported by The Ferrets) – while they were still a fledgling underground act elsewhere in the world – but they’d broken in Australia first in late-1976 due to 28 • THE DRUM MEDIA
Molly Meldrum’s playing of the B-side, In The Flesh – instead of the more raucous A-side, X-Offender – on his massively influential ABC music show Countdown. “Yeah, the story is that Molly played the B-side of our first single by mistake, but as the years went by I’ve always thought that he’s just had a better judgement on what would have worked on the radio. A fast punk song wasn’t going to work and the B-side was this ballad and I just think it was his judgement,” Stein admits. “I asked him one of the last times we saw him and he claimed not to have any memory of doing that, but I think he was just covering up. The story was that it was an accident, but I don’t know. “It was strange [having a random hit in Australia] because the song was not representative of what we were doing and certainly not representative of our live show, so I think people were expecting some Olivia Newton-John thing when we were a punk band.” They even managed to cause a small riot in Brisbane on that first tour, not bad for an emerging band more used to the dingy confines of the New York bars. “Yeah Debbie [Harry – frontwoman] got sick and we had to cancel a show,” Stein laughs. “I used to have a copy of the newspaper – I don’t know if it was a full-on, UK-style riot. I think it was more of a smaller altercation, but we still made some headlines there.” Of course, it’s not as if the band was floundering before they hit it big. They were already playing a pivotal role in what would become the hugely influential New York scene that sprang up in and around dive bar CBGB in the mid-‘70s, where they were contemporaries of a diverse but massively important array of bands such as The Ramones, Television, Talking Heads, Suicide and The Patti Smith Group, to literally name just a few. “I think I took a lot of stuff for granted,” Stein muses when reflecting back to Blondie’s initial era. “It was a really exciting period and we all had a good time, certainly, but for me now it’s almost as if the ‘60s has been eclipsed by the ‘70s with the amount of interest that people have in the period. Everything moves on, although I don’t know
if it will move on to the ‘80s,” he chuckles. “CBGB’s was pretty dingy, but there are places like that down where you are – there are similar bars and dives, I’m sure.” While history shows that Blondie played as big a role as any band in this thriving New York musical community, their music was different to that of many of these bands with whom they’re always namechecked – did they feel part of a ‘scene’ at the time? “Yes and no, we were a little more experimental – especially in the very early time when we were just finding our momentum and finding our feet as it were. The scene was definitely communal for a while, for a few years. I really think that the bands that people know were the ones that were great, but there were also a few really great bands that people don’t know so much about – like The Fat were really great, but they all died, those guys. But there were other bands around. There was one called Another Pretty Face – I don’t know why they never made it. But The Ramones were amazing from day one; the first time I saw them they blew me away. They were really sketchy – Joey [Ramone] was a little kid. And Television with Richard Hell was amazing. I’m definitely privileged to have seen all that stuff.”
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Blondie are still striving to release music and remain relevant rather than simply trade on nostalgia – last year they released their eighth studio album, Panic Of Girls – and even though they’re still working on new music, they’re acutely aware that these days they’re confronted by a different musical landscape. “For me the big challenge now is just dealing with our advanced ages, because everybody that’s on the radio now is kids. I guess there’s a few older people out there, but not in the hit mainstream media. It’s fine though; that’s always been there. We were poo-pooing on people who were older when we were kids too. “Now it’s far more difficult to be innovative when you have literally ten thousand categories and subcategories of music and everybody in the world can hear what’s going on simultaneously. So in a way maybe innovation is a new paradigm, in a musical context. But I think it’s great. I’m always down with modernity.” WHO: Blondie WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 8 December, Homebake, The Domain
THE DRUM MEDIA • 29
LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS Indie-rock outfit The Medics are fast becoming an Australian favourite, and Troy Mutton talks debut albums, NIMA awards and gettin’ outta Cairns with drummer/vocalist Jindhu Lawrie.
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our humble scribe has been to Cairns once, for a week. It involved a lot of backpacker pubs, two-for-one drinks deals, a boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef and… well, that was about it really. And while seven days obviously isn’t long enough to explore any given place, it was pretty easy to see the live music scene isn’t exactly bursting at the seams; backpackers want Sweet Child O’ Mine, not some original indie-rock band trying to make their mark in the Oz music landscape. Enter The Medics – four friends who flew in the face of this musical adversity as high schoolers before making the trip south to Brisbane. It was a move that has since seen them get a heap of radio play thanks to belting tracks such as Beggars and more recently Griffin;
at the time of this conversation they’re in the midst of a national tour celebrating cracking debut album Foundations. Drummer/vocalist Jindhu Lawrie isn’t about to bad-mouth his hometown, and the band’s reasons for leaving are varied and understandable. “I think we got to a point in Cairns where…” he pauses to consider the place where he and cousin Kahl Wallace, Charles Thomas and Andrew Thomson, who round out the band, grew up together. “Before we made the move we’d already kind of started doing gigs out of Cairns and had to fly to places, and that was really quite expensive. Flying to places from Cairns is not cheap, especially if you’re flying with a band. “And the music – we really wanted to get out and play more venues, and Cairns hasn’t got a heap of venues compared to other cities. And yeah, just playing more and experiencing more. We definitely wanted to grow and get out of our parents’ house,” Lawrie laughs. “And making that move was important. A whole lot of things, personally and for the band.” I try and squeeze a little more out of him in regards to Cairns, and he reluctantly obliges. “The music scene there is… not non-existent, but there’s really a lot of cover bands and there’s a lot of metal bands. Don’t get me wrong, some of the metal bands there are okay, but there’s just not a whole lot of places to play. I feel like Cairns is like a gold mine and it just needs to be found and nurtured. The gold is there, it just needs a little work.”
There’s more to this story on the iPad What they can thank their hometown for is a DIY attitude that led the group to putting on their own shows, and also helping to shape the formidable live experience that The Medics are fast-becoming well renowned for. “A lot of what we had to do when we were starting was playing those dingy pubs every single Saturday night, but other than that there was not a lot of places that would let you play original music. We usually had to put on a lot of gigs for ourselves and we’d actually get metal bands and weird folk bands. This is when we were young kids in high school and we’d hire out a PCYC and just set up a PA in a room. We used to put on our own gigs all the time just because there was nowhere else to play!” And this, along with just a generally excitable nature, has done the group plenty of good. “I think it’s definitely part of who we are as individuals. We’re all really excited and jumpy and really active. It’s really hard to explain when we’re on stage, like, the motions we go through. Like, how do you explain your own presence? Some of it too came from playing those little dingy pubs in Cairns. So we’d play and there’d only be five people at the bar, drinking at the bar, and I think a part of it was trying to get heard, and getting their attention. So we had to play harder.” And playing harder they have been ever since, especially once they made the move south to Brisbane. “It’s good, you know, because as soon as we moved to Brisbane we met our manager and it just kinda kicked off from there. I remember playing a gig every single weekend for a few months straight, and it was so crazy.” And from there the guys have produced their debut album Foundations, a scintillating – and soaring – take on indie-rock that’s hard not to get swept up with. Wallace goes into the process behind the album: “Half of it’s old and half of it’s new – it’s kind of like the time when we were in Cairns, up until now,” Lawrie begins. “The album itself was probably about a year-and-a-half in the making before we released it. And that was all to do with getting a breakthrough grant from the government, which really helped us fund it all. And then we worked our way through finding a producer and all the pre-production. And then finally recording it in Byron Bay. The mixing process, we really got stuck into that – we really wanted to make it sound right, which took the longest.” As with any band who’ve crafted a cracking live show, capturing that sound on record always proves to be difficult – nigh on impossible – but Wallace feels like the group succeeded. “Yeah, that was a really big thing for us. We’ve done a few recordings before with the producer we’d used before. He’s seen a lot of our shows and he really understood what we liked. And we ended up doing just drums and bass live, and some of the other guitar parts were live. So most of it was all live in the studio, and then we over-dubbed a bit of stuff. But really trying to capture that live element was a little bit difficult, but we got it in the end. I think,” he chuckles nervously. Most would find it hard to argue, and the plaudits that have come for the band since only further support the cause. Most recently the group won all three categories they were nominated for at the National Indigenous Music Awards – Album Of The Year, New Talent Of The Year and Song Of The Year for Griffin. And it was a special moment for Wallace who joined his father, the legendary Bunna Lawrie from Coloured Stone, to perform iconic Australian track Black Boys at the Award Ceremony in Darwin. “Oh man, I’m still kinda overwhelmed with it all. I thought maybe one award, we might win just one, but yeah, we took out all our categories. It was an amazing night just to get in touch with other families and with other Aboriginal communities. So it was just amazing being in Darwin and meeting all these people.” The pride in his voice beams down the line. “It’s definitely a big part of me and Kyle because we’re both indigenous. And it was just really good to see we kinda got accepted into the Aboriginal community. It’s a feeling of respect in the community, and the Aboriginal music community, which was really a big thing for me.” WHO: The Medics WHAT: Foundations (Footstomp/Warner) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 12 September, Spectrum; Thursday 27, Transit Bar, Canberra; Friday 28, The Patch, Wollongong; Saturday 29, Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle; Saturday 29 December, Peats Ridge Festival, Glenworth Valley 30 • THE DRUM MEDIA
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LIGHTENING UP Recalling the moments that have shaped new record Out Of The Game, Rufus Wainwright talks suckers, nincompoops, life, death and crushing on Mark Ronson with Tyler McLoughlan ahead of his Australian visit.
C
onsidering Rufus Wainwright’s ambivalence towards all things mainstream and an upbringing that had him touring with the family band alongside sister Martha as a teenager, one can never quite tell what form the precocious artist might explore next. Thus far he has penned seven studio albums of varying shades between decorative and sombre pop, recreated Judy Garland’s fabled Carnegie Hall concert in lipstick and stilettos, and premiered his first opera. This year the form of Wainwright’s choosing is an out-and-out pop collaboration with celebrated producer Mark Ronson titled Out Of The Game, an exercise in lightening up. “I’ve had over the last three years the most dramatic and devastating and also fulfilling time of my life,” says Wainwright in explanation of the return to his project proper. “I mean between my mother’s death and the birth of my daughter and writing an opera and being engaged and so forth, I’ve really run the gamut in terms of what the human experience has to offer. “And my work kind of reflected that for a while you know, whether it was [sixth album, All Days Are Nights:] Songs For Lulu or putting Shakespeare sonnets to music or whatever, so I was doing a lot of work in that very deep end of the pool of existence, and now for this album, I needed a break – I needed to just lighten up a bit and have fun and enjoy the moment a little bit more without this kind of frame of intensity. Nonetheless, I mean it’s still, I think there’s still some fairly intense moments on my new record – I’ve never been totally able to shed the romantic Rufus – but the goal was to lighten up a bit.”
With a yawn, Wainwright signals his intention to head for bed as he’s speaking in the midst of a European tour. He’s tired, but grateful for his continued relevance following the release of Out Of The Game. “The tired that I have is one of joyful exhaustion because the shows have been going so well, and we did some festivals in Europe and played for hundreds of thousands of people and yeah, I’m just happy that I’m still worth someone’s attention.” WHO: Rufus Wainwright WHAT: Out Of The Game (Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 8 September, Canberra Theatre; Sunday 9, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
The title track of Out Of The Game does precisely that as Wainwright builds up repeated cries of “Look at you” before launching into the triumphant, chorus-backed insult “Suckers!” “It’s definitely sharp, you know,” he chuckles, typically wry. “At the beginning the suckers are like other younger people that just haven’t had the experience and perhaps the failures that I have had and that we all have in life as we all get older, and so they just have this kind of naivety. It’s not about charming naivety, it’s about idiotic naivety and so they’re just rolling around in that fashion, but then by the end of the song, I’m the sucker! ‘Cause I’m the one who’s getting kind of wrapped up in that whole question in general.” In line with Wainwright’s tendency to keep esteemed company as noted with the appearance of childhood friend Sean Lennon along with members of the Dap-Kings, Wilco, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Miike Snow on the record, Helena Bonham Carter lip-syncs along as a stuffy librarian who almost winds up baring all in the film clip accompanying Out Of The Game. “She’s an old friend of mine,” explains Wainwright. “I’ve known her for many years. She’s always game, what can I say! She’s always game and she’s also endlessly talented so you’re not only dealing with an enthusiastic nincompoop, you’re dealing with a genius!” Though Out Of The Game more than hints at Wainwright’s general distaste of viewing younger generations through the wisdom of his 39 years, it’s by no means a suggestion that he is ready to give up the music game. ”I don’t plan on ending my career until I pass away – I’m in it for the long haul, but I would say that there are these other avenues which have really opened up for me, be it in the opera, in the theatre or writing music for films. “And now with the record industry collapsing and people not really buying CDs that much, and the whole kind of mechanism shifting gears, I am gonna have to get out of some kind of game in order to just survive, you know? So I think it’s not about leaving necessarily but it is about making some sort of statement and finding where you’re needed and where you will prosper. The music business right now is very treacherous and not an easy sell, as they say.” Given the personal events in Wainwright’s recent life, he has become more focused on figuring out exactly where he is needed, particularly outside of music, and despite giving off the air of a life-long suffer-for-your-art type, he is surprisingly pragmatic when it comes to getting the job done. “I just go in and complete whatever the work is at hand,” he admits matter-of-factly. “I dunno, a lot of it has to do with not thinking so much and kind of just viscerally responding to this energy around you. And I’ve completed a lot of projects in my life; I’ve made seven albums, I did the Judy [Garland] tribute, I wrote an opera, I wrote a musical – all this stuff, so it seems to be a good system to not really think about it. Just do it!” With this sentiment in mind, Wainwright and Ronson created Out Of The Game in record time. “That’s been nice,” he says of working with the man-in-demand. “It was amazing, I mean he was a great producer to work with, he’s also a lovely guy. And he is quite good looking as well – he’s definitely the full package! I think what was best about the process was that it didn’t take so much time – we worked at breakneck speed for about a month and boom, the album was done. It was really nice to experience that. I dunno, maybe especially since my mother passed away and I have a young daughter who’s growing in leaps and bounds, you realise that time is so precious and the faster you can complete something the sooner you can just enjoy life – which I intend to do at some point, so Mark was helpful in that respect as well.” Playing six theatre dates including Sydney Opera House on his upcoming Australian visit, Wainwright is particularly fussy about the setting of his live performances. ”For me the venue is everything in terms of performance. Over the last two years with all these different kinds of shows I’ve done I’ve realised that it’s really the architecture of the space and the history behind it that will dictate what’s going on. I think both the performer and the crowd react to that energy, so I’m very lucky because I have the best spots in the world to look forward to, coming out there.”
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 35
BLOODLINES AND BAD SEEDS One of the more prolific artists of his generation, Barry Adamson remains an innovator like no other. The musician, author, filmmaker and former Bad Seed speaks to Kitt Di Camillo ahead of his Australian tour.
B
arry Adamson has spent more than three decades moving between genres, stepping in and out of artistic worlds the way other musicians might move to the next song on a well-worn setlist. His career began in his late teens as bass player for former Buzzcocks singer Howard Devoto’s next band Magazine. When the post-punk pioneers split after four albums, the Manchester-born artist went on work with, among others, another ex-Buzzcock in Pete Shelley and the godfather of punk, Iggy Pop, as well as enjoying a stint as a Bad Seed behind the inimitable Nick Cave. Amid countless further collaborations, Adamson began releasing solo material, leading to a Mercury Music Prize nomination and soundtrack work for visionary film directors such as David Lynch and Oliver Stone.
An artist in the true sense of the word, Adamson was quick to reach outside the musical landscape, adding award-winning author and burgeoning filmmaker to an already phenomenal resume. “I’ve always got a lot on,” admits Adamson down the line from Brighton. “Inspiration is a great thing, and I love, being in my later years, that I’ve done enough to trust what comes along. I’ve been finishing off a screenplay I’ve been working on and some mixes for somebody else, and then you’ve got the live shows coming up. I’ve just done a single for a charity; I just did some work with Nick on their new record… Things just come along, and if they feel like that’s a place I want to go and they’re pushing me in the right direction that I feel is appropriate for me, then great.” Throughout his career the in-demand Mancunian has turned collaboration into an art form in itself, somehow managing to always have his voice heard while working with the imposing figures of his past. According to Adamson, knowing when to speak up almost plays as big a part in the process as the work itself. “It depends on what it is. Obviously with Iggy Pop I was playing the bass, I was playing the songs from the Stooges and his solo career. There’s not really much I’d wanna say, not really much I need to say, because you’re there and you’re playing The Passenger and you’re going, ‘Oh my God, I’m playing The Passenger!’ It’s a privilege to do that sort of thing. “With Nick, I’ve got a bit of a relationship with him. We’ve been through all sorts of stuff, like I say. I played recently with him and if you think of stuff you need to put in there, then it’s welcome. And sometimes when you know some things can go a certain way, then you back off. With David Lynch it was even more of a collaboration; he’s always trying to find stuff… People aren’t stupid – they want to get the best out of their work.” While having woven his way through so many different creative landscapes over the years, Adamson acknowledges the impact his beginnings had on his career. His time with Magazine and Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds provided a musical education second-to-none and set the tone for much of his future endeavours. A teenager when he started with Magazine, Adamson was in his early twenties when he began his stint with The Bad Seeds, still only just embarking on his career. In Devoto and Cave he had two genuinely ground-breaking artists to work under, and learnt much from the years spent with both. “It pretty much shaped who I am,” suggests Adamson, “in terms of taking on totally different worlds and applying my things to them both and being pretty succesful with them. And then that gave me the [motivation] to move into an idea that I could make music for film, that I could make a record or I could make a film myself. They were really good starting points for me ‘cause both of them were of course revered and respected in some ways as being where they should in terms of art, which is what it was all about for me anyway. I was trying to set my career out as an artist. Some people or musicians aren’t artists, but I don’t see myself as just a musician really.” Adamson has seen his career come full-circle of late, rejoining Magazine for a series of shows between 2009 and late 2010. The reunion was met with widespread critical acclaim, and the time back with the band that he started out with all those years ago remains a latter career highpoint for Adamson himself. “Well, it was short lived on my part,” laments the notoriously busy bassist. “I was a bit sad about that. I mean, it was great. To play those songs again, with the same people, it was bizarre. It was also great to see how it was being received by people who wanted it. They could actually show their kids the thing that they had been going on about when they were their age. So we saw, like, families in a sea of bald-headed forty year olds.” The reunion unintentionally influenced the writing of Adamson’s latest solo album, I Will Set You Free. A typically innovative release, the album breaks new ground while taking a look back over his long career. “It’s a very strange thing to do, after thirtyodd years to go back to the place where you started – it gives you this very strange perspective again. It was almost like I Will Set You Free is the album that I might have made after leaving Magazine the first time round. It was really quick, a few months, and all of the songs just came like, ‘boof!’ They flew out and I had to chase them down the road and pin them down. And I think the style of them and the way it was was a positive reaction to being in that circumstance. It gave me a sort of new bloodline, or one that I forgot was there in the first place.” Despite having made regular visits to Australia over the last few years, this tour is a chance for Adamson to take his music across the country in a full band setting. “I’ve had a great relationship with Australia. It’s been going on since [Magazine] came the first time and it carried on through Nick. I know the scene in Australia, I’ve been coming back and forth – they’re the best people in the world and they know music much better than we do. It’ll be great!” WHO: Barry Adamson WHAT: I Will Set You Free (Central Control International) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 12 September, Factory Theatre
36 • THE DRUM MEDIA
themusic.com.au
THE SOUND OF SEEKING Sydney electronic trio Seekae have been hitting stages nationally for quite some time now, but it’s now that they’ve found the momentum to embrace bigger things, as Stuart Evans learns from John Hassell.
S
eek and shall you find. If only it were true when dollars are involved, particularly as musicians do not have that much dosh to splash around. For every Tiesto, Oakenfold or Tong, there are a plethora of struggling performers who probably cannot afford a Happy Meal. Take Sydney trio Seekae. The producers of acoustic and synth-driven electronica have won many fans and admirers, but not a great deal of green… yet. They understand what it is like to be short on notes. “Oh yeah, we can definitely relate to having little or no money, although we’re okay at the moment,” explains band member John Hassell. “Work-wise, we all have something else on the side and generally spend our money on new instruments and money for the studio. We’re also lucky as we’ve all saved up a lot of money for us to use so we can practice.” That investment strategy has paid off as they are now in a position to practice, practice and practice some more. Of course, ploughing money back into music is seen as a shrewd investment, predominantly if that investment yields results, acclaim, success and a little bit of extra lolly. “It would be great to have that respect from your peers and ultimately be in a position where this was a full-time job. It has been amazing to see what has happened so far as we have played across Australia and have played to some fairly large crowds when we’ve been overseas. I cannot ask for more or complain.”
That diversity is slowly coming together for the band’s forthcoming third album. “We’ve just finished recording our new album. It’s still early days but it may have strings, brass, woodwind and may be a bit more poppier than our previous albums.” But then that’s up to the flow. “It could change, as we all can be indecisive,” Hassell laughs. “The way we get stuff done is being forced into it via a deadline. The more structure, the more we get things done.” WHO: Seekae WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 6, Friday 7 & Saturday 8 September, The Basement, Circular Quay; Saturday 8 December, Homebake, The Domain
For Seekae, early results have indeed been forthcoming thanks to their clever union of electronic music and atmospheric cinematic melodies. They have unquestionably caught attention – they were featured at a recent Vivid Live event at none other than the Sydney Opera House, one of only three Aussie bands to perform at the iconic venue for the event. Still, it has been a while since John Hassell, Alex Cameron and George Nicholas ditched their guitars for laptops, interfaces and samplers. The first result was the 2008 LP, The Sound Of Trees Falling On People, which they followed up with the experimental and electronic + Dome. The decision to shift from indie music to electronica was deliberate. “At the time I was playing in another rock band but started to get into Aphex Twin,” Hassel explains. “Electronic music was exciting and had no boundaries. It was new and it was the most exciting music I had heard. Once the seed was planted, it went from there.” Although electronic music has retained its excitement, albeit in sporadic doses, Hassell reckons the stuff that is being produced today has not quite reached the dizzying heights of past years. He has a rationale as to why. He says, “I think that is because I am more experienced with producing electronic music. There is some great stuff being produced on [label] Warp that is just as original though.” That Seekae continue to diversify can lead to issues when they try to classify what they make and why. So if experience leads to wisdom, how does Hassell describe the Seekae sound? “The best way to explain what we do is to simply say we make electronic music. We compose music on computers and play on synthesisers. We’ve all been friends for a long time and often write music separately before we meet up a few times a week to exchange ideas. That leads to a mixture of sound.” Given the boys write separately, when they come together to compare notes the dynamic can suffer, albeit slightly. “[The dynamic] can be hit and miss at times. Musically we’ve all done things that don’t always sit that well together. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. It’s just a matter of not getting stuck in a rut and ensuring we push each other forward.” But there is an upside. “When we get together it is the weird combinations that we don’t expect to work that actually do (work). Sometimes a Frankenstein-like creation works. There aren’t too many other electronic bands doing this kind of thing and hopefully people get down with it.” People have, indeed, got down and swanky to the Seekae strikes. Negative criticism has been sparse; not that it bothers Hassell. “You have to accept negativity. You can take it to heart but if you do it will do you no favours,” he says. The trio first formed in 2006 when Nicholas and Cameron, former primary school alumni, just so happened to bump into each other after an eight-year gap. Cameron, who was then playing in a band, introduced Nicholas to then bandmate John Hassell. Not too long afterwards, Seekae was born. Originally known as Commander Keen, they started messing around with hip hop, ambient post-rock and indie pop to create what they’d call “ghetto ambient”. However, the more they messed with samples and the electronic side of life, the more they liked what they heard - the challenge was converting their previous live band experience to a live electronic band without losing the components of surprise and without boring the pants off their audience. After all, there is little excitement in standing and watching three blokes press buttons on pieces of metal. The answer was to combine the wires, the MIDI and the beats with live instruments and preprogrammed snippets that included drums, synths and samplers. Hassell is aware that it is easy to be written off as another jolly electronic band that presses buttons on a laptop, so the adoption and incorporation of live instruments into their sets has become integral to the Seekae sound. “We always reflect on our live performances to see what we can do better next time,” he confirms. “Music is constantly changing, so we are constantly changing. What we record in a studio may sound different to when we perform it live.” And with that spontanaeity comes certain times when the magic just happens. “There was a time when Alex brought a track to the rest of us. Once we heard it we knew it was an album track.” Seekae are also good at surprises. Like a Kinder Surprise, unwrap the layers and a treat is ready and waiting for the grateful recipient. Anyone who has seen the boys live can probably attest to their remix of White Town’s seminal tune, Your Woman.
themusic.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA • 37
NOW AND THEN
THE POP-PUNK CARTEL
Whether recording originals or covers, America aren’t just living their past, as Michael Smith discovers from Gerry Beckley.
Pop-punk from Georgia: Who would have thought it? Mark Hebblewhite sat down with Cartel’s main man Will Pugh to dispel the myth that pop-punk is a coastal phenomenon.
Y
“Y
eah, people are always a little tripped out by the fact we come from Georgia – which of course is primarily known for hardcore bands and heavier bands like Kylesa and Baroness,” Cartel frontman Will Pugh explains. “But you know, the great thing about the Georgia music scene is that we all help each other out. Most of the bands we played with on our way up were hardcore bands. We played small clubs where we would bring our audience and they would bring their audience – it was all very communal and worked out well.” And how was the more melodic strains of Cartel received by your average Evergreen Terrace fan? “Look, not everyone got it, but most of the kids came to the shows with an open mind and appreciated what we did,” says Pugh. “It’s the same on a wider front. Recently we’ve been touring with a band called Set Your Goals – who are heavier than Cartel – and the response we’ve had from their fans has been amazing. A few aren’t into it, but we’ve had so many kids come up to us saying that, ‘We thought you guys would be awful but now we’ve seen you play: you guys really rock’. To hear that is great, and it shows that we shouldn’t be putting up all these labels within punk rock. Good music is good music and punk rocks kids will respond to you.” So does the band object to being labeled as ‘pop punk’? “Look, it’s not wrong,” laughs Pugh. “We do have a melodic edge and we share similarities with a lot of the Fat Wreck bands. But at the same time we don’t like to be boxed in and be made to sound like we just write the same sort of song over and over again because that’s just not true. But when it comes down to it, people are going to call us what they’re going to call us, so there’s no point being too worried.” Since forming in 2003 members of Cartel have played a game of musical chairs, with Pugh himself shifting from rhythm guitar to bass and Nic Hudson shifting from bass back to rhythm guitar. According to Pugh, it’s made life easier for all involved. “Our newer material is much more involved when it comes to the guitar parts, so me switching to bass was a lot easier considering I’m
singing at the same time. Also, it means the guitarists can just go nuts live and that’s given the band a much heavier punch on stage, if I can put it like that.” In 2011 Cartel dropped their latest release, In Stereo – an EP of all things. Why an EP after a run of full-length albums? “To be honest, it was a bit of a hurried process,” admits Pugh. “’Not the songs themselves – we already had those written – but the decisions regarding the release were made quickly. Basically we were keen to get out of the ‘label’ model of releasing material and try out self-releasing our music. Obviously to do that, we needed some material to release; and although we didn’t have an album’s worth we did have these songs ready to record. “The obvious thing was to do an EP, and we put a lot of effort into making sure it sounded good and was professionally presented. We’re really happy with it and now we’re looking at releasing our next full length album.” And can he give us any goss on the new project? “Well, by the time this interview goes to print we’ll be in the studio,” says Pugh. “We already have three quarters of the album written and the material is a mix of older songs we’ve had for a while and some new songs. It’s definitely going to have that Cartel sound but the newer songs are definitely very ambitious and represent a step forward for the band. Hopefully we’ll play some of these tracks when we come down to Australia and you guys can hear them for yourselves.”
WHEN & WHERE: Friday 7 September, The Wall; Saturday 8, Entrance Leagues Club, Bateau Bay; Sunday 9, Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle; Wednesday 12, Manly Fisho’s
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As for Here & Now, “A lot of things happened as a result of that album. It introduced us to a new audience that to a certain extent – a lot of people came on board once Adam Schlesinger and James Iha had lent their names to the project – and a lot of their contacts and friends said, ‘Jeez, can we be a part of that?’ It was to be a ‘Duets’ kind of theme so it took a certain additional amount of effort to integrate all these great people, like Ryan Adams, Ben Kweller and My Morning Jacket and stuff, into the album seamlessly, and I think they did a fantastic job.” Travelling with a four-piece band, the trademark sound remains. Although live, America has evolved quite a way in their 42 years together. “We had big success right away with records,” Beckley explains, “and I certainly wouldn’t change anything about that. But you know, your records going to number one puts on a lot of pressure; a lot of people there to see the shows, and I think the shows took a while to catch up, but it certainly did by the end of the ‘70s, and to be honest, I’m happier with the show now than ever.” WHO: America WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 9 September, Canberra Theatre; Monday 10, Enmore Theatre; Friday 14, WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
As his second album, Electric Love, is released, Tyler McLoughlan gains an insight into the weird and wonderful world of Italo disco funk with Donny Benét.
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“So Mr Number 1 is I guess a bit more the softer side of the band, though it’s not exactly a ballad. It’s more about chords and stuff like that. That’s not just something supporting lyrics, which is something that’s a real big influence on the band. Like, we are into soft, not all heavy music and stuff like that, so I always feel the first half is Radiohead and the second half of the song is Tool, in terms of the influences and sounds coming through. The thing that our drummer Steve [Tyssen] brings to the band – which is really awesome – he definitely brings simplicity and a really big fat simple groove, so his drumming is more Bonham-inspired; more the Zeppelin thing. And the song’s about, pretty much,
“We’d never done a full covers album before,” Beckley admits, on the line from Dayton, Ohio, a few weeks out from their next Australian tour. “We’d, on occasion, done a cover song, so it was interesting to approach it from scratch. Our good friend and producer, Fred Mollin, kinda came to us the concept of, ‘You haven’t done one of these, therefore what do you think?’ And that’s really how it got started. There are so many great tunes; I mean the only thing about a project like this is you have to narrow it down. I think we came up with a great dozen, but of course there’s probably a Volume Two and Three there, quite easily.”
the whole thing – a start, a middle and finish – and so lots of things go into that. On one hand you’re looking for stuff that provides contrast, on the other hand you don’t want things to be too far outside of parameters that are maybe just in your mind, that you want an overall concept. Each project is different.”
ELECTRIC DREAMS
Brisbane three-piece Greenthief have begun dripfeeding their forthcoming debut album a single at a time, as former drummer, now frontman Julian Schweitzer tells Michael Smith.
The thing about Greenthief is their passion for ‘70s UK rock, something James knows plenty about. “That was the big attraction to us,” Schweitzer admits, “working with someone like that. He brought a lot to the recording. The one obvious thing he brought was, like, an outsider’s opinion. We’d been playing the songs a while and he’s definitely into trimming the fat into songs, so he’s got more, I guess, of that pop mentality when it comes to producing in terms of the song structures and trying to get things happening quicker. Sometimes, as a band we can get caught in the trap of writing longer songs, so he’s really good in that regard.
The duo – they began as a trio, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and the late Dan Peek, the sons of American servicemen based just outside of London, formed America within the UK in 1969, Peek departing in 1977 – still play around 100 shows a year internationally so, as Beckley observes, “getting into the studio takes some planning.” Their latest album, Back Pages, was released last year and sees them cover songs by some their own favourite artists, from Simon & Garfunkel’s America, CSN’s Woodstock and The Zombies’ Time Of The Season to A Road Song by Fountains Of Wayne.
Not that the pair aren’t more than capable still of filling an album with their own original songs. Beckley, for instance, also released his fifth solo album, Unfortunate Casino, last year. “Whenever you approach any album, whether it’s a group album or my solo album, I think you’re looking for an experience, so that there’s some kind of a curve and design to
WHO: Cartel
GOING FOR THE ONE
n Englishman in Byron Bay, Steve James produced everyone from The Jam to The Rutles, Toyah Wilcox to The Sex Pistols, Cold Chisel’s The Last Wave Of Summer to Skunkhour’s The Go. So the fact that he’s produced not only their last EP, Retribution, but also their forthcoming debut album, the first single from which, Mr Number 1, Greenthief are currently touring, speaks volumes. “Steve works with a real good friend’s band,” Greenthief singer, songwriter and guitarist Julian Schweitzer explains how he came to work with them, “and produced a record with them and it’s a fantastic record, and they kind of raved about Steve. So we did some rehearsals with him and, yeah, it just clicked and worked really well.”
ou might think America is, like, so Hits & Memories MOR, but Adam Schlesinger from Fountains Of Wayne and James Iha from The Smashing Pumpkins, as a production duo, felt they had something that still matters in the new millennium while remaining as timeless as the band’s hits from the ‘70s. So in 2007, they took them into the studio to cut an album titled Here And Now, which included the odd cover, among them Nada Surf’s Always Love and Maplewood’s Indian Summer.
karma and sort of about someone who thinks about themselves and eventually gets caught out in the end. “It’s definitely different to what we’ve put out in the past. The album’s more diverse again, so there are a few more songs softer than that and there’s even an acoustic one.” The past three months have seen Greenthief given the opportunity to road test their newer songs to a bigger audience than ever before, courtesy of their guest spot opening for The Butterfly Effect on their national tour. “That was a total blast, touring with them, and an eye-opening experience,” says Schweitzer. “You know, playing the bigger stages. It taught us a lot of things. We haven’t really done a major support before, so we’d never played for a crowd that doesn’t know you, which is often the case when we tour anyway, but this is on a much larger scale. So we had to kind of really go out there and impress, to be on our A-game every night. “All the new songs were pretty much done, so the way we planned it out in terms of the recording was, ‘Oh cool, we’ve got 23 dates now, let’s play these album songs live and just toughen them up so then, after the last Butterfly Effect show, go straight into the studio tight.’ So that was the strategy behind the timing of it all.” WHO: Greenthief WHAT: Mr Number 1 (Smack Face) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 5 September, Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle; Thursday 6, Yours & Owls, Wollongong; Friday 7, Lansdowne Hotel; Saturday 8, The Wall
hough it’s hard to wade through the moustached, white-suited, synthesised, ‘80s irony of Donny Benét to figure out if he is indeed the son of a famous Italian disco accordionist who enjoys entertaining old folks in nursing homes, it matters not a shred upon discovering the pure fun of his musical output. “I’ve been playing small shows for years and playing gigs that no one saw… I’ve always kind of played music for other people and I was playing with Jack Ladder, and I had some tracks around and I met the Rice Is Nice people and we just put them out…” says Benét of his humble beginnings before pondering how best to describe his sound. “I guess it’s Miami Vice meets Prince meets Rick James meets ‘80s Australiana…” he laughs. From his father’s converted garage in suburban Sydney, fondly referred to as Donnyland Studios, his experimentations with a vast collection of bequeathed musical antiquities gave rise to last year’s debut album, Don’t Hold Back, and this month’s follow-up Electric Love. “All the equipment is all old; ‘70s, ‘80s, and a lot of synthesisers… and I kind of exclusively use that stuff – it just has that particular sound and you know, they operate and behave in a certain way and I just feel for the music I wanted to create it’s kind of really, it just works best and [it’s] really appropriate and then really fun to use and sounds cool… “I even have another old family friend that made music and he gave me a thing called a Stradivarius string machine and it’s probably the most amazing thing I have! It was the best gift anyone’s ever given me; we used it a lot on Jack Ladder’s album – and it’s all over the new album, and it’s a really eerie kind of spooky string sound, which is pretty cool.” Whilst Don’t Hold Back was an in-the-moment snapshot of Benét’s improvised recording process at Donnyland Studios, he put more thought into both the writing
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and recording of Electric Love. “This one had to be sonically better – the songs had to be written in a different way, and the playing and singing had to be better. Everything you do you try to do something slightly different but it’s a tricky one – you want to retain your sound and your same individuality, but at the same time you don’t want to release a record that sounds the same as last time…” Benét’s strong visual presence, a marriage of Nightriderchic and Tim & Eric bizarro, has allowed his new take on Italo disco funk to thrive in spite of not fitting into any existing scene in Australia today. “For me, there wasn’t a calculated approach to it. The music I was making, the beautiful thing about it for me was that it just came out – there was no preconceived ideas about it I think, which is a good thing… If you [say] I’d love to record an album like this and make it sound like this, it’s never gonna be an organic process. For me I guess, especially with the first album… I was thinking, I don’t really hear – and this is a good thing – I don’t hear music like this in the Australian musical landscape.” Benét admits he is continually intrigued by the reaction of newcomers. “It’s how people perceive things, which is always an interesting thing to observe. Some people will kind of interpret in one manner compared to other people and it’s fine, I don’t mind that at all – I enjoy things that hopefully get people thinking: hang on, there’s something not right here…” WHO: Donny Benét WHAT: Electric Love (Rice Is Nice/Inertia) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 7 September, GoodGod
SHRUGGING OFF THE SHACKLES CARRY THE NEWS Visiting Australia for the first time this September for a tour with fellow ball tearers King Cannons, English rockers All The Young take the time to chat to Chris Hayden about their home town, pottery and a fairly famous fan.
Gothic noirists Nikko are back with the long-gestating second record. The band regales Brendan Telford with stories of failed Melbourne sojourns and finding the right production ears.
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t was… debaucherous.” The Melbournite, bassist Sam Whiting, within the ranks of Brisbane purveyors of apocryphal Gothic Australiana, Nikko, is recalling the band’s last visit to his patch with a laugh, shaking his head. “I got into a real bad routine. I need to have things happening – I can get four hours sleep a night, then I need to be doing shit all day long. Instead, I got stir crazy. I put on about eight kilos.” “I lost seven kilos!” guitarist Jackson Briggs counters. “I didn’t get a job and spent every cent I owned, and ended up having to do a tax return while I was down there which I have never done before.” “We had one gig a week to look forward to, and in between… everyone went a bit astray,” guitarist/ vocalist Ryan Potter says wryly. “It was around Christmas time, we had a lot of people visiting us, people we hadn’t seen in ages, everyone was drinking – it was an extended holiday really.” Resolute after the experience, the quartet have focused on the release of their second longplayer, Gold & Red. The record feels like a massive progression from 2010’s debut release, The Warm Side, with much more emphasis going on the structure and atmosphere they’re able to generate live. “We just got sick of being called a post-rock band,” Whiting opines. “We had all stopped listening to that kind of stuff, we had moved on. It was still a pretty natural progression, there was nothing forced, but it was a general consensus on where we wanted to head.” That said, the songs on Gold & Red are unlike anything the quartet have put to tape before. Handing the production and mixing duties over to Aaron Cupples (The Drones, Snowman) and Nao Anzai (Laura, Because Of Ghosts), the album comes across as an epic affair, filled with the kind of glossy sound that has previously been unattainable. “A good example is Dark Eyes, because we changed things up a lot when we recorded that,” Whiting explains. “It was at Aaron’s suggestion that we have lots of multi-tracking on the vocals, and that we got
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Jacinta [Walker – Keep On Dancin’s, Tiny Migrants] in for back-up vocals and harmonies. It is important to have the recordings separate from what we do on stage, because then you aren’t just replicating it. It allows each to be their own separate beast.” “We never met Aaron (Cupples),” Potter continues. “He’s based in Europe now, so he sent us draft mixes. We never really sent him in any particular direction, we just said for him to do whatever he wanted, with a few tips on minor things with particular songs, but he pretty much came back at us with this big sound, which was really different for us. We got the first mixes back last year, and at first felt a little weird…”
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“It’s so big, polished, professional, and how I think we like to be heard,” drummer Blair Westbrook counters. “It seems like the next logical step for us. And that is going to be even more obvious on the vinyl release. It was still us playing live in a room, in a rehearsal hall at the Old Museum, there has been so much overdubbing that it could have been done in a proper studio, no question. It’s pretty impressive.”
espite a well-documented selfish streak (legend has it he once tried to fire bassist Andy Rourke by leaving a note on his windshield that read “Andy, you have left The Smiths”), English pop king Morrissey has a generous habit of taking young bands that catch his eye and spruiking them to the greater public. One such lucky act has been bleeding heart rockers All The Young. After seeing the four-piece at a London club show, Mozz has become an ardent supporter of the Stoke On Trent-based outfit, allowing them to break the shackles of their industrial home town and hit the road to support their debut album, Welcome Home. “We were playing this gig in London, our first show ever in London and as we were walking on stage apparently some of the band saw Morrissey in the crowd,” explains lead singer Ryan Dooley, down the line from his kitchen in the industrial town in which the band grew up and still resides. “Our drummer was just playing with this big grin on his face the whole show. As we came off stage, one of the girls from our label came up to us and said ‘Morrissey’s here, I brought Morrissey along – he’s come to watch your band, he’s in your dressing room now.’ So we wander in and he’s just sat there in our dressing room with his minder sitting next to him. It was very, very surreal. He really enjoyed the show though. He even said it reminded him of an old Smiths gig. He offered us a spot opening for him at the Victoria Hall in Stoke On Trent – on the spot. He had this big gig planned there that we didn’t even know about. So we played the gig with him and the rest is history I suppose.” History is no doubt an important factor in a group like All The Young’s story. Growing up in Stoke On Trent, about three hours north of London, the four lads (Dooley, his brother Jack on bass and their childhood friends guitarist Dave Cartwright and drummer Will Heany) were forced to adopt a sink or swim approach when it came to their future. Either lay down and accept your fate as a working-class Englishman or go all Billy
WHO: Nikko WHAT: Gold & Red (Tenzenmen) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 6 September, The Phoenix, Canberra; Friday 7, Lass O’Gowrie, Newcastle; Saturday 8, Kings Cross Hotel
OUI GEMS
Lucky, then, that both Dobson and Goodridge turn out to be proper Francophiles, both having spent time living in France, both being French speakers, and pretty decent with the old golden tonsils. Dobson explains that they’re both deliriously happy with the project, loving the songs and being the ABC Album of the Week is just the cerise on the top of the patisserie. “This is a very beautiful project,” Dobson says happily. “It’s lots of fun on so many levels, and so nice to work with Lara who is a great friend. It is also a real treat to be able to sing duets for a whole show – it makes every show so much fun to sing. It’s always great to sing, but it’s exquisite to sing with other singers.” Dobson recalls the fortuitous meeting which brought Goodridge and herself together, long before Baby et Lulu were even conceived. “Lara and I met years ago, she saw me play at the Basement in Sydney, and she had a little label called Trading Records. I was about to record a solo album and she asked if I’d like to release on her label. Our fledgling relationship worked really well, and everything I did with her seemed effortless. After I signed to her label we developed a nice friendship by working together for a while.”
“There wasn’t really much to do, so that was kind of inspiring in itself. You had to go and get a shit job or play in a band really. It certainly felt like that anyway. We grew up together listening to bands like The Clash, The Manic Street Preachers, The Cure and The Smiths – these important bands. There isn’t really many of them left now, especially when you look at what’s going on in London and the like. We almost feel like the last gang in town in that sense. There aren’t too many bands around at the moment that carry themselves like we do.” WHO: All The Young WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 5 September, The Patch, Wollongong; Thursday 6, Transit Bar, Canberra; Friday 7, Annandale Hotel; Saturday 8, Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle
Jonah Matranga’s influence spans from Deftones through to Lupe Fiasco. As he prepares to bring his once-defunct onelinedrawing project to Australia, the one-time emo forefather speaks with Matt O’Neill about his unique career.
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With all of that unbelievable creativity – and gourmet edibles – to inspire, it’s easy to understand why musicians already successful in their own bands such as Abby Dobson (formerly from Leonardo’s Bride) and Lara Goodridge (from orchestral group FourPlay) might surrender to the haze of cool, and decide to form a French chanson covers band, calling themselves Baby et Lulu. Perfectly understandable, but not necessarily easy to get right.
“It’s quite a big city is Stoke On Trent, but it’s a bit of a forgotten city,” Dooley says through a thick-as-mud Northern accent. “It’s got what I like to call an industrial hangover. All through the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s it was very famous for its pottery making, Royal Doulton and Wedgewood and stuff like that. There were literally factories all over the place and there was a massive industry here. That’s all gone now, a lot of it moved to China but a lot of it’s just closed down so there’s a lot of abandoned warehouses, decaying buildings and that kind of stuff. It’s slowly getting back on its feet but at the moment it’s a bit of a desert town.
TRUE COLOURS
From party shenanigans to number one on the iTunes jazz chart in a flash, Nic Toupee gets Abby Dobson’s take on the rise of her Francophillic act Baby et Lulu. here are many reasons to love the French, from their tip-top edibles – such as macarons and baguettes, onion soup and cassoulet, and a ridiculous array of cheeses – to kooky cars, glorious fashion, the great Coco Chanel, situationism, existentialism, Plastic Bertrand, art, film and a stellar history of French songs from Serge Gainsbourg, Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour and Jacques Brel – all cool cats with equally cool sounds.
Elliot on everyone, using your dour hometown as a springboard and inspiration to create something relevant, something that equals more than the sum of its parts.
What they didn’t know until much later was their shared obsession with all things French. “I’ve always loved French, and have learned to speak it. She also has [the] same love of French, and she has done her masters in French so she has a better grasp of grammar than I do, but we didn’t know that until we were both in France. I was living there for six months a couple of years ago, and we were in Paris having lunch and she brought along an early 20th century French songbook,” Dobson recounts. “When I came back to Sydney, she and her boyfriend were having a warehouse party and he suggested we do a French song at the party,” she giggles. “We got up on crates and sang a French song in harmony, and it was so exciting, and made us so happy, that when it was over, we decided we were having too much fun to stop now.” Fast forward a couple of years and their party turn has now become Baby et Lulu, complete with costumes and a stage show, which not only still gives them a tangible pleasure – which can be heard in Dobson’s voice as she speaks of the show – but has now given them a number-one album. “Every song is joyous, we dress up and carry on like idiots on stage, and this all seems to be a hit with our audience. We had people come up to us after our performances and say, ‘We want to buy an album’, so we made an album. Once again, this was a joy of a project, and has just gone number one on the Jazz iTunes chart. I’ve never been called ‘jazz’ before,” Dobson laughs incredulously. WHO: Baby et Lulu WHAT: Baby et Lulu (Independent/MGM) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 8 September, Camelot Lounge, Marrickville
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t’s surprisingly difficult to put Jonah Matranga in a box. Without ever having made genre-splicing a huge priority within his work, his career has crossed a lot of different boundaries. He’s perhaps still best known for his work with Sacramento outfit Far in’90s – whose expansive, anthemic sound would prove a key influence on what would eventually become modern post-hardcore and emo (and more cerebral nu-metal acts like Deftones). “Yeah, I think that’s great. I try not to take ideas of influence or importance too seriously because I think that’s just an express ticket to turning into an asshole but I’m very grateful,” Matranga says of his influence. “Put it this way, I know how much music means to me and how much my favourite bands have meant to me personally and artistically. For me to mean that to anyone is just amazing.” However, since then, he’s earned acclaim as an experimental folk artist (most famously as onelinedrawing – whose work has influenced Frank Turner, among countless other singer/songwriters) while also moonlighting as a writer and occasional guestvocalist with heavy duty commercial acts like Lupe Fiasco, Taproot and Linkin Park side project Fort Minor. It’s a weird mix. “It’s all a mess, really,” he laughs. “Really, though, there’s just been onelinedrawing, New End Original – which was just onelinedrawing songs with a band – and then Gratitude was another band. Really, I think I’m always doing the same thing and other people just bring different things to each project. I’m just trying to make things that are exciting to me and see if anyone else likes it. “Neil Young said something brilliant, among all the brilliant things he said, something like he’s only written three songs and the rest of his career has just been kind of bad imitations of those songs – and I couldn’t agree more,” the singer laughs. “I think there’s these sort of
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little shapes that I make and, if I make a slow song or something, it will feel like another song I’ve written. It’s just pop music, though. To me it’s about having fun.” And now he’s bringing his onelinedrawing project to Australia. Originally retired in 2004 when he began to perform under his own name, Matranga almost arbitrarily revived the project earlier this year. In a way, it’s a project that seems to most sum up Matranga’s character as an artist. It’s goofy and frivolous (it began with Matranga playing acoustic gigs with an R2D2 tapedeck) but deeply affecting, unpredictable and honest. “All I know is – I’ve played over two thousand shows at this point and I’ve never played the same set twice,” he says proudly. “A show can be whatever we want it to be. It can be pretty screamy and exciting or it can be really sweet and soft or it can be really silly or it can be really serious. It can go any number of ways. All I really want from people who come to my shows is to come in with an open mind about what a rock show can be. “You know, I think rock shows that adhere to those specific expectations of what a rock show should be are really sad,” he laughs. “Really, I just want us all to leave there feeling a little bit more humble, a little bit more human and just a little bit more alive, really. It’ll be fun. I’m really looking forward to it.” WHO: Jonah Matranga’s onelinedrawing WHEN & WHERE: Friday 6 September, Sandringham Hotel; Friday 7, Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle THE DRUM MEDIA • 39
SINGLES/EPS WITH ROSS CLELLAND
ON THE RECORD
Evermore
When the words ‘instrumental rock’ come up, the default thought tends to be noodling guitars and ‘thoughtful’ rhythms often bordering on that most frightening musical term, ‘jazz’. This is not what Battlesnake do. For starters, there are no guitars at all. The Electric List (Independent) is insistent looped drums and throbbing bass against staccato keyboards. It’s not dance music, unless you suffer from some kind of condition involving seizures. Not pretty, but arresting. There are few phrases that have become old clichés faster than New World Order. Velvet City offer up Part 1 (Sin City) under that questionable title, an EP of big angsty rock of serious intent. There is uniform black leather and T-shirts. Even they call it ‘classic rock’, and who are we to argue? The world of owls and deers and wolves are also overused words to a different musical contingent. The Deer Republic offer The Sweet Resistance (Reckoning), an EP of fashionable chanted choruses and singalong rusticness. Perhaps their best trick is that it sounds genuine and uncontrived. Good lord, it may even be. The breathy cooing style of folky-pop continues to serve Julia Stone well. Justine (EMI) is one of those conversations with herself that girls in bedrooms will probably think is written about them. And it may well be. And further on fashion, the terminal haircuts of Van She add that currently in vogue tropical tribal plunking noise to Jamaica (Modular). Thus following a great Australian musical tradition of praising the islands of the West Indies dating probably further than Models’ trip to Barbados. Which is still a better song than this, even if they have some of the same DNA. The phrase Wildcat General Strike will probably come more back into regular usage as conservative state governments become the (clumsy, iron-fisted) rule. Melbourne band of that name doesn’t seem to be pushing the political side to the words, their Wrote You A Melody (A Northern Soul) owing more to Bowie and various generations of Britpop rather than encouraging the masses to the barricades. Very well-made pop it is. Conversely, Chicks Who Love Guns is the ideal name for the wearied punk racket a band with no girls or visible weaponry provide. Moon Eater (Independent) is an EP that is messy, sprawling and loud. And the singer should shake The Saints’ Chris Bailey by the hand, or buy him a Father’s Day gift. Lead track, Shin-Okubo – no, no idea either – is a glorious spit of ennui that will make you feel better. Not sure we even need to know the accuracy of Major Rock Hard Abs’ name. Although I do seem to have heard those words, perhaps while falling asleep with a shopping channel on. The magnificently-titled I’m At All The Coolest Parties And I’m The Coolest Dancer (Independent) should give you an idea of the intent and style. As would the snippet possibly purloined from the The Muppet Show Theme. Further reference points: The Major is Melbourne producer Selwyn Cozens, with the slightly snarked vocals provided by the wellregarded Kylie Auldist. All fits together rather well. 40 • THE DRUM MEDIA
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB
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Spunk/Cooperative
Matador/Remote Control
Co-Op/Kitsuné
New Orleans is a pretty good fit for Tuscon, Arizona outfit Calexico. The band has always been surrounded by an air of something ancient and otherworldly as they delved into haunting Americana with a Mariachi heart from their home base in the desert near the US border with Mexico.
Cat Power’s new record, Sun, has all of the melancholic intrigue and musical sophistication the lady otherwise known as Chan Marshall has become known for, with each song carrying a confident, established sound and a complexity of tone and emotion that makes each one incredibly effective in very different ways. The album opens with Cherokee, whose breadth of sound and intense lyrical tone make it a powerful opening track. The title track, Sun, has a vastly different sound to it, opening with an electronic melody and heavy beat accompanied by ethereal vocals that make the track intriguing but noticeably less accessible than the other songs on the record. Cat Power’s lyrical sophistication and unique vocal sound take centre stage in 3, 6, 9, which, combined with a simple but powerful instrumental line, make it a standout track. The singer’s lyrical maturity seems to fall short, however, in Human Being, which is less complex both in terms of musical and lyrical content than the foregoing tracks, and feels somewhat difficult to follow. The following track, Manhattan, however, is another of the record’s highlights, with a slow, steadily infectious rhythm and simple but masterful vocal lines. Marshall showcases her vocal dexterity in Silent Machine, which portrays a very different lyrical tone with a distinct rock’n’roll feel and features heavy drum and guitar lines. The musical sophistication displayed in the majority of songs on the record is underplayed again, however, in Nothin But Time, which feels slightly repetitious and haphazard at times. This tone also pervades the closing track, Peace And Love, with its busy, confused sound making it a strange choice of closer. The album certainly has some conspicuous weak moments, but also has particularly powerful moments in equal measure and is nonetheless a very satisfying collection.
Four years after the release of the critically acclaimed Garden Ruin, the band decamped to New Orleans to record Algiers and that city’s rich history, both musical and otherwise, runs thick through these songs. Though the Mariachi-style horns of days past have been toned down, there are still plenty of dusty brass and drum brushes that sound like the desert. Instruments wheeze and puff, like they’re shaking themselves off after a long rest, grateful to be given an airing in an era of everything electronic and autotuned. And the songs – though mellower than in the past – take on lives that dance their way through the dust. First single, Para, is a great introduction to the album, a swirling, melancholy piece that delivers a real gut punch as the darkness threatens to swallow it up. Joey Burns’ voice and the harmonies that are applied to it, sound reminiscent at times of The Jayhawks, that other great modern Americana outfit; one band from the north, making music in the snow, the other creating beauty out of a hot haziness. This album will stay with you and haunt you until you give in and listen again. It’s a stunning piece of work that deserves a much bigger audience than Calexico has so far ever attracted in Australia but hopefully it might at least mean we get to see them tour again. Danielle O’Donohue
What sounds like a malfunctioning electronic toy running away down the street opens Next Year, the first track LIVE on Two Door Cinema Club’s second album. And then Alex Trimble sings, ever so sweetly as if he’s serenading you one-on-one in a gazebo: “I don’t know where I am going to rest my head tonight/So I won’t promise that I’ll speak to you today.” Trimble’s vocals exude confidence these days, and he’s further developed that charmingly recognisable lilt with perfect diction that pulls your focus towards romantic lyrics. It’s the unexpected orchestral elements that are incorporated throughout Beacon that D V really make it glow; a bike bell sounds throughout Wake Up (if it’s supposed to be an alarm, it’s way less annoying), brass elevates Sun and windchimes dance in the breeze to close out Settle. Standout track, The World Is Watching, a duet with Valentina, will wind up on many wooing mixtapes. Once strings and effervescent keys ambush the arrangement, it becomes a fluttering, memorable love song that will make you wanna skip around in circles holding hands with your chosen one. Do yourself the favour of a headphone listen to pick up these intricacies and nuances that prove Jacknife Lee was manning the knobs.
Lucia Osborne-Crowley
D
And some move far from the familiar. Former Gerling Darren Cross, even takes a further turn from his Betty Airs and/or The E.L.F. guises as half of very folk country duo Jep And Dep. Jessica Cassar duets with himself on The Fall Of The Leaves Never Cease (Independent), where a Lee Hazlewood/ Nancy Sinatra affection is well apparent. There may be some wild roses growing in it too, but overall there is a real honesty. Also of a quiet, but maybe having even more rough-hewn unsanded edges, Sleep Decade has the hesitancy and spaces of someone trying to say the right thing to that object of affection you fear may be too cool for you, across both sides of their Bicycle/Cars At Night (Flightless) double-A side affair. It tinkles, wanders by looking over its shoulder, says something half-heard in your ear. Then slips away leaving a nervous charm.
CAT POWER
Algiers
D
A name even longer away, Bailterspace. Over a decade actually. And although now minus input of Hamish Kilgour, he of fellow New Zealand heroes The Clean (another proud Flying Nun name), there is still a strained, fuzzy, claustrophobic noise to them. Blue Star (Fire Records) allows you to gaze at your Cons and bob your head knowingly, as you did back in 1990.
CALEXICO
VD
Band takes a couple of years off to build their own studio to regain control of their creations. And then they jump from one ‘major’ label to another. This is all very old school. But Evermore have always had a whiff of 20th century about them. But Follow The Sun (Universal) is a very 21st century anthem, with its martial drums, layers of harmonies and pealing brass giving it a healthy touch of the Coldplays.
Beacon is a much more mature offering than its predecessor, Tourist History, but shimmering guitars and jaunty, almost military-precision drumming ensure this Irish trio always remain true to their established sound. Don’t be thrown by the somewhat racey album artwork (and I’m not just speaking of the suggestive lighting fixture on the cover), this music bottles the sweetness of high school crushes and also sprinkles disappointment with hope. There’s something so pure and classy about Two Door Cinema Club, no foul language just exultant melodies to capture our hearts. Bryget Chrisfield
PROPAGANDHI
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
Failed States
Centipede Hz
Epitaph/Warner
Domino/EMI
Modular/Universal
Okay, let’s get the obvious thing out of the way up front: Failed States is another incredible album from one of the most continually innovative and exciting punk rock bands on the face of the planet. It’s too early to tell whether this is the band’s finest moment to date, but at the very least it continues the extremely purple patch that was heralded by 2001’s tour de force, Today’s Empires Tomorrow’s Ashes. I could gush over the songwriting chops and razor-tight musicianship Propagandhi display on this, their sixth LP, but that would just confirm something you already know.
It’s a given that Centipede Hz won’t meet the expectations that have been lathered over its inception ever since Animal Collective hit paydirt with 2008’s Merriweather Post Pavilion. But it’s doubtful that they’re particularly concerned. The childhood friends have spent over a decade creating weirdo sounds for themselves, intent on never making the same record twice, and Centipede Hz faithfully sticks to this notion. Many recent converts will want more MPP and not get it. The rest are bound to be in genre-defying heaven.
So instead, let’s look at how Failed States relates to an already impressive back catalogue. First of all, the band’s pop punk roots (which could still be felt on parts of 2009’s Supporting Caste) have now been totally exorcised. That’s not to say the punk genre doesn’t rear its head – now it’s more a case of channelling Black Flag than any of the Fat Wreck family. In fact “the Flag” are a good point of reference here – Failed States is rawer and darker than the band’s last couple of releases. The immediate melodies found on the likes of Without Love and Dear Coaches Corner are replaced by subtler and harder compositions like the slow-burning Note To Self and Duplicate Keys Icaro (An Interim Report). Fans of “Todd” songs can rejoice however, as Rattan Cane and the hectic Hedron Collision form a one-two punch bordering on the approach of Gaza or the now-defunct Cursed. Lyrically, Failed States continues Propagandhi’s commitment to left-wing activism, but without the preachy attitude that marred their first couple of releases.
Centipede Hz is, first and foremost, a fun record in the most feverish, sweat-drenched, acid trip sense. The record kicks off with Moonjock, a desperate purge of intent, all static and abrasive percussion, before the candy explosion of Todays Supernatural blows the cobwebs out in spectacular fashion. Wide Eyed offers the psychedelic stomp mantra conventions that Animal Collective embodies so well, whilst the skittering wooziness of New Town Burnout is infused with uncharacteristic melancholy. Each song is incredibly busy, layered with so much off-kilter and frenetic instrumentation that the blissful nature of MPP is but a distant memory. Tare’s warped, yelping vocal delivery dominates throughout, bouncing from euphoria (Todays Supernatural) to frantic (Monkey Riches) and the return of Deakin’s guitar to the fold is an incessant highlight.
Previous album, Apocalypso, may have been The Presets’ breakthrough, but unlike many artists who find commercial success, theirs was due to their originality rather than conformity – in a genre that rarely enjoys mainstream attention. The biggest challenge the Sydney duo had to face with Pacifica was to see if, not only could they back up Apocalypso, but reproduce that brilliant combination of catchy yet eccentric beats that only The Presets can make palatable.Opening track, Youth In Trouble, is probably a safe introduction to the album – both lyrically political yet musically accessible. Latest single, Ghosts, is a better example of why The Presets are such a pair of musical geniuses. The perplexing sound of a sea shanty soon becomes strangely appealing and you realise that only Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes could produce such an unexpected hit. Other standout tracks include Adults Only, the ode to their hometown with an eerie, somewhat sinister undertone, and Fast, which is a classic Presets song – equally at home on radio, in the clubs and at festivals. It boasts their signature haunting vocals, addictive hook and explosive build. It is obvious The Presets haven’t set out to create another Apocalypso or sat down intent on writing a radio-friendly album. There are plenty of club anthems to keep their hardcore fans happy, like Push or Fall, but those that were exposed to their music through songs like My People will find plenty to challenge them in tracks like Promises and the soaring final ballad, Fail Epic.
THE PRESETS Pacifica
This album is every bit as satisfying as you knew it would be. This is one occasion on which it’s okay to just mindlessly consume.
Centipede Hz is ablaze with noise and aggression, confusion and bluster, yet it’s indelibly an Animal Collective album, infused with starry-eyed wonder. They sign off with Amanita, an otherworldly mantra that promises more unearthly delights to come as Avey Tare chants “I’m gonna come back and things will be different/I’m gonna bring back some stories again” before they melt away into the ether.
Some may be disappointed The Presets have not pushed their boundaries even further after such a long hiatus and others will be relieved they haven’t produced a playlist of jingles. Pacifica may not be as daring as Apocalypso but it is everything we have come to expect from The Presets – brave, bold and progressive.
Mark Hebblewhite
Brendan Telford
Monique Cowper
themusic.com.au
SUGAR ARMY
Summertime Heavy Permanent/Shock There is a heavy air of menace hanging over Perth band Sugar Army’s second album. The follow-up to their 2009 debut, The Parallels Amongst Ourselves, was recorded last year in Sydney’s Big Jesus Burger with Scott Horscroft (Silverchair) and Eric J (Weezer) in the shadow of the departure of bass player Ian Berney. Arriving in Sydney as a three-piece, remaining members, singer Pat McLaughlin, guitarist Todd Honey and drummer Jamie Sher, have created something darkly cohesive and intriguing. Honey plays around with his role as primary guitarist, building a through line from album start to finish with the little guitar runs that propel these songs. While Honey guides the listener, McLaughlin provides much of the intrigue. A standoff-ish frontman, McLaughlin is able to build the mood with his phrasing and aloofness as his band works around him. And though the album revels in its darkness, it never trips up into oppressive. The band always keeps things moving along and Sher provides drumbeats that any indie fan raised on the likes of Editors and Bloc Party can get their groove on to. In the 12 months since the band recorded the album they’ve added two new musicians to the touring version of Sugar Army, so these songs will have morphed quite considerably by the time the band launch the album at their Sydney shows, but there’s a strong foundation here to work from. It’s been a long time between drinks for the band, but while Sugar Army are happy to inhabit the dark fringes of Perth’s rock scene we should be happy to accommodate them. Danielle O’Donohue
TIM ROGERS
BOB MOULD
THE SMITH STREET BAND
Four|Four/ABC/Universal
Merge/Shock
Poison City
If you’ve stuck with the now elegantly crumpled Timothy Adrian Rogers over the years, there are still insights to be had. Not as obvious as that boy mooning about that girl under the Glebe Point Bridge, but immerse yourself in these songs and you’ll find some truths. He’s that mostly quiet guy at your local who occasionally laughs a little too loud, but you like him when he just smiles and reveals softer snippets – like getting wistful about the kids he doesn’t see enough. That moment here is the self-explanatory Part Time Dads, where little events like wrapping the sandwiches become precious memories.
If Bob Mould never played another note after the drugsand-ego implosion of Husker Du as the ‘80s petered out, he’d still be a key – if sometimes contradictory – artist. Namechecked equally by the grunge, hardcore and wider alternative music worlds, his music came close to its due with the perfect storm of Sugar’s Copper Blue, before he then stepped away again – to mostly make acoustic music, which retained his energy and often cauterising honesty. A stunning autobiography, See A Little Light, had him bluntly deal with the demons of his addictions, along with his sexual confusion and eventual acceptance. A celebratory concert of the man and his work gave him a backing band of Dave Grohl and Ryan Adams among others.
They’ve shed the ‘Wil Wagner And’ and The Smith Street Band’s cohesion as a songwriting unit has come along in leaps and bounds. Where breakout debut, No One Gets Lost Anymore, held indelible traces of the singer/ songwriter in their fleshed-out versions of the songs, on Sunshine & Technology, the songs achieve a new understanding and utilisation of structure and balance, the three-guitar attack wielded with attuned maturity on album stand-outs like the just plain-old-ridiculouslygood I Can’t Feel My Face and What’s Changed. Young Drunk suggests those earlier days – a ditty-ish unadorned acoustic number – before swelling into the kind of anthemic ode to misfits that litter the album.
Silver Age
Rogers Sings Rogerstein
The music is a grab-bag of what he’s been listening to all his life. A whiff of bluegrass in Go On Out, Get Back Home, some slightly bleary-eyed country to Walkin’ Past The Bars. Of course, that title might be a lie. Those old T.Rex albums that often give me solace or an excuse to dance around the kitchen are also on the playlist. One O’ The Girls and another just right title – I Love You Just As You Are, Now Change – have the correct glam choogle to them. The difference is Marc Bolan used to make nonsense words sound important, where Rogers perhaps underplays the secrets and feelings in his lyrics. There’s even room for a good-natured slap at Beefy Jock Guys & Modern Dance Music. We applaud the revival of the fine Australian term ‘boofhead’ as a descriptor therein. As it closes with the Stonesy saunter of Let’s Be Dreadful, you know everything is going to be okay. At least until the next thing comes along to fuck it up. Ross Clelland
All that essentially clears the slate for this. Silver Age rages and growls, sneers and weeps, like his best work. His guitar howl, accurately self-described as “the sound of someone starting up a chainsaw in preparation for clearing a parcel of overgrown land,” spills out, while his gravel-flecked pleas lean into the maelstrom. And he can still spot the bullshit. Star Machine swipes at choosing celebrity over art. Feel free to put several suspects in that frame. Elsewhere he still identifies as a ‘small town kid’, but equally knows to ‘leave the children’s games behind.’ He then flips that – the attendant clip to the muscled swirl of The Descent has him as corporate drone throwing it in and heading back to the forest. But the best philosophy, advice and truth in title is probably Keep Believing. And while he keeps making music from his heart and guts like this, you should. Ross Clelland
themusic.com.au
Sunshine & Technology
From frontman Wil Wagner, a harried and hurried verbal assault, a frantic and honest spilling of guts, airing of grievances and justification of juvenility is presented in a stream of consciousness delivery that could be jarring were it not so genuine, and well-balanced with the reckless singalong moments that pepper the likes of Why I Can’t Draw and I Can’t Feel My Face. They grabbed all the right people’s attention with their debut, and thankfully seemed to give zero fucks (there is a song called Tom Busby – both the song and the man rule), instead simply stepping up their own game, working their arses off live (no doubt a contributing factor to the uniform quality of these ten tracks) and taking their raucous and infectious, beautifully scrappy folk punk to new heights that not even the hype could have predicted. Dave Drayton
THE DRUM MEDIA • 41
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THIS WEEK IN
ARTS
STC’s Face To Face
TUESDAY 4 Wilarious – Wil Anderson from The Gruen Transfer and Gruen Planet presents his new stand-up show. The Comedy Store, 7pm to 29 October.
WEDNESDAY 5 The Sea Project – writer Elise Hearst and director Paige Rattray first teamed up for last year’s Dirtyland. In this repeat collaboration, the duo tackle Hearst’s new play about migration, memories and a missing finger. Part of Griffin Independent Season, Opening Night, Griffin Theatre, 7pm to 29 September.
THURSDAY 6 Brave New Word – a presentation of original work from the NIDA graduating playwright class, six new plays in a series of moved readings. NIDA-Parade Studio, 7.30pm to 8 September.
FRIDAY 7 Launch of The Sydney Fringe – theme! There is a theme! it’s Fairytale. The opening night party of the Sydney Fringe 2012, featuring street artists, musicians and performance artists. Held in a warehouse, the only way Sydney should kick-off Fringe. LVL 1/17 Waterloo St, Surry Hills Australia Day – a new political satire written by Jonathan Biggins that explores Australian identity and national pride or lack there of. Directed by Richard Cottrell with Geoff Morrell and Alison Whyte. Opening night, Sydney Opera House: Drama Theatre, 8pm to 27 October. Violeta Went To Heaven – directed by Machuca’s Andrés Wood, this is an unconventional biopic of one of the most important and celebrated Latin American artists of all time, Chilean folksinger
Violeta Parra. Winner of this year’s Sundance World Cinema Jury Prize – Dramatic. Part of the Sydney/Latin America Film Festival. Dendy Opera Quays, 6.30pm.
SATURDAY 8 Despite The Gods – Jennifer Lynch’s assistant Penny Vozniak filmed Lynch while she was trying to make a Bolloywood film in India. Lynch has announced that this doco made her immensely prouder than the Bolloywood film disaster it documents. Part of the Sydney Fringe Festival and The Sydney Underground Film Festival, Factory Theatre, 12pm. Face To Face – originally a film by Ingmar Bergman that has been adapted for the stage by Andrew Upton and Simon Stone, with set design by Nick Schlieper, costume designs by Alice Babidge and music by Stefan Gregory. This is a psychological thriller that explores the route we all take to find wisdom in our lives. Closing night, STC, The Wharf, 8pm until 8 September.
Comedy Central to publicly humiliate no less than Donald Trump, Charlie Sheen and David Hassellhoff in Roast episodes on live television. “Oh boy, Donald Trump? He was my favorite Roast,” Jeselnik confesses, sounding immensely satisfied. “Charlie Sheen had just come out of a complete train wreck, and he needed to go on the Roast to show that he could still be funny and human, whereas Trump was just there to say ‘bring it on’. There’s no way you can hurt Donald Trump.”
TRAGIC COMEDY
US comedian Anthony Jeselnik finds humour in dark places. He talks with Callum Twigger about roasting Charlie Sheen and rape jokes. You’ve been warned. With a carved jaw line, blue eyes and impeccably level hair, Anthony Jeselnik could be modelling a thousand dollar sweater in a ridiculous black and white photograph for a brand you or me
LEAGUE OF HIS OWN
SUNDAY 9
Tommy Bradson – 2012 Sydney Fringe Artist
It’s quite an evolution for a man who graduated high school wanting to be a writer and studied classical Shakespeare. Jeselnik’s succinct and brutal comedy has just earned him his own, hour-long show on Comedy Central, and he is evenly ruthless about everything to almost everyone. “Every joke I have,
Do people resent him for his brutality? “If people get upset, I’ll sometimes get emails, where people say ‘That crossed the line for me, my uncle went through this’…‘My mum had breast cancer, she went through this,’ and I say to them, I’m a comedian, I’m not doing these things. I’m helping people laugh at them. If that doesn’t make you happy, I have no problem with that.” Not many comics can pull laughs routinely from material that normally makes for angry, bold-fonted, front-page newspaper headlines. Life can be cruel, but it’s a relief to have a comedian like Jeselnik drawing comedy from the cruelty. WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 16 September, Sit Down Comedy Club, 7pm
Until I started acting in The League. Now, we have our own league just for the people in the show. And I’m fucked. Totally addicted.”
Lunch Hour – a new play from Chris Aronsten, directed by Kate Gaul, about six struggling artists stuck in one call centre. A dark comedy about what we all do to get through the day – the distractions we create and the games that we play. Preview Performance, Darlinghurst Theatre, 8m to 7 October. THE DRUM MEDIA PRESENTS: God Bless America – Bob Goldthwaite’s black comedy about the terminally ill Frank and his unlikely accomplice in 16-year-old Roxy who are on a mission to rid society of its most repellent citizens. With free ice-creams and a party following the screening. Part of the Sydney Fringe Festival and The Sydney Underground Film Festival, Factory Theatre, 7pm.
could never afford. He doesn’t, at least, not yet. He makes comedy instead. Bleak comedy. Ruthless, dead-baby-in-toilet-bowl comedy. Comedy that has proven so popular, in fact, that he was invited by
Evidently thrilled by the experience, the comedian can readily justify his role in the network’s cathartic, semigladiatorial marathons of humiliation. You could hurt Charlie Sheen. But “You Trum Trump was just a machine that you cou could… peel layers off. You knew he w was going home to a beautiful wife and a giant pile of money,” Jes Jeselnik admits. The glee in his voic voice is infectious. Jeselnik cracks bon bones to get at the marrow. As for She Sheen himself? “You’ve made more wom women have abortions than the test for Down Syndrome,” Jeselnik slun slung at the dishevelled actor with a grin in front of 6.4 million view viewers. If popular comedy didn’t know who Jeselnik was before the Sheen Roast, it did afterwards.
something awful is happening. I’ve jokes about suicide, child molestation, abortion – every terrible thing. Every joke offends someone in my act.” As he makes blindingly obvious, rape, murder, substance abuse and random acts of violence are essentially the fundamentals of his act. “I try and give the audience a relief of tension. If I have a joke about something horrible, and that builds the tension up that much more, so the laugh is bigger. In essence, I’m making people laugh at the worst things in the world,” he admits, with the glowing pride another artist might take in admitting they’d studied classical theatre. Making people laugh at sexual assault and death can understandably get a comic into a world of pain.
Indie-movie auteur Markk Duplass mumbles to Anthony Carew about annoyinglyut the annoyingly titled genre he helped kick-start, and his latest acting effort in Your Sister’s Sister. Mark Duplass is everywhere in 2012, achieving some kind of indie-movie omnipresence. There are two films he’s made, as writer/ director, alongside his brother Jay, Jeff Who Lives At Home and The Do-Deca-Pentathlon, both of which, thanks to the quirks of their making, are being released this year. As actor, Duplass is also starring in indie sleepers Your Sister’s Sister and Safety Not Guaranteed, has small roles in prestige-pic blandeur Darling Companion and People Like Us, and even has a role in Kathryn Bigelow’s hunt-forObama thriller, Zero Dark Thirty.
“I’m not allowed to say much about Zero Dark Thirty,” warns Duplass, staying behind the film’s veil of secrecy. “Except that it’s awesome. And I think it will be the movie of the year. And even then, maybe I’ve said too much.” A former member of the indie band Volcano, I’m Still Excited!, Duplass began making short films in 2002, and proved a huge catalyst in the mumblecore movement (“I hate that word,” Duplass sighs) with the microbudget 2005 feature, The Puffy Chair, in which he co-wrote, co-directed and co-starred. He was soon acting in a host of, well, mumblecore
movies, despite never having designs on stardom, as he admits.
This month finds The League launching its fourth season, and both Your Sister’s Sister and Safety Not Guaranteedd releasing on local screens. The latter is a cult c film that takes a time-travel-centric time-travel-centr Internet beyond meme and grants it a dignity dig schadenfreude, the quirky, quirk nerdy story and presence of Aubrey Plaza pushing it towards cult film status. statu “It certainly seems that way. It just keeps k playing and playing in the th States. I’m totally humbled and flattered f by the way people have taken to it, the word of mouth it’s gotten.” There’s more to this story
on the iPad
“I never thought I would become an actor. It just sort of grew naturally out of the indie filmmaking process, where everyone wears a bunch of different hats. After that, I just got lucky that other people wanted to put me in their movies.”
Your Sister’s Sister reunites Duplass with Lynn Shelton, with whom he made 2009’s Humpday, and finds he, Emily Blunt and Rosemarie DeWitt in an indie comedy where one dude lands between two sisters during a weekend at an isolated cabin. “I Those people included Noah Baumbach, gave the story idea to Lynn and we who granted Duplass his first big-budget built it together to be a small film that could be shot in under two role, in Greenberg. From there, Duplass weeks in a few locations,” Duplass scored a career break when cast as says. “There was no script at all. a lead in the fantasy-football-themed We worked from a treatment and sitcom, The League. Now he can wax improvised every piece of dialogue nerdy like no one’s business (“I nabbed in the film. We kept it small and Peyton Hillis season before last off collaborative so we could make the waivers; goddamn it was beautiful!”), exact film that we wanted to make.” but when cast, Duplass was unfamiliar WHAT: Your Sister’s Sister with fake sports. “I was a big NFL fan growing up,” he explains, “but I’m a WHEN & WHERE: Opens workaholic and never allowed myself nationally Thursday 6 September to get caught up in fantasy sports.
THE DRUM MEDIA • 43
FRONTROW@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU
REVIEWS
C U LT U R A L
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD FILM When we look back at cinema in 2012, The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises will probably first come to mind, what with their enormous box office totals and spectacle. But there’s another hero that deserves a place alongside these caped crusaders and her name is Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis). Hushpuppy is a fearless six-yearold who resides in a fictitious Southern bayou community called The Bathtub – basically a ramshackle town surrounded by rising waters and filled with a warm, merrymaking community waiting for the inevitable floods, in director Benh Zeitlen’s debut film. There she spends her days adventuring, getting survival advice from her father Wink (non-actor Dwight Henry) – himself mostly
CONVERSATION PIECE THEATRE Belvoir Street Theatre Three actors, three dancers, one stage and an unscripted conversation; Lucy Guerin’s Conversation Piece takes these elements and puts them through various permutations in a manner similar to Raymond Queneau’s literary Exercises In Style. The results manage not only to pull apart the building blocks of conversation and social interaction – by examining each element; an exchange, an utterance, a glance or an offer, in an unexpected light or from an unusual perspective – a desire cited by Guerin, but also lay an interesting platform for ‘potential’ performance; what, if anything, can be made from these elements and their myriad combinations? It begins with an eight-minute conversation as dancers Harriet Ritchie, Rennie McDougall and Alisdair Macindoe broach projectile
It’s set in a fairly typical dystopian future, where there are only two inhabitable places left on Earth; The United Federation of Britain and “The Colony”. Yep, it might only be the two of us left, but at least we’ll still have the Ashes to look forward to. As a sci-fi/action movie, 44 • THE DRUM MEDIA
To say anymore is unnecessary; Beasts Of The Southern Wild is, simply put, one of the year’s best films. Troy Mutton In cinemas nationally September 13
WITH JAMELLE WELLS Belvoir’s Helpmann Award-winning production, The Wild Duck, has opened to a standing ovation in Oslo. The production was picked as part of The International Ibsen Festival, hosted each year by Norway’s National Theatre. Performances have also apparently been met with standing ovations and chants of ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi! Oi! Oi!’. Meantime Belvoir Artistic Director Ralph Myers has given himself a dream job – directing Noël Coward’s razor sharp comedy, Private Lives, in Sydney. Coward wrote the famous play in just four days when he was convalescing in Shanghai with flu. The Short & Sweet play festival is expanding to Dubbo in western NSW. A season of ten-minute plays by local writers will also feature local directors and actors. In just ten years the festival has expanded across Australia and to India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong. Dubbo locals who will take part in the festival include television news presenter Will North, who himself has ambitions to write plays, film scripts and novels. It’s no surprise, after a string of poor ratings results, that Channel Ten’s head of programming David Mott has quit. Ten’s new show, Everybody Dance Now, was pulled after just three episodes. Some of its other post-Olympics offerings, such as Don’t Tell The Bride, have also been lame. David Williamson has been commissioned by the MTC to write a play about Rupert Murdoch. Rupert opens next August, but no decision has been made as to who will be in the cast. Virgin Australia communications executive Danielle Keighery has
been added to the Biennale of Sydney Board of Directors. Keighery has previously been responsible for corporate and public relations and issues management, and has also worked for a number of multinational companies including Nokia. Lee Lewis has been appointed Griffin’s new Artistic Director, taking over from Sam Strong in January 2013. Lewis is currently Associate Director at Griffin and one of the country’s leading directors, having worked for numerous main stage companies, including STC, Belvoir and Bell Shakespeare, as well as independent theatre companies. She has been an outspoken advocate for increased cultural diversity on Australia’s main stages and a leading voice for the representation of female directors and playwrights. In November, some of the biggest Australian names in food, film and books will take part in the 2012 Kings Cross Cultural Festival, celebrating all that’s good about the area. With funding from the City of Sydney, the festival hopes to include writers Louis Nowra and Mandy Sayer, as well as award-winning food critic Terry Durack and food and recipe writer Jill Dupleix. Stars of blockbuster Australian film, The Sapphires, have joined Arts Minister Simon Crean and Indigenous Employment and Economic Development Minister Julie Collins to launch a new work and training program that will create jobs for Indigenous Australians. Screen Australia’s $1.1 million Media RING Indigenous Employment Strategy will create 40 new jobs for Indigenous Australians in sectors including newspapers, new media, film and television.
ART S TA R T E R
Dave Drayton Running until Sunday 16 September
We thought Treasure Island was magnificent because there were muskets, swords and fake deaths. The show was so popular the audience demanded it tour Australia and so they docked in NSW. Jim Hawkins (Thomas Larkin) is a twelve year old boy with a mind for adventure. He is made a cabin boy on the boat, Hispaniola. However, some of the crew are pirates and are planning to take over the boat and maroon the others on the mysterious
A remake of the 1990 Schwarzenegger movie from director Len Wiseman (Die Hard 4.0), Total Recall, centres on a confused but dishy Colin Farrell (Miami Vice) who spends most of the movie battling an existentialist fug as to his real identity, not to mention innumerable, heavily armoured police robots.
It’s a magical film, viewed through the eyes of a young girl who is in touch with the earth around her (she listens to the heartbeats of everything), filled with fantastical elements; once she learns of prehistoric beasts called Aurochs, thunder becomes the ice caps melting, setting the beasts free and floods racing toward The Bathtub. And while Henry is brilliant as Hushpuppy’s rabble-rousing yet loving father, Wallis shines as the fierce, strong-willed and emotional youngster, her whimsical narration of the events at hand as heartbreaking as it is beautiful.
vomiting, the Technocalypse, sex dolls and seafood, and a whole lot more. Recorded live to iPhones, it is then performed verbatim by Alison Bell, Matthew Whittet and Megan Holloway, all plugged into earphones. From here the conversation is warped, pulled apart and reconstructed before our eyes: played out as an awkard conversation on a train, as rhythm-driven interpretive dance, as fierce interrogation, as babbled nonsense. It occasionally drags, at times the content feeling too familiar or repetitive, but it’s the subtle nuances that arise from each permutation that make the work so intriguing, and the enormous and multifaceted skill of the entire cast ensure that the potential of this work comes to the fore. And in this case, it is, after all, the potential that is so engaging, more than enough to stir desires for a repeat viewing (or two, three…). Conceptually, Guerin has created the framework for a piece that cannot be exhausted.
TREASURE ISLAND THEATRE
TOTAL RECALL FILM
drunk and trying to keep a mystery illness from his daughter who lives in a separate “house” to him since her mother left the community.
CRINGE
the science is rehashed and very familiar. The action is the real selling point; unrelenting, inventive and finely polished – there are a number of memorable sequences, including some seriously cramped elevator combat and a zero G firefight. The writing is fairly pedestrian, packed with exposition and nearconstant reminders of the film’s basic premise. But the concept of Total Recall still works, as any underachieving Joe who feels their life should’ve been far more spectacular and explosion-filled can slip into the fantasy that they’re secretly destined to save the planet, or at least “The Colony”. Christopher H James
treasure island. Everything depends on him to save the crew and the amazing Hispaniola. The lighting and special effects were splendid throughout the play. The sounds were very realistic and they made us feel like we really were on the boat. Director Michael Futcher allowed our day at school to be much more interesting. If you think this is the play for you jump on board but if not then walk the plank. Bondi P.S. Class 4W Seasoned closed at Darlinghurst Theatre
Five minutes with
WILL EUBANK
Gone are the days of the garage tinkerer. Those warm Saturday afternoons where the neighbourhood air was filled with industrious husbands sawing and hammering their good ideas into reality. Well Will Eubank is bringing the art of craftsmanship back. At 28 and wearing all the major production hats, his debut feature film Love is wowing audiences globally with its luscious cinematic feel. The rub; Eubank handcrafted each complex set in his parent’s backyard in Southern California. “I wasn’t sort of making any money at the time,” reflects Eubank on the experience, “so I needed a place where I could relax and put all my energy into it but still eat mum’s cooking. “Originally we had tried to rent a space station but that was a little too expensive so, I was like, you know maybe I can build something like this. That just took a couple of years and before you know it, we were shooting a movie.” A project of this scope and scale were not without their dark moments as Eubank looks back on the process. “It’s three in the morning and I’m
pushing water off the top of the space station. It’s built outside and we’re like having the winter storms. And not just one night but for like nights after a row where I couldn’t do anything but sit outside in the space station all night, by myself, and push water off the top. So it’s crazy and I remember at that time feeling very angry about the whole thing, and being like ‘Goddammit! What am I doing living at home doing this?’ The flipside of that anger was that I had a tonne of creative freedom to basically do whatever I wanted. “It was just very like ‘I think I might just go and get a coffee and then maybe a Snickers bar and I’m going to sit on this bucket and I’m going to think about how I’m going to build a cannon today.’” he says with a laugh. “As I get deeper and deeper into bigger movies and things like that I’ll look back and be like ‘you know what, it was worth the headaches for that creative freedom that now just isn’t possible.” Simon Holland WHAT: Love WHEN & WHERE: In cinemas nationally
FRONTROW@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU
MADE YOU
LOOK
WITH BETHANY SMALL
A Field Guide to Not Liking Art: To clarify, this is not an instructional essay on how to inculcate, nurture or maintain a dislike of creative expression of the kind that can be classed as art. That is something which, however well-qualified I sometimes feel during my moodier moods, I only really contemplate after particularly long and unrewarding weeks, and this week has been adequately charming. To clarify further, and positively, what I am attempting here is a sort of sketch of an etiquette for how to like art but dislike particular instances of it in a reasonable and polite manner. My feeling that there is a need for such an attempt arises from two very simple, diametrically opposed phenomena I have observed ongoingly (yes, I know) in my day-to-day experience of being a person whose only potential uses to the other survivors after the fall of civilisation as we know it would be explaining when things are or are not words, and knowing the street addresses of art galleries in Sydney from memory. These phenomena are: point 1) people acting like arseholes, and point 2) people trying, out of a weird mix of insecurity, general valuing of niceness and possibly knowing an involved party personally, to avoid acting like arseholes. The first of these is pretty simple: someone goes to a show and either isn’t interested in or doesn’t like what’s
movie whose sly symbolism and profound parable give it extra edge in contemporary Russia.
in it. Cool, okay, that happens and there is no obligation anyone is under to be in love with or even give half a shit about any particular exhibition. But it’d be great if those people could not be openly rude about these things, either by loudly announcing nuanceless negative verdicts or huddling as far as they can from the artworks with their plastic cups of what they appear to have come for with no intention of paying attention to the work. The latter kind of behaviour is pretty annoying, sure, but not the end of anyone’s world. I mean, at least there are people at the opening? The latter is different, though. Please please please, by all means, don’t go around feeling like you have to be trying to find the best in everything (see point 2) like some kind of self-abnegating Pollyanna, but don’t try to use your dislike to get mileage. Say whatever you want to your friends and in an indoor voice, and if you’re not interested maybe leave it at that. Or if you really dislike something, and you’re unwilling to let it go and want to express that publicly, think about why you dislike it and articulate something critical rather than something hateful. Look at things in a social and historical context, consider their potential value to others, recognise that this is something that someone has made and has, to the best of your knowledge, attempted to make well and imbue with meaning. And let’s not go crazy, but couldn’t you do the same with your opinion? (Okay I guess point 2) gets dealt with next time. #SOMANYOPINIONS)
RUSSIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Our resident film guru Anthony Carew casts his gaze over the upcoming Russian Film Festival. The local Russian Film Festival has always been referred to as the Russian Resurrection, and that notion of bringing back the past – of bringing back former national/artistic glories from the dead – is often reflected in the programming. Frequently, there is an incongruousness between the new Russian cinema shown – which is often, to be honest, awful commercial crap – and the old classics from
ART
JOHN VAN DER PUT If an actor was to play you in a movie who would it be? Hopefully someone who could bring life to a magical, mythical creature. Andy Serkis maybe? Just as long as it’s not the guy who plays Barney. What’s the most cringeworthy thing you’ve seen on stage ? A performer breaking down. It’s not therapy... Where was the weirdest place you’ve seen a performance? I saw an amazing show at the Wardorf-Astoria in New York City by Steve Cohen, The
There are also two films (which doesn’t really re seem like enough to denote a retrospective) adapted including Mikhalkov’s from Chekhov, Chek Unfinished Piece For A Player Piano, of That Worthless his adaptation adapta that, on its 1977 Fellow Platonov Pla release, was w already deemed determinedly traditionalist and olddetermine fashioned, and which four decades fashioned helped; if you want zany haven’t he dubbed badly over bawdy voices du this is the place. There’s also acting, th another – new, contemporary – film dramatising the playwright’s latter dramatisin years, The Admirer. And it, too, struggles with audio sync issues, though, too, this may be a device of signposted old-fashionedness. Vitaly Melnikov’s drama is of determinedly Chekhovian conceit: setting up that period-piece staple – the torrid, scandalous affair – but refusing to hew towards such dramatic simplicity, revelling, instead, in torturned, torn morality. Lovingly tending to turn-of-the-century settings and wardrobe – this is, let it be known, a frock movie – the slightly-
Millionaires’ Magician. Cohen lives there too [the WardorfAstoria] Clever clever clever. What was the first play you saw? One of the [Shakespeare’s] Henrys. Possibly the fourth one. I missed the first three so I had no idea what was going on. If you weren’t a performer, what would you be doing? Drawing cartoons, but I can’t really draw, so luckily I’m a performer. WHAT: Piff The Magic Dragon Part of the Sydney Fringe Festival WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 15 September to Sunday 23, Sydney Opera House: Playhouse
The Cirque du Soleil big ig top has been invaded by insects forr OVO; and yes yes, they do think they can dance. As Marjon van Grunsven and Michelle Matlock tell carny correspondent Paul Ransom, this time the bugs will not be ironed out. The new millennium circus boom has made acrobatics sexy and the creators of Quebec’s Cirque du Soleil extraordinarily wealthy. It’s also brought about a once unlikely marriage between the big top and the theatre, so much so that the latest Cirque show to land on these shores is being steered by two female choreographers, Deborah Colker and Dutch born Marjon van Grunsven.The show in question, OVO, is an intricate insectoid love story featuring more than 50
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performers, many of whom have been trained to “dance like insects”. Artistic director van Grunsven declares that dance and circus are natural companions. “Dance, like acrobatics, starts in a very technical way,” she explains. “Y’know, you learn the steps, you learn the terms and you start to execute them, and then when you get really good at it you can start to explore and improvise. An acrobat will do his or her tricks just like a dancer would do a pirouette or any of their tricks.”
The new films on display pretty much reassert such a position: from amongst the commercial dreck and hysterical drama cluttering the program, all of what I’ve seen has been pretty awful. Starting with August 8th, a wannabe all-action blockbuster that sets a stupendouslyshitty family drama against the South Ossetia war, which is depicted with unstinting, unsettling propaganda, the unseen Georgians an invisible menace out to shoot high-tech missiles into buses filled with children. Against such noxious shrines to contemporary interventionist military might, we get an even-more-regrettable narrative, about a tediously ‘good’ mother trying to reunite with her snivelling son, who is so detached from reality the only way he can cope is by imagining his world as a verypoorly-animated computer-game. Two more awful movies: Home and Siberia, Mon Amour, both ensemble pieces set in rural shitholes, in which the local-theatre-production-level acting is all screeching, pantomimed drunkenness (hic!) and characters slapping each other endlessly. If this is the Resurrection, who died for such cinematic sins? WHAT: Russian Resurrection Film Festival WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 30 August to Sunday 12 September, Chauvel Cinema
able to incorporate their tricks into our choreography. This is fantastic.” Meanwhile, down on the gground American performer Michelle Matlock is revelling in the show’s lead role, Ladybug. Although OVO is undeniably ‘cirque’ it is also a love story. As Matlock says it, “The ladybug begins as this sort of lonely character in this community of insects. She’s sort of waiting for her love to come and finally one day this city fly shows up with this incredible egg. So, it’s like a bug meets bug story.”Having toured North America and played to a two million people, Ovo‘s Australian tour takes in five mainland capitols and runs for more than a year. With its trademark blend of circus trickery, big budget staging and family friendly thematics, the insects of OVO will It is in the collision of physicality that the two disciplines coalesce; and under surely pack out tents However, Cirque du Soleil always tries to transcend the blue and yellow grand chapiteau of its circus origins. “The overall theme Cirque du Soleil such pairings are not only possible but executed on a massive of the show is love and you see that even within the circus acts,” Matlock scale. While that clearly represents a explains. “The storyline weaves in choreographic challenge, working with between everything and makes it acrobats unused to the more subtle feel complete, so that you’re not just exactness of dance turned out to be going ‘there’s an amazing act, there’s more liberating than limiting. “From an amazing act’. It makes it a real a choreographic standpoint there is full bodied show.” From Marjon van nothing more exciting than being able Grunsven’s perspective, OVO is more to work with bodies that can do more than a well-choreographed circus. than you ever dreamt of being able to “We just wanted to do something do yourself,” van Grunsven enthuses. with insects,” she says, “and perhaps As always Cirque delivers spectacle, renew for the audience a respect for technical perfection and considerable the life of insects and for the earth.” daring, particularly when it comes to the flying acts. OVO is about insects, WHAT: OVO airborne athleticism is only to be WHEN & WHERE: Thursday expected. “So it’s our task to get 13 September to Sunday 2 these acrobats to move and dance,” November, The Showring, van Grunsven says, “but at the same Entertainment Quarter time we get this extra gift of being
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S TA R T E R
Five minutes with
Tarkovsky, Mikhalkov or Eistenstein that are brought out annually. Which isn’t to say the festival is entirely lacking in contemporary cinematic worth; last year found a blessed screening of Alexander Mindadze’s Innocent Saturday, a slice of historyas-in-the-moment-vérité in which the citizens of Chernobyl go about their lives whilst the nuclear reactor burns, the film an anti-disaster-
There’s nothing so interesting in the 2012 festival, which doesn’t even have the typical retrospective-ofa-master to fall back on. Instead, there’s a three-film program of movies set against the Napoleonic Wars of 1812, including Sergei Bondarchuck’s infamously-overadaptation of the-top seven-hour se Peace, a slice of cinematic War & Pe grandeur in which the Soviet Empire marshalled, like, half-a-million marshalle citizens to stage a nationalist epic.
off dubbing almost seems like a deliberate attempt to make it play as not-contemporary, which is perfectly in keeping with the retromania of the Resurrection, where the past is always superior to the present.
46 • THE DRUM MEDIA
FEATURE TOUR
SHIHAD
Following an appearance at this year’s Splendour In The Grass festival, where they also premiered the documentary Shihad: Beautiful Machine, Shihad also recently released in Australia their 38-song career retrospective, The Meanest Hits, and they’re travelling the country on what’s been dubbed, naturally, The Meanest Tour. You can catch them performing at The Metro on Friday 7 September with The Snowdroppers and The Upskirts.
FRONTLASH SAM STOSUR
Although LMFAO have been flogged to death courtesy a certain reality TV show promo and everyone’s probably sick to death of hearing and seeing them and their antics, we thought it cute when Aussie tennis player Sam Stosur did a little shuffle on court in tribute to one of the LMFAOers who was in attendance at her game.
NSW LABOR They have a Labor Loves Live music campaign, which they launched last week. While politicians rarely get kudos in these parts, anyone that’s attempting to aid the live music scene via planning controls, increased building standards etc is okay by us. Hopefully this will stop things like NIMBYs moving in close proximity to a live music venue and demanding it shut down because of noise, among other things.
BACKLASH VALE HAL DAVID
The iconic songwriter has passed away aged 91. It brings a final curtain on one of those songwriting partnerships that stands high above others. Based on the David/Bacharach credit, you knew you’d get quality and some of their songs are timeless pop classics. The two stand equals alongside other legendary partnerships such as Lennon/McCartney and Jagger/Richards.
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Apocalyptica @ The Hi-Fi. Pic By Josh Groom
Apocalyptica @ The Hi-Fi. Pic By Josh Groom
APOCALYPTICA RISE OF AVERNUS THE HI-FI: 31/08/12
Bridging the gap between Katatonia, Nightwish and Anathema, Sydney’s Rise Of Avernus visibly revelled in airing cuts from their self-titled debut EP to a well-populated room. Despite only being afforded a mere half-hour, the prog-doomsters
acquitted themselves well enough to not appear lost on such a large stage. Splashes of gothic keys, beauty and the beast vocal trade-offs and Andrew Craig’s hard-hitting drumming were cornerstones of a warmly received display. Perhaps some intricacies were lost in the shuffle mix-wise, but they clearly finished the night with some new devotees. The smattering of European festival shirts indicated selected punters had previously trekked to foreign lands to catch Apocalyptica. Evidently though,
many had waited a decade or more to finally witness the distorted, effects-laden cello-wielding Finns in action. The packed venue gave them a hero’s welcome on their first visit to these parts, but how effectively their cellocore (joking, like we need further over-classification in heavy music) would translate to a more intimate setting across 100 minutes was a source of curiosity. After nearly 20 years though, the predominantly instrumental quartet possess sizeable stage presence and are old hands at pacing. They maintained the crowd’s attention via a mix of sheer showmanship (shameless rock moves, impressive windmill headbanging), littering the set with expected Metallica covers and enlisting touring vocalist Tipe Johnson for a handful of tracks. There were also a nod to Sepultura and a solo spot that briefly lost the crowd’s attention as punters instead chatted among themselves. Johnson’s Geoff Tate-esque tones lent a decidedly fresh slant to Corey Taylor’s studio effort on the infectious
themusic.com.au
Still commercial television networks don’t get it, but at least ABC is leading the way in presenting overseas TV shows. While some newtworks’ ideas of “fast tracking” involve showing episodes of shows up to a week after their air date, ABC put up online the newest Doctor Who episode, which had literally just aired in the UK, almost straight away and was rewarded with a massive viewing audience the next day (in terms of views on their online portal at least). I’m Not Jesus; ditto for Gavin Rossdale’s End Of Me. Johnson also substituted for Lauri Ylönen (The Rasmus) on Life Burns! and Adam Gontier (Three Days Grace) for I Don’t Care, showcasing added versatility. Hearty singalongs ensued. These were not as passionate as the audience interaction for renditions of Metallica classics though. Furiously precise drummer Mikko Sirén made playing Master Of Puppets appear far more effortless than Lars Ulrich has in eons, also ably holding down the fort in Dave Lombardo’s absence during thrashed-up Last Hope. Somewhere, late composer Michael Kamen was looking on, smiling, as they tackled Nothing Else Matters. Further crowd-pleasers (One, Seek And Destroy, inevitable Enter Sandman), which Apocalyptica has long proven tailor-made for them, completed an inaugural display that surely surpassed the expectations of all parties. Obey your master(s). Brendan Crabb THE DRUM MEDIA • 47
Greene’s familiar yet anomalous quality. Older tracks Some Simplicity, Pretty Girls and Work Love Dance Trust went over well with the locals and introduced newcomers to the exhilaration, power and calm that is Greene’s voice. Get Over It and Alive, Not Just Living rocked things along and got the crowd dancing.
The Beach Boys @ Allphones Arena Pic: Josh Groom
Undeniably the highlight of the night came after the curfew, with amps unplugged and sitting alone on the floor with his guitar, Greene delivered the most astonishing cover of 2012. His rendition of The Whole Of The Moon was truly spellbinding. Playing unaccompanied and vulnerable made his voice all the more vivid. You can grab his new album, Behind The Stars, but to hear him at his best, get along to a gig and when he asks for requests, embrace your inner bogan and shout “Khe Sanh”. Kristy Wandmaker
FBI RADIO’S 9TH BIRTHDAY PARTY KINGS CROSS HOTEL: 31/08/12
FBi’s ninth birthday was sold out by the time that doors opened and, even early in the evening, each stage seemed packed. Sydney’s premier music community radio station brought together some of the city’s most noteworthy acts. From the huge, cinematic art rock sounds of Charge Group, to the neat, strung-out indie rock/pop tunes of Sures, to the ethereal electronic noises of the increasingly notorious Bon Chat, Bon Rat, the lineup demonstrated the ways in which FBi Radio has supported and invested in music of all genres.
THE BEACH BOYS
up on Charlestown Road listening to the gears shift all night, to trying to love a Troubled Man. The gangly guy whose name’s above hers joined her to add to that duet.
Good old-fashioned family fun; as clichéd as it sounds that’s exactly what’s on offer from the Californian kings of surf rock, The Beach Boys. The legendary group’s collection of inoffensive hits is so extensive there’s a scheduled intermission in order to endure a setlist that’s 52 tracks strong. With the youngest surviving member well into their sixties, the question existed as to whether The Beach Boys could still deliver with the kind of gusto necessary to pull off such spirited music. Yet despite physically showing their age, the Boys quickly prove that their rich trademark harmonies have lost none of their shine as various vocals intertwine over the session band’s massive sound.
Tim Rogers’ audience lets him build his performance around the new Rogers Sings Rogerstein album, which few would have heard. All Or Nothing, as the opening song had it. From that, to the bittersweet Part Time Dads – and on. He doesn’t just wear his heart on his sleeve; it’s up on his shoulder, letting you count the scars on it.
ALLPHONES ARENA: 30/08/12
Mike Love’s vocals are especially defiant of time, with a pitch and tone akin of his younger self. Love handles most of the verbal interaction with the crowd, wisecracking about the band’s age and dubbing AJ Jardine as a ‘Dom-dooby-ologit’ who explains that the harmony-heavy Come Go With Me was written before the band could afford instruments. As the set moves through favourites such as When I Grow Up and Don’t Worry Baby the crowd begins to rise from their seats in greater numbers. By the time the first half of the show concludes with high-tempo classics Little Deuce Coupe and Get Around the casual stroll down memory lane has morphed into a highway cruise with the top down. The second half of the show opens up with a focus on the obviously beloved Brian Wilson. His vocals are perhaps the most weathered but still work perfectly for his sombre ballads. I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times feels expressly weighty as does Sloop John B, each touching on a displacement that seems to haunt Wilson onstage. Tribute is paid to Wilson’s departed brothers Dennis and Carl, with the latter’s prerecorded voice is used for the lead vocals on God Only Knows. The vibe begins to lift behind blistering renditions of Good Vibrations and Help Me, Rhonda with everyone up singing and dancing, often being led by Bruce Johntson, who spends half his time conducting the crowd with his hands and is clearly having a blast. The encore concludes on Barbara Ann and Fun, Fun, Fun before the arena erupts with a standing ovation. In a time when pessimism if often traded as artistic truth, The Beach Boys prove music doesn’t have to edgy to be moving. Marc Zanotti
TIM ROGERS, CATHERINE BRITT FACTORY THEATRE: 31/08/12
It’s sometimes uncomfortably compelling to witness an industry elder share anecdotes, lament past relationships and possibly drink too much. But enough about me. This night, it’s Tim Rogers who does that – on stage. Sure, he makes many of the same mistakes as we mere mortals, but makes them more stylishly – and then writes a song about it. Catherine Britt even referenced one of those songs of his by way of introduction: “Hi, I’m the support band.” She proved her country credentials by having Bill Chambers – Dead Ringers, Kasey’s dad, etc – alongside, plus songs that seemed she’d lived a 100 years rather than the less than 30 she has. Plaintive, honest songs of growing 48 • THE DRUM MEDIA
There were other snippets of his solo canon, the family thread strong. Rifling through the old Creem magazines in My Brother’s Room or Goldfields Blues’ flying back to the hometown. And his other families: “That band that saved my life, and this band that affirms life.” This one is quite a combo: drummer Gus Agars, keyboardist Cameron Bruce and just-simply-best guitarist Shane O’Mara. They followed as Rogers switched through country laments to chugging glam and the big theatrical flourish that full-stopped The Songs They Played As I Drove Away. They pisstake The Doors, do Dave Edmunds’ and/or Elvis Costello’s Girls Talk and a snippet of The Band’s Don’t Do It country funk. O’Mara and Rogers later run at Dylan’s Boots Of Spanish Leather just a glory. Timmy informed us he considered himself “ugly as a boot”. Yep, I’ve got a pair of battered Blundstones I love and couldn’t live without either. Ross Clelland
PAUL GREENE & THE OTHER COLOURS, STEVE LANE & THE AUTOCRATS, NICOLE BROPHY HERITAGE HOTEL: 31/08/12
Having fought through snow to get to the gig, currently homeless in the midst of a move north, you can understand why it took a minute for Nicole Brophy to settle. By the time she played Rock It, her Alannah Myles-style whiskey molasses voice had simultaneously welcomed the crowd with a bear hug and slapped a shot in front of them to signal the start of an adventure. Somewhere between Ricki Lee Jones, La Roux and Beth Orton, the track Jack And Jill showed exactly how Brophy offers more than the usual folk chanteuse. Playing as a three-piece, the usually five-strong Steve Lane & The Autocrats didn’t make a fuss of saying hello, preferring to launch into their set. Billy Braggstyle storytelling was made popular in Australia by the likes of Paul Kelly and Mick Thomas, but sadly there has been a dearth of artists to carry the torch this century. Lane and co fill this void, with a Cure or Church romance overlaying Geldof-esque social commentary. Tickertape and So Real were highlights, while Far Far Away wryly echoed My Sweet Lord. Wanting to add some oomph, they sincerely asked for a drummer in the room and were joined by the headliner himself. Jokes aside, for a singer he’s not a bad drummer. Paul Greene is a south coast surfer, a road-weary rock god, has pop sensibilities as well as indie cred and always delivers insightful songwriting direct from the pages of your soul. With a bandolier of harmonicas, a sax, flute and chimes joining the more traditional acoustic, bass and drums, the set-up matched the mood of the night. His performance of the Aussie pub classic, Khe Sanh – the soulful way Don Walker intended it to be played – epitomised
Charge Group have enormous scope to their music; like rooms you can get lost in, their sound seems to expand to fill the space. The band has this incredible ability to weave really strong, gorgeous guitar and violin lines to create a whole spectrum of emotion. On tracks with vocals, the grand, full voice works with the violin elements to lend a kind of tragic, timeless air to the band’s music. There is a strange cocktail of sounds here; whilst tracks like The Gold Is Gone are full of this huge, cinematic aura, tracks like Run – full of gritty guitar lines, plucked violin and shouted vocals – are a little darker and a littler dirtier. Sures are an up-and-coming indie pop/rock band progressively developing an interesting sound – luxuriant, bubbling melodies, with these spaced-out, pushed back rhythms. Jonas Nicholls’ vocals have an enjoyable, melodic quality and the band’s lyricism is the dreamy, verging on bizarre stuff of ‘60s garage pop. However, they have a tendency towards quite formulaic, two-dimensional songwriting, which seems something of a pity when this band without doubt has the talent to break the mould a little more. Bon Chat, Bon Rat, by contrast, are doing something otherworldly, completely bizarre and, in the end, unique. With driving, offbeat rhythms and ghostly, high-pitched vocals, accompanied by crazy, distorted keys, it’s a wonder that this band manage to pack in audiences like they do. Yet there’s also a kind of alien beauty to the sparse, sonic landscapes they create. The band draw on deep, synthesised club beats, strange organ sounds and plaintive vocals. Their tracks are not anthemic, but they’re also not predictable; Bon Chat Bon Rat are ambitiously developing a sound no one has really heard before.
At the moment of truth, Dappled Cities seemed to appear out of nowhere – admittedly, there had been rumours circulating throughout the evening, but this reviewer hadn’t wanted to believe them for fear of disappointment. This band is the perfect example of indie rock done right: neat, tight instrumentals and the kind of emotive lyrics that can be shouted back to the band. They had the venue at capacity, with at least 200 people bopping up and down to the band’s decade-long back catalogue. These guys are professionals. Veterans of the Sydney music scene, Dappled Cities were the perfect choice to round out an evening that emphasised the incredible nature of the music that is coming out of Sydney today. Jessie Hunt
THE LAURELS, WITCH HATS, EAST RIVER ANNANDALE HOTEL: 01/09/12
A packed house at the recently renovated ‘Dale greeted surf-rock trio East River to the stage and amongst all the super garage sound and vocals you could hardly hear, beat the hearts of three gents who just want to get wasted and make music. Each song seemed to end whenever one of the band members got bored and so their set being partly disjointed also felt like we had stumbled in on a not-drunk-but-on-my-way jam session. Melbourne’s Witch Hats returned to Sydney, performing a number of the tracks from last year’s Pleasure Syndrome LP as part of their guttering, post-rock performance. A bass guitar glitch at the start only fuelled their resolve and it was a strong performance that was less noise-based and appeared more focused on song structure. They still gave a nod to their roots and played a stellar version of Jock The Untold, but their current set-up suggests a trajectory that might see them unconsciously trying a more accessible formula. After a six-year wait, The Laurels now have a full-length album they can actually tour and be damn proud of too. It may have been a little strange for the band to be actually headlining their own show (as opposed to their regular support slot), but from the looks of things, they appeared to have sold out the night. Traversing through the new album, Plains, a number of the songs received a rapturous response and, as expected, their trademark washy and reverbed-to-the-max sound was notched up a few extra dials for the special occasion. This was a bit of concern given the album sacrifices some of the live feel in order to allow for some of the layers to come through, but the band didn’t get too carried away and the hooks that make up the tracks such as Traversing The Universe and Tidal Wave were just as good live as they sound on the album. Not ones to say much between songs, they should have made the comment, ‘Did I listen to pop music because was I miserable? Or was I miserable because I listen to pop music?’ But instead they declared “encores are for losers” and proceeded to finish with the 13th Floor Elevators hit, You’re Gonna Miss Me, a great way to end an overall good live show. Adam Wilding
FBi’s Discotheque stage seemed like the kind of place my parents might have hung out in the ‘70s, with egg-shaped chairs, flashing lights and plenty of purple plastic. This space played host to a collection of DJs “about-town” – guys like Kato & Bad Ezzy, Future Classic DJs and Shantan. This room was completely empty during the early parts of the evening, with many of the bands clashing with the DJs’ hour-long sets. As the night wore on and the stages hit capacity, it became difficult to move between stages and punters were told around 11pm that if they left the venue, they may not be able to get back in. Judging by the queue at the door, the Discotheque stage may have suffered. The driving beats and strange, underwater sounds of Fishing led to some wild, devil-may-care dancing. Their tracks controlled the crowd with ease: they lurched from these slow, meditative tracks, with steady, staccato beats and twinkling, frail melodies – which chilled the crowd right out – to these urgent, frenetic tracks, with heavy, driving drum beats and wild, fast-paced lyrics. Catcall was a revelation. Catherine Kelleher is crazy, sexy and diminutive by turns; her unashamedly pop tunes seem to take her over. She jumped around, danced as though no one was watching and curled into a ball onstage during the set. The drum pad, the driving beats, the distinctively pop lyrics: Catcall does it all so unselfconsciously, with such a level of conviction, that it is difficult not to like. Moonbase Commander began his set through a raucous call for encores, saying “Hello? I’m behind you... this guy in the corner.” It was a kind of cute start to what was to be a sonically interesting, experimental kind of set. The tension in the air was high – the “super secret headliner” was about to be revealed – and so Moonbase Commander did an excellent job of dissipating it, at least until he saw fit to play a kind of cloying love ballad. This seemed to bring the crowd down a little.
themusic.com.au
The Laurels @ The Annandale Pic: Angela Padovan
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER COMING HOME Much loved for their experimentalism, Melbourne duo Fabulous Diamonds have gone commercial on their third album. Or have they? Chris Hayden tries to figure it all out.
J
arrod Zlatic, one half of experimental duo Fabulous Diamonds, is having a normal day. That’s how he describes it at least. In one word – “normal”. He’s at work when he fields our call, on his lunch break in the midst of the latest round of promotional duties for his third release with partner in crime drummer/singer Nisa Venerosa – the curiously titled Commercial Music. It’s a striking record, taking the duo’s now signature synth-based minimalism and stretching it beyond its own confines. The record is arguably their most accessible to date and, if not quite signalling a shift in direction, it certainly adjusts their palette. Zlatic and Verenosa have garnered a fair amount of adoration for their particular line in esoteric pop. Their previous releases (2009’s self-titled debut and last year’s Fabulous Diamonds II) have eschewed things like track names and lengths in favour of surreal experimentalism featuring rolling percussion and historically vague synth work. The records have seen them in demand all over Europe and America, garnering a clutch of glowing reviews. On Commercial Music, the duo have chosen to title their tracks for the first time, with everything except album centrepiece,
An Australian musician with more history than most, Nathan Cavaleri chats to Tony McMahon ahead of Nat Col & The Kings’ upcoming single tour.
???, getting a name. Does this move, and the album’s eye-catching title, signal some kind of industrial concession – or is it all just a bit of well placed irony? “I dunno, you know? You get bored of things and you change them around. I didn’t really think about it,” Zlatic deadpans. He’s similarly elusive when questioned about Fabulous Diamonds’ choice to call this record Commercial Music. “I thought the title was pretty selfexplanatory. It’s a commercial-sounding record. There are some pop-sounding songs on it and I guess it’s not un-commercial sounding music.” While it’s unclear how much “commercial music” he actually listens to, there’s credence to his claim. Commercial Music does feature some distinctly pop moments and this sensibility is something that’s always been on the outskirts of Fabulous Diamonds’ records. They even supported Swedish pop monsters Miike Snow earlier this year. Teaming up, as always, with in-demand producer Mikey Young, Zlatnic and Verenosa chose to record Commercial Music in the upstairs band room of Lygon Street’s famous John Curtin Hotel, not exactly your run of the mill recording studio. “I don’t have much input – with someone who’s recording there’s only so much I can control. I’m not sure I’d be able to quantify his input either. Mikey is better at recording now I suppose. He has new and better equipment. A microphone is going to sound how a microphone is going to sound though. I mean, I can’t even remember.” WHO: Fabulous Diamonds WHAT: Commercial Music (Chapter) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 8 September, The Square
G
iven he’s played at the White House in front of President Clinton, at age 11 was invited to play the 25th anniversary of Guitar Player magazine in the US alongside John Lee Hooker and Steve Morse, jammed onstage with BB King and shared the bill with artists such as REM, Elton John and Jimmy Page (who asked for a signed copy of one of his CDs), it wouldn’t be all that unreasonable to wonder where Australian blues/roots artist Nathan Cavaleri might choose to go next. The answer is his new band, Nat Col & The Kings, and their single, Coming Home. Although it’s not the group’s first record, there is a sense here that the title is more than apt, and that it will probably be the tune that ‘breaks’ them. Cavaleri says he couldn’t be happier. “That song’s been around for a while. We’ve released a few others before it, but there’s been a lot of anticipation with this one. The recording process for it went down a treat. There was no mucking about. We went to a studio about an hour north of Sydney, sort of like a little retreat, and worked around the clock. It was really great. It’s everything that I imagined it to be.” Obviously, Cavaleri has a more than colourful musical background, and this writer is torn between asking questions about Monica Lewinski – was she at the White House gig? Was she standing just too close to Clinton, meaningful stuff like that – and concentrating on what is a terrific current record. In the end it’s a compromise, and it’s asked how his history affects the music he makes now.
Interestingly, he mentions only being nervous and having a strong work ethic. “There’s been a lot of nerves involved in Nat Col & The Kings. When you’ve got a past like I have, it comes with a lot of judgement. But when you listen to a song, your head will tell you if you think it’s an awesome song or whether it’s crap, so yeah, it’s a matter for me of trying to make people realise how much work goes into a song that has nothing to do with what has happened before, and Nat Col songs are like that.” Talking of hard work, Coming Home is merely a taste of what punters can expect from a forthcoming new EP from the band, and Cavaleri says it will be something of a departure. “Fans of the band will know that we’re pretty firmly in the tradition of roots music. And Coming Home is probably as far out of that tradition as we’ve ever gone. Even though the rest of the EP is still very organic, there’s a couple of new things that we’ve done: there’s a kind of cool little unplugged track that we do. It’s just mandolin and acoustic, really really stripped back. Then we’ve got a normal sort of blues/rock track.” WHO: Nat Col & The Kings WHAT: Coming Home (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 7 September, The Vanguard; Saturday 8, Fitzroy Hotel; Friday 14, Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Saturday 15, Heritage Hotel, Bulli; Thursday 25 - Sunday 28 October, Sydney Blues & Roots Festival, Windsor; Friday 14 & Saturday 15 December, Festival Of The Sun, Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park
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THE DRUM MEDIA • 49
ROOTS DOWN
THE HEAVY SHIT
BLUES ‘N’ ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON ROOTS@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU
METAL AND HARD ROCK WITH CHRIS MARIC Steel Panther and hairspray, be at The Valve Bar on Wednesday, October 10 in your tightest pants.
Alestorm
Billy Thorpe It’s a pretty common belief among devotees of the style that Australian blues and rock’n’roll is very much overlooked when compared to that of Britain and the US, though I’d imagine there are plenty of countries whose excellent music suffers from even less exposure (pick up any Indonesian prog/psych compilation and find 30 of your new favourite bands). Fact is, we have a lot to be very bloody proud of and it would be very easy for a lot of this great music to slip away as the years roll on and more and more of those people who made it pass away. But thankfully there are a few people and organisations that care enough to make sure the music can live on in one way or another. Aztec Records have spent the past decade and a half reissuing classic Aussie blues and rock’n’roll and doing a damn good job of it too. Warner Music have a little more mainstream clout than Aztec do, though, so their issuing of the Boogie: Australian Blues, R&B And Heavy Rock From The ‘70s a couple of weeks ago meant that there is maybe a little more chance of this music getting out to the younger people of Australia who might not have heard it or have merely considered it to be “old person’s music”. Compiled by David Laing (who did the insanely good Do The Pop! garage rock compilation a number of years back), it’s a pretty decent spread of the best rock’n’roll that came out of our country through the ‘70s, and there was a shitload of it. The 44-track compilation is bookended with Chain songs, which makes sense really, and has most of the suspects you’d expect; Coloured Balls’ Flash, Rose Tattoo’s Bad Boy For Love, Billy Thorpe’s Most People I Know Think That I’m Crazy and Cold Chisel’s Home And Broken Hearted just a few of the more recognizable tunes. But there’s plenty on there that I would imagine a lot of people haven’t heard in many a year – hell, there’s a few songs on there that I can’t recall having ever heard in my life – as well as a great book with some cracking liner notes written by Jen Jewel Brown, making it a pretty worthy little compendium for fans of the style or anyone who wants to get into it. I hope that people get behind this for the sake of this music – it needs to live on – as well as perhaps serving as encouragement to labels like Warner to find interesting ways to unearth or breathe new life into classic older music. Anyway, go and buy it if you like. Parrotheads around Australia should be happier than ever before with the news coming through last week that the great purveyor of super chilled out tropical country songs Jimmy Buffett is on his way back to Australia for a number of reasons. Firstly he is playing a few shows while he is down here in a couple of weeks; yes, I said a couple of weeks. I like to think that old Jimmy Buffett isn’t much of a planner, to go with the slacker attitude in his songs, but there are likely many reasons for this super late announcement. Firstly, he’s playing a brand new venue in Brisbane – the gorgeous Botanic Gardens in Mt-Coot-tha – and secondly, there are a couple of Jimmy Buffett’s Margritaville joints – the restaurant and bar Buffett started back in the 1980s – opening up in Australia (in Sydney and Surfers Paradise) and I’d imagine he’s coinciding his trip with some kind of promo around that. Don’t get too excited, I ate in one in Las Vegas and it was pretty ordinary, but they do sell margaritas so that makes them 20 times better than anywhere that doesn’t. Anyway, Buffett only played Sydney on his last visit here, so now he’s skipping that city altogether and playing the aforementioned Botanic Gardens on Friday 21 September and Melbourne’s Palais Theatre on Sunday 23. Shows are Jimmy in acoustic mode with his old buddy Mac McAnally in tow. Tickets are on sale now. 50 • THE DRUM MEDIA
Father’s Day was last week, but in case your old man rocks instead of sox, there were two great releases you should’ve got him instead of another best of. Gary Moore – Blues For Jimi is an awesome CD/DVD/Blu Ray featuring Gary busting out classic Hendrix songs while being joined by Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox from The Experience. The other release being Re-Machined, A Tribute To Deep Purple’s Machine Head which celebrates the albums 40th Anniversary in style with Santana, Flaming Lips, Metallica, Maiden, Jimmy Barnes and the supergroup Kings Of Chaos featuring Joe Elliott, Steve Stevens, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. Parkway Drive will embark on big ass tour in mid December in support of their new album Atlas which will be out around the same time. They will play the Hordern, Canberra and Newcastle with I Killed The Prom Queen, Northlane and Survival. Further details later on. Swedish melodic death metal maestros Soilwork have begun recording the follow-up to their awesome 2010 release, The Panic Broadcast. The new album, entitled The Living Infinite, will also mark the recording debut of long-time touring guitarist David Andersson as Peter Wichers has left yet again. The legends that are Amorphis have just announced that they will enter the studio this month to record their yet-untitled 11th album, the follow-up to 2011’s highly successful masterpiece The Beginning Of Times. Reverse Grip, not only a technique, but also one of Canada’s finest glam rock bands, will be heading our way in October. So if you’re into
Like all good pirates, Alestorm are returning yet again to plunder our fair bounty once more. This time they are going to film their exploits to make an instructional DVD for prospective young buccaneers to aspire to should they attempt a similar voyage. You’ve got a while yet to brush up on your swashbuckling and to get a decent blouse. The Manning Bar becomes land’s end on Saturday 19 January. Congrats to local noise merchants Thy Art Is Murder, who have been snapped up by Shock’s new imprint label Halfcut. They also have a new manager who used to be Ed of a major national monthly magazine. To the week ahead, and it’s definitely a case of the instrumentalists taking over!
THURSDAY
Dumbsaint are taking their cinematic, audio/visual live show back on the road as of today in support of their second single, Inwaking from their Something That You Fell Will Find Its Own Form debut. They have added former Paper Champion member, Michael Tokar, as second guitarist to their live setup to further fill out their sound and nabbed Brisbane’s Greenthief as support for all of their east coast dates. If you find yourself in the ‘Gong, then drop into Yours And Owls. Yardvark and Stoned Ape are also playing.
FRIDAY
Those other instrumentalists from around here, sleepmakeswaves are heading off on a national tour named after their latest single, Now We Rise & We Are Everywhere. It’ll take their epic soundscapes all over the nation, including Tasmania. The band just keeps knocking off accomplishments, with this year being their breakout, playing festivals both here and overseas, a massive tour with Karnivool among others and plans to head back o/s next year. So their tour name is pretty apt, eh? They have even re-released their 2008 debut EP to meet demand. Get lost in their wall of sound tonight at The Standard. It’s a big night for The Patch in Wollongong with four amazing bands descending on Fairy Meadow. Local
psychedelic trio Kaleidoscope, who channel Kyuss, and fellow ‘Gong trippers Tumbleweed, with sonicpsychedeli-grunge instrumental trio Lint opening proceedings from 7.30pm. The brooding melody and classic prog rock stylings of Anibus are on display next. Their cinematic artistry lead to them working with the Birds Robe Collective, who look after the two aforementioned singer-less bands, so expect them to follow a big international path too. Finally, one of the most impressive bands this country, Perth’s Chaos Divine are one who have had every adjective used to describe them – virtuosity, bludgeoning force, epic, mature, abrasive yet refined, organic yet tempered. Those words could easily be confused with a description of a really fucking awesome blue cheese as well as a fine progressive metal band. Well, for 12 bucks, this great night of metal is actually cheaper than a good block of Stilton, so the choice is easy.
SATURDAY
Venom has secured another great line-up with Wolfkahn, Adversary, Ten Second Minute and Queensland’s Down Royale all doing the live thing. Plus with time drawing nearer, they are putting on a pre-tour party for the mighty Fear Factory. The instrumentalists are still hanging around with Dumbsaint holding court at The Bald Face Stag along with Greentheif, Hawkmoth and Islands, while sleepmakeswaves head north to the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle. After a rough couple of weeks for the guys at SFX and Tarantula, they have finally locked in a new and permanent venue. In celebration of this, they are chucking a huge launch party tonight and due to the fact that they actually own the building, they have the flexibility to do a few things that other venue owners would get seriously nuts at. There will be some cages and poles to jump on, bubble machines, lasers and other crazy shit. The launch party will include cocktail hour, lots of giveaways and of course plenty of rocking tunes too. The new venue is located at 169 Oxford Street. heavy@drummedia.com.au
WAKE THE DEAD PUNK AND HARDCORE WITH SARAH PETCHELL
Converge I can’t remember if I mentioned it a few weeks ago or not but either way, we now have official details for the release of what will probably be the album of 2012, the new one from Converge. Titled All We Love We Leave Behind, it will be released October 12 through Epitaph Records and if the details that have come out about the album are any indication of what we can expect from the quartet, then yes, my claims will be justified. For the first time in years, this is an album that contains no special guests or outside collaborators, and every aspect of the music production and aesthetics of the album were handled from completely within the band. This is Converge at its purest. If you want to get an idea of what you’re dealing with, when the official album announcement was made last week, the band also released a video for the first track from the album, Aimless Arrow, and it demonstrates the uncompromising, aggressiveness of All We Love We Leave Behind. Pre-orders for the album are available through the band’s Kings Road Merch store and Deathwish Inc websites. Through Kings Road there is a yellow vinyl version as well as a fantastic deluxe CD edition, which is a cloth-bound book featuring artwork from Jacob Bannon (a piece for every track I believe). Deathwish have a limited 180g version of the record as well.
Taking a slightly different tack, with both Coerce and Totally Unicorn set to release new records within the next month or so, it was only natural that the two bands team up for an East Coast tour that’s going to wreak havoc across the countryside. I mean Coerce are very loud and Totally Unicorn are very insane (both in the best possible of ways, of course). Coerce, by the way, have just wrapped up recording in their popup studio for their 10”, Genome, so we should hear release and pre-order details soon. Anyway, you can catch the pair of bands at Yours & Owls in Wollongong on Sunday 14 or Monday 15 October. They then hit Canberra for a show at Bar 32 on Wednesday 17, before finally playing at the Sandringham Hotel in Newtown on Friday 19. Hit up the Facebook event page for further details and all the ticketing information. Baltimore-based pop punk four piece, All Time Low have announced a new album called Don’t Panic, and Australian fans can expect to see it released domestically October 12 through Hopeless/UNFD. “With this record, a big part of the process was finding what made our band special on each of our past records,” says singer/guitarist Alex Gaskarth. “This time around, rather than taking influence from anything we were listening to at the time or anything we want to touch on generationally, the goal was to make an album that we felt reflected the best aspects of our previous releases.” The first single from the album is For Baltimore and was released about ten days ago to high praise from their fans and American music press. Australian fans will get to see the band play these new songs when they hit Australia early next year as part of the Soundwave Festival. Last week it was announced that founding member and guitarist, Josh James, of Evergreen Terrace would be leaving the band. The report went on to state the reason James was leaving the band was to focus on working with Stick To Your Guns full-time. James issued a statement saying, “In 1999, a few friends and I started Evergreen Terrace. The band has been a huge part of my life, but it’s time for me to move on.
themusic.com.au
Earlier this year, I joined Stick To Your Guns, and I couldn’t be more stoked. It’s been a natural and exciting progression for me. I really believe in the band and the message. Thanks to everyone who has supported me and Evergreen throughout the years. I’m leaving with some great memories.” A couple of days later, Evergreen Terrace issued a statement of their own through their Facebook page about the future of the band. It said, “For all those curious about the future of Evergreen Terrace, here’s an update: We are writing new material which we will record and release. We will also be playing shows. Thank you for sticking by us throughout the years and during this transition. You keep us going. If you have any questions, ask. I will reply on this post. More news to come. – Craig”. In the cruel and unusual stakes, it looks like Green Day will be releasing their own version of the game Angry Birds, to coincide with the release of their new album, Uno, on September 25. The band posted the news on their website, and in recent releases from the band and the game’s developers Rovio, it turns out that there will be ten new levels, as well as pig characters inspired by Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool. The game will also feature songs from the new album including Oh Love! and Troublemaker. Said Armstrong, “We’re all fans of Angry Birds. It’s such an addictive game that when we first started playing it we couldn’t stop.” This is the first time that Rovio has teamed up to create an ‘episode’ of the game featuring a band. Lastly, Refused are not fucking dead! In fact they will be touring Australia this November. I don’t really need to go into too much detail about this as tickets were to be released last week (the day after I wrote this column) and I don’t imagine there being any left. But I’m excited about this tour. It’s something that I never thought would ever happen, so I will see you all at the Enmore Theatre on Tuesday 13 November. wakethedead@drummedia.com.au
GET IT TOGETHER
BLOW
YOUNG & RESTLESS
HIP HOP WITH VIKTOR KRUM
JAZZ/WORLD WITH MICHAEL SMITH
ALL AGES WITH DAVE DRAYTON
THURSDAY
Kim Lawson Quartet – Sound Lounge Phil Stack Trio – Spice Cellar Martin Place Monica Trapaga Quartet – Dome Bar Surry Hills Jacam Manricks
DOOM (perhaps) DOOM is not the type of rapper people (well, adults) generally get passionate about. It’s understandable that a 17 year old, private school educated cannabis enthusiast might decide there has never been a greater rapper – or greater person – than DOOM but for most of us there’s a recognition that DOOM’s made a few great songs (and one great album) but is in the main a bit of a pedestrian pop culture phenomenon. Yes, he wears a mask. Yes, there’s a frisson about one of the early-‘90s semiunderground guys still being semi-underground without being depressing. But by and large, DOOM’s not the sort of guy many of us are going to get passionate about. That is unless, of course, you have paid money to see DOOM play and he has sent an impostor to appear in his place. It’s happened before. Recently it happened again. A party called Livin’ Proof happened in London that was to feature a DOOM DJ set. Hours before the party DOOM’s representatives apparently called the promoters seeking more than the agreed fee. The promoters agreed to the additional demand. Some person wearing DOOM’s mask showed up and played a DJ set. Almost everyone present formed the view that that person was not DOOM. DOOM has form for these sorts of shenanigans. In 2009, Rolling Stone pulled him up on it. His response was pretty pathetic: “Everything that we do is villain-style. Everybody has the right to get it or not get it… I tell you one thing: when you come to a Doom show, come expecting to hear music, don’t come expecting to see.” Well, he showed up at the Sydney show last year, which was pleasing for us, but this sort of silliness and the if-you-got-annoyed-that-I-cheatedyou-it-means-you-don’t-get-my-brilliant-joke attitude is just childish. Indeed, it’s the sort of behaviour one might expect from a 17 year old cannabis enthusiast. Speaking of prominent ‘90s semi-underground guys who have remained semi-underground but not depressing: the Jeru The Damaja show is happening on September 13 at the Oxford Art Factory. We’ve spoken about this show before. It’s a great chance to catch a true icon in person. It’s also a great lineup. The main support is Dialectrix. Jackie Onassis, a local crew who we would encourage you to get excited about, are on the bill. As are Frenzie. DJ Mathmatics is providing the songs inbetween the songs. Shantan Wantan Ichiban will be hosting. Do it, y’all. Do it. Just so we don’t get our wires crossed, let’s be clear: we know more about copyright law than you. Much more. We know more than your mate who is a third year law student. We know more than your cousin who is in a covers band. We know more than the licensee at your local who also plays in your cricket team. That means that when we say Vincent Peters’ suit against Kanye West in respect of Stronger, the Daft Punksampling lead single from 2007’s Graduation, was poorly conceived, we know. American copyright law differs from Australian copyright law (which, remember, we know heaps about) in a number of fundamental ways, but none of those differences conceal how odd Peters’ arguments were. In 2006 Peters wrote a song called Stronger. Justice Woods, who heard the case, accepted that Kanye may have heard Vince P’s song before 2007. Vince P claimed Kanye’s 2007 track of the same title had suspicious similarities to his 2006 work. His argument had three limbs. First, the choruses were similar and had similar rhyme schemes (stronger, wronger et cetera). Second, the songs share a title. Third, both songs reference Kate Moss, and reference to Kate Moss is so incongruous in rap music that Kanye would not have made the reference unless he was copying Vince P. The court came to the same conclusion you and we (remembering that we are copyright dons) came to. Go home, Vince. Thanks for coming. Luckily, the lawyers all got paid. Phew! getittogether@drummedia.com.au
Saxophonist and composer Jacam Manricks returns to the Sound Lounge in the Seymour Centre Friday night to launch his new album, Cloud Nine, with a quartet that features New York City rhythm section, bass player Desmond White and drummer Jochen Rueckert, and our own musical treasure, pianist Mike Nock.
Geoff Bull & The Finer Cuts – Corridor, King St City Anikiko & The Edge – The Rose Hotel Chippendale Monique Lysiak – Jazushi Jalsa Creole – Camelot Lounge
FRIDAY
Briana Cowlishaw Band – Sound Lounge Michael Griffin Quintet – Norton’s On Norton
The free River Rhythms Spring 2012 alfresco concert series kicks off this Saturday 1-4pm in Sydney Olympic Park, and then every Saturday until 20 October, with, first up, the jump jazz/ swing of six-piece Jordan C Thomas.
Waiting For Guiness – Camelot Lounge The Strides – 505 Klezmer Divas – Blue Beat Double Bay
More pop these days than jazz, Sally Street has a special show happening at Blue Beat in Double Bay that deserves a mention nonetheless. Friday night, she’s joined by K’Niki in a White Balloons Night for Braveheart, an annual event held during Child Protection Week that focuses on raising awareness about child sexual assault and how we can help empower survivors to break their silence.
Nadia Fried – Cosmopolitan Café Double Bay
TUESDAY
Damien Lee – 3pm Commodore Hotel North Sydney
SATURDAY
Emma Pask – 505 Baby Et Lulu – Camelot Lounge John & Yuki – Well Connected Café Leichhardt
SUNDAY
Jo Fabro Group – Sydney Rowing Club Abbotsford
Nitin Sawhney – Opera House Concert Hall Drip Hards + Fantastic Terrific Munkle – 505
The Swinging Blades – 3.30pm Marrickville Golf Club
James Valentine Quartet + Jess Pollard – Golden Sheaf
Anikiko & The Edge – The Dove & Olive Hotel Surry Hills
Geoff Bull & The Finer Cuts – The East Sydney Hotel
Gadjo Guitars – Camelot Lounge
Strings Fusion – Camelot Lounge
Paul Sun Trio – Jazushi
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
Phil Stack Trio – 505
Matilda Abraham – 505
Cam Atkins Trio – Roseville Memorial Club
Sambossa – The Mac Surry Hills
blow@drummedia.com.au
THE SWAMP SHACK ROCKABILLY/PSYCOBILLY/ALT.COUNTRY WITH PEDRO MANOY together the unique talents of Don and the delightfully eccentric Pugsley Buzzard. Expect everything from rollicking New Orleans style R&B, Professor Longhair style to barnstorming barrelhouse blues.
Adam Pringle There’s no doubt that when it comes to tributes and impersonators Johnny Cash has become the Elvis of country music. It’s unlikely we’ll ever see a train load of Cash impersonators heading off to Parkes but there are some excellent Cash tribute shows doing the rounds. This Saturday at Katoomba RSL you can catch a special all ages ‘Man In Black Tribute’ show featuring Canadian entertainer Dail Platz, who not only captures the spirit of the great man but excels on five-string banjo, acoustic guitar, electric Guitar, mandolin and fiddle. Melbourne’s Andy Baylor has forged a unique style of music in his combination of alt country and Australian bush sounds blended with American roots styles such as country balladeering, folk, cajun and blues. This Sunday from 6pm he’ll be launching his new CD, Down Where The Banksias Grow, at Petersham RSL with a wonderful all-star band and some very special guests including Heather Stewart on violin and viola, Sophie Davis on violin, Sam Lemann on guitars, Graham Griffiths on pedal steel, Dave Patterson on double bass and Joel T Davis on drums, with Andy himself on vocals, guitar, violin and mandolin. Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Sydney Blues Challenge, the Dogginit’ Band, who won the solo/ duo category, and the Darren Jack Hammond Trio, the winning band. Both groups will be off to Memphis to fly the flag for Oz blues at the International Blues Challenge, a competition in which Australian performers have had great success in recent years. Earlier this year Don Hopkins and Rob Grosser took out a silver medal at the event which is an appropriate segue to look out for an exceptional night of piano-based blues and boogie woogie at the Vanguard Friday 14 September. Billed as the ‘Piano Pounding Poppas’ the night brings
Down Royale
Feel The Manouche – 505
A quick hush hush heads up that on Monday night (that’s the tenth of September guys) American punks Restorations (who rule, like, a lot) have found time in their tour with The Smith Street Band to sneak in an all-ages show at Blackwire Records. It’s becoming somewhat of a tradition, having overseas bands play ridiculously awesome all ages shows on a Monday night. And frankly, I think it’s just fantastic! A few days earlier (Friday) Blackwire are also playing host to post-hardcore trio Cape Tribulation, Avoid Island and Shark Arm (featuring the rock royalty of Keith from Midget – just trust me, go!) It kicks off at 7pm and a handful of gold will get you through the door. And now – as the lovely folk in Monty Python say – for something completely different; a little something for the hip hop heads amongst you. Awesome DIY Marrickville venue Spaceport One are playing host to a great all-ages hip hop gig on Saturday night. The second instalment of Hip Hop Odysseys is to be hosted by Ettoman Beatbox and Beatrayal, ably assisted by DJ MK1. Beatrayal, Rizby, Hometeam and Verbal Mechanics will all be contributing rhymes and there’s going to a huge freestyle jam and a cypher session featuring a live band. Things kick off at 8pm and will cost you 12 bones. Back on the heavier end of the spectrum, our ever-reliable pals over at the Lucky Oz Tavern have some more all-ages Sunday arvo madness lined up for you this weekend. Kicking off from 2pm, ten bucks will get you entry in to see Amodeus, Ten Second Minute, The Phalanx, Saralisse, Temtris and truly heavy headliners (who enticingly describe themselves as Australia’s number 1 Hungarian Aggressive-Progressive trio) Coredea. And lastly, this Friday Queensland metallers Down Royale roll into Manly Youth Centre to play a show alongside Hearts Like Wolves, Absolution, Adversary, The Eradicated and One Night In Paris. Young & Restless caught up with guitarist Corey James for a few questions before the gig.
TUESDAY
For the uninitiated, how would you describe Down Royale? We’ve heard so many comparisons from all different people. Just imagine if Whitechapel, This Will Destroy You and The Chariot had a date.
THURSDAY
Why do you think it’s important to play all-ages shows? All-ages shows are great. It seems like everyone who attends are genuinely there for the music. It’s not only important for the young kids, but for the 17-yearold kids who are not old enough for the 18+ shows.
The Balmain Blues Jam hosted by Dan Sexton & Kalamazoo takes over the Gladstone Park Bowling Club from 6.30pm, while Adam Pringle and friends get together at the Sandringham Hotel from 9pm.
The Chris Harland Blues Band play the National Press Club in Canberra from 7pm. At the Exchange Hotel in Balmain you’ll find the Dubious Blues Trio and at the Harold Park Hotel it’s the HP Coronados featuring Adam Pringle and Matt Morrison building on a very happening residency.
FRIDAY
The Road Runners play the Windsor RSL from 8pm while the Flamin’ Beauties rock the Crown Hotel in Sydney’s CBD, and the Steve Edmonds Band travel to the Wallarah Hotel.
SATURDAY
Kristina Olsen launches her new double CD and e-Book, the unusually-titled They Paid Us In Tub Time at Notes, with Anatoli Torjinski on cello. The Blues Platoon match into the Merton Hotel in Rozelle and Wards Express play the Taverners Hill Hotel. Stormcellar let loose at the Bald Rock Hotel while there’s a huge night at the Bundeena RSL with Sally King & Sametribe featuring Adam Pringle.
What’s your favourite all-ages venue? Unfortunately most of the AA and 18+ venues have closed or are closing down here in Queensland. But my favorite AA venue would either have to be The Lions Den or Princess Theatre. They just had some great line-ups and heaps of kids would come out. What’s the best all-ages show you attended as a young’n? I think the one that stands out the most when I was underage was at The Lions Den. There was a prog/metal band called Ski Pi headlining. The singer came out dressed like Jesus, crown of thorns and all. It was amazing. The floor is yours, sell us Friday’s show at Manly Youth Centre... This is definitely a very heavy show. We are playing alongside Hearts Like Wolves, Absolution, Adversary, The Eradicated and One Night In Paris. It’s also Aidan’s (Absolution) birthday that night so everyone needs to come down and celebrate.
SUNDAY
Wards Xpress and Stormcellar combine for a big afternoon at the Towradgi Beach Hotel from 3.30pm. Finn play the Bald Rock Hotel from 6pm.
Any tips for young musos? Metronome. Metronome. Metronome. Come out to local shows and network with other musicians. There’s nothing more fun than talking music with other people. Also, listen to Paul Wardingham.
swampshack@drummedia.com.au
allages@drummedia.com.au
themusic.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA • 51
OG FLAVAS
THE BREAKDOWN
URBAN AND R&B NEWS BY CYCLONE
POP CULTURE THERAPY WITH ADAM CURLEY
Taylor’s seductive Dive In, a New Wave take on R Kelly (or Prince’s luxe ‘90s balladry) with languid guitar, subtle Jean Michel Jarre synths, and sound effects.
Trey Songz Is Trey Songz the R&B Doug Pitt to Chris Brown’s Brad? Well, maybe not, ‘cause Brad seems super nice, but you get the idea. Tremaine Neverson could do with a fair go, urban-pop coverage style. (Where this leaves Mario, that other pretender to Usher’s throne, is another matter.) At any rate, Trigga is back with his fifth – and best – album, Chapter V. And it looks like this US No. 1 will finally catapult him into urban music’s A-list. Neverson debuted in 2005 with I Gotta Make It. But he didn’t break through until five years later with album number four, Passion, Pain & Pleasure, Nicki Minaj’s cameo on the hit Bottoms Up a huge asset. Earlier this year, Neverson, in the country for Supafest, hosted playback sessions of Chapter V for the media. (Ironically, Brown was also a festival headliner.) The Virginian previewed five songs, including the lead single, Heart Attack. Amazingly, all of them have made the final cut. Neverson has chosen to work on the whole record with primarily the same team – that of Troy Taylor’s lesser known Songbook Productions. Taylor is a veteran whose first credit was on Boyz II Men’s 1991 blockbuster Cooleyhighharmony. He discovered Neverson. The singer has remained loyal to Taylor’s company, only occasionally outsourcing beats. The one key song from elsewhere here is Heart Attack. It’s produced by Benny Blanco, the dude behind Katy Perry’s I Kissed A Girl, and Rico Love. This quiet storm ballad is among the year’s finest singles. Curiously, it’s not so far removed from Frank Ocean’s alt-R&B. Instead of going dubstep, Blanco has revisited Timbaland’s triple-beat-fuelled soul of old. Heart Attack might be an outtake from Ginuwine... The Bachelor, albeit contemporised. The album version has Neverson singing, “I never knew love would hurt this fucking bad,” which adds to its emotional timbre. Just as wonderfully Ocean-ic is
52 • THE DRUM MEDIA
Admirably, Neverson has largely avoided electro-hop; the exception the Jason Derülo-esque Ladies Go Wild. But he freely covers every other base: R&B, hip hop, rock… There are slow jams, midtempos and club bangers. Still, crucially, Chapter V is an R&B album, its roots in ‘90s urban music. Mariah Carey recently told Billboard that she worries urban has lost its identity to EDM, hence her trad-sounding Triumphant (Get ‘Em). The diva will dig this LP. That said, the influence of Drake’s illwave posse (Neverson had a song by Noah “40” Shebib last time), as well as the futuristic Ocean, can be heard on the album’s most interesting tracks, especially in the synth-scaping (cue: Love’s Bad Decisions). However, Neverson adeptly commercialises the avant-garde. Around six tracks in, Neverson unleashes successive club bangers, starting with 2 Reasons, featuring TI. (His two reasons for partying are “the bitches and the drinks”.) The percussive number is a distant relative of Beyoncé’s Run The World (Girls). More gangsta – and Southern – is Hail Mary (nothing to do with 2Pac’s classic), Neverson joined by Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy. Near the album’s end, Neverson offers the grinder Check Me Out, this time with Diddy (how retro!) and Meek Mill. Chapter V has a splattering of not-so-alt rock‘n’B numbers, such as the Maroon 5-ish Simply Amazing. Neverson also has his contemplative moments on Pretty Girl’s Lie – which, while evoking a socially-conscious Michael Jackson, is rawer – and the effusively idealising Without A Woman. But even when he approaches the generic, Neverson ensures a cunning twist (Fumble, with subliminal heavy guitar, isn’t about what you’d expect). The main problem with Chapter V is that it’s too long. Neverson has a tendency to duplicate songs. And occasionally it’s just all too OTT (a track called Panty Wetter!?). Nonetheless, the good stuff is really good. So why does that bad boy Brown attract all the attention? Trigga is the better singer, he has the songs, and he’s making clever – and nice – career moves.
Wild Nothing Some music knows you. It just knows you. It might be the tone of a band’s guitar or the phrasing of lyrics or a general mood that latches onto you, mirrors the way you feel, who you are. But often with music that knows you it’s impossible to pick a cause. Music you like and even music you love can be better explained through the listing of features. I’m a lyrics man – amongst a few other things – and could reel off a handful of bands on any given day that I love for their words. Today? Maybe Echo & The Bunnymen, Pikelet, The Jim Carroll Band and Nada Surf. I add the last to assure that this isn’t a list in the name of cool but a list I could defend with reasons, however subjective. But while these bands are dear to me, they don’t know me the way other bands know me. This isn’t to say bands that know you are kept on a golden cloud above everything else. While it’s impossible, or perhaps merely too unappealingly self-reflective, to come up with reasons why certain bands get you, that unexplainable bond isn’t always prized above all other bonds. Like family ties, the familiar breeds a quiet comfort. The relationship need not be shouted from the rooftops. It need not be visited daily, hours spent marvelling at the miracle of having a life view in common. Bands that know you often live at the back of the shelf. An injection of their wisdom is not required, has never been required, because it is wisdom you share. Wild Nothing’s 2010 debut album, Gemini, was an album that knew me. All of the above applied. I could attempt to decipher what it was about a bunch of songs written by Jack Tatum, a then 21-year-old from Virginia, USA that somehow felt part of my history. In that attempt would surely be a connection
themusic.com.au
between Gemini’s production values and the murky pop of the ‘80s; an exploration of my fondness for vocals that sway from the front of a song to the back like passing conversations on a city street, part sentences that get caught in your ear; some thoughts on why wistful songs that seem to exist between genres and emotions, that are neither absolutely here nor absolutely there, usually feel the most honest to me. None of those considerations would explain why I felt – and still feel – a brotherly bond with the record yet went no more crazy over it than other records I liked at the time. I allowed it to be overtaken fairly quickly in my listening ritual and have since listened to it only occasionally. The ideas it explored didn’t strike me as tired or derivative; they were true and apparent to me. The album knew me. There was not much more to be said between us. Conversely, I can describe the successful aspects of Wild Nothing’s second album, Nocturne, out through Spunk. It’s a gutsier album, more certain of its purpose, which is to create blossoming troubadour pop – where Gemini’s ideas seemingly came in on a breeze, Nocturne is a creation. Electronic beats call out for physical movement and leave the echo of desire for a live show. Instrumentally full choruses are realised and exquisite. It’s incredibly delicate in parts, but there’s intention there, too. It’s affecting, but there’s a pact between album and listener: you have to wilfully surrender to these songs for them to do their thing. Yet I imagine listening to Nocturne more than Gemini. I will agree to the pact with my own intention to think and feel something other than what I am able to think and feel alone. It’s the way with things that don’t know you and that you don’t know. Of course it might also be easier to take this path: being faced with something that appears to know you can be scary, particularly when this thing is an elusive thing, not rounded or definite but grainy and raw. And particularly when it comes from a band called Wild Nothing. But if this above all: to thine own self be true. Then to others, surely, be curious and go all in.
IT’S GONNA BE BIG
JMC ACADEMY
Can’t make it to BIGSOUND? We’ve got you covered. Street Press Australia has writers from all over the country descending upon Brisbane next week to tackle the conference and its accompanying showcases in the best way that we can. We’ll be at hot parties, obscure showcases, boring panels and hot debates, all the while blogging our adventures on theMusic.com.au and keeping you up to date with all of the industry news and gossip through our newsletter Your Daily SPA.
KIRA PURU & THE BRUISE
Do you believe you would have this position without your prior education? No, definitely not. Without being trained as a professional talent manager I would not be in my current position. I learnt the ins and outs of the music industry and gained professional conduct which is vital in my position. If you want a career in the entertainment industry in Australia or overseas, then JMC Academy is one of the top schools offering degrees.
Jason Endfield (left) and Simon Baker
On top of this, we will be delivering video footage from a selection of the panels and keynote speeches so that you can experience some of the great advice, stories and general frivolity that goes down during the best BIGSOUND sessions this year. We’ll also be catching up with a bunch of the bands for a chat and even scoring some exclusive stripped back performances, which we will capture and deliver to you direct from Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. If you can’t be at BIGSOUND, then theMusic.com.au can offer you the next best thing, brought to you by JMC.
SETH SENTRY
Member/role: Kira Puru
Member/role: Rapper/frontman, general shit talker. I also do my own backup dancing.
Hometown: Newcastle
Where did you study? I studied at JMC Academy at the Melbourne campus from 2008 to 2010. I completed a Bachelor Of Entertainment (Business Management).
Short description of your band and your music: Uh, that might just be the question I am least fond of. If you can imagine me and three dudes, cruising the Hume, listening to mix-tapes with everything from Portishead and Radiohead to Outkast and Lana Del Rey via the Arctic Monkeys, then drunkenly fumbling out schizophrenic ballads about one-night stands... well, it’s sort of like that.
JASON ENDFIELD, ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS MANAGEMENT GRADUATE 2010 What job are you currently in and what are some of the tasks involved with this job? I am currently working as an assistant to the boss of one of the world’s top talent management companies, Untitled Entertainment, which represents talent such as Ashton Kutcher, Madonna and Naomi Watts. Working from my office in the heart of Beverly Hills, California, my role is to secure new projects for them and includes reading through mounds of scripts. JMC Academy gave me the confidence and the knowledge that I needed to not only get into the industry, but to secure work at a company of the calibre of Untitled Entertainment. I have also started my own small talent management company here which helps Australian actors, filmmakers and musicians get set up here in LA and gain representation: me-mgmt.com/
Hometown: Melbourne Victoria. Home of the fixed-gear bike. What are you hoping to achieve from showcasing at BIGSOUND? We’re just about to throw down a new release and we want to jam it in the earholes of as many people as possible. We’ve been busy making some changes to the live show and are enthusiastic about putting it out there. Frankly, we’re just grateful to be invited and in such good company; anything more is just gravy. Why should people come and see you from amongst the myriad bands at BIGSOUND? We’ll give you five bucks.
Short description of your band and your music Rapper that makes rap music. What are you hoping to achieve from showcasing at BIGSOUND? Become rich enough to buy an aquarium with, like, some real nice tropical fish and stuff. Maybe a piranha? But I definitely wouldn’t put the piranha in with the tropical fish. That would be extremely irresponsible. What was the question? Why should people come and see you from amongst the myriad bands at BIGSOUND? I’m giving out cash money.
What made you choose this course of study? When looking around at a university to enter, JMC Academy was very professional and understood my ambitions. I was looking for something very specific to study and JMC Academy had just what I was looking for. The fact that JMC Academy is an accredited school and is internationally recognised was a key factor in my decision. What was your favourite aspect to this course? My favourite aspect of JMC Academy was the teachers, who had industry experience and were very approachable with any issue or problem. I found the teachers want to see you succeed just as much as you do, which helps you to believe in yourself. Even after you graduate, the teachers keep in contact with you to see how you are going, which is great. The course was also very specific and the most helpful thing I took away was learning how to put together an international tour with bands and how to work out budgeting. During my threeyear degree I also learnt about different sides of the entertainment industry that I never knew existed and in which I am now heavily involved.
THU 6TH SEPTEMBER
FRI 7TH SEPTEMBER
SAT 8TH SEPTEMBER
THE OYSTER MURDERS +
LITTLE SCOUT +
+
+
NIKKO + SOLKYRI + DAY RAVIES +
HELLO VERA THE FALLS
8PM
$10 at the door
BEARHUG
LIGHT GIANT
[album launch]
SUCKS
8PM $11 + BF from Oztix $15 at the door
8PM
ACID STAG DJ SET
HANDS UP!
ACID STAG DJ’S
$12 at the door
“THROW DOWN TIL YOU THROW UP” DJ’S STAGGMAN & CLOCKWERK
8PM $11 + BF from Oztix $15 at the door
level 2, kings cross hotel
8PM $11 + BF from Oztix $15 at the door
www.fbisocial.com themusic.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA • 53
THE TAKEOVER
HAVE YOU HEARD
Wollongong promoters Huchi Muchi will take over Mum at the World Bar this Friday night. From the punk rock sounds of Thomas Covenant and the vegan punk sounds of Yoko Oh No to the indie rock of My Little Underground, this will be a wild, mixed up, raucous, up-all-night kind of event, also featuring Gung Ho, Let Me Down Jungleman, Mowgli, Kochanski and the MUM DJs.
The Banksia Band has developed a unique Australian sound that combines folk fiddling, blues, country balladeering and a contemporary post-rock aesthetic. How do you find the local live scene? Generally speaking, I find the local scene exuberant, creative and exciting except for ridiculous, overblown TV talent shows, endless mindless tribute bands, venue operators who’ve no understanding of, or interest in, art, the great Australian tall poppy syndrome, dumbarse record companies who don’t know a thing about music art, poetry and life... apart from that, it’s great! For more info see: www.andybaylor.com.au Next available at: Down Where The Banksias Grow album launch: Sunday 9 September at the Petersham Bowling Club.
TASTE TEST
This Saturday night, Reel Big Dog — a group patched together from The Reels, Mental As Anything, Dog Trumpet and Karma County — will be taking to the stage at The Vanguard. The band’s set list will include covers and originals, all drawn from their respective repertoires or their heyday, including hits like Forever Now, Pre-Fab Hearts and According To My Heart.
HENNING COMING
Young Adelaide singer/songwriter Julia Henning is performing her new hauntingly beautiful music in The Studio at Sydney Opera House on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 September, backed by her band and an additional string quartet. Her music has been described as mixture of Abby Dobson, Julia Stone and Lisa Mitchell.
WITH A SCAR
With a new PA system and updated lighting, the firstever Scarred Session at the Ophir Tavern takes place this Saturday night featuring sets from Troldhaugen, Smoking Mirrors and Green Ra-shiid, as well as an extended set from headliners The Charge.
MOVING BEYOND
Brisbane quartet Nikko are finally ready to release their follow-up to 2010 debut, The Warm Side. Titled Gold & Red, the release was recorded in the cavernous orchestral hall of Brisbane’s Old Museum. The band is attempting to move beyond labels like “post-rock”, drawing influences from classic forms of songwriting such as country, blues and roots. The band will be performing at FBi Social this Saturday night.
CHIMES OF FREEDOM
SEPTEMBER JAM BLESS THEM
Perth progressive band Chaos Divine have been busy writing in the studio working on material for their next album, which included working up a beefed-up version of smash-hit anthem Africa, which has given them an excuse for a pre-album recording tour. They’ll be playing at The Patch in Wollongong this Friday night.
Answered by: Cameron Smith (vocals) The best record I stole from my folks’ collection was… America – Hideaway. “She’s a liaaaaaar…”
The record I put on when I bring someone home is… Bon Iver’s self-titled record. My girlfriend’s a hipster. The most surprising record in my collection is… Pretty sure there’s some weird Kiwi comedy vinyl in there somewhere, courtesy of my old man. The last thing I bought/downloaded was… Verse’s new one – Bitter Clarity, Uncommon Grace. Doooooope. Upcoming shows: Friday 7 September at World Bar with Gung Ho, Let Me Down Jungleman, Kochanski and others. Website/contacts: www. facebook.com/mowglitunes 54 • THE DRUM MEDIA
FLY LIKE A BIRD
GONE FISHING
Electro artist Donny Benet will celebrate the release of his new album, Electric Love, at Siamese at GoodGod Small Club in Surry Hills Thursday night. His sound is generally described in three ways: sophistication, sexuality and street heat. Donny Benet will be supported by Sydney electro benders Fishing.
Australian punk rock quartet The Snowdroppers is supporting the huge New Zealand hard/alternative rock band Shihad this week. Shihad has just released their 38-track, double-disk retrospective album, titled The Meanest Hits in Australia, and The Snowdroppers have just released their latest single, White Dress, there’s plenty of old and new material to be uncovered. This tour pulls into the Metro theatre this Friday night.
MOWGLI
The record I put on when I’m really miserable is… Pianos Become The Teeth – The Lack Long After. Bad move, such a cripplingly sad record (yet so good).
The Upstairs Beresford’s September Jam series continues this Friday night, this week featuring the UK’s James Walsh previously the frontman of alternative rock/Britpop band Starsailor, along with Sydney’s indie pop Ginger & Drum and grooveinspired solo artist Declan Kelly. A DJ set from DJ Devola will wrap up the evening’s proceedings.
Iconic Australian singer/songwriter Xavier Rudd is currently on his most extensive tour ever, celebrating the release of his seventh studio album, Spirit Bird. Rudd uses the album to examine his musical and spiritual ancestry, and utilises an array of guitars, didgeridoos, a stomp box and a range of percussion sounds. Xavier Rudd will appear at the Enmore Theatre this Saturday night alongside Yeshe.
A collection of exciting up-and-coming Sydney acts are performing at The Standard this Wednesday night as part of a fundraising campaign for charity organization The Grey Man. Is It Her, Van Bogan and These Vagabond Hours will each pitch in to support the organisation in its mission to eradicate child slavery and sexual exploitation by providing education programs to prevent the initial trafficking of children, improving living conditions in remote villages to prevent trafficking, and working for justice for victims by bringing traffickers before the courts. Entry will be by donation.
DROPPING
The first record I bought with my own money was… Millencolin – Pennybridge Pioneers.
HERE’S A FIRST
REEL HUGE
Your music is…? Alt/folk,country,blues... And original Australiana.
Why should we come and see you?
The Fabulous Diamonds with release their new album, Commercial Music, this Saturday night at The Square. The band’s latest effort has been described as “clean, adult and slick”, but check ot their thoughts elsewhere in these pages. They’ll be supported by Half High, MOB and Boynoisez.
Ambient, melodic band Bushwalking will be releasing their first album, aptly titled First Time, this Friday night, alongside Model Citizen (who are made up of members of Holy Soul, NOTV, Ghost of Television and other notorious Sydney bands) as well as Convent — Angie Bermuda from Circle Pit, accompanied by a collection of friends. It’s all happening Friday night at Brighton Up Bar.
ANDY BAYLOR & THE BANKSIA BAND Which acts inspired you to produce your own music and why? Many great traditional artists including Dewey Balfa (Cajun fiddler), Lightnin’ Hopkins, Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys, Hank Williams and Lefty Frizell, Billie Holiday, traditional country and African music... I’ve been inspired by music that’s played from the heart and soul and sounds good.
GOING COMMERCIAL
STARLINGS IN THE BAR
GETTING TOUGHER
Melbourne nine-piece Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes are touring nationally one last time before their upcoming trip to Europe. Supported by Kira Puru & The Bruise, both bands have conspired to put on a show full of Whitney Houston, fingerwaving, hip-shaking, soul-scream and heartbreak, this Friday night at The Oxford Art Factory.
SPRING INTO ACTION
Wednesday nights at The Marlborough Hotel in Newtown are the student night of Sydney, offering a venue to let their hair down and relax outside of uni hours, during the mid-semester breaks and painstaking stu-vacs! This September, coinciding with an anticipated rise in the mercury, the Marly is ramping up for Spring Break, with every Wednesday of the month in theme. Each of the nights, held in the scarlet-lit Cellar Bar, will incorporate R’n’B, House and Electro beats from DJ Pauly along with cheap beer specials, awfully awesome cocktails and free entry for doing-it-tough students. This Wednesday’s theme is Frat Party.
Former Melbourne-based punk rocker Simon Stalin moved back to Sydney and began the cathartic process that is now his debut album, Semaphore. Collaborating on the album are Wesley Gregorace (Devoted Few), Tim Powles (the church) and Jorden Brebach (Sparkadia), with Steve Kilbey from the church at the helm on production duties and also adding vocals, bass and keys. With the album complete and the project known as Starling, it’s time to launch it and that takes place Friday at the Sandringham Hotel with Steve Kilbey doing a spoken word slot in support.
STRUCK DUMB
Sydney’s instrumental metal band Dumbsaint will embark on a five-date East Coast tour this month taking their grand cinematic sounds out of the studio and onto the stage, building dark, ambient vibes for their audience to enjoy. This week, they’ll be stopping at Wollongong’s Yours & Owls on Thursday night, with support from Greenthief as well as Yardvark and Stoned Apple. Then it’s The Bald Faced Stag in Leichhardt on Saturday night, with support from Greenthief, Hawkmoth and Islands.
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GET INKED
Melbourne’s Red Ink will be launching their most recent single, Euphoria, this weekend. The track is a carefully crafted indie pop song, written during the band’s early stages and only recently revived. The band has been enjoying airtime on FBi among other community radio stations around the country. They’ll be supported by Elliot The Bull and Will & The Indians. You can catch them this Saturday night at the Upstairs Beresford.
IN THE BEDROOM
Cult-whiz The Bedroom Philosopher is in the middle of performing his only set of East Coast tours for the year, in celebration of the e-book release of The Bedroom Philosopher Diaries. He’ll be joined by his whip-tight Awkwardstra, and supported by a selection of choice spoken word artists and body-poets. From the song-smarts and wits of the wry Justin Heazlewood to the award-winning bent-monologues of Zoe Coombs Mar, as well as the body poetry of Sabrina D’Angelo, whose Fringe Festival show, We Are Happy, details life in North Korea, Sydney and Melbourne. This show takes place at GoodGod Small Club this Thursday night.
STEP UP
This Wednesday night, The World Bar will host a night of dubstep and other bassheavy tunes, featured DJs including Ashton, Solicita, Clockwerk, Brothers Grimm, Zwelli, King Lee and Matt Ferreira.
BELIEVE THE PROPAGANDA
This Thursday night, the weekly international indie party night at the World Bar kicks off again. With DJs Urby, Shag, Dan Bombings and Jack Shit, this is a night of everything indie from classic 90s’ indie rock to Foster The People electronic hits.
HAVE YOUR CAKE
Slick beats? Crazy mash-ups of pop songs? Sounds like The World Bar’s club night, Cakes, featuring the DJ efforts of Kraymer, Nukewood, Astrixx, Daniel Farley and heaps more.
WHITE BALLONS BLUE BEAT
Jazz pop crossiver artist Sally Street and pop singer songwriter K’Niki are teaming up to present a night of fun and music Friday night at Blue Beat to raise awareness of and funds for Braveheart White Balloon Day, part of the annual Child Protection Week’s efforts to break the silence surrounding child abuse.
IT TAKES TWO BABY
On the back of some seriously heated conversation following a bank’s foreclosure on The Sando, the demand for a forum chatting about venue and artist relations has grown. The Annandale Hotel and MusicNSW have joined together to provide insight as well as an opportunity to throw in your two cents. As such, a panel discussion called Two To Tango will be held at The Annandale Hotel focusing on the relationship between musicians and the venues they play in. Panellists include The Doctor (Triple J), Urthboy, Matt Rule (The Annandale Hotel), Brendan Maclean (Keyboard Warrior), Siobhan Poynton (MusicNSW), Dave Rennick (Dappled Cities) and Tony Gosden (Jam Music/The Beresford). Jay Katz will drive the conversation whilst spinning tunes before, after and in-between. The discussion will be followed by a Q&A session as well as live performances by The Fabergettes, Little Lovers and Annie McKinnon. It all takes place on Wednesday and entry is free.
LITTLE GIANT BEARS
This Friday night at FBi Social, Little Scout — fresh off the road from touring with Brooklyn’s School of Seven Bells — will launch their latest and muchlauded single, Go Quietly. The track was mixed by Lars Stalfors — renowned for his work with The Mars Volta — and signals a new direction for the Sydney band. They’ll be supported by Sydney indie/electro outfit Bearhug and Light Giant.
The first ever Skydreams Festival is essentially 12 hours of music brought to you by website sydreams.com and featuring music industry mainstays Darren Cross, Regular John, The Holy Soul, Dead China Doll, East River and many more. The event will also feature electronic producers B. Deep and Broken Chip, as well as projection installations and a set from The Laurels’ Luke O’Farrell. The whole show will go down this Saturday between 3pm and 3am at Hermann’s Bar.
Brisbane band The Oyster Murders are planning on launching their new album, Winter Of The Electric Sun, this Thursday at FBi Social. The album is filled with dream pop, inspired by silent films, surrealist art and old sci-fi movies. The first 30 punters through the doors will receive a free copy of the band’s album. They’ll be supported by Sydney bands The Falls and Hello Vera.
Is this track from a forthcoming/existing release? It is – we are working on our second album, due out in the first quarter of 2013.
What’s your favourite part of the song? The structure doesn’t make any sense and we love that. The ending is like a kick in the teeth. Do you play it differently live? We play it pretty much the same, with a longer and more brutal outro. Will you be launching it? Yes! We’ll be playing at FBI Social on Friday 7 September with Bearhug and Light Giant (ex-Parades).
MERRY GIG-MASS
For more info see: www.littlescoutmusic.com
Nine-piece indie-funk monster His Merry Men suit up to hit NSW with the Wanna Get Messed?...Tour having just released their debut album, Kind Of Loud. Armed with a powerhouse four-piece horn section (The Hell Yeah Horns), award-winning vocals (Megan Crocombe) and eclectic songwriting, His Merry Men will be blaring their own mix of influences from The Cat Empire, The Bamboos and Mark Ronson with their unmistakable, high-energy show at the Brass Monkey on Thursday and the Junkyard in Maitland on Friday.
GETTIN’ COMFY PHONY MEXICAN
This Friday night, former Middle East frontman R.L Jones will unveil his latest project The Phony Mexican Diner. The band is a collage of The Middle East and Joseph Liddy and the Skeleton Horse as well as some new faces. The band will be supported by Jordie Lane’s Shady Lane as well as indie band Bearhug. The show will take place at GoodGod Small Club.
WE ALL HAVE OUR VICES
HELLO MURDER
What’s the song about? It’s about manipulation. I find it fascinating that everyone has these bizarre nuances within their personalities that influence their behaviour, but it’s unsettling and confusing when the darker, more uncontrollable sides are used to cause havoc on other people’s lives. So… it’s just your standard, sunny Queensland pop tune.
Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? We were all ready to create something that sounded different to our prior releases. We want to make interesting pop music and this is what came out of our newer sessions.
HEAD IN THE CLOUDS
This Friday night, Irish songstress Maria Forde is taking to the stage at Wollongong’s City Diggers Club. Forde incorporates both Australian and Irish musical tradition in her songwriting, combining the sweet melodies of Irish folk and the wry humour of Australian lyricism. She’ll be supported by Buck & Deanne, country/blues folk duo, as well as Latvian trio Somesing Laik Zat.
The Arachnids fuse funk and groove with indie rock. After playing slots with Peter Combe and Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, as well as performing at Brisbane’s 2high Festival, the band are ready to start doing their own thing. They’ll be hitting up The Oxford Art Factory this Saturday night.
LITTLE SCOUT GO QUIETLY
How long did it take to write/record? We’ve had the song kicking around for around a year, but it grew legs in the studio and on mixing with Lars Stalfors.
NIGHTINGALE
SPIDERS AND STUFF
SINGLE FOCUS
BRIDIE O’BRIEN
Vice magazine will be launching their newest issue, The Sprinkles of The Sandman, at GoodGod Small Club this Wednesday night. They’re keeping pretty quiet on the contents of the magazine itself, but they’ve announced a pretty fantastic lineup featuring Sydney’s frenetic garage pop posse Bloods and Melbourne punks Drunk Mums, as well as DJ sets from Cabins, Cries Wolf and Handgames. The event will be free, but you’ll have to log into Facebook and RSVP.
What is it about the venue that makes you want to do a run of shows there? There is a friendly Professional Production team, great stage, big room and access to top range sound and lighting. The venue has a comfortable beer garden and serves yummy food. Same set every week or mixing it up? Definitely mixing it up! Two weeks with full band and two weeks solo. I will be doing a broad range of songs from my two albums and a handful of interesting covers, from Bruce Springsteen to Red Hot Chili Peppers.
BUSK AWAY
World music band Azadoota are heading off to Western Australia for a West Coast tour but before they go, they’ll be performing with a collection of Balmain’s best buskers including duo The Lazy Sundays and “a couple of French tourists” Saturday night at the Cat & Fiddle in Balmain.
STORM APPROACHING
The boys from Stormcellar have two gigs coming up this weekend. They’ll be hitting up the Baldrock Hotel in Rozelle Saturday night, then on Sunday afternoon, they’ll be sharing a bill with Sydney blues scene character, Ross Ward, at the Towradgi Beach Hotel. It all kicks off at 3pm.
WAVING IN YOUR SLEEP
After a virtually sold-out slot in support of Karnivool, Sydney’s sleepmakeswaves are embarking on a headlining tour of their own. They’ll be hitting up The Standard this Friday night, with support from Bon Chat Bon Rat, Marlow and Steering By Stars. They’ll also be pulling in at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle, along with Breaking Orbit, Teal and I Am The Agent.
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Any special guests going to make an appearance during your tenure? Every guest is special and we will be having two a week. Favourite position at the venue when you’re not on stage? At the back of the room enjoying the other performances of the night. When are you in residence? Every Thursday night in September at the Sydney Live House, Lewisham Hotel. THE DRUM MEDIA • 55
TOUR GUIDE
PRESENTS
JULIA STONE: Sep 12 The Abbey; 13 Lizotte’s Newcastle; 15 The Metro
XAVIER RUDD: Sep 6 Newcastle Civic Theatre; 7 Waves Hotel; 8 Enmore Theatre JULIA STONE: Sep 12 The Abbey; 13 Lizotte’s Newcastle; 15 The Metro THE MEDICS: Sep 12 Spectrum; 27 Transit Bar; 28 The Patch; 29 Cambridge Hotel VOLTAIRE TWINS: Sep 15 Spectrum EVERMORE: Sep 20 The Standard CHARLIE MAYFAIR: Sep 21 Brighton Up Bar FAT AS BUTTER: Sep 22 Camp Shortland MYSTERY JETS: Sep 23 The Metro OH MERCY: Sep 26 Heritage Hotel; 27 Cambridge Hotel; 28 ANU Bar; 29 The Standard; 30 Clarendon Guesthouse
NATIONAL
DREAM ON DREAMER: Sep 4 The Basement Canberra KING CANNONS: Sep 5 The Patch; 6 Transit Bar Canberra; 7 Annandale Hotel; 8 Great Northern Newcastle GREENTHIEF: Sep 5 Cambridge Hotel; 6 Yours & Owls; 7 Lansdowne Hotel; 8 Bald Faced Stag TIM HART: Sep 5 Front Bar & Gallery Canberra; 19 Lizotte’s Kincumber; 20 Lizotte’s Newcastle; 21 The Vanguard; 22 Yours & Owls; 23 Clarendon Guesthouse LITTLE SCOUT: Sep 7 FBI Social STARLING: Sep 7 The Sando NIKKO: Sep 6 The Phoenix; 7 Lass O’Gowrie; 8 King’s Cross Hotel XAVIER RUDD: Sep 6 Newcastle Civic Theatre; 7 Waves Hotel; 8 Enmore Theatre LANIE LANE: Sep 6 Lizotte’s Newcastle; 7 Clarendon Guesthouse; 8 Heritage Hotel; 9 & 12 Brass Monkey; 15 Canberra Street Theatre SEEKAE: Sep 6, 7 & 8 The Basement Sydney SLEEPMAKESWAVES: Sep 7 The Standard; 8 Cambridge Hotel THE SMITH STREET BAND: Sep 7 Great Northern Newcastle; 8 Annandale Hotel; 9 Phoenix Lounge NAT COL & THE KINGS: Sep 7 The Vanguard; 8 Fitzroy Hotel; 14 Grand Junction Hotel; 15 Heritage Hotel BABY ET LULU: Sep 8 Camelot Lounge BRUCE MATHISKE: Sep 9 Canberra Street Theatre JULIA STONE: Sep 12 The Abbey; 13 Lizotte’s Newcastle; 15 The Metro THE MEDICS: Sep 12 Spectrum; 27 Transit Bar; 28 The Patch; 29 Cambridge Hotel SHERRY RICH: Sep 12 The Basement Circular Quay FRONT END LOADER: Sep 13 Sandringham Hotel BIG TOUR feat. TUKA, DAILY MEDS and more: Sep 14 Oxford Art Factory; Oct 5 Cambridge Hotel; 6 Hotel Gearin THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS: Sep 13 Bar On The Hill; 27 & 29 Great Northern; Oct 5 Metro; 6 Anita’s; 12 & 13 Mona Vale Hotel EMPERORS: Sep 14 Goodgod THE RED PAINTINGS: Sep 14 The Standard MIA DYSON: Sep 14 Lizotte’s Newcastle; 15 Notes; 16 The Abbey; Oct 6 Lizotte’s Central Coast VOLTAIRE TWINS: Sep 15 Spectrum BRITISH INDIA: Sep 15 Cambridge Hotel; Oct 26 the Patch (Wollongong); 27 Fitzroy Hotel (Windsor); Nov 2 Manly Fisho’s; 3 Standard FAIRCHILD REPUBLIC: Sep 16 Sunday Safari NAKED: Sep 17 The Phoenix; 20 Terrace Bar FEELINGS: Sep 19 Beach Road Hotel; 21 Goodgod POND: Sep 20 Metro SASKWATCH: Sep 20 Goodgod; 21 Stoke Factory; 22 Transit Bar THE RUBENS: Sep 20 Wollongong UniBar; 21 Metro SOUND OF SEASONS: Sep 20 Yours & Owls; 22 Basement Canberra; 23 The Lair; 26 Cambridge Hotel LANEWAY: Sep 20 The Front; 21 Heritage Hotel; 22 Great Northern Newcastle; 23 Clarendon Guesthouse; 26 Folk Club CHARLIE MAYFAIR: Sep 21 Brighton Up Bar POLO CLUB: Sep 21 World Bar THE ANGELS: Sep 21 & 22 Bridge Hotel CHICKS WHO LOVE GUNS: Sep 21 Standard; 29 Yours & Owls HEY GERONIMO: Sep 21 FBi Social 56 • THE DRUM MEDIA
CLARE BOWDITCH: Sep 27 Lizotte’s Dee Why; 28 The Factory
DEERREPUBLIC: Sep 21 Oxford Art Factory; 26 Yours & Owls URTHBOY: Sep 21 Oxford Art Factory PEAR SHAPE: Sep 22 Kings Cross Hotel THE MCCLYMONTS: Sep 22 Vikings; 29 Evan Theatre; Oct 5 Newcastle Civic Theatre CREO: Sep 22 Annandale THE PRETTY LITTLES: Sep 22 Annandale; Oct 18 Phoenix (Canberra) NINE SONS OF DAN: Sep 23 Live AT The Brewhouse OH MERCY: Sep 26 Heritage Hotel; 27 Cambridge Hotel; 28 ANU Bar; 29 The Standard; 30 Clarendon Guesthouse CLARE BOWDITCH: Sep 27 Lizotte’s Dee Why; 28 The Factory ROLLER ONE: Sep 27 Hibernian House MY DISCO: Sep 27 ANU Bar; 29 Goodgod; 30 The Patch THE AMITY AFFLICTION: Sep 28 Newcastle Panthers; 29 & 30 Big Top Luna Park; Oct 2 University Of Canberra KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD: Sep 28 Oxford Art Factory THE CACTUS CHANNEL: Sep 28 Goodgod REGURGITATOR: Sep 29 The Hi-Fi; 30 Cambridge Hotel; Oct 1 The Hi-Fi; 4 Zierholz; 5 Wollongong UniBar MATT WALKER: Sep 29 Heritage Hotel; 30 Notes PETER COMBE: Sep 29 Oxford Art Factory KNIEVEL: Oct 3 Local Taphouse KARISE EDEN: Oct 3 & 4 St Stephen’s Uniting Church; 6 Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle DAPPLED CITIES: Oct 4 Metro Theatre VELOCIRAPTOR: Oct 4 Goodgod; 6 The Patch REGULAR JOHN: Oct 5 The Patch; 12 Great Northern Hotel Newcastle; 13 Annandale WINTER PEOPLE: Oct 11 Yours & Owls; 12 Cambridge Hotel; 13 Factory Theatre; 14 Clarendon Guesthouse TZU: Oct 11 The Patch; 13 The Standard BALL PARK MUSIC: Oct 24 Wollongong UniBar; 26 Newcastle University; 27 The Metro THE BEARDS: Oct 24 Bar On The Hill; 25 Wollongong UniBar; 26 Baroque Bar; 27 Beachcomber Hotel; Nov 2 Metro
INTERNATIONAL
STAMPING GROUNDS: Sep 30 Manning Bar TIM & ERIC: Oct 2 The Metro; 3 Enmore Theatre DAPPLED CITIES: Oct 4 Metro Theatre VELOCIRAPTOR: Oct 4 Goodgod; 6 The Patch REGULAR JOHN: Oct 5 The Patch; 12 Great Northern Hotel Newcastle; 13 Annandale WINTER PEOPLE: Oct 11 Yours & Owls; 12 Cambridge Hotel; 13 Factory Theatre; 14 Clarendon Guesthouse TZU: Oct 11 The Patch; 13 The Standard MARLOW: Oct 13 Great Northern Newcastle; 20 Annandale Hotel, 24 Lizotte’s Central Coast MUMFORD & SONS: Oct 18 Sydney Entertainment Centre; 26 Canberra Royal Theatre BILLY BRAGG: Oct 23 Canberra Theatre; 27 & 28 Enmore Theatre THE BEARDS: Oct 24 Bar On The Hill; 25 Wollongong UniBar; 26 Baroque Bar; 27 Beachcomber Hotel; Nov 2 The Metro BALL PARK MUSIC: Oct 24 Wollongong UniBar; 26 Newcastle University; 27 The Metro SYDNEY BLUES & ROOTS: Oct 25 – 28 Windsor THURSTON MOORE: Oct 26 Hi-Fi BASTARDFEST: Nov 9 & 10 The Basement Canberra; 17 Sandringham Hotel PRIMAL SCREAM: Dec 5 Enmore Theatre HOMEBAKE: Dec 8 The Domain EVAN DANDO & JULIANA HATFIELD: Dec 20 The Metro PEATS RIDGE: Dec 29 – Jan 1 Glenworth Valley
TUE 04 Adam Pringle, + Friends: Sandringham Hotel, Downstairs - Newtown Andrew Denniston, + Guests: Merton Estate Hotel - Rozelle Carl Fidler: Observer Hotel - The Rocks Darren Bennett, Wally Byrne, + Guests: George Iv Hotel - Picton
NITIN SAWHNEY: Sep 4 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall JONAH MATRANGA’S ONELINEDRAWING: Sep 6 Sandringham Hotel; 7 Cambridge Hotel JAMES WALSH: Sep 6, 13, 20 & 27 The Star; 7 & 28 Beresford; 14 Florida Beach Bar; 16 Clarendon Guest House; 26 Brass Monkey CARTEL: Sep 7 Bald Faced Stag; 8 Entrance Leagues Club; 9 Cambridge Hotel; 12 Manly Fisho’s SHIHAD: Sep 7 The Metro THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES: Sep 8 The Metro PATRICK WOLF: Sep 8 & 9 The Studio Sydney Opera House RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: Sep 8 Canberra Theatre; 9 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall AMERICA: Sep 9 Canberra Theatre; 10 Enmore Theatre; 14 WIN Entertainment Centre BARRY ADAMSON: Sep 12 The Factory SIX60: Sep 12 ANU Bar Canberra; 14 Enmore EARTH: Sep 13 The Hi-Fi
Paul Sun, Graham Conlon, Alex Compton: Jazushi - Surry Hills Russell Neal, Peter Williams, + Guests: Harbour View Hotel - The Rocks Sons Of Mercury: Scruffy Murphys - Sydney The Drip Hards, The Fantastic Terrific Munkle: 505 - Surry Hills Xavier Rudd: Tamworth Town Hall - Tamworth
THE SMITH STREET BAND: Friday 7 September, Great Northern, Newcastle; Saturday 8, Annandale Hotel; Sunday 9 Phoenix Lounge, Caberra
David Williams, Corey White, + Guests: Harold Park Hotel - Glebe Dream On Dreamer: The Basement -Canberra, ACT Mandi Jarry Duo: Maloneys Hotel - City Nitin Sawhney: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House - Circular Quay Open Mic, Champagne Jam: Family Hotel - Rydalmere
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WED 05 Astrosphere, Hidden Ace, Revival, Copper Tongue: Valve Bar & Venue - Tempe Carolyn Woodorth, + Guests: Royal Hotel - Springwood Dave Eastgate, Andrew Wolfe, Sam Bowring: Roxbury Hotel - Glebe
DJ Pauly: Marlborough Hotel - Newtown Greenthief, Hey Lady: Cambridge Hotel - Newcastle Greg Sita, Will Teague, The Factory Wall: Cookies Lounge & Bar - North Strathfield Helmut Uhlmann, Luke Robinson, Stuart Jammin, Adib Azahar, Hidden Ace, Oscar Lush: UTS Loft Bar, UTS - Broadway Herman’s Hermits: Wests - Newcastle Is It Her, Van Bogan, These Vagabond Hours: The Standard - Darlinghurst Jade Gannon, Kieran Wicks, Bob Corbett: Lizottes, Newcastle - New Lambton Jesse Vee: Beauford Hotel - Mayfield Jonah Matranga, Let Me Down Jungleman, Achoo! Bless You, Billy Demos, Nick Van Breda: Sandringham Hotel, Upstairs - Newtown King Cannons: The Patch - Fairy Meadow Live & Local: Lizottes, Central Coast - Kincumber Lucy B & The B-Sides, Emmy Bryce, Miss Little: The Vanguard - Newtown Matilda Abraham: 505 - Surry Hills Open Mic Night: Hawkesbury Hotel - Windsor Russell Neal, Lincoln Davis, Mark Bishop: Cat & Fiddle Hotel - Balmain Sambossa: The Mac - Surry Hills Sydney Fringe Comedy Preview Night: Factory Theatre - Marrickville The Regulators: 3 Wise Monkeys - Sydney Urthboy, The Doctor, Brendan Mclean, + More: Annandale Hotel - Annandale Yes You, Cub Scouts: Beach Road Hotel, Rex Room - Bondi
THU 06 Andy Mammers: Dee Why Hotel - Dee Why Bang Bang Rock N Roll, Matt Purcell & The Blessed Curse, Alphabet Cities + More: Annandale Hotel - Annandale Ben Finn Duo: Ettamogah Hotel - Rouse Hill Bridie O’Brien, Galleri, Tantrum Fantasy: Lewisham Hotel - Lewisham Cal Li Thump: Lansdowne Hotel - Chippendale Cambo: Observer Hotel - The Rocks Cath & Him: O’Malleys Hotel - Kings Cross Dan Spillane: Northies, Sports BAr - Cronulla Dave McMaster: Campbelltown Catholic Club, Club LoungeCampbelltown Edward Deer, Jess Chalker, La’i: The Vanguard - Newtown George Washing Machine: 505 - Surry Hills Greenthief: Yours And Owls - Wollongong His Merry Men, Kirrakamere, Alex Gibson: Brass Monkey - Cronulla
Hot Damn! Feat., Closure In Moscow, Ghosts On Broadway, Far Away Stables, Who Invited The Wolf?: Vegas Lounge - Darlinghurst Jalsa Creole: Camelot Lounge - Marrickville James Walsh, The Window Birds, Eleana Stone Band: Rock Lily - The Star - Pyrmont Joanne Hill, + Guests: Corrimal Hotel - Corrimal Kim Lawson Quartet: Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre - Chippendale King Cannons: Transit Bar - Canberra, ACT Lanie Lane, Jordie Lane: Lizottes, Newcastle - New Lambton Mandi Jarry: Harbord Beach Hotel - Harbord Matt Jones Band: Bull & Bush - Baulkham Hills Michael Mcglynn: Greengate Hotel - Greengate Millenium Bug: 3 Wise Monkeys - Sydney Nick Raschke Duo: Northern Star Hotel - Newcastle Outlier: Scruffy Murphys - Sydney Papa Pilko And The Bin Rats, Sideshow Annie, Beth ‘N’ Ben: Equator - The Rocks Paul Greene: Crown Hotel - Sydney Paul Haywards Live Punk Rock Karaoke: Sandringham Hotel, Downstairs - Newtown Pete Hunt: Manly Leagues Club - Brookvale Peter Head: Harbour View Hotel - The Rocks Sam & Jamie Trio: Maloneys Hotel - Sydney Seekae, Kangaroo Skull, Thomas William: The Basement - Circular Quay Steve Clisby: The Mac - Surry Hills Steve Tonge: Marlborough Hotel - Newtown Sydney Underground Film Festival: Factory Theatre - Marrickville TAOS, Eva-Maria Hess, Spencer Mccullum, Nick Domenicos: Kogarah Hotel - Kogarah The Bland: The Wall, The Bald Faced Stag - Leichhardt Thraxas, Visitor: Valve Bar & Venue - Tempe Xavier Rudd: Civic Theatre - Newcastle
FRI 07 2 Way Split: Customs House Bar - Circular Quay Adam Black: Ettalong Beach Club - Ettalong Beach Akmal: Enmore Theatre - Enmore Alex Roussos: Tall Timbers Hotel - Ourimbah Allon: Bar Petite - Newcastle Alotta Presha, Jesse Morris & The Three Beans, Frieda’s Boss: Town Hall Hotel - Newtown Andy Mammers Duo: Cronulla RSL - Cronulla Audio Vixen, Less & Jen: Notes Live - Enmore Baseless: Matraville Hotel - Matraville
Ben Finn: Sharks Leagues Club - Cronulla Benn Gunn: Chatswood Rsl - Chatswood Big Rich: Abbotts Hotel - Waterloo Big Shots Deulling Piano Show: Club Five Dock - Five Dock Black Diamond Hearts: Rock Lily - The Star - Pyrmont Bobby Dazzler, G-Wizard: Mean Fiddler Hotel, Woolshed - Rouse Hill Bushwalking, Model CitizEn, Raw Prawn: Brighton Up Bar - Darlinghurst Cartel, Arms Attraction, Uncorrected: The Wall, The Bald Faced Stag - Leichhardt Celebration Mix: Scruffy Murphys - Sydney Chaos Divine: The Patch - Fairy Meadow Clive Hay: Red Cow Hotel - Penrith Cosy Velour: Hotel Jesmond - Jesmond Cougar: Vineyard Hotel - Vineyard Dan Lawrence, Rob Henry: Observer Hotel - The Rocks Dan Spillane: Quakers Inn - Quakers Hill Dave White Experience, Heath Burdell: Dee Why Hotel - Dee Why David Agius Duo: Crows Nest Hotel (early) - Crows Nest DJ Trena, DJ Sub Bass, Legobreaks: Valve Bar & Venue - Tempe Dr Zoom Duo: Nelson Bay Diggers - Nelson Bay Drumsound & Bassline, Spenda C, A-Tonez, Kid Sample, Hydraulix & Bassriot, + More: Chinese Laundry - Sydney Flamin: Crown Hotel - Sydney Foo Fighters Show: Bull & Bush - Baulkham Hills Gagjo Guitars: Revesby Workers - Revesby Gen-R-8: Cessnock Supporters Club - Cessnock Grant Smillie: Marquee, The Star - Pyrmont Greenthief: Lansdowne Hotel - Chippendale Greg Bryce & The Bad Bad Things: DukE Of Wellington Hotel - New Lambton Gung Ho: World Bar - Kings Cross Gypsies & Gentlemen, Sabotage DJs: The Forbes Hotel - Sydney Harbour Master: Figtree Hotel - Wollongong Harlequin Duo: Hillside Hotel - Castle Hill Herman’s Hermits: Toronto Workers Club - Toronto Ian Moss, Ollie Brown: Brass Monkey - Cronulla Ignition: Marlborough Hotel - Newtown Intimate Lounge Music: Fairfield RSL, Supper Club - Fairfield Jacam Manricks: Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre - Chippendale Jackie Dee, + Friends: Engadine Tavern - Engadine James Walsh, Ginger & Drum, Declan Kelly, Devola: Upstairs Beresford - Surry Hills Jellybean Jam: Campbelltown Catholic Club, Caf Samba Campbelltown Keith Armitage: Castle Hill RSL - Castle Hill
Kemr, The Merchants, A Few Angry Villagers: Cat & Fiddle Hotel - Balmain King Cannons, The Hello Morning, All The Young: Annandale Hotel - Annandale Kristiano, Oakes & Lennox, Electro Kutz: Mean Fiddler Hotel, Sub Bar - Rouse Hill Lanie Lane, Jordie Lane: Clarendon Guest House - Katoomba Mahalia Barnes: Lizottes, Newcastle - New LaMbton Mandi Jarry Trio: Kirribilli Hotel - Kirribilli Margaret Urlich: Lizottes, Central Coast - Kincumber Mark Seymour, Larissa Mckay: Lizottes, Sydney - Dee Why Mary Kiani: Oxford Hotel, Polo Lounge - Darlinghurst Matt Toms: Oasis On Beamish Hotel - Campsie Max Power: City Hotel - Campbelltown Michael Peter: Absolute Thai Restaurant - Charlestown Mike Mathieson Duo, Chris Alexander: Dooley’s - Lidcombe My Reply, Strangers In The Dark, Rascals & Runaways, Xater Bay: Lewisham Hotel - Lewisham Nat Cole And The Kings, Minnie Marks: The Vanguard - Newtown Neill Bourke: Harbord Beach Hotel - Harbord Nickleback Show: Ettamogah Hotel - Rouse Hill Nicky Kurta: Stacks Taverna - Darling Harbour On The Prowl: Belmont 16’S - Belmont Pete Hibbert: Windsor Castle Hotel - Newcastle Renae Stone: O’Malleys Hotel - Kings Cross Richard Clapton, Love That Hat: Maitland City Bowls/Sports Club - Maitland Rubicon: Warners At The Bay - Warners Bay Russ & Bruce: Merton Estate Hotel - Rozelle Sally Street, + Guests: Blue Beat Bar - Double Bay Sam & Jamie Band: Crows Nest Hotel (late) - Crows Nest Seekae, Kangaroo Skull, Thomas William: The Basement - Circular Quay Shadow Boxer - The Angels Show: Blue Cattledog Hotel - St Clair Shane Flew, Tim Wedde: Dee Why RSL - Dee Why Shihad, Snowdroppers, Upskirts: Metro Theatre - Sydney Siviu Kama: Mars Hill Café - Parramatta Sleepmakeswaves, Bon Chat Bon Rat, Marlow, Steering By Stars: The Standard - Darlinghurst Spenceray Duo: Sportsmans Hotel - Blacktown Starling, Steve Kilbey, Restless Leg: Sandringham Hotel, Upstairs - Newtown Steve Edmonds Band: Catherine Hill Bay Pub - Catherine Hill Bay Suite AZ: Miranda Hotel - Miranda Sun Hill Drive: Belmore Hotel - Newcastle Sundays Record: The Stag & Hunter Hotel - Mayfield
Sunset Riot, Vanity Riots, Rattlesnake, Aimee Franics: The Square - Haymarket Swingshift - Cold Chisel Show: Colyton Hotel - St Marys Sydney Underground Film Festival: Factory Theatre - Marrickville The Arachnids, Vangate, Disco Is Dead: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery Bar - Darlinghurst The Capulets: Exchange Hotel - Newcastle The Lady Gaga Tribute Show: Mounties - Mt Pritchard The Levymen: Charlestown Bowling Club - Charlestown The Liberators: The Mac - Surry Hills The Road Runners: Windsor Rsl - Windsor The Strides: 505 - Surry Hills Todd Terry: Goldfish - Kings Cross
Carl Fidler, Steve Tonge: Observer Hotel (Afternoon) - The Rocks Cath & Him: Crown Hotel - Sydney Dan Lawrence: Sir JosEph Banks Hotel - Botany Dave Mason With Reel Big Dog: The Vanguard - Newtown Dave Tice & Mark Evans: Sandringham Hotel, Downstairs (Afternoon) - Newtown David Agius Band: Moorebank Sports Club - Moorebank David Campbell: Mingara Recreation Club - Auditorium Des Gibson: Lansvale Hotel - Lansvale Dirty Deeds - AC/DC Show: Avoca Bowling Club - Avoca Beach Dollshay Duo: Mean Fiddler Hotel - Rouse Hill Dr Zoom Duo: Windsor Castle Hotel - Newcastle
KING CANNONS: Wednesday 5 September, The Patch, Wollongong; Thursday 6, Transit Bar, Canberra; Friday 7 Annandale Hotel; Saturday 8, Great Northern, Newcastle
Viagra Falls: Orana Hotel - Blacksmiths Waiting For Guinness: Camelot Lounge - Marrickville Wax Motif, Vengeance: Candy’s Apartment - Potts Point Zane Penn Duo: The Mark Hotel - Newcastle Zoltan: Revesby Works, Skylight Lounge - Revesby
SAT 08 1st Blues Platoon: Merton Estate Hotel - Rozelle Abbalanche - Abba Show: Canberra Southern Cross Club - Woden, ACT Allensworth: The Mac - Surry Hills Allied Rock: Blue Cattledog Hotel - St Clair AM 2 PM: Revesby Works, Skylight Lounge - Revesby Andrew Denniston, Hidden Ace, Brad Myers, Kandee, Lloyd Kerr: Ettalong Beach Club - Ettalong Beach Angie Dean: Castle Hill RSL, Piano Lounge - Castle Hill Azadoota, The Lazy Sundays, + More: Cat & Fiddle Hotel - Balmain Baby Et Lulu: Camelot Lounge - Marrickville Ben Finn: Castle Hill Rsl, The Terrace - Castle Hill Blonde 182: Huskission Hotel - Huskission B-Massive: Town Hall Hotel - Newtown Brand New Heavies: Metro Theatre - Sydney Briana Cowlishaw Quintet: Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre - Chippendale Bruce Mathiske: Street Theatre - Canberra, ACT Californication- Red Hot Chilli Peppers: Beach Palace Hotel, Cider Room - Coogee
Dumbsaint, Greenthief, Hawkmoth, + Guests: The Wall, The Bald Faced Stag - Leichhardt Dystrophic, Roses From Ruins, Exekute, On Shoulders Of Giants, To Engineer An Exorcist: Valve Bar & Venue (Afternoon) - Tempe Edgar, Hattie Carrol: The Standard - Darlinghurst Elvis To The Max: Dapto Leagues Club - Dapto Emma Pask: 505 - Surry Hills Evie Dean: Northies, Beach Bar - Cronulla Fabulous Diamonds, Half High, Mob, Boynoisez, Fortune Bullen: The Square - Haymarket FBi Social Feat, Nikko, Solkyri, Day Ravies, Sucks: Kings Cross Hotel - Kings Cross Flux, DJ Kitsch78: Rock Lily - The Star - Pyrmont Gen-R-8: Nelson Bay Diggers - Nelson Bay Get The Party StartedThe Pink Show: Rocksia Hotel - Arncliffe Great Big Hits: Royal Federal Hotel - Branxton Happy Hippies: Paragon Hotel - Circular Quay Heath Burdell: PJ Gallaghers - Drummoyne Hornet: Exchange Hotel - Newcastle Hue Williams: Smithfield RSL - Smithfield Hypercolour, Insidious Six: Blue Beat Bar - Double Bay Ian Moss, Bryley: Brass Monkey - Cronulla Ignition: 3 Wise Monkeys - Sydney Iguana: The Mark Hotel - Newcastle Jazz Nouveau: Fairfield RSL, Supper Club - Fairfield Jerome: Bar Petite - Newcastle Joe Moore, Marcus Corowa: Metro Theatre (Early) - Sydney
TOUR GUIDE JASON BONHAM: Sep 13 Enmore Theatre SOLA ROSA: Sep 13 Standard HOWARD JONES: Sep 13 Castle Hill RSL; 14 The Factory; 15 Bankstown Sports Club; 16 Fairfield RSL Club IMPENDING DOOM: Sep 14 & 15 Cambridge Hotel; 16 Big Exo Day SUBHUMANS: Sep 14 Sandringham Hotel INGRID MICHAELSON: Sep 14 The Metro CASSIAN: Sep 14 Googod MUSIQ SOULCHILD: Sep 14 The Hi-Fi LUKE FAIR: Sep 15 Chinese Laundry HANSON: Sep 15 The Hi-Fi; 16 Enmore Theatre JONATHAN WILSON: Sep 15 The Standard BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY: Sep 16 Waves; 21 UC Refectory Canberra; 22 Cambridge Hotel; 23 The Venue; 25 The Metro MACY GRAY: Sep 16 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall THE TOASTERS: Sep 16 Transit Bar; 19 The Patch; 20 Cambridge Hotel; 21 Annandale Hotel NEWTON FAULKNER: Sep 17 Oxford Art Factory RIVAL SCHOOLS: Sep 19 Annandale Hotel FUTURE ISLANDS: Sep 20 Oxford Art Factory EVERMORE: Sep 20 The Standard GOOD CHARLOTTE: Sep 21 Big Top Luna Park ENTER SHIKARI: Sep 21 UNSW Roundhouse WHEATUS: Sep 21 The Hi-Fi FERRY CORSTEN: Sep 22 The Hi-Fi YELLOWCARD: Sep 22 UNSW Roundhouse KATCHAFIRE: Sep 22 Enmore Theatre; 23 Cambridge Hotel MYSTERY JETS: Sep 23 The Metro Theatre FAR EAST MOVEMENT: Sep 23 Big Top Luna Park KRYSTLE WARREN: Sep 23 Factory Floor; 25 Lizotte’s Kincumber JAMES MORRISON: Sep 25 Enmore Theatre THE FRAY: Sep 26 The Basement MARIANAS TRENCH: Sep 26 The Metro FEAR FACTORY: Sep 27 The Hi-Fi KELLY CLARKSON: Sep 27 Sydney Entertainment Centre SCISSOR SISTERS: Sep 27 Sydney Opera House SNOW PATROL: Sep 27 The Standard; Oct 1 State Theatre GARY CLARK JR: Sep 28 Annandale Hotel PURAVIDA ROADSHOW: Sep 29 Blue Beat DEFEATED: Sep 29 & 30 Annandale Hotel HIGH ON FIRE: Sep 29 Manning Bar EL GRAN COMBO DE PUERTO RICO: Sep 29 & 30 UNSW Roundhouse EIFFEL 65, N-TRANCE: Sep 29 Selina’s GARTH TAYLOR: Sep 29 King St Brewhouse PAUL OAKENFOLD: Sep 30 Hordern Pavilion MC LARS: Sep 30 We Come Out At Night DAS EFX: Sep 30 The Metro LADY ANTEBELLUM: Oct 1, 2 & 3 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
themusic.com.au
VOLTAIRE TWINS: Sep 15 Spectrum
LITTLE HURRICANE: Oct 3 The Vanguard XIU XIU: Oct 17 Goodgod MUMFORD & SONS: Oct 18 Sydney Entertainment Centre; 26 Canberra Royal Theatre BILLY BRAGG: Oct 23 Canberra Theatre; 27 & 28 Enmore Theatre THURSTON MOORE: Oct 26 Hi-Fi PRIMAL SCREAM: Dec 5 Enmore Theatre EVAN DANDO & JULIANA HATFIELD: Dec 20 Metro Theatre
FESTIVALS FAT AS BUTTER: Sep 22 Camp Shortland STAMPING GROUNDS: Sep 30 Manning Bar PARKLIFE: Sep 30 Centennial Park ALL OUR FRIENDS AT NIGHT: Oct 5 UC Refectory FIESTA: Oct 6 & 7 Darling Harbour DOOMSDAY: Oct 12 Sandringham Hotel; 13 ANU Bar DRUNKEN MOON: Oct 12 Digger’s Club; 13 Manning Bar GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD: Oct 20 Dungog Showgrounds WHIPLASH: Oct 20 Sandringham Hotel; 26 Cambridge Hotel; 27 ANU Bar SYDNEY BLUES & ROOTS: Oct 25 – 28 Windsor SURRY HILLS FESTIVAL: Oct 27 Prince Alfred Park PROGFEST: Oct 27 Annandale Hotel STEEL ASSASSINS: Nov 2 – 3 Sandringham Hotel BASTARDFEST: Nov 9 & 10 The Basement Canberra; 17 Sandringham Hotel A DAY ON THE GREEN: Nov 10 Bimbadgen Winery OUTSIDEIN: Nov 10 The Factory NEWTOWN FESTIVAL: Nov 11 Camperdown Memorial Rest Park HARVEST: Nov 17 Parramatta Park MULLUM MUSIC FESTIVAL: Nov 22 – 25 Mullumbimby STEREOSONIC: Nov 24 Sydney Showgrounds HARBOURLIFE: Dec 1 Fleet Steps HOMEBAKE: Dec 8 The Domain FESTIVAL OF THE SUN: Dec 14 & 15 Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park PEATS RIDGE: Dec 29 – Jan 1 Glenworth Valley BIG DAY OUT: Jan 18 Sydney Showgrounds SOUNDWAVE: Feb 24 Sydney Olympic Park
THE DRUM MEDIA • 57
John Field Duo: Harbord Beach Hotel - Harbord Johnny Cash - The Man In Black Tribute Show: Katoomba RSL - Katoomba Katchafire: Hoey Moey - Coffs Harbour King Cannons: Great Northern Hotel - Newcastle Kristina Olsen, Anatoli Torjinski: Notes Live - Enmore Lanie Lane: Heritage Hotel - Bulli Lee Rolfe: Beauford Hotel - Mayfield Lets Groove Tonight: Mounties - Mt Pritchard Live Tonight: Carousel Inn - Rooty Hill Los Capitanes, Shanghai, Godswounds, Triangle: Sandringham Hotel, Upstairs - Newtown Mahalia Barnes: Lizottes, Central Coast - Kincumber Mardmax: Orana Hotel - Blacksmiths Margaret Urlich: Lizottes, Sydney - Dee Why Mark Seymour, Amy Vee: Lizottes, Newcastle - New Lambton Matt Toms: The Belvedere Hotel - Sydney Michael McGlynn: Kirribilli Hotel - Kirribilli Mike Mathieson Duo, Chris Alexander: Panania Diggers - Panania Nick Kingswell: Coogee Diggers - Coogee Nicky Kurta: Hillside Hotel - Castle Hill
58 • THE DRUM MEDIA
One Hit Wonders: Marlborough Hotel - Newtown One World: Courthouse Hotel - Darlinghurst Outlier: Stacks Taverna - Darling Harbour Pana: Absolute Thai Restaurant - Charlestown Patrick Wolf, Brous: Studio, Sydney Opera House Peppermint Jam: Ettamogah Hotel - Rouse Hill Pete Gelzinnis: Town Hall Hotel - Waratah Peter Head: Harbour View Hotel - The Rocks Phase III: Warners At The Bay - Warners Bay Pleasure & Pain The Divinyls Show: Bull & Bush - Baulkham Hills R L Jones & The Phony Mexican Diner, Bearhug, Shady Lane: Goodgod - Sydney Red Ink, Elliot The Bull, Will & The Indians, F.R.I.E.N.D.S DJs: Upstairs Beresford - Surry Hills Regular John, Darren Cross, The Holy Soul, Dead China Doll, + More: Hermann’s Bar - Darlington Replika: Brewhouse - Marayong Richard Clapton: Belmont 16’S - Belmont Rob Henry: Northies, Sports Bar - Cronulla Rock Solid: Coogee Bay Hotel, Beach Bar - Coogee
GIG OF THE WEEK
Two Good Reasons: Cessnock Supporters Club - Cessnock Vanity: Scruffy Murphys - Sydney V-Dubs: Belmore Hotel - Newcastle Wards Xpress: Taverners Hill Hotel - Leichhardt Wildcatz: Rg Mcgees - Richmond Xavier Rudd, Yeshe: Enmore Theatre - Enmore Yuki Kumagai & John Mackie: Wellco Café & Wine Bar - Leichhardt Yum: Penrith Gaels - Kingswood
XAVIER RUDD
Multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd recently released his seventh studio album, Spirit Bird, and is on his most extensive tour yet, taking in 28 locations from Airlie Beach to Albany to Adelaide. Catch him at the Civic Theatre in Newcastle on Thursday 6 September, Waves in Wollongong on Friday 7 and the Enmore Theatre on Saturday 8. Sean And Miss Bow: Cookies Lounge & Bar - North Strathfield Seekae, Kangaroo Skull, Thomas William: The BasemenT - Circular Quay Shane Flew, Ben Little: Welcome Hotel - Rozelle Sherlock Bones, SMS, Mum Genes, Disco Volante: Candy’s Apartment - Potts Point Siviu Kama: Mars Hill Café - Parramatta Six Fear Seven, Stellar Addition, Mother Brody, Steel Swarm: Lewisham Hotel - Lewisham Soulganic: Castle Hill Rsl, Cocktail Lounge - Castle Hill
Steve Edmonds Band: Hornsby Inn - Hornsby Stormcellar: Bald Rock Hotel - Rozelle Superstitious: Penrith RSL, Castle Lounge (Afternoon) - Penrith Sydney Underground Film Festival: Factory Theatre - Marrickville Terry Batu: Mortdale Hotel - Mortdale The Book Of Vilah: Sappho Books, Café & Wine Bar - Glebe The Fires, Raprager, The Cashmere Revolution, No Illuminati, Cleanskins, Phader: Lansdowne Hotel - Chippendale
The Jungle Kings: The Stag & Hunter Hotel - Mayfield The Levymen: Duke Of Wellington Hotel - New Lambton The Lonely Boys: Mercantile Hotel - The Rocks The Royal Artillery, Seismic Toss: The Forbes Hotel - Sydney The Shuffle: Macarthur Tavern - Campbelltown The Smith Street Band, Restorations, Hoodlum, Shouts, Milhouse: Annandale Hotel - Annandale
themusic.com.au
The Swinging Sxties: Blacktown RSL. Celebrity Room - Blacktown Thompson Gunners: Engadine Tavern - Engadine Tiefschwarz, Fear Of Dawn, Chris Arnott, White Cat, Devola, + More: Chinese Laundry - Sydney Tigers And Rogues, Thunder Thief, 51 Percent, Terra Lexus: Valve Bar & Venue - Tempe Tim Pringle, James Chatburn: Magenta Shores Resort - Magenta Tongue And Groove: Oatley Hotel - Oatley
SUN 09 Aimee Francis: Salisbury Hotel - Stanmore Andy Mammers: Mill Hill Hotel - Bondi Junction Antoine: O’Malleys Hotel - Kings Cross Benn Gunn: Waverley Bowling Club - Waverley Big Blind Ray & The Wailing Wall: Lansdowne Hotel - Chippendale Bryen Willems & The Bayou Boogie Boys: Marrickville Bowling Club - Marrickville Carmeria, Dinkibike, With Confidence, Sweet Sounds, Pixels & Sound, All That, + More: Valve Bar & Venue - Tempe Chucks Wagon: Sandringham Hotel, Downstairs (Afternoon) - Newtown
Craig Thommo: Oscars Hotel - Pyrmont Dave Carter: The Mark Hotel - Newcastle Dave White Duo: Northies, Northies Bar - Cronulla David Agius: Harbord Beach Hotel - Harbord Diesel: Wentworthville Leagues Club Wentworthville Doppleganger Dames Iii: The Standard - Darlinghurst Double Barrel: Paragon Hotel - Circular Quay Fatt Lipp: Riverstone Sports Hotel Riverstone Glenn Whitehall: Collingwood Hotel - Liverpool Handsome Young Strangers: Botany View Hotel - Newtown Harbour Master: Northbridge Hotel - Northbridge Hayley Sales: Harlequinn Inn - Pyrmont John Leigh Calder Jazz Quartet: White Horse Hotel -Surry Hills Jonathan Lee Jones: Kincumber Hotel - Kincumber Jonny Gretsch’s Wasted Ones: Bald Faced Stag - Leichhardt Kirk Burgess: Tahmoor Inn - Tahmoor Klassic Blak: Belmont 16’S - Belmont Lanie Lane, Jordie Lane: Brass Monkey - Cronulla
BTL - BEHIND THE LINES
SoundEdit Services Audio Editing/Mastering, Format transfers Artwork design /layout/ printing CD’s, DVD’s
CD Duplication
July/August Special 100 CD Copies with 4 page colour insert (single fold) , & rear inlay supplied in standard cases
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$275 inc GST
www.soundedit.com.au brett@soundedit.com.au Mob: 0418 232 797 Ph: 02 8002 4029
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PRINTING 100 SRA3 gloss @ $80incGST 500 SRA3 gloss @ $300incGST ph: 9550 3977 zenrock@zenstudios.com.au www.zenstudios.com.au
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STUDIOS
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Studio 1 (SSL Room): Was $1300 + GST Per Day
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Call now to secure your booking! Dates are filling fast! 02 4362 3299 info@thegrovestudios.com www.thegrovestudios.com
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digital recording in every room
$40 hr inc. engineer Seperate drum room 32 tracks
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EMPLOYMENT ADMINISTRATION Dedicated/Versatile Singer & Guitarist (19yrs) available for any genre - from soul to alternative rock! Drummer 18-26yrs preferred. Also seeking Bassist and Keyboardist. Northern Beaches. Ph:0432872290 - Ziggy.
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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
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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
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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
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KEYBOARD PLAYER WANTED!!
Keyboard player wanted for inner west based quirky folk band. EP recorded and released last June. Must be willing to rehearse weekly and be available for gigs and festivals. Ability to sing backing vocal harmonies is desirable but not essential. Please contact Susie at susiehurley@live.com, 0404 067 051
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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
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SINGER WANTED
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PHOTOGRAPHER
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VOLUNTEER Rock crew internships offer. Full training provided by muso/prod w/ 30 yrs + ind exp in all facets of music prod. Must b keen, honest, reliable & have car. 0434 959 986.
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FILM & STAGE SOUND & MUSIC FREE COMPOSER FOR SCORING
I’m a 20 songwriter/composer with a setup for recording/producing music. I’m interested in developing experience in composing scores for any type of film. Although I have very little experience in composing for film I do have a great deal of experience in songwriting and composing music for bands. As a result, i’m prepared to offer my services and compose for your project for free!!! I can compose in most styles and have access to 1000’s of virtual instruments. Contact Ben on 0448221479 or benjaminking91@gmail.com
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FOR SALE AMPS Peavey 1550 CS Stage 2 150 watt amplifier for sale $1800, with an Ibanez GR200 guitar for sale $900. Ring Neil 0414 673 531.
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BASS Warwick Streamer Stage II - 5 String Bass. As new condition, reluctant sale. Beautiful bass, amazing versatile tone. $3000. lcshorten@gmail.com
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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
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SELF-EMPLOYMENT DRUMMER AVAILABLE Experienced drummer looking for studio, band and teaching work. Contemporary styles, 21 years experience. Andrew 0405 073 503
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HIRE SERVICES
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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
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DRUMS DRUM KIT WANTED, anything considered. Also looking for vintage drum kit ludwig/ Gretsch etc , snare drums or cymbals, ph 0419760940
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Tama Hyperdrive 5 piece w/ Paiste Alpha Symbols and hardware. $3000. lcshorten@gmail.com
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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 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 http://facebook.com/aTLargeMusic 93362190 0421987370 Hampton Rd, Fremantle, WA
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GUITARS Matts Vintage Guitars - Fender Gibson Martin Rickenbacker Guild Gretsch Vintage and USA BuySell-Trade Ph.0413-139-108 www.mattsvintageguitars.com
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Peavey 1550 CS Stage 2 150 watt amplifier for sale $1800, with an Ibanez GR200 guitar for sale $900. Ring Neil 0414 673 531.
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OTHER Keytar CASIO AZ-1. Fully functional retro 80’s midi-controller will take your performances to the next level. $649, includes strap and new midi cable. Youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=1yrCj-xAQDI 0422-620-916 c12monkeyboys@hotmail.com
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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
BENNETTS GUITAR TUITION
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 *One Free Introductory Lesson for Anyone Interested!!* Please contact Michael @ 0420 371 624 mbennetts_@hotmail.com
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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
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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
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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!
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PA / AUDIO / ENGINEERING 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.
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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
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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.
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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
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
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
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.
SWEETLEAF REHEARSAL STUDIO MTDRUITT open 7 days, 3 rooms, aircon, food & beverages, Flat lug, Parking, PA & Lighting Hire Call - 98328890
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. All repair work and setups. Call Timo 9484 4374
iFlogID: 19034
STUDIO HIRE 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 hardware-software system. $250 weekly. Call Lamba 9758-8888 www.lamba.com.au
iFlogID: 19391
TUITION 5 STRING BANJO TUITION
Up-Picking (Pete Seeger Style) and 3 Finger Picking (Scruggs Style). tel. John 0431953178
iFlogID: 19344
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
GUITAR LESSONS W/ KHAN MANUEL
Most Styles, all ages, beginner to advanced. Learn Modes, scales, soloing, songwriting. Download free 80 page guitar technique book ‘Guitar Insights’ from khanmanuel.com 0409507174
iFlogID: 19503
GUITAR LESSONS
iFlogID: 19427
iFlogID: 19189
iFlogID: 19623
ADVANCED SLIDE GUITAR
Advanced slide guitar, lead & rhythm & lap steel. All styles. Beginners welcome. Ph Jeff. 0412518070
iFlogID: 19187
iFlogID: 16159
DJ 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.
SINGING LESSONS
ONLY $30 per hour! Professional Tuition BEGINNERS! University degree qualification All ages & capabilities! A step-by-step process from playing entry-level chords to learning to play melodies. Learn Sight reading from Scores. Easy Music Theory Paddington CALL NOW 0416960673
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: 19608
GUITAR LESSONS
Want to play... but don’t know where to start? Tailored Tuition at your pace... with the Guitarist for Sydney Band ROCKMONSTER Rock & Blues PH: 0422 868 959
iFlogID: 19123
iFlogID: 18895
SLIDE GUITAR TUITION
All styles from Duane Allman and Ben Harper to Blind Willie Johnson and Son House. www.acousticfingerpicking.com tel. John 0431953178
iFlogID: 19425
TEACHER TO THE STARS!
iFlogID: 19191
iFlogID: 19521
LYRIC WRITING TUITION
Lyric writing is an art form that rarely gets paid the attention it deserves in modern music. A good lyric paints a mental picture. Thankfully, exactly how vivid that picture is, is now in your hands!! Learn to craft beautiful, meaningful and interesting lyrics with an experienced and easy going mentor. I will teach you the techniques, tricks and stylistic nuances that will help you build a solid foundation, and write songs that cut through the drivel of today’s radio. All you need is a place, a pad and pen, or a PC (with internet ideally) and a willingness to learn. I will travel to you and provide lessons in the comfort of your own home. $50/ Hour. Laid back lessons, with a focus on having fun learning the art of writing. 0423 334 083.
iFlogID: 19582
MITCH FARMER DRUM TUITION
iFlogID: 19159
Stanmore based. Beginners are welcome and encouraged! Play entry-level chords to learning to play melodies and arrangements. Jazz, blues, finger-style country, classical, rock and funk. A friendly mentoring approach 20 years of playing and teaching experience. neillonguitar.com
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. Call between 1pm-8pm. 0410 680 100
Learn Ableton or Cubase.......................I’ve 15 years Dj experience, finished the Ableton Production and Mixng & Mastering Coarse @ Dubspot NYC, and a degree in Audio Engineering at SAE. I can assist you with all aspects of Ableton, Cubase, & 3rd party plugins and get those music ideas in the clubs or on the radio. All levels welcome. Call Richard on 0477173699 or email rmallam@ hotmail.com.
Professional all round live/studio drummer with 28 yrs experience. All styles and topics covered,check website for details. Beginners to Advanced levels welcome. Please call Mitchfor rates and times available.m.0418267827 e.mitch@mitchfarmer.com wsite. www.mitchfarmer.com
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
BASS PLAYER
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
iFlogID: 19635
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: 18961
MUSICIANS AVAILABLE 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
Fingerstyle guitar, open tunings, slide, flat picking, improvisation, rock, country, blues, folk, celtic styles, music theory, arranging, ear training, singing, banjo and mandolin. www.acousticfingerpicking.com PHONE JOHN: 0431953178
iFlogID: 19423
AAA+ GUITAR LESSONS
ACOUSTIC GUITAR LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS. Learn how to play acoustic guitar including music theory if required from a patient, experienced teacher and contemporary musician. $50/hr. Stewart: 0405 727422 or stewart_nestel@hotmail.com
SINGING LESSONS
iFlogID: 19526
From Robert Johnson to Eric Clapton. tel. John 0431953178
iFlogID: 17747
iFlogID: 19365
iFlogID: 19185
With experienced and fully qualified tutor. Who has 20 years of studio and live performance. Most styles including Rock, Pop and Jazz. Learn to play your favourite songs, practical theory, improvisation, proper technique, etc. etc. Beginners to advanced are welcome. In the convenience of your own home. Good results guaranteed. Phone Oles on 0407413143 or email olesguitarlessons@yahoo.com
iFlogID: 19254
CREATIVE GUITAR TUITION
WESTERN SYDNEY MUSIC VIDEOS
iFlogID: 16948
INSANE PRICE FOR GUITAR LESSON
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
REHEARSAL ROOMS
PICKS AND STICKS STUDIO. Private Guitar lessons from an experienced teacher. All levels, All ages, All styles. Improvising, Theory, Song Writing, Technique Seven Hills, Sydney. Call Dave 0410 963 972 or email davemormul@hotmail.com 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: 19429
iFlogID: 15160
| REHEARSAL STUDIO INNER-SYDENY | 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
GUITAR LESSONS
GUITAR TUITION
BLUES GUITAR TUITION
iFlogID: 18131
LEGAL / ACCOUNTING
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
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/ 0414 243 811
iFlogID: 17120
BUSINESSES
PA EQUIPMENT SALES & MARKETING
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: 19575
iFlogID: 18330
Now’s your chance to get those awesome shots of your band and you live gigs FOR FREE !! I’m currently studying photography and need to get my experience level up, so am offering this amazing deal to support local Sydney bands and Muso’s! * I’m NOT offering my services to publications or venues looking to use my photos for advertising. This is solely for the bands benefit to help get their name and image “out there” and for me to get more time behind the lens. I have a canon 5dmkiii with top quality lenses that take the best shots, and all I ask in return is that my watermark remain in the corner of your images and you put me on the door to the venue where you’re playing, and that’s it! Then you’ll get the photo’s to stick on your Facebook, Twitter, Blog or your bands own personal Website. To view some of my previous work, visit http://www.facebook.com/Jack.Gilchrist. Photography So if you want get some rad shots of your gig, email me anytime at admin@jackgilchrist.com or call me on 0410 164 269 during business hours. Cheers Jack
DUPLICATION/ MASTERING
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
iFlogID: 19038
Music tuition, classical / flamenco guitar, celtic harp, theory & harmony, arranging. 9am - 9pm, 7 days. Parramatta area. $40 hr, $30 half hr. Mature & patient. Harps for hire. Ph: 02 98905578
iFlogID: 15158
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. For availability call on 0408461868. 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
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 paid work 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
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 See me playing drums: www.youtube.com/user/sydneypollak
iFlogID: 17324
PROFESSIONAL DRUMMER AVAILABLE
Im currently seeking like minded musos/ bands to collaborate with. I’ve studied under some of Australias leading drummers, have professional gear and my own studio. My style - Solid hard hitting grooves with progressive influences.. Think.. Helmet, Faith No More, Alice In Chains, Tool, COG, Karnivool. PROFESSIONAL MUSOS ONLY. NO COVER BANDS. Scott 0400800875 marriott_scott@yahoo.com.au
iFlogID: 19618
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
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
Wanted left handed electric guitar teacher Parramatta area, Contact John at... rodt1114@yahoo.com
iFlogID: 16308
VIDEO / PRODUCTION 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
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
Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
iFlogID: 18477
Professional mature-age Drummer/Vocals/reads/ back acts/shows - all styles including jazz - available for casual work. phone:(02) 9807-3137 Mob:0413-931-897 eMail: nadipa1@yahoo.com.au
iFlogID: 17160
SEARCHING DRUMMER
Stixx man searching for motivated working original band. No pretenders and lazy musicians things happening all the time, rehearsals leading to performing and recording if this is you drop me a line. style of music melody driven funk to heavy rock please send links to your music Frankie 0404089601 frankiej_1969@hotmail.com
iFlogID: 19457
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 19 year old guitar player looking to form Rock N’ Roll band. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, The Sex Pistols. I live in Sydney-Cronulla. Call tom on 0401722767.
iFlogID: 13358
BLUES/ROCK GUITARIST
looking to join or form a good rock band i have written a fair few riffs my favorite guitarists/influences are Slash,Page,Hendrix,Angus Young, im 22 yo from dee why call or text Mitch if interested 0423478128
iFlogID: 19614
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 BASS PLAYER WANTED
BASS PLAYER wanted for AGENCY backed, WORKING, Sydney Cover band - PARTY CENTRAL and ABSOLUTE DIVAS. age 25-45, good gear and transport, avail Fri/ Sat nights. Contact Troy: krone01@bigpond.com 0400 27 5154
iFlogID: 19592
Dead In Motion is looking for band members. Metal, with influences such as Disturbed, Evanescence, In This Moment, etc, and Japanese visual kei. Contact Dead_In_Motion@hotmail.com for more details.
iFlogID: 19629
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
EXPERIENCED BASSPLAYER, DRUMMER & GUITARIST WANTED FOR ORIGINAL INNER WEST GARAGE/PUNK/ROCK BAND WITH PROMISE. Must have backing vocals, females encouraged to apply. Influenced by 50’s with a punk attitude, Detroit Cobras, Otis Redding, Eddie Current Suppression Ring, Imelda May, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Ramones and Easybeats to join female vocalist and male guitarist. Check out www.myspace. com/therollindice for song demos. Call or message 0410296627 or therollindice@gmail.com
iFlogID: 19562
Experienced singer/songwriter/guitarist has cre-
ated 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 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
iFlogID: 19373
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
PLAY JAZZ Jazz band has an opportunity for singers and wind players - intermediate level plus. For more information contact band leader on 9807 8866 (Dave) or email : oddsocksmusic62@ yahoo.com.au
iFlogID: 19603
Quality DRUMMER wanted for original band based in Campbelltown. Age is not an issue, timing is the priority. Hear some of our works in progress here. http://soundcloud.com/muso-recruitment Phone Mark on 0423264460 or email carcusrocks@hotmail.com
iFlogID: 19542
Seeking experienced lead & backing singers, bass, keyboard, sax & trumpet players for REGGAE band in Northern Beaches. Call Michael 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au
iFlogID: 18612
WANTED: FEMALE BASS PLAYER
We are a well established all girl punk/rock/pop outfit from the inner west. We have recently parted ways with our bassist. We have gigs booked from November and are looking for someone who is passionate about music, thrives on performing live, and knows how to work hard for what she wants. If that sounds like you or someone you know, contact us!!! 0404977255
iFlogID: 19560
BASS PLAYER BASS PLAYER WANTED
Bass Guitarist Required: Us: Smooth Rock styled covers band, established 4+ years, based on the northern beaches. We play a variety of music mostly 70’s & 80’s eras. (40+ songs) Rehearse weekly & gig occasionally. Music is a passion as is having fun. Currently lineup: Two Guitars, and Drums ...Bass (position vacant) You: Competent Bass player/ Good gear & tone. Pleasant, easy going nature, reliable. Want to have fun and aren’t driven to do it for money. ....If this sounds like its for you call us now. Peter 0488 331 550 Andrew 0417 243 606
iFlogID: 19599
BASS PLAYER WANTED
Bass Player Wanted for central coast band, Ep just finished, already has deal with WAVES surfing mag with over 50 000 copies nation wide, must be reliable and committed. contact kurt on 0403915430 or silletruk.music@live.com.au
iFlogID: 19550
BASSPLAYER WANTED FOR ORIGINAL INNER WEST GARAGE/PUNK/ROCK BAND. Refer to ad under MUSICIANS WANTED & www.myspace.com/ therollindice for song demos. Call or message 0410 296 627 or therollindice@gmail.com
iFlogID: 19490
Blues bass player wanted for ‘Just for Fun’ blues band on the north shore. Any age. Keni 0411 648 153
iFlogID: 19496
CENTRAL/COAST,Covers/Originals Band [ working soon ] require bassplayer, Covering SRV Deep Purple Clapton Hendrix ZZtop Bad Company,Gary/ Moore. Musicians with commitment need only apply Phone/Grant. 10am to 8pm 0449536661
iFlogID: 19407
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
NIGHT FLIGHT - LED ZEP TRIBUTE
Night Flight - Led Zeppelin Tribute band require a bass player. You must have excellent playing ability, feel, tone & timing. Rehearsals are weekly at Northshore Music Studios Hornsby. For more information & a set list please contact scottm@y7mail.com
iFlogID: 19601
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
DRUMMER WANTED CENTRAL COAST
Drummer Wanted for central coast band, Ep just finished, already has deal with WAVES surfing mag with over 50 000 copies nation wide, must be reliable and committed. contact kurt on 0403915430 or silletruk.music@live.com.au
iFlogID: 19548
DRUMMER WANTED FOR ORIGINAL INNER WEST GARAGE/PUNK/ROCK BAND. Refer to ad under MUSICIANS WANTED & www.myspace.com/ therollindice for song demos. Call or message 0410 296 627 or therollindice@gmail.com
iFlogID: 19492
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. Please contact Mike 0420 371 624
iFlogID: 19211
DRUMMER WANTED
Experienced drummer required for Sydney rock cover show “The Mad Hatters”. Ideal candidate will be experienced, possess quality equipment and own transport. Call Dion on 0401580611.
iFlogID: 19616
Experienced drummer with a commitment to practice and regular rehearsals required for Melbourne-based alternative rock band. Influences QOTSA, Foo Fighters, Nirvana… www.myspace.com/mollydredd 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
Rock band Release the Hounds needs a drummer. Gigs and tour booked. Ep just released. Band
has management. Influences ACDC GNR etc Please contact bennojacob123@gmail.com
iFlogID: 19612
GUITARIST 19 year old guitar player looking to form Rock N’ Roll band. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, The Sex Pistols. I live in Sydney-Cronulla Call tom on 0401722767.
iFlogID: 13407
COUNTRY DUO REQ GUITAR/ VOCALS
Guitar Player/Singer seeks same for country duo.50/50 workload. Quality guitar player wanted with vocals (ie able to hold a harmony) for modern upbeat act. Want to start with quality/sparse drum/bass backing tracks (no midi trumpets) to compliment mostly live duo and build in to band once solid. Committed team players only please - no gunslingers - there will be homework If you know your instrument we can work on the repertoire, Please contact Ted 0405 414 592
iFlogID: 19486
Female singer/songwriter (21) needs guitarist for acoustic gigs and corporate work, mostly originals with some covers for corporate gigs. Gigs already booked immediate start. http://www.youtube. com/bryleymusic www.facebook.com/bryleymusic or www.soundcloud.com/bryleyd. Email bryley@hotmail.com
OTHER MUSICIANS WANTED
musicians wanted for rocknroll call vee 93193513
iFlogID: 19098
SAXOPHONE Looking for an experienced sax player to form a horn section for a Northern Beaches based REGGAE band. Call Michael 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au.
iFlogID: 19219
SINGER
CAN YOU SING?!!
iFlogID: 19494
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 harmonyline 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 for Sydney Rock and Roll band. Influences AC/DC, Guns N Roses etc. Band has management and gigs booked. EP recorded and being released August. Call Benny 0437930377
iFlogID: 19499
Looking for an experienced reggae guitar player for a Northern Beaches based band. Call Michael on 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au
iFlogID: 19558
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 Looking for an experienced sax & trumpet players for a horn section for a Northern Beaches based REGGAE band. Call Michael 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au.
iFlogID: 19401
KEYBOARD 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!
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Looking for an experienced reggae keyboard player for a Northern Beaches based band. Call Michael 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au
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We are a heavy band looking for a synth player to add to our sound. Rehearsals in Penrith every 2nd weekend and a Gig about every 6 weeks. Musical style is slow and heavy kind of like ISIS, Cult of Luna and Will Haven. The ideal candidate will have decent gear and the willingness to contribute to the writing process. The ability to capture and manipulate samples would also be a bonus. Please contact us on Facebook https://www. facebook.com/Alpha.Degenerate or email alpha. degenerate@gmail.com
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.
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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
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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
Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY- from $299 including UNLIMITED pages, Logos, Hosting and 5xemail addresses and much more! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au
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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
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Looking for female backing singers for a Northern Beaches based REGGAE band. Call Michael on 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au
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Looking for other original acoustic duo’s/bands with a following to share the bill and do live gigs together. Contact RemmosK@gmail.com
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GUITARIST WANTED FOR ORIGINAL INNER WEST GARAGE/PUNK/ROCK BAND.Refer to ad under MUSICIANS WANTED & www.myspace.com/ therollindice for song demos. Call or message 0410 296 627 or therollindice@gmail.com
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Limited Edition mens tees and hoodies with a sense of humour. All hand-screened and numbered. monstrositystore.com
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PLANET 61 ART
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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 02-9950-3977
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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
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SCHOOL OF ROCK - ZEN STUDIOS
Professional Female Singer Wanted as backing vocalist for alternative music group. Must be experienced, enthusiastic and aged 20-35yrs. Gigs booked. Check out the music www.thesecretcity.com.au Contact Ph: 0415409715
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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!
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Seeking an experienced lead & backing reggae singers for Northern Beaches based band. Call Michael 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au
CD and DVD art. Traditional or digital media, FX, and manipulation. Any theme, including Sci Fi, Horror, Fantasy, any style, to your requirements. Call Planet61 Art on 0498470475, or visit Facebook.com/Planet61Art. Adding new work all the time.
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SINGER NEEDED
Experienced Progressive Heavy Groove Band seeks, Strong Heavy/Melodic Vocalist. READY TO PLAY!!! Call Sven - 0421540972
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SINGER wanted for original band based in Campbelltown. Male or Female.. Quality is the priority. Age is not an issue. Think Black Crows , Janis Joplin. Hear some of our work in progress here. http://soundcloud.com/muso-recruitment Phone Mark on 0423264460 or email carcusrocks@hotmail.com
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TRUMPET Looking for an experienced trumpet player to form a horn section for a Northern Beaches based REGGAE band. Call Michael 0402 549 423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au.
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SERVICES
OTHER 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.
CUSTOM MADE MUSICIAN PLUGS
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BEAUTY SERVICES
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.
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
TUITION BASS, GUITAR, DRUMS
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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
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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
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PIANO/KEYS PLAYER WANTED FOR ROCK/POP BAND BAND REQUIRE TRADITIONAL STYLE KEYS PLAYER I.E PIANO, ORGAN, STRINGS, SYNTH ETC. Band is based on Central Coast has established Management/Publicity & Sony Publishing. Must be ambitious and dedicated. Must be available to rehearse weekly and play shows. Age: 18 – 30 Style: Beatles, Counting Crows, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Cold War Kids
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Contact Rob Carroll Phone: 0431 056 840 Email: rob@offtherecord.cc
BEHIND THE LINES SUPPLYING RIFFS
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SATRIANI SIGNATURE MARSHALL All-new, British-made, all-valve, the Joe Satriani Signature Marshall JVM410H 100-watt head is the result of several years of intense research and development with the man himself testing the prototypes on tour and in the studio, re-voicing all 12 of the amp’s modes as well as adding four studioquality noise gates, one on each channel (each channel featuring three switchable modes), to get the tone, punch and dynamics he wanted out of what he always felt was already the industry benchmark amp, working with amp designer Santiago Alvarez.
SOUND BYTES
Las Vegas rockers The Killers used five producers – Daniel Lanois, Steve Lillywhite, Brendan O’Brien, Damian Taylor and Stuart Price – to record their latest album, Battle Born. Singer Brandon Flowers has said that the group preferred to use several producers because it helped keep their egos in check and gave them a constantly evolving view of their music. The album was then mixed by Alan Moulder. Slipknot singer Corey Taylor’s other band, Stone Sour, recorded their new album, House Of Gold & Bones Part 1, at Sound Farm Studios just outside of the band’s native Des Moines, Iowa with producer David Bottrill (Tool, Muse, Staind). Canadians The Sheepdogs spent two and a half weeks in Haptown Studios in Nashville with producer Patrick Carney of The Black Keys and Austin Scaggs, along with studio engineer Roger Moutenot, recording their eponymous debut album. Their first new studio album from Aerosmith in over a decade, Music From Another Dimension, was recorded in Los Angeles and at the band’s studio in Massachusetts and produced by Jack Douglas with the “Toxic Twins”, singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, all bar three tracks produced by Tyler with Marti Frederiksen. Swedish melodic death metal six-piece Soilwork have been recording their new album, The Living Infinite, with producer Jens Bogren (Opeth, Amon Amarth, Bloodbath). Glasgow, UK five-piece Frightened Rabbit recorded their latest EP, State Hospital, at the Monnow Valley Studio in Rockfield, Wales, with producer Leo Abrahams (Brian Eno, David Byrne, Grace Jones). The latest and twelfth album, RIIRIIR, from Norwegian progressive black metal five-piece Enslaved, was recorded in Bergen, Norway at Duper Studios, Earshot Studios, Solslottet Studios and Peersonal Sound, with a team of producers that included Ivar Bjørnson, Grutle Kjellson, Herbrand Larsen and Iver Sandøy. It was then mixed by Jens Bogren and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden. Finnish melancholic dark metal forerunners Amorphis are recording their next as-yet-untitled album at Petrax Studio and 5K Studios with producer Peter Tägtgren (Children of Bodom, Celtic Frost, Dimmu Borgir), who will mix it at Abyss Studios in Sweden. The debut album, Into Spinning Lights, from Melbourne four-piece Sleep Decade, was recorded with producer Nick Huggins (Kid Sam, Mick Turner, Oscar + Martin, Fraser A. Gorman) at A Pocket Full Of Stones studio in Point Lonsdale. Farm girl singer, songwriter and guitarist Fanny Lumsden took her five-piece band The Thrillseekers into Gigpiglet Studios and Robertson Brothers Studio to record a new EP, Autumn Lawn, with producer Ian Pritchett (Angus & Julia Stone, The Beautiful Girls), who also mixed it, Ben Feggans then mastering it at Studios 301 Sydney. Katoomba-based one-man band Claude Hay began work on his new album, I Love Hate You, at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis and completed it in his own self-built home studio, using a new ‘Cigar Box’ style guitar he made himself out of a $7 baking tray, with a bass string and three pickups – a Peterman bug, a Bill Lawrence single coil and an EMG bass pickup – for the new album. While the new album, Taking It To The Streets, from The Angels, was recorded at Albert Studios in Neutral Bay, guitarist John Brewster took it to Mixmasters Studios in the Adelaide Hills to mix with owner/operator Mick Wordley. Wollongong-based rockers Leadfinger recorded their fourth album at Sydney’s Def Wolf Studios over this past winter, producing the sessions themselves. Sydney four-piece Sound Of Seasons recorded their new EP, The Sheltered, with producer Dave Petrovic at Sydney’s Electric Sun Studios and mastered it at Studios 301 Sydney. btl@streetpress.com.au 62 • THE DRUM MEDIA
UK hard rockers The Cult are well and truly back with a new album, Choice Of Weapon, fresh off the assembly line. Guitarist Billy Duffy talks to Michael Smith about its making.
I
t’s been five years since The Cult released their last album, Born Into This, and seven since singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy, the core of the UK hard rock institution, reconvened after several years apart pursuing side projects that included, for Astbury, working with the surviving members of The Doors, and for Duffy, a variety of bands including Coloursound. They’ve just released a new album, Choice Of Weapon, recorded across various sessions in New York City, Los Angeles, the California high desert and Ian Astbury’s Witch Mountain studios in the Hollywood hills (“It’s really his living room,” Duffy explains. “One of the guys from The Black Ryders helped us out on the engineering on it.”), between July and December last year, before they headed into Hollywood Recording Studios to finish things off with bass player Chris Wyse and drummer John Tempesta, who have been with the band since 2006. “I’m kind of like the engine room guy, you know what I mean?” a perky Duffy admits self-effacingly, on the line from his home in Los Angeles, his Manchester accent as strong as ever, “shovelling coal in the beast, but I’m coming out of that mode into objectivity mode and I’m really enjoying playing [these songs] live.” The reason for the five-year gap between albums isn’t a lack of creativity – the band released a single, 2010’s Every Man And Woman Is A Star, which became the lead track off enhanced EP, Capsule 1, followed the next year by the Capsule 2 EP. It was a case of feeling that they had an album worth recording. “When we put out the [Born Into This] album and toured around a bit – we’ve been pretty much touring every year, but when me and Ian took a little break before deciding it was time to get back in the woodshed to write, it was difficult. He’d moved to New York and I was living in LA so we were as far away from each other as we could in America, but I went to New York and we worked a while and he came to Los Angeles and we started amassing some songs, but Ian was like, ‘I really don’t want to make an album. I don’t want to have to write twenty songs and then go through that tortuous process of getting a producer and tracking the album and months and years… Why can’t we just do like what a lot of younger bands are doing? Let’s put out some EPs – let’s get the new music out there; let’s be more modern and instant and more reflective of what’s happening.’
“So those were the Capsules. We got them out quicker, we got to use Chris Goss as a producer and it kind of freed me and Ian up as writers. We threw them out like sort of practise laps, going round, and we felt good about what we were doing and refined the process and that led us into Choice Of Weapon. We didn’t really know whether we were going to come up with enough good songs to not include the Capsules in the album but in the end we felt we did. And a lot of the time spent really was just like getting studio time, getting a producer who was available, kind of lining up the logistics; you know, everybody’s got lives and families – we’re not kids anymore.” Chris Goss, whose CV includes working with Queens Of The Stone Age, U.N.K.L.E. and his own band Masters of Reality among others, began coproducing Choice Of Weapon with Astbury and Duffy, but they then turned to Bob Rock (Metallica, Bush among many), who back in the day had been Aerosmith’s sound engineer and had produced one of The Cult’s most successful albums, 1988’s Sonic Temple. As Duffy gleefully points out, “The Cult first, Metallica and Mötley Crüe after us”. “The miracle is that the record doesn’t sound all kind of like over-polished and stodgy and kind of stale. You know, we kept a certain energy somehow, and even when we changed producers, because we got to a point with it where we kind of, to use a running analogy, we hit a wall and didn’t seem to be making any progress. So we just felt that a new set of ears, like with Bob Rock, he could come in and really just finish it off. No
disrespect to Chris Goss, who spent months in the trenches producing us, working the songs from the ground up, but me and Ian were just running out of time and money and we had to make, like, the adult call, which was, ‘I think we need Bob to come in with fresh ears and fresh energy to just push us to finish.’ “They’re both guitar players who I like a lot. They’re both ‘70s-oriented guitar players like myself; they’re a wee bit older than myself but essentially the same slightly pre-punk music. Chris produced an Ian Astbury solo album in the ‘90s [actually 2000’s Spirit/Light/ Speed] and they became very good friends. Chris is an American obviously and Bob Rock is a Canadian whose lived in America, and they’re both Anglophiles, both like English music, and that really resonates with me and Ian and how we grew up, with the kind of pre-punk glam rock and all that. So all that background goes into their production, so when they’re trying to help me and Ian realise our songs, that’s kind of their tool set – that’s where they go to help us – and I think that’s very beneficial for me and Ian. “Technically me and Ian are useless,” Duffy admits. “I can barely turn my TV on without assistance! But I’ve got an iPhone, a laptop and a guitar plugged into a practice amp – I’m the low-tech dude. My job is to supply the riffs and the melodies.” Choice Of Weapon is out now on Cooking Vinyl through Shock.
GEAR REVIEW POSSE
Every now and then an item comes along which revolutionises they way we make music. In-ear monitoring is now an accepted format even amongst local artists, but the problem is that it’s sometimes too complicated to get a decent mix or you may feel isolated because you’re not hearing the room properly. What if you could quickly set up your own independent monitor mix, fine-tune it throughout the show and even blend in some of that essential room sound? Well this is exactly what you can do with the Posse, a personal in-ear monitoring system that includes a Floor Box, Belt Box and Stand Box that allows you to blend vocal, instrument, room and auxillary inputs so you get a full, natural mix directly in-ears.
tracks out of my studio speakers to replicate the sound of a live band on a small scale. Jumping on the website (posseaudio.com) made setup especially easy for me, as it had a number different configurations and uses for different musical scenarios. I attached the floor box to the stand box, screwed the stand box onto my mic stand, plugged my vocal mic in and, finally, hooked up the belt box to the floor box and was ready to go. I gave my acoustic a quick tune with the on-board tuner, which was fast and accurate, and hit play on my backing tracks.
First up the Posse isn’t limited to one sort of musician or one musical format; it can be tweaked and setup for just about any situation for singers, guitarists and beyond. The inbuilt room mics and an included condensor mic make it especially handy for horn players or acoustic musicians that don’t have pickups and require clear signal to be fed front of house. An easy to use onboard guitar tuner located on the stand box will also keep your axes in tune all night while being highly visible in the dark.
Setting up a mix was fast and easy and could be done on the fly, and it was possible to go really loud without any discernable distortion. The quality of tone was nothing short of stunning, and the real winner here was the ability to blend room sounds using the in-built stereo room mics, allowing me hear the backing tracks clearly, my guitar and vocals, as well as traffic from the main road and even the birds chirping outside. Unplugging the direct line and using the Posse’s condenser mic yielded even better tonal results for my acoustic for that classic close-mic’d sound we all love, so I’d definitely encourage using the mic (or a blend) if you’re able to stay clear of feedback at a show.
I set the Posse up in my studio with a mic and acoustic guitar and also sent some backing
Sure you can buy in-ear monitors, but then you have to buy a belt pack and transmitter
themusic.com.au
and even then you still might be relying on someone else for your mix. So why rely on your sound-guy when you can have your own Posse (pun intended)? Reza Nasseri For more info see www.trc.com.au
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