Inpress Issue #1150 by TheMusic.com.au

V I C T O R I A’ S 2 N D H I G H E S T C I R C U L AT I N G S T R E E T P R E S S BY 110 C O P I E S

DUFFY

REVEREND HORTON HEAT MELBOURNE SYDNEY BRISBANE

THE JEZABELS

RYAN KWANTEN

STAT E E L EC T I O N S P E C I A L FAT FR E D DYS D R O P TOP O Z A L B U M S R E A D E R S ’ P O LL AU G U S T B U R NS R E D

W E D N E S D A Y 2 4 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 ~ I S S U E 11 5 0 ~ F R E E

MELBOURNE - MORNINGTON PENINSULA - BALLARAT / BENDIGO - GEELONG / SURF COAST

32,903

2ND & FINAL SHOW

NEW TICKETS RELEASED AT ALL PRICE LEVELS FROM $39.90*

ETIHAD STADIUM UT SOLD ODECEMBER WEDNESDAY 1

FRIDAY DECEMBER 3

BOOK NOW! ticketmaster.com.au/U2360 or 136 100 *additional handling fees may apply. Availability is limited

For complete tour information, visit www.U2.com For local information & tour updates sign up at www.livenation.com.au I www.coppel.com.au For official Travel & Hospitality packages visit www.U2360packages.com.au Produced by Live Nation Global Touring in association with Michael Coppel and Live Nation Australia

U2 360 Live at The Rose Bowl in stores now

twitter.com/inpressmag

Sun Feb 20 & Mon Feb 21 Thornbury Theatre thornburytheatre.com Popfrenzy Presents

The Way Out Out now on Spunk popfrenzy.com.au myspace.com/thebooksmusicpage

Also touring Metronomy (UK) Thu 25 Nov, The Prince Bandroom | Broadcast (UK) Thu 9 Dec, The Hi Fi | Neon Indian (US) & Casiokids (NOR) Wed 29 Dec, Revolver Upstairs | Holly Miranda (US) Mon 17 Jan, East Brunswick Club | HEALTH (US) Fri 21 Jan, East Brunswick Club | Les Savy Fav (US) Tue 8 Feb, Billboard | Deerhunter (US) Wed 9 Feb, Billboard | Best Coast (US) Sun 6 Mar, East Brunswick Club - www.popfrenzy.com.au 4

twitter.com/inpressmag

WED 24 NOVEMBER

NMIT SHOWCASE - SIMON HUDSON + THOMAS STRODE + NIGEL SWIFT 8.30pm $5 entry THU 25 NOVEMBER

BEN CARR

5.30pm Free in the Front Bar

BIANCA MEIER + RACHAEL BY THE STREAM 8.30pm $6 Entry FRI 26 NOVEMBER

ROHAN BLACKMORE

6pm Free in the Front Bar

AROWE + THE AGES + BETH NIGHTS

THE BOYS

8.30pm $10 Entry

SUN 28 NOVEMBER 4.30pm Free in the Front Bar

ALORA

8.30pm $6 Entry

TUE 30 NOVEMBER

THE HELLO MORNINGS + LUKE BAGOT 8.30pm$8/$7 (Band Room)

Open...MON - THU...from 4pm ‘til late FRI...from 2pm ‘til late SAT - SUN...from 12pm ‘til late

Live Music Bookings wesleyannebookings@gmail.com www.wesleyanne.com.au

COMING SOON

1/12: BIG FOLK 2/12: FILTHY SOUP 4/12: TRAVIS MARKE

Summer Special Two for one meals on Mondays (excludes steak, fish and specials)

bookings: 9482 1333 twitter.com/inpressmag

twitter.com/inpressmag

ISSUE 1050

No.109

WEDNESDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2010

BRUNSWICK

Thursdays in November

Bakersfield Glee Club Former members of Redfish Bluegrass, Red Hot Poker Dots, Maurice Frawley’s Yard Hands and The Re-mains play traditional 1920s country from Bakersfield 7.30pm

FAT FREDDY’S DROP

INPRESS 16 18 18 20 24 26 28 30 32 33 34 36 40

BACK TO INPRESS

Who’s playing what with Charts and the week’s best and worst in Backlash/Frontlash The Front Line brings you the hottest industry news In The Studio keeps you turned on to your fave band’s movements Foreword Line brings you all the latest tour announcements My Disco have played everywhere, man Our State Election special takes a thorough look at the main parties’ policies The Jezabels are a band growing in confidence Duffy doesn’t need your approval Fat Freddy’s Drop still have their freedom and their souls Kaki King’s wiener is not gay Reverend Horton Heat’s stupid live stunts are in the past On The Record rates new releases from Short Stack, The Temper Trap and Little John Readers’ responses to the 100 Best Australian Albums book

FRONT ROW 42 43 43 44 45 45 46 46 46

50 50 50 50 51 51 52 52 52 52 53 53 55 55 55 66

True Blood star Ryan Kwanten talks about new film Red Hill Sandra Fiona Long and Naomi Steinborner talk Duets For Lovers And Dreamers The Menstruum takes a wander through Gertrudes’ open day Parker Ito and Ry David Bradley explore art in a post-internet world Film Carew enters the world of Harry Potter Georgina Naidu talks about her role in Yet To Ascertain The Nature Of The Crime Music photographer Tony Mott gears up for his exhibition Trailer Trash returns with online purchases and DVD picks Cultural Cringe explores the Squizzy Taylor musical

66 66 67 67 70 71 72 78 82

August Burns Red don’t push their faith on their fans Newbirds take their name from a Keith Moon quote Sola Rosa are finally a household name in NZ King Cannons are all Johnny Cash fans Stick To Your Guns are frustrated by the American right The kids from Jaguar Spring are nursing hangovers Kids Of 88 aren’t afraid to write pop songs Shawn Mullins is feeling inspired by fatherhood We the Kings are after a world record involving a Pringles can That 1 Guy blows his own horn Tantrums are proving hard to pigeonhole Dunhill Blues are a well-adjusted rock band Hammocks & Honey make magic happen Our LIVE gives you the best of the week’s live music! Gig Of The Week pines for the Punters Club LIVE:Reviews wish the Manics would tour more often Stu Harvey gives you a ShortFastReport on the world of punk and hardcore Andrew Haug takes us to the dark side in The Racket Kendal Coombs leads the under-18s boardroom in the Department Of Youth Pop culture happenings in The Breakdown Dan Condon blues and roots in Roots Down If you haven’t appeared in Fred Negro’s Pub, your mother probably still speaks to you Jeff Jenkins gets down and local in Howzat! Our Gig Guide fills your diary for the weekend Gear and studio reviews in BTL Find your new band and just about anything else in our classy Classifieds

CREDITS

EDITORIAL

Group Managing Editor Andrew Mast Editor Shane O’Donohue music@inpress.com.au Front Row Editor Daniel Crichton-Rouse frontrow@inpress.com.au Contributing Editor Adam Curley Staff Writers Bryget Chrisfield, Michael Smith

ADVERTISING sales@inpress.com.au National Sales & Marketing Director Leigh Treweek Victorian Sales Manager Katie Owen Senior Account Executive Nick Lynagh Bands & local advertising Dean Noble Arts, dance & fashion advertising Connie Filidis Sales assistant Kobi Simpson

DESIGN & LAYOUT artroom@inpress.com.au Group Art Director Stuart Teague Inpress Cover Design / Art Direction Matt Greenwood Layout Matt Davis, Matt Greenwood, Stuart Teague

ACCOUNTS & ADMINISTRATION accounts@streetpress.com.au Reception Holly Engelhardt Accounts Receivable Anita D’Angelo Accounts Payable Qing Shu

CONTRIBUTORS Senior Contributors Clem Bastow, Jeff Jenkins Overseas Contributors Tom Hawking (US), James McGalliard (UK), Sasha Perera (UK). Writers Nick Argyriou, The Boomeister, Atticus Bastow, Steve Bell, Alice Body, Tim Burke, Luke Carter, Dan Condon, Anthony Carew, EJ Cartledge, Chris Chinchilla, Jake Cleland, Rebecca Cook, Kendal Coombs, Adam Curley, Cyclone, Guy Davis, Carolyn Dempsey, Liza Dezfouli, Lizzie Dynon, John Eagle, Guido Farnell, Sam Fell, Bob Baker Fish, Robert Gascoigne, Cameron Grace, Stu Harvey, Andrew Haug, Andy Hazel, Andrew Hickey, Joey Lightbulb, Michael Magnusson, Baz McAlister, Keith McDougall, Sam McDougall, Tony McMahon, Count Monbulge, Luke Monks, Fred Negro, Mark Neilsen,

Roger Nelson, Danielle O’Donohue, Matt O’Neill, James Parker, Adam Psarras, Josh Ramselaar, Paul Ransom, Leonie Richman, Symon JJ Rock, Antonios Sarhanis, Ingrid Sjolund, Dylan Stewart, Nic Toupee, Rob Townsend, Danielle Trabsky, Dominique Wall, Doug Wallen, Jeremy Williams.

PHOTOGRAPHERS Senior Contributor Kane Hibberd Jesse Booher, Chrissie Francis, Kate Griffin, Andrew Gyopar, Lou Lou Nutt, Gina Maher, James Morgan, Heidi Takla, Nathan Uren.

INTERNS Andrea Biagini

EDITORIAL POLICY The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder. By submitting letters to us for publication, you agree that we may edit the letter for legal, space or other reasons. ©

DEADLINES Editorial Friday 5pm Advertising Bookings Friday 5pm Advertising Artwork Monday 5pm General Inquiries info@inpress.com.au (no attachments) Accounts/Administration accounts@streetpress.com.au Gig Guide gigguide@inpress.com.au Distribution distro@inpress.com.au Office Hours 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday

twitter.com/inpressmag

PUBLISHER Street Press Australia Pty Ltd 2-4 Bond Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067 PO Box 1079, Richmond North VIC 3121 Phone: (03) 9421 4499 Fax: (03) 9421 1011

PRINTED BY Rural Press Victoria

Sat 27 November

The Native Plants Pop propagated with rock 5pm

Sun 28 November

Todd Hart Trio (USA)

& The Lowdown Dirty Shames

A repeat performance by these two awesome blues bands 5pm

THE UNION HOTEL

BRUNSWICK 109 UNION ST, BRUNSWICK UHBBOOKINGS@YAHOO.COM.AU

9388 2235

twitter.com/inpressmag

ON THE STEREO

FRONTLASH Hello Dolly

International Rudeboy LOTEK Swim Remixes CARIBOU Theme Time Radio Hour Season 3 VARIOUS ARTISTS It’s Happening STRAIGHT ARROWS Rolling Blackouts THE GO! TEAM False Priest OF MONTREAL Dragonslayer PIGEON JOHN The Wants THE PHANTOM BAND The Silent Surf ALL INDIA RADIO Danger Days MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

3RRR SOUNDSCAPE Countryman FRANK YAMMA Russkie Wig-Out! VARIOUS ARTISTS Swim Remixes CARIBOU Soul Jazz Records Riddim Box VARIOUS ARTISTS Broken Dreams Club GIRLS Young EP SUMMER CAMP The Bare Bones Session ABBIE CARDWELL & HER LEADING MEN Put Your Hands On Me LITTLE JOHN Every Step’s A Yes THE BEES The Silent Surf ALL INDIA RADIO

3PBS TIPSHEET Theme Time Radio Hour Season 3 VARIOUS ARTISTS It’s Happening STRAIGHT ARROWS The Four Seasons BIG SCARY Dubber Side Of The Moon EASY STAR ALL STARS Domestic Arts JAMES SHERLOCK TRIO We’re All In This Together GABBY YOUNG & OTHER ANIMALS Couleurs Sur Paris NOUVELLE VAGUE Floassanova DUB DENTIST Three’s Company JAMES MORRISON Depth Of Sound DUBMARINE

SYN TOP 10 Ghost Riders In The Sky BURIED HORSES Waters AIR WAVES June Strangelets MEGASTICK FANFARE Down By The Water THE DECEMBERISTS Treehouse GOLD FIELDS Destroyer RYAN ADAMS Mr Lyre PACK BEARS Two Minutes WIRE All The Pleasures of the World CRAYON FIELDS (OPULENT SOUND REMIX) Plinky Plonky BORN RUFFIANS

GIVEAWAYS

IF YOU LOVE MUSIC... Then do your homework and make sure your vote on Saturday goes to the party you think will do the most to protect our live music scene.

GOOD GOLLY Dolly Parton has confirmed she’ll tour Australia late next year. Yee-haa!

RUMOURS Word is this new monthly night kicking off this Friday at the Gasometer (corner Smith and Alexandra) will become THE place to dance and drink ‘til the wee hours. Entry is free and you might even see us on the decks...

BACKLASH The Ex Factor

LAW AND ORDER Don’t be fooled by Labor and Libs spin when voting on Saturday – the crime rate in Victoria is at its lowest in years.

SENIOR CITIZENS ARREST Britain, however, has been hit by a pensioner crime wave, with the elderly being locked up in record numbers. It wouldn’t have happened back in my day...

THE X FACTOR Thank god that’s over.

Email giveaways@inpress.com.au from 5pm Wednesday

DESIGN OUR COVER AND WIN BIG! Our Big Day Art competition is back. All you have to do is upload your impression of an act on next year’s Big Day Out bill at summerfestivalguide.com.au (go to the Big Day Art section). The competition is now open and entries close Friday 7 January. The prize? Not only will the entry judged the best appear on the front cover of Inpress, the lucky winner will also win a pass to the now-sold out Big Day Out, CDs by Big Day Out artists, design software and free entry to a CATC workshop. Sony has just released Bruce Springsteen’s The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story, a deluxe package containing three CDs and three DVDs. To celebrate we have five copies of The Promise album to giveaway, a double-CD set featuring lost songs from the Darkness... sessions. Canada’s Two Hours Traffic know how to pick a local support slot – this Friday they open up for hotter-than-hot band The Jezabels at the East Brunswick Club. To get you in the mood we’ve got two prize packs to give away, each containing a copy of their latest album and a t-shirt.

WORD UP TO PRIZE WINNERS: Prizes must be collected from Inpress offices during business hours (9am-5.30pm, Mon-Fri). ID is required when collecting prizes. Prizes must be collected within four weeks of the giveaway being published. Please note, Inpress giveaway policy is that winners are permitted one prize per four-week period only.

twitter.com/inpressmag

THE

FRONTLINE

IN THE STUDIO WITH BRYGET CHRISFIELD

SERGE SCORES

Fans hanging out for the follow-up to Kasabian’s West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum set, which dropped in June 2009, may have to wait a little longer than expected. Serge Pizzorno, the band’s principal songwriter/guitarist, has been busily composing the score for a film starring Ray Winstone, Keira Knightley, Colin Farrell and Anna Friel of late. According to UK tabloid The Sun, the release date for the thriller entitled London Boulevard was brought forward, which led to a sudden heavy workload for Pizzorno. “I was planning to have a month’s holiday and get some rest in, but when these things come in you think, well, I really want to do this,” Pizzorno told the paper. “It’s suited me brilliantly, there’s something cinematic in them bones of mine. I probably should have got my head down and done some deckchair action, but I wanted to get the orchestras out and try this. It’s amazing. Originally, everything was going to be really small, like underground demos, and then you start to think of John Barry, who did the James Bond scores, and you go, ‘Fuck that, if this is the only one I ever do, I might as well go out in a blaze of glory’.” Once London Boulevard opens in the UK this week, Pizzorno can get cracking on Kasabian’s fourth album, which the band’s singer Tom Meighan told Absolute Radio is “nothing like” its precursor. “If people are expecting West Ryder… or Underdog, they’ve got another thing coming because it’s nothing like the last record,” he said. “We’re not the same band anymore. We always keep changing.” Meighan also confirmed Pizzorno’s crucial role in determining the band’s direction. “It all stems from Serge,” he stressed. “He plants the seeds and this sort of giant beanstalk starts forming then we take it [into] the studio.” When In The Studio spoke to Meighan in the lead-up to his band’s [V] Live appearance in July, he said Pizzorno had already started working on future Kasabian output. “Serge has just come back from America and he’s demoed the album,” the frontman advised. “He’s got, like, I think he said something like 13 or 14 tracks so he’s done most of the work on ‘em. So we’re about, I’d say, 50% done, mate, which is good, you know.” At the time of the interview, Meighan anticipated it would be “early next year” before the rest of the world would hear the forthcoming album and also confirmed Pizzorno had met up with Dan The Automator, who produced West Ryder…, while he was Stateside. “I think all that pressure point of getting there and being successful and making money for your record company and all that shit, I think we’ve surpassed that now,” Meighen illuminated. “And for each record, if it flops – I don’t give a shit, we’ll write another record. We’re not really bothered about it anymore... I don’t think you’ve heard the best of the band yet. I don’t think you’ve heard anything near the best we can do and West Ryder – it was cool and all that, you know. Fast Fuse and all that shit – it’s a great song, but I think the next record’s gonna eclipse anything we’ve ever done.” Pizzorno’s wife went into labour four weeks earlier than expected, just after the guitarist arrived back from Australia at the beginning of August. The pair christened their son Ennio, perhaps inspired by the prolific Italian film composer, Ennio Morricone. Pizzorno made bandmate Meighen the godfather of his son.

LOST TAPES

About to tour our shores for the Falls Festivals, Southbound, Sunset Sounds and assorted sideshows, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis have nearly completed work on their second album. Speaking to In The Studio last week, eldest sibling Daisy Durham spoke of some of the challenging aspects of recording entirely with analogue equipment. “We’re almost done actually,” she said of the forthcoming set. “It’s taken a while, but the equipment’s been breaking down. We started recording on another machine and the part broke so we spent a couple of months trying to get it fixed, like, sending it to different people. And no one could do it! So we had to start all over again with a different machine.” Kitty, Daisy & Lewis tour with their mum Ingrid Weiss (formerly drummer with The Raincoats) and dad Graeme Durham, on double bass and drums respectively. Originally working at the Sound Clinic, part of Island Records, Graeme Durham mastered artists such as Grace Jones, Bob Marley, Black Uhuru, Kid Creole, U2 and The Pogues but left to form The Exchange in London in 1987. He has undoubtedly passed his love of vintage audio equipment down the family tree since Lewis collects and cuts his own 78rpm records at his home studio when not playing in the band. The trio’s debut, selftitled album was also recorded by Lewis and his dad in the family’s home studio in Kentish Town.

INDUSTRY NEWS BY SCOTT FITZSIMONS

LATEST STREET PRESS NUMBERS

The Temper Trap prepare for a Singapore Laneway. Pic by Heidi Takla

The latest audit numbers for Australia’s street press magazines have been released by the regulating body Circulations Audit Board. In Brisbane Time Off (Street Press Australia [SPA] – Inpress’s publishers) is the highest with 21,928 copies weekly, 3D World Brisbane (SPA) follows with 18,923 and then Rave (Rave) with 17,000 while Scene has fallen off the audit. In Sydney The Drum Media (SPA) is top with 33,589 copies with 3D World Sydney at 24,002. The Brag is not audited again. Melbourne is the tightest market with Beat (Furst Media) jumping ahead of Inpress (SPA) this audit period, by a mere 100 copies, 33,013 and 32,903 respectively. JB Hi-Fi’s instore mag Music Australia Guide (Slattery) is the highest circulated nationally with 65,193 as the new Junior magazine (Hyrda) was not audited. Its publisher’s claim of 85,000 is down from the launch figure of 150,000. With Furst Media auditing just one of their magazines and Scene pulling out, Street Press Australia has become the only multi-state publisher in street press with all of their publications audited.

METALLICA CRUSH BRITNEY Hard rock legends Metallica’s four Sydney shows at the Acer Arena saw an audience of 74,244 attend, which is a new record. The highest number of tickets sold previously was pop star Britney Spears on her Circus tour, which had 66,247 people over four nights – prior to that it was Coldplay who held the record.

MYSPACE CONCEDES TO FB In response to dwindling traffic numbers and cash reserves, MySpace launched their new page last week. In a move of admission that they’re no longer viable as the sole social networking platform, the redesign comes with a “Facebook mashup” which streamlines the Facebook stream into MySpace, syncing ‘likes’ and ‘interests’ with similar pages. As previously reported, the new music pages are more streamlined making easier navigation, however the picture pages suffer from lag and there is currently a bug with music players on certain accounts that is stopping them functioning.

DIGITAL BEATLES After years of legal argument, The Beatles’ back catalogue is now available on iTunes for digital purchase. They are the same, if not more expensive, than the physical versions at $20.99 and available only at only 256kb quality. The digital availability has had an immediate affect on the UK charts with Hey Jude, Let It Be, Here Comes The Sun and Twist And Shout all entering the singles chart.

ROCK CHANGES HANDS Promotion, label and publicity company Just Say Rock Productions have announced new management and ownership with Nik Petrov the new face at the helm. The previous management and ownership has cut all ties with the company and as the press release puts it, the new phase will be “a fresh beginning for all involved.”

YOU WORKING? Triple J are looking for a Melbourne-based Australian Music Producer to be part of the Unearthed team, which involves listening to new tracks and organising the music on the website. They are also searching for a Music Producer, Hack Producer, Video Producer and Social Media Co-ordinator to be based in Sydney. For more info visit abc.net.au/triplej/about/jobs.htm.

FRESHLY INKED Emerging new label Other Tongues have scored another label distribution deal, this time with America’s Kill Rock Stars. It’s home to the likes of Gossip, Sleater-Kinney, The Decemberists and more. Their first release from the label will be a new Elliot Smith compilation, An Introduction To Elliott Smith. North Carolina rock quartet Divided By Friday have signed to Hopeless records, their EP The Constant is available now.

AMERICAN LAUNCHES Partnering with the Nashville Show Me The Music band competition, online booking agency Gig Launch were recently involved in guaranteeing an Australian category for the competition, which has been won by Sydney-based Amanda Baker for her song The Fool. She’ll now be flying to Nashville to record as well as receiving promotional materials. After playing solo for ten years, Baker returned from an American tour before the announcement and so the timing worked out well. “It’s a bit of a gut feeling that good things are going to come from it,” she told The Front Line, “after many disappointments it’s really great to have something positive like this happen and I think it is creating a bit of interest.” The competition is one aspect of Gig Launch, who essentially act as a liaison between Australian artists and international venues.

NEW ST KILDA VENUE The recently rebranded and refurbished St Kilda Memorial Hall – now MEMO – has announced itself as a new arts and entertainment venue. With 400 capacity, the theatre is planning to implement regular live music and arts events early next year following David Carruthers’ acquisition of a long-term lease.

LANEWAY TO VISIT SINGAPORE Confirming the rumours, the Laneway Festival has announced that it will be making it Asian debut in Singapore next year on Saturday 29 January. The Temper Trap, !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Deerhunter, Beach House, Holy Fuck. Foals, Ladyhawke, Yeasayer and Warpaint will continue to tour into South East Asia, specifically the Fort Canning Park. “We’ve been working on it for a few years,” Laneway co-founder/promoter Danny Rogers told The Front Line, “trying to get a decent understanding of the whole music culture in Singapore and South East Asia and we’re pretty confident that there’s a lot of young, discerning music fans. It’s really exciting, it’s a real honour to take an event out of Australia and present it to New Zealand and now Singapore.” After holding a press conference, as is the local custom, support is looking good, with fan-driven Facebook pages already attracting thousands of fans. With a large contingent of Malaysians (known for their alternative music love) in Singapore, its central location on flight paths was a major positive for holding the event there, as was the first language being English and good infrastructure within the industry. An experiment for the first year, it turned out to be a selling point for many of the international bands on the line-up. “That was a big thing as well for bands. When I mentioned Singapore that really helped me get a lot of the bands; a lot of them said, ‘Well if we can play Singapore, we’re in’,” Rogers said. “Imagine in 2014/15, where we can offer what we have on the table at the moment plus Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong as part of it.” While he is expecting a few people to travel from Australia, the majority of punters will likely be from Singapore and other parts of Asia that have limited access to the indie/alternative acts of Laneway’s bill. Singapore will kick off the tour before it heads to New Zealand and then Australia. The Melbourne and Sydney events have already sold out.

STACK CAN’T MAKE IT TWO

GTM SIZES UP 2011

After their surprise debut at number one for their debut album, Short Stack haven’t been able to replicate the feat, with their second album This Is Bat Country debuting at six this week – behind the Neil and Tim Finn tribute, He Will Have His Way, which managed a spot at five. In a big week for releases, Pink’s new best-of Greatest Hits… So Far knocked Bon Jovi’s best-of off top spot, making the top two greatest hits releases. Universal top debut was Rihanna’s Loud in at three while Keith Urban could only manage 11 with Get Closer. Angus & Julia Stone’s Down The Way also surpassed double platinum status. Overseas, Sydney band Sick Puppies continue their rise in the US with their track Always featuring on the latest volume of the Now! That’s What I Call Music compilation series, which debuted at number four in the States.

Arriving in Australia following as successful stint on Broadway, musical Rock Of Ages will feature End Of Fashion’s Justin Burford in the lead role. The former Sleepy Jackson member’s theatre debut comes as End Of Fashion are working on their third album, rumoured to be close to completion. Opening in Melbourne early April next year, there will be eight shows over six days per week, which will obviously hinder commitments with End Of Fashion should the show be a success.

Ensuring that mid-year regional boutique festival Groovin’ The Moo isn’t forgotten about in the excitement of the summer season, the organisers have released the tour dates for next year’s event. Returning to all the locations – including the ones launched last year – co-promoter Stephen Halpin describes this year’s tour as their best yet. “Obviously nothing goes perfectly, but we were happy with the fact that we had two new shows and everything went reasonably well.” With their biggest line-up to date in the event just passed, the festival stepped up to become one of the major festivals on Australia’s scene and Halpin knows that’s going to be hard to maintain. “That was my main concern last year when I heard we got Vampire Weekend plus Silverchair’s only shows for the year. I thought, ‘What are we going to do next year?’. We’re getting close to the line-up and if everything falls together as it looks like it is it’s going to be maybe even stronger, it looks like we could have up to eight internationals, compared to four last year… I don’t think we’ll ever get a band as big as Vampire Weekend, the timing for that was just perfect, but we’ve got a couple that will be up on the top line.” At the moment, six internationals are locked in and there’s about 25% of the line-up, which will be announced in February, yet to be confirmed. The festival kicks off in Bendigo Saturday 30 April and visits Townsville, Maitland and Canberra before finishing in Bunbury Saturday 14 May.

MULLUM YOUTH WINNERS

SYD CHASING MELB’S EVENTS

The Mullum Music Festival has announced the winners of its Youth Mentorship Program, which pairs musicians under the age of 18 with established artists. Alice Blu won the band category and will be mentored by Method’s Bill Jacobi, Jordan Mylrea the world music category to be mentored by Nana Stern (Chile), MinnJarrah Yarraman Jarrett hip hop with Morganics and Griffin Kilpatrick & Millie Hauritz the singer/songwriter with Emily and Jesse Lubitz from Tinpan Orange. They will each have their own 20-minute set at the festival.

Sydney is looking to steal major events away from Melbourne if the $850 million redevelopment of Sydney’s Star City casino is as successful as developers hope. Part of the development is a grand hall which will hold up to 4,000, which is much more than Melbourne’s Crown Casino Palladium, which has a capacity of 1,700. It is thought the events they will go after first will be the Logies and AFL’s Brownlow Medal, but concerts are also in Sydney’s sights.

FASHION OF THE AGES

JETT BREAKS ‘DALE RECORD Staple Sydney music venue and pub The Annandale Hotel has sold out its Joan Jett & The Blackhearts sideshow in record time. In just two minutes tickets to the 400-capacity venue were exhausted, beating the band’s own record of 15 minutes when they did a similarly intimate show at London’s 100 Club earlier this year. The previous record for the Annandale was held by The Vines who, at their peak, sold out the venue in two hours.

twitter.com/inpressmag

PDA DEADLINE LOOMING Applications for the APRA Professional Development Awards are closing Monday, with the total prize package valued at over $25,000. The awards are held biannually and there are eight winners across six categories. For the full details and entry forms head to apra-amcos.com.au/pda. Got news? Announcements? Gossip? Unsubstantiated but hilarious rumours? Send them all to frontline@streetpress.com.au.

THE

FRONTLINE

ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT With the APRA Professional Development Award submission deadline looming, BRYGET CHRISFIELD prises some helpful hints on how to score one from MILLY PETRIELLA (APRA Director Of Membership) and former winner KATRINA BURGOYNE.

Since the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) first introduced the Professional Development Awards in 2001, to mark APRA’s 75th anniversary, eight emerging songwriters have been rewarded every two years. As well as taking home $12,000 in cash, a changeover in sponsors this year has meant additional prizes for successful applicants in 2011. “APRA was able to add the MacBook Pro and the Logic Studio to the $12,000 cash,” APRA’s Director Of Membership, Milly Petriella, enlightens, “but then we also got a full day of recording with an engineer at Studio 301. MGM and Leading Edge decided to come on board and donate a distribution deal, which is really awesome, and they’re covering Popular Contemporary [three awards are chosen for this category that encompasses pop, rock, blues, folk, hip hop, dance and R&B], Country, Film & Television and Indigenous. And the ABC came on board and covered the Jazz and Classical so that those two categories have distribution.” There’s also a Roland keyboard and microphone contained in each prize pack, the three Popular Contemporary winners receive a guaranteed spot at The Seed Management Workshop and the successful Film & Television candidate wins a place in ASCAP [American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers]’s Film & Television mentorship program. “And, the first year AIM [Australian Institute of Music] came on board they have offered a Bachelor Of Music. It’s pretty hard to put a value to,” Petriella enthuses. Katrina Burgoyne took out the Country category in 2009 and was among the last round of lucky recipients alongside artists such as Wally De Backer (Gotye) and Abbe May. “It was just really, really exciting for me because I’m a little country girl – I come from Gunnedah,” Burgoyne shares, “and I had to travel that extra hour just to go to a singing lesson. That was the turning point for me, where I actually started to see all my work that I’d ever done was paying off. ‘Cause I’ve been doing it for – I know I’m still really young [22 years old], but it gets to a

Katina Burgoyne

doesn’t sound Nashville at all, but I had to go to Nashville to realise what I wasn’t and come away with who I was.” Reading back over her application form, Burgoyne reminisces, “I just basically poured my heart out in this and made sure I gave them every little bit of information I could. I actually spent months just writing the application and made sure I adjusted it and edited it to make sure I gave myself the best shot.” “For us they have to specifically talk about what they’re gonna do with their cash,” Petriella stresses, “So it really has to be about their business of songwriting and how they’re gonna achieve it, and how this money’s gonna help them and how this opportunity that we’re giving them is going to allow them to do that. “We don’t want them to have to go out and source an artist and go to a studio and spend squillions of dollars to record the song to submit to us, because they’re not submitting to us for a record deal. So they just have to be able to really show their skill at songwriting and the judges and partnering organisations are very aware of what to look for ‘cause, you know, ultimately it’s a songwriting competition, it’s not a performance competition.”

point where you kinda wonder, ‘Am I really bad and that’s why nothing’s happening?’,” she laughs. Burgoyne already had plans in place to head to Nashville to chase her dream before she knew that her submission for a PDA had been successful. “I had a hundred dollars to my name. I booked the ticket and I asked mum if I could please, please, please borrow the ticket money to go over there and I’d pay her back,” she remembers. “At that point I was doing gigs and I was doing lots of promotion work. So I would hand out fliers in a shopping center or I would dress up as Santa Claus or something silly, just to make a few extra bucks. And I worked out that, if I budgeted myself, I would eventually have $5,000 by the end of the two to three months. So, you know,

it was a lot of hard work and, actually, there’s no way I would have been able to go to America! In the end of it, I would’ve been calling Mum and going, ‘Mum, can I please have some money?’,” she laughs. “So the relief of winning the APRA [Professional Development] Award was like a burden had been taken off my shoulders.” A month in Nashville allowed Burgoyne to meet with many publishing houses and record labels while also participating in songwriting workshops with some of her idols. “Until the very, very last day I was over there, I actually didn’t know who I was,” she confesses, “and then on the last day it all clicked to me and I got it. And I think if it wasn’t for that trip to America, I wouldn’t have understood who I was as an artist.” Burgoyne’s debut album is scheduled to drop next March and the emerging country star muses, “It

Petriella says that the judging panel’s final decision is usually unanimous. “We’ve got 29 partnering organisations that assist us in going through and culling all the applications,” she elucidates. “The culling process is very strong because they are state-based, genre-based, established associations that are very equipped to do the culling.” Where an organisation is genre-specific (“Jazz Groove is our jazz partnering organisation in Sydney”), culling is restricted to this one category. Each partnering organisation submits their top five per genre, which then go to a panel of approximately 40 judges. “The 40 judges will have four to six weeks to listen to all of them, grade them based on their music merit and also the written application,” Petriella continues. The judges then assemble at APRA to determine a winner in each category plus the three Popular Contemporary winners. “It’s really quite funny because it quite often boils down to one or two really strong contenders in each category and then the judges will literally go through the criteria and determine it together,” Petriella observes. “And then, of course, we announce the winners in March.” Applications for APRA Professional Development Awards close on Monday 29 November.

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

NATIVES ARE RESTLESS PR

Los Angeles-based five-piece Local Natives are heading to Australia in February for the Laneway Festival, and the band have announced a headline show at the Corner Hotel on Tuesday 8 February in support of debut album Gorilla Manor. The band’s sky-scraping harmonies and dreamy orchestral melodies, infused with throbbing tribal beats, scored Local Natives plenty of attention at SXSW in 2009, which they followed with a storming performance at Coachella earlier this year.

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE

WEDNESDAY 24 NOVEMBER RESIDENCY

SEABELLIES THE BON SCOTTS KINS ENTRY $10, 8.30PM

THURSDAY 25 NOVEMBER

THE COMMUNISTS

FROZEN ALICE (NZ) WELCOME TO THE NUMB CIRQUE DE FREAK ENTRY $10, 8PM

FRIDAY 26 NOVEMBER DVD/SINGLE LAUNCH

SADHANA

CLOUD CITY LUCIFERS GIFT GET TO THE CHOPPER

ENTRY $12 DOOR, $10 PRESALE THRU MOSHTIX, 8.30PM

SATURDAY 27 NOVEMBER ENGINE HORSEPOWER CO-HEADLINE TOUR

ENGINE THREE SEVEN ELECTRIC HORSE VOLTERA ANNA SALEN

ENTRY $15 DOOR, $12 PRESALE THROUGH MOSHTIX, 8.30PM

SUNDAY 28 NOVEMBER

THE PHANTOM AGENTS TOYOTA WAR THREE BAGS FULL ENTRY $5, 9PM

MONDAY 29 NOVEMBER RESIDENCY

EL MOTH & THE TURBO RADS

TOM TUENA A DJ CALLED MATT

ENTRY BY DONATION, 9PM $2 POTS!

TUESDAY 30 NOVEMBER RESIDENCY

CHANGING FALLS

AKANAME DIE VADOR DIE DJ MOUNTAIN WITCHES ENTRY $5, 8PM $10 JUGS!

After a successful Australian tour premiering their new album Hellrider, Fireballs will be unleashing their special brand of psychobilly in the Espy’s Gershwin Room on Christmas night. The band will be ripping through back catalogue gems such as Voodoo, Dream Pills or So Bad It’s Good alongside tracks from the latest record. Tickets are on sale now from espy.com.au and Oztix.

SEGRESSION SESSION

SUM-THING SPECIAL One of two quadruple Soundwave sideshow bills announced this week will see Sum 41, The Blackout, There For Tomorrow and Veara play Billboard on Wednesday 2 March. Following the release of last year’s greatest hits set All The Good Shit, Sum 41 are preparing to drop their fifth studio album, with their live blend of raucous punk rock and thunderous metal as energising as ever. Welsh post-hardcore group The Blackout were recently nominated by Kerrang! as Best British Newcomers; Florida’s There For Tomorrow are Jimmy Eat World/Blink-182-inspired rockers signed to Hopeless Records; while Veara are a pop punk band on the rise. Tickets go on sale Friday from billboardthevenue.com.au and Ticketek.

GET MERRI

A favourite with some of the world’s biggest R&B and hip hop names, Daniel Merriweather has played Glastonbury, Global Gathering, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the MTV Video Music Awards and the Brit Awards. But Merriweather’s heart still lies very much at home. The world-conquering singer/ songwriter from Sassafras will perform an exclusive acoustic set at Roxanne Parlour tonight (Wednesday). Tickets are $25+BF from Moshtix.

From the late-’90s to the early-noughties, Segression were at the forefront of the Australian heavy metal scene. Their dynamic and energetic shows saw them share stages with acts such as Ozzy Osbourne, Pantera, Slipknot, Fear Factory, Strapping Young Lad, Hatebreed, Soulfly, Machine Head, Cradle Of Filth and Cathedral. Segression recorded four successful albums – LIA, Fifth Of The Fifth, Smile and Segression, with Smile still one of the biggest selling metal records in Australian history. After returning for a sold-out Sydney show last year, and with a new album set for release early next year, Segression are set to embark on their first national tour in more than six years as special guests of Fozzy, the band featuring WWE Wrestling superstar Chris Jericho and Stuck Mojo mastermind and guitarist Rich ‘The Duke’ Ward. The bands play the Hi-Fi on Thursday 2 December.

GRANEY OF TRUTH

FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS!

To get your paws on a couple of smokin’ tracks from two of the hottest up-and-comers from north of the border, simply head to universalmusic.net.au/freedownloads/ streetpressaustralia. Happy downloading!

The Vault is a monthly salon for creatively inclined folk (anyone with an interest in arts, design, music, film, writing, marketing, media) held at Loop Bar. The next event takes place from 6pm on Tuesday 30 November, with this month’s topic ‘What’s more important – art or the frame that surrounds it?’ Guest speaker is Dave Graney, one of Australia’s most idiosyncratic and prolific singer/songwriters. Starting his career in the late-’70s with post-punk band The Moodists, Graney found commercial success with a string of songs and albums in the mid-’90s. He has just released a new album, Supermodified, and has another CD and a book due for release in March.

T EN S E PR

Heading For The Cold ERNEST ELLIS Ernest Ellis may have been forced to postpone a recent co-headline tour with Parades due to illness, but his divine debut record Hunting continues to gain fans and praise. Stand-out track Heading For The Cold, with its layered build-up and blown-out crescendo, is just one reason why this Sydney songwriter has been winning five star reviews.

HORSES POWER

With their self-titled debut album released in July this year, Leeds four-piece Pulled Apart By Horses have quickly became a favourite amongst hard music fans across the UK. Known for their high-intensity live shows, they have become support band of choice for a new UK underground scene, racking up tours with Future Of The Left, Biffy Clyro, Foals and The Bronx. Now they bring their incredible live show to Australian audiences, playing Golden Plains and the Tote on Friday 11 March. Tickets go on sale this Friday from the venue, Polyester and the Corner Hotel box office.

Botanist GUINEAFOWL Sydney’s Guineafowl bring a hint of what’s to come with handclappin’ tune Botanist. The pulsing track melds Guineafowl’s hypnotic and bold voice with a bouncy guitar line. Buoyed with a fresh spirit, Botanist will have you feeling better and saying what you want to.

MEMORY VERLAINES

As far as Antipodean indie pop royalty goes, few can boast the pedigree of Dunedin’s The Verlaines. Formed in 1981 by Graeme Downes, The Verlaines made their debut recorded appearance a year later on the iconic Kiwi compilation The Dunedin Double EP, a release that also included The Chills, Sneaky Feelings and The Stones. The Death & The Maiden, considered by many to be the band’s signature tune, was released in 1983, with their full-length debut, 1985’s Hallelujah All The Way Home, originally submitted as part of a project for Downes’s second year composition class (his portfolio received an A). Nine albums down the track, The Verlaines return to Australia for the first time since 1989, in preparation for the release of their tenth longplayer, in 2011. They play the East Brunswick Club on Friday 28 January.

BIRD SONG Doves will play their way across Australia in February, drawing upon their 12-year-catalogue of luminous, atmospheric rock. The tour coincides with the release of The Places Between: The Best Of Doves, the band’s recent retrospective. The critically acclaimed, Mercury Prize nominees come armed with a set bound to win over new fans and delight devotees. Expect classic Doves tracks such as Black And White Town, There Goes The Fear and Catch The Sun, as well as personal band favourites traversing their four studio albums. Doves play the Forum on Saturday 19 February. Tickets go on sale Monday.

COMING UP:

DAN WEBB (TUES IN DEC) KKS PROJECT (WED IN DEC) CHRIS CAVILL & THE LONG WEEKEND ( 2 DEC) ROYSTON VASIE (EP LAUNCH) (3 DEC) HELM (4 DEC) RED BULL “WRECKERS YARD” (5 DEC) LONELY PLANET CHARITY EVENT (9 DEC) JUNGAL (10 DEC) STAR ASSASSIN (11 DEC) SAL KIMBER & THE ROLLING WHEEL – ALT-COUNTRY XMAS SHOW (16 DEC) BLACK DEVIL YARD BOSS (EP LAUNCH & XMAS SHOW) (17 DEC) RAINBIRD (18 DEC) ZULU FLOW ZION (EP LAUNCH) (19 DEC) ATM15 XMAS SHOW (23 DEC) KRISTINA MILTIADOU (24 DEC)

$2 CARLTON POTS EVERY MONDAY FRIDAY 26TH NOVEMBER

RAT VS POSSUM

SATURDAY 27TH NOVEMBER

POLYESTER PRESENTS ZOND, PANEL OF JUDGES, GREAT EARTHQUAKE, MATT BAILEY, DICK DIVER AND A DEAD FOREST INDEX FRIDAY 3RD DECEMBER

LOWTIDE

SATURDAY 11TH DECEMEBER

ISHU

WED 24TH NOVEMBER

THE STAR EXPRESS + PRETTY STRANGER

THUR 25TH NOVEMBER SYN APPROVED PRESENTS: TANTRUMS SINGLE LAUNCH

PETS WITH PETS+ CLEPTOCLEPTICS + CRUMBS + WORNG THURSDAY NIGHT DJS YOUNG ROMANTIX

FRI 26TH NOVEMBER

RAT VS. POSSUM + TOWELS + 3.5 INCH FLOPPY FRIDAY DJS: PIKELET DJS

SUN 28TH NOVEMBER

SAT 27TH NOVEMBER

POLYESTER PRESENTS: ZOND + PANEL OF JUDGES WORKERS CLUB SUMMER SERIES FEAT... ROMY + POLYGON PALACE + MEGASTICK FANFARE (SYD) + SUPER MELODY + GREAT EARTHQUAKE + MATT BAILEY + DICK DIVER A DEAD FOREST INDEX SATURDAY DJS: NO LIGHTS NO LYCRA + SPEED PAINTERS + DJ DAN BLOCK + 4PM DOORS WED 1ST DECEMBER

THURS 2ND DECEMBER

FELICITY GROOM (PERTH) + HOWL PATINKA CHA CHA EP LAUNCH AT THE MOON + THE STAR EXPRESS SEAGULL + SUPER MELODY

twitter.com/inpressmag

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

PRETTY PLEASE

Having just wound up a nationwide tour with The Holidays, Papa Vs Pretty are taking their Heavy Harm EP on the road for a number of headline dates. The Sydney three-piece play the East Brunswick Club on Wednesday 1 December with support from Triple J Unearthed winners Stonefield and Fuzz Phantoms (the new band for Darren Cordeux from Kisschasy). They will also support Hot Hot Heat when the Canadian band play the Corner Hotel on Monday 3 January.

T EN S E PR

HOUSE ARRESTING

Beach House have been described as the most powerful make-out band in existence, which may be why tickets are selling so fast for their Laneway side show at the Hi-Fi on Tuesday 25 January, Australia Day eve. This year has been a big one for Beach House; their third album, Teen Dream, has been a runaway indie success, transforming them from blogosphere darlings to a breakthrough band who’ve sold out shows all over the northern hemisphere and playing just about every festival you can name. Supports are darkly delicate country-noir ensemble The Orbweavers and the awestruck, ethereal violin-glockenspielelectronics of Wintercoats, to warm up the crowd until Beach House carry punters away on a balmy dream pop cloud. Tickets on sale now from the Hi-Fi.

E ES

ZOMBIE INVASION With the Melbourne Soundwave festival sold out, organisers have announced one of the biggest sideshows yet with Rob Zombie playing Festival Hall on Thursday 3 March, topping an insane line-up that also includes Murderdolls, Monster Magnet and Dommin. Zombie is a seven-time Grammy-nominated artist, with worldwide record sales of more than 15 million. The ex-White Zombie frontman is also a noted film director, responsible for House Of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects and remakes of Halloween and its sequel. Murderdolls are the pairing of Slipknot’s Joey Jordison and Wednesday 13, back together after a six-year break. Inpress faves Monster Magnet are retro rock visionaries; fusing metal, punk, space rock and psychedelic influences, the band developed a sludgy, feedback-heavy hard rock sound indulging their sex and drug-fueled fantasies. Dommin are the sound of the brokenhearted. At the centre of their haunting, gothic-tinged rock is the enigmatic Kristofer Dommin, who croons about poisonous love, exorcising agony through a wall of distortion and a jagged sonic sieve. Tickets go on sale 9am this Friday from Ticketmaster.

GREAT LAKES

DERBY DAY The Victorian Roller Derby League holds its grand final showdown at Melbourne Showgrounds’ Grand Pavillion this Saturday. Bout one sees the Dead Ringer Rosies taking on Geelong’s Bloody Marys in the first Melbourne versus Geelong clash in more than a year. Then the competition really heats up when the Dolls Au-Go-Go battle the Toxic Avengers for the season five trophy. Doors open at 4pm and the first bout kicks off at 5pm. Adult tickets are $17.60+BF, tickets for kids aged five to 12 are $8.80+BF. Tickets are on sale now from Moshtix, Polyester Records (City) and Greville Records.

PLAN COMES TOGETHER

In February 2009, The Getaway Plan shocked fans by calling it quits just a year after the release of their debut album, Other Voices, Other Rooms. The album that spawned three radio hits sent the band on a hectic touring schedule that included three sold-out headline tours and ended with their first appearance on the Big Day Out. But that same schedule caused the young four-piece to burn out – they decided to pack it in and move onto other projects. Each member embarked on different paths, pursuing musical endeavours such as The Amity Affliction, Young Heretics, Deez Nuts and Hopeless. Reuniting for charity in September, The Getaway Plan played two shows at the 1,200capacity Billboard, selling out both in just nine hours. Sparked by the interest they will return in 2011 as a full-time recording and touring band, a new album is expected next year. They play an under-18s afternoon show at the Hi-Fi on Saturday 19 February and an 18+ show at the same venue later that night, with support at both from Tonight Alive and Secrets In Scale. Tickets go on sale Thursday 16 December.

Quebecois alternative-rockers The Besnard Lakes will head our way in March on their first Australian tour. Touring off the back of their third studio album, The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night, the six-piece collective will treat local audiences to their breathtaking Pink-Floyd-meets-Beach-Boys live show. The band are centered around the atmospheric songs of husband and wife team Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas, with the music bursting with sublime boy/girl (husband/wife!) harmonies that float above crashing drums and epic guitar solos; elsewhere, boozy organ lurches around ethereal vocals and reverb-heavy guitars. The band play the Corner Hotel on Saturday 12 March, as well as the Golden Plains festival.

WE DO LIKE MONDAYS

Happy Mondays is a series of gigs staged on the Curtin House rooftop on Mondays during summer. With the first show – Washed Out and El Guincho on 13 December – sold out, organisers have unveiled the January line-up. On Monday 3 January Neon Indian and Kyu pair up; on 10 January see Sally Seltmann and Lawrence Arabia; 17 January The Middle East and Mountain Man perform; Mistletone present ‘Mysterytone’ on 24 January with a soon-to-be-announced special guest and Zsa Zsa; and The Go-Betweens’ Robert Forster and The Twerps play on 31 January. The already-announced December shows see Dan Kelly’s Dream Band and Those Darlins take to the roof on 20 December and Charlie Parr and guests play on 27 December. Tickets are on sale now from Moshtix and Polyester Records.

BACK IN BLACK

In the third of its SubSonic Music Series, venueout-west the Substation will host Joe Camilleri’s Black Sorrows on Friday 10 December. The band have been busy recording a new album, due for release very soon. The group will be playing a selection of classics and new material. Tickets are $37.50+BF from thesubstation.org.au. Washington

PULSE QUICKENS

Beyond The Darkside, one of the world’s premier Pink Floyd concert experiences, are bringing their three-hour Pulse live show to Plenary Hall at the Melbourne Convention And Exhibition on Saturday 9 July. Their A Finger On The Pulse tour will feature all the songs from Pink Floyd’s 1996 Pulse concert, along with other songs not included on the Pulse CD or DVD. The group, celebrating their 20th anniversary, will feature a ten-piece band and a production based on the look and design of the 1996 Pulse tour.

Since being handpicked as a virtual unknown by Jools Holland to perform on his show in 2008, Imelda May’s career has gone into overdrive. The Irish rockabilly queen hit number one in her home country with her double-platinum major label debut, Love Tattoo, and followed it up with the chart-topping Mayhem (which also cracked the UK top 20). This year May accepted an offer from Jeff Beck to perform with him at the Grammys, and followed that with a two-night support slot in London with one of her idols, Wanda Jackson. Out here to play the Golden Plains festival, May has announced her own headline show at the Prince Bandroom on Friday 11 March.

MOOVIN’ ALONG

The dates of the 2011 Groovin’ The Moo festival have been announced, with the event returning to the Bendigo Showgrounds on Saturday 30 April. The festival’s artist announcement will drop on Wednesday 2 February; ticket presale begins on Wednesday 9 February with general public sales beginning on Tuesday 15 February. By registering your details at gtm.net.au you will be entered into the draw to win a GTM pack, which includes four tickets to the festival, a backstage tour, $100 worth of Moo Money and merch including CDs, t-shirts, hats, posters and hoodies.

WELLS AND GOOD

Local songstress Paris Wells will take her live show on the road for a mini-tour over the upcoming month. Wells has had a busy second-half of 2010; as well releasing her second album, Various Small Fires, she has performed live on Good News Week and Sunrise, sung at the AFL Grand Final and at Crown Oaks Day, and covered Down To The River To Pray for an advertising campaign for Daylesford. See Wells and band launch new single Through And Through at the Toff In Town tonight (Wednesday), the Palais in Hepburn Springs on Saturday and at the Corner Hotel on Thursday 16 December with Metals and The Nymphs.

COME WHAT MAY

LEMONHEADS NAME SUPPORTS

BESIDE THE SEASIDE Queenscliff Music Festival takes over across the seaside town of Queenscliff this weekend. With both stages open on Friday night and session tickets still on sale it’s the perfect diversion from this weekend’s election. There are various ticket options available from single session passes to full weekend tickets. The festival features music for the likes of RocKwiz Live, Little Red, Washington, Katie Noonan, Frank Yamma, Ash Grunwald, Vika & Linda, Kate Miller-Heidke, Mark Seymour, Colin Hay, Andy Bull, Gareth Liddiard, Sally Seltmann, The Vasco Era, Mary Gauthier, Dan Kelly’s Dream Band, Kaki King and plenty more.

The Lemonheads have announced US band The Candles will support them (in acoustic mode) at their sold-out Corner Hotel show on Thursday 2 December while old mates Smudge play back-up at their Espy Gershwin Room date on Friday 3 December. Tickets for the Espy gig are on sale from handsometours.com, espy.com. au, Oztix, the Espy bottleshop and Polyester and Greville Records. The shows will see The Lemonheads perform their classic It’s A Shame About Ray album in its entirety.

GET JEFFED

Nashville rockers Jeff The Brotherhood just can’t stop adding shows to their upcoming Australian tour. Out here to play the sold-out Meredith Music Festival, the band of brothers (Jake and Jamin Orrall) are also locked in to play the Espy’s Gerswhin Room on Friday 17 December with Those Darlins and Puta Madre Brothers and Xmas Even at the Tote on Saturday 18 December with Even and Matt Sonic & The High Times; they’ve now added a performance at Rats on Saturday 11 December to their itinerary.

twitter.com/inpressmag

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

T EN S E PR

NEW HORIZON It’s not often scene kids, screamo fans and metalheads agree on a band, but after their explosive rise in popularity, Bring Me The Horizon have cemented themselves as the dominant force in the scene. Nowhere was this more evident than when they debuted at number one on the Australian charts recently with their third studio album, There Is A Hell Believe Me I’ve Seen It, There Is A Heaven Let’s Keep It A Secret. With the Melbourne Soundwave festival completely sold out, the band have announced they’ll play the Hi-Fi on Wednesday 2 March with support from The Amity Affliction (no strangers to the upper reaches of the Aussie charts themselves) and UK act Asking Alexandria. Tickets go on sale Friday 26 November from thehifi.com.au and Ticketek.

Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Crystal Castles are producer Ethan Kath and vocalist Alice Glass. Since their landmark first single Alice Practice was released – and immediately sold out – in June 2006, the duo have been surrounded by an air of persistent hype and mystique. Their music simultaneously champions punk music and Atari-inspired soundscapes. In March 2008 they released their debut self-titled album, which came in at number 39 on NME’s Top 50 Albums Of The Decade. The band’s second album, Crystal Castles (II), debuted at number 25 on the ARIA charts upon its release in April. Performing at next year’s Big Day Out, Crystal Castles have announced their own headline show at the Palace on Friday 28 January. Tickets go on sale this Thursday from Oztix and Ticketmaster. A Big Day Out edition of their latest album, featuring Not In Love with Robert Smith and more remixes, will be released in January.

IT’S A CYN

Cyndi Lauper will play the Palais on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 April. Lauper, the first artist to have five top ten singles lifted from a debut album, earlier this year released Memphis Blues, a covers album of blues songs. The record, featuring songs made famous by the likes of Robert Johnson and Albert King, features contributions from BB King, Charlie Musselwhite, Ann Peebles and Allen Toussaint. Tickets go on sale this Thursday from Ticketmaster.

WE LIKE

Following the huge success of their last visit with The Strokes in July, The Like return to Australia in February their own headline shows. Taking inspiration from the melodic and uplifting music of the 1960s, The Like create songs that are both joyful and undeniably catchy. Their second album, Release Me, is a perfect combo of girl-group pop and British Invasion rock. The Like play the Northcote Social Club on Saturday 19 February.

Folk-pop genies Pikelet and Lost Animal, the enigmatic solo project of Jarrod Quarrel (ex-St Helens), have been announced as supports for the headline show by Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. Led by outre-pop prankster Ariel Rosenberg, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti’s album Before Today is destined to top many year-end lists. A cult figure from the LA underground for the past decade, Ariel Pink was ‘discovered’ by Animal Collective and revered for his incredible lo-fi home recordings. He’s now crossed over to much bigger audiences thanks to the hi-fi aesthetics of Before Today and its insanely catchy single Round & Round. Don’t miss Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti at the sold-out Laneway Festival plus one night only at the Hi-Fi on Thursday 10 February. Tickets on sale now from the venue.

FOLK YEAH The Port Fairy Folk Festival has added roots music heavyweights The Waifs, Kasey Chambers, Justin Townes Earle, The Dingoes, Shane Nicholson and Mama Kin to the ranks of its 35th annual event, taking place from Friday 11 to Monday 14 March. They join a line-up that already includes Mary Black, Rosie Flores, Luka Bloom, Tim O’Brien and his Two Oceans Trio, Dan Kelly’s Dream Band, Lisa Miller, Graveyard Train, Darren Hanlon, Jordie Lane, The Gin Club and plenty more. Early Bird tickets are available until 30 November from portfairyfolkfestival.com.

EVERY FRIDAY

EVERY SATURDAY LATE

EVERY SUNDAY FROM 4PM

SWING PATROL

LOVE STORY

POPROCKS

THE SUNDAY SET

Classes at 6.30pm, 7.30pm Social dancing 8.30pm Tickets $15 on door / $22 for 2 classes

and guests

No brainers and guilty pleasures

THE HOUSE DE FROST

FREE ENTRY - From 11.30pm

FREE ENTRY - From 9pm

with 1928 (STROBE)

w/ Dr Phil Smith

WED 24 NOVEMBER

THURS 25 NOVEMBER

PARIS WELLS

THE MADNESS METHOD

Tickets $12 + BF / $15 on door

TUES 30 NOVEMBER

SHAWN MULLINS

SE FALLI ST NG !

(USA)

PINK FITS

EVERY THURSDAY LATE

ALBUM RELEASE & THROUGH & THROUGH TOUR

All presale tickets available through MOSHTIX: Phone: 1300 GET TIX (438 849) on-line: www.moshtix.com.au, or at all Moshtix outlets, (Fitzroy & City ) including Polyester

Justin Townes Earle

Melbourne’s music community has joined ranks to raise funds for local muso Dimitra Bucolo, who’s been hospitalised due to complications from lupus. A gigantic benefit gig dubbed Dimitron: A Benefit For Dimitra will take place at the Corner on Wednesday 1 December featuring The Drones, Zond, Hoss, Love Of Diagrams, The Stabs, Kes Trio, New War, Matt Bailey and Breathing Shrine, plus Eddy Current and Twerps DJs. Just to make the night even more awesome, the great Dimitron Raffle has been announced with some mouth-watering prizes to be won. First prize: four tickets to the Animal Collective-curated All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival to be held at Minehead, UK next May (including accommodation but not airfares), two tickets to Golden Plains in March, a rad breadmaking workshop for four people at Convent Bakery, and a staggering swag of goodies from Polyester Records, Aarght! Records, Music Victoria, Mien Hair Salon, Invisible Zinc, Readings and Palace Cinemas, just to name a few. Raffle tickets will be sold on the night, and all proceeds will help cover Bucolo’s medical costs. Doors open at 7pm and tickets are on sale now for $25 from the Corner box office.

EVERY MONDAY Swing dancing classes

5pm til 3am on weeknights and 5am on the weekend

French duo Jamaica will headline the Corner Hotel’s New Year’s Eve party, with support from local disco popsters World’s End Press and Knightlife, a hot Melbourne up-and-comer signed to Cut Copy’s label. Jamaica have just released their debut album, No Problem, home to single I Think I Like U 2, which was produced by Justice and Peter Franco. Also playing the Falls Festival, this will be the band’s first and only club show in Australia.

DRONES HEADLINE FUNDRAISER

DARK CRYSTAL

Thai dinner & supper

JAMAICA ME CRAZY

FREE ENTRY - From 12 Midnight

SUN 28 NOVEMBER

EMMA DEAN

WES SNELLING’S KIOSK

VIDEO LAUNCH with FEED YOUR MUNKIE

Tickets $12 Full / $10 Student or $20 with a Madness Method CD

Tickets $15 + BF / $20 on door

UMLAUT

This weeks theme: EUPHORIA FREE ENTRY - In the Carriage

SAT 27 NOVEMBER

ALBUM LAUNCH with THE JANE AUSTIN ARGUMENT & FLASHFRY

WED 1 DECEMBER

w/ AndyBlack & Haggis

w/ Andee Frost

SE THURS 2 DECEMBER FALLI ST NG The Frontier Touring Company presents, !

ELIZA DOOLITTLE (UK)

A LIVE RECORDING

Tickets $20 inc. BF / $25 on door

SAT 4 DECEMBER

WILFRED JACKAL

with BARB WATERS

with FABIO UMBERTO and TIM McMILLAN

with SPECIAL GUESTS

CHRISTMAS SHOW with SPECIAL GUESTS

Tickets $22 + BF / $25 on door

Tickets $10 on door

Tickets $33 +BF / $47 ticket & CD bundle

Tickets $10 on door

SUN 5 DECEMBER

WED 8 DECEMBER

THURS 8 DECEMBER

SAT 11 DECEMBER

ALEKS AND THE RAMPS

THE KUJO KINGS

RUSH IN ATTACK

MAMA KIN

with TAILOR MADE FOR A SMALL ROOM & SUPER MELODY

EP LAUNCH with LOONEE TUNES & THE OPERATORS

SINGLE with 8 BIT LOVE & ZEAL

with SPECIAL GUESTS

Tickets $12 on door

Tickets $10 + BF / $15 on door

Tickets $10 + BF / $12 on door

Tickets $18 + BF / $22 on door

twitter.com/inpressmag

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT Beaches

PR ES EN TS

SUMMER WORKOUT Fresh from their recent first birthday celebrations, the Workers Club have unveiled a bumper line-up for their Summer Series, taking place every Sunday until Christmas. Brisbane’s Sea Slugs kicked things off this Sunday just gone, with Romy, Polygon Palace, Megastick Fanfare, Super Melody, Speed Painters and DJ Dan Block appearing this Sunday; Beaches, Kind Winds, Alps and Midnight Caller playing on 5 December; San Fran Disco, Red Ink, Russia, Alba Verda and Way With Words performing on 12 December; and The Ancients, The Twerps and “very special secret guests” playing an “Xmas party edition” on 19 December. All shows start at 4pm with entry $10.

BLUNT OBJECT

James Blunt will return to Australia next year for a series of shows in support of latest album Some Kind Of Trouble. The Brit singer/songwriter and ex-army man, who recently took the credit for preventing World War III, will play Plenary Hall on Saturday 21 May. Blunt’s debut, Back To Bedlam, home to commercial radio faves You’re Beautiful and Goodbye My Lover, was the best-selling album of the decade in the UK and went platinum eight times here in Australia.

CHEMICAL SCIENCE

Sydney three-piece party-starters Art Vs Science have been named as the main support on The Chemical Brothers’ upcoming Aussie tour. Having gained worldwide recognition with Parlez Vous Francais?, which landed at number two on Triple J’s Hottest 100, the group picked up three ARIA Award nominations this year. New single Finally See Our Way, the first from their forthcoming debut, is released via iTunes this Friday. Also added to the bill are New Zealand-born, Londonbased DJ, TV presenter and musician Zane Lowe, and frequent Chems tour partner DJ James Holroyd. They play Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday 9 March.

THE BEAT GOES ON

As a member of The Go-Go’s, Belinda Carlisle sold more than seven million albums, propelled by hits such as Our Lips Are Sealed and We Got The Beat. She later went on to a successful solo career that spawned hits such as Summer Rain, Leave A Light On and Heaven Is A Place On Earth, which topped the charts internationally. Her autobiography, Lips Unsealed, reached number 27 on The New York Times bestseller list. Carlisle plays the Chelsea Heights Hotel on Friday 4 February and the Shoppingtown Hotel on Saturday 5 February, with support from Wa Wa Nee.

BARNES ALL THE RAGE

With his 16th solo album, Rage And Ruin, in stores now, Jimmy Barnes is teaming up with Noiseworks and Thirsty Merc for the Red Hot Summer tour. It swings through Warrnambool Racecourse on Saturday 2 January, the Mildura Soundshell on Sunday 9 January, the Bonnie Doon Hotel on Saturday 15 January, the Morning Star Estate on Sunday 16 January, Ballarat’s Eureka Stadium on Saturday 22 January and the Latrobe City Sports And Entertainment Complex in Morwell on Sunday 23 January. Sia

Rumours is a new monthly night of top tunes and reasonably-priced drinks, taking place on the last Friday of the month, at the recently-refurbished and reopened Gasometer, located at the corner of Smith Street and Alexandra Parade (it used to be Father Flanagan’s Irish pub). Run by gals-about-town Jacqui Wilson and Jess McGuire (AKA DJ Double Denim), the night will be feature guest DJs playing whatever the hell they like ‘til the wee early hours. The night runs from 10pm until 3am, and there’s no cover charge. Twisted folktronic masters Tunng will return to Australia in February. The London-based band head back following the release of their highly acclaimed fourth studio album, …And Then We Saw Land. Tunng last toured Australia in 2008 to rave reviews; since then founding member Mike Lindsay travelled to India, and the band undertook a ten-day voyage of discovery with Malian desert bluesmen Tinariwen. …And Then We Saw Land is the first Tunng album to take more than a year to write and produce. Packed with big choruses and joyful tunes, it’s very much geared for a live setting. The band play the East Brunswick Club on Tuesday 22 February.

SPACE MEN

From the streets of Ladbroke Grove in the late-’60s, to the fields of Stonehenge and the Isle Of Wight in the ‘70s, through punk and then on to the rave culture of the ‘80s and ‘90s, Hawkwind are the instigators, the innovators and the oft-imitated keepers of tribal psychedelic space rock. For 40-plus years and more than 26 studio and numerous live albums Hawkwind, helmed by founding member Dave Brock, have pushed the boundaries of sonic exploration, opening the hearts and minds of generations of harmonic travellers via mystical musical journeys through time and space. Hawkwind, featuring Dave Brock (vox, guitar, keys), Mr Dibs (vox, bass), Niall Hone (guitar, keys), Tim Blake (keys, vox) and Richard Chadwick (drums, vox) will play the Golden Plains festival on Sunday 13 March and their own headline show at Billboard on Saturday 12 March.

Jordie Lane and Jen Cloher have roped in Kieran Ryan of Kid Sam as their special guest for their return show at the Corner Hotel on Friday 3 December. In their first headline show since May, the pair will preview new material heavily inspired by their time away in the USA, as well as performing songs from their critically acclaimed albums Sleeping Patterns (Lane) and Hidden Hands (Cloher). Expect some killer duets and covers including their extraordinary version of MGMT’s Electric Feel, which features on this year’s Triple J Like A Version compilation. Tickets are on sale now from the Corner box office.

TINIE SUPPORT FOR THE SCRIPT

One of Britain’s biggest break-out stars of 2010, Tinie Tempah, will accompany The Script as their special guest on their national tour of Australia in April. The year has been large for the talented rapper with a series of notable festival and guest performances, two hit singles and the release of his highly successful debut album, Disc-Overy. With a show at Festival Hall on Wednesday 6 April sold out, a second date at the same venue scheduled for Tuesday 5 April has been announced.

HEAR A RUMOUR

TUNNG OUT

STATES OF MIND

ISAAK, THEREFORE I AM

Chris Isaak will return to Australia next year to play the Mornington Racecourse on Saturday 19 March. In addition to being a platinum-selling artist, award-winning singer, acclaimed actor and TV host, he even had a race named after him at Melbourne’s Spring Carnival in 2008. Isaak’s long-time band, Silvertone, featuring Kenney Dale Johnson on drums, will accompany Isaak to Australia for his March tour. Known for hits such as Wicked Game, Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing, Blue Hotel and Somebody’s Crying Isaak will be supported by Joe Camilleri & The Black Sorrows, Melinda Schneider and Danielle Spencer. Tickets go on sale from 9am on Tuesday from Ticketmaster.

MORE BANDS FOR BDO Sia, The Vines, The Greenhornes and Washington have all been added to next year’s Big Day Out bill, while locals Eagle & The Worm are the Triple J Unearthed winners who’ll play a set on the (soldout) Melbourne leg. The Lilyworld line-up has also been announced – turning psychedelic in 2011, the stage will feature performances from Matt & Kim, Reggie Watts, Wunmi, Red Bacteria Vacuum, The Balloonatic, The UV Race, Barbarion, V Dentatas and more. The world-famous Silent Disco also returns, while local band additions to the bill will be announced in the next few days. The Big Day Out hits Flemington Racecourse on Sunday 30 January.

T EN S E PR

JOIN THE CLUB

The Punters Club reunion is a two-day celebration of the legendary ‘90s venue and all the amazing bands that cut their teeth there – all in the name of charity. Each show will recreate a particular scene from the era featuring seminal bands playing sets comprised of material they would have played at the venue back in the ‘90s, representing an incredibly formative time in Melbourne’s music scene. This Saturday see Spiderbait, Hoss, Little Ugly Girls, Guttersnipes, Kim Salmon, Tirany and Spencer P Jones and this Sunday Frente, The Fauves, The Hollowmen, Machine Translations, Kirsty Stegwazi, The Glory Box and Ron Peno play a matinee show.

WHAT A WEIRDO

Weird Al Yankovic has sold more comedy recordings than any other artist in history. In a career spanning nearly three decades, he has amassed 28 gold and platinum albums and three Grammys (and 12 nominations). His hits have included Eat It, Smells Like Nirvana, I’m Fat, Like A Surgeon and Amish Paradise. An accomplished director, Yankovic has also helmed many of his own award-winning music videos, as well as clips for Ben Folds, Jeff Foxworthy, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Hanson and The Black Crowes. Yankovic plays the Palais on Wednesday 23 March.

CUT TO THE JASE

“Our Tom Petty figure,” is how Broken Social Scene figurehead Kevin Drew once (half-jokingly) dubbed Jason Collett, the band’s some-time guitarist. Collett is also a seasoned solo performer, and his fifth album, Rat A Tat Tat, has just been released. Supported by his current backing band, Zeus (who recently dropped their debut album, Say Us), Collett plays the Northcote Social Club on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 January.

SKY HIGH Manchester trio I Am Kloot will tour Australia for the first time in 2011. The band’s most recent offering, Sky At Night, is full of reflection and nocturnal depth in the form of orchestras, choirs, saxophones and harps. Produced by Guy Garvey and Craig Potter from fellow Mancunians Elbow, the atmospheric album was shortlisted for the 2010 Mercury Prize. Out here to play NSW festival Playground Weekender, I Am Kloot have scheduled a Melbourne headline show at the East Brunswick Club on Thursday 17 February. Tickets go on sale Monday from eastbrunswickclub.com.au.

twitter.com/inpressmag

It’s not just the songs that have grown on MY DISCO’s new album. With the release of Little Joy, their third studio record, the local trio have outgrown their hardcore roots and are now mixing with the big boys. Brothers LIAM and BEN ANDREWS chart their group’s progress with ANTHONY CAREW.

FROM LITTLE THINGS... hen My Disco recently released their third record, they, suddenly, if just by a strange tweak of perception, felt like a different entity. For years, their reputation had persisted as hardcore-kidsmade-good, the trio still thought of – perhaps because of the baby faces of bassist/vocalist Liam Andrews and drummer Rohan Rebeiro – as a young band pushing their brand of DIY, hard-touring, serious-minded tight-rock as far as it could go. This time, with their latest LP, Little Joy Joy,, they were, without doubt, a big, important band; one with a defined following, a sense of genuine success, and almost a hint of establishment about them. Petty punks may lament My Disco’s rise from warehouse-show staple and all-ages afternoon-show regulars to band-you-have-to-pay-genuine-money-to-see, but, internally, the outfit don’t really feel the difference. “We’ve come a long way in a business sense. We’re not booking our own tours anymore, and, in Australia at least, we’re certainly not playing any tiny cafés or house parties these days,” offers Ben Andrews, the band’s guitarist and Liam’s elder brother. “But, in our minds, we’re just another indie band that plays with other indie bands, really. We don’t think of ourselves as anything more than that. We don’t spend a lot of time thinking about where we fit in, commercial-wise, these days. Obviously things have changed a lot for us, in terms of our profile, and the number of people who’ll come to see us play, but that doesn’t mean we think of ourselves differently.” “I still feel like a new band, like we’re still starting out,” shrugs Liam. “But, every now and then I feel like a tour we did in 2005, or the first show we ever did in 2003. It’s incredible how fast time goes by, and how much time the three of us have literally spent together. It’s amazing and scary at the same time.”

It was that sense of isolation, both personal and cultural, that proved the fortuitous musical beginnings for the brethren. “When I started school here,” Ben recounts, “I didn’t know anybody, and I didn’t have any idea about Australian sports, so, I thought, the music room’s pretty sweet, I’m going to give this a try.” Ben would go on to sling a guitar for years, playing in various high-school rockbands – covers of Faith No More, Nirvana, Melvins, and other ’90s-grungerock staples – before his brother picked up a bass. In 1999, when the pair were both in Year 10, Liam met Rebeiro, and the trio had their first-ever jam together. “We were like, woah, this dude can really play drums!” Ben recounts, such a far-flung yesterday still vivid. Liam Andrews and Rebeiro would go on to be the rhythm section in a high school emo band called Heartfeltself, where they first cut their teeth in the local hardcore, all-ages scene. Big brother Ben, though, returned to live in London after his schooling days were over, doing time in a pseudo-classical Godspeed!/ Rachel’s-styled post-rock band called Clann Zú, who were based between London and Dublin. Returning for a Christmas holiday over the summer of 2003/2004, the elder Andrews came back to visit his folks, but ended up back with his brother and Rebeiro, playing again. “There was no preconception of where this was going, it was just this thing we were doing for the summer period, and it was going to be whatever it was going to be,” recounts Liam. “We wrote some songs in our first two jam sessions, quickly recorded them onto a four-track, and ended up playing our first two shows as a group before Ben left again.” Taking their name from a Big Black song, My Disco played their first-ever show at a venue named after a Slint song, Collingwood’s erstwhile post-rock-friendly café, Good Morning Captain. Their second show was playing on the Flinders Lane sidewalk outside of the old Missing Link store, on the very day Ben was set to fly back to London. Returning to England, Ben Andrews got to tour through Europe and into Canada with Clann Zú, but he found himself getting homesick; not for Australia itself, but for his brothers-in-rock. “I yearned to be playing with Liam and Ro again,” Ben says, without any sense of self-mocking. “Though I was doing other musical projects, none of them felt as right as playing with those guys.” In their early days, My Disco played really short, sharp, angular, ridiculously tight rock songs. “Those bands like Big Black were obviously important; those were things that we were all listening to,” Liam admits. The trio were obvious devotees of Steve Albini, the caustic Big Black/Rapeman/Shellac frontman renowned for his staunchly-independent approach and recording nous; an early feature in fleeting Melbourne magazine What We Do Is Secret found them comparing their math-rock record collections with the interviewer. They chose Neil Thomason, of ’90s Shellac-impersonators Ricaine, to roll tape on their first 10”, 2004’s Language Of Numbers, and their debut LP, 2006’s Cancer. When the opportunity arose to work with Albini himself, at his pseudo-legendary Electrical Audio of Chicago, for their second album, 2008’s Paradise, the band jumped at the chance; even if they felt a little sheepish about wearing his influence on their record sleeves via their band name. “He’s definitely been an influence in his whole outlook,” Ben Andrews explains. “His take on music’s pretty inspiring. It’s actually really fun to record with him, which people get shocked about. He’s a pretty easy-going dude, and recording, especially in a pretty renowned studio, you almost feel like it should be relaxing. It’s not helping your recording if you’re just stressed out, worried about how much money you’re spending.” My Disco returned to Electrical Audio to roll tape on the initial recordings of Little Joy, playing instrumental versions of the compositions essentially live on the floor. Rather than keeping that as any kind of finished document, this time – showing a sense of ambition previously unseen in their more-punk back catalogue – they took those initial recordings to Scott Horscroft, a Sydney guitarist who started out as a Glenn Branca-loving experimentalist before going on to produce, like, Silverchair records. Horscroft worked on the vocals, overdubs and mixing, adding a sheen to Little Joy that makes it verily sparkle. And, where their songs, shows, and albums were once defined by their brevity, My Disco’s new LP lingers out to 51 minutes, with four of its nine songs stretching well out to seven minutes and beyond; live versions of those same cuts sometimes push to 15 minutes.

“In the same way that our lives are evolving, our band is evolving,” says Liam, of the changes. “From release to release, the way we approach writing songs changes just as we change. A couple of years pass from album to album; a lot can happen in two years in one’s life.” “The things that excite us are the things we haven’t done before, haven’t tried before,” Ben offers. “They’re always the things we want to commit to tape at the end of the day. We don’t want to revisit old formulas. We don’t even have a formula!” Well, they almost had a formula: “100% three dudes writing,” Ben says. “It’s us three, with our instruments, in our rehearsal space, and there’s very little talking,” his brother furthers. “We begin with a rhythm, or a bassline, and we tend towards monotony. We might spend, like, four hours, playing the same thing over and over, until it develops itself, and starts to suggest where the guitars might sit, or how a drumbeat might shift. It’s a very, very longwinded variation on writing music by just playing music.” This time around, that process has produced a record that stands apart from those that preceded it; a My Disco album that confirms their status, their stature, their bigness. Ben Andrews sees that sense of evolution as not just a necessity, but an inevitability: “If you’ve been in a band for nearly ten years,” he says, “it almost has to be something that’s pretty progressive for you to stay interested in it for that long.” The band have been a little surprised by their success, but more grateful. Still feeling close to those early, DIY days, they’re humble that they’ve been able to push so far. But, they don’t feel as if, now, due to how far they’ve gone, that they owe the establishment anything. Nor do they care if fans from the long-ago days see them as having abandoned those hardcore roots. “For us, what’s been more important than the DIY ideal is never constraining ourselves to one fixed way of working,” says Liam. “We’ve always pledged, to ourselves, to only ever do things we’re comfortable doing: if we don’t feel comfortable doing it, we don’t do it. There’s no fixed ideology: we’ve only ever just done what we think is right, for us, as a band. We’ve been lucky that, writing the music that we write and doing what we want to do, that people have been interested in that.” WHO: My Disco WHAT: Little Joy (Shock) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 3 December, the Hi-Fi

WORLD VISION

he roots of My Disco are, essentially, from the Andrews family tree. The brothers grew up in London in the ’80s, but relocated to far-Eastern Melbourne suburbia nearly 20 years ago. “Growing up in England in the late-’80s and early-’90s, Australia just seemed like this crazy place, that no one we knew had ever been to,” recounts Ben.

Making money is the last thing on the minds of MY DISCO when tour itineraries are being planned, LIAM ANDREWS tells ANTHONY CAREW. The barriers of international touring have been noticeably coming down in recent years; the just-announced franchising of the local Laneway Festival to Singapore and Chicago’s Lollapalooza to Chile, both in 2011, seeming like particularly symbolic events. My Disco, passport-wielding punks of the digital era, are some of the Melbourne music scene’s most seasoned, adventurous international tourists. In their eight years together, the trio have cobbled together the following itinerary of travelled-to places: New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, the USA, Mexico, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Finland, Russia. “You always want to be touring a new destination, somewhere you haven’t been before,” says Liam Andrews, the band’s bassist/vocalist. But My Disco are certainly not come-latelys riding the music-stealing era’s small-world-syndrome to paycheck festivals in far-flung lands. Their history of overseas travel is long, involved, and comes from a wholly underground, our-band-could-be-your-life spirit. Their first-ever overseas shows came in 2005, when they undertook a regional tour through South-East Asia, something rarely done by any Australian bands, even with the geographic proximity. “There’s quite a strong underground punk and hardcore scene throughout South-East Asia,” Andrews explains. “We played in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Java and the Philippines. There’s this connecting scene where they all know each other, and bands from within can all do these underground tours throughout that region. You find the right person, and they’ll know all the right promoters in the other countries. That’s all it really took. We only had to get in contact with a couple of people to get the ball rolling.” At that point, all My Disco knew were playing shows in Australia. Sure, they’d played house parties, warehouse shows, rehearsal spaces and footpaths on both Flinders Lane and Russell Street, but that was nothing compared to playing in an Indonesian art gallery or on a Filipino tennis court. “It was an incredible feeling. Having never toured internationally before, the very prospect of being able to actually really do this kind of touring was tremendously exciting,” says Andrews. “Having a 60-year-old driver who can’t speak a word of English driving you for hours through rural Indonesia, it was pretty incredible.” My Disco took along a bunch of DIY cassettes containing their early recordings – things that’d come out on 7” and 10” in Australia – and, at shows, would often stay on stage after they’d played their set, answering questions from the audience, bridging cultural barriers as they spoke. Having remained friends with many humans they worked with and met the first time around, the band returned to play the same countries in 2008. “It’s a really different kind of touring experience: beautiful countries, beautiful scenery, beautiful people, and shows that are just amazing, so full of excitement, so full of energy, so full of life,” Andrews smiles. Of course, the caveat with touring off the beaten track is obvious: you’re not going to be treated like a rock star, you’re not going to make any money, and it’s not going to be easy. “All this comes down to: these are things we want to be doing,” says Andrews. “If we want to tour somewhere, we do the research, we look into it, we speak to people that may’ve been there and can recommend a promoter or club, and then we work it all out. Quite often, especially in terms of South-East Asia, you lose quite a lot of money. Russia’s very difficult, because you have to go through an extensive visa process. So, if you didn’t want to do it yourself, if you’ve just got a business manager who’s advising you on whether this is a good idea, you wouldn’t tour these places. “But this is something that is hugely important to us. We meet so many amazing people, and have so many amazing experiences that inspire us. This is what we want to do, and it’s something that we’re so glad that we have done. I don’t think we would’ve been happy just playing around Australia these last eight years.”

VICTORIA VOTES – THE BIG ISSUES Can Brumby become a legitimately voted-in Premier?

RHIANA WHITSON takes a look at where the major parties stand on some of the biggest issues of the election.

t’s been 11 years since Jeff Kennett was swept out of office by Labor’s Steve Bracks. This Saturday, your vote will decide whether Premier John Brumby will lead Labor into their fourth consecutive term in office. Some have labelled Premier Brumby as arrogant and stiff when compared to his well-liked predecessor, Mr Bracks. Yet Inpress had a chat with the Premier and found him to be an affable politician who regaled this scribe with tales of air guitar at Cherry Bar and his admiration of Paul Kelly and The Temper Trap – “one of the great successes of Labor policy”. We also now have in our possession a recording of the Premier performing

a rendition of Hendrix’s Star Spangled Banner – yes, it got a little weird. Theatrics aside, this election is shaping up to be a close call. The Greens of the inner-city are predicted to grab their first lower house seat, and some are suggesting we may see our very own hung parliament. Some have argued this election has been about as inspiring as watching this year’s dismal ARIA Awards. Both the Coalition and Labor have predictably run their campaigns on law and order policy, despite the facts suggesting Victoria is now safer than ever. Cynicism aside, Inpress has taken a look at three main areas of policy: climate change, public transport and live music/the arts.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT There is no doubt that Melbourne’s public transport system is a mess. Myki is possibly the most expensive piece of plastic ever produced and Metro don’t seem to be much better than Connex. Sure, Kennett’s privatisation of the sector in the late-1990s was a very bad idea, but what will the next government do to fix the problem? The Public Transport Users Association say public transport should be back in the hands of the government. This probably won’t happen, yet with Victoria, Australia’s fastest-growing state, something has got to give.

GREENS The Greens prioritise greater community access for public transport and cyclists over road infrastructure. They want public transport to be back in public hands. More Greens in government could mean the establishment of a Public Transport Authority. This would greatly increase the transparency of the way public transport decisions are made. Greens MLC for the Northern Metropolitan area, Sue Pennicuik, added that 24-hour transport over weekends, such as the iconic 96 tram line from East Brunswick to St Kilda, would be a great asset to music fans trying to catch a gig on the opposite side of town. Ms Pennicuik says weekend 24-hour public transport would act to dissipate alcohol-fuelled violence, too: “If you’re going to have those venues open, [punters have] got to be able to get home.”

TRANSPORT VOTE Can our trains, buses and trams once again be a relaxing place to read your favourite streetpaper? ANDREW MAST wonders how the government could have believed that public transport was never going to be an election issue. Look! A myki machine that works.

THE COALITION They’ve announced 40 new trains for the Melbourne suburban network, with new train stations at Grovedale (Geelong) and Southland on the Frankston line and a rail line to the Avalon airport. Like the Greens, the Coalition’s best policy is the creation of an independent Victorian Public Transport Development Authority. However, it seems public transport would remain much the same under a Coalition government.

LABOR When asked about whether the government would consider weekend 24-hour public transport, the Premier said that while it “might be a good idea, it’s too expensive. There’s a huge amount of money needing to be spent elsewhere. We need more trains, more trams, and to increase all services, and the size of network.” Although not a public transport user himself, the Premier says his kids keep him regularly informed about their own experiences on public transport. Labor’s policy on public transport is a little underwhelming. The PTUA have rated Labor’s public transport policy as coming a definite last behind that of the Greens and the Coalition. “Labor seems to have no overall vision for a fast, frequent, connected network across Melbourne and Victoria, and have ignored community calls for a shake-up of the management of public transport, which has scores of organisations involved but nobody taking responsibility for such essentials as making sure buses meet trains,” said PTUA president Daniel Bowen.

CLIMATE CHANGE Although climate change is now widely accepted as fact, our politicians remain reluctant to take action to minimise environmental damage.

LABOR Mr Brumby says the Greens aren’t serious about their policies, and that Labor’s plan to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2020 “is real and achievable”. It is heartening to see they are at least talking about climate change. Their other major environmental policy announcement, the Parks And Environment policy is mostly about extending national parks, which is certainly a positive action. However, Labor’s plan to close only a quarter of Hazelwood – what environmentalists call one of the world’s dirtiest power stations – and its hunting and fishing policy, Pursuing The Great Outdoors, has environmental groups angry. In answer to why inner-city voters are turning from Labor to the Greens, the Premier lists a change of demographic, yet fails to articulate why his party is not convincing this changed demographic.

THE COALITION Perusing through the Coalition’s policy announcements, there seems to be a dearth of climate change discussion. The only mention of ‘carbon emissions’ can be found in the Coalition’s plan to cut them by spending $20 million on replacing street lights with energy efficient light bulbs. Another policy announcement to have angered the Greens is the Coalition’s plan to reinstate cattle grazing in Victoria’s alpine high country – apparently to preserve the iconic status of the Australian cattleman. They’ve also announced 1.5 million trees across Victorian parklands. According to a scorecard compiled by Environment Victoria to track the environmental policy of Labor, the Coalition and the Greens, the Coalition is running a shocking last at 11%, behind Labor’s 43% and the Greens’ 93%.

GREENS The Greens want Victoria to achieve “net zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as is feasible and by no later than 2050, with a minimum 40% reduction on 1990 levels by 2020.” They want Hazelwood power station to be closed down and a guarantee from government that no further coalpowered stations will be built in Victoria. Ms Pennicuik says Labor isn’t serious about climate change. “If you’re really serious about the environment, you wouldn’t be exporting brown coal and wouldn’t be building extra coal plants,” she says. The Greens also say the desalination plant is the wrong way to go. “Labor is letting 350 million litres of treated water go out to sea at the Gunnamatta water treatment plant, yet, instead of using it, they’re going to put out fresh water, and down the coast at Wonthaggi they want to pull in sea water and then treat it.”

he Brumby government seemed awfully certain that public transport wasn’t going to be an issue in the November 27 state election. A sure sign that we have another ruling party that has been in power so long that they have completely lost touch with their constituents. When the then Steve Bracks-led Labor government crept into power in 1999, the decimation of the transport system was still in its early stages despite Jeff Kennett, as leader of the Liberal government, having spent his seven years as Premier in a frenzied selling spree. It was late in Kennett’s reign that he began to privatise the system and divvied up the trams, trains and buses to various French and British transport franchises. Conductors were phased off trams and ticketing operations at train stations were automated. As Bracks took over the two most devastating effects of the changes were yet to sink in. With a variety of companies running carved-up sections of the system, all consideration to the various services working together so that users could easily travel on co-ordinated routes went out the door. The simple task of getting from Point A to Point B using a couple of different modes of transport became a frustrating exercise of waiting around between a bus ride and a train journey and so on. And, soon after, waiting around unmanned stations – having being marooned by a bus or tram service – was akin to keeping your head down in a war zone: hide from the aggressive begging junky; dodge the brawling drunken bogans; side-step the puddles of piss at the foot of the ticket machine… all while playing Hunt The Timetable. With conductors and ticket-sellers gone from transport, travelling at night got ugly. And the Transit Police seemed more concerned with intimidating kids tagging their sterile train facades rather than looking out for the wellbeing of paying users. To add insult to injury, when Kennett doled out the spoils to the multinational transport corporations, we were told that with the new owners having smaller areas of service to oversee they would be able to concentrate on improvements. We were

promised that Sunday services would be equal to Saturdays as well seeing improvements in weekday off-peak services (including trams running every ten minutes). We were also told that there would be no real increase in fares beyond those necessitated by inflation (and a one-off rise to allow for the introduction of GST). These promises were not kept. The Labor government could have easily turned this around given how much bad will there was toward Kennett at the time – his ousting in the 1999 poll was generally considered a protest vote and caught everyone by surprise. Despite having to form a minority government, Bracks’ team had ample support to set about dismantling Kennett’s transport shakedown – especially given the strong sentimental support the public had/has for the tram conductors of old. Instead, for over a decade Labor has continued to pump the privately-run services with hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies. While some experts bemoan how the subsidies have increased over time, those in favour of the privitisation argue that the amount has remained steady. Whatever way it’s painted, it is HUNDREDS of MILLIONS in Victorian tax money being syphoned off to overseas businesses – and let’s not forget that to make way for these foreign-owned companies, 16,000 local public transport workers were sacked by Kennett. On top of all the other public transport failings, Labor pursued the now-notorious myki ticketing system. Years of delays and 1.3 billion more tax dollars later, they have attempted a rushed rollout ahead of the election. Not only did Bracks/ Brumby not learn from Kennett’s mishandling of the public transport sell-off but they put the same suit in charge of the new ticketing system who had overseen the privitisation deal. The problem-plagued introduction of myki highlights a consistent bungling of transport issues – everything to do with public transport seems to be overseen and orchestrated by people who think buses are mobile billboards and that train trips are for quaint getaways across the Nullabor. Hence myki swipe-off machines are placed at exits where they will likely lead to commuter crushes in peak hours if myki use becomes widespread. There are now also concerns being voiced over privacy linked to data collection and sharing employed by myki. There are also worries that accidentally forgetting to swipe off at the end of a trip may incur the user to pay a higher fare. Yet with all this, Labor believed that transport would not be an issue on November 27. Both the opposition and Greens have taken advantage of this misreading of public sentiment and put transport on the agenda. Both parties are talking about regrouping the disparate transport businesses in charge of the system. The Libs are making noises about an independent transport authority as a watchdog of the operators as well as promising extra trains and investigating the state’s legal obligations to myki. The Greens are talking about creating a new public transport authority, one that would manage all aspects of the transport system from day-to-day operations through to ticketing and major projects, with an eye on once again syncing up the different modes of transport. They also suggest that the trams and trains could be back under public control by 2017. Has Brumby missed the bus?

HOW TO VOTE IF YOU MUSIC Brumby and Batchelor try out for post-election jobs... just in case.

SEX SELLS With a name designed to grab media attention, the AUSTRALIAN SEX PARTY are railing against conservative values, writes RHIANA WHITSON. Can Fiona Patten win over swinging voters?

he Australian Sex Party is just a year old, and only became officially registered with the Victorian Electoral Commission last month. You may have seen their bright yellow t-shirts at the recent abortion rights rally and at the weekend’s pro-gay marriage march.

n February this year 20,000 music fans marched to the steps of Parliament House to send a very powerful message to the politicians in Spring Street: live music does not cause violence. The catalyst for this event was the closure of the Tote. Tales of alcohol-fuelled violence dominated the media and became entrenched in political rhetoric, with live music caught in the crossfire. What followed was a fight to save Victoria’s live music scene from the reactionary regulations imposed upon it by the power-tripping Department Of Liquor Licensing (DLL). Since that day, the music community has cemented itself as a powerful political voice. On top of that, Parliament House was also rocked by pressure from groups such as Save Live Australia’s Music (SLAM) and Fair Go 4

Live Music as well as a petition signed by 22,000 music fans. Negotiations ensued, leading to the establishment of peak Victorian music body Music Victoria. The Live Music Accord was signed in October, with government and industry representatives establishing that there is no link between live music and violence. With former head of DLL Sue MacLellan moved along, even the state government admits new DLL head Mark Brennan is “a breath of fresh air”. Venues which had the high-risk category imposed upon them can now apply to have it removed. It’s a win for live music, although it never should have got to this in the first place. But it did, and lucky for us, it’s an election year. And now Labor is dangling a $27.1 million carrot in front of the Melbourne live music community.

LABOR A re-elected Labor government will spend $27.1 million on live music-related grants and funding. A music HQ will be set up in the CBD in what retiring Arts Minister Peter Batchelor says will be, “A physical location of various industry players, in the style of the Wheeler Centre’s Centre For Books And Ideas.” Music Victoria are expected to take up tenancy, with the Labor Government throwing $750,000 behind the advocacy body for the next three years. FreeZa, Push and the Australian Independent Record Labels Association are also expected to join Music Victoria at the HQ. Funding for Victoria Rocks has been cut from $7 million over three years to $3.5 million over four years and spread across new ventures such as the $1 million Music Passport Victorian Music Export program; Stepping Stone, a $600,000 program to foster and promote Indigenous musicians; and a $1.4 million Quick Response Live Music Grants fund to divvy up grants of up to $1,500 to help bands in need of unexpected cash for touring. Music Victoria will also be involved with music venues, the police, the DLL, the Australian Hotels Association and state government to establish a voluntary Best Practice Charter for music venues to abide by. Signatories to the code will be eligible for up to $10,000 of dollar-for-dollar funding by the government, to be spent on soundproofing, acoustics and PAs. CEO of Music Victoria Patrick Donovan said this could eventually lead to all venues having a backline. In addition to these announcements, a re-elected Labor government is promising more funding for the Australasian World Music Expo, the expansion of the annual Face The Music conference, and grants for new events to showcase and develop Victoria’s songwriters. Mr Batchelor says it wasn’t the government’s intention to get offside with the music community. Both Mr Batchelor and Premier John Brumby told Inpress that February’s protest served as a “huge wake-up call” to the state

GREENS As someone who’s been attending gigs for a long time, Greens MLS for the Northern Metropolitan area, Sue Pennicuik, says that she was never in any doubt that there was no link between live music and violence. She says the Greens are committed to addressing or removing barriers which affect a venue’s ability to host live music. Pennicuik asks the question, if the current liquor licensing regulations were placed upon

So, what’s in a name? President of the Australian Sex Party, Fiona Patten, is quite open about the political strategy behind the party choosing such a salacious name. “Frankly we wouldn’t have got the media attention without it.” The party, Patten says, essentially stands for civil liberties, “it’s just that Australian Civil Liberties party doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.” Yet, regardless of what Patten says, sex is a part of the campaign. During a quick peruse through the party website I discover a YouTube clip encouraging viewers to join the party: “If you’re sick of wowserism and political interference in the bedroom,” Patten tells viewers, dressed in a two-piece suit, while porn posters such as the infamous Debbie

Does Dallas flash behind her, “join the sex party.” Patten says the party will be contesting four upper house and 17 lower house seats in the state election. One of the first things Patten says the ASP wants is 24-hour transport on the weekends. “In a sex party way, we’d like to see more trains in tunnels.” In the live music spectrum, Patten says that whilst the ASP is hugely supportive of Labor’s recent $27.1 million announcement, she wants to make sure “it’s not just another election promise”. Patten says the ASP offers alternative policy such as the decriminalisation of drug use, the establishment of an R rating for computer games, real change for Freedom Of Information protocols, sex education and privacy issues. Whilst some cover similar ground to the Greens, Patten says the ASP support the progressive stance of the Greens, yet are willing to push the boundaries further.

government, with the government now recognising “the important role contemporary music plays in the cultural life of Melbourne and the wider Victorian community.” So, is this a sign of ‘alternative’ music coming into the mainstream? Mr Batchelor doesn’t think so, “As long as it can maintain its edginess and street-wise, we don’t want to de-grunge it. [De-grunge!] We want them to remain musicians, but maybe drop the ‘poor’ adjective.” So what happened? Brumby explains how we got here. “We had a problem with alcohol-fuelled violence, we put measures in place to combat that, and the DLL cracked down a little harder than we thought they would.” A cynic may argue Labor’s announcement is a bid to entice inner-city voters who will swing Green this Saturday. Mr Batchelor says this isn’t the case. Whatever the motivation is, if they come through with the goods, it’s certainly going to help a lot of musicians, venue owners and gig-goers. Music Victoria’s Patrick Donovan says the way forward is a positive one. “The industry has been invited to sit as a member on the DLL advisory committee and the link between live music and violence has been removed.” He says the DLL are willing to be flexible and the first steps towards the implementation of the “agent of change principle” have been taken. Meanwhile, retiring Mr Batchelor says he’s visited the Tote since it reopened in May, and says he’s pleased to see it’s retained much of its “local charm.”

venues, why can they simply not be removed? Ms Pennicuik says that arts funding at present is “too institutionalised, and a Greens balance of power would aim to more evenly distribute funding”. Ms Pennicuik’s favourite venue is Pure Pop Records in St Kilda, and her favourite local band are Frowning Clouds.

THE COALITION The Opposition may have stood on the steps of Parliament House in February proclaiming ‘Liberals Love Live Music’, yet as Inpress went to print they still hadn’t released a policy on live music. A Facebook page set up by members of SLAM for local candidates to post their party policy announcement, at the time of deadline, has yet to receive a posting by anyone from the Liberal party. (A statement on the SLAM website, headed “Still Nothing From The Liberal Party”, reads: “We’ve emailed. We’ve phoned. We’ve asked many times. But with only days until the election, the Liberal Party have still not released a policy in regards to live music in this state. This can only lead us to believe that they will offer NO protection to live music venues and artists. If you love live music and you vote, put the Liberal Party last on your ballot.”)

When queried as to whether a Baillieu government would continue funding of the Victoria Rocks program, Troeth needed to be reminded of what Victoria Rocks was. When informed that Victoria Rocks was an initiative to help Victorian musicians set up by the Labor Government in 2006, Troeth replied that a Baillieu government would indeed continue its funding. When pressed further about what the Melbourne music community was voting for in a Coalition government, Troeth replied, “Commonsense and genuine appreciation of music and local venues, including support for the best traditions and new innovations in Melbourne’s music and arts culture instead of headline-grabbing stunts.” He added that a Coalition government “will ensure that regulations and red tape do not hold back the genuine and creative growth of Melbourne’s music and arts industries.”

Despite repeated requests for a phone interview with Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for the Arts Ted Baillieu’s office, Inpress was instead emailed responses from Baillieu’s media spokesperson, Simon Troeth.

In other arts news, the Coalition have announced an additional $200,000 for SYN FM. Remember the Rock Eisteddfod? Well, the Coalition is going to give them $800,000 over the next four years. They also plan to bring the dusk-til-dawn Paris Nuit Blanche to Melbourne, and want to establish closer ties between Australia and India by encouraging Bollywood film production in Victoria. But their best announcement would have to be the $6.1 million dollar-per-annum VCA funding, which, on top of the $5.1 million joint federal and state funding, would see VCA in its best financial position ever. However, when it comes to live music, the Coalition are yet to announce a comprehensive policy in relation to live music.

When asked whether the Coalition would match Labor’s $27.1 million dollar announcement, Mr Troeth had this to say: “The Coalition will make Melbourne’s music scene safer with more police, a zero tolerance approach to drunken violence and sentencing that reflects the community’s expectations.” More police and zero tolerance? Doesn’t sound very live music-oriented.

A QUESTION OF CONFIDENCE Next stop: the debut album. As their trilogy of EPs finishes and a new deadline approaches, SAM LOCKWOOD of THE JEZABELS checks in with SCOTT FITZSIMONS to show that they’re a band growing in confidence.

ype is an interesting beast, offered to more than deserve it and often misguided in its direction. For the careers that have been built on the back of the initial ripple effect, there’s more that have been dropped into obscurity harder than they were elevated out of it through no fault of the band themselves. One band for whom the hype machine’s cogs are beginning to whir into action are The Jezabels, and after a trilogy of semi-themed EPs it is beginning to look as justified for them as it would be anyone else in the world. Formed when Hayley Mary and Heather Shannon relocated from Byron Bay to Sydney and met Sam Lockwood and Nick Kaloper at Sydney University, they stated they would be releasing a series of three EPs before looking at an album, a pledge they honoured and recently fulfilled. The first, The Man Is Dead, introduced a band in the class of Sydney’s more promising acts but did little more than that, but the second She’s So Hard, with single Hurt Me, saw the national broadcasters start to take notice. It’s attention they’ve held with the third, Dark Storm. Now they’ve got more than their parents, partners and friends waiting to hear the debut album; they’ve a whole national fanbase – indeed even international fanbase following a recent trip to Canada – anticipating the release. “Personally I felt that after Hurt Me,” says guitarist Sam Lockwood of those pressures, “because that song was the one that got people interested. I’ve worked out to not worry about it but when you do a song that goes okay, it’s the measuring stick for everything else you do in your own mind. We don’t really worry about that stuff too much as a band generally. Maybe we do in private and just not tell each other.” Only now evolving into something more than a distraction from university studies, their humble goal of headlining [Sydney venue] the Hopetoun Hotel was achieved before the venue closed. Needless to say, everything beyond that’s been a bonus. The album’s in its infancy at the moment, but ideas are starting to form with a schedule that looks towards a release in the first half of next year. “The intention is to take a big step [from the EPs] to hopefully write a good album,” Lockwood indicates with his usual and natural buzz. “I think our EPs do sound a bit naïve. I really like that about them. We had heaps of time to talk about this in Canada and we were saying that the EPs are really organic; there’s not much production, they’re very wide and nothing’s really refined, but the intention’s to expand the sound but refine it more, so you can fit more in. To me I think that makes it sound more professional, maybe more affecting, I guess. More approachable.” That step comes after the progression they’ve already enjoyed from the EPs. “The first EP with Disco Biscuit Love and Be A Star especially, Hayley didn’t write complete songs. Me and her workshopped them and turned them into rock songs, because they were originally folk songs and it was just that process of having complete songs and bringing them to the band and working on them that way. And since the last two EPs we’ve actually written all the songs together. I guess that’s the big difference.” It’s blatant throughout a discussion with Lockwood that he and the band are “blown away” by the attention, but they’re also very young still and that’s something they’re very aware of. “We struggle with confidence

twitter.com/inpressmag

I think still. We’re really bad at talking on stage and banter because we get really nervous, but we’re definitely getting better. Once you realise you do good things you can be proud of what you’re doing and assured of what you’re doing is right. To do your own shows that have sold out [see: this week’s tour], you don’t worry about talking to the audience or you’re not scared to because they’re there to see you and you feel right, you feel okay to say whatever you want.”

“

Having no bass player has made it hard for each of us to define what we need to do.”

Their growing confidence also extends to songwriting. “Having no bass player has made it hard for each of us to define what we need to do. Nick plays a lot of tom work and I think that’s necessitated by the fact that we don’t have a bass player and I do a lot of basic bass guitar work and Heather does a lot of bass on her [keys], just things like that you realise there’s a material reality of having no bass player so you have to compensate for that. We’ve realised that now and it’s helped our songwriting. That’s just a small part of it but it’s indicative of the whole.” In compensating for that bass, Wilco-fan Lockwood manages, perhaps inadvertently, to create a atmospheric backdrop for the band, which is an essential part of their appeal. “I really love restraint. That’s my big thing and what I try to do is a loud noise, but not do much. If you just do one note throughout a whole chord progression and it’s like a suspended note or something like that, it can do so much more. And I think since I’ve learnt how to do it better and make the sound more clear and refined… A Little Piece, the first chorus of that I did it on the spot with an EBow and you don’t need to do anything. Just hold the note and change it and it just creates this atmosphere and it’s just this simplicity that I try to achieve. Do as little as possible, like how I like my life,” he laughs. “There’s obviously competing forces in that respect because our manager wants us to do as much as possible, but I think we’re all like that. The people in the band know me for this, I’m a force of just doing as little as possible for every song. I’m always telling Nick to play the same drumbeat for the whole song. He hates that.” WHO: The Jezabels WHAT Dark Storm (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, Bended Elbow (Geelong); Friday, Sunday and Monday, East Brunswick Club

twitter.com/inpressmag

THE ENDLESS ROAD With a multimillion-selling debut album behind her, UK soul sensation DUFFY is now chasing even bigger dreams with the help of Madonna’s old manager, SASHA PERERA learns.

“I

think without struggle there’s no progress. Without experimenting, there’s no development, so I couldn’t rest on my laurels. I had to push myself. I wanted to make people dance; I wanted to make them move emotionally and physically. I wanted to be greedy; I wanted to experiment with what it would be like to dance through the hard times, as well as cry through them.” Changing tact, despite her winning moody formula – formed in part with Bernard Butler of Suede – Duffy (born Aimee Ann Duffy) has opted to rev up the energy and reference some ‘70s disco/soul sounds as she moves forward with her sophomore album, Endlessly. Songs like the first single, Well, Well, Well, and Keeping My Baby (complete with swirling strings and chimes) noticeably travel new territory, whilst fans will be pleased to hear that echoes of her melancholy debut album are still at the forefront on the new album, with songs

like Too Hurt To Dance, and Don’t Forsake Me continuing to deliver the downhearted style that Duffy’s voice is most suited to. Duffy’s debut album, Rockferry, was a gin-soaked, Dusty-styled soul/ pop affair of misty-eyed love lost that referenced a ‘60s Motown shimmer and a Bacharach style of musical drama. The resulting stats for the album were impressive; the album sold 6.5 million copies, became the biggest selling UK album of 2008, and Duffy picked up three Brit Awards and a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album. As a result, one would assume that everyone must have had an opinion on how album number two should take shape. “Interestingly not,” the doe-eyed Duffy shrugs. “I alienated everyone – I made sure that nobody got too close, like before. It was all very simple before when I just worked with a couple of people, and I had the same theory this time around. I worked with Albert [Hammond, famed producer], an engineer that we trusted, and The Roots – it was a very small family once again. I’m not the sort of person who sends demos to their mum asking if she likes it. I don’t really search for approval with others,” she says with her typical straight-forwardness. Duffy’s success ensured that she could’ve worked with just about anyone she wanted to on this new album, so it’s surprising and intriguing she found a close primary collaborator in 66-yearold Albert Hammond (father of The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jnr, and a prolific songwriter in the ‘70s and ‘80s, having worked with the likes of Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash). “It was a strange collaboration from the outset, I guess, but nobody really said anything about it at the time,” Duffy says of the unusual cross-generational partnership. “I think he was just charmed by my presence and my voice. He worked with Tina Turner and Diana Ross, and he made me feel important, and made me feel that maybe I too, one day, could be a star, like the real stars. I think he sees my star quality.” Doesn’t everyone see her star quality? “Maybe I can’t, and so maybe that’s the problem,” she responds plaintively.

“

…you really have to travel this road alone.”

The arrival in 2008 of Duffy on the music scene was a brilliantly crafted debut, thanks in a major way to manager Jeanette Lee from the well-respected Rough Trade management team. Lee was a former member of Public Image Limited (PiL) and currently co-owns the cutting-edge, UK-based Rough Trade record label and management, who look after the likes of Jarvis Cocker and Pulp. Lee discovered Duffy and took her under her wing, spending four years working with her on her music and image before the pop explosion that followed. Duffy adored Lee. When I first met up with Duffy before the release of Rockferry in 2008, she talked excitedly about Lee’s influence on her own style of fashion and music. Lee was an influential mother figure for a young Welsh girl finding her way in the music industry and living away from home. However, all that has changed now. Despite their close relationship, in the wake of the success of Rockferry, artist and manager split. From the outside it seems like success unfortunately spoiled this once close and inspired relationship. “Rough Trade were completely kind to me and I’ll always stand by that,” Duffy says, slightly shielding the intricacies of what actually happened. “They were fantastic, they supported me and took me under their wing, gave me money when I didn’t have money and allowed me to make the record I wanted to make with my first album. They were important role models and figureheads for me, but it would be too idyllic for me to assume that I could always have those people around, or that I could drag them along on my journey. “I suppose this one thing you have to put down to experience in life. I would love to have my childhood best friend still four minutes down the road from me, I would love to be twelve years old and walking across the beach of North Wales fantasizing about who I would become, but it’s just not reality. I realise that I thought I had companions, but then you really have to travel this road alone.” These days Duffy is managed internationally by Angela Becker (Madonna’s ex-manager, and now also wife of super-producer Stuart Price). In a way it says a lot about how much has changed for Duffy in the last couple of years. No longer an indie-related artist, Duffy is a certified global star, and as a result a big-name international manager is on board to take her career to even greater heights. “I think Angela is a wonderful person. I admire her experiences and I think she has a lot to offer for my journey and my career, but most importantly I really like her. Good management is what I have to have, otherwise what is it – just me and Albert sitting in a room, drinking tea and writing songs. You need people like Angela to help make you three-dimensional. If it were me, I’d live in my own head for the rest of my life, and happily there I’d stay. You have to get others to bring you out of yourself and push you forward.” And you might just get a Stuart Price dancefloor remix thrown into the equation, too? “Yes, that too – watch this space!”

WHO: Duffy WHAT: Endlessly (Universal)

twitter.com/inpressmag

DUBBLE DROPPING “We still have our freedom and our souls,” FAT FREDDY’S DROP trumpet player TONY CHANG tells PAUL RANSOM of one of New Zealand’s biggest (independent) exports.

t says a lot about Fat Freddy’s Drop that of four albums released to date, two of them are live. Since their first informal gathering in Wellington back in 1999, Fat Freddy have ambled somewhat organically, slowly refining their jazz-flecked, psychedelic dub reggae sound over countless jams and gigs. Their fourth album, Live At Roundhouse, simply underlines the band’s now legendary improvisational genius. Trumpeter Tony Chang (nee Toby Laing) says it simply: “There’s nothing better than getting out on stage and enjoying your music. If you can make it to the stage, everything’s worth it. It’s a pretty fortunate thing to do for a job, really.”

largesse of major label finance. “The thing that made it possible was that we had support from really great fans around the world,” Chang notes. “It’s all very well us doing what we’re doing, but once we’ve done our recording its people telling their friends about it; and that’s the thing that can’t be manufactured.”

As one the six surviving original members, Chang has helped steer Fat Freddy’s Drop from the bedrooms and clubs of New Zealand’s coffeeobsessed windy city to the world stage; no small feat for a large, rambling collective operating from a small city at the bottom of the world without the

Keeping the vibe positive over an often hectic 11-year period is yet another of the band’s many serendipitous successes. “One benefit of the group of people we’ve got is that, although we’re all very committed to the group, we don’t necessarily look too far ahead,” Chang states. “I think if we had sat down early on and tried to plan out what we were gonna do it would have seemed a bit too daunting; but this way it just happened and perhaps because of that we’ve managed to maintain a positive relationship with the music.

Indeed, the band embodies the truism that word of mouth is the best advertising money can’t buy. The Fat Freddy buzz has been growing for years, rather like the beautiful bottom end rumble of one of their long live jams. (If I were to employ the term ‘stadium dub’ here I would do so without attendant sarcasm.) “We’ve always said yes to opportunities to travel and reach different audiences,” Chang explains, “and that’s helped to sustain us both in an artistic sense but also in a very practical way.”

“We know that music is what we do,” he adds. “It’s our main job and everything, but we’ve also managed to keep a kind of lightness to the whole thing and that’s been good for the longevity of it.” Chang exudes the distinctly chilled yet still discerning manner befitting of a native of Wellington, with its idiosyncratic ‘sound system’ subculture and its justly famed passion for gourmet quality. “We were all a little bit older and we’d all been in a lot of groups before we started Fat Freddy,” Chang recalls, “and y’know, Wellington is such a small place that you can’t really be a celebrity because everyone knows you anyway.” Fat Freddy’s internal ethos also helps to keep things sane, blotter references notwithstanding. “The culture of the group is quite unusual and I think that helps us through the journey. But away from that we’ve all got pretty normal lives.” But of course the first thing that anyone will tell you about Fat Freddy’s Drop is that they are champions of the old school jazz approach to making music. If the word ‘improvisational’ is over-used it is with good reason. “The way the band first came together was as an informal session thing,” Chang informs. “Y’know, we all knew each other as musicians and then one day this session got called and things started happening. So our albums have evolved as a way to document the sounds we’ve refined together over the years. For us it’s more about arriving at the songs rather than kinda planning them out.” The jazz references, the Miles Davis feel, the loose-limbed, warm, swirling sound are all part of the plan, so to speak. “We were inspired by all that jazz stuff, especially in the horn section. We were definitely big ‘60s and ‘70s jazz fans… because some of those sessions were just the guys getting together and working out what they were gonna play rather than rehearsing and practising parts. Y’know, if we can achieve some of that feel then that’s great.” Here again you can’t help but trace a line back to the band’s hometown. After all, Fat Freddy coagulated out of the multi-ethnic Wellington live music scene, like the 15 piece dub exercise that was Bongmaster and Chang’s own band The Black Seeds. Then, when percussionist DJ Fitchie formed a label with his partner to facilitate the release of vinyl singles the stage was set for Freddy’s unplanned assault. Whilst some have categorised their sound as ‘Aotearoa roots music’, the particularities of its origins (in other words, its strong Kiwi flavour) has not been a barrier to commercial success. As Chang says, “It’s something that could be seen as a disadvantage, y’know, being so far away from everything, but it’s also an advantage when it comes to giving music its own distinct character. The really good thing about the stuff from down this way is that’s its unmistakable.” That renowned independence has also made its way into the band’s business model. Despite worldwide sales they have stayed away from the lure of corporate cash. “One of the things about being independent and having an unstructured approach is that you’re constantly reminded why you’re doing it,” Chang expands. “Y’know, you’re not just doing it for the cheque. In some ways that’s a luxury because you’re not in some industrialised situation with a label and everything. We still have our freedom and our souls.” Ironically however, the band’s connection with its fan base has its occasional downside, as Chang sardonically observes. “The most hardcore criticism we ever get is from our fans who say that the albums are not as good as the gigs. But we really appreciate that because the thing we like about the gig is that we don’t just roll up and play the record. We treat the two things completely differently. Y’know, we tailor the songs. In the end the songs are just the material that we work with on the night.” For Australian fans Fat Freddy’s return represents another chance to take part in the ever whirling chameleon dervish of the band’s trancey, jazzy odyssey through dub and reggae sunshine. “It’s never the same,” Chang concludes with justifiable pride. ”And thank God for that.”

WHO: Fat Freddy’s Drop WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Forum; Saturday, Shine On Festival, Pyrenees Ranges; Sunday 13 February, Good Vibrations, Flemington Racecourse

twitter.com/inpressmag

KING OF QUEENS About to embark on another trip to Australia, KAKI KING talks to ANDY HAZEL about her new album, why she needs to be more than an acclaimed guitarist and her “not gay” wiener.

espite being one of the most acclaimed guitarists of the last few years, a respected songwriter, in-demand film scorer and, according to thousands of men and women, a total babe, Kaki King is unsatisfied with how she’s portrayed in the media. “One thing is always going to overshadow another,” she says while trying to navigate her way from her home in New York to a friend’s place. “I have a lot of great songwriter friends both male and female who are also excellent guitarists but seem to struggle with this way the media can only focus on one thing at a time because of their famously short attention spans,” she says in a distracted, mile-a-minute manner reflective of her work ethic. “So, usually, my friends who are great guitar players but in the singer/ songwriter genre get asked questions like, ‘Let’s talk about your lyrics. What did you mean when you wrote this?’ or, ‘Let’s talk about your guitar playing’. It’s always difficult to excel at more than one thing and I think that’s the key to making good music. Even if you’re not the most proficient guitar player in the world, when you combine a gift with the instrument and write with honesty, that’s what makes true beauty.” This straightforward view infuses her beloved songs and gives a clue as to how one woman has overcome the initial tendency for attention to be given as much to her appearance as to her skills on the guitar, with little left over for the songs. “It’s not hard to come up with a sweet guitar technique,” she says breezily as I suppress the urge to blurt, “Easy for you to say Miss Rolling Stone Guitar God of 2007™.” “I mean it does take a while, but it’s not as hard as it is to write and I don’t mean like, ‘Yeah baby/I’ll love you forever,’ etcetera. That’s not what I’m trying to do. If I’m able to somehow get both jobs done while being a good guitar player then that’s when I know a song works. When I play a gig, people aren’t going to stick around just to watch me play guitar.”

sings King of her beloved pet in Junior’s closing song, Sunnyside. Despite some insider information I gleaned that suggests otherwise, she professes her dog to be “not gay”. Readers, you decide. “He has no balls but he likes men and he’s really funny because he’s really pretty; he’s a gorgeous dog,” she says with glowing pride. “He likes guys because he’s always around my sister and me and we’re always cuddling him, but he has this little boy inside him so when boys come around he senses testosterone. He likes to lick men, he likes to lick their hairy legs. He always gives the guys a lot of attention.” Hmmm…

WHO: Kaki King WHAT: Junior (Shock) WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Corner Hotel; Saturday, Queenscliff Music Festival

“

Sometimes playing the guitar feels like hard work, but it’s hard work you really enjoy.”

Few of those who have seen King perform on one of her frequent visits to these shores would doubt that she’s doing all right by her standards. While earning accolades such as a Golden Globe nomination for her work on the film Into The Wild, awards and praises from every guitar magazine that mentions her and love from her peers (especially Dave Grohl), King has been working with everyone from Timbaland to renown film composer Carter Burwell. Though a very different process, she finds film scoring can be equally rewarding. “It always depends, it can be something where you can listen to it on its own as a piece of music or it can be intricately tied to a particular scene. Sometimes I’ll turn in a bunch of tunes and say to myself, ‘Ooh, I hope they don’t use that one because I really like it!’. “It can be so fucking painful to go back and forth between director, editor and music editor and get three different opinions,” she says despondently. “After a while, really what you’re doing becomes arbitrary and everyone has a different feeling about a certain piece or they fall in love with the temp track, etcetera. Scoring is something I’m interested in, as you have to work quickly, get inspired and create. Even when the people I’ve worked with are great there have still been edits where I’ve had to go back to the roughs of the film and begin again, it becomes something I spend hours working on. And then it gets cut or something else gets added and it’s hard because I’m writing music to very specific pieces of time. It’s a challenge but I’m frustrated because it can become so little about what I want to do.” Something that comes across in King’s music and style of talking is that she does what she wants, when she wants. Even when it comes to becoming a pioneering guitarist, it never seems anything was sacrificed to get where she is. “Sometimes playing the guitar feels like hard work, but it’s hard work you really enjoy. No one’s making you do it, it’s not painful. I think there are times when you’re young and learning because you really want to be doing it. It’s a challenge in a beautiful way. You should never look at it as work and it never should be.” Renowned acoustic guitar manufacturer Ovation, whose guitars she often uses, asked King to design the 1581-KK guitar for them in what is surely an ultimate sign of industry respect. “My father had an Ovation but he wouldn’t let me touch it when I was a kid - I’m driving now, this is so not safe…” she says laughing, hopefully talking on her hands free. “When I went to college, he gave me that guitar and I wrote my first album on it. I’d already been playing an Ovation when I met [influential guitarist and Ovation player] Preston Reed. I was already going down that route when I saw him play, which was another serendipity type of thing. Nothing I do is very strummy, and it gives a very tactile sound. I’ve tried to move away from that in recording recently; I didn’t use it once on Junior, as I’m sure my sponsors will be happy to hear,” she says laughing. “I use whatever works at the time, when I’m playing in really low tunings, that’s mainly when they get used.” “All we can say we have, are some photographs and a wiener dog that chews up everything I love and all the things you left behind,”

twitter.com/inpressmag

HOLY SPIRIT While REVEREND HORTON HEAT concedes that his “stupid stunts” at shows are in the past, he’s still dedicated to the live arena, he tells JEREMY WILLIAMS.

“I

f the crowd is good, the room sounds good and no one is sick or too wasted to play, then it’s always fun.” Reverend Horton Heat (or Jim Heath as he is known to his friends) loves nothing better than getting up on stage and playing his heart out. His dislike of records can be summed up as succinctly as “it’s for the fans, not me,” whilst his dislike of the current production-heavy music industry is best avoided. So, in celebration of Heath’s upcoming Australian tour, our chat leans more to the live forum, but not before Heath gives a little insight in how to ensure that if a recording is necessary then there is a way to ensure that it is at least worthwhile. “Making sure that I’ve thought of all of the possible musical arrangement ideas is important. Having a good song is important, too. I try to write at least a few extra verses for each song and pick through the best ideas. In other words, I may write six verses for a song that will end up only with three. It’s funny that no matter how hard I try to conceptualise an album beforehand, it

always takes on a life of its own. In music, you have to be flexible. “Recording music is like an advertisement. Music should be live, it is a spiritual and sporadic thing. The reaction of the crowd gives back what you are giving them. Music is about the musician and the crowd. Recording is really a let down.” Whilst Heath concedes there is some initial reward in hearing back the culmination of the hard work that goes into making a record, the moment is fleeting. It appears once the subject is further opened out that the issue lies not with the record and what it stands for, but rather the process behind making a record. “I consider live music to be one of the most valid art forms. I don’t consider recording to be a valid art form. The technology of recording music is relatively new compared to the history of music. Notice that I call it a ‘technology’ and not an ‘art form’.” Flexibility is the key to success in the music arena. “Playing in the studio is like taking an aptitude test. A recording is just one little point in time. It’s a picture of the cake,” whilst at a gig “ you actually get to eat the cake”. If proof were ever needed of the lack of necessity for the recorded medium, Heath puts it to me that “there’s not a recording of Mozart”. His point cannot be disputed and with that the chat leaves behind the discomfort of the “technology of recording music” and focuses instead on Heath’s forte. “In 25 years of Reverend Horton Heat, about the only thing that’s changed is that we’ve gotten better. One thing that’s stayed the same is that we continually try new things using rockabilly as a platform to launch from rather than a framework to keep us boxed in.” Having formed back in 1985, Reverend Horton Heat have achieved cult status and boast a dedicated fanbase for the quirky off-beat rockabilly romps. During that time the troupe has changed line-up on several occasions. With an initially riotous live reputation, Heath’s maturity appears to have altered his outlook. “We no longer do stupid stunts like jumping off the PA into the crowd, or getting long guitar cords and taking the crowd out to the street where we’d lay down, blocking traffic and jamming out. I ruined a lot of shirts doing that. Those years were also filled with a lot of serious injuries. We’re still a high-energy outfit without all of that stuff.”

“

Recording is really a let down.”

With a clearly excited Heat in a mood for reminiscing, the timing seemed perfect to talk past performances. Whilst he concedes that “most gigs are pretty fun” it is without hesitation that he admits that “opening for Johnny Cash at the Fillmore in San Francisco was pretty good.” Equally easy to recall was his slightly less successful appearance at the “Coyote Club in Wichita, Kansas. It was our first extended Midwestern US tour and the crowd at the Coyote Club consisted of two middle-aged, hard-scrabble women who hated us and the bartender. By the end of the night, we were heckling back at them and making up songs on the fly just to piss them off. Since then, we’ve learned to love Wichita, but it was hard at first.” The trip down memory lane clearly strikes a chord for Heath. Once one memory has been worked through another arrives instantly in its place. For Heath, who has experienced minimal commercial success (though his songs have been used in everything from Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls through to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 ), the list of live accolades is endless. He enthuses that “one of the coolest things about what we do is that we get to play great old venues that through the years featured some of the biggest stars in history. The Majestic Theater in Detroit is where Harry Houdini did his last performance. Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa had all of the greatest country acts – Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, Elvis Presley as well as others like, The Sex Pistols. Radio City Music Hall, I mean, what can you say except all the biggies play that place. Too many now to mention.” Heath is seemingly aware that, whilst many are aware of his music and live antics, the majority will need to look him up before contemplating attending a live show. The situation is nothing new to the experienced performer. The humble musician admits, “I tell people, especially those who are completely not part of any music scene, that we’re rock’n’roll that’s influenced by mid-20th century music, especially rockabilly. They usually ask me at that point, ‘What’s rockabilly?’.” Finding the situation somewhat amusing, Heath clearly still enjoys broadening musical horizons. Whilst a constant fixture on the touring circuit in the States, Heath and his cronies are clearly excited about their upcoming five-date stint in Australia. Yet somewhat surprisingly, for someone who so detests the recorded medium, in explaining what can be expected, he states simply, “We’re doing a set that’s somewhat chronological. The first two songs are from our first album, then songs from the second, third and so forth. We do stop in the middle and play four songs off of the new album before getting back to a somewhat chronological setlist.” Inevitably the album that Heath so ardently argues against is the inevitable centre point to winning over a potential audience. Without the recorded medium, the word would only spread so far. Yet Heath concedes the function but insists that despite changes in the industry which he does not enjoy, that the “one thing that really does stay the same is that people really love to go and see live music,” is more than enough to keep his fires burning.

WHO: Reverend Horton Heat WHEN & WHERE: Friday 10 December, Meredith Music Festival; Saturday 17 December, Billboard

twitter.com/inpressmag

SINGLED OUT BY CLEM BASTOW

ON THE RECORD

LATEST CD REVIEWS

SINGLE OF THE WEEK

BRIDEZILLA HEY GIRL Inertia

PENNY IKINGER PENELOPE Citadel

ROLLER ONE MOTORSPORTS Torn And Frayed

Never having been particularly convinced of Bridezilla’s Next Big Thing status last year (I found their thing a little turgid to be truly exciting), I wasn’t particularly excited about the prospect of Hey Girl. More fool me, naturally, as Hey Girl is absolutely sublime. It’s a sunshine pop slowdance, a 1968 torch song; languid and beguiling, giving enough nods to the psychedelic revival without turning into pastiche. Between the massed female vocals, the horizontal guitar solo and the half-asleep slow claps, it feels like slowly drowning in honey. Just don’t ask me if it’s going to be the next big thing or not.

One of the true great guitar heroes of recent times, Penny Ikinger’s new album, Penelope, is the long-awaited follow on from her 2007 effort, Elektra. That record – accessible though it is to someone like this writer who is largely in awe of Ikinger’s work – did have the ability to clear the room on occasions of people less enamoured of her admittedly sometimes penetrating sound. Penelope is a much more user-friendly outing: songs all pretty much radio-friendly lengths, wailingly dirty guitars somewhat under control, more melodious than maddening, something – well, let’s come right out and say it here – of a pop record, but a pop record with a decidedly unique attitude.

There’s a heavy air of stillness that weighs over this debut album. Roller One, consisting of Fergus McAlpin and Adam Afiff from local act Silver City Highway, aren’t exactly a wide-eyed, barely-out-of-their-teens duo. These two have had time to build a love of artists like Kris Kristofferson, Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen. So stories are told into vast empty space.

FLORENCE & THE MACHINE HEAVY IN YOUR ARMS Universal As much as I love Florence, there’s been a certain sameness to her past few singles. HOWEVER, as seems to be becoming a deliciously ironic theme (see also: Thom Yorke’s Hearing Damage), given the artistic value of the books/films themselves, this song – written for the Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack – is terrific; a doleful take on the usual template, a prison-yard march for depressed teens. I can see now that releasing the soundtrack before the (dreadful) films is a cunning trick to get bums on seats by bewitching music lovers (present company) who want to hear songs like this on a THX sound system and are prepared to surround themselves with Twihards to do so.

SLASH FEAT FERGIE BEAUTIFUL DANGEROUS Sony If you programmed a computer – á la that urban myth about Boston’s Tom Scholz putting the greatest riffs of all time into an IBM and getting More Than A Feeling – to create the ultimate slightly depressing late-1980s Body Shop stripper anthem, it would probably spit something like Beautiful Dangerous out. Think Sunset Strip chunky rifferama with Fergie doing her best Axl Rose impression. I think I’m sprouting acid-wash bike-shorts just listening to it. Help.

There is telling evidence of Ikinger’s ability to constantly delight and surprise with her music here. Opener Into The Slipstream and track three, Fragile, are worth the price of admission alone for their paradoxical strength and vulnerability, their experimentation and conformity, their out-and-out untouchable coolness. The good news, of course, is that there are still ten more tracks to go. Ikinger has assembled an impressive cast of supporting musicians on Penelope: Deniz Tek, Ron Peno, Dave Graney, Clare Moore, Mark Ferrie and Charlie Owen. One wonders if Ikinger simply has a terrific address book or superlative cred that demands such legends work with her. I imagine it is distinctly the latter. Given her penchant for naming records after women from classical literature, we might be able to reasonably conclude that album number three from Ikinger will be called something like Clytemnestra, but we’ll have to wait and see, I suppose. Whatever she decides to call it, and however long it takes her to release it, listeners can rest assured it will be urgent, interesting rock, demanding our attention, just like Penelope.

ANNA CALVI JEZEBEL EMI There’s a sort of cod-Morricone, post-Cave sound that I find intensely boring; add a hint of Weimar cabaret (second only to that poster of “Le Chat Noir” when it comes to intensely undergrad delusions of alternative grandeur) and I am pretty much falling asleep in my mashed potatoes. So, I’m sure there are people who’d think Jezebel is the bee’s knees, but I’m trapped in nightmare visions of uni students discussing Camus and Sartre as though no one’s ever done that in history.

RATATAT NECKBRACE XL/Remote Control There’s a certain extent to which one can say that Ratatat tracks “all sound the same”. However, it’s one of the sole potential uses of that phrase that is not an insult, for there certainly is a trademark Ratatat sound – der – and it’s clearly excellent – der again. Neckbrace is one of the more adventurous diversions from the standard operating procedure from LP4, with its vocal samples and vague beatboxing, which makes it less successful than some of their previous creations, but still miles more enjoyable

JESSICA MAUBOY SATURDAY NIGHT Sony Already? I feel like it was only last week I was reviewing Get ‘Em Girls. Oh right, that’s because I was. So I guess the new position in Camp Mauboy is to flood the market. And while Saturday Night has a pleasing Robyn-ish melancholy to its monster club synths, there’s still a hollowness – “Me and my girls wearing Jimmy Choos”, really? – that wasn’t there in the era of Running Back. There’s giving a nod to American R&B and then there’s straight out appropriation.

The album was tracked in three days and mixed in a week and it really couldn’t have been done any other way. This isn’t a listen of deliberate and finicky reworking. It’s tender and honest and feels like it’s unfolding before you. After a brief exploratory interlude, Messalina settles into a beautiful, almost broken-down carnival rhythm. The Night Disappears is full of little bon mots that twinkle and shine before they turn into the next lovely line and Only Song hangs in the air, heavy with emotion and sentiment. It’s not a flawless record, but it is most definitely an album made by two souls that connect wonderfully when they make music and are just as happy to explore the moments of silence as they are to fill them. Danielle O’Donohue

Universal For a band who inspire a remarkable amount of unabridged hate – largely the result of stereotypes and jealousy – there’s a lot to like about Short Stack, not least for their ethic and the empire of fans they’ve built since their early days of tireless social networking. A band who personify the post-internet model, their number-one debut album Stack Is The New Black was limited to the ‘pop with punk themes’ mould they’d created. This Is Bat Country is free from those shackles, with an influx of ideas, production methods and vision. If there was ever a claim for them to be tagged punk it’s becoming more unfounded, as this Hunter S Thompsontitled record builds, with good reason, to arena rock – the title of track We Dance To A Different Disco, Honey provides as much insight literally as it does through its intended conceit. Built upon the hi-hat-heavy dance beats from behind the kit, the sex appeal of frontman Shaun Diviney has been given an injection, his lessthan-perfectly pitched vocals given all sorts of effects to increase their allure. Some of these ideas work, some of them don’t and on the whole there’s probably too many of them. You can excuse them, though: Short Stack have always held control of their creativity – flaws and all – and given the opportunity to run wild with it, that’s exactly what they’ve done. Expect the hordes to consolidate and arenas to be filled – it will just be a shame for them and their generation if their newfound and blatant ambition subtracts from what they’re so loved for. Scott Fitzsimons

Tony McMahon

JUSTIN BIEBER PRAY Universal Look, it should be clear by now that I really, really like Justin Bieber. There’s something intoxicating about his ageless, sexless voice, and he writes (or at least approves) excellent R&B pop songs. Pray, though, is a little more stock standard power balladry than we’re used to from J-Biebs. That’s not to say it’s not good – the stomping beats and strings that emerge after the first chorus are great – but for Bieber, it feels a little like autopilot.

McAlpin’s world-weary voice is resigned to its role of storyteller, sitting quietly alongside the slow meander of Afiff’s double bass. The songs also contain guitar or keys but these are often not the focus. Instead your ear strains to register every nuance offered up by McAlpin’s voice.

SHORT STACK THIS IS BAT COUNTRY Sunday Morning/

SMOKE FAIRIES THROUGH LOW LIGHT AND TREES Shock A new wave of UK artists are besotted with Americana. Nu-folk might be comparable to the northern soul phenomenon, except that, rather than merely fetishising US roots music, Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn are all recontextualising it. And they’re simultaneously rekindling a British folk tradition.

ERIC CLAPTON CLAPTON Reprise These days, whenever Eric Clapton releases a new record, I get a bit nervous. I grew up on the guitar stylings of this man, and it’s fair to say I love him and he is god – I still throw on his early records, which I have on vinyl, and I never, ever get tired of them. Ever. Having said that, though, he’s released what I consider a few trainwrecks over recent years, and so when he puts out another new one, I do get nervous. Clapton was no exception but, thankfully, this one doesn’t fall into the ‘trainwreck’ category, it falls into the ‘Eric Clapton’s still got it’ category, which is a relief and a winner at the same time. Clapton begins with the slow groove (and odd melody) of Travelin’ Alone, which catches your attention (because it’s good), and then holds it as the record moves through 13 other tracks – slow head-nodders like Rocking Chair, blues groovers like Judgement Day and almost score-like numbers in My Very Good Friend The Milkman (which reminded me of the theme to Toy Story for some reason – maybe it was the tuba and the feather-light, fingersnappin’ melody). Eric Clapton has nothing to prove to anyone these days, and so there are no guitar histrionics, there’s nothing really face-melting, it’s just a master kicking off his shoes and making some tunes, and in truth, that’s a great formula. Clapton recruits in this instance second guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, who is a fantastic foil, Willie Weeks on electric and upright bass and a few guests including Derek Trucks, JJ Cale and Sheryl Crow. Over all, nothing to be nervous about here, just Clapton as a fine wine – mature, tasty, real nice. Samuel J Fell

That Smoke Fairies – Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies, who both sing and play multiple instruments, but notably guitar – should originate from Sussex is incongruous. Yet their English accents are distinct. ‘Smoke Fairies’, too, is a colloquial expression for the summer mists that enshroud hedgerows in rural England. The old school chums have already impressed Jack White, who last year produced, performed on, and released a single of theirs. The potent charm of Through Low Light And Trees arises from its dichotomy between rustic American blues and ethereal Celtic folk – with Smoke Fairies specialising in beguiling melodies, (occasionally choral) harmonies and sonic contrasts. The epic folk opener Summer Fades could be Bat For Lashes gone psychedelic, the song manifesting the album’s theme of ephemerality. Devil In My Mind – about the big smoke, London – is pagan blues with mournful viola. Here, Smoke Fairies betray a peculiarly Anglo (or Byronic) gothic. There’s an echo of PJ Harvey’s alt.rock – and, indeed, the duo recorded Through… with her sometime producer Head. Strange Moon Rising is a distant relative of Broken Homes, Harvey’s inspired ‘duet’ with Tricky – only taken on a dusty (and whiskey-soaked) road trip through America’s ghost-towns. Particularly disquieting is Dragon, underpinned by Blamire’s supernatural piano, which unravels its own (macabre) magic realist narrative. These Fairies evoke the frighteningly beautiful creatures of Arthur Rackham’s imagination. Again, Erie Lackawanna is more about memory and loss, as engendered by progress or decay, than myth. Smoke Fairies can simulate a pop sensibility: though not jangly, Hotel Room sorta swings, as if some ‘60s rock groupies laid down a record about their conquests. Alas, Through... is a little groggy towards the end – must be those musical spells – but it’s a cult debut. Cyclone

twitter.com/inpressmag

N*E*R*D NOTHING Universal Hip hop producer superstars Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo’s ‘rock’ group N*E*R*D haven’t really hit the mark when it comes to pulling off a whole record, and on Nothing the distinction between their production work and own music becomes even less apparent. Fortunately, there is a cohesion to the album that makes this album feel less like a compilation or mixtape than their last two records. Hypnotize U is an electro ballad produced by Daft Punk and, despite Williams’ stupid sex rhymes, it’s easily the highlight of the record and an inspired musical pairing. They delve into ‘70s feel-good pop on Victory, and as bizarre a concept as that may seem, it works really well and proves their songwriting chops to be very well thought out even if they are being a little too whimsical. TI’s rap on opening number Party People turns it into a proper track instead of just being a repetitive loop of funk pop. First single Hot-N-Fun is a reworking of the smash they produced for Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Got Your Money, featuring Nelly Furtado instead of Kelis and Williams’ own rapping instead of ODB, so it obviously doesn’t reach the heights of that classic, but an unexpectedly great chorus gives it something a little extra. God Bless Us All mashes a tough hip hop verse into a soulful pop chorus that is a little cute in its naivety, but it’s this contrast that helps this track and other similar moments on the record become more enjoyable on repeat listens. Their fourth album proper, Nothing really does show the group’s development as songwriters. Vividly showcasing their production techniques that made them so successful initially, it’s one of their most consistent records. Chris Yates

ON THE RECORD

LATEST CD REVIEWS

THE TEMPER TRAP CONDITIONS – REMIXED Liberation/Universal

PHANTOMS AS ABOVE, SO BELOW Trial And Error

LITTLE JOHN PUT YOUR HANDS ON ME Independent

I DREAM IN TRANSIT I DREAM IN TRANSIT Independent

So, hands up if you’re damn sick of The Temper Trap, the Conditions album and Sweet-fucking-Disposition. Seriously, how overplayed and stomped on can a song become? As such, the sight of a remixed Conditions wasn’t anything to really be cartwheeling about. But it was a curiosity and as such demanded a listen… and another listen… Now, it’s just on repeat.

In the CD inlay of As Above, So Below Phantoms thank “Slayer and bongs”. This description is as short and to the point as the band, who rip through 12 tracks in 25 minutes. With the exception of closer Bottom Of The Harbour (a comparative epic at 4.57) Phantoms punch out short, hard, heavy, hardcore. Featuring members of Jack Napier, Rex Banner and Die Trying, collectively Phantoms have plenty of experience in bashing it out too, at once to the point but also harbouring the ability to build riffs upon one another.

This record, the debut from Melbourne gothic roots quintet Little John, is a very quiet record. Even the more upbeat tracks are quiet, subtle and sneaky. Not in a cunning way, though; more in a whispery way, moving around on wooden floors in socks, sometimes sliding, sometimes on tip-toe, but always there in the background. This may sound like a fairly backhanded compliment, but I think it plays in the band’s favour.

Although now signed to Speak N Spell, Sydney trio I Dream in Transit have self-released their eponymous first album. In novel wood packaging, no less. What’s inside is just as intriguing: minimal, noir-ish songwriting underscored with post-rock and experimental impulses. Recorded over five months in Melbourne, the album is sparing in its use of instrumentation – which nonetheless ranges from hand percussion to various keyboards to all manners of guitar – and yet runs thick with atmosphere. Voices come and go, mysterious elements surface and submerge, and textures gradually take new shape. Befitting the name of the band, these songs are at once drowsy and in mid-motion.

Such is the overwhelming success and complete electronic experience that makes up Conditions – Remixed. There is much to offer fans of every genre and sub-genre, as well as retaining enough Temper Trap to keep the purists smiling. Sydney heroes PVT give an industrial brutalising to a completely ripped apart Fader while The Count (AKA Herve)’s Medusa remix of Science Of Fear is a filthy, squelch-dusted banger that is unrelenting dubstep at its finest. The fact that The Temper Trap have been willing to flip even their biggest hits to an at times unrecognisable degree should be commended. Even weaker remixes such as Alan Wilkis’ take on Sweet Disposition and, disappointingly, English dubstep heavyweight Rusko’s cut of Soldier On still have a change in tempo, an element of intriguing mixing flair or a quick moment of tech brilliance that make the tracks still listenable, albeit not quite up to the standard of the quality cuts like Bretonlabs’ Kate Tempest-assisted remix of final track Drum Song.

There is a Metallica vibe in the vocals; that sort of constipated, forced urgency, that works well with the band’s tough sound. There are some unexpected moments worked into the album; the bongos at the end of The Death Of work well, as does the Eastern influence on the guitar in Born Under A Bad Sign. The acoustic guitar used in the instrumental midpoint, The Darkness, brings just the kind of tension this album needs – it’s dark and foreboding, setting the platform for a strong finish to the album. Closer Bottom Of The Harbour is what the album had been building to: a big, rocky, spaced-out way to finish, and while it could perhaps have happened a bit sooner (the tracks threaten to blend together), it’s evident of their fine current form. Dave Drayton

It’s easy for a country/rock/folk band to kick out the jams (and there is nothing wrong with that), but in doing so, a lot of those bands seems to pass over so much, a lot of stuff that could be intricate and beautiful rather than brash and in your face. Little John have mastered that with Put Your Hands On Me – its intricacy is astounding. It dwells and pines, it fondles and caresses – it’s not my cup of tea but it drew me in (maybe because as I write this and listen, it’s grey and cold outside) and didn’t let me go, which I liked immensely. Little John are a relatively new outfit, the main man being John Dickson from Redfish Bluegrass, but they display a maturity on this record which suggests they’ve been around the block more than a few times. Put Your Hands On Me is a grower to be sure, but it’ll grow strong and tall – albeit quietly.

The tempos are so slow and the delivery so restrained that some songs can blur together upon first listen, but there are a few immediate gateway moments. Main Line is made more appealing by a concrete beat and a co-ed vocal exchange, while the violin-ghosted Electronic Bells is the clear ‘hit’ here, a woozy source of hypnosis that owes something to Radiohead. Meanwhile, Industrial Lights recalls the softer moments of Flying Saucer Attack, Unbearable is gently shoegaze-y, and there’s a machinelike loop on Night Dog. And the closing Calm Down delivers just what its title promises. Despite some name-checking above, this album doesn’t really sound like any other one band, which is of course a good thing. That said, fans of slow, delicate music like Low and Beach House should be more inclined to appreciate I Dream In Transit. The band have also found a kindred spirit in Melbourne’s A Dead Forest Index, even sharing a recent launch here. It’s nice to see more bands bucking the din to find the depth in quietness.

Samuel J Fell

The lads have gone about this the right way, not relying only on the hooks of Dougy Mandagi and by selecting quality and unorthodox DJs and producers in relation to the band’s general sound. This remix album will successfully bring the sweet sounds of The Temper Trap to the bright lights of a pulsing dancefloor and win them an entire new fanbase in the process.

Doug Wallen

Benny Doyle

229 Chapel St, Prahran. 9521 5985. PRESALE TICKETS:

Tuesday.......................... 5 - 11pm Friday.................... Midday - 11pm Wednesday................... . 5 - 11pm Saturday......................... 5 - 11pm Thursday......................... 5 - 11pm 20% STUDENT DISCOUNT

thecolonel@coloneltans.com.au

50% LOCALS THURSDAY DISCOUNT

www.coloneltans.com.au

All presale tickets available through MOSHTIX: Phone: 1300 GET TIX (438 849) on-line: www.moshtix.com.au or all Moshtix outlets, including Polyester (City & Fitzroy)

www.revolverupstairs.com.au

WEDNESDAY 24/11

FRIDAY 26/11

SATURDAY 27/11

SUNDAY 28/11

BANDROOM FROM 8.30PM

BANDROOM FROM 9PM

BANDROOM FROM 9.30PM

BACK BAR FROM 8AM

JUNK KEITH PARTY

THE HAPPY FREE 2 RUN ENDINGS VIDEO LAUNCH EP LAUNCH

CARACTACUS

BACK BAR FROM 6PM

LOST & FOUND DJ SAMARITAN SPIDEY|JOHNNY GALVATRON GUPSTAR THURSDAY 25/11 BANDROOM FROM 9.00PM

PAQMAN

THE VIOLET FLAMES | THE TWITCH (NZ) DJ NIKX BACK BAR FROM 10PM

REVOLVER FRIDAYS MIKE CALLANDER |SAFARI ANDY HART | LEWIE DAY BANDROOM FROM 1AM

BACK BACK FORWARD PUNCH TWO-HATZ BACK BAR FROM 6PM

EVERY WEEK

3181 THURSDAYS

FREE ATARI, SUPER NINTENDO & SEGA MASTER SYSTEM GAMES. 50% OFF FOOD FOR 3181 RESIDENTS AND LOCAL TRADERS

HANS DC | WHO

SILVERSIX | DAMON WALSH NICK JONES | LUCCA TAN DA SILVA

WINTERRUN EX ANIMO DJ SPIRIT SQUAD

BOOGS| SPACEY SPACE T-REK | RADIATOR

RY EVEEEK W

TUESDAY 30/11 BANDROOM FROM 7.30PM

MELBOURNE FRESH THE LATE SHOW BANDROOM FROM 1AM

RANSOM PAZ SPINFX

BACK BAR FROM 8PM

DECLAN KELLY RAMBL MS BUTT PETER BAKER NEIL STAFORD RANSOM

BACK BAR FROM 7AM

SUNSHINE

REVOLVER SUNDAYS

BLOG: THE-LATE-SHOW.BLOGSPOT.COM twitter.com/inpressmag

SLOW JAXX JOSH & JAKE A NEWBORN SCIENCE GREEN PARROT SHADE ASPERITY WITHIN PRETTY VILLAIN PYRENE

BACK BAR FROM 6.30PM

NEVER CHEER BEFORE YOU KNOW WHO’S WINNING! WEEKLY TRIVIA HOSTED BY:

KERRIE LOVELESS & MIKEY CAHILL

COMING UP

01/12 LEONE WESTERN 02/12 SEX FACE 03/12 MISTRESS MONDAYS 09/12 THE LATONAS 10/12 HOLLIAVA ALBUM LAUNCH

11/12 THE BLOW WAVES REVOLVER SUNDAYS XMAS PARTY

12/12 ROUND TABLE KNIGHTS (MADE TO PLAY - SWI)

15/12 SONS OF MESSENGERS 16/12 CAPE COD AFFAIR 17/12 MUSHROOM GIANT NQR 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY

17/12 DJ PP AKA GABRIEL ROCHA (PARAGUAY)

18/12 SPEAKER TV PRESENTS ROCCO’S SHOE LAUNCH SUNDAY SUMMER SERIES

19/12 KONRAD BLACK (M_NUS - CANADA)

23/12 MELBOURNE FRESH XMAS SHOW 28/12 WUNDERLUST 29/12 NEON INDIAN(USA)CASIOKIDS(NOR) 37

HYPER MUSIC

ON THE RECORD

LATEST CD REVIEWS

The best music on the net with DCR

Apple promised a day we’d never forget. I refer to last’s week self-congratulatory public masturbation that was Apple announcing they’d (finally!) been approved to sell The Beatles’ back catalogue on iTunes. If you’ve been following the saga – which traces back to the decades-long battle between Apple Inc (makers of Macintosh computers, iPods, and iTunes) and Apple Corps Ltd (The Beatles’ record label) – you will know that it’s been a drawn out affair. Apple sent, as they are oft privy to do, invitations to all-the-right-people on Monday, teasing, “Tomorrow is just another day. That you’ll never forget”, causing a hurricane of hysteria to sweep through the internet. What was Apple up to at such short notice? Were we finally going to get the much delayed iOS 4.2 update? No, that doesn’t really affect iTunes. Were they going to reveal their streaming service, or their cloud-based service? Oh no. No siree. We received the news – in fanfare fashion, although no one really cared, so no one bothered to report on it – that we can now (thanks!) buy Beatles’ songs on iTunes. Woah. We will never forget this day. What was I talking about? Last year, remastered versions of all Beatles albums were released – and glorious items they are. Whether you went all out and secured yourself eternal envy via the complete box set or simply caught up with individual albums that’d managed to evade you all this time, the remastered Beatles albums were/are a rare physical release of beauty in this age of consumerholism where everything can be downloaded, or CDs come in cases that break on human contact. There was even a charming USB stick shaped like the Apple Corps Ltd logo – a juicy-looking apple – that contained the complete Beatles catalogue. The files came as both FLAC (free lossless audio codec) files and 320kbps MP3s. Compare this to music files purchased through iTunes, which are encoded at 256kbps.

TINIE TEMPAH DISC-OVERY EMI

THE LEVEL SPIRITS DOUBLE CROSSER Barely Legal Records

THE CORALINAS FREE ENERGY Z-Man Records

Tinie Tempah is the epitome of UK rap mixed with electro. His debut album Disc-Overy overflows with style and confidence; Tempah has produced a sound a little different to the rest but one that still holds its own against better known rap artists. Beginning with an introduction fusing electro pop beats with his own rapping and him stating “I’m in tip top shape…”, you don’t quite know what to expect or what Tempah has planned for you.

Melbourne’s The Level Spirits state that “soulful, sassy vocals, twangin’ Gretsch guitar, pumpin’ drums and a thumpin’ double bass is what you’ll get” from them. The title track, and opener, to their debut album Double Crosser certainly lives up to that claim.

To this writer’s constant amazement, and in something like magnificent defiance of any trends or sense of convention, Melbourne musician Cam Butler continues to make uncompromising though accessible instrumental music worthy of adoration up there with anything else going on in the rest of the world.

Of the first few songs, which are solely Tinie Tempah, Pass Out is definitely one of the best. Changing it up a bit and incorporating what sounds like an electric keyboard, the beats are catchy and the urge to bop your head to the sound kicks in. While keeping things pretty similar in the first few songs, when it comes to Illusion the change from hard hitting to a slower sound is a bit of a relief. Moving to slower beats and slower rapping, we can appreciate the talent that Tempah actually has. The majority of the following songs on Disc-Overy feature a range of different artists, which honestly makes these songs a little more interesting than those that feature solely Tempah. The inclusion of Range on Just A Little makes this song a standout and completely different to anything else included on this album. Again one of the slower songs featured, the sound is more hip hop and the words “Just a little, just a little…” are stuck in your head for hours on end. Written In The Stars featuring Eric Turner also doesn’t disappoint. Working with artists such as Swedish House Mafia on the well known Miami 2 Ibiza and with Kelly Rowland on Invincible highlights the different genres and styles that Tinie Tempah can produce. This album has a little bit of everything but a whole lot of greatness. Ashleigh Lucas

The band comprises ex-Stems bassist Julian Matthews (he plays guitar in The Level Spirits); Mark Mansour, formerly of local psychobilly/rockabilly band Kingpin 440; drummer Robert Urban and newcomer Molly Jean Morrison on vocals. Oh, and ex-Meanie and current Even member Wally Kempton is their manager. Don’t forget that the album was mixed by Rob Younger (Radio Birdman) and Wayne Connolly. Musically speaking, there are many years of experience between the three guys, so it’s no surprise that even though they didn’t have many shows under their belt as a band prior to making this album, they definitely have it together sound-wise. Morrison holds her own with her unquestionably powerful voice. Thankfully she has control enough of her voice to actually allow it to be quieter, when needed, so that tracks like Take It Out and Man Of My Dreams work. Their cover of The Meteors’ Psycho For Your Love is faithful enough to the original, but it’s a brave band that’ll take on P. Paul Fenech at his own game. Morrison’s vocals are strong enough, and she squeals in the right places, but it seems foolhardy to cover a band of that calibre (or maybe I’m just too much of a Meteors fan to be comfortable with this version). The music The Level Spirits are making is not groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, but they’re good enough at it to make it interesting. Dominique Wall

ABBIE CARDWELL & HER LEADING MEN

For years, Butler plied his considerable talents in the band Silver Ray and on solo projects with his Shadows Of Love Orchestra, most notably the truly glorious Symphony Number 1. With Silver Ray’s demise, Butler joined forces with ex-Ed Kuepper drummer Mark Dawson to form The Coralinas, and Free Energy is the result. Containing a mere six tracks, but clocking in at more than 45 minutes, this is Soundtrack To Your Life-level evocation and emotional depth. The Necks and, of course, Dirty Three are probably reasonable reference points to start with – for those of us who need such things – but unfair in a way to Butler and Dawson’s singular vision as musicians. I’ve always thought of Butler as something of an anachronism in the Melbourne music scene: a kind of awe-inspiring throwback to a time when musicians weren’t necessarily people you ran into at your local or were friends with on MySpace. Butler and his music are somehow courtlier than that, more befitting of a time when this kind of work was commissioned exclusively by kings and queens, and we the public at large would feel honoured to even hear a note, let alone have access to the entire work. I’ve no doubt Butler and Dawson will go on to compose film soundtracks, so cinematic is their music, and perhaps there, up on the impervious big screen, is the place we will finally give this music the reverence it deserves and recognise it for the true privilege that it is. Tony McMahon

This argument isn’t unfounded. By Apple securing The Beatles, they’ve finally convinced everyone – well, except for AC/DC – that iTunes is the best model for selling digital music. But it’s far from it. Digital files feel ephemeral – no one trusts their hard drive, and yet hardly anyone buys a second one and keeps to a rigid back-up system – and so it’s as if at any given moment a gust of wind (a virus, an accidental deletion, a corrupt hard drive) could come along and carry them away. Not like CDs and cassette tapes and vinyl, which, sure, can be stolen, but most of us never hypothesise such a scenario. And so to pay for music you need security – I, for example, buy vinyl, largely for aesthetics, and try to find records that come with a free digital copy of the album, and there’s my back-up: if my hard drive dies, I have the vinyl at least – which iTunes doesn’t currently offer. If you don’t offer security, then you need to make the idea of digital files more attractive than physical products. Cloud-based storage will hopefully fix this, since you’d expect Apple to be backing up their data constantly. In The Beatles’ addition to iTunes, Apple are offering a lesser-quality version than is currently on offer, and are charging the same, often more, as what shops are charging for the same product on CD. If this doesn’t bother you, you really should change your thinking. Apple have become the dominant online destination (what a wanky term) for those after digital music, and they’ve done it whilst offering files – that you’ve paid for – that are less quality than something that’s been on the market for longer than most of you have been alive. We’re fans of digital music, obviously, since that’s the subject of this column, but we’re also dedicated to free music, so we can take aim in cases like this. Apple seem to think that they’ve acquired the Holy Grail through The Beatles, but in fact all they’ve really done is deceive fans into thinking they have. At time of writing the complete Beatles box set sits in the 19th position in sales on the Australian iTunes store ($259! For something you can’t re-download if you lose it!), whilst their other albums litter around. Chances are, though, that these sales aren’t from true Beatles fans. EMI knows what Beatles fans are like – they released the physical box set in both mono and stereo, for Christ’s sake – and that’s who you should be aiming to please when you release something supposedly as event-worthy as this: the fans. And you’re not going to find a more ardent fan than a Beatles fan. The Beatles also had a chance to shake up Apple’s monopoly by choosing somebody else to distribute their music – a service that offers more flexibility would’ve been good – and yet they’ve bowed to obvious pressure.

TOBIAS CUMMINGS A TROPHY Departed Sounds

THE BARE BONES SESSION Rootsytoons

A Trophy is the second album from singer/songwriter Tobias Cummings, following on from his much lauded debut, Join The Dots. Not surprisingly, Cummings has emerged from the same label – In-Fidelity – that nurtured acts such as Devastations and The Drones and, although his music is nothing like either of those bands, really, it gives you some idea of the quality and importance that we’re talking here. There is a difficult-to-put-your-finger-on musical gravitas on A Trophy that is both rare and beautiful. This is gorgeously dark, cocktail blue music yet somehow still intoxicatingly inviting and warm. Cummings seems to delight in his preternatural ability to blend differing genres but never comes off as boastful or smarmy. Rather, the music goes places and creates spaces that excite the listener yet gives him or her nifty little crevices to hide away in and feel cozily contented, though never for long enough to become too complacent. And Cummings’ wordsmithing is both instantly appealing and, deeper down, refreshingly wrought: no moaning about ex-girlfriends here. Well, there might be, actually, depending on your world view, but either way, it’s done with a verve that forgives and a sense of context that ennobles. Also of note is that this album was produced by Tim Whitten, who has worked with The Go-Betweens, and Scott Horscroft, who has produced Sleepy Jackson. It was mixed by Wez Prictor, whose roster includes Mick Harvey. Like Cummings’ labelmates mentioned above, there is probably no direct correlation between all these acts and Cummings’ music itself, but to say they are related in mood, value and a general sense of belonging in the zeitgeist would not be a long bow to draw. Tony McMahon

Records/Vitamin Records Abbie Cardwell is, according to her press release, hailed in Melbourne as the belle of rootsy rockabilly twang, and it’s easy to hear why when you listen to her new album, The Bare Bones Session. There are so many things to love on this album that it’s hard to know quite where to start. First and foremost, given it’s the first thing you hear on opening track 52 Pick Up, is the stripped back sound (hence the album name). The instrumentation on this album is kept simple and provides a perfect backdrop for Cardwell’s voice, which suits the laid-back country vibe that she and her Leading Men (her guitarist brother Jeb and drummer Ashley Davies) have got going on. What else is impressive is the fact this album was recorded over only two days and the resulting tracks were not edited. The word ‘honesty’ seems to be bandied around quite a lot when it comes to Cardwell, and it’s not surprising. The speed with which the album was recorded, combined with the quality of the songs and the end product, are proof of that. The cover of the Bobbie Gentry classic, Ode To Billy Joe (whether the misspelling of ‘Billie’ is intentional or not, I guess only Cardwell knows), is a classy piece of work in which she makes the song her own. Her version of the Ryan Adams track Come Pick Me Up is another beautifully rendered cover. Darlin’ is another quiet number that is simply breathtaking and, together with the feisty Riddle & Rhyme, is a definite highlight of The Bare Bones Session. It’s hard to not fall in love with Abbie Cardwell & Her Leading Men. Part of Cardwell’s charm is the sincerity and, dare I say it, honesty in her voice. Dominique Wall

It won’t have you rioting in the streets, but it sure could have you skanking in them – The Resignators’ second studio album, See You In Hell, is upbeat, cohesive and diverse. With a continually growing legion of fans in North America and on home soil, it seems that rigorous touring in both regions has led to tight performance and thoughtful song selection, the real strengths of this album. Recorded in Montreal with producer Alex Gigure (One Night Band, The Beatdown), See You In Hell is an album that sees the band explore broader sounds and themes, putting together ten tracks that fuse ska, energetic punk rock and reggae. This sextet shows their class in the cohesion of instruments and vocals, evident throughout the album. It’s tight, snappy, swinging and perfectly balanced. One is truly moving to the beat when the brass section open up and the rhythm section rolls on with songs like the mariachi-influenced Train Robazz, 64 Reasons Why? and the horn-heavy Shape I’m In, a classy cover of the 1979 Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons classic. The title track, Rage, Told Me Twice and Taco Burrito offer a slightly heavier side to The Resignators’ sound, attempting to rustle some youthful angst with rock guitar riffs and pounding drums. Sins Of A Father sees singer Francis Harrison deliver a more thought-provoking down-tempo number that addresses family break-up. It’s a tune that borrows well from Jamaican sounds, allowing for a rhythmic guitar line, some smooth organ and a Tom Dittman trumpet solo. In their element on the closing track, I Farken Love You (A Frankston Love Song) demonstrates how wellorchestrated The Resignators can be. A spirited effort that could only translate well live. John Donaldson

God help us if Steve Jobs moves into politics.

THE RESIGNATORS SEE YOU IN HELL Care Factor Records

twitter.com/inpressmag

ON THE RECORD

LATEST CD REVIEWS

CRADLE OF FILTH DARKLY, DARKLY, VENUS AVERSA

A DAY TO REMEMBER WHAT SEPARATES ME FROM YOU Victory/

Peaceville/Riot!

Riot!

Even a creative resurgence sometimes won’t arrest the continuous waning of a band’s drawing power. Case in point: UK extreme metal exponents Cradle Of Filth, whose Godspeed On The Devil’s Thunder record two years ago showcased a noticeable artistic awakening and easily their best effort since 2000’s Midian, yet didn’t elicit widespread excitement. While their name still carries weight in the heavy metal world, frontman Dani Filth and co’s commercial fortunes have faded somewhat, also splitting with both Sony and Roadrunner in recent years.

Without a doubt, What Separates Me From You is one of this year’s most anticipated punk releases, A Day To Remember’s previous outing Homesick lauded by punters and critics alike. This album has only one flaw: it’s way too short. There are ten tracks on this release that cover multiple genres, from the giddy pop heights of All I Want to the breakdown-infused Sticks & Bricks. This album was most assuredly approached with the quality over quantity ethos, which will both please and irritate fans.

Darkly, Darkly… largely follows the pattern of its predecessor, albeit played at a slightly faster tempo and marginally more melodic. It’s also another concept piece, detailing the story of the demoness Lilith, the first wife of the biblical Adam – in other words, ideal Cradle Of Filth subject matter. Brimming with symphonic pomp and counter-punched by guitars dripping with Maidenesque melodies, par for the course doses of guest female vocals (Lilith Immaculate) and Filth’s banshee wail, the arrangements and vibe are highly reminiscent of their previous release. Few songwriting risks are taken, but the execution is taut and the (admittedly occasionally hokey) theatrics do lend the songs a distinctive identity. The guitars still lack adequate bite and Filth’s vocals continue to polarise, but opener The Cult Of Venus Aversa, hookladen The Persecution Song and Forgive Me Father are all clear standouts among anything they have penned during the past decade. Godspeed… was the band’s most convincing record in some time and, while the follow-up doesn’t eclipse it, Cradle Of Filth have decided that it’s better to stick with the demon(ess) that you know – with better than expected results.

If you have been privy to the band’s making of mockumentaries, you’ll know that A Day To Remember don’t take themselves too seriously. However, when it comes to the finished product, in this case their fourth album, there’s no time for shenanigans. From the opening track, ADTR demonstrate what they do best, creating a harmonious link between the heavy chug of guitars and the wafting patches of infectious melody, that are downright impossible to ignore. 2nd Sucks is an atmospheric angry piece, whilst All Signs Point To Lauderdale is pure pop punk. It is definitely a testament to the band that the transition between tracks is seamless, and each song is undeniably them. It’s Complicated features some interesting staccato guitar work, Better Off This Way has a chorus that will inflame live audiences, while You Be Tails, I’ll Be Sonic harks back to older material – heavy on the guitar chugs and maximum screams. There is enough angst on this record to get the hardcore kids excited, and enough pop hooks to maintain ADTR’s relevance and accessibility. James Dawson

OF MONTREAL FALSE PRIEST Polyvinyl/Shock

CEE LO GREEN THE LADY KILLER Warner

Athens, Georgia psychedelic indie pop outfit Of Montreal are not a normal band. They do not make normal music, and what they do make isn’t for normal people. If you are a normal person, odds are that you probably won’t like their tenth full-length album, False Priest, all that much. But that’s okay; normal people ruin everything.

There has been one consistent lament throughout Cee Lo Green’s career: the man’s inability to streamline. Inventive, charismatic and multitalented, Green’s work in Goodie Mob, Gnarls Barkley and even spotty solo efforts like 2004’s Cee Lo Green Is The Soul Machine has always been thoroughly entertaining but he’s never managed to deliver a consistent enjoyable album. Until now, that is.

Indeed, the songs on False Priest revel in their strangeness with a carefree abandon that begs you to kick up your heels, join in the mirth and get your weird, weird groove on. Hell, sing along even – if you can, that is; frontman Kevin Barnes is a total freak and he wastes no time in showing it in the cheery space jangle of opener I Feel Ya Strutter. There’s a definite funk – soul, even – feel present throughout the album, which is super evident in tracks like the sultry steps of Coquet Coquette (which is also remixed twice at the end of the album, presumably for shits and/ or giggles), the synth-laced strut of Godly Intersex and the disco revivalist flavours of Like A Tourist. The vocal work on these tracks, not to mention the rest of the album, is one of the most consistently entertaining aspects of the record. Harmonies you weren’t sure existed find their way to your ears with booming depth, shrill height, and all the creamy middles in between. Barnes moves with finesse between smooth, mid-range delivery, epic falsetto, and even casual talk-singing (Our Riotous Defects, Around The Way), aptly driving the album’s coherently disjointed instrumentalism and fragmented soundscapes. Despite promises of deeply-buried method in the madness, if all this sounds like clash city to you, False Priest might just be an album best left to those that dug it the last nine times. Mitch Knox

The Lady Killer is the big, brassy, soulful longplayer fans always knew Green had hidden somewhere within his manic and eclectic output. Whereas previously the former MC was happy to follow his muse wherever it led him, with The Lady Killer, Green has opted to stick to one specific style – namely, soul. The touchstone influence of the record is the plastic ambition of Quincy Jones’ work with Michael Jackson. Opening track proper Bright Lights Bigger City is the most obvious homage – cramming stabbing ‘80s synths, sweeping string arrangements and an absolutely massive chorus over a Billy Jean-aping bassline – but the entire record follows the Jones/Jackson formula of re-spinning Motown soul/funk arrangements with leftfield stylistic flourishes, surprising lyrical sentiments and unconventional instrumentation. Some would suggest that such a breakthrough sounds too good to be true, and they’d be pretty bang on the money. A genuinely impressive and enjoyable piece of work, it’s nevertheless difficult to imagine a less sincere record than The Lady Killer being released in 2010. The entire album feels like Cee Lo Green’s overly-calculated plan to break into the charts at any cost. Consider how and why breakthrough single Fuck You was transformed to Forget You and you may comprehend the eerie toothless-ness of the album. Sweet – but not nourishing. Matt O’Neill

Brendan Crabb

twitter.com/inpressmag

THE READERS POLL:

THE 50 BEST AUSTRALIAN ALBUMS We recently asked readers to send us their top ten lists of the ‘best Australian albums’ for a chance to win a copy of THE 100 BEST AUSTRALIAN ALBUMS. We were so inundated with entries that we tallied the lists and came up with a Top 50 Aus Albums as voted by you guys. And, here are the results… Comedy. Also scoring mentions were Hidden Things, So Much Water So Close To Home, Songs From The South, Words And Music, Ways And Means, Post and the Lantana soundtrack. Reaching #15 in the charts when it was first released, the double-album also garnered hit singles with Before Too Long and Darling It Hurts. [Reader view: “Would really like one of the pricks who ‘borrowed’ or outright just pinched one of the three copies I’ve owned of this,” Ken Seymour.]

8. THE SAINTS (I’M) STRANDED Harvest/EMI, 1977

1. THE TRIFFIDS BORN SANDY DEVOTIONAL White/Hot, 1986 As The 100 Best Australian Albums book notes (where this ranks #5), this iconic Australian indie release only peaked at 37 in our charts upon release. Featuring what has become the Perth band’s signature opus Wide Open Road (penned by the late David McComb), it now seems like half of Australia must own the record by now. The collaboration with UK producer Gil Norton was so key to the spacious sound captured here that they worked with him again on 1987’s Calenture (which ranks here at #54; votes were also cast for their Treeless Plain, In The Pines and best-of sets). [Reader view: “As someone once said, every West Australian should own this album,” Andrew Peirce.]

2. THE GO-BETWEENS 16 LOVERS LANE Mushroom, 1988 This one charted even lower than The Triffids, peaking at 43 upon release. And like, Born Sandy Devotional, key track Streets Of Your Town (penned by the late Grant McLennan) has become something of an Australian inner city anthem. A masterpiece of indie pop, it also includes the ultimate getting-dumped song Was There Anything I Could Do? (“Packed up her bags and her curtains/Left him in his room”). The Brisbane band also rank here with Liberty Belle at 17, Spring Hill Fair at 60 and Before Hollywood at 81. Their Tallulah and Oceans Apart sets were also just outside the top 100. [Reader view: “Quintessentially Australian, and a grown up Australia that could think for itself,” Bernie Howitt.]

3. RADIO BIRDMAN RADIOS APPEAR Trafalgar, 1977 This bleak garage punk take on the Oz pub rock sound has taken on mythical status over the years. And, as with The Triffids and The Go-Betweens, it was not appreciated by the mainstream at the time, missing the top 50 altogether and peaking at 51. It kicks out with a scorching cover of The Stooges’ TV Eye… and that pretty much acts as their mission statement. Raw and primal yet stripped down and focused. [Reader view: “Jet propulsion songs that will still get me motivated in the mornings,” Chris Auld.]

You’ve Got It, Dirty Deeds, Who Made Who, Black Ice, Jailbreak and Let There Be Rock. Although the first set not to feature legendary singer Bon Scott, it does feature Hells Bells, You Shook Me All Night Long and Rock ‘N’ Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution - songs guaranteed to bring forth everyone’s inner bogan. [Reader view: “RIP Bon, but it let the world know that the ‘new bloke in the band’ could sing!” Aaron Newman.]

5. COLD CHISEL EAST Elektra, 1980 The authors of The 100 Best Australian Albums ranked this at 53, giving preference to the band’s later set Circus Animals (they listed it at #4, our readers put it at 22). This is the album that put the Adelaide pub rockers onto the national map (it reached #2 on the charts) and it features the song most closely associated with the Chisels, Cheap Wine. And although it lacked anything of the intensity of their debut self-titled album’s Khe Sanh, for many Standing On The Outside comes close. A night of too much booze, a massive row with the missus and a pool of vomit can always be fixed by a group hug and a chorus of Standing: “Standing on the sidewalk you can see/Somebody everybody wants to be…” [Reader view: “Their enduring popularity to this day confirms that great songs are appreciated by generations beyond their inception,” Scott Williams.]

6. MIDNIGHT OIL DIESEL AND DUST CBS, 1987 The top-ranked album in The 100 Best Australian Albums, it was a national number one upon release. Long before singer Peter Garrett would be making headlines for a political career now synonymous with the term ‘botched home insulation scheme’, he was singing about a different kinda home fire. The album’s lead track Beds Are Burning placed the subject of indigenous land rights into middle Australian conversation. And that was no small feat. All up, five Oils’ albums made it into the readers’ top 100, with 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Head Injuries, Red Sail In The Sunsets and Blue Sky Mining also ranking. [Reader view: “It took us all into the Dead Heart to reflect on what it truly meant to be Australian,” Bernie Howitt.]

4. AC/DC BACK IN BLACK Albert Productions, 1980

7. PAUL KELLY & THE COLOURED GIRLS GOSSIP Mushroom, 1986

Listed at #2 in The 100 Best Australian Albums, this was one of many of the expat band’s albums to raise votes here, with Highway To Hell at 13 and TNT at 52, they also got votes for AC/DC Live, If You Want Blood

This is exactly the same ranking this album scores in The 100 Best Australian Albums. But where that book also included Foggy Highway as the other Kelly album worth rating, our readers preferred Under The Sun and

As with Radios Appear, this album has also achieved legendary status in the 33 years since it was first released and failed to chart in its homeland. Definitely a local punk milestone, the album was banged together in two days and included two covers. And while many at the time looked at it as nothing more than a cash-in on the Brisbane band’s UK success with the (I’m) Stranded single, its harsh lo-fi energy is still the measuring stick for all local punk and garage recordings that have come since. [Reader view: “Whenever the title song comes on Rage, I still give it my time,” Chris Auld.]

9. DIED PRETTY DOUGHBOY HOLLOW Blue Mosque/Festival, 1991 This ranked way down at #72 in The 100 Best Australian Albums - here, it is the only post-‘80s album to land in the top ten. The band’s Free Dirt also made the final 100 and other Died Pretty albums also garnered votes (Every Brilliant Eye, Lost). This is the album that got them noticed after years as underground darlings thanks to a string of masterful psychedelic garage singles throughout the ‘80s (Out Of The Unknown, Mirror Blues, Stoneage Cinderella, Winterland). The Sydney band reined in their unpredictability and unwieldy song arrangements for a set of succinct post-psych rock explorations. [Reader view: “I knew it was a brilliant album and I loved it, but I didn’t want to admit because it was the album that made them popular and I wanted to keep them all to myself,” Alex Van Dorsselaer.]

10. HOODOO GURUS STONEAGE ROMEOS Big Time, 1984 By the time this album was unleashed, Hoodoo Gurus were a firm favourite of garage revivalists around the country (their live rendition of Rolf Harris’ Sun Arise was a corker). So it was kinda funny to see these hard rockin’ guys get into the charts (peaking at #29) with this as they became know for the radio-flogged ballad My Girl. But fear not, the album contains the thumping Leilani, I Want You Back and swampy Dig It Up. Readers also voted strongly for later Guru albums Mars Need Guitars and Kinky. [Reader view: “Had to buy another copy about five years after I got it as the record wore out,” Andrew Nunns.] 11. Midnight Oil - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (CBS, 1982) 12. INXS - Kick (Atlantic, 1987) 13. AC/DC - Highway To Hell (Albert Productions, 1979) 14. Hunters & Collectors - Human Frailty (White/Mushroom, 1986) 15. The Sunnyboys - The Sunnyboys (Mushroom, 1981) 16. You Am I - Hi Fi Way (Ra/rooArt, 1995) 17. The Go-Betweens - Liberty Belle And The Black Diamond Express (True Tone, 1986) 18. You Am I - Hourly Daily (Ra/rooArt, 1996)

19. Skyhooks - Living In The ‘70s (Mushroom, 1974) 20. The Angels - Face To Face (Albert Productions, 1978) 21. Powderfinger - Odyssey #5 (Universal, 2000) 22. Cold Chisel - Circus Animals (Warner, 1982) 23. The Church - Heyday (Parlophone, 1986) 24. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Boatman’s Call (Mute, 1997) 25. Crowded House - Woodface (Capitol, 1991) 26. The Living End - The Living End (Modular, 1998) 27. INXS - Shabooh Shoobah (WEA, 1982) 28. Daddy Cool - Daddy Who? Daddy Cool (Sparmac, 1971) 29. Sarah Blasko - As Day Follows Night (Dew Process, 2009) 30. The Church - Starfish (Mushroom, 1988) 31. Flowers - Icehouse (Regular, 1980) 32. Silverchair - Neon Ballroom (Murmur, 1999) 33. The Church - The Blurred Crusade (Parlophone, 1982) 34. The Avalanches - Since I Left You (Modular, 2000) 35. The Drones - Havillah (ATP Recordings, 2008) 36. Crowded House - Crowded House (Capitol, 1986) 37. Silverchair - Diorama (Eleven, 2002) 38. Crowded House - Temple Of Low Men (Capitol, 1988) 39. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - No More Shall We Part (Mute, 2001) 40. The Drones - Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By (In-Fidelity, 2005) 41. Midnight Oil - Head Injuries (Sprint Music/CBS, 1979) 42. X - At Home With You (Major Records, 1985) 43. Underground Lovers - Leaves Me Blind (Guernica/4AD, 1992) 44. The Loved Ones - Magic Box (W&G, 1967) 45. Midnight Oil - Red Sails In The Sunset (Sprint Music/Columbia, 1984) 46. The Dirty Three - Ocean Songs (Touch And Go, 1998) 47. Ed Kuepper - Honey Steel’s Gold (Hot Records, 1991) 48. Cog - The New Normal (Difrnt Music/MGM, 2005) 49. John Farnham - Whispering Jack (RCA, 1986) 50. Hoodoo Gurus - Mars Needs Guitars (Big Time, 1985)

WHAT: The 100 Best Australian Albums by John O’Donnell, Toby Creswell & Craig Mathieson WHERE & WHEN: Out now through Hardie Grant

THE WINNERS

Thanks to everyone for their entries – we were truly overwhelmed by the response we received. Hang by your computer as winners and runners-up will be contacted via email to be informed that they’ve won and we’ll publish the names next week.

twitter.com/inpressmag

frontrow@inpress.com.au

THIS WEEK IN

ARTS

THE ANIMALS AND CHILDREN TOOK TO THE STREETS

WEDNESDAY 24 The Nightwatchman – Matt Scholten’s direction of Daniel Keene’s play about a man recently gone blind whose children have returned to the family home to help him move. Preview night, 8pm. Theatre Works until 12 December.

THURSDAY 25 Rock’N’Roll Is The New Trainspotting – exhibition of music photography drawing on the past 30 years of Tony Mott, in conjunction with a book of the same name. Opening night. The Raw Gallery until 22 December.

FRIDAY 26 Gentleman Prefer Blondes – Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell star in Howard Hawks’ comedy about a pair of women in search of a millionaire to help fund their desire for a good time. ACMI Cinemas, 7pm.

SUNDAY 28 The Animals & Children Took To The Streets – the latest twisted tale from 1927 involving a dystopian metropolis of inner city paranoia. Closing night, 7pm. Beckett Theatre, Malthouse.

ONGOING A3 – exhibition of works produced in A3-format from over 50 artists including Don’t Sleep Mag, Adnate, Sofles, Aeon, Josh Robenstone, Fintan Magee, and more, raising money for Room To Read, a charity helping communities establish schools and libraries. For Walls Gallery at Miss Libertine until 10 December.

Dreams Come True: The Art Of Disney’s Classic Fairy Tales – exhibition featuring hundreds of artefacts from the Disney vault, or, more specifically, the Animation Research Library. Features sketched, frame cells, drawings, concept art, and more, from the likes of The Little Mermaid, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, and Cinderella. ACMI until 26 April 2011. Duets For Lovers And Dreamers – a cycle of duets for theatre celebrating humanity in relationship to nature and the supernatural: “A pre-pubescent girl struggles to make sense of her place in the world while clouds sweep overhead; old lovers reveal the life still within; a mother interacts with her previous ‘self’; a man obsesses over a woman he briefly encounters in a bar; new lovers sing karaoke; and a young woman and her deceased grandmother reflect on life and the journey ahead.” Fortyfivedownstairs until 5 December. Essence – exhibition of works produced by burning small holes into rice paper with incense sticks. Stunning looking stuff. Fortyfivedownstairs until 4 December. Songs For Nobodies – the story of five anonymous women who all had brushes with fame, combing live performance and music. MTC’s Fairfax Theatre until 23 December. The Tell-Tale Heart – Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale of the macabre gets a fresh adaptation under director Barrie Kosky. Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse until 2 December.

GIVEAWAY If you liked Cloverfield and District 9 (probably more the latter) then there’s a good chance you’ll love Monsters, the critically acclaimed micro-budget film about two people navigating their way through a quarantined area –“infected zone” – on the US-Mexican border, an area that houses aliens who landed on Earth six years prior to when the film’s set. It’s ridiculously good stuff. Thanks to Madman we’ve got ten in-season double passes to Monsters to giveaway. For your chance to win one, email giveaways@inpress. com.au with ‘MONSTERS’ in the subject line.

WHEN REVENGE COMES KNOCKING ANITA CONNORS TALKS TO AUSTRALIAN ACTOR AND STAR OF TRUE BLOOD, RYAN KWANTEN, ON THE RELEASE OF THE AUSTRALIAN WESTERN RED HILL.

“It’s Die Hard in the High Country, it’s Australia’s answer to No Country For Old Men, it’s something that will haunt you, that will scare you, and something you haven’t seen before,” says Ryan Kwanten as he describes his latest film Red Hill. Filmed and set in rural Victoria, Red Hill is a droll, gunslinger of a movie. Kwanten plays Shane Cooper, a city cop who has just moved to the small town with his pregnant wife Alice (Claire Van Der Boom). On his first day’s duty, he meets hostile police chief Old Bill (Steve Bisley) and the rest of his surly crew before news hits Red Hill of the escape of Aboriginal convict Jimmy Conway (Tom E. Lewis). Soon after, all hell breaks loose. Undeniably a Western, Red Hill is also unquestionably Australian. “That wasn’t a conscious thing,” Kwanten says. “I think we definitely have our own version of the Wild West and our colonial past isn’t that dissimilar to the Americans, you know, the white man and all that. But I think it is the mythology of the Western, like the good versus evil, is always there in Westerns, it’s just our take on it. And what’s been fascinating is seeing how a worldwide audience has definitely, as much as it is an Australian film, it’s very much got mass appeal.” Kwanten was offered the main role

by Australian director Patrick Hughes, who is now signed with Quentin Tarantino’s agent. “Originally, the main thing was the lack of exposition in the script was really appealing to me,” he says about signing on, “and the maturity that Patrick showed as a first time writer-director in his script. [That] was the first thing that stuck out to me. Then in having a conversation with him, this was a guy who was just so angst-ridden from trying to get his first film up and running for the last 10 years. And it was that, combined with his passion, and the fact that he mortgaged his house, I thought, ‘Well, he obviously believes in something here.’ So I joined him on the ride, it was 24 days of absolute pure adrenalin.” He continues with a quote from John Wayne: “‘Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.’ And that was my sort of motto throughout this entire shooting process, ’cause you don’t have the time to think or to overanalyse things when you’re shooting so quickly. And then even in terms of as you’re watching this, you don’t have time to sort of be nostalgic about it, you’re just swept up in it.” A shoot that lasts shy of a month is not long at all. And it was such a short shoot that there was no time for rehearsal, and the cast were only allowed one or two takes. They also

found themselves filming in subzero temperatures. “It was all sort of masochistic, but it all felt right,” Kwanten says. “It was the difficulties [of the production] that were the rewards. It was the compromises and the sacrifices that we made that I now love more than the things that I originally signed on for, the fact that it was a Western, the fact that I was this sort of hero, that it was a great story. It’s the things that we compromise, like the time and like the money, and sleep. “When I look at the film now, in nostalgia or retrospect, I think, ‘That’s what shows, our blood, our sweat and our tears in making it is on the screen.’ And that’s what people seem to be responding to. As epic in scope as it is, it’s not your typical Hollywood film, so you can’t quite tell what’s going to happen. And I love that air of unpredictability.” The character of Shane Cooper added to this. A nod to George Stevens’ Shane (1953) and Gary Cooper’s performance in High Noon (1952), Kwanten’s Cooper is a Western hero, but not your typical one. “I don’t think I would do those type

of characters well,” he says. “I call them sort of Superman-style heroes, they say exactly what they mean and they’re these unstoppable forces. I much prefer to delve into the type of character that you’re not quite sure if they are going to survive, you kind of almost have to pick them up every time they get knocked down. And this is almost like the prequel to High Noon or to The Searchers or to High Plains Drifter. It’s where Clint Eastwood sort of starts to get to that point, you know, so it’s the young man has to become a cowboy, a city cop has to become a cowboy. So it’s finding a method to the madness.” There was no need for cowboy training for Kwanten though. “I’d done a fair amount of cowboy-esque roles before. It was almost a matter of untraining that,” he admits. “So obviously in this one my character has to learn how to ride a horse and shoot a gun, it was that kind of process; it was remembering what it was like when I first got on a horse, how high I had the reins, that I was trying to steer it like a bus. All that kind of stuff.” The actor also found himself having a few misadventures. “There were a couple of trips to the hospital. Stitches and what not, but no broken bones. Sorry to disappoint.” Another interesting element of the film is Hughes’ inclusion of the big cat myth, known to every Australian on the east coast. Kwanten agrees. “I love the inclusion of the panther. Everyone seems to be getting something different out of it. And again, I love those sorts of films that don’t spoon-feed you every step of the way and if you didn’t get it before, here it is again. You know, certainly we answer questions but we also leave you with a few questions, so you’re still thinking about the film the next day, the next week. I hope, anyway.” WHAT: Red Hill WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas from 25 November

LOTS OF FACES SET TO TAKE OVER THE NGV The National Gallery of Victoria is gearing up for its December exhibition, The Naked Face: Self-portraits, which will be held at the Ian Potter Centre Friday 3 December to Sunday 27 February, 2011. Drawn for the NGV Collection, the exhibition will feature 150 works by Australian artists such as Hugh Ramsey, Patricia Piccinini, John Brack, and Peter Booth, as well as internationals such as Rembrandt, Edward Steichen, and Coco Chanel. An illustrated book will also accompany the exhibition. For more information visit ngv.vic.gov.au.

frontrow@inpress.com.au

IT TAKES TWO

THE MENSTRUUM

PAUL ANDREW SPEAKS TO WRITER SANDRA FIONA LONG AND DIRECTOR NAOMI STEINBORNER ABOUT DUETS FOR LOVERS AND DREAMERS.

6: HAMMER THE HAMMER

A young girl contemplating her place in the world, a mother battling with her conflicting sense of self, and new lovers enchanted by karaoke songs, writer Sandra Fiona Long’s new play is conceived as a song cycle, sweeping and poetic.

There’s a sly satisfaction to art during daylight hours. With the romance of night removed – a gallery, an exhibit stripped of opening speeches; its salmon platters and the disarmament of alcohol –a dehydrated reality is left. It is open day at Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces and the sound of hammering is just adding to the muffled headache that is 1pm on a Saturday. The noise comes like an alarm: I’ve triggered it by walking past the reception desk and up the grey steps towards the artists’ warren. Behind and above its exhibition floor the gallery shelters 16 studio spaces for selected local makers – and how those square-metres are envied. Gertrude is the very pointed end of the Melbourne contemporary art circuit and its endorsement has come to mean so much, a nearinstitutional green light. I’m still walking around corners and the hammering doesn’t stop. It’s coming from every direction. I’m inside a rumbling stomach. The studios are in mid-use, and their men and women keep moving as they’re being circled. Some talk. Work is everywhere; sculptured objects stacked and flung, stereos are playing, and I’m given halves of cut-up conversations. “It doesn’t need to exist…” “It was ironic in terms of…” “To sell shit.” Fifteen rooms of this, pink string and body parts, on and up, and always, always that hammering.

“It’s a cycle of duets for lovers and dreamers,” explains Long. “It’s inspired by the nature of story, the power of story, and the trap of story. In a sense the story is the dream. Each of these duets ultimately deals with a moment of disillusionment, where a story is somehow no longer useful or relevant…For me stories are like a prism. They have different views depending on which angle you take.” Naomi Steinborner, director of Duets, says the play evolved out of the idea that we create stories about ourselves, that it’s “about the obsessions which in turn can become our story at the expense of another,” referring here to a scene in the play about a sailor and a siren, based on Homer’s hero Ulysses. “During a storm a man meets a woman in a bar; he is obsessed by her, believing she is ‘the one’, based entirely on his fleeting moment with her,” she says. “This duet is juxtaposed with Homer’s archetypal story, a siren luring sailors to their deaths on the rocks. Ulysses had to deal with all sorts of bewitching creatures and monsters on the seas between Greece and Italy.” Long says the song cycle nature of the play came about naturally, but once it made an appearance it became conscious. “As I wrote initial

scenes like this I realised it was a little like a song cycle,” she says, “so I investigated this form further and worked with this idea as the piece developed. “There was always a strong undercurrent of music in the writing, even though that may not be obvious. I was very specific about the rhythmic structure and it is quite detailed in the way lines should intersect at times. I have approached it a little like a musical score.” “Composer James Hullick has interpreted this concept beautifully,”

adds Steinborner. “In one particularly beautiful scene, Girl Up A Tree With Clouds, a girl ponders ‘What is the sound of clouds?’; James’ music sounds like clouds passing one another softly in the sky.” “Dance is also an important element in this script,” replies Long, “and I was also quite specific about how dance interacts with the text. I have always seen the dance element as part of the musicality of the work.” “The actors have been with us during much of this script development process too,” adds Steinborner, “so

it’s been a very collaborative venture all up. Seeing Helen Morse portray an older woman who remembers her dead husband - and observing Matt dance in an extraordinary choreographic scene - as the young man she fell in love with, sublime. I think what Sandra has really done with her script is kept our attention on…those little things of beauty which sustain us.” WHAT: Duets For Lovers And Dreamers WHERE & WHEN: fortyfivedownstairs until 5 December

ACMI Hot on the heels of the exceptionally popular Tim Burton exhibition comes ACMI’s next major offering, Dreams Come True: The Art Of Walt Disney’s Classic Fairy Tales. The exhibition is a charming experience, marrying

the whimsical nature of Disney’s fantastical worlds with a fascinating exploration of animation production. The exhibition casts a spotlight on seven of Disney’s major feature films, starting with the first full-length animated feature Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937) and concluding with the to-be-released 3D animated film, Tangled. The process of animation creation is placed under the microscope, with displays featuring everything from early character sketches, to animation cells, to a spectacular video wall focusing on the use of

I follow, and her studio is a still, golden place. Yellowed light pours in the wall of windows, across her leaning canvasses, and there are books and brushes and a view that could be of a 1970s summer, of rooftops. She shakes my right hand at a funny angle with her left, “Sorry, chips,” she explains. A table is covered in tubes of paint, sorted and arranged in neat rows; a collection of moths or pressed flowers. The pictures, her pictures, are confident and delicate, of familiar things becoming flakes of colour, descending in a welcome snowfall. They are gentle and alive, and she talks about it taking time to get to know the other residents, about parties, and asks me about myself. I am overcome by the room, by the optimism inside it, and so stay, not long enough, thank her and go back to the dolor, down. At the base of the stairs, before the return to the regular gallery, I read the names taped beneath a criss-cross of pigeon holes against the wall. It was Studio 6: Emily Ferretti. I leave and realise that at some point the hammering had stopped. I realise Emily’s work had been so wonderful and unexpected that I’d forgotten to tell her. LESSONS IN DOIG (2010) BY EMILY FERRETTI. IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND SOPHIE GANNON GALLERY.

EXHIBITION REVIEW DREAMS COME TRUE: THE ART OF WALT DISNEY’S CLASSIC FAIRY TALES

WITH ROBERT LUKINS

At the summit of the last staircase I see the brief flash of a face, a seated woman, but I fall towards Studio 5’s sign: Tequila $3 / Sweet ice cold beers $5. I stare at this, for perhaps a minute, a not particularly spirited debate occurring in my mind, and the woman appears at the top step. “You can come up if you want.”

special effects in 2D animation. In short, it’s a fascinating exploration of the in-depth process used to create some of the most enduring films in history. A particular highlight is a display focusing on Silly Symphonies, Disney’s early short animations made between 1929 and 1939. The rapid evolution of Disney’s art over this period is present in fascinating detail, and makes an interesting juxtaposition with the ambitious, fulllength production of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. Dreams Come True skates neatly

around some of the less wholesome aspects of Disney’s work, such as his less-than-politically correct opinions (and characters!). Those seeking to explore avant-garde readings of the films’ subtexts will be hard pressed to find it here. However, for the many people who have enjoyed the romance, fantasy and whimsy of Disney’s films, the exhibition is a welcome helping of nostalgia, with a sizeable side serving of interesting knowledge. Until 26 April, 2011 ALEKSIA BARRON

43–

frontrow@inpress.com.au

BLANK, CHECK

FINDING A PLACE FOR PAINT IN A POST-INTERNET WORLD, ROBERT LUKINS TALKS SITE-SPECIFICS WITH ABOUT:BLANK ARTISTS PARKER ITO AND RY DAVID BRADLEY. When a culture is being made and defined in a hailstorm of hypertext, cursor gestures, and commerciallyutilitarian images, the place of the stand-alone artwork is being constantly redefined. Where once the internet may have been used to make reference to an image, to spruik an exhibition of a physical disposition, it is now seen as

canvas, showroom, and curator to a generation of art-makers who feel unconfined by the dingo fence traditionally erected between the online and offline realms. Curated by Sean Irving and Nina Gubler, about:blank is an exhibition of works by California’s Parker Ito and Melbourne-based Ry David Bradley, revolving around the question of

interplay between painters and the screen. Bradley considers a link to the traditions of painting as unavoidable and that contemporary art’s heightened awareness of its sources means an artist is hesitant to proclaim their work as something brand new or anti-traditional. He sees shadows of the past. “Art

the reasons why I make objects. A lot of people are trying to figure that out. I’ve sold a jpeg before and I have a couple of friends who only make websites and they sell them to collectors.” Bradley regards this as the regular extension of what has come before. “I don’t think it’s a whole lot different to problems that artists have always had regarding who came up with what, who made what, etc. Perhaps the internet still has no direct commercial economy for its artistic producers, but through its massive communities it has a great effect on what does or will have value down the chain.” In describing the role on the internet in art, both as an agent of production and of distribution, Bradley and Parker make it clear that any easy answers will not tell the full story. The mass production of tube paint DAVID BRADLEY

these days may be like a version of the Modernist urge to reflect our experience of life in relationship to technological change, possibly with less of the macho posturing, and more embracing of some of its failures.” One of the byzantine matters thrown up by the mechanisms of the internet as a place for art is the complexity of ownership and the challenge this presents to the selling of work. Ito sees this playing out around him. “This is a big issue that scares a lot of collectors and this is one of

is a mirror of the ubiquitousness of computer programs. There are no convenient boundaries – there is no simple then and now. Bradley suggests a commonality of theme within the exhibition. “Parker explores his position as an artist who can outsource the production of paintings, to reflect a particular concern of his with iconic features of our plural world culture. It’s something we both seek. Ideas have always been important since the dawn of time, and the internet is perhaps better than anything ever has been for their dispersal.” “The internet is super ugly,” Parker states in succinct conclusion, “that’s why it’s so beautiful.” WHAT: about:blank WHERE & WHEN: Paradise Hills, Richmond Wednesday 17 November to Saturday 4 December

GIVEAWAY WE LOVE YOU TINA FEY. We love you so much so that we’re giving away box sets of the TV series you’re almost most famous for, 30 Rock, so that all the world can share in our love. Swoon. With the first four seasons bundled into the box, soon others will know how funny you are and how lovely you are and start decorating their desktop with photos from your Vanity Fair photoshoot. Cough. Ahem. So yeah, thanks to Universal we’ve got three copies of 30 Rock: Complete Seasons 1-4 to giveaway. For your chance to win one, email giveaways@inpress.com. au with ‘30 ROCK’ in the subject line.

frontrow@inpress.com.au

FILM

DOCUMENTING THE CRIME

CAREW REVIEW

LIZA DEZFOULI CHALLENGES SOME ASSUMPTIONS ALONG WITH ACTOR GEORGINA NAIDU, WHO IS ABOUT TO PERFORM IN THE MELBOURNE WORKERS THEATRE’S NEW PLAY, YET TO ASCERTAIN THE NATURE OF THE CRIME.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART ONE

WITH ANTHONY CAREW Harry Potter is all grown up. We’ve been saying that shit for years - first when puberty arrived, then when he liked a girl, etc. - but, with Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part One, it’s true. And it’s not just Harry Potter, but, rather, the film series that bears his name: the narrative finally - finally! emancipated from the dramatic prison that is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The series’ worst entries have been those most bound to boarding-school boyishness - The Philsopher’s Stone’s school-house pennant-race, The Goblet Of Fire’s insufferable inter-school sports carnival - and a highly-accurate rule-of-thumb has been that those films that don’t have any Quidditch (Prisoner Of Azkaban, The Order Of The Phoenix) have been the good ones. The Deathly Hallows has, thus far, in its Part One, no Quidditch. Instead, it has something no prior Potter film - nor seemingly any billion-dollar blockbusters of the past decade - has had: stretches of genuine silence. It’s not like a Tarkovsky film breaks out (nor, despite the cast, does a Mike Leigh film), but David Yates, afforded the opportunity by helming a five-hour, two-part picture, presides over a film in which dialogue isn’t exposition, in which the score isn’t intrusive and/ or instructive, in which the inaction is just as important as the action, and in which silence is allowed to hang heavy and meaningful, convey its own kind of feelings. JK Rowling’s series - in all its thematic breadth grew into an ongoing chronicle of the burdens of heroism; the Meddling Kids so impish in their youth slowly

weighed down by the enormity of, well, life, really. Here - as the trio traipse through post-apocalyptic landscapes on a 40-days-in-thedesert-esque wilderness time stint whose unshaven, tent-sleeping ways are really a glorified camping-trip - every time Yates shoots them silently, sullenly, stewingly sitting on their own, tiny figures in mythical environments, it almost suggests the existential: even if you are some cinematic Chosen One, you are alone, your life is ephemeral, you are a tiny speck in a giant, unfeeling universe. It’s not all silent torment and the uneasy head that wears the crown, though; in fact, The Deathly Hallows: Part One is a little more uneven than either of Yates’ two previous Potter pics (The Order Of The Phoenix with its claustrophobic portrait of bureaucracy; The Half Blood Prince’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream-aping teen-hormones sex-farce), with its stretches of silence peppered by, say, a comically bad action-film-ish car-chase on opening that descends into an incomprehensible sequence of jittery edits, or sepia-toned dreamsequences that vomit up all over the narrative at intermittent moments, or a cheeseball CGI serpent that seems like a refugee from Snakes On A Plane. Even worse are those scenes, veering almost on self-parody, in which some minor character from a past instalment comes on screen, says one line to remind us who they are, and then is quickly shuffled off. The Deathly Hallows: Part One is, in many ways, the ultimate film-of-theseries; an episodic work that begins mid-narrative, and leaves off with more to come. With no pretensions of standing alone, it gives back-story explanations comically-short-shrift,

and, inevitably, exists only to set the table for its next stanza. To some, this will make it play as a set-up without a punchline, make it frustrating, tedious, or, even, meaningless. But, to me, the dissatisfying nature of it made it satisfying; suggesting a greater theme beyond its penultimate-tale place-holding. Freed from the burden of narrative fulfilment, the film feels grown-up in a greater sense: this not about the ‘origin’ of where you came from, nor about the grandstanding ending that, as is the way, never actually comes, but about the isolation and alienation that come with adulthood. Copacabana is a narrative-based, audience-friendly, vaguely-feelgood tale that, still, stumbles upon that most blessed of cinematic qualities: a story whose developments aren’t signposted, in which you’re never entirely sure what’s going to happen next. Isabelle Huppert swans on screen as an entirely unlikeable character - an aging, globe-trotting hippy with a wardrobe full of wacky clothes and a fondness for public scene - that, in lesser hands, could be a grating caricature. But, as Marc Fitoussi’s picture wanders from thought to thought, it soon becomes a sympathetic character study that delights in confounding cliché and redefining what exactly its lead is supposed to be; why we are following her, what it means, whether we should care. It’s not a great work of art - it is, I should point out, anything but - but Copacabana is a film that refuses to settle for stereotype, and never ends up in tired dramatic terrain.

Forget any stereotypes: racists come in all sorts of guises, as actor Georgina Naidu recently discovered whilst researching the Melbourne Workers Theatre’s new work, Yet To Ascertain The Nature Of The Crime. “It blew it wide open for me,” recalls the actor best known for her role as the charming Phrani Gupta in the Australian TV hit of the ’90s, Seachange. Naidu is about to feature in a play examining the recent spate of attacks on Indian students in Melbourne and the murder of student Nitin Garg. Informed by 25 hours of interviews with a wide variety of people, the script has been worked by the entire cast into a piece of ‘doco theatre’; something new and challenging for Naidu. “I found it difficult,” says the actor, “looking into why some people are being treated badly…partly coming from my Indian background; these are ‘my people’…” Naidu says she feels more connected to this piece than with other work she has done, heartbreaking as it is. “It was very emotional. There were many triggers. It gives you such a greater depth of understanding. I realised how much more complex the issue is.”

“We’re showing lots of different points of view,” Naidu explains. “It’s almost like snapshots; you’re hearing lots of different voices. We’re not ramming one message home. Each story is engaging in its own way. You’re interested in the people. Two characters with opposing ideas are having a discussion; it’s playing around with stereotypes. Plus it’s theatricalised. Australian born and bred, for the sake of authenticity Naidu has had to ‘check in’ with relatives, her dad in particular, when portraying the various characters in the play. “‘Would I have my feet on the couch? Shoes on? Shoes off?’ Things like that,” she says. “It gave me an excuse to ask some questions. And my dad has been validated in his experience and in his knowledge. It’s been great. There are many differences between various Indian groups, even some celebrations are held at different times according to the full moon.”

preparing to portray several different characters rather than getting into the heart and soul of just one, which is usually the case? “I had to find a simple characteristic for each of them,” she answers. “It helps me to ‘get’ them physically. Use of voice, the body, projection. For me it’s the little things, how the person holds themselves physically; there are signposts along the way.” Yet To Ascertain The Nature Of The Crime is the first in a series of documentary theatre that the revitalised Melbourne Workers Theatre, established 23 years ago, has planned. New creative director/ producer Gorkem Acaroglu has been working with Naidu and other cast members including Greg Ulfan and Andreas Litras. There will be a name change, too, but we’ll have to wait for that one. WHAT: Yet To Ascertain The Nature Of The Crime WHERE & WHEN: Artshouse, North Melbourne Town Hall until 28 November

Not least amongst the difficulties has been having her own assumptions challenged.

How does an actor go about

“There were some anglo guys in their late teens that were against multiculturalism,” she continues. “It was confronting. Theirs was a considered point of view and they were almost charming, but what they were saying was chilling.”

WEIRD AL COMES TO MELBOURNE

With such serious subject matter and its use of real stories, how does Yet To Ascertain The Nature Of The Crime stand up as a piece of theatre and what prevents it turning into a rant?

Before Flight Of The Conchords, before Tim Minchin, even before Scared Weird Little Guys…there was Weird Al Yankovic, a man who really doesn’t need any introduction – words we throw around liberally, we know – but we’re going to anyway (also words we say a lot). Spanning 30 years, which makes us feel really old, Weird Al has been taking the piss out of artists such as Eminem, Nirvana, R. Kelly, Sting, Madonna, U2, and Michael Jackson and winning awards (and recently, viral love) in the process. A music video director, actor, musician, funnyman, and soon-to-be children’s book author, there’s little the American can’t do. Arguably the world’s biggest rockstar comedian – sorry, Russell – the Palais Theatre won’t know what’s hit it when he struts into town, Wednesday 23 March 2011. Tickets through Ticketek from Friday 3 December.

frontrow@inpress.com.au

SEX AND DRUGS AND PHOTOGRAPHY ROCK’N’ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE NEW TRAINSPOTTING IS THE TITLE OF A LIMITED EDITION BOOK AND EXHIBITION OF MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER TONY MOTT’S WORK OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES. HERE HE SPEAKS TO TONY MCMAHON.

The visual chronicler of choice for The Rolling Stones, U2 and, well, pretty much everybody, Mott has become as essential to the art of rock’n’roll photography as the trashed hotel room is to touring. As with a lot of things rock’n’roll, Mott says that the origins of both the book and the exhibition were a one thing leading to another deal. “A gallery in Sydney has been hassling me for quite some time to do a retrospective exhibition because I’ve never done an exhibition on my own before. First of all I did that, and I just thought it would be good to have a catalogue to go with it. Basically, it just got out of hand and became a book. There were plenty of arguments about what should go in. Two hundred and forty-four pages later, I had myself a book.” Funny Mott should mention arguments over content: the question of how exactly one makes choices of what to display from a lifetime of work pretty much asks itself here. “About 70 of them chose themselves. With the next lot, I let other people have a say. Then we finally came up with what we

thought was a finished book, but Pearl Jam, for example, weren’t in it, and I thought, ‘why the hell have I left Pearl Jam out of it?’ Then you look at another photograph and go ‘oh, that should be in’. It just becomes never ending. But the reality is, unless you make your mind up, it’ll never get finished.” For anyone familiar with Mott’s work, his obvious enthusiasm and ability to tell a story with his lens are two of its standout features. As far as the question of how he maintains his keenness after so long in the game, it seems that Mott subscribes to the theory of doing what you love, meaning you’ll never have to work a day in your life. “It’s just that I have a genuine passion for music. I’ve never considered it a job, so I’ve never been bored by it, there’s always something new and exciting. And I’ve never treated it as a job either; I’ve always treated it as a privilege. You know, I shot Metallica last week and

TRAILER

TRASH

ALIEN 3

WITH GUY DAVIS If you’re anything like me, well, you’re awesome, and congrats on your achievement. But also you’re the kind of person who gets a little crazy when the Australian dollar hits parity with the greenback at the exact same time a prominent online store named after a river in South America starts marking down the price of ’70s-era giallo movies. Yes, I recently emerged from a daze to find that I’d thrown down 50 bucks to purchase five movies with titles like Seven Deaths In The Cat’s Eye and The Black Belly Of The Tarantula. (Based on their titles alone, though, it’s clear I chose wisely.) I had no buyer’s remorse whatsoever, I must admit, until I checked out a couple of thoroughly bitchin’ releases from the fine folks at Umbrella Entertainment: Drive-In Delirium and its deformed offspring, the fittingly-titled Drive-In Delirium: The Offspring. These bumper collections of grindhouse trailers actually clear the bar set by the excellent 42nd Street Forever DVDs in terms of quality, quantity (each DVD offers 12 fucking hours of trailers!) and diversity – they’re that good. And they taught me a valuable lesson: the lurid, bugfuck-crazy Italian thrillers and horror movies

there were flames and explosions everywhere. It just never stops being exciting.” Besides the obvious treasures on display at the exhibition, visitors can also expect some glam era English music on opening night as well as some tantalising tales on the first Saturday. “Opening night will just be opening night; apart from the fact that I’ll be playing Mott The Hoople and everyone will be going ‘what the fuck’s this music?’ But then on the Saturday I’m doing a book signing at one and then at two I’m doing a talk. The talk will be me waffling for 45 minutes and then I open the floor up and people can ask any questions they want. It’s a combination of gossip, photography questions if there’s any geeks there and funny stories about things like meeting Marilyn Manson and he introduced himself as Brian.” WHAT: Rock’N’Roll Is The New Trainspotting WHERE & WHEN: The Raw Gallery Thursday 25 November to Wednesday 22 December

of the ’70s are probably best served in bite-sized two-minute chunks. Thanks, Drive-In Delirium! Hey, speaking of trailers, a whole bunch of ’em recently started clogging up the internet as the race to separate the geeks from their hard-earned in 2011 began in earnest. Trailer Trash’s take is as follows: Green Lantern – looks rather cheesy but in a way that could act as a nice contrast to the dourness of Nolan’s Batman flicks. But while I dig Ryan Reynolds, I sometimes worry that his default mode is ‘smarmy’, and that this film mightn’t have reined it in enough. Your Highness – in theory, this should tick all the boxes. It’s a Pineapple Express reunion of James Franco, Danny McBride and David Gordon Green (by the way, the latter two goddamn kill in season two of East Bound & Down, coming soon), plus Natalie Portman and Zooey Deschanel are reunited for the first time since that dream I had. But the ‘red band’ trailer didn’t quite blaze my bowl the way I hoped – seemed a little obvious, for the most part. But I have faith in everyone involved that they’ll come up with something special. Cowboys And Aliens – this one did it right, with Daniel Craig conveying the cold-steel menace of his 007 and Harrison Ford looking like he actually gave a shit for a change. If I can meet the challenge of asking the cute gal at the box-office

C U LT U R A L

CRINGE

SQUIZZY TAYLOR

WITH REBECCA COOK There’s a whole lot of symmetry and coincidence about the Squizzy Taylor musical on at Trades Hall at the moment (Squizzy: A Bullet Proof Musical Comedy). A case in point: Cringe wonders if the Trade Hall folks know that the Grandfather/ Godfather of Underbelly reputedly robbed the very same venue in 1915 shooting a policeman in the act. Although it would be difficult to put on a show about the notorious master of mayhem and fear anywhere in central Melbourne that didn’t have some connection with him. Indeed Carlton had a seedy side well before the highly publicised gangland theatre that is Underbelly. Before the Carlton Crew vs Carl Williams there was the Fitzroy Vendetta. Squizzy was for a ticket to something called Cowboys And Aliens, I just might see this shit twice. Guess what, kids? Christmas time is drawing ever closer! Need to buy something sweet for the movie nerd in your life? Sure, you could put some thought into it but why not just pick up one of the following DVDs? They’ll thank you for it, and you’ll do your part in keeping the wheels of capitalism a) greased, and b) crushing every other form of economic system out there. Trailer Trash recommends the following: Inception, which has gone from ‘Wow’ to ‘WTF?’ to pop-culture meme (Leo’s strut, Leo’s squint, Hans Zimmer’s pounding music accompanying anything dramatic) in rapid succession. Time to watch it again and realise that Christopher Nolan is ace. Alien Anthology, for two reasons: the Fincher/Alien 3 stuff is back in (yeah!), and you can do your part in banishing the word ‘Quadrilogy’ from our collective vocabulary. Plus, it’s a pretty damn cool Blu-ray set that makes even the 30-year-old Ridley Scott original look like it was shot yesterday. Oh, and Neil Marshall’s Centurion, a magnificently bloody and brawny sword-and-sandal saga that was in and out of cinemas far too quickly. Check it out at home and confirm that Marshall is, in fact, this era’s John Carpenter.

a ruthless criminal able to win the public over with slick repartee, and influential public figures with money, he was also one of the first crooks to understand the power of manipulating the media. The musical sprouted from a serendipitous taxi ride taken by writer Barry Dickens in the 1970s. According to a piece he wrote for The Age many years ago, Dickens once hailed a cab to find his cabbie was the one who had ferried the fatally wounded Squizzy to St Vincent’s Hospital. Typically, a dispute over the fastest way to the hospital had ensued. At least he wasn’t trying to make it there last weekend: “Oh god, we’ve turned up Johnson St, I forgot it was Spanish Festival.” Simon Mallory, who plays standover man Snowy Cutmore in Squizzy, said that despite some very blue language and violent themes, the show (with a music score by Faye Bendrups) is much more akin to cabaret than a Tarantino film. “Barry’s language is so rhythmical that it lends itself so well to music, it also helps to soften the blow [of the language] a bit.” It’s the first ever singing part for Mallory, who most recently starred in the Australia Shakespeare Company’s production The Comedy Of Errors at the Athenaeum Theatre, so he says it’s been a challenge making sure he comes in on the correct count. Although he’s finding some elements a bit crusier than Shakespeare. “Dickens’ writing is a bit easier to follow.” One aspect of the show he’s particularly impressed by is the final shootout scene despite having “only plastic guns, but real sound effects”. History tells us that Cutmore and Taylor shoot each other 27 times. Cringe suggests that after a couple of shots it might become a bit repetitive for the audience. “Ah,” says Mallory, “in fact it’s a nifty piece of theatre – the crescendo – the gunfight. That’s when the set design comes into play.” Cringe could wangle out any more details but he promised the scene’s full of action. Squizzy is on at Trades Hall until 27 November. In brief, Neal Harvey will be polishing his Cons and washing his skinny jeans this week as he takes up the role of Creative Producer at the Melbourne Fringe Fest. “Neal brings a uniquely creative, intellectual and professional commitment to independent arts practice, and I look forward to seeing that expertise articulated into the Made by Melbourne Fringe program,” said Esther Anatolitis, Melbourne Fringe’s CEO in welcoming him to the new role.

twitter.com/inpressmag

BEYOND BELIEFS There’s a lot more to Christian metalcore crew AUGUST BURNS RED than just their faith, bassist DUSTIN DAVIDSON tells NIC TOUPEE.

“T

he last time we were in Australia, we went to Sydney Harbour, and I dared our drummer Matt [Greiner] to swim in the Harbour.” August Burns Red bassist Dustin Davidson is sheepishly recounting the strangest moments of their 2009 Australian tour, as he anticipates their next jaunt over here for the No Sleep Til festival this December. “I dared him to jump in the water – and he did! At the time we thought the worst that could happen is that he might get really cold, but later we found out there are a lot of shark attacks in the Harbour. What’s worse, we were in an amusement park near the Opera House beforehand, and he cut his foot on the way – so he was actually bleeding in the water,” Davidson recounts animatedly. “We told our Australian tour manager, laughing, and he was ‘he did WHAT?’ No one had told us it was shark infested...” Having such a dramatic first dip in the famous Australian brine hasn’t put the band off though, and

Davidson is anticipating the roll of the waves as much as the festival rock on his return trip. “We’re all feeling great about coming back to Australia and New Zealand – we haven’t been there in summer before. I really want to learn how to surf while I’m there this time. I didn’t have a chance to do that before.” Aside from his aquatic intentions, Davidson and the band are specifically looking forward to the musical – and social – opportunities that playing a mega-festival like No Sleep presents. Although, socialising with a band like Gwar backstage might give Davidson some entirely new strange stories to tell in future. “There are only a couple of bands we’ve ever played with or seen on the line-up, so we’re excited about that side of it – getting to see so many amazing bands. We’ve never seen either Alkaline Trio or NOFX play and we’re really looking forward to that. We have heard a lot about Gwar – we know all about their costumes but we’ve never seen them either. We’re really hoping they want to hang out backstage – we’re not sure if they do that kind of thing, but we’re really hoping they do...” With a core ethic based around punk and hard rock, the No Sleep festival includes a really diverse range of sounds, some of which are becoming harder and harder to clearly define, as metal and hardcore continue to merge at the fringes and fragment into hundreds of sub-genres. Davidson himself struggles a little to find exactly the right description for August Burns Red, who are usually considered to sit somewhere within metalcore – but he’s prepared to give it a try for our benefi t. Quite a valiant one, as it happens. “I would see ourselves as a metal band,” he declares, “but, a very different style of metal. Some say metalcore. We have hardcore influences but we approach it differently to hardcore bands: we’re more about progressive influences, ideas and different time signatures.” He continues by admitting that it’s pure aggression that nudges their sound into metal – oh, and a bit of shouting. “It’s hard to describe what makes us metal. We have heavy guitar riffs and breakdowns – we’re not the same kind as Metallica or Megadeth – but our music is very aggressive and we do have huge riffs and solos, and our singing/screaming vocal style is definitely a big part of it. We fall somewhere between NOFX and Megadeth, and we’re certainly not quite hardcore. NOFX, for example, play two-minute punk songs and there’s no solos or screaming.” Screamed vocals seem to be an issue with the hardcore crowd, Davidson has observed. In fact, they’re considered less sophisticated than hardcore’s ‘clean’ vocal style. Ironic, really, considering that early US hardcore bands like Agnostic Front and Minor Threat did a fair bit of shouting themselves. Davidson agrees. “‘Hardcore’ fans don’t like metal singing or screaming. Back in the day when I was growing up, I remember Alkaline Trio used to tell people that there is no talent in screaming and anyone can do it. Then they started doing it themselves,” he recalls, chuckling ruefully. “It’s not true, you know, that everyone can scream – it’s not as easy as you think it is. But if you don’t like screaming I think you’re going to have a hard time liking our band.” Davidson admits that his mum is amongst the anti-scream faction. “My mom likes our music, but she says she can’t get into the screaming. ‘I don’t know what you’re saying,’ she says. My grandma too. Although gran considers herself to be our oldest fan.” Loud riffs and distorted vocals aside, there’s a lot in August Burns Red’s repertoire that could keep his mum and his grandma on side. Whilst they’re not blatantly advertising the fact, the band make no secret of the fact that they’re all Christians, and their outlook and message are Christian. “We are a Christian band,” Davidson explains matter-of-factly. “Mostly that comes out in our lyrics, if anyone wants to read them closely. Not every song is blatantly about Christianity,” he qualifies, “and we don’t tell people they need to do this or that. But as individuals, we’re writing songs about how we feel, and because of that, our faith comes out. We’re all Christians and we’re not trying to hide it at all, so if people realise it, that’s cool. We’re all open to talking about it.” Metalcore seems to contain a notable number of overtly Christian artists, and one common characteristic is that whilst they have Christian beliefs, many are realistic about not alienating their audience. August Burns Red stop a very safe distance short of trying to preach to fans. “We’re not going out on stage saying you should be a Christian. Jake [Luhrs, singer] goes out every night and talks to kids, but when I grew up I didn’t like somebody telling me what I should believe – I wanted to find it on my own. I’m cool if people have questions and want to ask them offstage, but I don’t want kids to write off the band because they think Christianity is weird,” Davidson muses. “I imagine some people do think it’s weird – a metal band on stage being Christian in front of a secular crowd. But I know that a lot of them aren’t Christians and still like us. Just like we wouldn’t write anyone off for being a black metal worshipper.”

WHO: August Burns Red WHEN & WHERE: Friday 17 December, No Sleep Til Melbourne, Melbourne Showgrounds

twitter.com/inpressmag

ON THE TAKE

WHO ARE YOU? Local trio NEWBIRDS take their cues from the leaders of the British Invasion, frontman TIM HOCKING tells DOUG WALLEN.

Authentic punk anthems with sing-along choruses have seen KING CANNONS sweep Melbourne off its feet. Frontman LUKE YEOWARD talks lucky mistakes with DOUG WALLEN.

And Whistles shapes up as a bona fide ballad. At eight songs, it’s more like a mini-album, and those horns are part of an orchestral sweep that includes a string quartet, guest percussion and a choir of more than a dozen voices. A bit ambitious for a debut EP, isn’t it?

The Rock is something he rightly calls a “grungy” song. Factor in the offbeat instrumentation from percussionist Lanae Eruera – “cowbells, bongos, congas, vibraslap, tambourine, all sorts of weird shit like that,” rattles off Yeoward – and King Cannons prove themselves much more unique than your average working-class punk act.

ogether for only three years, King Cannons already have a sort of journeymen story behind them. The punk-rooted band began as a four-piece in Auckland, after singer-guitarist Luke Yeoward’s old act split up. Today they’re a six-piece, complete with keyboardist and auxiliary percussionist, and based in Melbourne. In between, there was an attempt to relocate to England that went horribly wrong and wound up putting the band effectively on hold for most of a year. “Basically, our whole plan was to get together and get out of New Zealand as soon as possible,” Yeoward recounts, “because there’s only so much you can do in New Zealand.” But after he and bassist Jonno Smith went to England early to set things up for the relocation, the rest of the band were stopped dead in their tracks by visa troubles. “That kind of fucked all our plans right up,” he laughs. “So we decided to relocate to Melbourne in the first half of 2009. We hadn’t seen each other in like a year.” Now that King Cannons, who can swing from rock to ska to rockabilly quite naturally, are here, what do they think of the place? “Brilliant,” gushes Yeoward. “It’s the best move I’ve ever made, I reckon.” He might be slightly biased because he was born here and still has some family around these parts, but his affection is genuine. “It’s got the best of both worlds,” he muses. “A big city and a laidback feel as well.” The band’s time here has already been documented in the film clip for Smoked Out City, shot on the sly at night, with only car beams for lighting as a fully suited and heavily tattooed Yeoward barks out the very catchy anthem. If that song has a definite Rancid feel, Teenage Dreams is more ska-kicked and the new single Take

“It goes a little deeper than just punk or ska,” he agrees. “[But] a good 75% of us have a history in punk groups. That’s where we get the basis of our playing style. And none of us are from terribly wealthy backgrounds, so that always gives us a good reason to be pretty honest about what we sing about. But there’s so many influences, whether it be world music or rock’n’roll or Jamaican music or hip hop or dancehall. It’s all relevant.” One comparison that’s surfaced several times is The Clash, a connection any band would obviously kill for. And while King Cannons have covered The Clash’s White Man live, Smoked Out City also kicks off with a reference to Johnny Cash’s Don’t Take Your Guns To Town. “Like I said, there’s influences from everything,” Yeoward reiterates. “We’re all Johnny Cash fans.” Then he deadpans, “Maybe that’s why we wear so much black.” Having created quite a lot of buzz based solely on their kinetic gigs, King Cannons are now taking the next step with a self-titled debut EP. That doesn’t mean, though, that it was easy translating the songs’ live punch onto record. But the band triumphed in the end, chalking up a bit of learning experience to boot. “We found out the hard way,” shares Yeoward, “that live is the best and only way to record. Especially for music like ours, where it’s either really chilled out or really exciting. It’s gotta have that element of human error. It’s gotta be real. There’s no point in us going in and layering tracks and AutoTuning, because it sounds fucking retarded.” He concludes, “We just get into a room and play like fucking humans, y’know?”

he three members of Newbirds had all played in other bands before coming together for this one. Frontman Tim Hocking had done time in an act he compares to Whiskeytown, while bassist Tommy Elliott and drummer Rod Green had both come out of an AC/DC-style pub unit. But Newbirds aren’t anything like either of those: the trio look directly to the British Invasion for musical lessons. It’s retro and then some, a rollicking celebration of timeless choruses and instant charisma. No surprise, then, that the band started out as The Moons, a tribute to one Keith Moon. “When we first got together,” admits Hocking, “we had no idea what the band would sound like. But it was remarkably like The Who, to the point where we actually had to tone it down a bit. Because Tommy’s a guitarist and this is the first time he’s played bass, he had that very lead bass. We actually used to joke that I was lead vocals, he was lead bass, and Rod was lead drums.” When the existence of a English band called The Moons prompted a name change, Hocking and company stuck with a Who reference. The new name came from something Keith Moon said in an interview: “When they asked him what he loved about coming to a certain town,” Hocking recalls, “he said that everywhere he goes, he gets to meet new birds.”

“For a three-piece, there’s a lot on the record,” agrees Hocking. “Whilst the songs started out as three-piece songs, a lot of them mutated to have string quartets, brass parts and all sorts of things we overindulged in.” He credits those lush extras to the band’s wonderful friends, who contributed their talent for little or no payment. Likewise, the EP was self-recorded at Green’s own studio, with overdubs in another studio, and was mixed in a third. The packaging is also a cut above, including a poster-like foldout with lyrics. Since the songs were written recently and only finished in the recording process, they still feel fresh to the band. Now it’s time to launch the EP, complete with guest players to do justice to the recorded versions. It’ll be the beginning of a live push for Newbirds, who up until now focused mainly on writing and recording this batch of songs, not to mention cutting loose any that weren’t up to snuff. The trio are plotting an East Coast tour early next year, plus a trip to Perth in May. But it has to be asked: is it possible to get stuck in a sort of retro rut? “Definitely,” replies Hocking. “That’s a conversation we have all the time. It’s something we’re very, very mindful of. The last thing we want to do is rehash ’60s standards. That is a challenge. But we just really wanted to make music we loved listening to. We wanted to make something that was a bit more timeless, rather than something that was very 2000s.” Well said, although a few ’60s standards do show up in the form of live covers. “We started out doing Substitute,” Hocking notes, “which we quickly disregarded because it was far too obvious. We’ve done a John Lennon cover and some T. Rex. We’re working on a Creedence one at the moment.”

Lest one view Newbirds as a mere Who retread, that band provide a common ground between Hocking and Elliott’s love for The Beatles and The Stones, respectively. There’s some of The Stones’ saloon soul on Higher, off Newbirds’ new self-titled EP, while horns pepper the closing Song Bird Way and Bells

WHO: King Cannons WHAT: King Cannons (Capitol) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, East Brunswick Club

WHO: Newbirds WHAT: Newbirds (Independemt) WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Cherry

ALL COMING TOGETHER SIDE BY SIDE Five albums in and things are really firing for SOLA ROSA, founding member ANDREW SPRAGGON tells BENJAMIN MCINERNEY.

MARK HEBBLEWHITE chats to STICK TO YOUR GUNS’ GEORGE SCHMITZ about hardcore ethics and the rise of the right-wing Republican hate machine.

album sees his vision for the group finally achieved. “To be honest, this has probably been the biggest album for us. It went gold earlier this year in New Zealand and it has been the most successful of any of our releases,” said Spraggon. “We have been touring a lot, and lately it’s just getting more and more. We are festival favourites over here in New Zealand so the vibe at most of the shows is really special.”

orn in the idyllic New Zealand city of Auckland, Andrew Spraggon’s brainchild began as a very different band than it is today. Initially relying on samples and purely electronic elements, the modern incarnation of Sola Rosa sees six musicians performing a funky blend of jazz, hip hop, Latin, reggae and dub which meld together in a perfect blur of danceinducing fury. But as Spraggon explains, there are a lot of different musical tastes spread among the six performers, which can sometimes cause chaos. “We all listen to so much different stuff, but there is always a clear appreciation for soul, reggae and funk. I come up with most of the production and the initial ideas for tracks, and my favourite genres are hip hop and funk which does come through on our songs, but Spikey our main singer is a real drum’n’bass head and there are just a lot of different tastes combining from all of us.” Over the last decade the band have become stalwarts in their homeland, with a busy touring schedule bustling them into the hearts of many New Zealand music fans. Beginning as a one-piece DJ act comprising only Spraggon and a set of turntables, he quickly decided that as a solo DJ he wasn’t much of a festival attraction. “When I ended up DJing in front of 7,000 people, I quickly realised that one guy standing on stage with a couple of decks wasn’t much to look at. I decided then that I wanted this to be more than that, and the last record certainly has been,” says Spraggon.

Indeed, the transformation of Sola Rosa has culminated in their most recent and most successful album, Get It Together. Named as a metaphor for Spraggon and his band’s development as a cohesive group, the

No strangers to our shores, the six-piece are heading across the ditch once again, this time playing their first Australian headline dates. “We are all really excited to get over there again. We were there twice last year, but it’s definitely more exciting to be doing our own headline shows and also the Shine On and Subsonic festivals”, said Spraggon. Although the band seem endlessly busy with the live environment, they have still maintained time to record some breakthrough material along the way, but as Spraggon explains, recording people and acoustic instruments is a lot different than his original project of synthesisers and drum machines. “With recording you need to be in tune not only musically, but you need to be in tune with people’s emotions and moods. If your drummer has been playing flat-out for a few hours he is probably tired and you just have to pick your moments. It’s certainly a very different process”. Not content to die wondering, the journey for Sola Rosa shows no signs of slowing up, with interest spreading amongst the European continent as industry and fans alike seemingly realise the potential and creative energy of the New Zealand natives. “We are in negotiations at the moment with Melting Pot in Germany, which is one of my favourite labels. The plan is to release with them in April and head over there a couple of times next year to tour Europe”, explains Spraggon. “Although we have released a few albums, this last record has really been amazing for us. The title represents us finding ourselves as a band and I think we really have finally got our shit together”.

WHO: Sola Rosa WHAT: Get It Together (Fuse) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Shine On Festival, Pyrenees Ranges; Thursday 2 December, Roxanne Parlour

being in the studio, but really we formed to play shows. And that’s the reason we’re still going to play as many shows to as many kids as possible. To do that across the world, especially in Australia where we always love coming to, is the greatest honour going for all of us. We relish every moment on stage and always will. “I also love the fact that hardcore has the largest – and I must say most diverse – group of fans it ever has had,” he continues. “To me this means the message is getting out there. The ethos that drives our scene – that is, self-reliance and independence – is seeping through to a new generation. It really gives me hope to see young kids at the shows who are not only fans of the music but also playing a role in keeping the scene going, whether that be writing a blog or starting their own band. ”

“T

here’s no hope left in politics at all: it’s a real shame.”

As Inpress chats to Stick To Your Guns drummer George Schmitz, the news is bleak. The US Republican Party has swept away perhaps the most progressive congress since the men and women who ushered in the New Deal. In its place an eclectic mob of social conservatives, antigovernment zealots and downright nutters are preparing to take America back to the dark ages. “This is just the latest blow in a long line of disappointments,” says Schmitz. “Since 2008 things have just gone downhill. Obama came in with so much promise but the political, social and economic change we all wanted just hasn’t happened. I blame the two-party system that leaves those of us who want to support a third party in the dust. The system itself is designed to stymie real change for the people. For a band like Stick To Your Guns, who do have a message designed to promote real positive change in society, it’s very frustrating.” Thankfully, Schmitz isn’t as pessimistic when it comes to discussing the state of modern hardcore, finding a lot of good things about the scene at the moment. “For every band that isn’t willing to get in the van and prove themselves, there are plenty of bands who are prepared to earn their stripes by getting out there and playing as many shows as possible. That’s what it’s all about for our band. Sure, we put out records and enjoy

twitter.com/inpressmag

According to Schmitz , the negatives for the scene remain pretty much the same as they’ve always been. “It’s really hard for hardcore bands to survive financially and the struggle tends to wear people down quickly. And I guess there are shitty bands out there – but that’s a facet of all musical scenes, not just hardcore. And really when there are bands like Comeback Kid who are just killing it right now, the bad bands don’t matter. “I really like the way that hardcore kids are trying to reconcile the hardcore sound with pop/punk to great effect. There was a time there that the pop/punk sound – which I quite like – was losing favour and it’s good to see that melodic infusion into hardcore again.” When it comes down to it Schmitz says, there is room in hardcore for different sounds – it’s always better when every band doesn’t sound the same. “Stick To Your Guns has always done its own thing and I think it’s great that bands who bring in a metal influence, or a pop/punk influence, or who are influence by that classic Youth Crew sound, or even the bands of the early ‘80s, are all there in hardcore side by side making our scene stronger than ever.” WHO: Stick To Your Guns WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 1 December, Music Man (Bendigo – arvo, under-18s); Thursday 2 December, Next; Friday 3 December, Phoenix Youth Centre (all ages)

VINYL SAY

SUGAR RUSH A high school friendship forged through a love of Hendrix is behind the success of Kiwi pop duo KIDS OF 88, singer SAM MCCARTHY tells SAMUEL J FELL.

Even hangovers can’t dull the enthusiasm of siblings RICK and EMILY GOODMAN when talking up JAGUAR SPRING’s new 7” single. NIC TOUPEE tries to get a word in edgeways.

“So we became friends and everything became musicbased, like, all our assignments were music-based and then we put a band together on the weekends,” McCarthy adds. “We played in bands through our teen years, but it wasn’t until 2008 that we wanted to do a more electronic project, and that’s how Kids Of 88 started.” McCarthy is also a member of Kiwi pop punk band Goodnight Nurse, so the pair have a solid background in the industry, which explains how this fledgling project of theirs is doing so well so quickly.

Trendy it may be, but not necessarily the most pragmatic dissemination strategy. Jaguar Spring have opted to include a more encompassing plan B. “We know a lot of people have record players but a lot also don’t. I think we’re going to make a run of burned CDs in handmade cases for people to buy,” Emily says. “We’re going to have a download available with each vinyl copy so people can have it on their iPods,” Rick continues. “I like the idea of a seven-inch single regardless, because it’s a tangible, physical thing, and you’ve got this big thing and big artwork.” “A big picture,” Emily offers happily. “A big fun thing!” Rick agrees.

he creative core of shambolic indie poppers Jaguar Spring is the familial nexus of Rick and Emily Goodman: singer/songwriter and drummer/ developer respectively. As they choose to be interviewed together, Inpress’s encounter with the sore-headed siblings is an exercise in contained chaos, as the pair start and finish each other’s answers, resulting in a charming and very endearing mess. Sifting through their synaptic simultaneity, as the night before has now become the shabby afternoon after, we attempt to discuss the 7” release of Pander/The Coast. “We went to a house party in North Melbourne last night,” a worse-for-wear Rick explains. “It was the biggest party I’ve ever been to, and 25 cops came and shut it down eventually with riot vans. Do you need a coffee?” “Our band played,” Emily offers. “It was a planned thing – they were going to cancel because of torrential rain but we ended up playing wedged in the kitchen.” “I got soaked,” Rick comments. “But it was ridiculously good and went really, really well. It was probably the most fun gig we’ve ever had.” Their release became a double-sided 7” by random development rather than being part of a masterplan, the pair offer convolutedly. “Did we plan to release this on vinyl?” Emily asks Rick. “No.” “We just recorded two tracks and then decided what to do with them,” Emily continues. “Because we only had two songs, we were thinking of ways to put them both out,” Rick muses. “With a seven-inch we could have one on each side. I guess it’s pretty trendy to do vinyl these days.”

The two sides of their 7” represent markedly different aspects of Jaguar Spring’s sound, which has been likened to shoegaze, art rock, postshoerock and other hairsplitting genres. This certainly wasn’t done to confuse punters, but was a deliberate attempt to display the breadth of their sonic wares. “We wanted to record two songs so spent some time picking which songs,” Rick begins. “One of them we really wanted on there, it’s one of our best songs,” Emily explains. “It’s the second track on there and is slow and five-and-a-half minutes long. So…” “…we wanted one straight-up song,” Rick continues. “So the other one is short, and exciting, and a good radio time,” Emily finishes. “We chose Pander because it was simple to record. We were in a proper studio, so were worried that if we chose a complicated song we might muck it up,” Rick says. “It’s groovy and short. We are going to be recording again in December in a more lo-fi studio and we’ll record some more songs then.” “The other songs will be different to these songs again,” Emily comments. “Maybe a bit poppier,” interjects Rick. “We have a few different sections to our sound, we’re quite eclectic,” finishes Emily. “Come and see us play and you’ll know what we mean,” Rick suggests.

WHO: Jaguar Spring WHAT: Pander/The Coast 7” (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Branches Music Festival, 109 Moora Rd, Healesville

ids Of 88 have been busy recently. Riding the crest of the New New Wave movement of the past few years, this Auckland duo have taken it upon themselves to carry it on regardless of where trends are heading now, regardless of what’s happening out there and why – as far as vocalist Sam McCarthy and programmer/keysman Jordan Art are concerned, this is music and to hell with where it fits in. Formed a couple of years ago, Kids Of 88 (so named, I believe, because both members were born in 1988) have made the most of their short career thus far, supporting Cassette Kids earlier this year through Australia and returning not long ago to do the same for Scissor Sisters. In the midst of all this, they released their debut LP, Sugarpills, in August, and as such, the sky is the limit, despite the fact they’ve not been around – in this incarnation, anyway – for very long. “We’ve been friends for years, actually,” says McCarthy. “I think we’re coming up to our decade anniversary.” “We met at high school when we were about 12 years old. We were put into the same English class, and as an ice-breaking exercise by the teacher, everyone had to bring in their favourite music and tell everyone why it was their favourite,” he goes on. “So everyone was bringing in the slightly taboo music of the time, which was mainly rap metal, but Jordan and I were wanky enough to go through our parents’ collections and both brought in Jimi Hendrix. From that early stage, we had this quite intense musical link.

twitter.com/inpressmag

“I do think we like to keep the doors open to keep our music as accessible as possible,” he muses when asked what the band’s MO is. “I don’t think we try to carve too many niches, and I think at the end of the day we don’t like to isolate different audiences, but something that we do put into the music is making sure there’s definite mood and definite colour and intensity, and into a pop format – we’ve never been afraid to write pop music.” This is evident on Sugarpills, a record which incorporates tracks both recent, and from when this duo began collaborating almost three years ago. “I guess the material we’ve been writing recently to put on the album has been more relevant,” muses McCarthy. “Having said that though, I still think the songs we wrote around 2008 have just as much point as the ones on the album that we’ve written recently, and I think that’s because we really wanted to get into this really intense way of writing these songs where they have a whole lot of colour and pizzazz whereas the newer songs are more the mood, the album tracks, so I think together it really shapes the album.” So with Sugarpills in tow, Kids Of 88 are building it up – they’re about to head off to Europe, they know the score and it’s now just a matter of capitalising and carrying on. “We’re pretty happy and also we’re really lucky in regards to how things have gone so far, and we do hope it continues,” McCarthy says. “We’ve worked really, really hard to make this foundation, so fingers crossed.” WHO: Kids Of 88 WHAT: Sugarpills (Sony) WHEN & WHERE: Tonight (Wednesday), East Brunswick Club

KEY PLAYERS

PIPE STOKER

With the keys to their hometown in their back pocket, WE THE KINGS are out to break some world records, TRAVIS CLARK tells JEREMY WILLIAMS.

San Francisco’s MIKE SILVERMAN – better known as THAT 1 GUY – tells MICHAEL SMITH he has a new instrument designed with the help of a NASA employee.

Accolades aside, We The Kings’ achievements in the three years since their eponymous debut are more than notable. Whilst many bands spend their life dreaming of touring the world, We The Kings have already conquered the States and Europe and now have their sites firmly set on Australia. The band play the Soundwave festival in March. “It has been one of my biggest dreams to play over there, so I absolutely cannot wait. It is probably going to be one of my favourite shows ever.”

“I

t was awesome. It is something that we never ever thought we’d be able to achieve. We got an email from the mayor of our hometown, Bradenton. He was just like, ‘You have made the city proud. We want to present you with the key to our city’.” Florida power-pop quartet We The Kings have come a long way since they formed at King Middle School in 2003. Not only have they got two hit albums and a Demi Lovato duet under their belt, but their success has been recognised by their hometown. “It was something so unexpected. It is one of the highlights of our career so far.” Yet, 25-year-old lead singer Travis Clark has several goals left to achieve, “maybe like an entry in the Guinness Book Of World Records. That would be entertaining on a whole different level. The key to the city is pretty much up there with some of the best nominations ever, like if we got a Grammy that might top it. But we are happy if we don’t get anything else.” Whilst the Grammy nomination still evades Clark and his crew, the Guinness Book Of World Records entry might not be as ludicrous as it seems. Clearly an individual who achieves those things he sets out to, Clark jumped at the chance to get into the book with the record for, um, the most people drumming on a Pringle can to We Will Rock You. “It was actually done at one of our shows, right before we played. Hopefully we make it into the book but we will see.”

Admirably, Clark is seemingly coy about how far he has come with his school chums. “I have never been the kind of person to be like, ‘Well, in the States we are celebrities’. I just wouldn’t do that as it is kind of arrogant. So, I would just play it down. I’ll just name the songs we’ve had that have been on the radio. Then they’ll be like, ‘Oh my god, I love that song! You are in that band?’. We are just like, ‘Yep!’. The way I explain it to people who have never heard it is that it is just upbeat music that makes you want to dance and jump up and down.” He also seems remarkably aware of just how fortunate he has been. “Everybody has a dream to play in front of a million people. You just never know, it is hard to judge whether it can ever really happen or not.” Though he doesn’t credit the internet for the group’s overall success, he is aware that as a medium it has helped his band’s popularity no end. Having won over swathes of fans via many of the popular social networking sites, he and his cronies decided to give some thing back – The King’s Carriage. “We wanted to have like these webisodes, which are a bit like a reality TV show, to show people what it is like on the road in the Kings Carriage. It was something that kept us entertained. We love filming those videos. I hope it could grow into something bigger.” Like a We The Kings reality TV series? “Definitely. If we can make the videos we make by ourselves with zero budget or zero idea of what we are doing, I can only imagine how the videos would be with a film crew and people that know what they are doing. I just think it would be awesome.” WHO: We The Kings WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 3 March, Billboard (under-18s); Friday 4 March, Soundwave, Melbourne Showgrounds

FATHER OF THOUGHT

and his compositional studies at the local Conservatory Of Music, but the upshot was that Silverman’s innate curiosity about sounds and their possibilities inevitably led to the creation of his original one-stringed “Magic Pipe”, a 2.1-metre-tall collection of steel pipes and joints and all manner of electronic triggers and mics. That curiosity and passion for percussive sounds then prompted the evolution of the “Magic Boot” and the “Magic Saw”, both similarly electronically enhanced.

“I

went in there with a few ideas but really no songs at all,” says Mike Silverman, on the line from his new home in Las Vegas, explaining the genesis of his latest album as That 1 Guy, titled Packs A Wallop!. “The last two albums have very much been going in there and tracking what I’d been playing at gigs and I wanted to get more spontaneous in the studio and really wanted to capture the moment more creatively, become a little more inspired, I guess. “I felt with the recording process, going in there with everything already figured out was not a very inspired way to make music and that’s the way I’ve always done it, so I just wanted to try a different way. That’s why I like the DVD [2007’s Live In The Land Of Oz, filmed at the Woodford Festival] so much, because it was capturing the moment. I mean, it’s much more honest. I think that’s what music is supposed to be.” For those of you just coming into the story, the way Silverman tells it, he was playing a club with his band and they were getting paid peanuts, so he confronts the owner, who says he pays the same whether it’s a solo or a band. Silverman returns the following week as a soloist, but since he knows the guy’s cheating him and everyone else who plays there, he turns up as That 1 Guy, with only one string on his double bass. Of course, the real story is a bit more complicated and has a lot to do with the San Franciscan’s passion for Frank Zappa and Dr Seuss, his jazz musician father

Now, you could easily think here, listening to Mullins talk, that this new record of his is all about changing nappies and the love one feels for a small version of oneself, blah, blah, blah. It isn’t – the songs are about life, about love, everything you’d expect from Mullins, and whilst his child would no doubt have inspired some of these tunes, this isn’t a cringe-worthy record. Something else which informed Light You Up was the fact Mullins co-wrote the vast majority of songs on the record, something he says was an invigorating and exciting experience.

Of course, let’s not kid ourselves; for Mullins, having a song as internationally recognisable as Lullaby would certainly not have hurt. These days, though, he’s not so much chasing the pop dream as he is going back to his country and rock roots and doing things in a more organic style. Was that song a fluke then? Not really, but he’s changed direction and he seems happy with where he’s at, which is more than you can ask for, really. The main reason for this then, is two-fold. Firstly, Mullins has recently become a new father, and secondly, he has a new record out in Light You Up, the former quite heavily informing the latter. “Well, one of the ways that’s changed my music, is because partially I’m getting older and the other is yeah, I’ve had a child,” he muses. “That puts me in a different

WHO: That 1 Guy WHAT: Packs A Wallop! (Pop Ten/MGM) WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Pier Hotel (Frankston); Saturday, Shine On Festival, Pyrenees Ranges; Sunday, Karova Lounge (Ballarat)

The organic-meets-electronic sounds of local outfit TANTRUMS are not easy to pigeonhole, writes JEREMY WILLIAMS.

level of focus when I’m writing songs. Plus, having a baby at home, I can’t really write music at home, so what I have to do is go to the cabin where we recorded this album. It’s kinda out in the middle of the woods, [there’s] no distractions and I can really concentrate… There’s the change of priority and the change of focus. Your dreams change when you have a child.”

Silverman also went into this recording with a new, improved Magic Pipe. “Yeah, I’ve built version three, which is very similar to the first one in terms of design and functionality but is much more refined. I had the components and bits on it were custommade by a machinist friend of mine who worked on the Phoenix Mars Lander – this NASA guy!”

LOOSE FIT

Having a child has had a major impact on SHAWN MULLINS’ songwriting, the Lullaby singer tells SAMUEL J FELL.

es, Shawn Mullins is the man responsible for the song Lullaby, from back in 1998. No, he hasn’t had a hit as big since. It’s not surprising, really; that song was huge all over the world, making an impact wherever commercial music was played, a pop tune straight from the ‘How To…’ files: right melody, right words, right time, right place. It was a huge hit that’s been hard to top, at least from the same man in the same place. Or is Mullins in the same place? It seems, after that major profile boost, that he’s returned to earth and isn’t capitalising on such fame, but is rather just plying his trade, going on as if nothing happened.

Equally perverse in the creation of the new album was Silverman’s choice of co-producer, sound engineer Billy Hume, whose CV otherwise sports names like Nelly, Heavy Mojo, Nas and Ludacris, amongst many. “I’d recorded the first one [2004’s Songs In The Key Of Beotch] myself and I did the best job I could – I’m an okay engineer. The second one [2007’s The Moon Is Disgusting] I used Karl Derfler, who is a really incredible engineer. This guy [Hume] isn’t really a rock’n’roll guy – he does more hip hop and R&B, even though he’s actually a country mandolin player – but he seemed like someone I’d like to try, so I went down to see him and did one song – we actually did Packs A Wallop! – and it came out really good so I decided this was the guy. And because he understands low frequencies, working with hip hop acts, I wanted to work with somebody who could capture the low-end thing that I do. I understand how to make the sounds but in terms of recording it seems to involve a lot of voodoo and he understands that stuff.”

“I actually started co-writing with the band, The Thorns [a supergroup of sorts featuring Mullins, Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge] back in 2001,” he tells. “That was the first time I’ve done a lot of co-writing, and I love it. So I’ve been doing it off and on for years. Mostly on my records the songs are written by myself, but this one just came out that way, a lot of the songs I wanted to put on the record happened to be songs I wrote with someone else. “And I love that about it, I love the different angle that it gives and I love the community of it and I think I needed the kind of fellowship,” he adds. “Coming off a big hit like Lullaby, my circle of friends got a lot smaller, and so I think I really needed to seek out fellowship with other songwriters, so that’s one reason why I’ve co-written a lot for this album.” It certainly seems to have agreed with the man, and whilst there’s nothing on Light You Up that’ll reach the heights of Lullaby, Shawn Mullins is pretty happy with where he’s at with this one. “Oh man, I’m totally into it,” he smiles. “I’m also psyched it’s on the radio here too. That’s always a fun thing.” WHO: Shawn Mullins WHAT: Light You Up (Vanguard/EMI) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday, Queenscliff Music Festival; Tuesday 30 November, Toff In Town

Unable to translate the sound from the recording studio to the stage, Phelan and McInally hit the drawing board again for a new solution. Thankfully the answer they had been searching for had been right under their noses all along. “John [Nguyen] had been doing live VJing at our shows. I loved his music. He and I study sound art together at uni, so he was a no-brainer when it came to recruiting. John in turn invited his friend James [Campbell] in on drums and then there were four.” Being a four-piece added a much-needed extra dimension to Tantrums. Whilst the “electronic element is still the backbone of our composition, having four members and lots of instruments on stage has made us feel more like a band and able to share the load and share ideas”.

“O

ur ambient track Beat The Happy Pavement has been compared to Pantha Du Prince. Some of other stuff has a harder, more jammed-out, Krauty, Kraftwerk-meets-Nine Inch Nails – without the angsty lyrics – vibe.” Melbourne-based quartet Tantrums may be on the dawn of their debut single Anomie, but founding member Sarah Phelan is keen to stress that “while being compared to people you admire is lovely when it happens, we’re trying to carve our own niche. Who we are as a band is becoming clearer the more songs we write and by touring together.” Instead of focusing on who they sound like, Phelan hopes “people find it hard to compare us to other bands or box us in”. Having met fellow founding member Jade McInally about a year and half ago, the pair “bonded over music and decided to move in together to collaborate on what would become Tantrums.” Both had a passion for music and both felt that their talents were stronger when united. However, “shortly after we started playing, Nic Oogjes from Tic Toc Tokyo/No Zu joined the band, which pulled us more in the direction of his very unique style.” An outside influence tampered with the pair’s intentions. A brief stint as a three-piece proved unsuccessful and the pair returned to their original format, but it was not long before the journey hit another bump in the road. “We soon realised that we couldn’t translate all that we wanted to live with this set-up and looked to expand. We’d just been offered the PVT support at the Corner and realised we needed to pull ourselves together pretty quickly.”

twitter.com/inpressmag

Phelan happily reveals that “we write the songs together by bringing ideas into the rehearsal room, fleshing them out, then taking them into the studio to arrange them properly”. The process allows for a diversity of influences to be brought to fore. Whilst Phelan concedes that, for the most part, these shared influences would fall under the “umbrella of alternative,” she insists, “As we’ve matured as musicians we’ve become more interested in the new technologies available and incorporated sampling and beat-making while still being a band rather than DJs.” Thus, it is with difficulty that Phelan tries to define what exactly it is that Tantrums do. Whilst they “are essentially experimenting with making electronic music that is performed live,” there are aspects of artists they respect that have been incorporated into their outlook. “I’d say we take Becks’s disregard for genre; Radiohead’s will to put whatever they want on an album; Dead Can Dance and Trent Reznor’s synth-driven goth; production values from UNKLE, Massive Attack and Portishead; and Warp Records’ sense for forward thinking.” With their band identity so clearly clarified, Phelan promises to provide “live VJing by James Wright, two boys, two girls, a couple of laptops and controllers, a home-made circuit board synth, a guitar, bass, drums and two keyboards” at next week’s Anomie launch. WHO: Tantrums WHAT: Anomie (New Editions) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, Workers Club

LISTEN TO REASON

MAGIC CAST

Sydney’s THE DUNHILL BLUES might be the most welladjusted rock’n’roll band on the planet, TONY MCMAHON finds when he chats to frontman DAN BATCHELOR.

With costumes, smoke machines and lightshows, locals HAMMOCKS AND HONEY are more than a blog favourite. DOUG WALLEN meets with frontwoman PRUDENCE REES-LEE. compilation as well as an EP from Ramps offshoot Denim Owl. As fate would have it, Rees-Lee met label founder Dan Lewis at a Denim Owl gig.

die but I don’t feel burdened any more; I smile when I think about him and I know he’d be proud of us.”

ard-working and hard-rocking Sydney outfit The Dunhill Blues took to the road after the release last year of their debut, self-titled album. Now, with miles of touring under their collective belts, The Dunnies, as they’re affectionately known, have released album number two, The Hard Truth, a rollicking good time of a record if ever there was one, but with a depth rare for such enjoyable music. Frontman Dan Batchelor says that his band’s incessant touring was an obvious influence on the record, but that a musical tragedy was the main motivating force. “Most of it was recorded live, with us all in the same room just like a gig, and there’s no ridiculous Silverchair style string sections anywhere. It sounds pretty much like what you’d hear at a Dunnies gig. The thing is, though, it’s more likely that the album and the touring were both influenced by the same thing, which was [original guitarist/vocalist] Kristen [McCall]’s death. When someone you love dies, you feel pretty powerless. One of the things that tore me up was that we’d just recorded this great album and no one was ever gonna hear it and know how fucking great he was. “So we put together a new line up to spread the good word, and attacked touring with what you could probably call a religious obsession. We managed to do something that I’m really proud of, which is just keep going. It would have been the easiest thing in the world to just quit. I’ll think about him everyday until I

The Dunhill Blues claim that they are the greatest blues-punk-country-garage-rock-soul band in the world, so Inpress feels compelled to ask you how they go about achieving a balance between all these different styles? “Balance is for gymnasts, not bands. The mix of styles isn’t pre-meditated, it’s not like we sit down and think about it, and to be honest it’s not something I even realised until I started to read reviews for the first album. Reviewers were using words like ‘eclectic’ and ‘hotpot’ and I started to think, ‘Well, I suppose so,’ but to my ears it’s all basically rock’n’roll in different forms. It’s not like we’re trying to be Mr Bungle or some lame shit like that. The fact we have six people in the band is probably a contributing factor as well – there aren’t too many bands that we all like. It causes a few dramas in the van but we decided early on that the driver picks the music. There’s a song on the new album called I Hate Your Favourite Band, which is about suffering someone else’s music on road trips.” The Dunhill Blues are obviously not afraid of putting in the hard rock’n’roll yards, and Batchelor says that this work ethic all comes down to a point of view. Also, he has some advice other bands might do well listening to. “This is just what I thought bands did. I grew up in Lismore and that’s how it worked. You got a band together then tried to play as many gigs as you could. But I think it comes down to what you’re aiming for: do you wanna be in a band or be a star? I’m more than happy with the level of success we’ve achieved; from here things can’t get better, just easier. But other bands are hung up on the grand plan – ‘Oh, there’s no point playing to 20 people in Bega’ – whereas to me that is the big picture: ‘Fuck yeah, we get to play to 20 people in Bega’. Too many bands have stupid hangups about where they play and to who. Just fucking get on with it. This is the job; do it or pick something else.”

WHO: The Dunhill Blues WHAT: The Hard Truth (Off The Hip) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Retreat Hotel

rudence Rees-Lee was once just another classically trained cellist with a degree from Melbourne Uni. Then she started playing keyboards for the instrumental band Scissors for Sparrow at the behest of Jon Tjhia, who’s now in Aleks & The Ramps. From there, Rees-Lee found herself moving away from the classical world and closer to the dreamy textures of her current band, Hammocks And Honey. A collaboration with Alex Nosek of the electronic outfit ii, H&H manifests as a ghostly blend of new age synths and understated bedroom pop. “I started mucking around and trying to write some songs,” Rees-Lee demurs. “I had never written much classical music, so it’s not like I was trying to write something that wasn’t classical. It was using what I had at home, which happened to be a computer. Once I’d written a few, I asked Alex to help me play them live.” How exactly does the live show work, given the music’s intimate and electronic nature? “I think it’s interesting with electronic music,” she begins. “It’s often quite boring to watch live. So we do other stuff. We’re big on lights and smoke and that kind of thing. We wear cool costumes as well, with lots of fringing and leotards.”

In that sense, it doesn’t sound so far removed from Aleks & The Ramps. Hammocks And Honey have played nearly a dozen gigs since Rees-Lee started the band a year ago, and their next will be the launch for their debut EP, Spellbinder. It’s the latest release on Special Award, the Melbourne micro-label that released this year’s free-download Swan Vs Raptor

twitter.com/inpressmag

“He was very keen to put it out,” she says, “and I wanted some help, because I have no idea what I’m doing.” Lewis certainly worked wonders for the EP, releasing it as a 250 run of gold vinyl LPs with a download link included. It’s also for sale as a download through Bandcamp. “I wouldn’t expect people to buy a CD,” admits Rees-Lee. “So it makes a lot of sense to make a beautiful object. I like the idea of making something tangible but not disposable. It seems almost redundant to go on about it, because why would you do it any other way?” Spellbinder was recorded in a single weekend at her aunt’s beach house, using a chunk of producer Morgan McWaters’s wealth of gear. Rees-Lee had already programmed some of the music at home, so not everything needed recording from scratch. Still, McWaters’s guiding hand was key, resulting in a lovely record as well as a surprise guest by the name of Juan el Hombre del Coro on the song Toolz. “It’s not a real person,” she reveals. “One of Morgan’s great things he has is this amazing voice pedal, which can change things into manly voices. But when we were recording, ‘Juan’ really became his own person. It was almost like there was someone else there.” Toolz has seen exposure on blogs, as has the EP track Undone, which became the first Australian song featured on Pitchfork’s experimental-themed blog collective Altered Zones. That’s led to a visible uptick in downloads, as well as the bulk of EP pre-orders coming from the States. And lest the momentum be wasted, Hammocks and Honey already have a fair whack of new songs written, with an album in mind for next year. Right now, though, the focus is on this launch, an art-studio affair complete with costumes and set design. WHO: Hammocks And Honey WHAT: Spellbinder (Special Award) WHEN & WHEN: Saturday, Bouverie Street Studios, Level 1, 81 Bouverie St, Carlton

twitter.com/inpressmag

ISSUE 1150 - WEDNESDAY 24 NOVEMBER, 2010

TOURS

Little Ugly Girls

PRESENTS

Tunng February 22 East Brunswick Club

THIS WEEK INTERNATIONAL

RICHARD BONA: November 25 Melbourne Recital Centre METRONOMY: November 25 Prince Bandroom KAKI KING: November 26 Corner Hotel; 27 Queenscliff Music Festival LEO SAYER: November 27 Palms at Crown CUTE IS WHAT WE AIM FOR: November 28 Hi-Fi (under-18s arvo, 18+ evening) SHAWN MULLINS: November 30 Toff In Town

NATIONAL

THE RED SHORE: November 25 Colonial Hotel; 26 Extreme Life (Warrnambool); 27 Musicman Megastore (Bendigo); 28 Bended Elbow (Geeelong) REDCOATS: November 25 Espy THE VASCO ERA: November 25 Northcote Social Club; December 18 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 24 Barwon Club THE JEZABELS: November 26, 28, 29 East Brunswick Club THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS: November 27 East Brunswick Club RAT VS POSSUM: November 28 Workers Club I EXIST: November 27 Arthouse THE LIVING END: November 28 Hotel Rottnest (Rottnest Island)

GIG OF THE WEEK PUNTERS CLUB REUNION

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, CORNER HOTEL

ew Melbourne venues did as much for music in the ‘90s as the Punters Club. The Brunswick Street venue wasn’t big, but its eclectic booking policy – local electronic acts were welcomed as enthusiastically as those from the burgeoning indie rock scene – ensured that if you dug music, you spent time there. The local scene was rocked when the Punters closed in 2002; the building now houses Bimbo Deluxe (yeah, we know we’re meant to hate Bimbo, but those pizzas are so cheap and tasty). This weekend, acts including Frente!, Spiderbait, Hoss, Little Ugly Girls, Tirany, The Fauves, The Hollowmen and more pay tribute to the glory days of the Punters, playing sets drawn from material they would have performed back in the day. Monies raised will go to charities including the Leukaemia Foundation’s Light The Night, the Linda Gebar Daughters Trust and the Dean Turner Trust. For full line-up details head to cornerhotel.com.

Manic Street Preachers pic by Jesse Booher

and Bradfield’s vocals are so incredibly powerful. (It’s Not War) Just The End Of Love and Roses In The Hospital follow soon after. The gig is only four songs in, but it’s clear that Manic Street Preachers could stand there instrumentless, wearing paper bags and the audience would still love them, so they hardly need to dedicate Australia to us. However, they do and the crowd love it. A gorgeous rendition of This Is Yesterday comes next, and it’s now I realise that drummer Sean Moore is the only Manic without a spotlight on him. It’s sad, given that he is as intrinsic to the band as Bradfield and Wire. The show goes on, though, with Everything Must Go, Some Kind Of Nothingness, You Stole The Sun From My Heart, Ocean Spray and Scream To A Sigh (La Tristesse Durera).

UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL

U2: December 1, 3 Etihad Stadium STICK TO YOUR GUNS: December 1 Musicman Megastore, Bender Alternative Club (Bendigo); 2 Colonial Club; 3 Seaford Community Hall BLONDIE, THE PRETENDERS: December 1, 2 Palais; 4 Rochford Wines SOLA ROSA: December 2 Roxanne FOZZY: December 2 Hi-Fi MARY GAUTHIER: December 2 East Brunswick Club; 3 Caravan Music Club THE LEMONHEADS: December 2 Corner Hotel; 3 Espy Gershwin Room HOT WATER MUSIC, THE BOUNCING SOULS: December 4, 5 Corner Hotel KORN: December 5 Festival Hall ARCHITECTS, COMEBACK KID, THIS IS HELL: December 5 Billboard JACK JOHNSON: December 8 Sidney Myer Music Bowl GOTAN PROJECT: December 8, 9, Forum THE FIELD: December 9 East Brunswick Club CLIPSE: December 9 Prince Bandroom BROADCAST: December 9 Hi-Fi BON JOVI: December 10 Rod Laver Arena; 11 Etihad Stadium THE FALL: December 10 Billboard GIRLS: December 10 Corner Hotel PANTHA DU PRINCE: December 11 New Guernica LITTLE DRAGON: December 11 East Brunswick Club GORILLAZ: December 11 Rod Laver Arena LINKIN PARK: December 12, 13 Rod Laver Arena

ROMY, POLYGON PALACE, MEGASTICK FANFARE, SUPER MELODY, SPEED PAINTERS: Sunday Workers Club FOZZY: December 2 Hi-Fi THE LEMONHEADS: December 2, 3 Corner Hotel THE FALL: December 10 Billboard EVEN: December 18, 19 Tote JAMAICA: December 31 Corner Hotel BUILT TO SPILL: January 1 Corner Hotel JUNIP: January 4 Corner Hotel THE NATIONAL: January 9, 10 Palais THEE OH SEES: January 9 National Hotel (Geelong); 12, 13 Tote BEACH HOUSE: January 10 Hi-Fi JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION: January 13 Hi-Fi WIRE: January 19 Corner Hotel ANDREW WK: January 29 Hi-Fi BLONDE REDHEAD: February 7 Billboard BEAR IN HEAVEN, THE ANTLERS: February 9 Corner TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB: February 9 Prince Bandroom STORNOWAY: February 10 Corner FOALS: February 10 Palace WARPAINT: February 10 Northcote Social Club YEASAYER: February 10 Billboard CARIBOU, FOUR TET: February 16 Hi-Fi I AM KLOOT: February 17 East Brunswick Club MAYER HAWTHORNE & THE COUNTY: February 18 Hi-Fi SWERVEDRIVER: February 19 Corner Hotel DOVES: February 19 Forum TUNNG: February 22 East Brunswick Club THE HOLD STEADY: March 11 Hi-Fi THE CLEAN: March 11 Corner Hotel WAVVES: March 14 Corner Hotel DISTURBED, TRIVIUM, AS I LAY DYING: April 24 Rod Laver Arena KYUSS LIVES: May 8 Billboard

The most surprising inclusion, and one of many highlights of the night comes in the form of Theme From M*A*S*H (Suicide is Painless). It’s now that bassist Nicky Wire reminisces and gives a beautiful, moving acknowledgement to their lost friend and bandmate, Richey Edwards. It leads the way for Motown Junk, followed up with If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next.

LIVE: REVIEWS

MANIC STREET PREACHERS THE FORUM

our Love Alone (Is Not Enough) opens the set and it’s with a warm “Melbourne! How the fuck are you?” that frontman James Dean Bradfield greets the packed Forum audience. He seems genuinely happy to be here and this is carried through a very upbeat version of Motorcycle Emptiness. This band sound absolutely amazing. The mix and volume are just right, the band is impeccable

twitter.com/inpressmag

Bradfield is left alone onstage, save for an acoustic guitar, as he gives a gorgeous performance of The Everlasting. The power of his voice is quite astounding. The band then return (with Wire looking fabulous whilst sporting a sailor’s cap and what appears to be a kilt) as they launch into the ultimate highlight of the night, Faster. No Surface All Feeling and Golden Platitudes are next before Wire decides to complain about a Sydney reviewer’s comment about his outfit before querying Sydneysiders’ penchant for vests. Tsunami follows before Bradfield thanks the crowd for their patience and tolerance (given they were last here almost 11 years ago), and we are left with A Design For Life. We can only pray that we don’t have to wait another ten years to see them again. Dominique Wall

live@inpress.com.au

MUSE, BIFFY CLYRO: December 14, 15 Rod Laver Arena EL GUINCHO: December 15 East Brunswick Club THE REVEREND HORTON HEAT: December 17 Billboard THE EAGLES: December 17, 18, 21, 22 Rod Laver Arena HEADS OF STATE: December 23 Palace MARINA & THE DIAMONDS: December 28 Hi-Fi Bar ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: December 29 Espy NEON INDIAN, CASIOKIDS: December 29 Revolver ARMIN VAN BUUREN: December 31 Etihad Stadium HOT HOT HEAT: January 3 Corner Hotel JUNIP: January 4 Corner Hotel SLEIGH BELLS: January 7 Prince Bandroom DARKEST HOUR, CARNIFEX: January 7, Hi-Fi INTERPOL: January 7 Palace THE NATIONAL: January 9, 10 Palais THEE OH SEES: January 9, National Hotel (Geelong); 12, 13 Tote MOS DEF: January 14 Palace Theatre GRINDERMAN: January 17 Palace WIRE: January 19 Corner Hotel HEALTH: January 21 East Brunswick Club BROOKE FRASER: January 22 Athenaeum Theatre KENNY ROGERS: January 25 Regent Theatre OLAF ARNALDS: January 26 Toff In Town COCOROSIE: January 27 Prince Bandroom COLM MAC CON IONMAIRE: January 28 Melbourne Recital Hall CRYSTAL CASTLES: January 28 Palace THE VERLAINES: January 28 East Brunswick Club ANDREW WK: January 29 Hi-Fi RATATAT: January 31 Hi-Fi THE MISFITS: February 4 Hi-Fi Bar THE UNTHANKS: February 4, Bella Union, Trades Hall CONOR O’BRIEN: February 6 Northcote Social Club BLONDE REDHEAD: February 7 Billboard TRAIN: February 7, Forum The Gin Club: Thursday Karova Lounge (Ballarat); Friday Ding Dong; Saturday Pure Pop

LES SAVY FAV: February 8 Billboard LOCAL NATIVES: February 8 Corner Hotel MENOMENA: February 9 East Brunswick Club BEAR IN HEAVEN, THE ANTLERS: February 9 Corner STORNOWAY: February 10 Corner Hotel WARPAINT: February 10 Northcote Social Club I AM KLOOT: February 17 East Brunswick Club MAYER HAWTHORNE & THE COUNTY: February 18 Hi-Fi THE BOOKS: February 20 Thornbury Theatre MICHAEL BUBLÉ: February 22, 23, 25 Rod Laver Arena IRON MAIDEN: February 23 Hisense Arena NEW FOUND GLORY, LESS THAN JAKE: February 28 Billboard PENNYWISE, MILLENCOLIN: March 1, Palace BRING ME THE HORIZON: March 2 Hi-Fi SUM 41, THE BLACKOUT, THERE FOR TOMORROW, VEARA: March 2 Billboard ROB ZOMBIE, MURDERDOLLS, MONSTER MAGNET, DOMMIN: March 3 Festival Hall PRIMUS, MELVINS: March 3, Palais ROXY MUSIC, MONDO ROCK: March 3 Rod Laver Arena WE THE KINGS, NEVER SHOUT NEVER, THE MAINE: March 3 Billboard BEST COAST: March 6 East Brunswick Club

RIHANNA: March 7, 8 Rod Laver Arena THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS: March 9 Rod Laver Arena KESHA: March 9 Festival Hall PULLED APART BY HORSES: March 11 Tote THE HOLD STEADY: March 11 Hi-Fi IMELDA MAY: March 11 Prince Bandroom OS MUTANTES, BEST COAST: March 11 Forum WAVVES: March 14 Corner Hotel AFRO CELT SOUND SYSTEM: March 16 H-Fi

The New Pornographers pic by Lou Lou Nutt

NATIONAL

PAPA VS PRETTY: December 1 East Brunswick Club BOBBY FLYNN: December 1 Northcote Social Club HOODOO GURUS: December 1 York On Lilydale; 3 Hotel Shoppingtown; 4 Chelsea Heights Hotel; 5 Mac’s Hotel ; 17 Corner Hotel; 18 Ferntree Gully Hotel KYLIE AULDIST, DEEP STREET SOUL: December 2 Federation Square JEZ MEAD: December 2 Northcote Social Club GUN STREET GIRLS: December 3 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 4 Northcote Social Club JORDIE LANE, JEN CLOHER: December 3 Corner Hotel BELLES WILL RING: December 3 East Brunswick Club DRAPHT: December 3 Prince Bandroom HUMAN NATURE: December 10 Melbourne Convention And Exhibition Centre HERMITUDE: December 10 Northcote Social Club PETER COMBE: December 11 (all-ages 1.30pm, over-18s 8.30pm) MAMA KIN: December 11 Toff In Town PARIS WELLS: December 16 Corner Hotel JONATHAN BOULET: December 17 East Brunswick Club GOSTELERADIO: December 17 Curtin Bandroom ADAM BRAND: December 17 Warrnambool Entertainment Centre; 28 Colac RSL; January 25 York On Lilydale (Mount Evelyn); 26 Regent Cinemas (Ballarat); 27 Hallam Hotel; 28 Gateway Hotel (Geelong); 29 Kinross Woolshed (Thurgoona) CUSTOM KINGS: December 17 Prince Bandroom; 18 the Grand (Ballarat) THE CHURCH: December 17, 19 Thornbury Theatre BONJAH: December 18 Hi-Fi Bar DARREN HANLON: December 19 Northcote Social Club

FESTIVALS

MELBOURNE MUSIC: September 29October 10 Melbourne City PARKLIFE: October 2 Sidney Myer Music Bowl and King’s Domain ANGLESEA MUSIC FESTIVAL: October 8-10 WANGARATTA JAZZ FESTIVAL: October 29-November 1 AUSTRALASIAN WORLD MUSIC EXPO: November 18-21 SUMMERBEATS: November 25 Rod Laver Arena QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL: November 26-28 SHINE ON: November 26-28 Pyrenees Ranges STEREOSONIC: December 4 Melbourne Showgrounds MEREDITH MUSIC FESTIVAL: December 10-12 FALLS FESTIVAL: December 28-January 1 Lorne PYRAMID ROCK FESTIVAL: December 29-January 1 Phillip Island NO SLEEP TIL MELBOURNE: December 17 Melbourne Showgrounds SUMMADAYZE: January 1 Sidney Myer Music Bowl BIG DAY OUT: January 30 Flemington Racecourse SOUNDWAVE: March 4 Melbourne Showgrounds GOLDEN PLAINS: March 12-14 Meredith FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL: March 13 Flemington Racecourse APOLLO BAY MUSIC FESTIVAL: April 8-10 Apollo Bay

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS, BIG SCARY EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB

Although The New Pornographers played at the Hi-Fi a week ago, it seems they just can’t get enough of Melbourne and we can’t get enough of them. After performing in Adelaide and Perth they return for a cheeky second show at the East Brunswick Club to finish their Australian tour which celebrates the release of their fi fth studio album, Together. While Little Scout supported the Vancouver-based collective at the Hi-Fi, it is peachy duo Big Scary who open tonight. These talented darlings are definitely one hot band to keep an eye on. They’ve just returned home to Melbourne after spending the past couple of weeks touring the country with Hungry Kids Of Hungary and have recently been rewarded with a Triple J Unearthed nomination. Tom Iansek and Jo Syme give knockout performances of Autumn, The Apple Song, and their new tune, Tuesday Is Rent Day from The Big Scary Four Seasons LP, which will be officially launched this summer. The New Pornographers take to the stage shortly after with fans thrilled to be in the presence of the talented octet. AC Newman, John Collins, Blaine Thurier, Dan Bejar, Kathryn Calder, Kurt Dahle, Todd Fancey and the lovely chanteuse Neko Case kick off with The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism from their first album Mass Romantic (2000). Following on are tracks from Together such as A Bite Out Of My Head and Crash Years. The album, which has received mixed reviews, is ridiculously catchy and encompasses a vast range of creative input from Will Sheff (Okkervil River), Annie Clark (St Vincent) and Zach Condon (Beirut). While it may not be as groundbreaking as earlier albums such as Mass Romantic and Electric Version (2003), it definitely complements the direction the band is heading in and live renditions of the new material are tight and polished. As well as featuring tunes from the latest album, the band perform tracks from the beloved Twin Cinema (2005) such as Jackie, Dressed In Cobras and The Jessica Numbers and All The Old Showstoppers from 2007’s Challengers. The entire set lasts well over an hour and apart from the mild sound-related hiccups at the beginning, The New Pornographers affirm exactly why we love them. Danielle Trabsky

GEORGIA FIELDS THORNBURY THEATRE

Picture this: you climb the majestic winding staircase of Thornbury Theatre and into the foyer, where you find a table heaving with honey joys and various other sugary treats, including cupcakes that look like teacups. You buy a honey joy for 50c. You move to the main room where Angie Hart is performing Accidently Kelly Street. There can be only two logical conclusions. Either you have travelled back 15 years in time to Frente! rocking a school fete, or you are at the delightfully charming Georgia Fields’ indoor picnic debut album launch extravaganza. Luckily for this review, it’s the latter. Fields has transformed the ‘Astor Theatre decorated by Franco Cozzo’ ambience of the Theatre into a charming and delightful picnic atmosphere, replete with rugs,

twitter.com/inpressmag

flowers and lanterns. And the audience has come to the picnic party, with their bottles of wine and floral frocks. It suits Fields’ playful, elaborate pop vibe perfectly. Fields glides onto the stage, all floral flock 1950sstyle gorgeousness, and kicks proceedings off with Seven Years. She has collected her entire mini indie orchestra for tonight’s performance, the star of which is Judith Hamman, Fields’ best mate and musical collaborator. During Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Hamman artfully flits between playing the cello and melodica, singing and contributing the rhythmic kids’ toy farmyard noises that make this song so fun. She also plays the actual drill on Sinking Relation Ship. Awesome. Fields introduces her famous ukulele for One Finger, which she sings with obvious glee, then plays White Flag, which is simple, brief and lovely. Satellite is next, its enormous energy even inspiring a couple of picnic rug dancers. Supports Angie Hart and Charles Jenkins join Fields onstage for a version of Fields’ favourite song of all time, which turns out to be God Only Knows. “Hey Georgia, don’t fuck it up!” jokes Hart, and they don’t. It’s sublime. The whole band jives along to the grand finale of All The King’s Men, and then Fields returns solo for an encore during which tambourine players magically appear, one by one, around the room. It’s a bewitching end to a beautiful night. Kate Kingsmill

OWL EYES

WORKERS CLUB Melbourne local Owl Eyes kicks off the Workers Club first birthday bash with the launch of her debut EP, Faces. Owl Eyes is 19-year-old singer/songwriter Brooke Addamo, who first launched her music career on that television talent show. It’s worth mentioning if only to clear her name from the inevitable tar brush that comes from its association. With this release, Owl Eyes has set herself apart from her AutoTuned alumni, steering herself in an indie pop direction like fellow escapee of brand Idol, Lisa Mitchell. Despite uncomfortably sticky conditions, Owl Eyes open to a packed room, beginning with the aptly named Fire Hotel. Led in with a synth-pop intro, the crowd is instantly engaged, dancing along to the infectious melody. This upbeat mood continues into the second track, as Owl Eyes showcases her vocal talent, a voice sometimes sweet and delicate, sometimes too big to be contained in the small room. Some more jazzy tracks follow, including Paper Planes. Here Owl Eyes’ vocal ability is further tested with syncopated phrasing, and some impressive key shifts, all delivered with confidence and ease. The mood then shifts with the cute, conversational Monorail, and a cover of Phoenix’s Long Distance Call. The song is almost unrecognisable so stripped-back is her version, but I feel it could have been more successful had she held onto some of the original’s more toe-tapping elements. Performance standout and EP highlight is 1+1. A simple and catchy love song, it has that instant familiarity that’s the making of all good pop songs and draws the hot, restless crowd back in, holding them until the strong finish of the EP’s title track. More Bat For Lashes than Blasko, it is great to see a young local songwriter branching out from the formula of girl-andher-guitar, delivering more than just sweet ballads but an entertaining set of indie-pop you can dance to. Adèle Psarras

live@inpress.com.au Eagle & The Worm pic by Lou Lou Nutt

he powers through the rest of the set. The set finishes with Flicker Little Lights. This upbeat rock track, with its echoing minimal ranging vocals, has a Children Collide-esque feel to it. The night doesn’t end there. The audience are shouting for more. Lakshman plays along with them, admitting they’re not prepared for it and don’t really know what to play. With a cheer from the crowd, they launch into a rock-fuelled rendition of The B-52’s Rock Lobster; evidently, a favourite at Premodernists gigs. Sean Figgers from The Whole Molko (also supporting on the night) jumps onto the stage armed with a cowbell. Lillian Altman

GROUNDATION HI-FI BAR So Groundation are a nine-piece Californian band playing a really unique form of roots reggae. The feeling of walking into the Hi-Fi Bar tonight is incredible. Sold out, it’s so packed it’s like

people are hanging from the walls. It may be due to the calibre of the supports or the killer tunes from the DJ, but everyone is moving – this one amorphous mass of people all tapped into the groove. They’ve come to party. “When I say ‘Roots’, you say ‘Groundation’,” offers Systa BB, “Roots!” And then a huge roar, “Groundation!” The first thing you notice is that they’re white (aside from the two back-up singers), and they look like jazz dudes. Aside from the lead singer who’s big beard and skullcap have him looking a little Jewish. Until he sings, then he has this raspy melodic wail, which when you close your eyes comes straight out of Jamaica. Apparently they were previously jazz dudes, and they’ve taken these roots to their reggae, because these cats can really play. With trumpet, trombone, Hammond B-3, drums, percussion, bass and guitar, there are featured solos and improvisation, where the other instruments take a back seat, jazz-style during the set. The highlight though is the percussion solo, which really keeps and expands upon the groove, sending the audience ballistic. From this

moment they have us all, and don’t let up. They know how to bring the party. What’s so interesting about this band is the way they evolve between styles, consuming them and dragging them within a reggae context. At times tonight it feels like a soul revue: the two back-up singers with incredibly powerful featured vocals; killer dance moves; and then stabbing horns before the reggae beat slowly slinks in. With duelling horns, a cappella vocals, jazzy Hammond B-3 solos, and killer dancing, by the time they finish about an hour later everyone goes crazy. Seriously. It’s safe to say I have never heard people screaming as loudly for an encore ever before. It’s at this point I wish I brought earplugs to save me from the crowd. Systa BB comes back onstage but despite screaming into the mic you can’t hear her. We want them back. And they have no choice, returning for a cover of Bob Marley’s Could You Be Loved, and everyone goes absolutely bonkers. I have never been to a show before where the audience is so fanatical, so loud and so ready to party. Incredible. Bob Baker Fish

EAGLE & THE WORM, RICHARD IN YOUR MIND EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB

When I recently spotted Dave Williams (of Augie March drumming fame) rocking an Eagle & The Worm t-shirt, it dawned on me that it was time to go see the eight-piece Melbourne outfit. Traipsing around the country as support to the likes of Dan Kelly and The Gin Club had no doubt prepared them well for their own national tour, which tonight sees show number nine of a four-week schedule. My merriment begins with support band Richard In Your Mind. Could this be the happiest-sounding group in the country? If you ever dreamt of Rivers Cuomo becoming lead singer of Linkin Park and replicating British pop-rock from The Beatles to Gorillaz, then you’d probably be picturing something like Richard In Your Mind. If that sounds complex, unoriginal or downright stupid, it’s not! It actually works a treat. The Sydneysiders embrace technology old and new to create an eclectic range of sounds. They’re lyrically joyous with a summertime tinge, effects heavy and almost tropicana-esque. It takes me back to The Avalanches’ Rock City era, pre-Since I Left You. These guys will be a hit at the Falls Festival, that’s for sure. Eagle & The Worm step on stage to The Jackson 5, enough to have anyone shuffling on the spot. I’m a sucker for horn sections, a shimmering Hammond and country-twang harmonies, so by the end of openers Futureman and Come Home Love my pen is back in the top pocket and I am whistling in loud applause. With great gusto and the exuberance of youth they capture a sound rarely born on Australian shores. They play to their strengths: Jarrad Brown and Richard Bradbeer share strong harmonies on tracks like Not Come Home, Michael Hubbard takes up lap steel duties and Liam McGorry hits his trumpet solo straps during the ballad Too Young. There is plenty of timely percussion and blaring horns from his acquaintances, Emily Mould and Ross Beaton. Jim Lawrie well and truly earns his rider behind the drums whilst Joe Cope shimmers away on the Hammond. Summer Song allows previous Worm Ben Morrison to provide ‘strings’ on the keyboard and the ‘welcome home’ party is almost complete. Brown reiterates the band’s gratitude to seeing plenty of “old friends, new friends and dudes we don’t know” turn out for the show. Estranged provides a kicker of a rock tune, as single releases Good Times and All I Know round off proceedings and give us one last taste of the jovial swing and alt.country rock that Eagle & The Worm continue to fine tune. Somewhat fittingly, they reappear to perform Tom Jones’ It’s Not Unusual, a fun and informal take on the 1965 number one that could well delight live audiences again. No doubt they will build a strong fanbase during their string of summer festival appearances and put all of their live experiences to good use when it’s time to release their debut album in 2011, cow bell and vibraslap included! John Donaldson

PREMODERNISTS, 8 BIT LOVE PONY

Melbourne lads Premodernists recently (re)launched their debut EP, Dance A Little. The first launch occurred in December last year, and this one is to celebrate that a distribution company picked up the release. The DIY release was wholly recorded at a university radio studio. One of the many supports of the night are electro-rockers 8 Bit Love. The Shepparton three-piece perform an eclectic mix of dance tunes, which sound like Art Vs Science, The Presets and Architecture In Helsinki all rolled into one. Their drummer plays remarkably well for someone dressed in a Gumby suit. Not once does he miss a beat. Their vocalist doesn’t either, even though he’d only slept three hours the previous night. After a short break, Premodernists take to the stage. Consisting of Aswin Lakshman (guitar/vox), Brad Elphinstone (bass/vox), Nicholas Leggatt (guitar/vox) and Tyse Axford (drums), the alternative garage rockers perform mostly instrumental tracks. The room is packed with true fans of the band, singing along to every single song. The standout track of the night is Hey Sylvana (not named after any girl in particular). It’s short, sharp, and hooks you in from the opening hard guitar riffs. A couple of songs in Lakshman’s fingers are bleeding all over his guitar, however,

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

BONE THUGS’N’HARMONY THE ESPY It’s a full house tonight, with tickets selling out weeks earlier. The majority of peeps waiting to relive their childhood memories of Cleveland hip hop heroes Bone Thugs’n’Harmony in the flesh are from the ‘burbs. Boy, is it a long wait. The show kicks off well with a charismatic MC and DJ duo dropping classic tunes by the likes of Ice Cube, 2Pac, Warren G and a lot of Snoop Dogg. It’s tough opening for a band that have a cult following but four brave Aussie hip hops acts try and fail to win over fans. Patience begins to wear thin after four hours and too many acts onstage name-dropping Bone Thugs to psyche the crowd up. You can only be promised ‘C’mon Melbourne city! Bone Thugs are up next!’ so many times before it becomes a cheap trick to get everyone to cheer. After the fourth local act comes on and promises Bone Thugs are coming up next (again) the vibe turns nasty. The DJ is

back on trying his best to keep the audience happy but another half hour of laptop music and scratching is not what the crowd wants. There are four chants for “Bone Thugs! Bone Thugs!” that fall on deaf ears and then… It begins with a small projectile, maybe a lid, thrown towards the stage and then, yep, there goes a bottle and hits the DJ. Oh shit. Mr DJ challenges the bottle thrower to come onstage and confront him like a man to which the whole room starts to boo and continues to boo all the tunes he drops. If Bone Thugs don’t get down here soon, things could get real ugly. Word quickly spreads and the headliners make their way downstairs. Representing the Bone Thug family on this tour are two of the five Bones: Wish Bone and Krayzie Bone. The room erupts when the two walk onstage with a posse including a backup singer/rapper, DJ and cameraman. With a casual hello, they burst into all-time classic East 1999 from their 1995 breakthrough album E 1999 Eternal and all the built-up aggro in the audience disappears as hands are thrown up in the air. Bone Thugs do well pulling punches from 17 years of

songs including newbie’s from this year’s album Uni-5: The World’s Enemy, and the fans are with them for the whole inspiring hour-and-a-half ride. The only thing missing from tonight’s performance is more Bones to bring the harmony in Bone Thugs’n’Harmony to life, but getting to see any part of this Grammy-winning group rip out their groundbreaking rapid-fire lyrical technique is an awesome experience. If you don’t know about these hip hop underdogs, it’s time to get educated. They are a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Jade Pham

THE KEY OF SEA PRINCE BANDROOM Well-known Australian musicians banded together with refugees and migrants, from as far and wide as Greece and Ethiopia, to launch The Key Of Sea album. Kicking off the night is Greek outfit Mortika Rembetika. The trio treat the audience to the

sweet sounds of Rembetika – the blues music of the Greek underground – featuring the smallest mandolin known to mankind. Following on are the rap stylings of African-born, Australian-raised hip hop duo Diafrix. Rockers The Vasco Era’s performance with Iraq’s Yousif Aziz is mesmerising. The slow-tempo love story Habibi Ba’ada Zelan starts out with the unique vocals of Vasco Era singer Sid O’Neil, before O’Neil takes a back seat to allow Aziz’s soothing voice to shine through. Ten-piece reggae outfit Blue King Brown team up with Diafrix for part rap/part R&B track Streets Are Getting Hot. The standout performance of the night is from The Cat Empire, with their Key Of Sea love song Zero. Performed with Ethiopian musician and composer Anbessa Gebrehiwot and drummer Jason Heerah, the punters at the gig are privileged to hear the song live, as its history is a bleak one. Whilst living in his home country of Ethiopia, Gebrehiwot donated the song to singer Abraham Gebre-Medhin, who was arrested and jailed. Gebrehiwot, who now resides in Melbourne, says this happened because the song was believed to emanate anti-government messages. The superextended version of the seven-minute track features Gebrehiwot on the lyre-like krar and vocals. The upbeat melody of the Empire’s horn section, mixed with the backing vocals of Harry Angus and Felix Riebl, have the punters dancing like there is no tomorrow. Overall, the night is a success for its organisers, as each and every one of the punters at the gig sang and dance along happily (others drunkenly) to the eclectic mix of unique music from around the world. This shows that Australians don’t just see refugees as aliens invading our country, but as part of the language of the world – music. All proceeds from album sales go to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, the Human Rights Arts And Film Festival and Refugees, Survivors And Ex-Detainees (RISE). Lillian Altman Powderfinger pic by Kiel Egging

POWDERFINGER, JET, YOU AM I RIVERSTAGE, BRISBANE I still remember it as if it was yesterday. Those three pounding power chords blasting out of my mum’s car stereo on a Saturday afternoon in mid-2003, as we travelled to my under-16s basketball game. As a 15-year-old guy still developing his musical tastes, the riffs that followed sent off a spark in my mind, a buzz in my ears, and a smile on my face, as I felt like I was getting my definitive introduction to Australian rock’n’roll. The song turned out to be (Baby I’ve Got You) On My Mind. It’s fair to say I’ve done my bit to line Powderfinger’s coffers over the last eight years. I’ve seen the band live ten times, bought all the CDs and DVDs, and have three t-shirts, a sweatband set, a guitar tab book and several posters to my name. In the memorabilia stakes, I have two setlists, three guitar picks and a signed CD. I also spent far too much time on the band’s online forum. In what felt like the ultimate rite of passage, I was one of the lucky few who made the pilgrimage to Brisbane for their last ever concert at the Riverstage. After scoring myself a position in the front row and enduring sets from You Am I and Jet, the boys delivered a truly memorable display from the opening lines of Love Your Way right through to the final notes of These Days. Several thankyous were made as well, with the crew and support bands, keyboarder Lachlan Doley and manager Paul Piticco all being given their 15 seconds of fame. And, most pleasingly, the hardcore fans who had travelled from far and wide to be at the gig were honoured with a song dedication towards the end (Passenger, fittingly enough). While it’s a shame the boys are going their separate ways and we won’t experience the magic of a Powderfinger concert ever again, they are going out in style. Powderfinger have achieved almost every accolade possible in the Australian music industry and have nothing left to prove. Plus, they are pulling up stumps while they are still at the peak of their game, and haven’t been downgraded to the RSLs and pubs like Grinspoon and a handful of other past-it Aussie rock bands. And now, eight years after I first heard that riff in my mum’s car, it’s all over. While I managed to hold myself together and didn’t reach for the box of tissues on the Riverstage barrier, a hollow feeling came over me Sunday morning as I realised I now only have those CDs and an upcoming DVD to give me my Powderfinger fi x in the years ahead. But I’ll always have a bucketload of lasting memories – none more so than when Ian handed me one of his guitar picks as the boys made their way along the barrier to offer high fives and hugs after Saturday night’s show. Maybe it was a sign, but don’t hold your breath on seeing me use that pick in a Powderfinger tribute band any time soon. Thanks for the memories, boys. Kiel Egging

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

HARDCORE FEVER

Hardcore punksters Cabin Fever and Degenerates are going on tour. Well, a very small tour, down the highway to Geelong for on night only. Joining them are the legendary Geelong punk rockers Poppin Momma’s and the local lads with songs as brutal as their name, Face On Fire! Cabin Fever are a three-piece hardcore punk band who pay homage to the old-school sounds of bands such as Negative Approach and Black Flag, usually throwing in a few classic covers into their set just because it’s great fun. Catch them at the Barwon Club this Saturday. Entry is $6 from 8.30pm.

DUSTY SPRING FEEL Jane Dust and guitar god Damian ‘Hoopoe’ Hooper hit Ding Dong this Friday night to support The Gin Club on their national tour. Dust will be playing songs from her recently launched self-titled album released through Vitamin Records, which received rave reviews and national airplay. It’s ‘60s symphonic stylings meets country jingle jangle. Also playing on the night are Jimmy Tait and Mike Noga and band.

ROCK MONSTERS

Monsters Of Rock is an eight-year rock tribute tradition, phenomena, institution and event which has developed a cult-like following and toured throughout the country. This year’s line up has a little something for everyone: KISS with the fab Kisstroyer, Guns N’ Roses with Appetite For Destruction, AC/DC with High Voltage,

Metallica with Binge & Purge and Tantalum. It all goes down at the Hi-Fi this Saturday from 6pm and it will sell out so grab tickets from the venue and get there early to get up close to the stage.

HARDCORE KIDS Maroondah and Yarra Ranges FReeZA committees have joined forces to present Hardcore Showdown 2010 this Friday night at EV’s Youth Centre (212 Mt Dandenong Rd, Croydon). Featuring ten bands across two stages, you can catch Hopeless, Anchors, Vultures, Trophy Knife, Restless, Glorified, Isis For Balor, Arcrasia, Fall Of Autumn Skies and Narrator. The massive event is all-ages and drug/alcohol/ smoke free, and tickets are $15 entry at the door (or $13w/pass). It runs from 6.30pm to 11pm.

TWITCH YER SKINNY BITS New Zealand post-punk trio The Twitch are coming to Melbourne this week in search of bars to drink dry, motels to get kicked out of and the

chance to purvey their own special brand of dirty post-punk rock’n’roll to those who can hack it. With two albums under their belts – What The F**k Is Going On? from 2006 and this year’s Time For Change – The Twitch will rock you so hard you’re likely to fall over. They play the Blue Tile Lounge this Thursday with Vimm and Freaks Of The Deep from 9pm, and Revolver Upstairs this Friday with The Happy Endings from 9pm.

SALMON STAKES Thirty-three years of music in a month of Sundays at the Old Bar and not a song repeated! Kim Salmon has focused his attention each Sunday in November on a different musical combo featuring different aspects of his diverse career. One week you may expect to hear The Surrealists, another The Scientists, another his latest avant-guard musings and on another the rest – ie. Beasts Of Bourbon, Antenna, The Business and maybe even a riff or two from SALMON. What’ll it be this Sunday? Be there to find out.

SNIFF DEAF ART Welcome to the jungle honey, we got your disease! We got the bands you want, a forest of cock rock if you please! Tone Deaf is tying on bandanas and sweaty leather strides as the crew gear up for a night of hip-thrusting, STD-sharing cock rock at Ding Dong Lounge this Saturday. Sydney’s all conquering The Art will be playing a one-off intimate club show in the hot and sweaty confines of Melbourne’s rock’n’roll heart. Since going to America as The Follow and returning to Australia as The Art last year, the band have been busting their chops playing with a who’s who of international bands – from Marilyn Manson to Them Crooked Vultures and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Also playing will be Skarlett Blue, The Five Venoms, The Rock City Riff Raff and Diamond Sins, who take the stage at 8pm.

Cash Savage & The Last Drinks launch their new album at the Tote this Saturday. HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Cash Savage, guitar/vocals: “It started with just me and the keyboard player, Nick. It has expanded to what can sometimes be an eight-piece by picking up fellow drinkers from the different pubs and gigs we’ve played.” HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? “My room is set up to record but I prefer to go somewhere else if I want to actually be productive.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? “Psychedelic heartbroken honkytonk blues.” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? “Levon Helm. The man still parties and plays gigs like he’s 20 and his music is fucking amazing.” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “The Buckaroos – Meanwhile Back At The Ranch. It took me a year to find it and it cost me a pretty penny. I don’t fancy having to try and find it again. DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? “I have more than a handful of black shirts and I’m usually in one of them. I don’t pretend that any of them are lucky... or clean for that matter.” IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? “Lamb shanks on mashed potato.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? “Without question the Old Bar in Fitzroy. Go the Unicorns!”

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

WILD STALLIONS This Saturday and Sunday, a local band fast making their mark on the live circuit, The Yellow Stallions, are playing for 24 hours non-stop for an awesome cause! The Yellow Stallions will play for an entire day on the Federation Square main stage. The band intends to raise $10,000 by playing through the night with the commitment to cure cancer. They will be collecting gold coin donations from passersby. All proceeds from the 24 Hour Benefit Concert will go towards the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF), an organisation dedicated to innovative research into cancer cures.

TASTE TEST DOUG HIND – THE SOLOMONS A song more people should know about is… Tim Rogers – Things Gonna Get Ugly. This is probably in my top five Rogers-penned songs. A beautiful statement of contentment in one’s place, with the chorus line “this ain’t such a band old place to be”.

DAMN CHAMPS

BLUE NOTES Quirky songstress Susy Blue has a lot of recent finalities to celebrate: from being a finalist in the Melbourne Music Prize and the Darebin Songwriter Awards, to finishing up recording her debut album! Blue has been coining a unique brand of cabaret folk, with her diverse musical influences evident in her colourful songs that that hop from playful folk, to lounge jazz, gypsy swing, lazy bluegrass, soul, reggae, ‘60s style pop and sea shanties. With an entourage of instrumentalists, Blue and her band play the Edinburgh Castle this Saturday night. Entry is $7 from 9pm.

With four videos on Rage, three singles on radio, two interstate tours and a partridge in a pear tree, what more could you ask from Damn The Maps this Christmas? How about three more shows this year and a full-length documentary? Sure, you can have that too. This Thursday, Damn The Maps play the Prague in Thornbury. Their documentary is set for world wide web release just before Christmas. Stuff that in your stocking.

ONE-EYED SNAKES Following the savage launch of their debut 7” single, River Of Snakes return to the Tote this Thursday for another night of sonic mayhem and hard-edged alternative rock, with help from blistering bone-crushers Bodies, discordant kids Hate Club and Link Meanie’s new outfit Blue Peter. Bands start at 8pm and entry is only $7.

SLASH YER FACE Yes, Actor Slash Model are actually putting something out again. And it starts with a single. It’s called Katherine Justice and the band will be performing it at Yah Yah’s this Saturday night, along with a few other songs if yer lucky. A band that defies all pigeonholes no matter the size, Actor Slash Model dream up poppy hits. They’ll be joined by White Woods, Howl At The Moon and The Enclosures and free copies of the single will be available on the night! Doors open at 9pm.

The Dolls-Au-Go-Go take on the Toxic Avengers in this weekend’s Victorian Roller Derby League Grand Final. The Avengers’ SARAH ‘BELLA DUBOIS’ BELLA gives us a preview. grand final to the Rosies by a single solitary point in the last two minutes. The Toxics’ gameplay is marked by a hard hitting line-up with power blockers like Hotrod Stacy and Punani Tsunami. The Dolls Au-Go-Go are our newest team and the ladies to beat with an impressive six consecutive wins this year. The Dolls are notorious for using complex strategy. You’ll see them skating in the wrong direction, dictating the speed of the game, and using everything they can from the derby rule book in their favour.

t’s that time of the year again, folks – VRDL Grand Final time! Two bouts, one night and one massive new venue. Smashing!

The big news is that this Saturday our grand final will be held at the Grand Pavilion at the Melbourne Showgrounds for the very first time. It’s an amazing venue with a 3,000 capacity, more than double the amount of fans we’ve been able to fit in previously. It’s also a double-header, which means there’s double the derby for your dollar. The first bout sees our Dead Ringer Rosies take on the Geelong Bloody Marys. We haven’t seen a Melbourne versus Geelong bout in quite some time. The Bloody Marys are fresh off a very close loss to the Northern Brisbane Rollers, while the Dead Ringer Rosies are almost bloodthirsty for a win this season, so this game could be anyone’s. The main event for the evening is the grand final match-up we’ve all been waiting for: the Dolls Au-Go-Go versus the Toxic Avengers. The Toxic Avengers are one of the two original VRDL teams and the perpetual underdog, losing last year’s

The song I never want to hear again is… Anything by Shania Twain. One of the few things stopping a full-scale ‘90s takeover, as opposed to just a little ‘well, we had the ‘80s a few years ago, let’s do the 90s now, for fun’ phenomenon. The Solomons launch their Rise And Fall single at the Grace Darling this Friday.

DO WHAT LANIE DOES

BOUT TIME Pic by Jesse Booher

The song I most wish I’d written is… Bob Dylan – Positively 4th Street. I’m quite a spiteful person really, to be honest. If you the reader is someone who knows they’ve crossed me at least once, you can be sure I’ve sung this to myself with you in mind. The song I’m really digging at the moment is… Philadelphia Grand Jury – Save Our Town. I wasn’t quite sure about the Philly Jays the first time ‘round to be honest, but this song really summed up the feeling of a lot of people, much like Northcote (So Hungover) by The Bedroom Philosopher did before that.

PRAGUE BURNS SwearCorp presents Melbourne heavy rockers Elemental Burn to rip apart the Prague in Thornbury on Friday 10 December. These guys and gal have been working very hard over the past four years to showcase their emotion-filled, raw, hard and face-smacking sound that will trap you in and take you far enough away from yourself to bring you back to reality (or something). Showing off a mixed bag line-up to the stage, Elemental Burn will headline with friends Nocturnal Ashes, Clink Flick and 180 Proof. Doors at 8pm.

The song that always gets me on the dancefloor at 3am is… The Smiths – This Charming Man. I’m probably not alone here. It can’t come out too early, though. You have to be drunk enough to imitate Morrissey.

Both teams are having an incredible season and while I’d like to tell you that my team, the Toxics, surely have this one in the bag, I don’t want to be attacked by rabid Dolls fans. All I’ll say is that it’s guaranteed to be some of the best roller derby ever seen in this country and you’d be crazy to miss it. Go and secure your tickets – they’re available now through Moshtix. The VRDL is 100% skater-owned and operated, which means that the women you see playing this crazy sport are the same women making everything happen behind the scenes, from coaching training sessions to putting on bouts like this one. We couldn’t do it without the help of our sponsors and we’re always looking for more support. If you’d like to promote your business while supporting a grassroots, not-for-profit organisation, hit us up at sponsorship@vrdl.org. See you on Saturday at the Showgrounds! WHAT: Victorian Roller Derby League Grand Final WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Grand Pavilion, Melbourne Showgrounds

FUN BAGS Fun Machine are hitting Melbourne for three nights in December: Friday 3 December at Bar 303 in Northcote, Wednesday 8 December at the Curtin Bandroom and Friday 10 December at the Bender Bar. They’re from Canberra, they’re outrageous, and they’re winning all sorts of accolades left, right and centre, the most recent of which was a spot on the Foreshore Summer Music Festival bill alongside Temper Trap and Cut Copy. Their debut EP, More Is More!, had their hometown in a hot fuss. But enough rabble. Get to the gigs.

HANCOCK SPAG BOL For their new single One In Million Does, Canberra indie poppers Hancock Basement embraced their love of hip hop production – without having to resort to rapping (which they promise is something best left unheard). Enlisting Aussie hip hop knob twiddler D’Opus (of duo D’Opus and Roshambo), the band have crafted a big and bouncy pop tune with call-response verses and an earworm chorus perfect for the Australian summer. They launch the single at the Empress this Thursday night and you can check out the awesome spaghettisplattering video for the tune online now.

Pinpointing exactly where Lanie Lane is coming from musically is not easy, but take a hotpot of blues, jazz and country from the golden eras of the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, place them firmly within a modern context, and you’ve got a good a starting point. Lanie’s (pronounced “Lanny”) debut single, What Do I Do, illustrates this better than any attempt at a convenient classification. An ode to the frustrations of the daily grind and the necessary evils of dead-end jobs supporting loftier ambitions, it arrives on the back of a sack of coins as percussion and a double bass line that heralds in that voice, and a song that is part chant, part stomp and part stripped back anthem. Lane launches the single at the Northcote Social Club on Thursday 2 December.

SCUL BUST CAPS

Pummelling punk – the best kind! Scul Hazzards are a guitar-based noise rock band from Brisbane who make aggressive deconstructionist rock, sometimes within pop structures, sometimes without. Basically it’s dark, loud, brooding, Albini-like chaos. They play Yah Yah’s this Thursday with Dead China Doll, Sydney duo House Of Beggars (formed by Helix Also and Audrey L Carpetbagger of Sydney group Guns Are For Kids – but make no mistake, this ain’t a side project) and No Art. Doors at 9pm.

FRUIT LOOPS

Every Monday night at 8pm, Fruit Jar’s Old Timey String Band take to the stage at the Old Bar and start playing their barn-storming, squaredancing, fiddle-playing, toe-tapping, knee-slapping, foot-stomping, tobacco-chewing, jaw-dropping ol’ timey tunes that’ll make you wanna pick some cotton and drink some white Jesus moonshine. The even play two sets so you’ve got an excuse not to make it home to watch whatever shit TV show your housemate always wants to watch.

ALL THE BEER IN MEXICO Forget those liberal and labor bastards! Vote for Dr Mexico this Saturday night as the band launch their debut album, Techno Ono, at the Great Britain Hotel. After months of recording, the gun-toting, bandit-doctors will be showcasing songs from the album and some freshly conjured up madness. The winner of the ‘Dr Mexico Album Design Competition’ will also be announced, after over 850,000 entrants from South America submitted their proposed album artwork. The night starts at 8.30pm with majestic groovers The Desert Shore. Get down early and shout the band a Corona.

THE INSTITUTE REACTS After two successful nights of talented up and comers the Great Britain Hotel again plays host to MWT Institute’s ‘Reaction’ showcase this Thursday night. Reaction III serves as a launching pad for the institute’s students to deliver their compositions following a year’s worth of theoretical sweat and musical tears. This end-of-year bash will highlight the institute’s best performers and offers a great opportunity for those involved to let their hair down and those watching to catch some truly gifted individuals. Kicks off at 8pm with a BBQ in the beer garden. Entry is free.

twitter.com/inpressmag

SANTA’S FIREBALLS After a successful Australian tour premiering their new album, Hellrider, Fireballs will be unleashing their special brand of psychobilly punk rock in the Espy Gershwin Room on Christmas night, Saturday 25 December. Whether you want to relive some of the highlights of Fireballs back catalogue such as Voodoo, Dream Pills or So Bad It’s Good, or if you want to see the new album outdo the sheer awesomeness of past live shows and recordings, get yourself down to the Espy and make it a punk rock Christmas! Tickets are on sale now from espy.com.au and all Oztix outlets.

live@inpress.com.au

BANG BANG

PURPLE SNEAKERS

BANG

RS PURPLE SN EAKE

EAK ERS PURPLE SN NEXT

N EXT BANG

NEXT PURPLE SNEAKERS

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

JD Samson

HOME BASS RICHARD BONA excels at every musical instrument he picks up, but it’s with the bass that he’s made his name, writes MICHAEL SMITH. was 22, he was living in Paris studying Miles Davis and Chet Baker and putting together his first fusion band, Point Cardinale. “I got to play with a lot of great French musicians like Didier Lockwood and Marc Ducret, wonderful, wonderful musicians, and then after about five years I moved to the United States. I’d started meeting a lot of American musicians in Paris and when I was touring. I met [guitarist] Mike Stern in Israel. We became friends and he’d always be saying, ‘Come to New York’. So one day I decided I’d go over for two weeks, I went there and I never came back. I got there and, boom, I had a gig with Joe Zawinul; boom, I had a gig with Randy Brecker – in those two weeks I was a busy man!”

JD’S BIRTHDAY SUIT Grouse Party has long been the hot ticket for a queer night out in Melbourne, and for its third birthday on Saturday 18 December the gang have sure pulling out the big guns. The “Birthday Extravagaynza” goes down at the Cornish Arms and will be headlined by a very special guest DJ and icon, none other than international celesbrity, JD Samson (Le Tigre/Peaches/MEN). Joining the bill are a stack of Grouse faves including Danceteria DJs, Oprah & Gayle, Dodkins Sisters and Ann Ominous. Presale Tickets are strictly limited and on sale now through moshtix.com.au, 1300 438 849 and all Moshtix outlets including Polyester. Head to grouseparty.tumblr.com for all the deets. This one’s gonna be bigger than yer wang!

REEFER GOODNESS

The Reefers have returned from the four corners of Earth to bring the might and power of modern surf to the good people of Olde Fitzroy. This Friday, thunder will crash, lightning will roar and the pillars of Heaven will shake to an unholy hybrid of traditional surf music and the rolling beats of the Middle East. Ordinary, decent people will be drawn to Yah Yah’s, casting off their inhibitions with every step, surrendering themselves to tribal rhythms and the pleasures of the flesh. There will be belly dancers, bedlam, surf, liquor and sin. See you up the front. Doors at 9pm.

SCABBIN’ DUNNIE BLUES

The Dunhill Blues are one of the noisiest bunch of malcontents this side of the petticoat and this Saturday they’ll be launching their blistering new CD at the Retreat Hotel. Guitar-driven, foot-stomping and sax-fuelled, these hardened rock troubadours are best viewed with a beer in hand and are a sure fire reminder of why simple is often the best option in rock’n’roll. If you think you recognise support act Brat Farrar you wouldn’t be wrong – Sam Agostino (of Digger & The Pussycats fame) is stepping out under his new solo moniker and is taking his DIY approach to punk and garage the ultimate level. Make it down early to catch the swamp rock of Dirt River Radio in the front bar at 7.30pm.

oming to Australia with his band for the first time as a guest of the 2010 Adelaide International Guitar Festival, curated by Slava Grigoryan, Richard Bona’s musical career began in the most inauspicious of circumstances. But they were circumstances that brought out a prodigious talent that was never going to be held back by the grinding poverty of Bona’s village of Minta, in the eastern part of West African nation Cameroon. His first experience of music, as a three-year-old, was the balafon, or 21-string African harp; by five he was performing in the village church and by the age of ten he was building his own instruments. As he explains, “I was a boy in a place where there were no shops, so if you wanted an instrument, you built it.” Of course, it’s quite a switch from balafon to electric bass. “I know, I look at the range of the balafon, having all those notes, and I end up playing on four-string guitar! Through all those years before I started playing bass I played balafon, I played a lot of percussion, kalimba, I played saxophone, I played organ in a church, and then I heard a Jaco Pastorius record. When I heard Portrait Of Tracy on his first record [released in 1976] when I was 14 I switched to bass and I never switched back again.” By then Bona was already fronting his own band and had moved to Cameroon’s largest port town, Douala, where he was introduced not only to Pastorius but to jazz in general by the owner of the club in which he was playing. By the time he

That was in 1995; by 1998 he’d signed to Columbia, releasing his first album as a bandleader, Scenes From My Life, the following year. His latest album, Ten Shades Of Blues, is decidedly not a traditional blues album but an extraordinary fusion of jazz, rock, blues, Indian and more. “In general, when I hear people talking about blues they just get one side of it. When I hear or read about blues, it’s always, oh, the slaves brought it to America, but that’s just one part of it, which is the Delta and Mississippi. What we call the blues is actually a scale, the pentatonic scale, and I hear that scale almost in every culture in the world – you listen to Irish music, you hear that scale. When you listen to Indian music you hear it too. Go to Nashville, Tennessee, where they play what’s called country – they’re playing blues too, bluegrass too, because they came from Ireland. “So when I trace that line, I don’t see slaves going to Ireland, so how come Irish people are playing that line too? So I deduced from that that blues is one of the most diverse forms of music, and one of the most sophisticated too because you can adapt it to any form of rhythm or music. That’s why the Ten Shades Of Blue.”

WHO: Richard Bona WHAT: Ten Shades Of Blue (Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, Melbourne Recital Centre

TAKE IT ALL

TASTE TEST

Take Your Own are ready to unleash their sound on the world, and it’s happening this Friday at the Bendigo Hotel. Get your rocks off! Also playing are Thrash Dance, Backyard Surgeons, Chilling Winston and Fortnight Jumbo! Entry is $10 on the door for an 8pm start.

RÁV THOMAS The fi rst record I bought with my own money was... Kiss – Killers. I was totally obsessed with Kiss. Pretty much still am. I know that makes no sense as I’m a total singer/songwriter with not a hint of pyro at my gigs. In every picture of me as a kid I’m sticking out my tongue like Gene Simmons.

The record I put on when I bring someone home is... Gee, I don’t know! I might try Dr Hook.

The best record I stole from my folks’ collection was... A Dr Hook best-of. That guy had a voice that would melt any woman. If he sang to you, you’d go wobbly at the knees and there’d be nothing you could do about it. That’s the voice I want!”

The last thing I bought/downloaded was... I actually downloaded a couple of Mötley Crüe albums that I bought secondhand on vinyl but I don’t have a turntable. So they’re on the iPod now! Ráv Thomas launches his new single in the Espy’s Gershwin Room this Friday.

After successfully releasing their debut green double A-side 7”, Stay Solo/AM, earlier this year on their own label, Desert Mouth Records, and gaining outstanding reviews and rotation on some of Australia’s leading radio stations, Iowa are back with the follow-up double A-side, Lose Yourself/ Reasons, this time on limited edition red vinyl. This latest release was also recorded by rising engineer Jack Farley (Beaches, Love Of Diagrams, Spider Vomit) and will be launched at the Old Bar this Friday with support from Handhell, Mass Cult and Liam Stewart. Entry is $10 from 8.30pm.

STANDARD PUNX

Melbourne punks Slick 46 are welcoming South Australia’s modern day street punks Standard Union back to Melbourne this Friday at Pony. Standard Union are back in town after their standout July shows, ready to unleash tracks from their new recording. They’ve been touring across Australia for eight years now and with a refreshed line-up are showing off their brand of Social Distortion and Pogues-inspired punk rock. Street punk veterans Slick 46 will be playing their last shows for 2010, and support comes from street punk rockers Stranglehold and rock’n’rollers The Jacks.

NO WAVE TO SPHERES The second installment of the Soundings music series features kindred spirits from Melbourne’s experimental underground, as well as north, south and west of the border. You’ll hear no-wave, jetset, trash and no-star sounds from the blessed depths of the musical pit, by bands actively driven by an exploratory musical impulse, be it sonic, rhythmic, structural or compositional. On the bill are The Spheres, Great Earthquake, Paint Your Golden Face (Hobart), Amplifier Machine, Battlesnake, No Art (Syd), Light Lions, The Carolinas, Ghost Of 29 Megacycles (Perth) and Radiant City. It all goes down at Loop Screen Gallery & Bar in the city this Sunday from 5pm and entry is $12.

FRANKIE SAYS NOIR

Ruby Noir brings Melbourne’s biggest funk soul Afro Latin swing ensembles out from the city to class up Ruby’s Lounge in Belgrave on Friday 18 December. Nine-piece masters of swing Frankie Wants Out are guaranteed to keep the dancefloor cookin’ with their red-hot original neo-swing and funk. Host DJ Paper keeps the dancehall swinging with tracks from the era. Ruby’s becomes the prohibition-era speakeasy it so resembles. Let out the oppression of The Man and pop, lock, pump, grind, jitter, jive, boogie, twist and funk up the dancefloor. Entry is $10.

DIG ON A RECORD

The record I put on when I’m really miserable is... I’m never miserable – too busy.

The most surprising record in my collection is... I have heaps of punk pop. And metal. Most people are surprised by that given the Ráv Thomas catalogue is so acoustic and ballad-driven. But the melody and big guitar gets me every time. And most of the songs are about 15-year-old boys who don’t know how to talk to girls. I relate.

LOSE YERSELF IN IOWA

BRUMBY WINS In September, the Bendigo Hotel launched its very own open mic night: Show Us Your Riffs. The event was created with the aim of nurturing local singer/ songwriters and providing artists with greater opportunities and exposure within the Melbourne music scene. They came from near and far, lugging their guitars and singing their hearts out. Thus, the idea was born to invite the ‘standout’ performers back for a huge open mic showcase! It happens this Sunday, headlined by ARIA Award-winning singer/ songwriter Monique Brumby! Join Brumby, her band and her special Show Us Your Riffs guests at the Bendigo from 3pm. entry is $10.

twitter.com/inpressmag

The Crate Digger Record Fair is back at Yah Yah’s for one last time in 2010, with record junkies getting a final fi x this Sunday before the silly season really starts. Doors open at noon and with more than 20 stallholders over two levels, you’re sure to find some choice records for your own collection, or maybe even something special to stuff the stocking of a loved one. Expect to find indie, punk, garage, soul, ‘50s/’60s, rock and pop, psych, soundtrack, hip hop, funk and electro.

DAMN PET PONY Pony plays host to the EP launch party of the mighty Damn Terran this Saturday. The ball-tearing raucous post-punk fury of the Melbourne three-piece was set to record at Head Gap studios with Sammy K (In Tongues, Gatherer, On Sierra). The result is their debut EP, Pet Hate, a fierce seven-track speaker-melting disc to add to the great Melbournian rock canon. In support at the launch will be swamppunks Bone, jumpy grunge punks Kids Of Zoo and fuzzy thrash-pop band Daddy Long Legs And if you don’t get lucky on the night, no bother, as Damn Terran will most assuredly get you off.

live@inpress.com.au

WILLIAMSTOWN ROCKS The historic seaport of Williamstown will be the host of the very first of many Melbourne International Guitar Festivals at Seaworks, 82 Nelson Place, on the weekend of 19 and 20 March 2011. The Guitars Across The Bay festival will take guitar players, enthusiasts and music lovers through an assortment of sounds and styles of the guitar and guitar players, featuring some of Australia’s finest guitarists over two days on three different stages. Those playing include The RocKwiz Orkestra, Geoff Achison, Ray Beadle, Simon Patterson and Jimi Hocking. Head to guitarsacrossthebay. com for all details and Moshtix for tickets.

DEAN OF CABARET

Emma Dean is set to unleash her second album, Dr Dream And The Imaginary Pop-Cabaret, at the Toff In Town this Saturday. If you’ve walked into a show of Dean’s in the past two years, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d been swallowed

into a twisted daydream. In her cabaret-inspired performances, the aspects of her imagination dress in corsets and fishnets and dance and thrust their way around the room in time Dean’s emotive songs. Having taken the with Woodford Folk Festival and 2010 National Folk Festival by storm, she’ll be joined by The Jane Austin Argument and Flashfry. Tickets are $15+BF from Moshtix or $20 on the door from 7.30pm.

SMOKIN’ GRAS Sans Gras are elated to announce the release of their debut EP Retrograde Motion. They’re launching it this Thursday at the Grace Darling, featuring two of Melbourne’s favourite left of centre bands, Cuba Is Japan and Sex Face, with projections by Ben Ferns, in a night of bent instrumental jams and eccentric indie rock! Doors open at 9pm, entry is $8 and copies of the stellar EP will be available for purchase for just $5 on the night!

UNDERAGE IN HAWAII

The Hawaiian Islands proudly and pineappley-present the Valerie artwork release show! Everyone’s favourite underage babysitter has been immortalised as a limited edition watercolour print! To celebrate, The Hawaiian Islands have invited some close friends and some virtual strangers to play some tunes and get tropical at the Arthouse this Friday. God God Dammit Dammit (Adelaide), The Hawaiian Islands, Keith! Party and Madonna support and doors open at 7.30pm.

GET BENT The Bendigo Hotel will light up this Thursday night for the launch of a very special queer cabaret extravaganza – Bent Cabaret! The night will feature tunes from the always boundarypushing Bitchslap, Agent Cleave and DJ John Pants and burlesque with The Bad Ladies. Ticketsare $10 presale or $15 on the door. Head to bendigohotel.com.au for all the details.

Damn Terran launch their debut EP Pet Hate at Pony this Saturday. HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Leigh Ewbank, drums: “Me and Lachy, Damn Terran frontman, are brothers. We’ve been jamming together for around seven years and the band developed organically from that. The talented Ali Edmonds from Little Athletics and FerryTails joined us in 2010 on the bass.” HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? “We release our maiden recording this weekend actually. Sammy K, who has worked with In Tongues, Gatherer and On Sierra, recorded a session at Head Gap two months ago. We’re happy with the result and will release a follow up mid-next year.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? “Three: post-punk fury!” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? “Kyuss Lives. Why? Kyuss are amazing.” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? “I try to wear undies each time I play a show.” IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? “Easy. I’d unleash my special burrito recipe. I developed a taste for Mission-style burritos while living in the Bay Area last year. The best way get a steady burrito fi x was to figure out how to make them. They’re good.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? “That’s a tough question. It depends on the weather and who’s playing. I do love Mexican food, so the Taco Brothers make drinking at the Tote very enjoyable.”

CELADORE HANDLE IT

Celadore return for one final Melbourne performance for 2010 before returning to the studio to finish work on their sophomore EP. Catch the band playing gems off their highly praised Distance Is A Gun EP as well as previewing tracks from their as yet untitled second EP at Revolver Upstairs on Friday 10 December from 9pm with Holliava.

ENGINE REVS

Melbourne’s Engine Three Seven and Gold Coast’s Electric Horse are two of the country’s fastest rising rock acts. Catch them team up for a blistering co-headline tour along the East Coast throughout November and December. With both bands having recently released brand new EPs, they are ready take their ball-tearing live shows to the road for what will be an exciting tour that hits the Evelyn Hotel this Saturday. Doors open at 8.30pm and tickets are $12+BF from Moshtix or on the night.

HUMP DAY JUNK

In a mid-week excuse for getting out the sequins, Junk! are joined by Keith! Party and Caractacus in a celebration of keytars, beatbox solos and electro rock at Revolver Upstairs tonight (Wednesday). Let your hump day be dominated by the universe of Junk! where the 1980s, women, chicken soup, household budgeting and mushroom trips are all explored using MIDI controlled drum pads, foot pedals and a humble tambourine to create an hour of glitches, pops, sonic assaults and looming percussion. Entry is $10 from 8pm.

WHORES IN LABOUR

Melbourne’s top party band The Crack Whores play Saturday 4 December at the Labour In Vain in Fitzroy, jamming out two sets from 5pm. It’s been a long time between drinks for the boys, and they’re more than ready to take the stage and live up to their name. The band sum up the show as: “New songs, inconvenient time, intimate setting.” Sounds like every crack whore’s dream.

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

DOODLE AN OLDIE

GIVE ‘EM THE BOOT

Life Drawing at the Old Bar is hitting the beer-swilling patrons of Melbourne with an injection of culture, a scrawl with charcoal amidst the gin and tonic lulls. This is all as it sounds: drawing nudes outside of the restraints of the artists’ studio. You will all be talked through the process of drawing the human form by experienced tutor Kristen. Each session we tackle a different consideration, temperament and medium the materials are supplied, but if you have something special you want to use, feel free to take it along. It all happens at the Old Bar every Tuesday from 7pm.

Debauched rockers MIDNIGHT WOOLF are hoping for crowd participation when they help relaunch indie night Bootleg this week, writes NIC TOUPEE. “Every night that we play is a special night for us,” Raul adds smarmily. “This is a special interview.”

CYCLONE RUMBLE

Its gonna be a psycho whirlwind at Rumble at the Bendigo Hotel this Saturday with the death-boppers Cyclone Diablo launching their new album, Psychoactive Wonderland, in fine style. The night will be jam packed of rats and murder as the Murderballs, Road Ratz and Murder Rats support this typhoon of a night. Doors at the Bendigo open at 8pm and the house will be shaking ‘til 3am. Entry is $10.

I EXIST TO GET WET Just south of Brisbane is a lovely place where dreams come true – Wet ‘N’ Wild. While touring together in March, Canberra sludge merchants I Exist and Sydney pseudo thugs Phantoms visited this magical place and decided to immortalise it in song. Recorded in one afternoon with Lachlan Mitchell between visits to Sizzler and a Soulfly concert, the result is Bad Romance, two songs from each act and all named after Wet ‘N’ Wild rides. The 7” will be released on 14 January 2011, with a pre-order available from 6 December. Catch I Exist this Saturday at the Arthouse with Warbrain, The Broderick and Vultures.

DRUNKEN WITH IAN

RUN TO REVOLVER A musical onslaught and rock’n’roll juggernaught, Melbourne natives Free To Run fuse blues, metal and rock into their own unique 150 proof blend of single malt multiple orgasm balls-out sound. Informed and empowered by the like of Black Sabbath, Hendrix, Guns N’ Roses and Kyuss, this trio put the ‘ow’ in power. The band have been threatening to release their second EP and now the time has come to make good. They launch it this Saturday at Revolver with good friends and purveyors of heavy grooves Winterun and merchants of menace Ex Animo rounding out a massive bill. Entry is $10 from 8.30pm.

The weekend is very nearly over, you’ve been to church and had lunch with your grandma. Everything is wholesome and good. Wake up! Sunday is for afternoon beers and great music, in this case blues music. One of the finest proprietors of the blues on our shores today is Ian Collard (of ARIA Award winners Collard Greens & Gravy) and he would very much like you to join him at 4pm this Sunday at the Drunken Poet to end the weekend on the correct note. Entry is free.

LAY WITH HOLLIAVA Stay Where We Lay is the impressive debut album from Melbourne outfit Holliava due for release on 10 December, a pop rock offering that shows a depth of work and maturity that too often escapes new bands. With a unique sense of melody and a multi-instrumental talent that allows them to explore every aspect of a song, Holliava carefully craft tracks that you can’t help but want to listen to. Catch Holliava launching their debut album at Revolver Upstairs the night it comes out, Friday 10 December, with special guests Celadore and Innerspace.

SO NOT SORRY What’s better than a punk rock band at the Arthouse? Four of them – tonight! With their EP There Goes The Neighbourhood firmly under their belts, and plans to soon record their debut full-length album, the explosive powerhouse quintet of Johnny Not Sorry are sure to blow the roof right off the venue as they headline this night of punk mayhem. Also featured, having recently recorded their own four-track demo, are the energetic foursome of Pinwheel, along with the heavy rocking talents of Sordid Ordeal and just a dash of psychobilly rock’n’roll with Push To Twist.

SAVAVE HOUNDING It has been two years in the making, but the debut album for Cash Savage & The Last Drinks is finally here. Titled WOLF, the album is a testament to the raw power of Cash Savage, an artist like no other in Melbourne. Exploring the darker corners of the human condition, Savage’s rich, husky and soulful voice is nothing short of astounding and when she sings, you can feel every broken heart, every tale of woe. Catch the band launching the album at the Tote this Saturday with support from Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders, Eaten By Dogs and The Death Rattles.

WILSON GOES WEST

After more than twenty years on the scene, Chris Wilson has long been established as an essential part of blues and rock in Australia. From stints with Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls, myriad collaborations with the cream of the Australian industry and numerous solo outings, Wilson’s huge voice and legendary blues harp are unmistakable. With a presence and talent as big as the country he lives in, Wilson is truly a master of his craft. He plays this Saturday at the Drunken Poet in West Melbourne from 9pm. Entry is free.

His tongue may just be wedged a little into his cheek, but both brothers admit that their live shows have started gathering a debauched momentum of late. “It’s been good lately, we’ve been writing some new songs, and the shows seem to be getting crazier and crazier” Lluis muses. “There’s been more crowd interaction,” Raul agrees.

“W

e want our music to have fun and a sense of humour. We don’t think about anything too much and don’t want the crowd to either,” Raul Sanchez says, summarising his philosophy of writing rock. “I think heaps of Melbourne bands think they’ve got something important to say, about politics or whatever, but really, people just want to have a good time. I think if you want to get deep you should read a book – there’s a time and a place for that and it’s not at a gig.” Raul and his brother Lluis have had their fingers in more pop and punk pies than it’s even worth trying to recount. Notably, though, there’s Raul’s continued stint as Magic Dirt guitarist and Lluis’s pop-poster art career, and the brothers have left their unmistakable swampy pomp-rock mark on clubs and pubs from Brunswick to Barcelona. As a combined familial force they channel the psychobilly spirit of The Cramps in Midnight Woolf. With a new album somewhere around the corner – if they could only get themselves into the studio to record it – Midnight Woolf are headlining the relaunch of Bootleg. The indie night – which in the past has showcased artists such as The Temper Trap, Youth Group, Midnight Juggernauts, Operator Please, Little Red, Children Collide and British India – has welcomed Jim Beam on board as a sponsor, enabling Bootleg to travel around the country. The relaunch at Red Bennies this Friday will also feature sets from Bitter Sweet Kicks and The Level Spirits, as well as burlesque performances and other surprises. Midnight Woolf have big plans for the shebang – or no plans, depending on which brother you ask. “It’s exciting to be playing of course, but in the end [Bootleg] is just another show for us,” Raul says blithely. “It won’t be anything too different: just another show of us doing what we do.”

Black Label play the Chelsea Heights Hotel this Thursday; Shoppingtown Hotel on Friday; the Barleycorn later Friday night; the Ferntree Gully Hotel on Saturday; and Mac’s Hotel in Melton on Sunday. HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Jon Ford, guitar: “We formed on the central coast of NSW in 1988. In 1994 Black Label relocated to Sydney’s western suburbs, where new members joined.” HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? “Both. I have an electric kit at home and an eighttrack. The band has recorded seven albums at different studios around Sydney.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? “Gibson, Marshall, Ampeg and Sonor.”

“Actually, Raul’s full of shit,” retorts Lluis dryly. “We’re going to go apeshit! Completely! And I’m preparing a small piece of poetry, which I will read for the occasion. Also, we’re going to bring fireworks.”

“Last weekend we got our guitars licked by someone in the audience,” Lluis volunteers, in demonstration. Your humble scribe shudders in horror at the unsanitary state of a Sanchez guitar. “No, I don’t think it would have been very sanitary,” Lluis agrees gleefully. Both brothers agree that desperate tactics are sometimes required to get Australian audiences to react – after years in Spain they’ve been frustrated by our comparatively conservative attitudes. “I like having fun and getting people to dance – I find it really boring when the crowd just stands there looking at like stunned mullets,” Raul grouses. Lluis concurs: “in Europe people go apeshit. Melbourne crowds can be hard to get moving – although lately people have been going pretty crazy. I lived in Spain for ages and over there crowds dance heaps more and get into it, but here it seems people are self-conscious. But really, who gives a shit what people think? You’re there to have a good time, not be seen. You can get really cheap speed in Europe as well – that might have something to do with it,” he laughs. Even if the crowd don’t turn out to be ideal participants, they will still be useful as guinea pigs to test out songs from the next album. “Every show is a guinea pig show,” Lluis admits. “We’ll be using this show to practice our new songs – it will be about 50/50 old and new.” “We often forget our songs,” Raul confesses, “but I think you have to go with the flow. Sometimes if you write a setlist and try to stick to it, that setlist turns out to be shit.” WHO: Midnight Woolf WHAT: Bootleg WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Red Bennies

CAB CHARGE

Fresh from their July tour, Black Cab return to the Northcote Social Club this Friday before heading back into the studio for quite some time. The band have been working with producer Simon Polinski to explore new musical directions of the weird, beaty kind and look forward to debuting a few new songs. Special guests will be Harry Howard & The NDE (featuring Dave Graney and Claire Moore) and The Hired Guns as well as special guests Ron Peno and Monique Brumby performing with the Cab. This will be the last Cab gig for some time so grab tickets from the venue.

STILLSONS OF GUNS

IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? “AC/DC – it’s obvious, isn’t it?” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “Exile On Main Street, The Rolling Stones.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? “Red undies.”

The Stillsons have already toured Tasmania and the East Coast promoting their fantastic film clip Charity And Ghosts, but be sure to see them at the last date of their tour in Melbourne on Wednesday 8 December at the East Brunswick Club, with support from The Stetson Family and Alysia Manceau. Described by PBS FM as a perfect song, the Charity & Ghosts film clip has resently made it into the top 50 Rage videos of 2010. It comes from The Stillsons’ debut album Circus. Entry to the gig is $10.

BEATS A RENDER

IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? “Someone awesome? Get catering to come over.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? “I’ll tell you after this tour.”

Melbourne’s underground beatmaker gathering Render meets for the last time in 2010 with special guests M-Phazes and Wooshie at Bar Open on Wednesday 1 December. This is your last chance to submit beats for this year’s listening lounge sessions; which could earn you a place on the one and only Render 20 compilation that drops early in 2011. Doors open at 8pm and the beats roll out until around midnight.

twitter.com/inpressmag

KIRIN SAYS SHE’S THE ONE After playing a packed-out show in a Paddington church with Sophia Brous, Kirin J Callinan is re-teaming with the local singer to bring his debut single, She (out via Siberia Records), along with his unrivalled physicality and experimental minimalist music to the Grace Darling this Sunday with Lost Animal (ex-St Helens). Doors open at 4.30pm.

live@inpress.com.au

NOISY PASSION For those of you who like your music melodic, atmospheric, ethereal and a with a bit of bite then head down to the Noise Bar this Friday where three of Melbourne’s top indie bands get together to give you just that. Spearmint Fur, Passionbox and Johari Window join forces for what will be a great showcase for some of Melbourne’s finest indie talent. Passionbox have also been busy playing shows and gathering quite a following with its unique blend of acoustic folk pop. Maybe it’s the sound of swirling six- and 12-string guitars, maybe it’s the sweet sound of the violin – whatever the case there’s definitely a buzz happening about this band. Entry is $10 from 8pm.

MIKELANGELO’S AFFIDAVIT

Mikelangelo and Saint Clare return from their UK/European tour and get back in the saddle with The Tin Star for a set of twangin’ surf’n’western tunes and sultry songs for dysfunctional lovers. Saturday 4 December at the East Brunswick Club will see the first Mikelangelo & The Tin Star show in Melbourne since the group packed the Northcote Social Club in July for

a wild show remembered by all – not least for Mikelangelo’s encore knee dislocation and Saint Clare’s theremin dance. Also on the bill are The Toot Toot Toots, Go Girl Gadget Go Go, Betty Airs (Gerling/ELF) and Ancient Slate.

BIG, GREEN AND FRIENDLY

On Sunday 12 December, the second Big Green Festival will showcase a spectacular environmental twilight happening. Hosted by Carrum Primary School it will feature country and roots music by Lisa Miller, Broderick Smith & Matt Walker, Jordie Lane, and The Sand Pebbles. There’ll also be short films, green think action, activists, organic farming, artwork and gourmet food, performance art and hands-on environmental activities for the kids. The big green festival is a non-profit, free entry, community-sharing event, that will be held on the green fields of Carrum Primary School (Walkers Rd, Carrum) from 3pm to 8pm. Head to biggreenfestival.com for all details.

FLOOD CURRENCY The Pakistan flood is estimated to have effected about the same population of Australia with half of these people having no shelter. Aid is likely to be needed for years to come and the risk of deadly diseases spreading, such as Cholera, now a reality. Get to the Oxfam fundraiser at the Tote and do what you would probable do anyway safe in the knowledge that you are also making a real difference to people’s lives who need a hand. The crankin’ line-up features The Currency. Murder Rats, Odiusembowel, Slocombe’s Pussy, Thomy & The Tanks, Team Rad, Dispersing Clouds and don’t forget the world famous Tote BBQ. Doors open at 3pm and all proceeds will go to Oxfam.

Chris Rimmer

Attack Of The Mannequins play the Espy this Thursday, Bang this Saturday and support Blondie at Trak on Tuesday 30 November. HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Jackson Freud, guitar: “I decided to start a band, yelled at Harrison to get into the studio and sing the song and the rest, as they say, is history.” Harrison Freud, vocals: “I think I was hungover and Jackson kicked my door in and told me I’m in his band now… Whatever.” Jase McMahon, bass: “Dinner, drinks and a romantic walk down St Kilda pier one summer’s night in 2006.” HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? JF: “We just recently completed our debut single, Fear And Self Loathing, with Colin Wynne at 30 Mill Studios. Martin Pullan mastered it and right up until the new year you can download it for free at attackofthemannequins.com.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? JM: “Loud, industrial punk rock.” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? HF: “Us, but that isn’t a possibility.” JF: “My Chemical Romance, because I believe we would sit really well together on a bill. We both like to change and progress musically and fashionably.” JM: “The Offsting... Imagine Sting playing in the Offspring! It would be awesome!” Matty Ray, keyboards: “If we had to support someone, I would say... you know what? I would say Marilyn Manson but I already supported him on the Grotesque Burlesque tour which was his peak. Been there, done that.” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? HF: “Danger Days by My Chemical Romance. I change favourite albums too many times. Ha ha, it’s another flavour of the week for me.” JF: “Transformer by Lou Reed.” JM: “The New Guy soundtrack.” MR: “That’s easy. I would save my copy of Mechanical Animals on vinyl.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? HF: “Yes, my black pair of underpants. A bartender from Cherry gave me a wedgie and now they’re my ripped black underpants.” JF: “My lucky red shirt.” JM: “Jocks. Bright green jocks.”

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

DEPARTMENT

SHORT FAST

All things under 18 with KENDAL COOMBS accessallages@inpress.com.au

Hardcore and punk with STU HARVEY shortfast@inpress.com.au

OF YOUTH

Blue King Brown

The thing about conferences is they’re never what you expect them to be. You may be able to second guess yourself and think up every possibility you can, but chances are it’s going to be so much better than you imagined. This past weekend the Face The Music Conference, organised by FReeZA and The Push to assist young people like you and me get our foot in the music industry door, and to help young bands learn a thing or two about the other side of music, went global. Teamed up with the Australian World Music Expo and spread over two days, the conference had something for everyone, and everyone wanted to come and contribute. The Festivals Of The World panel saw Peter Noble of Bluesfest, Annette Tripodi of WOMADelaide and Chris Dekker from the worldwide five-minute sensation Earthdance bringing some of the discussions back to Australia, comparing our festivals with those of the world. After hearing Noble talk I now have a completely new appreciation for the work these people do, and I don’t mind nearly as much that tickets to Bluesfest cost what they do and that it’s held so far away. On a whim I bought tickets for the 2011 festival because I really want to see BB King and Mavis Staples. But it wasn’t all advice about different career paths in the music industry and music development – a number of interesting debates sprung up giving attendees some much warranted food for thought. One that I found particularly interesting involved a panel of music critics, a publicist and the bass player from Jet spouting conjecture about who’s to blame for the lack of face-to-face, two- or three-day interviews where a journalist will be flown to some remote part of the world to hang with a band for a couple of days, and then write a Hunter S Thompson-esque article. Between schedule-driven publicists, over-worked bands, money-hungry record executives and the popular 15-minute phone call so widely used in the content-flooded world of music journalism these days, I guess we’ll never know. For others of a musical persuasion there were panels to get feedback on their music, grant writing lessons, tips of the trade to getting a manager, air time, touring advice and so much more, as well as Pro Tools intensives, and the much anticipated hip hop showcase at Signal next to Flinders Street. All in all it was a pretty intense weekend and while there was something for everyone it was difficult to sit in on everything as the venues were so spread out and there was so much on at all times. But FReeZA and the Push did provide worksheets to be filled out and provided a little schedule if you had some idea about what you wanted out of the conference so it worked out for everyone. If you are at all serious about a career in the music industry and have no idea where to start then head along next year, you will not regret it.

FRIDAY Running from Friday until Sunday, the Shine On festival, featuring Fat Freddy’s Drop, Blue King Brown, Son Kite, Sola Rosa, That One Guy, Wagons, Mista Savona and more, takes place in the Pyrenees Ranges, up in Victoria’s west. Tickets are $130+BF from showclix.com. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.

SATURDAY The Victorian Roller Derby League Grand Final is on at the Melbourne Showgrounds from 4pm. Tickets are available now for $21.10 through Moshtix.

SUNDAY

Cute Is What I Aim For play an under-18s show at the Hi-Fi from 2pm. Tickets are $40.10 through the Hi-Fi box office and Moshtix.

Blink 182

REPORT

Unwritten Law will release their first new studio album in six years in March. They recently decided to run a contest that asked fans to design the cover art and the results are so good that there will actually be three different covers for the new album. Frontman Scott Russo explains: “I think, for me, the fly cover was my favourite because it took what my interpretation of Swan was literally; something disgusting turned into something beautiful. The second image of the feather in blood was everyone’s all-around favourite, because it seemed kind of soft, romantic and violent at the same time. The final entry of the woman with wings sitting on a chair just looked classy and timeless. We felt this image of the introverted girl waiting to explode was an amazing interpretation that depicts the beauty of coming of age. We’re really happy that fans got to be a part of the creation of this Unwritten Law record.” New Pennywise singer Zoli has given some insight into what we can expect from the band’s new songs. “When I first started writing music, I wrote totally different than now. Fifteen years later I write a totally different style of vocals because I kind of evolved and changed and I think what those guys have wanted to be for a long time… [Fletcher Dragge, guitarist] just wanted to go back and do the old, aggressive, fast beats punk rock style that Pennywise had on the first two albums. I think that’s what they’ve been trying to get back to for a long time and I think that’s why he’s excited. Because that’s my style of music.” Great news for Pennywise fans who will no doubt welcome the band and their new frontman back to Australia when they get here for Soundwave in 2011. Silverstein have been snapped up by Hopeless Records and the band are super-stoked to start the next chapter in their career. “It is great to work with people who not only get what we do and still embrace the scene, but also actually

THE

Reel Big Fish and Aquabats. Only two weeks to go – got your ticket? Saturday 4 December at Billboard. Alexisonfire Aussie covers. Their limited edition tour 7” contained two covers, Midnight Oil’s The Dead Heart and The Saints’ (I’m) Stranded. It sold out at shows super-fast, but the good news is the songs are being released via iTunes this Friday. helped create it. After talking to many labels, we felt we would be the most at home here with Louis [Posen, founder], and the entire Hopeless Records staff.” Last month the news broke that the Canadian act had severed ties with former label Victory commenting that they had “never been more excited!” Former Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump will be releasing his first solo album in 2011. Last week Stump announced the album would be titled Soul Punk. Instead of posting a track to give people a taste of what to expect from his solo work, Stump instead posted sheet music of the first song Spotlight. Will we finally hear the new Blink-182 album in 2011? According to Mark Hoppus we will, and judging by this post from his blog last week, we might hear it in the first half of the year. “We have a date for the completion of the album. We want to deliver the record in April or May, for release very soon afterward. That’s our goal. That’s what we’re all working toward. That being said, the only thing more important to us than getting the record out in that time is getting a GREAT record out. If it isn’t absolutely ready at that point, we’ll keep working until it is. But that’s the plan. Everything is starting to coalesce, and it’s very exciting to begin the next chapter of Blink-182”

Metal, heavy rock and dark alternative with ANDREW HAUG theracket@inpress.com.au Ha! Rock stars will be rock stars, I guess. According to QMI Agency, ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach was charged with assault after a wine glass was smashed at a downtown Peterborough, Ontario, Canada bar and a staff member was bitten, police say. Police said a man was at Riley’s Old Towne Pub early Monday morning when he got into a dispute with the staff and was asked to leave at 12.02am. He walked to the door carrying a glass of wine, police said, and when he was told he couldn’t leave with it he threw it at the front doors, shattering the glass. Police said a staff member restrained him until officers arrived, and while they waited a scuffle ensued and the man bit him on his left hand. When officers searched him they found 1.95 grams of marijuana. Bach, 42, was charged with assault, possession of marijuana and mischief. He was released the following day with a measly $250 fine to pay – yes, slightly blown out of proportion it seems.

Cavalera Conspiracy have set Blunt Force Trauma as the title of their second album, due in March via Roadrunner Records. Chicago heavy rockers Disturbed will embark on an Australian tour in April,

Sum 41 Sidewave. The Canadian pop punks announced a sideshow on Wednesday 2 March at Billboard with a huge line-up! Guests are The Blackout, There For Tomorrow and Veara. Silverstien

Waterslide-inspired 7” releases. Without doubt my favourite thing this week is the announcement

RACKET

John Petrucci, guitarist with progressive metal giants Dream Theater, spoke to the Artisan News Service about the band’s recent split with drummer Mike Portnoy and auditioning new drummers. “We had some drummer auditions several weeks ago and we’re gonna go into the studio and start recording in January, to do our next album for Roadrunner Records,” Petrucci said. Regarding Portnoy’s departure, Petrucci said, “It wasn’t easy. We had been in the band together with Mike for over 25 years and him leaving the band was a major shock and a major heartbreak to us, so the whole thing’s been difficult. But we look ahead to the future positively.”

Tonight Alive. I guess when the man who produced landmark albums such as Blink 182’s Dude Ranch and Jimmy Eat World’s Clarity and Bleed American tells you to jump, you damn well jump! At least that’s what Sydney’s Tonight Alive did last week when producer Mark Trombino decided to move forward his planned recording sessions with the band. The group, who recently inked a worldwide deal with Sony, were forced to blow out a couple of Melbourne shows that were to happen this week to head to Hollywood to start work on their eagerly anticipated debut album.

SHORT FAST REPORT TOP 5

Sebastian Bach

They’ll be on our shores shortly for the No Sleep Til festival, and mighty Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine revealed during an online chat with members of the band’s official fan club that the group have “five songs almost finished” for their next studio album.

of a new split 7” featuring Canberra’s I Exist and Sydney’s Phantoms. While touring together in March the bands paid a visit to Queensland’s legendary waterslide haven Wet’n’Wild and decided to immortalise it in song. The result is Bad Romance, two songs from each act and all named after Wet’n’Wild rides. The 7” will be released 14 January, with a pre-order available from 6 December.

bringing with them Trivum and As I Lay Dying. The show is on 24 April at Rod Laver. Swedish Viking metallers Amon Amarth have issued the following update: “The last couple of months we have been busy working on our follow-up to Twilight Of The Thunder God. Ten songs were written, the recordings have been going well and we are now more than halfway through and the album starts to take shape. We’ll keep you updated with more info soon!” The forthcoming solo album from Primal Fear singer Ralf Scheepers is in the very final stages of production. Several very special guests appear on the effort, including ‘Metal’ Mike Chlasciak (Halford), Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray) and vocalist Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens (Judas Priest). Scheepers commented, “The album is like a trip through my entire career from hard-driven crushing metal, groovy heavy beats, orchestral epic to stripped down basic songs and, of course, some nice surprises!” Swedish group Evergrey will release their eighth studio album, Glorious Collision, via Steamhammer/SPV on 25 February. Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers Within

twitter.com/inpressmag

Temptation have set The Unforgiving as the title of their new album, tentatively due in March. The conceptual effort is said to be based on a comic book series written by Steven O’Connell (BloodRayne, Dark 48) and will feature characters and scenery by comic artist Romano Molenaar (Witchblade, Darkness, X-Men). Commented the band: “On this album, we’ve taken a totally different approach. Each song on The Unforgiving was written along Steven’s narrative. The main characters of the comic are reflecting the characters of our songs. The concept pushed us and gave inspiration to come up with a new approach in our sound. It resulted in writing our best songs so far. We have been big comic fans since our childhood. With this album we felt the time was there to take a new step in our creative development, take it further and broaden our horizon. Next to the concept form of the album, the songs are more diverse than ever before. In addition, the music of the late ‘80s, that’s when we started to read comic books, certainly has left a mark on our new sound.” New Orleans sludge metal legends Crowbar have set Sever The Wicked Hand as the title of their new album, due on 8 February via E1 Music. The Project Hate MCMXCIX – the Swedish band featuring Jörgen Sandström (ex-Entombed, Grave) – have set Bleeding The New Apocalypse (Cum Victriciis In Manibus Armis) as the title of their seventh album, due on 14 February. The CD was mixed and mastered by Swedish producer and multi-intrumentalist Dan Swanö (Bloodbath).

LOCAL GIG GUIDE Sonic Forge Festival – Saturday 4 Deecmber, Espy Kriss Hades, Heirs, Agonhymn – Saturday 11 December, East Brunswick Club

TOURS, TOURS, TOURS Fozzy – Thursday 2 December, Hi-Fi Andrew Haug hosts Triple J’s The Racket every Tuesday from 10pm – triplej.abc.net.au/ racket. Email theracket@inpress.com.au

live@inpress.com.au

THE

BREAKDOWN Pop culture therapy with ADAM CURLEY They called it ‘big’ and ‘unforgettable’, and the announcement of the announcement itself had tech and business writers reaching for their ‘if I could have one superpower…’ wish lists, but when news of iTunes’ news finally dropped it was obvious it was more exciting to the company than anyone else. So people could now buy The Beatles’ albums (and best-ofs and reissues, etc) online at undiscounted prices with no sound-quality enhancement. How novel. Truly, how many people have been sitting at home dying to buy the White Album because they’ve heard so much about it over the past 42 years but have refused to go to JB because it’s, like, too far? Okay, America aside. There was an overall sense that iTunes had gone too far with their one-message, one-day hype-build after rumours of actually innovative changes to the software started to circulate. Some speculated that iTunes users would now be able to stream their libraries from any location or device; others that Apple had decided to use some of its own idle servers to host users’ libraries, freeing up personal hard drive space and ensuring users’ libraries would never be lost to broken down computers – two advances that would surely see digital music triumph once and for all over CDs. But no. The Beatles. It was easy to see why iTunes got so giddy about the whole thing, though. Here was a band – nay, the ‘world’s biggest band’ – with a full catalogue of known songs and albums that barely had to be marketed to be sold beyond just telling the world it was there. They didn’t need to consider engaging fans through multi-platform advertising campaigns and Steve Jobs finally got a night’s sleep without having to freak out about how he was going to sell more iPods to the older non-iPhone-using market with another freakin’ single from freakin’ Kesha. (Apparently Jobs was happy as a pig in Silicon Valley about the Beatles deal because he’s a huge fan. Does that explain the exorbitant $1.69 price on Yoko Ono tracks?) Mostly, though, they didn’t have to think about Ping for a day. Since it was rolled out in September, Ping has given anyone who cares enough yet another reason to label iTunes the shit sheep of the Apple family. The social networking tool, included in the iTunes 10 update, was to facilitate the sales of music by allowing users to connect with friends and their

ROOTS DOWN

Blues ‘n’ roots with DAN CONDON rootsdown@inpress.com.au Ask and you shall receive, right? Last week this very column urged someone (anyone) to book a Melbourne club show for Imelda May and, sure enough, news has come through confirming that the sultry songstress will indeed be playing a sideshow when she’s in town for Golden Plains early next year. May was in the country early this year where she stunned audiences with her intoxicating blend of rockabilly, blues and jazz and she’ll be doing it all over again as she storms through the country with her band in tow. In her native Ireland she has topped the charts with her past two records and one would imagine it won’t take long for Australian audiences to show the same kind of enthusiasm for her work. She plays the Prince Bandroom on Friday 11 March; tickets are available as of Thursday morning through the venue and will set you back $44+BF. Just a couple of weeks ago the legendary Joe Cocker released Hard Knocks, his first record full of material that isn’t just cover versions of classic rhythm and blues songs since 2002’s Respect Yourself. Cocker’s has been one of the most unmistakable voices in rock’n’roll for more than 40 years now and his soulful tunes are still keeping a lot of people very happy by the sounds of things. Cocker is coming out to Australia in support of the new record but you can be sure he’ll have plenty of old favourites on the set list as well. Perhaps more excitingly for those of you who love your blues rock is the fact that Cocker has enlisted none other than the bad to the bone George Thorogood & The Destroyers to play support on the tour. Thorogood hasn’t been out here for a few years and he always rocks pretty hard so his presence alone will be worth the price of admission. They play the Palais Theatre on Tuesday 8 February; tickets are available from Ticketek from Friday morning onwards.

favourite acts to see what they ‘like’ and what music and other media they’re buying, and to recommend stuff they themselves have purchased. It was, reportedly, originally to be synched with Facebook until the deal fell over when iTunes couldn’t accept Facebook’s terms of privacy (which is worrying to say the least). Then Ping was alone; just another social networking tool hoping to pinch some of everyone’s IRL time. When Ping appeared, I’d had a sinking feeling that, as someone who writes about music, I was going to have to test it out in order to evaluate its usefulness, despite no natural curiosity or desire to do so. Then, before I’d had a chance, I began to receive condolences from friends and acquaintances for the same reason. No one, I realised, wanted to use Ping, but everyone accepted it as another part of the social media outlet that would become ubiquitous in Web 2.0 – just with other people. Logging on, that sentiment rang true. Any known friends were absent and many bands who’d created accounts (the New York Times recently reported there are only 2,000 of those in the States) hadn’t bothered to make even a single post, let alone make a list of the music they ‘liked’ for fans to appropriate. Since then, iTunes has roped in Twitter to help save Ping, but many have suggested there’s no way to turn the flop around. There’s certainly the sense that, as a social networking tool, Ping is a fairly obvious and gross grab for dollars without any real use to users’ lives and, as such, is doomed to be rejected. (Even online, there are many more places people buy and listen to music than iTunes, so the technology was always going to be limiting.) That’s a fairly heartening scenario when social networking corporations are all looking to turn users into real money, particularly for those for whom the term ‘music community’ means more than links to people via consumer behaviour. Perhaps Jobs needs to sit down with those Beatles albums again.

While we’re on the topic of blues rock, there has been some mighty exciting news coming out of the ZZ Top camp of late. The band are on the road in the States at the moment, but as well as that, they have also been in the studio with none other than Rick Rubin recently and will reportedly have an album released sometime in the early part of next year. Last week I spied some (completely unconfirmed) tour dates that hinted to a ZZ Top, Mick Fleetwood Blues Band and The Dingoes tour that would be making its way around the country around April next year. Hopefully I can confirm that for you in the coming weeks. While the salacious rumours are being thrown around willy nilly, Irma Thomas’ picture graced the last Bluesfest mail-out. The mail-out before the first announcement had BB King’s mug on it… There has been another enormous announcement for next year’s Port Fairy Folk Festival with a bunch of big names being pulled out to add some serious weight to the already wonderful bill. Enormously popular local roots acts The Waifs and Kasey Chambers lead off the latest announcement, with Roots Down favourite Justin Townes Earle dropping by after his slot at the Golden Plains Festival, Aussie legends The Dingoes getting in on the action and locals Shane Nicholson and Mama Kin rounding out the latest group of acts announced. Earlybird tickets for the festival are on sale now but prices will go up as of Tuesday, so if you’re quick you’ll save yourself a bunch of cash too. The festival runs from Friday 11 March through to Monday 14 March. Joe Cocker

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

THE KIDS AREN’T ALRIGHT

FRAGMENTED FREQUENCIES

Hard rock artists often sing about the gritty side of life, and the Kids Are Not Slaves rock concert is six local rock bands putting their talents into practical use to raise desperately needed funds for women just a plane ride away from us right who have been kidnapped and sold for as little as $15 to a brothel owner. It will be a great night of rock music with the funds going to a great cause and it’s only $15 at the Spanish Club this Saturday. Bands performing are House Of Honeys, Heaven The Axe, Dead Canary, Dirty Elivs, Phoebe Jacobs and Black Hayet.

OTHER MUSIC FROM THE OTHER SIDE WITH BOB BAKER FISH The first LP that Fragmented Frequencies ever purchased with his own piggy bank savings was Footy Favourites (1981 – on, wait for it, Studio One). It’s a devastating collection of tunes like Danny Boy and Macho Man being murdered by footy heroes of the day. Surprisingly Mark Maclure’s take on Lennon’s Imagine isn’t that bad, but Tim Watson sounds like someone’s juggling his testicles with a cheese grater, pitching all over the Kenny Rogers classic Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town with the emotion of, well, an impotent newsreader. In a world before AutoTune this album is nothing short of classic. Particularly if you think bad karaoke is classic. But more than just a nostalgic trip into ‘80s football culture, reliving this album now makes you realise that there are a lot of truly terrible albums out there. Music so bad it’s bad. Music without redeeming features. Music where you’re in too much pain to find some kind of patronising cynical humour in their earnest attempts at art. “It’s hard to talk in a world with nothing to say,” offers John Laws on Just You And Me Together Love (RCA 1977). Of course it didn’t stop him for one second in indulging us with his delicate poetry, that of a swinging truck-driving stud deep in love, over Henry Mancini’s uncharacteristically bland orchestrations. It was hard to choose between this and You’ve Never Been Trucked Like This Before (RCA 1976) where, on the cover, Laws is standing in front of a truck, simultaneously being served a Jack Daniels, having his shoe shined and staring down the cleavage of three hot chicks. Ultimately, however, his turgid, faintly misogynist wordplays of a bold adventurer with a sensitive side win out as he discusses his “thoughts of nameless women in cheap rooms”. The ‘80s were a devastating decade for many – Neil Young’s awful, awful attempt at rockabilly, Everybody’s Rocking, only escaped this list by the width of his pink tie. Instead Lou Reed’s unbelievably lame Growing Up In Public (Arista 1980) gets a guernsey. “I don’t care if you pick my head as long as we end up in bed,” he offers at one point and when the next song begins with him repeating “Love is here, here to stay,” you’re ready to stab your record player. Apparently a year later he would clean up from his welldocumented drug and alcohol problems. Drug addicts talk of needing to hit rock bottom before being able to change. This is rock bottom. Then it bottoms out again. Each song is progressively worse. This album is an intervention. The Switched On series has a certain kitsch charm. Wendy Carlos’s 1968 Switched On Bach is, of course, a classic of Moog synthesiser virtuosity. The brand has been progressively weakened through Burt Bacharach and Beatles cover albums – even a country music outing – but they hit a new low with 1977’s Switched On Christmas. The Moog has disappeared and Santa is on the cover happily shooting lasers out of his hands. The Christmas carols are of course a kind of disco, easy listening muzak. Funky, soulless and unbelievably bad. The demented Chipmunk funk and schmaltz of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town is a dead-set classic. Particularly if you’ve never heard music before.

MUMS AT THE BAR

BANDING TOGETHER Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a disease of the central nervous system which can result in serious disability. Luckily, it is not fatal and, in most cases, those afflicted can still lead productive, happy lives. Although there is no known cure, varying treatments are available to slow the progress of the disease and make battling the affliction easier. It is with the idea of a cure in mind that a handful of artists – Tash Parker, Cherrywood, Phia and Oh, Deanna – are playing at the Bendigo Hotel on Sunday 5 December. Doors open at 2pm, entry is $5.

DREAM LOVERS

May Dreamers (formerly known as Future Happiness) have been playing around Melbourne in a number of formations for about three years. With their soundscapes of dreamy group vocals, vibraphone, organs, electric pianos, synthesisers (backed by a solid rhythm section), you’re probably unlikely to hear anything like them around. The band have an album coming out next year called Love Is Your Destiny and will be presenting two sets at the Empress this Saturday from 3.30pm, with support from Mellow Kitty.

RESIGNATORS SKANK

Melbourne’s suburban ska all-stars The Resignators never knew back in 2005 that their infectious sound and trend-defying style would take them around the world. The band have seen it all, playing over 400 shows both nationally and internationally. This sextet know how to get any room of people skanking to their ska-infused beats. They play Ruby’s Lounge this Friday with Summerset Avenue, Swing Set Green and Through The Window. Entry is $10.

RAT’S WALL OF ROCK There are few bands on the planet who can make pop music sound interesting, or who can make experimental music sound like fun. There might well only be one that manages to do both simultaneously. Rat Vs Possum take their cues from genres as disparate as early electronic music, ‘70s German psychedelia and African tribal rhythms. They deploy everything from improvised drum kits to op-shop Casio keyboards and a battalion of effects pedals in throwing these sounds together, fashioning the results into some of the most intricately layered yet infectiously exuberant songs you’ll hear anywhere. Before their coveted appearances at Meredith Music Festival and Laneway Festival, Rat Vs Possum will play their final headline show of the year at the Workers Club this Friday with support from Towels and Footy. Doors at 9pm sharp and tickets available through Moshtix.

BANG SIENNA

Playing live this week at Bang will be Sienna Skies (Syd) with support from Attack Of The Mannequins! Bang is also hosting an Atticus clothing party – be in the main room after the bands for your chance to score some sweet threads thanks to our mates at Atticus Clothing! They’re also giving away one double pass to the No Sleep Til Melbourne festival as part of the Alkaline Trio party, and raising money for the Movember fund with donation tins, so dig deep! The night will launch the new release of Glory Days from The Amity Affliction, so be in the main room for your chance to score copies. As always there will also be DJs playing your favourite punk, hardcore, emo, alternative, metal, indie, retro and party tracks until the early morning! For more info and club pics head to destroyalllines.com or facebook.com/BangNightclub.

PINA’S GOOD SPORT If you like the sound of a strong, soulful and passionate woman then Pina Tuteri is the singer/songwriter for you. She will be taking her delightful acoustic bluesy sounds this Saturday night at the Sporting Club Hotel (27 Weston Street, Brunswick East) from 8.30pm. You can also enjoy Fergus McAlpine and his collection of vinyl on Sunday late afternoon at the Sporting Club, and wash the working week’s worries away with his array of brilliant taste in music.

You know when you watch those movies from the ‘80s and there’s this uplifting moment, the beat kicks in, a bit of sax and then someone wails some kind of earnest fist in the air song about touching a fire or escaping the darkness, totally ruining the moment. Well, imagine if it was sung by perky, precocious kids in bright clothes. Then imagine if the songs were all about Jesus. Prism Yellow (1987 Reunion) is not as good as it sounds. Collette, Samantha Fox, Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2, Jason Donovan, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, even Jacko ain’t gonna make it to this list. Even at their worst at least there’s some spirit in their music. Christmas With Your Neighbours: 20 All-Time Christmas Favourites (1989 EMI), however, takes it to a whole new level. Voices are totally indistinguishable. Sure your favourite Neighbours like Paul and Harold and the rest of the gang are here but they’re all mashed together, so for all you know it’s the Korean Orphans’ Choir. It’s so bland it’s almost over the top. Hark the Herald Angels sing makes you feel like trapped in time before morphing into the Twelve Days Of Christmas, which sounds more like the 12,044 years of Christmas. This is what you’re forced to listen to if you’ve misbehaved in hell.

Playing at Bar Open this Sunday is an eclectic line up of three deliriously fun-loving Melbourne bands. With Unicorns-influenced beats and sun-kissed harmonies, Archdale boast multiple tambourines, organ-driven melodies and garishly coloured shirts. Then it’s Unique Gift: corner-shop Mmexican, dunce trance, homotechno, peach-powerhouse, hi-fi, anxietycore, Rickymartin-wave, danceable package. Finishing things off with a bang are the riotous and snake-hipped Drunk Mums, whose pulsating rhythms and garage surf riffs have sent punters all over Melbourne into a feverish dancing frenzy. Entry is free from 7.30pm.

The Happy Endings launch their new single at Revolver this Friday.

FLY, FALCON, FLY Proponents of classic songwriting Potential Falcon are playing one last show for 2010 at the Curtin Bandroom on Lygon Street this Thursday night. They’ll be testing out some new songs, plus dragging a few classics from the vaults. Joining the band will be their mates Black Creek and Nick Murphy & Jeff Samin for a night of sweet indie and country-flavoured tunes. Entry is $10 and doors open at 8.30pm.

RUDELY DOES IT

PAQMAN BEATS OFF Badly dressed from the west of Melbourne, live big beat/electronic act Paqman will attack Revolver Upstairs this Thursday, taking with them an arsenal of dusty machinery, ghetto keyboard stands constructed out of milk crates and a sound louder than the cast of Degrassi Junior High’s wardrobe. Paqman provide a completely live and unpredictable improvised set reminiscent of the big beat scene of the early ‘90s. Supporting them and their bombastic sound will indie electro popsters Back Back Forward Punch and the quirky and very epic electronic landscapes of Two-Hatz. Doors open at 8.30pm and entry is $8.

Formed in 2006 by chance, Rudely Interrupted grew to first perform live in 2007 and have grown to become one of Australia’s most unique and celebrated bands – they have toured the world, performed on some of the biggest and most different stages, starred in a critically acclaimed documentary film, and are now set to release their debut record, Tragedy Of The Commons. They launch it at the Northcote Social Club this Sunday afternoon with Rick Rally and MC Alan Brough (Spicks And Specks). Tickets are $14 from the venue, or $17 at the door if still available from 2pm.

TASH SEEKS A CURE Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a disease of the central nervous system, which can result in serious disability. Although there is no known cure, varying treatments are available to slow the progress of the disease and make battling the affliction easier. So it is with the idea of a cure in mind that the Bendigo Hotel will see a host of musos playing for a great cause on Sunday 5 December. On the bill are Tash Parker (whose new album Waking Up is a bloody delight), Cherrywood smashing out some alt.country, indie folkers Phia and Oh, Deanna. Entry is $5 from 2pm.

twitter.com/inpressmag

HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Josh Johnstone, vocals/guitar: “Internet dating and a very cheap bottle of wine.” HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? “I love tooling around in other people’s bedrooms, and sometimes I record it... I’ll get it onto YouPorn as soon as possible. The rest of the band have been more productive than me – they recorded and released an album and a new single. I sang on it a bit.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? “The sound of music.” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? “Salvation Army Marching Band, ‘cause I was born in March.” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “My collection of Inpress magazines.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? “An itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini, that I wore for the first time recently.” IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? “Cheesecake parmigiana with chocolate rice.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? “Ooh, it’s a close equal fi fth between 21st Century Nightclub in Frankston, the bar at Essendon Airport, Transport in the city, the Joint backpacker bar or Revolver.”

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

HOWZAT! Local music news by JEFF JENKINS Dr Mexico

ROCK THE VOTE

Michael Parisi was the keynote speaker at last week’s Face The Music conference. The record executive – and former Inpress staffer – was asked how we could maintain Melbourne as the music capital. “Make sure the Labor Government gets back in,” Michael replied.

CHART WATCH

Jessica Mauboy’s new single, featuring Ludacris, debuts at 13, while Boy & Bear’s Crowded House cover lands at 34. Saturday Night JESSICA MAUBOY (number 13, debut) Plans BIRDS OF TOKYO (19)

Big Jet Plane ANGUS & JULIA STONE (29)

I Believe You Liar WASHINGTON (19)

Clap Your Hands SIA (33)

Get ’Em Girls JESSICA MAUBOY (20)

Fall At Your Feet BOY & BEAR (34, debut)

Gilgamesh GYPSY & THE CAT (24, debut)

The Finn tribute arrives at five. Rolling Stone cover stars Short Stack also have a top ten debut. But Jessica Mauboy slips from six to 20.

Jack JOHN FARNHAM (25)

He Will Have His Way VARIOUS (number five, debut) This Is Bat Country SHORT STACK (six, debut) Down The Way ANGUS & JULIA STONE (ten) Get Closer KEITH URBAN (11, debut)

Planets SHORT STACK (23)

iTunes Live – Sunsets Farewell Tour POWDERFINGER (15, debut)

Freefallin’ ZOE BADWI (25)

Birds Of Tokyo BIRDS OF TOKYO (16)

Vegas Songs From Sin City HUMAN NATURE (27, debut) We Are Born SIA (32)

HOWZAT! PLAYLIST

I’m A Lesser Man DR MEXICO Seven Years GEORGIA FIELDS Everything You Need NICK BATTERHAM Cold Change GUN STREET GIRLS Montana To Mexico PENNY IKINGER

OLÉ, IT’S MILLER TIME! As the Birmingham Hotel sadly exits the live scene, a band that did their first gig at the venue are launching their debut album. Dr Mexico – who debuted in February 2009 – launch Techno Ono at the Great Britain on Saturday. It’s an intriguing title. Singer Eddie Miller says, “You can take it a couple of ways: I can’t stand dance music, so you can read it as ‘Techno Oh, No’, and it’s also a Yoko Ono reference. Now, I like Yoko, but a lot of people reckon she caused the break-up of The Beatles, so we’re drawing a parallel – that techno is ruining music.” Techno Ono is a wildly diverse record, kind of Melbourne meets Mexico, with the classic dirty blues influences (Nick Cave/Wreckery) mixed with some Latino sounds. The band was inspired by ‘90s grunge, and Eddie lists his favourite acts as Nirvana, The Beatles and “everything that Josh Homme touches”. The album opens with a rollicking track called Jaws Of Life (We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat). One of Eddie’s mates was actually bitten by a shark and Eddie hopes he’s not offended by the title. “I’m a bit of a Jaws nerd,” he confirms, “I even own the soundtrack.” Despite the name, none of the Dr Mexico members have ever actually been to Mexico. “We just thought it was a good name for the band,” Eddie explains. “We’re not really doing the whole Mexican thing, we just wanted to include some Latino grooves. Though we do like to sometimes put on Mexican cowboy hats.” Is tequila their drink of choice? “Only in margaritas; not straight – I’ve had too many bad experiences.” Techno Ono is very much a family affair. Eddie’s dad, Billy Miller (of Ferrets fame), provides backing vocals, Eddie’s sister, Isabella, adds some tasteful keys to Wrong Turn, and the drums were recorded at “Kenny Miller’s Party Lodge” – Kenny is Eddie’s uncle. Eddie says his dad is his best mate. What has Eddie learned from Billy, who was also in Buster Brown and The Spaniards? “So many things. He always stresses the importance of hooks in music – if you haven’t got a hook, you haven’t got a song.” Was music always going to be Eddie’s career choice? “Yep, as soon as I realised I wasn’t good enough to play football.” Is he as mad a Saints fan as his dad? “I think I’m worse.” Eddie is not the only member of the family to do an album this year – his cousin Georgia Fields recently released her self-titled debut. Eddie is a big fan, saying, “She’s one of the best singers I know.” Georgia often has a sing with Eddie and Billy when they do their regular Sunday gig at the George in St Kilda.

SPREADING THE BOBBY LOVE

Bobby Flynn is hard at work on his second album. “It’s very energetic,” Bobby says, “more inner-city tales and more bounce to the ounce.” Next week’s Howzat! will feature an interview with Bobby, who’s playing next Wednesday at the Northcote Social Club.

MEMORIES OF A MUG PUNTER Back in the mid-’90s, Howzat! was trying to date a girl who was a big Blackeyed Susans fan. They were doing a gig at the Punters Club. Only problem was our favourite band, Horsehead, were playing across the road at the Evelyn. I was torn, but the girl was impressed that I took her to the Punters to see the Susans. But then a strange thing happened – there was a bomb scare at the Punters and everyone was evacuated. Howzat! certainly wasn’t behind the bomb threat, but it all worked out well – we got the girl and we got to see Horsehead. Sometimes life works out. The Punters Club saw the start of many things, including Frente, who are playing at one of this weekend’s reunion shows at the Corner.

gigguide@inpress.com.au

WED 24

Ambrose Chapel, Tom Hall, Blarghstrad Noisesmith, Black Jesus, Janette Howard Stutter Ben Solo, Imogen Harper, Jeff May Gertrudes Ben Solo, Imogen Harper, Jeff May Gertrudes Brown Couch Bingo Terminus Hotel Carl Harvoe Quintet Uptown Jazz Café Chad Mason The Gem Combo Bombo, ATM15, Oceans Baroque 303 Daniel Merriweather, Phrase, Jade MacRae Roxanne Parlour Dirty York Accoustic Retreat Hotel Dizzy’s Big Band Dizzy’s Jazz Club Dominic Death, Jonny Telafone, Asps Bar Open Frowning Clouds, The Bonniwells Cherry Bar Gen Finnane & Flora Smith, Jenny Biddle The Drunken Poet Green Parrot, Drop that Rabbit, Bastian Ruby’s Lounge Hands Like Ours, Deep Blue Day Empress Hotel Jimmy Daniel, Kane Bebida Bar Junk, Keith Party, Caractacus, Johnny Galvatron, Samaritan, Gupstar Revolver Kids of 88, Zowie East Brunswick Club Laura Imbruglia The Old Bar Miami Horror, Jean Pierre Esplanade Gershwin Room NMIT Showcase, Simon Hudson, Thomas Strode, Nigel Swift Wesley Anne Open Mic Grind ‘n’ Groove Bar Open Mic The Bender Bar Paris Wells The Toff In Town Pieta Brown Basement Discs Pieta Brown, Tinpan Orange Northcote Social Club Push to Twist, Sordid Ordeal, Pinwheel, Johnny Not Sorry The Arthouse Rich Webb The Standard Hotel Roostar, Ape Is Ape, Changing Falls, Holliava Esplanade Lounge Sarah & The King Bees Veludo Seabellies, The Bon Scotts, Kins Evelyn Hotel Single Twin, Emily Ulman Builders Arms Hotel

Stutter, Black Jesus, Ambrose Chapel, Tom Hall, Brad Smith, Blarghstrad Noisesmith Horse The Brunswick Open Mic with host Matt McFarlane Brunswick Hotel The Night Terrors, Teen Archer The Tote The Twoks Bennetts Lane Trivia night Royal Derby Hotel Weekly Trivia Glenferrie Hotel

THU 25

Bakersfield Glee Club Union Hotel Brunswick Ben Carr, Bianca Meier, Rachael By the Stream Wesley Anne Ben Smith and the Noise Diary Chapter, The Pierce Brothers Rainbow Hotel Bitch Slap, Agent Cleave, Burlesque, The Bad Ladies Bendigo Hotel Bodies, River of Snakes, Hate Club, Blue Peter The Tote Bushido Fields, Kreatures of Karma, Green Skies Gertrudes Brown Couch Charles Baby, Brent Hayhurst, Matt Glass Ruby’s Lounge Chilling Winston, Kill The Matador, Gunrunners, Thrashdance, Throbulator Pony Chocolate Strings, Hikoikoi Bar Open Daryl Braithwaite Trak Lounge Bar Deep Sea Arcade The National Hotel, Geelong Dirt Farmer, Nacional, DJ Knave Knixx The Order Of Melbourne

DJ Krush, DJ Sizzle, Ransom Corner Hotel DJ Tuan Besar, Johan Elg Loop Electric Horse, Engine Three Seven, New Skinn Ferntree Gully Hotel Geisha, Attack of the Mannequins, Tricking Emma Esplanade Gershwin Room Goodtime Medicine Band Lomond Hotel Hancock Basement, Royston Vasie, Jules Sheldon Duo Empress Hotel Julie O’Hara The Commune Jungle City Dance Classes, Ring the Alarm, Jesse I, Major Krazy 161 Katie Noonan Bennetts Lane Kim Churchill Baby Black Café King Cannons, The Level Spirits, Johnnie & The Johnnie Johnnies East Brunswick Club Lemon Squash, Boogs, Heath Renata, Adam Bartas, Dean Paps, Luke Will, Kizzam Dakota, Lia Avene The Bender Bar Lionel Lee’s Circus, Lily and King The Drunken Poet Lydia, Elliot the Bull, Love At This Volume, Vermillion The Arthouse Mal Webb, Cookin’ on 3 Burners 303 Men they Call Jane, Ross, Missing Colour, The Digs, Secretary Lily Brunswick Hotel Metronomy, World’s End Press, Magic Silver White Prince Bandroom Palomino Edinburgh Castle Hotel

GET WELLS SOON Geelong’s finest, The Frowning Clouds, and Melbourne’s The Bonniwells have been sharing the stage at Cherry bar for Wednesdays in November. Unfortunately tonight is the last show. So get down and give ‘em a rousing send-off. Doors open at 8pm, the bands plug in at 9pm, the drinks flow fast (it is Cherry, after all) and you can get your fi x of garage, blues, ‘60s R&B and psychedelia. Look out for the Clouds’ second 7” about to drop – it boasts the new hit single All Night Long. The Bonniwells’ debut album Unprofitable Servant has just been released on Z-man Records.

Paqman, Oscar & Martin, Back Back Forward Punch!, 3181 Thursdays, Hans DC, WHO Revolver Parallel Lions, Guests Builders Arms Hotel Pharoahe Monch, Jean Grae Esplanade Lounge Potential Falcon, Black Creek, Nick Murphy & Jeff Samin John Curtin Hotel Powerfuck, Complimentary Headsets, The Red Lights, White Summer POGO @ Geddes Lane Pub Poker Glenferrie Hotel Pussy XXX, System of Venus, Kill Yrself The Old Bar Queer Thursdays A Bar Called Barry REACTION III Great Britain Hotel Redcoats, Dozers, Shoe Esplanade Basement Rock Aerobics, Skul Hazzards, Dead China Doll, House of Beggers, No Art Yah Yah’s Sam Owen Bebida Bar Sans Gras, Cuba is Japan, Sex Face Grace Darling Hotel Sarah Maclaine & The Clunk Orchestra, Andrew Reid Dizzy’s Jazz Club Shabaret Terminus Hotel Skylines Cherry Bar Stabbie Stabbie Kill Kill, The Orphanage, Damn The Maps, Fall Of The Union The Prague Street Chicken Quintet Uptown Jazz Café Summerbeatz, Akon, Ciara, Flo Rida, Jay Sean, Ja Rule, Travie McCoy, Stan Walker Rod Laver Suzannah Espie, Liz Stringer, Chris Altmann, The Idle Hoes Retreat Hotel Tantrums, Pets With Pets, Cleptoclectics, Crumbs, Worng Workers Club The Angels Chelsea Heights Hotel The Bucket Room, Local Singer Songwriter Night Grumpy’s Green The Communists, Frozen Alice, Welcome to the Numb, Cirque De Freak Evelyn Hotel The Decoys The Gem The Madness Method, Feed Your Munkie, Love Story with 1928, Tranter, Rad Pitt, Megawuoti, Sleeves The Toff In Town The Raffaellas, Swing Set Green, Starting Sunday, The Close Ding Dong Lounge The Red Shore, Thy Art Is Murder, Forgiven Rival, Chasing Ghosts, Chris O’Neill Next

NEXT SHORE THING The party continues at Next this Thursday! Playing live this week will be The Red Shore with support from Thy Art Is Murder (Adel) and Forgiven Rival! Playing acoustic in the beer garden is Chasing Ghosts with support from Chris O’Neal! Next is also launching the Australian release of the new We Came As Romans album, To Plant A Seed. As always there’ll be resident DJs playing the best punk, hardcore, emo, metal, alternative, party, indie and retro across multiple rooms all night! For more info and weekly club pics check destroyalllines. com or facebook.com/NextNightclub. The Vasco Era, Wons Phreely, I Am Giant Northcote Social Club Triple J: Tom Ballards 21st, Miami Horror Billboard Vedran, Dom Dolla, Beetlejuice, Press Play Dj’s, Retza Royal Derby Hotel Vimm, Freaks of the Deep, The Twitch Blue Tile Lounge

FRI 26

Acca Dacca: AC/DC Tribute Daisey’s Hotel Art and Craft, No Art, Light Lion Irene’s Warehouse Asami, Reviver, Citrus Jam, Tim Flymm Empress Hotel Backyard Surgeons, Chilling Winston, Take Your Own, Thrashdance, Fortnight Jumbo Bendigo Beware Black Holes, Tyo, Let’s Not Pretend, Venomartyr, Crossroads Grandview Hotel Black Cab, Harry Howard and his NDE, The Hired Guns Northcote Social Club Boi Zone Level One Charging North, Easy Company, Kill The Matador Public Bar Chris Wilson Rainbow Hotel Cosmology, Francis Inferno Orchestra, Cosmo K, Jay Porte, Lopan, Ed White Loop Craig Williams Glenferrie Hotel Dan Webb Reveller’s Bar Deep Sea Arcade Karova Lounge DJ Evo The Deck DJ Graeme Royal Derby Hotel DJ Mzrizk Horse Bazaar

twitter.com/inpressmag

Django Gypsies Czech Club Electric Horse, Engine 37 Pier Live Elliott Dalgleish Uptown Jazz Café Espionage, Lynx & Kemo, Consequence Roxanne Parlour Fat Freddys Drop Forum Theatre Fifteenth Avenue Blue Diamond Frank Jones Big Folk Lomond Hotel Geoff Achison & The Souldiggers Caravan Music Club Geoff Achison & The Souldiggers St Andrews Hotel Girl Vs Ghost, Almaria, Arrowfield Trash @ Casey’s God God Dammit Dammit, Hawaiian Islands, Keith Party, Madonna The Arthouse Good Vs Evil, DJ Johno Precinct Happy New Year Pony Late Show Hikoikoi, Direct Influence Veludo Hopeless, ANCHORS, Trophy Knife, Vultures, Restless, Fall of Autumn Skies, Isis for Balour, Acrasia Ev’s Youth Centre (Croydon) Iowa, Hand Hell, Mass Cult, Liam Stewart, DJ Frankie Teardrop The Old Bar Jimmy Johnson & Mantel Pascoe Vale RSL JJ Symon Builders Arms, early show Johnnie & The Johnnie Johnnies Bar Open Jon Montes, Beaker Abode Kaki King, Leroy Lee Corner Hotel Kate Ceberano, Mark Vincent The Palms Kim Churchill, Katie Noonan & The Captains, Little Red Queenscliff Music Festival

Krafty Kuts, Kid Kenobi & Mc Shureshock, Adsorb, Skool Of Thought Brown Alley LABJACD Night Cat Lot 56, Michelle Hosking The Bender Bar Matt Hetherington Band Trak Lounge Bar Melbourne Playback Theatre Company La Mama Michael Meeking & The Lost Souls, The Grenadines, Wicked Anabelle Lord Newry Hotel Midnight Woolf, Bittersweet Kicks, The Level Spirits Red Bennies Mike Rudd & Bill Putt Churchill Café & Larder Miss Hawthorn The Hawthorn Music Trivia Grumpy’s Green New Birds, The Hello Morning, Gosteleradio Cherry Bar Nunchukka Superfly, Wicked City, Teen Archer, Dead The Prague Poprocks at the Toff, Dr Phil Smith The Toff In Town Queen St Riot, Crying Sirens, Darcee Fox, Peddlers of Filth Esplanade Basement Rampage, Jonny Crates, Paypercutts, J-Red, DJ Krisy, DJ Breeze 161 Rat Vs Possum, Towels, Footy Workers Club Rav Thomas, Jo Dawson, Jakks Azimuth, Hayden Calnin, Rush of Colour Esplanade Gershwin Room Red Aces Edinburgh Castle Hotel Red Ink, This Town, A Forest, The Mercury Theatre, Acrasia, Count the Days Anti Reverend Funk Night Cat (City) Ricardo Villalobos Prince Bandroom Rohan Blackmore, Arowe, The Ages, Beth Nights Wesley Anne Sadhana, Cloud City, Lucifer’s Gift, Anna Salen Evelyn Hotel Seedy Jeezus, The Other Lyrebird Lounge Spearmint Fur, Passion Box, Johari Window Noise Bar Spoonful, DJ Johnny Two Decks Retreat Hotel Standard Union, Slick 46, Stranglehold, The Jacks, Happy New Year, Pink Fitt Pony Sunset Blush, Kate Walker, May Hishmeh, Tim Woods Vibe on Smith

The Angels Doncaster Hotel The Bakelite Age, Money For Rope, Buried Horses The Tote The Crooks Oscars Alehouse The Dishevelled Gentlemen, Farfalla, The Lights, The Gems Bar 362 The Gin Club, Mike Noga and Band, Jane Dust, Jimmy Tait Ding Dong Lounge The Happy Endings, The Violent Flames, The Twitch, Mike Callander, Lewie Day, Safari, Andy Hart, Nick Jones Revolver The Jezabels, Two Hours Traffic, Fuzz Phantoms East Brunswick Club The Last Night on Jupiter, bEXHiLL Brunswick Hotel The Reefers, Shaky Memorial Yah Yah’s The Resignators, Summerset Avenue, Swing Set Green, Through The Window Ruby’s Lounge The Sideshow Brides The Gem The Solomons, The Kremlin Succession, Boogie Monster Grace Darling Hotel Tim Wilson’s Cannonball, Pat Lajoie Dizzy’s Jazz Club Traditional Irish Music Session, Dan Bourke & Friends The Drunken Poet Tyson Hodges Trio, Stevie J North Cornish Arms Hotel Van Walker Basement Discs Watussi, Madre Monte, The Palacio Brothers, Guido BamBaataa, Rusty (Electric Mary) Esplanade Lounge YobKiss, Toecutter, Kt Spit, Pandie, Le Cheeky Dj’s 303 Yvette Johannson, The Joe Ruberto Bennetts Lane Zombirds, Josh Armistead, Roller One, Mushroom Horse Builders Arms Hotel

SAT 27

Acca Dacca: AC/DC Tribute Commercial Hotel Actor Slash Model, White Woods, Howl At The Moon, The Enclosures, Richie 1250 Yah Yah’s Agency Dub Collective, Cassawarrior Bar Open ALSD, Wombat, Hear No Evil Trio My Aeon April Maze Grind ‘n’ Groove Bar

30 Gertrude St, Fitzroy (03) 9417 6420 IUOL=?A ?KI CANPNQ@AO>NKSJ?KQ?D

4"!+"0! 6 -* "+ 0,), 4 &*,$"+ % /-"/ +04 +! '"## * 6 +! /,,*

1%2/0! 6 -*

20%&!, #&")!0 4 (/" 12/"0 ,# ( /* $/""+ 0(&"0 +! /,,*

0 12/! 6 ) 1"

0,2)&1&0 4 */ 3&+ " -" % 0-&++&+$ 0,2) /" ,/!0 )) +&$%1 #/,+1 / #/"" ,**&+$ 2- 1%2/0! 6 -* /"4 % % ,*"!6 4 $/"$ #)""1 5 3&"/ *& % ")&!&0 )2(" +! * , 1,* 4 /! +!/,,*

BIG DAY ART

TON PENINSULA AT / B E N D I G O - M O R N I N G / SURF COAST - BALLAR MELBOURNE - GEELONG

DESIGN OUR COVER

AND WIN BIG!

~ FREE R Y 2 0 10 ~ I S S U E 110 6 WE DN ESDAY 20 JANUA

Wed. 24th (Wine, Whiskey, Women) 8pm: Gen Finnane & Flora Smith 9pm: Jenny Biddle KASABIAN THE MARS VOLTA POLAR BEAR CLUB DAN SULTAN

Thurs. 25th 8pm: Lionel Leeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Circus 9pm: Lily & King

READERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHOICE AWAR Vote for your favourite artwork D in the Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Choice vot Check out the entries exhibit e. summerfestivalguide.com.aued at vote via Twitter. More details and soon!

HOCKEY

AFI

DIRTY THREE

DIXON ZEBRA 33,222

Fri. 26th 6pm: Traditional Irish Music Session with Dan Bourke & Friends Sat. 27th 9pm: Chris Wilson Sun. 28th 4pm: Ian Collard 6.30pm: Sime Nugent

TO ENTER: Competition opens Tuesday 2 November. Create your impression of an artist on the current Big Day Out schedule and upload your entry at summerfestivalguide.com.au (go to the Big Day Art section). WIN: Inpress cover art. Artist proďŹ le. Double pass to the BDO Festival. A cd prize pack â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the latest releases from BDO artists. Design software for each state winner. Free entry to a CATC Workshop for each state winner. ENTRIES CLOSE FRIDAY 7 JANUARY

Tues. 30th 8pm: Weekly Trivia

All Shows Always Free!

MELBOURNE SYDNEY BRISBANE

The Drunken Poet, 65 Peel Street (Directly opposite Queen Vic Market). Phone: 03 9348 9797 www.myspace.com/drunkenpoets twitter.com/inpressmag

gigguide@inpress.com.au Austin Floyd Rainbow Hotel AXXON, Ouch My Face, Thralls, Breathing Shrine, Ornitholigist, Paint Your Golden Face, Flying Scribble, Heavy Mental Lithuanian Club Bias B, Klikx, Call & Response, 12 Legged Beast, Mental Az The Prague Blackie, Roller One, Laral, Nunchukka Superfly, Firewitch, The Dopetones The Old Bar Blake, Tig, Joe Charles Horse Bazaar Brittle, Click On Colour, Ikarii, The Art, Skarlett Blue, The Five Venoms, The Rock City Riff Raff, Diamond Sins Ding Dong Lounge Brittle Reveller’s Bar Buddy Love Kojo Brown Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, Brothers Grim & the Blue Murders, Eaten By Dogs, The Death Rattles The Tote Cat Cat, Footy, Jonny Telafone, Zac Keiller Empress Hotel Catatonic, Omega, Lady J, SmuDJ, Syme Tollens Abode Chris Wilson The Drunken Poet Cilla Jane Builders Arms, early show Cosmic Tonic Veludo Damn Terran, Bone, Kids Of Zoo, Daddy Long Legs, Pioneers Of Good Science, Love Puff Pony Dan Kelly, Watussi, Kim Churchill Queenscliff Music Festival Dezperados, The Pang, The Quadbox, The New Year, Meeks, Raschelle Meyer, Charm, Stacey’s Second Brunswick Hotel DJ Evo The Deck Dr Mexico, The Desert Shore Great Britain Hotel Dr Nick The Hawthorn Emma Dean, The Jane Austin Argument, Flash Fry, The House deFROST, Andee Frost The Toff In Town Emma Peel, Mohair Slim, Buddy Love, Hello Sailor Vintage Fair Grace Darling Hotel Engine Three Seven, Electric Horse Evelyn Hotel Fluro Party, DJ Ralph, Luke Will, Pean Dakota, Ringwood Free To Run, Winterun, Ancient Man, DJ Spirit Squad, Ransom, Paz, Declan Kelly, RambL, Ms Butt Revolver

Sierra Fin play the Curtin Bandroom on Saturday. HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Frosty, drums: “Russ spotted me in Eastern Latvia holding a sign saying ‘will drop pants for food’ and figured, there’s the drummer. We then felt the band needed more weird synth sounds and recruited Joel, Brisbane’s premier keyboard touching guy. And lastly we spotted bass player, Oli in a David Beckham lookalike contest, and the rest is unWikipedia-worthy history.” Russ, vocals: “We were the last four survivors of a series of gladiator death matches. When you go through something like that together...” HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? F: “Both, depending on your definition of ‘tooling around’. We’ve just recorded our debut album, Cautionary Tale Of The Beautiful Blackout, and are releasing the single Lost Man’s Lie right now. As for tooling around, that’s best left unmentioned.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? F and R: “Buy our single now.” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? F: “Mini Kiss, the Kiss tribute band made up entirely of widgets. Why? Because they are a Kiss tribute band made up entirely of midgets!” R: “Nickelback, so that we could poison their rider.” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? F: “I don’t believe in a higher power, so I’d cheat and take them all except S Club 7. Okay, maybe the best-of.” R: “That would be the master for Cautionary Tale Of The Beautiful Blackout... ‘cause we haven’t made copies yet.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? F: :I consider it lucky if I remember to wear pants.” R: “If I remember to bring my capo I generally feel pretty lucky.” IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? F: “Unicorn. Probably on the barbecue, as the skewer is kind of built-in.” Henk.D, James Brook, Psyboags, Julian Reynolds, Bender, Gags Loop I Exist, Warbrain, The Broderick, Vultures The Arthouse Image of the State, Dave Havea Spenserslive Jade MacRae, Alphamama, Runforyourlife Esplanade Lounge Jam Banquette Bebida Bar Jamie Oehlers Quartet Uptown Jazz Café Jamie Vlahos, Phil Ross, Frazer Adnam, Scott McMahon, MR Neal, Ziggy Billboard

Josh Owen Oscars Alehouse Karaoke, Kmaster Con A Bar Called Barry Katie Noonan & The Captains Tarrawarra Museum of Art Kicking Horses Builders Arms Hotel Leo Sayer The Palms Magic Monkey, DJ Basil Waterside Hotel Matt Glass, Kate Ducarcus, Kate Crawley Acoustic Café May Dreamers, Mellow Kitty Empress Hotel, Arvo Show

Melbourne Playback Theatre Company La Mama Monsters of Rock 8, Kisstroyer The Hi-Fi Mr Palmer Precinct My Friend The Chocolate Cake Thornbury Theatre Nearly Naked Night Cat (City) Nichaud Fitzgibbon Quartet, Pat Lajoie Dizzy’s Jazz Club Paris Wells The Palais, Hepburn Springs Paul Grabowsky Sextet Bennetts Lane Percee P, Dispair, Fatty Phew, Syntax Esplanade Gershwin Room Perplex, Paz 161 Pina Tuteri Sporting Club Hotel Pioneers Of Good Science Pony Late Show Poppin Mommas, Cabin Fever, Degenerate, Face on Fire Barwon Club Psycho Lumberjacks, High Side Driver, Shade Chandelier Room Psycho Lumberjacks, High Side Driver, Shade The Chandelier Room Quarrelmen Central Club Hotel Rapids, The Thod, This Weather & other Poems, Rocco Rosso Rats @ Brown Alley Rectal Tubes, The Terry McCarthy Special Public Bar Relax With Max Night Cat Road Ratz, Murder Balls, Cyclone Diablo Bendigo Hotel Ruckus, Geoff Achison & The Souldiggers St Andrews Hotel Russia, The New Black Cherry Bar Sienna Skies, Attack of the Mannequins Bang Sierra Fin, Autumn Gray, French & Mc Carthy John Curtin Hotel Soulitis, Vince Peach Gertrudes Brown Couch Spiderbait, Hoss, Little Ugly Girls, Guttersnipes, Kim Salmon, Tirany, Spencer P Jones Corner Steller, DJ Ash, DJ Tim Glenferrie Hotel Steve Boyd & Broken Prayers Lomond Hotel Stray Love Esplanade Basement Tea For Two Blue Diamond The Adam Cousens Band Torquay Hotel The Angels Ferntree Gully Hotel The Band Who Knew Too Much The Pinnacle

The Cambrian Explosion, Canary, Tim Anders 303 The Dunhill Blues, Brat Farrar, Dirt River Radio, DJ Xander Retreat Hotel The Good Suns Grumpy’s Green The John Steel Singers, Deep Sea Arcade, Love Connection East Brunswick Club The Native Plants Union Hotel Brunswick The Silence Engine The Bender Bar The Transatlantics, The OMG’s, The Perfections, Miss Goldie Northcote Social Club The Word, Moroccan Kings, The Twoks Ruby’s Lounge Timothy & The Wilderness, Susy Blue Edinburgh Castle Hotel Tunes by the Duchess The Gem Wilfred Jackyl Cornish Arms Hotel Zond, Dick Diver, Matt Bailey, Panel Of Judges, Great Earthquake, A Dead Forest Index Workers

SUN 28

Alexis Nicole, Falloe Rainbow Hotel Ash Grunwald Pier Hotel Baby Drivers, The Weeping Willows, Kris Kayne Empress Hotel, Arvo Show Black Hill Rambler Manhattan Hotel Boogs, Spacey Space, Radiator, T-Rek Revolver Bruce Pumpa & the Perfect Gentlemen, The Rolo Band, Nev & the Blues, Tim Warmington, Jeremy P Martin, Tom Bolton & Richard Grace, Opa 303

Charlie and Blair, Djana Raykovic Chandelier Room Crooked Projects, The Broken Splendour Builders Arms Hotel Cute is What We Aim For, Stealing O’Neal, Built On Secrets The Hi-Fi Drunk Mums, Unique Gift, Archdale Bar Open Fergus McAlpine Sporting Club Hotel Frente, The Fauves, The Hollowmen, Kirsty Stegwazi, Ron Peno, The Glory Box Corner Hotel Goyim Great Britain Hotel Grand Wazoo, Kings of Soul Blue Diamond Haynestown The Standard Hotel Headspace, Dale Ryder Band, Bad Boys Batucada Esplanade Lounge Ian Collard, Sime Nugent The Drunken Poet James Sherlock Trio Uptown Jazz Café Jarrod Thompson Cornish Arms Hotel Jason Singh, DJ Johno Precinct Jesus Hands, Fred Negro’s Kooky Karaoke Terminus Hotel Jimmy Clinkerfield, Ali Handal Edinburgh Castle Hotel Kim Churchill, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Vasco Era Queenscliff Music Festival Kim Salmon Retrospective, Mary Mihelakos The Old Bar Major Chord Builders Arms, early show Mary Delahunty, Georgia Fields, Hannah Gadsby, Lisa Miller, Helen Garner Thornbury Theatre Melbourne Playback Theatre Company La Mama

GIRLS GET LOOSE Having just been announced as the main support for The Hold Steady, touring Australia in March, Gun Street Girls get set to launch their brand new longplayer, Adult Loose, at the Northcote Social Club on Saturday 4 December with guests The Demon Parade and The Bonniwells. Tickets are on sale from notrthcotesocialclub.com. Geelong fans can catch the band at the National Hotel on Thursday 2 December, while those in Ballarat can see the action at the Karova Lounge on Friday 3 December. Both shows are with Money For Rope. Adult Loose is in stores now everywhere.

twitter.com/inpressmag

Michael Meeking & The Lost Souls Union Club Hotel Monique DiMatina Grumpy’s Green Moonee Valley Drifters Yorkshire Stingo Hotel New Cabal Bennetts Lane Open Decks The Bender Bar Open Mic, Monique Brumby Bendigo Hotel Perico, Farewell the Lion, Nigel Pannett Jayboy, Fierce Mild, Kansas City Heat Brunswick Hotel President Roots Caravan Music Club Richard Jeffrey Bar Nancy Romy, Polygon Palace, Super Melody, Megastick Fanfare, Speed Painters Workers Club Ruckus St Andrews Hotel Rudely Interrupted, Rick Ralli, Alan Brough Northcote Social Club Rumberos Night Cat Saskia Sansom, Mystic Eyes, Miles Brown, Lehmann B Smith Empress Hotel Sophia Brous, Lost Animal, Kirin J Callinan Grace Darling Hotel Spectrum Maldon Blues Club Supa Fly Sundayz 161 The Angels Melton Hotel The Boys, Alora Wesley Anne The Currency, Murder Rats, Odiusembowel, Slocombe’s Pussy, Thomy & The Tanks, Team Rad The Tote The Groovetones Hardimans The Idle Hoes Carringbush Hotel The Jezabels, Two Hours Traffic, Fuzz Phantoms East Brunswick Club The Melancholics, Don’t Call me Tony, Fifth Element Veludo The ReChords The Gem The Spheres, Great Earthquake, Light Lion, No Art, Amplifier Machine, The Coralinas, The Ghost of 29 Megacycles, Battlesnake, Radiant City Loop The Whole Moloko, Dog hair Jacket, Kristy Jinx, Wiln Nite, Descartes Error, The Captives Esplanade Gershwin Room Todd Hart Trio, The Lowdown Dirty Shames Union Hotel Brunswick Van Walker & the Cracked Country Lips, Howl At The Moon Retreat Hotel Wes Snelling, The Sunday Set, Andyblack, Haggis The Toff In Town

Wicked Anabelle Lord Newry Hotel Yah Yah’s Crate Digger Record Fair, Reigning Men Yah Yah’s

MON 29

Danny Roff Veludo Fruit Jar’s Old Timey String Band The Old Bar Josh Owen Band Esplanade Lounge NMIT Recitals, Harlequin Chapter, Alie Picken Brunswick Hotel Paul Williamson Hammond Combo Rainbow Hotel Peter Knight Quartet 303 Rhonda Burchmore The Apartment Rhonda Burchmore, Daryl MacKenzie Jazz Orchestra The Apartment Sooty Hawke Empress Hotel The Jezabels, Two Hours Traffic, Fuzz Phantoms East Brunswick Club The Swann Collective Grumpy’s Green

TUE 30

Changing Falls, Akanami, Die Vader Die, DJ Mountain Witches Evelyn Hotel Circulation, Stephen Magnusson 303 DJ Ash Glenferrie Hotel Life Drawing The Old Bar Live ‘N’ Local, Go Hard, Bill Stoosh & Friends Ruby’s Lounge Mark Phillips, April Maze, Michael Gambino, Richard Jeffrey, Nicolette Forte Esplanade Lounge Melbourne Fresh Industry Showcase, Never Cheer Before You Know Whos Winning Revolver Open Mic Empress Hotel Shawn Mullins The Toff In Town The Brunswick Discovery, The Cut Throats of the Tall Poppies, Ivandalism Brunswick Hotel The Hello Morning, Luke Bagot Wesley Anne Weekly Trivia The Drunken Poet

Wed 24TH

CHAD MASON THURS 25th

THE DECOYS FRI 26TH

THE SHIDESHOW BRIDES SAT 27TH TUNES BY THE DUTCHESS

SAT 28TH

THE RECHORDS gembookings@gmail.com

289 WELLINGTON ST COLLINGWOOD 94195170

KITCHEN OPEN 6 NIGHTS

140 Sydney Rd

BRUNSWICKHOTEL.NET

9387 6637

NO COVER CHARGE

WED NOV 24 - 8PM

THE BRUNSWICK OPEN MIC! $10 JUGS! WITH HOST MATT MCFARLANE

THURS NOV 25

MEN THEY CALL JANE ROSS MISSING COLOUR THE DIGS SECRETARY LILLY

Wed 24th

Music Trivia, rockwiz meets two grumpy bastards, a guitar player and a cat... WTF?. 7.30pm

FRI NOV 26

THE LAST NIGHT ON JUPITER

Thurs 25th

WITH BEXHILL

The Bucket Room, showcase of local singer/songwriters from Melb and interstate. 8.30pm

SAT NOV 27 - 9PM

DEZPERADOS

THE PANG & THE QUADBOX 5PM - THE NEW YEAR MEEKS YANI & RASCHELLE MEYER OUTSIDE 8PM - CHARM STACEY’S SECOND BROKEN RIOT

Fri 26th

‘Perrins Perversions’, funk/soul groooves, perfect end to a long hot week. 9pm

Sat 27th

‘The Good Suns’, rootsy trio led by John Goodall. 9pm

SUN NOV 28 - 5PM

PERICO

FAREWELL THE LION NIGEL PANNETT JAYBOY 9PM - FIERCE MILD KANSAS CITY HEAT

Sun 28th

Monique DiMatina, jazz/ blues piano and vocal. 2pm

MON NOV 29 - 8PM

Mon 29th

HANNAH RILEY NMIT RECITAL

‘The Swann Collective’, chilled blues and jazz led by local Legend, Mr Swann

WITH HARLEQUIN CHAPTER AND ALIE PICKIN $10 JUGS - FREE POOL!

TUES NOV 30

All events at Grumpys Green are Free entry www.grumpysgreen.com 125 Smith Street, Fitzroy

THE BRUNSWICK DISCOVERY!

GIVING CHANCES TO UP AND COMING ARTISTS! THIS WEEK: THE CUT THROATS OF THE TALL POPPIES & IVANDALISM

twitter.com/inpressmag

gigguide@inpress.com.au

BANG Saturday Sienna Skies, Attack of the Mannequins

BAR OPEN Wednesday Dominic Death, Jonny Telafone, Asps Thursday Chocolate Strings, Hikoikoi Friday Johnnie & The Johnnie Johnnies Saturday Agency Dub Collective, Cassawarrior Sunday Drunk Mums, Unique Gift, Archdale

BENDIGO HOTEL Thursday Bitch Slap, Agent Cleave, Burlesque, The Bad Ladies Friday Backyard Surgeons, Chilling Winston, Take Your Own, Thrashdance, Fortnight Jumbo Saturday Road Ratz, Murder Balls, Cyclone Diablo Sunday Open Mic, Monique Brumby

BLUE DIAMOND Friday Fifteenth Avenue Saturday Tea For Two Sunday Grand Wazoo, Kings of Soul

BRUNSWICK HOTEL Wednesday The Brunswick Open Mic with host Matt McFarlane Thursday Men they Call Jane, Ross, Missing Colour, The Digs, Secretary Lily Friday The Last Night on Jupiter, bEXHiLL Saturday Dezperados, The Pang, The Quadbox, The New Year, Meeks, Raschelle Meyer, Charm, Stacey’s Second Sunday Perico, Farewell the Lion, Nigel Pannett Jayboy, Fierce Mild, Kansas City Heat Monday NMIT Recitals, Harlequin Chapter, Alie Picken Tuesday The Brunswick Discovery, The Cut Throats of the Tall Poppies, Ivandalism

BUILDERS ARMS HOTEL Wednesday Single Twin, Emily Ulman Thursday Parallel Lions, Guests Friday Zombirds, Josh Armistead, Roller One, Mushroom Horse Saturday Kicking Horses Sunday Crooked Projects, The Broken Splendour

SUMMER OF PUNK Summerset Avenue, recently returning from the US, have released their debut EP Nowhere Near Home and are to finish up their Melbourne shows in the lead up to their US tour in February. Catch their energetic pop punk shenanigans this Friday at Ruby’s Lounge in Belgrave in support of ska sensation The Resignators. Entry is only $12.

CARAVAN MUSIC CLUB Friday Geoff Achison & The Souldiggers Sunday President Roots

CHERRY BAR Wednesday Frowning Clouds, The Bonniwells Thursday Skylines Friday New Birds, The Hello Morning, Gosteleradio Saturday Russia, The New Black

CORNER HOTEL Thursday DJ Krush, DJ Sizzle, Ransom Friday Kaki King, Leroy Lee Saturday Spiderbait, Hoss, Little Ugly Girls, Guttersnipes, Kim Salmon, Tirany, Spencer P Jones Sunday Frente, The Fauves, The Hollowmen, Kirsty Stegwazi, Ron Peno, The Glory Box

EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB Wednesday Kids of 88, Zowie Thursday King Cannons, The Level Spirits, Johnnie & The Johnnie Johnnies Friday The Jezabels, Two Hours Traffic, Fuzz Phantoms Saturday The John Steel Singers, Deep Sea Arcade, Love Connection Sunday The Jezabels, Two Hours Traffic, Fuzz Phantoms Monday The Jezabels, Two Hours Traffic, Fuzz Phantoms

EDINBURGH CASTLE HOTEL Thursday Palomino Friday Red Aces

Saturday Timothy & The Wilderness, Susy Blue Sunday Jimmy Clinkerfield, Ali Handal

EMPRESS HOTEL Wednesday Hands Like Ours, Deep Blue Day Thursday Hancock Basement, Royston Vasie, Jules Sheldon Duo Friday Asami, Reviver, Citrus Jam, Tim Flymm Saturday Cat Cat, Footy, Jonny Telafone, Zac Keiller Sunday Saskia Sansom, Mystic Eyes, Miles Brown, Lehmann B Smith Monday Sooty Hawke Tuesday Open Mic

EMPRESS HOTEL, ARVO SHOW Saturday May Dreamers, Mellow Kitty Sunday Baby Drivers, The Weeping Willows, Kris Kayne

ESPLANADE BASEMENT Thursday Redcoats, Dozers, Shoe Friday Queen St Riot, Crying Sirens, Darcee Fox, Peddlers of Filth Saturday Stray Love

ESPLANADE GERSHWIN ROOM Wednesday Miami Horror, Jean Pierre Thursday Geisha, Attack of the Mannequins, Tricking Emma Friday Rav Thomas, Jo Dawson, Jakks Azimuth, Hayden Calnin, Rush of Colour

Saturday Percee P, Dispair, Fatty Phew, Syntax Sunday The Whole Moloko, Dog hair Jacket, Kristy Jinx, Wiln Nite, Descartes Error, The Captives

Monday The Swann Collective

ESPLANADE LOUNGE

JOHN CURTIN HOTEL

Wednesday Roostar, Ape Is Ape, Changing Falls, Holliava Thursday Pharoahe Monch, Jean Grae Friday Watussi, Madre Monte, The Palacio Brothers, Guido BamBaataa, Rusty (Electric Mary) Saturday Jade MacRae, Alphamama, Runforyourlife Sunday Headspace, Dale Ryder Band, Bad Boys Batucada Monday Josh Owen Band Tuesday Mark Phillips, April Maze, Michael Gambino, Richard Jeffrey, Nicolette Forte

EVELYN HOTEL Wednesday Seabellies, The Bon Scotts, Kins Thursday The Communists, Frozen Alice, Welcome to the Numb, Cirque De Freak Friday Sadhana, Cloud City, Lucifer’s Gift, Anna Salen Saturday Engine Three Seven, Electric Horse Tuesday Changing Falls, Akanami, Die Vader Die, DJ Mountain Witches

GERTRUDES BROWN COUCH Wednesday Ben Solo, Imogen Harper, Jeff May Thursday Bushido Fields, Kreatures of Karma, Green Skies Saturday Soulitis, Vince Peach

GRACE DARLING HOTEL Thursday Sans Gras, Cuba is Japan, Sex Face Friday The Solomons, The Kremlin Succession, Boogie Monster Saturday Emma Peel, Mohair Slim, Buddy Love, Hello Sailor Vintage Fair Sunday Sophia Brous, Lost Animal, Kirin J Callinan

GRUMPY’S GREEN Thursday The Bucket Room, Local Singer Songwriter Night Friday Music Trivia Saturday The Good Suns Sunday Monique DiMatina

IRENE’S WAREHOUSE Friday Art and Craft, No Art, Light Lion

Thursday Potential Falcon, Black Creek, Nick Murphy & Jeff Samin Saturday Sierra Fin, Autumn Gray, French & Mc Carthy

NEXT Thursday The Red Shore, Thy Art Is Murder, Forgiven Rival, Chasing Ghosts, Chris O’Neill

NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB Wednesday Pieta Brown, Tinpan Orange Thursday The Vasco Era, Wons Phreely, I Am Giant Friday Black Cab, Harry Howard and his NDE, The Hired Guns Saturday The Transatlantics, The OMG’s, The Perfections, Miss Goldie Sunday Rudely Interrupted, Rick Ralli, Alan Brough

PONY Thursday Chilling Winston, Kill The Matador, Gunrunners, Thrashdance, Throbulator Friday Standard Union, Slick 46, Stranglehold, The Jacks, Happy New Year, Pink Fitt Saturday Damn Terran, Bone, Kids Of Zoo, Daddy Long Legs, Pioneers Of Good Science, Love Puff

PRINCE BANDROOM Thursday Metronomy, World’s End Press, Magic Silver White Friday Ricardo Villalobos

RETREAT HOTEL Wednesday Dirty York Accoustic Thursday Suzannah Espie, Liz Stringer, Chris Altmann, The Idle Hoes Friday Spoonful, DJ Johnny Two Decks Saturday The Dunhill Blues, Brat Farrar, Dirt River Radio, DJ Xander Sunday Van Walker & the Cracked Country Lips, Howl At The Moon

REVOLVER Wednesday Junk, Keith Party, Caractacus, Johnny Galvatron, Samaritan, Gupstar Thursday Paqman, Oscar & Martin, Back Back Forward Punch!, 3181 Thursdays, Hans DC, WHO

twitter.com/inpressmag

Friday The Happy Endings, The Violent Flames, The Twitch, Mike Callander, Lewie Day, Safari, Andy Hart, Nick Jones Saturday Free To Run, Winterun, Ancient Man, DJ Spirit Squad, Ransom, Paz, Declan Kelly, RambL, Ms Butt Sunday Boogs, Spacey Space, Radiator, T-Rek Tuesday Melbourne Fresh Industry Showcase, Never Cheer Before You Know Whos Winning

ROXANNE PARLOUR Wednesday Daniel Merriweather, Phrase, Jade MacRae Friday Espionage, Lynx & Kemo, Consequence

ROYAL DERBY HOTEL Wednesday Trivia night Thursday Vedran, Dom Dolla, Beetlejuice, Press Play Dj’s, Retza Friday DJ Graeme

TERMINUS HOTEL Wednesday Bingo Thursday Shabaret Sunday Jesus Hands, Fred Negro’s Kooky Karaoke

THE ARTHOUSE Wednesday Push to Twist, Sordid Ordeal, Pinwheel, Johnny Not Sorry Thursday Lydia, Elliot the Bull, Love At This Volume, Vermillion Friday God God Dammit Dammit, Hawaiian Islands, Keith Party, Madonna Saturday I Exist, Warbrain, The Broderick, Vultures

THE DRUNKEN POET Wednesday Gen Finnane & Flora Smith, Jenny Biddle Thursday Lionel Lee’s Circus, Lily and King Friday Traditional Irish Music Session, Dan Bourke & Friends Saturday Chris Wilson Sunday Ian Collard, Sime Nugent Tuesday Weekly Trivia

THE GEM Wednesday Chad Mason Thursday The Decoys Friday The Sideshow Brides Saturday Tunes by the Duchess Sunday The ReChords

THE HI-FI Saturday Monsters of Rock 8, Kisstroyer Sunday Cute is What We Aim For, Stealing O’Neal, Built On Secrets

THE NATIONAL HOTEL, GEELONG Thursday Deep Sea Arcade

THE OLD BAR Wednesday Laura Imbruglia Thursday Pussy XXX, System of Venus, Kill Yrself Friday Iowa, Hand Hell, Mass Cult, Liam Stewart, DJ Frankie Teardrop Saturday Blackie, Roller One, Laral, Nunchukka Superfly, Firewitch, The Dopetones Sunday Kim Salmon Retrospective, Mary Mihelakos Monday Fruit Jar’s Old Timey String Band Tuesday Life Drawing

THE STANDARD HOTEL Wednesday Rich Webb Sunday Haynestown

THE TOFF IN TOWN Wednesday Paris Wells Thursday The Madness Method, Feed Your Munkie, Love Story with 1928, Tranter, Rad Pitt, Megawuoti, Sleeves Friday Poprocks at the Toff, Dr Phil Smith Saturday Emma Dean, The Jane Austin Argument, Flash Fry, The House deFROST, Andee Frost Sunday Wes Snelling, The Sunday Set, Andyblack, Haggis Tuesday Shawn Mullins

THE TOTE Wednesday The Night Terrors, Teen Archer Thursday Bodies, River of Snakes, Hate Club, Blue Peter Friday The Bakelite Age, Money For Rope, Buried Horses Saturday Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, Brothers Grim & the Blue Murders, Eaten By Dogs, The Death Rattles Sunday The Currency, Murder Rats, Odiusembowel, Slocombe’s Pussy, Thomy & The Tanks, Team Rad

THORNBURY THEATRE Saturday My Friend The Chocolate Cake Sunday Mary Delahunty, Georgia Fields, Hannah Gadsby, Lisa Miller, Helen Garner

UNION HOTEL BRUNSWICK Thursday Bakersfield Glee Club Saturday The Native Plants Sunday Todd Hart Trio, The Lowdown Dirty Shames

UPTOWN JAZZ CAFÉ Wednesday Carl Harvoe Quintet Thursday Street Chicken Quintet Friday Elliott Dalgleish Saturday Jamie Oehlers Quartet Sunday James Sherlock Trio

WESLEY ANNE Wednesday NMIT Showcase, Simon Hudson, Thomas Strode, Nigel Swift Thursday Ben Carr, Bianca Meier, Rachael By the Stream Friday Rohan Blackmore, Arowe, The Ages, Beth Nights Sunday The Boys, Alora Tuesday The Hello Morning, Luke Bagot

WORKERS CLUB Thursday Tantrums, Pets With Pets, Cleptoclectics, Crumbs, Worng Friday Rat Vs Possum, Towels, Footy Saturday Zond, Dick Diver, Matt Bailey, Panel Of Judges, Great Earthquake, A Dead Forest Index Sunday Romy, Polygon Palace, Super Melody, Megastick Fanfare, Speed Painters

YAH YAH’S Thursday Rock Aerobics, Skul Hazzards, Dead China Doll, House of Beggers, No Art Friday The Reefers, Shaky Memorial Saturday Actor Slash Model, White Woods, Howl At The Moon, The Enclosures, Richie 1250 Sunday*Yah Yah’s Crate Digger Record Fair, Reigning Men

twitter.com/inpressmag

BEHIND THE LINES THE C&C SENNHEISER CONNECTION

It might not sound like it sometimes but the lyrics frontman Claudio Sanchez of Coheed & Cambria sings are important enough for him to demand the kind of clarity all good musicians are after, which is why they’ve opted for Sennheiser e945 supercardoid vocal mics and the ew300 EM G2 wireless personal monitoring system for concert work. They use Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones in the studio. Bass player Michael Todd also uses a classic Sennheiser MD 421 II dynamic mic on his speaker cabs live, while drummer Chris Pennie uses Sennheiser clip-on dynamic e604s on his toms.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

SOUND ADVICE

Gear reviews with RORY LAMPITT

Line 6 POD HD400

DID YOU KNOW I?

Texas-born, LA-based guitarist and producer T-Bone Burnett is so unimpressed by the fact that many contemporary producers are mixing music to be louder and more dense for the iPod and ringtone markets, that he has returned to audio engineering basics and developed what he’s dubbed CODE technology, which offers a listening experience that replicates the original studio master recording as faithfully as possible in audio DVD format. Last year’s debut album by psych rockers Moonalice saw Burnett further refine the technology, which adds no additional cost to the price of a conventional CD.

BYRON 301 TWO-FOR-ONE

From now until the end of the year, for every day booked at Byron Bay 301, they’re throwing another day in free. It’s your classic buy-oneget-one-free deal, so if you’ve been pondering whether you can afford to record there using their vintage Neve console, incomparable collection of mics, spacious recording studios and so on like Powderfinger, The Mars Volta, Eskimo Joe, The Living End, Xavier Rudd and Grinspoon to give you the short list, maybe now’s the time to check in and see. You’re looking at $1,000 plus the inescapable GST for two days, which includes accommodation, so email infobyron@ studios301.com or call Paul Pilseniks on (02) 6680 8899 or Anthony Garvin on (02) 9698 5888.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

John Ruberto’s suite at Crystal Mastering this month welcomed a vintage Sontec Equalizer. This classic, analogue eq was originally from the studios at Festival Records, and has found a happy home at Crystal Mastering, joining siblings from GML, API and Weiss.

SOUND BYTES

Booking themselves into Rome’s cavernous Forum Studios, formerly Ortophonic Studios founded by, among others, Ennio Morricone, Brian Burton AKA Danger Mouse and Italian composer Daniele Luppi gathered together as much vintage gear as they could find and recorded a collection of songs they’d written together liveto-tape. The results were then taken to Nashville where Jack White added vocals to a couple of tracks, and then to Burton’s LA studio where Norah Jones added her voice to a few more. The finished album, Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi Presents Rome, will be released next year. Produced by Aria Award winner Craig Pilkington (Killjoys, The Blackeyed Susans, Mick Thomas, The Lucksmiths) and recorded at his Audrey Studios, Fallen Angels is the debut album from Melbourne singer/songwriter Letitia Maher. Fellow Melburnian Georgia Fields turned to another songwriter-turned-producer, Greg Arnold (Skipping Girl Vinegar, Carus), for her self-titled debut album, engineered and recorded for the most part at Atlantis Sound in Port Melbourne. Arnold also did one track at NMIT Studio 209, and Myles Mumford engineered two tracks at NMIT Yarra Edge Theatre. The album was mixed at Atlantis by David McCluney and mastered by Jim DeMain at Yes Master in Nashville, Tennessee. The connection between Germany and Melbourne is obviously as strong as ever, though it was to Hannover that singer and guitarist Rich Webb took the band to record the Beautiful World album with engineers Howard Bargroff and Timo Soist in Horus Sound Studio. The results were brought back to Studios 301 in Sydney to be mixed by Paul McKercher, with Steve Smart mastering. Best known as the singer with hip hop combo TZU, Pip Norman –AKA DJ Countbounce –has been making a name for himself as a producer the past couple of years, working on albums by acts as diverse as Urthboy, Sparkadia and Ash Grunwald. His latest production job is the second album from Bobby Flynn. With Grunwald, Norman opted for “this old RCA ribbon microphone, going through this old compressor into an old ‘60s EQ, which all goes into the computer” to get greater authenticity on the vocals, so it’ll be interesting to see the approach he takes with Flynn.

The latest incarnation of Line 6’s POD concept is presented in three new floor pedals: the HD300, HD400 and HD500. All incorporate Line 6’s core guitar amp modelling technology as well as between 80 and 100 effects. Inpress tested the HD400 unit. The number and variety of effects available is massive and saving them is straightforward. There are stompbox distortions and overdrives, a large cluster of modulation effects as well as a mass of delays and reverbs. The effects can be assigned to a flexible signal chain and moved around as though they were on a real pedal board, while by connecting the unit to a computer via the USB port and using the free POD HD editor/ librarian software, on-screen editing can organise and save all your sounds. The POD also integrates with the Line 6 DT50 amps, providing even more flexibility. When first plugging into the effects unit I used a Fender Jazzmaster and a Marshall Plexi reissue amp – instantly my beautiful warm tube tone vanished, replaced with Line

RIDING AGAIN

Using such a digital pedal with a live band proved to be unmusical and often got lost in the mix rather than cutting through the other instruments. Using the unit as a bedroom tool for recording or practice is ideal and this is really where the value of the POD lies. The loop function is very user-friendly and when you consider the POD HD300, which also features an on-board looper, retails at roughly the same price as a boss loop station the POD series is remarkable value for money. The HD400 can be had for around $600 from a local retailer – ask for the 300 model for Christmas rather than the latest Guitar Hero. If you want heaps of effects for little cash it’s hard to go wrong with the POD series although it’s still miles off replacing a real tube amp and some well chosen stomp-boxes. The gear was loaned from from Cranbourne Music: city store 9654 5115 and Cranbourne Store 5996 6955.

They weren’t your typical John Wayne types, but the public ran for cover when America’s PANTERA came riding out of Texas in 1990 with their breakthrough album, Cowboys From Hell. Frontman PHIL ANSELMO discusses the genesis of the recently reissued 20th anniversary edition of the record with BRENDAN CRABB. There has been much dissection – and mockery – of Pantera’s early years, which featured the band sporting the prototypical glam get-up of the time. However, when vocalist Phil Anselmo replaced Terry Glaze for 1988’s Power Metal, the Texan metallers began heading down a heavier path.

Pantera circa 1990

“I think that’s [their early glam sound] an overrated thought,” Anselmo muses in his trademark drawl. “What you see is a giant misconception of what was real. Back in the ‘80s, if you wanted to play in the big club scenario… those clubs in America catered to the popular bands of the day – the Poisons, the Mötley Crües. We knew when I joined the band we were going down a more aggressive direction, but we were stuck in those fucking bars. You had to look like Mötley Crüe and all that stupid shit. We messed around with Slayer, Motorhead and other heavier bands and suddenly metalheads and hardcore kids are showing up at our shows and the clubs are packed. So what the fuck are the club owners going to do? We crushed the whole glam thing; we changed the rules.” When it came time to write and record the release that would become 1990’s Cowboys From Hell, their fifth studio album, the mindset was understandably different to previous releases. “My influences were everything from Judas Priest to Agnostic Front to Dark Angel,” he laughs. “I had the dirtier, harsher collection. I just sang the way I sang and they played the way they played. We were very fucking prepared,” Anselmo continues. “We had been playing those songs live constantly throughout Texas and Louisiana and had a rabid fanbase. The only song that came right off the cuff was Primal Concrete Sledge; that came out of nowhere. It shows where our attitude was at; I think attitude-wise, coming out of Cowboys From Hell, we were more [their 1992 follow-up] Vulgar Display Of Power. The proof of this is in Primal Concrete Sledge. It was the last song we wrote for the record; you could hear the bridge.” The band ventured to Dallas Sound Lab in Irving, Texas

6 engineer’s digital interpretation of 32 classic amp and cab models. When I swapped to a Fender Twin Reverb and a hollow body with mini humbuckers using the same modeler setting as on the Marshall, it was hard to spot the difference. The nuances of your set-up are eradicated and all you can hear is the familiar drone of fake saturation heard across suburban rehearsal studios the world over. The POD also features a range of modes modelled on famous guitarists such as Jack White and Angus Young, if you fancy standing on your bed doing guitar solos with a tie around your head pretending you’re someone else. There is a ton of crazy effects on the POD and some great soundscapes can be created with ease using the loop function and the myriad of delays and quirky presets. Hours of fun await even the most inexperienced user. This pedal is really for someone who has a budget guitar and amp that they want to mask, rather than using it as part of a dynamic, creative set-up.

one of metal’s clearest. As Anselmo tells it, the fanatical reaction afforded the song in the live environment meant they knew they were on to a winner. “The catchiness of the riff was infectious and we knew we had a heck of anthem on our hands,” he enthuses. “People loved it regionally, we just had to prove it to the world.” Another obvious touchstone is Cemetery Gates, featuring one of heavy metal’s most beloved guitar solos. “The first thing that pops in my mind is people think it might be aimed at the radio. But Cemetery Gates is a sevenminute song, so we were writing for us. Not only is it a great solo, but I think he [Dimebag] shined on that record. People should go listen to the Psycho Holiday solo – that is a fucking incredible guitar solo.”

to record the album with producer Terry Date, who the vocalist is very complimentary of. “He was great, he was very instrumental. We were apprehensive going into the record, nervous about capturing our live sound on record. Dimebag [Darrell, guitars] always had this ferocious guitar sound. This is 1988/’89 we’re talking about. Record production in those days was a touchy thing, especially for heavy metal. Terry worked hard to capture his guitar sound the best he could at the time. As time went on, his guitar sound defined itself more and more. But on Cowboys… we changed the culture of heavy metal production, because we upped the ante on production and played with machine-like precision. Those guys would strive for the tightest sound possible. Little did I know, that machine-like sound would influence generations.” Upon the album’s release in July 1990, many people’s introduction to Pantera was the instantly memorable title track that opens the record. As far as musical statements of intent are concerned, this groove-laden attack is still

twitter.com/inpressmag

The new three-disc reissue of Cowboys… contains live tracks and demos. Does Anselmo think that the album versions lost some of the spark initially captured in demo format? “Whenever we would demo something, it would always be a little more raw,” Anselmo relates. “A lot of the time you fall in love with the demo. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone said they liked the demo version better. Today, there’s super-produced production to lo-fi black metal bands; it’s all up to the person and whatever sound they like.” He also doesn’t concern himself about whether Cowboys… could have benefited from similar, enhanced production values to later releases. “The production did come around,” he emphasises. While Pantera would scale greater creative and commercial heights with future releases, Anselmo looks back on the entire Cowboys… experience with fondness. “Twenty years – to see 20-year-old kids running around, it makes you think, ‘Wow, I’m old’,” he laughs. “[I’ve] been going through all those moments and think about all those times – it’s all good stuff. Cowboys… was a fantastic launching pad for what would become the ultimate Pantera sound. It was a heck of a start.” The 20th anniversary edition of Cowboys From Hell is out through Warner.

8dbegZ]Zch^kZ E6 hnhiZbh YZa^kZgZY! hZi je VcY

$25 $50 $40 $40

deZgViZY l^i] XgZl#

8dbeVXi! ZVhn id jhZ hdjcY hnhiZbh ndj XVc e^X`je VcY VhhZbWaZ ndjghZa[#

8dbedcZcih hjX] Vh b^Xgde]dcZh! heZV`Zgh VcY Z[[ZXih VgZ Vahd VkV^aVWaZ hZeVgViZan# E]dcZ BVg` 7Vggn %( .--. &... dg %)&. ..( .++ lll#WhhdjcY#Xdb#Vj WhhdjcY5W^\edcY#Xdb

$35 $60 $50 $50 $15 $20

$70

1000 RECORDS

MASTERED

Come and celebrate Indie Masters 1000th record mastered in 10 years. As a comemerative offer we are giving away our 1000th mastering session free of charge!

INTERACTIVE MUSIC INSTRUCTION GUITAR | KEYS | DRUMS | VOCALS The SoundLab is an epic event space & music tutorial studio offering unique interactive sessions.

Get your FREE INTRODUCTORY SESSION visit:

WWW.THESOUNDLAB.COM.AU Ph:9510 4455

See our website for more details: www.indiemasters.com.au Or call: 0434 891 434

LMC GUITAR

TUITION - PERFORMANCE - SALES - REPAIR 330C SOUTH RD. HAMPTON EAST 3188 PH 9553 7262 WWW.LMCGUITAR.COM.AU

INDIE MASTERS – Mastering Home For Independent Artists since 1000 records ago.

BAYSIDES PREMIER GUITAR SCHOOL

MASTERING INDEPENDENT MUSIC 1 Bakehouse Lane, Fitzroy North, 3068.

Studio (in the relaxed bush between Ballarat and Geelong) and mobile multitrack recording. Servicing all western district areas Professional equipment, experienced engineer.

FREE RECORDING DAY SPECIAL NOVEMBER - DECEMBER! Engineer credits include: 2 X ARIA AWARD WINING “Gurrumul”

(conditions apply)

Hourly, day and weekly rates available on website

CALL or EMAIL: jeremy@leftofelephantsound.com.au M: 0421 836 876 WEBSITE: www.leftofelephantsound.com.au www.myspace.com/leftofelephantsound

LIVE SOUND EQUIPMENT, STUDIO NEEDS, PA SPEAKERS, MIXING CONSOLES, MICROPHONES, SIGNAL PROCESSING, CABLES, MULTICORES, STANDS ROAD CASE SPECIALISTS – READY TO GO AND CUSTOM MADE

E-STORE : WWW.GIGGEAR.COM.AU SALES@GIGGEAR.COM.AU CALL : 1300 289 997 FACTORY 18 / 21 BARRY STREET, BAYSWATER, 3153 SHOWROOM HOURS MON – FRI : 9.00AM-6.00PM; SAT 10.00AM-4.00PM

GIBSON SG STANDARD LEFTY

EMPLOYMENT

Look for us on facebook for exclusive promotions.

Chris 0419 272 196

iFlogID: 6658

ADVERTISING / MEDIA

I’m seling my Digidesign MBOX2 including Pro Tools LE 8 for $450. It has been kept in a box and used only a couple of times since i bought one year ago. Mobile: 0421250023

PBS 106.7FM is seeking a Sponsorship and Promotions Manager. This is a senior leadership role. For information about the role including selection criteria, see http://pbs.org.au/ or contact hr@pbsfm.org.au or 03 8415 1067. Applications close COB Monday 22 November 2010.

iFlogID: 9276

iFlogID: 9149

CALL CENTRE/CUST. SERVICE Telemarketer required with music industry experience by Sydney based established music production company. Possible work from home, if more suitable. Hourly rate plus commission neg. Please email your details for an appointment. leon@ oriium.com.au

Brand New Gibson SG Standard Lefthanded guitar. Heritage chrery finish including Gibson hard case. Logans Price $1999 WOW! (righthanded also available!) Logans Music Burwood (02)97442400 www. loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED GIBSON DEALER iFlogID: 6614

GUITAR & BASS FX PEDALS

iFlogID: 9367

Looking for a job backstage? Then join the thousands of other members who have found jobs at backstagejobs.com.au its free to subscribe with Jobs,News,Classifieds and now you can download our Iphone App for free

iFlogID: 9264

Excellent quality “road tough” guitar & bass effect pedals featuring rugged aluminium chassis construction, quality hardware & sturdy control knobs. All the effects you could ever need including metal, distortion, chorus, flange, phase, delay, overdrive, wah wah etc at great prices - starting from as low as $39.00 Order direct from our website www.ubersonic.com.au or contact us sales@ubersonic.com. au for more info iFlogID: 9037

VOLUNTEER

GUITAR AMPLITUBE IRIG

NEW WAY COMMUNITY CHAPEL NEW WAY COMMUNITY CHAPEL a small independent and non-denominational, inner-city Christian Church would really like to be in touch with someone who plays a musical instrument to assist us in our Worship Services held every Sunday night from 5.00pm. Time wise? Involvement could be weekly or fortnightly and hopefully voluntary. For more information? Go to www.newwaychapel.org.au or phone Pastor David on 33665412. We’re looking forward to hearing from you. iFlogID: 5909

FOR SALE AMPS Fender twin reverb combo amplifier, later 70’s. reverb and tremolo. 100+ watts. silver face with foot switch, on casters. All original including the valves no tears anywhere. excellent condition. $2100. Contact brendon at email mccarrison@aapt.net.au iFlogID: 9421

GUITAR AMP. PEAVEY BANDIT 11. 80 watt 12”combo. features reverb/ saturation. 2 channel footswitchable. very loud. great fat sound. perfect condition. $350. Ph. 0428744963 cooroy. iFlogID: 9155

BASS BRAND NEW BLACK AB2 BASS STARTER PACK: $350 AB shape bass 34” scale length 20 fret Built-in tuner VOL/TONE controls Comes with: BA15, DVD, Bag, Extra Set of Strings, Strap, Cable, Picks, Manual + COMPLIMENTARY WHITE PAGES BASS TAB iFlogID: 9096

DRUMS $250 for a 20” cast, hand-hammered ride cymbal? If you are not Dreaming already, go to www.cymbalsplus. com. Dream Cymbals and Gongs, Metro Drums plus more. iFlogID: 6985

GUITARS FENDER STANDARD STRATOCASTER

Score a Brand New Unopened Rode K2 tube studio condenser mic for a great price!! $890 check out features at factorysound.com Call to do the deal 0411083379 iFlogID: 9094

iFlogID: 9359

iFlogID: 9268

DIRTY LAUNDRY PRODUCTIONS IS CURRENTLY RUNNING NEW EVENTS @ LADY LUX ON FRIDAYS AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOME NEW PROMOTERS WHO ARE KEEN TO JUMP ON BOARD WITH THE TEAM. PLEASE CONTACT MICHAEL ON 0403820043

iFlogID: 9566

T-SHIRT SCREEN PRINT CAROUSEL. Industry standard, work-ready condition, 6 coulour stations plus drying racks. $800. Phone 0408344563.

ENTERTAINMENT

PROMOTER

Joe Meek Twin Q recording strip. Mic pre/compressor/limiter/equaliser stereo/twin channel recording strip, barely used, perfect condition. Adds awesome vintage mojo to recordings. Sounds fantastic. I’m selling all my recording gear. I paid $1450, sell $750!

Vintage 1960’s “Optro” 305 compressor limiter. Vintage & classic 2RU broadcast transformer balanced opto compressor/limiter, in great working condition. Great vintage mojo. As used by Festival, ABC and Metropolis studios. Bargain! Sell for $675! iFlogID: 9564

PA EQUIPMENT BSSOUND SALE. Ex-hire equipment. OnLine Auction 19-24 Nov. 140 Lots of microphones, speakers, effects, amps, mixers, lights. www.bssound. com.au/sale.htm or Mark Barry on 0419 993 966 iFlogID: 9262

CARVER U.S.A Twin 900 watt split mono power amp with Bose controller/pre amp. rack mount style.in covered case.will run 4 speakers each side.total 1800 watts.LOUD! VGC $750 lot.Ph.0428744963 cooroy iFlogID: 9308

MUSIC SERVICES BOOKING AGENTS

AmpliTube iRig. Plug your guitar into your iPhone/iPod touch/iPad and jam anywhere with world class guitar and bass tone right in the palm of your hand - from the leader in studio-class guitar and bass software. Simply plug the iRig interface into your mobile device, plug your instrument into the appropriate input jack, plug in your headphones, amp or powered speakers, download AmpliTube for iPhone Free and start rocking! You’ll have at your fingertips the sound and control of 3 recombinable simultaneous stompbox effects + amplifier + cabinet + microphone just like a traditional guitar or bass stage rig! Add amps and effects as you need them — you can expand your rig with up to 11 stomps, 5 amps, 5 cabinets and 2 microphones in the AmpliTube iRig app custom shop. ONLY $59.99 UNBEATABLE Logans Music (02)9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au iFlogID: 6545

Lowden acoustic guitar. Made in Ireland 2003. Model 032C cutaway. Rosewood back and sides, sitka spruce top. Abalone inlays. Hiscox case. Mint unused condition suit new buyer $3500. Ph Brendon on mobile 0417644600. iFlogID: 9423

Tobacco Burst 1974 USA Gibson SG Looks it’s age if your into that relic rock’n’roll been around the traps look. Sounds amazing. A real character & a reluctant sale. Recently had professional setup & comes with it’s original hard case.

Gig Launch has heaps of opportunities for artists in Australia and around the world. We’re always on the hunt for new artists, so head over to www. giglaunch.com.au and get submitting! Go Aussie, Go Gig Launch iFlogID: 9386

Gig Launch is Australia’s first online booking agency with a difference for worldwide artists and promoters. We cater for every type of artist and promoter, to find out more head over to www.giglaunch.com.au Go Aussie, Go Gig Launch! iFlogID: 9147

Looking for bands to play Apollo Bay! Gig Launch, Australia’s first online booking agency, are accepting submissions to play Apollo Bay 2011. Great festival, great promotion. Head over to www.giglaunch.com.au to submit your band. Go Aussie, Go Gig Launch!

iFlogID: 9588

EP RELEASE So ya love rock? You ain’t never heard it like this! Download ENVY - IMAGES FOR THE LONELY out now on Itunes. Experience the new face of Melbourne rock! iFlogID: 9117

SPECIAL OFFER!!!!

MIXERS

iFlogID: 9489

iFlogID: 9562

Brand New Fender standard Stratocaster.(Mexico) Updated model including new tinted neck. Different colour options available. Package includes Guitar, gig bag and stand. RRP $1100 Logans Price $756 Heaps of other Fender bargains instore. Logans Music (02) 9744 2400 www. loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 6618

BURLESQUE & DRAG EYELASHES Petticoats & Gallantry has launched a new range of exclusive, boutique handmade & decorated false eyelashes perfect for going out. With a mix of over-the-top dramatic lashes suitable for Performances, Burlesque, Drag and even just for a special night out, you’re sure to find some one-ofa-kind false eyelashes to wear. Each pair is customised and decorated by hand in a variety of themes, and commission orders are very welcome. www.petticoatsandgallantry.com.au

MANAGEMENT The Sino Australian Music Exchange (S.A.M.E.) can help you organise your band’s tour of China. Download the prospectus document now for more information - www.tenzenmen.com iFlogID: 9143

MASTERING Forensic Audio Mastering - Professional High End Analog and Digital Mastering. Recent projects include Paul Dempsey, Papa Vs Pretty and The Bank Holidays. Online service available from $80 per track. www. forensicaudio.com.au iFlogID: 9132

OTHER $ Promoters / Performers $ – Awesome Venue looking for promoters to start new nights and bring crowds. CBD, big capacity, late licence. PA, DJ booth & stage. Open to any style. Big opportunity $$$. Call Joe 0401 368 005 iFlogID: 9061

Commercial Radio Airplay, get your songs on Radio! Interested? contact andy@zfmcountrywide.com iFlogID: 9406

free iphone and nokia apps Radio Bondi

iFlogID: 9548

Free Radio Bondi Fm Iphone app, visit the app store, search for radio bondi, download free app, enjoy! iFlogID: 9408

Heavy Metal Community

iFlogID: 9594

SELL YOUR BANDS C.D’S ONLINE!!!! www.rocknpops.com/unsignedmoozik iFlogID: 9373

SUPPORT LOCAL ACTOR IN L.A FEATURE FILM AUDITION VOTE FOR BENN ALLSOP Need Your Support Your Time & Effort is Greatly Appreciated So Please take the 5 minutes and go to www.idancemachine.com/ blog/2690 and vote! contact me @ www.riverlanemusic.com iFlogID: 9242

We’ve had a few more artists sign up over the past week, come check them out. Also, the site is changing, so bookmark us and stay tuned! www.soundornot.com. iFlogID: 9092

PA / AUDIO / ENGINEERING PA/OPERATOR FOR HIRE For as low as $100, you get a PA system with a sound mixer, complete with a human operator as well to set it up for you for the evening. Contact Chris 0419 272 196. iFlogID: 7415

THE CHEMISTRY OF SOUND

Special Packages available for artists and bands!! Whether being recording/ mixing. With networks to many studios around town your project will sound great and professional whilst working within a budget!! OUR PASSION IS TO CREATE RECORDS THAT GIVE THE LISTENER A HARD HITTING, FRESH SOUND THAT PUSHES BOUNDARIES, WHICH STANDS UP AMONGST THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET. WE SPECIALIZE IN HIP HOP/R&B BUT LOVE AND DO ALL GENRES. For a full list of our credits see myspace.com/mixinthelab. Contact us on 0424 462 945 or Email at thelab1@hotmail.com iFlogID: 6287

HIRE SERVICES Need a PA /Sound system for small functions/events ? For as low as $100, you get a professional PA system with a sound mixer, complete with operator. Suitable for weddings, pub/club band gigs, private parties,etc. Contact

and provide DVD transfers/authoring and uploads. Great way to make your music stand out from the rest. ph-0416120639

We are experienced risk takers that not only know the rules, but also know when and how to break them! We have been engineering and mixing for over 15 years and have worked in Sydney’s top studios. We also have our own Mixing/Production studio called The LAB, located at the famous Level 7 studios which is decorated in some of the most appreciated vintage and modern gear in combination of a myriad of assorted software and plug-ins that provides our clients an incomparable advantage in the sense of both the analogue and digital domains. THIS IN COMBINATION WITH MANY STUDIO CONTACTS AROUND TOWN, YOUR PROJECT WILL SOUND GREAT AND PROFESSIONAL WHILST WORKING WITHIN A BUDGET!! For a full list of our credits see myspace. com/mixinthelab. Contact us on 0424 462 945 or Email at thelab1@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 6285

The MUDA Studio is offering a “Production Pack” including Writing, Recording, Mixing and Mastering for $300 per track ONLY. This pack is available for a period of time so hurry up and contact us at studio@ mudasutdio.com iFlogID: 9280

REPAIRS MIKES GUITAR GARAGE GUITAR REPAIRS & SETUPS www.mikesguitargarage.com (02)95862486. We are passionate about Guitar Repairs. From simple restrings, complete setups, repairing broken headstocks or installing pickups, we can do ANYTHING! We can get your favourite axe sounding and playing better! iFlogID: 9578

ROCKIN REPAIRS - GUITAR TECH RESTRINGS-SETUPS-UPGRADESREPAIRS Do you live to play? Whether you’ve bought a new guitar or a favourite is feeling faded, we’ll rejuvenate it! We work hard to give you the feel/sound you want! 0405253417 tara@rockinrepairs.com www.rockinrepairs.com iFlogID: 9340

TRANSPORT Hey there Got a gig on? Cant get your gear to the venue? We have the means to get you there! venues in melbourne CBD and surrounding areas Email for a quote eddie.t.gilbert@gmail.com Cheers iFlogID: 9244

TUITION ABSOLUTEBEGINNERS 4GUITAR&KEYS

We’ve made clips for El Duende, Line Drawings and Grace Before Meals. Get your band on Rage and Youtube, or make a video for your myspace page. Fantastic concepts and slick production that wont break your budget. www.dynamicscreencontent. com.au, facebook.com/dynamic. screen.content 0413555857 iFlogID: 9080

MUSICIANS AVAILABLE GUITARIST Early 30’s Melbourne guitarist forming a band.I detest naming bands as I have my own style but I dig theMelvins, Entombed’Pig Destroyer’Sonic Youth, Pixies’Jucifer’Fugazi’Baroness, Darkthrone’Shellac’I was wanting to play a mix of blacknoisepunk’death’d oom’indie’grind. give me a high sign

iFlogID: 6186

RECORDING STUDIOS Do You Want That Million Dollar Sound On A Small Budget! CityOfNineGates is a studio near Bondi Beach that specialises in Contemporary and Urban music. To hear samples of recent projects and see testimonials – www.cityofninegates.com For Pricelist- cityofninegates@gmail.com iFlogID: 9057

SONGWRITER’S RECORDING STUDIO Understanding the needs & budget of a songwriter, International producer Nathan Eshman can create complete production on your hit songs, from concept to mix & master. Clients include: Marcia Hines, Candice Alley & ex-Toto front man Fergie Frederikson // www.nathaneshman.com iFlogID: 9335

GUITARIST

A four week course that gets you playing fast. Individual tuition. Chords, Rhythm, Songs, Theory. 25 years specializing in teaching beginners! Gift vouchers available. Call David on 96603877 Annandale/ Inner West area. iFlogID: 6426

Drum Lessons Location: Gladesville Billy Hyde Drumming Academy Trained. 15 years experience, all ages, levels and experience. Home Studio. Michael Mob: 0402 663 469 iFlogID: 9041

Easy way to learn saxophone for students of different ages (from kids to adults) and different levels (from beginners to advanced). $35/hour Lorenzo 0410041979 iFlogID: 9138

SINGING LESSONS Certified Speech Level Singing (SLS) Instructor. Learn the Technique of over 120 Grammy award winners. Extend your Range. No more Breaks/Flips. Develop Strength. All Styles. Eastern Suburbs. www.myspace.com/mazvocalstudio Contact Maz: maz@mazmazak.com iFlogID: 9090

VIDEO / PRODUCTION MUSIC VIDEOS offer a great way to gain exposure. Immersion Imagery has worked with over 20 artists and strives to offer quality creative Music Videos at an affordable price. Visit www.immersionimagery.com or email info@immersionimagery.com iFlogID: 9354

SnakeEyeProductions specializes in live gig film clips for your website or myspace. Filming in HD with broadcast quality equipment, we edit clips

iFlogID: 9151

3 mid week inner Sydney original venues looking for original solo/duo acoustic acts and commercial rock acts. For more information contact: NowMuzik nowmuzik@gmail.com iFlogID: 9049

CALLING ALL GUITARISTS Sydney Fusion Band “The Three Wise Monkeys” has jst released an iPhone APP. Get it free for a limited time. Search for “Three wise Monkeys” on your iPhones App Store or go to www. threewizemonkeys.com iFlogID: 9055

iFlogID: 9337

OTHER SAXOPHONIST AVAILABLE. Experienced saxophonist based in Sydney is looking for bands and studio sessions. Jazz, funky, afro, reggae, latin, rock, folk. If interested contact Lorenzo at 0410041979. Cheers. iFlogID: 9134

MUSICIANS WANTED

iFlogID: 9065

Double Bass to play swing, blues, rock n roll. Vocal ability a plus. Regular work. Vini & The Moonlighters vatm.com.au iFlogID: 9542

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

looking to start up a new acoustic band from scratch and am keen to get it started. looking for over age of 18 and needs to be able to contribute as a two piece band. Shane

iFlogID: 9631

KEYBOARD Experienced keyboard player wanted for recording house music in Melbourne. For more information call Ozzy 0412 704 613 iFlogID: 9361

OTHER Festival4Stars International Songwriting Contest - now accepting submissions. Prize of an all expenses paid trip to London, and all song submissions receive written feedback from the judges. Heat 3 winners receive $300. To submit your song, head to www.giglaunch.com.au iFlogID: 9388

MUSICIANS WANTED

DRUMMER WANTED-PRO METAL BAND! Hard-rock / Metalcore band seeks committed, self motivated drummer capable of playing to a Pro standard. Must be available for regular gigs, rehearsal. Must have a great work ethic and be easy to get along with, and share the same passion to pursue music full-time.

iFlogID: 6665

MYSPACE BAND PROFILE FROM 200$ I’m starting a new business in CSS programming and I’m willing to charge very cheap to gather some folio with customized myspace profiles. This price will certanly increase after some productions, so be quick to not loose the oportunity. To know more about my work visit www. fugadalula.com.br/blog To quote: renato@fugadalula.com.br Thanks! iFlogID: 6481

If you want to join a band, form a band, find a new band member, get exposure, or just jam, then www. ozjam.com.au is for you! Whatever instrument or genre of music you play, Ozjam can connect you with other talented, like minded musicians who are looking to jam, gig, and even tour the World! Ozjam is loaded with features, it’s free to join and with over 4000 members its fast becoming the largest online music community in Australia today! iFlogID: 6499

Sydney gigs available - Low302. Darlinghurst. Looking for bands to play, show usually starts around 9pm. To submit to play, go to the Gig Launch website at www.giglaunch.com.au

iFlogID: 9499

Create your presence online and get noticed. Sydney based web designers are here to help you create and design your website with ease. We specialise in building websites that work. When you hire us to design your website we’ll give you a product that looks great and that actually works for your business or service. Packages start from $400 Call Richard or Kelly on 0424 125 169

Offering a range of design services www.melissahowarddesign.com

Dedicated drummer wanted for originals band. Songs ready to go with all other members organised. Drum parts just need to be arranged though. Influences - Sonic Youth, Slowdive, MBV, BJM, The Cure, etc. Ph - 0403929446 Drummer Wanted! hey were a couple of guys who are keen to get a serious metal band up and running in kiama area ,so far just guitar and bass influenced by megadeth,maiden,slayer so if interested call at 0435510600

MUSICIAN & BAND WEBSITES

iFlogID: 9618

Sydney gigs available - Empire Hotel. Launching Empire Unplugged November 25th as a showcase for Sydney artists. To submit to play, go to the Gig Launch website at www. giglaunch.com.au

iFlogID: 9363

iFlogID: 6348

iFlogID: 9371

CALLING ALL DRUMMERS Sydney Fusion Band , The Three Wise Monkeys has launched a Free iPhone app. Search on your iPhone APP store for “Three Wise Monkeys” or go to www. threewizemonkeys.com iFlogID: 9063

Visit our website for an extensive price list and other services!

singer looking for musos to jam or form a band

DRUMMER

8 piece soul, reggae and funk style band in Marrickville, Sydney looking for a drummer who can be ready to gig in 8 weeks! Rehearsals 11-3pm every Sunday in St Peters, please contact us if you are interested, jon@ low-gear.com

SERVICES

iFlogID: 9417

iFlogID: 9178

3 mid week inner Sydney original venues looking for original solo/duo acoustic acts and commercial rock acts. Acts touring interstate welcome. For more information contact: NowMuzik nowmuzik@gmail.com

iFlogID: 9544

FULL COLOUR POSTERS

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL need bass playa!

iFlogID: 9145

Young,talented and committed male and female lead vocalists required for soul/pop project in Newcastle. Ph 0449 201149

GRAPHIC DESIGN

iFlogID: 9051

CALLING ALL BASS PLAYERS Sydney Fusion Band , The Three Wise Monkeys has just launched a Free iPhone app for a limited time. Search on your iPhone APP store for “Three Wise Monkeys” or go to www.threewizemonkeys.com

iFlogID: 9438

Vocalist Wanted. Western Sydney punk band require male vocalist aged between 20-30 to front band. Exp not important. Looking for a mix between clean melody and screaming. Influences: Nofx, Pennywise, The Bronx.

DESIGN, SIGNAGE & PRINT. Stickers, CD Artwork and more: www.farfromhere.com.au

BASS PLAYER 3 mid week inner Sydney original venues looking for original solo/duo acoustic acts and commercial rock acts. Acts touring interstate welcome. For more information contact: NowMuzik nowmuzik@gmail.com

iFlogID: 9501

Sydney Band looking for creative singer to write some original music with. 18 - 25 years old, music genre ranging from soft modern rock (Temper Trap) to alternative (tool/ porcupine tree). Give us a call. 0431 485 328 (Toby).

GUITARIST WANTED TO TEACH

iFlogID: 9568

INTERNATIONAL SESSION GUITARIST Credits: Marcia Hines, Candice Alley, (ex-Toto) Fergie Frederikson and toured the world with Darlene Zschech, Nathan Eshman is available for remote guitar sessions. All services available over the internet / ALL STYLES & NO STUDIO FEES / www. nathaneshman.com

iFlogID: 9053

As Engineers/Producers our passion is to create tracks that give the listener a hard hitting, fresh sound that sonically sounds PHAT and pushes the boundaries of what music currently sounds like in Australia, which stands up amongst the international market. WE SPECIALIZE IN HIP HOP/R&B BUT LOVE ALL GENRES. We’re located at Level 7 studios and the studio is decorated in some of the most appreciated vintage and modern gear which provides our clients an incomparable advantage in the sense of both the analogue and digital domains. Artists we’ve worked with include: Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D., Kanye West, INXS, Black Wallstreet and a myriad of local artists such as Hyjak, Potbelleez, Vice Verser, Thundamentals, Fame, Tycotic, Rai Thistlewaite (Thirsty Merc), Wendy Mathews, Gin Wigmore, Tim Freedman (The Whitlams), Carl Riseley, Hoodoo Gurus, Wes Carr, You Am I, and many more. Contact us on 0424 462 945 and check out myspace.com/mixinthelab

iFlogID: 9616

iFlogID: 9584

SnakeEyeProductions offers EPK’s also know as electronic press kits, they work as a bio/show reel, to promote your band to bookers/ promoters/labels and venues. PH0416120639

Sell Digidesign Focusrite Control 24 very good condition, everything’s working, selling because moving overseas. Control Surface compatible with ProTools HD and LE. 16 Focusrite mic-preamps / 24 channels. Please contact me to discuss the price.

Avalon 737SP micpre/compressor/ equaliser Amazing Class A professional quality recording strip, used by studios everywhere. Hardly used! Very regretful sale. Perfect cond. RRP $3400, selling $1800!

THE LAB STUDIOS

iFlogID: 9184

iFlogID: 9430

OTHER

iFlogID: 9256

iFlogID: 9398

iFlogID: 9400

Wanted all singers and musicians! Join for free and post your clips on the all new website, www.nu2talent. com.

iFlogID: 9168

SINGER Early 30’s guitarist forming band. I am hoping to find a singer with some skills on an instrument.I detest naming bands as I have my own style but I dig the MelvinsEntombedSonicYouth PixiesJuciferFugaziBaroness Darkthrone, To play a mix of noisepunkdeathdoomindiegrind.

iFlogID: 9602

Reapers Image Design.All your multimedia needs met-logos,cd art & layout design,posters,stickers,video editing & filming,DVD construction, Multimedia solutions. Cheapest rates in Melbourne, we’ll beat any other legitimate quote. reapersimagedesign.com.au 0417 393 706 iFlogID: 9105

OTHER Is your life a cluttered mess? Take it Shake it Life Coaching visit www.tisi. me Xmas gift vouchers available.

iFlogID: 9458

Need a high-quality website you can update yourself? Want your customers to be impressed with your level of professionalism? One-Click Australia helps businesses reach the next level with an impressive website. Call for a FREE consultation -(02)9126 3202. iFlogID: 9266

Ataglance Media We specialize in a wide range of media from Music videos,weddings,adventure cinema photography, short independent films and advertising. We use high definition cameras and use the latest updated programs for editing. www. wix.com/Ataglance/glance iFlogID: 9059

Want to capture a live performance? Professional live recording 24 tracks, mixed and mastered my experienced audio engineer. Can also record and band mix tracks themselves.Done on budget.0406456364 iFlogID: 9504

WANTED

iFlogID: 9124

iFlogID: 6445

Looking for singers/songwriters for electronica/indie/dance project. More info mail to reigovilbiks@gmail.com Location Perth. Reigo

Mature dynamic metal band based in Hills/Blacktown,Sydney. Infl: Rock, Grunge, Black, Death, Hardcore, Groove, Doom...etc Looking for like-minded drummer, own gear & car. Practice weekly. Gig monthly. myspace.com/cursedwithsanity. PLEASE NO TIME WASTERS!

singer wanted for metal bandin kiama shelharbour area, no scremo gay shit, true metal, looking for someone who writes songs with meaning and purpose not just about deamons and death so if interested call at 0435510600

iFlogID: 9442

OTHER matt damon where are you?? im the chick from the backstreets of melbourne.. 0432470048 iFlogID: 9629

missing .. man from sydney central yha.. with red hair and leather cuffs.. this is maxine kezerle..chick with roxy pants...would you like to go out for dinner sometime?? 0432470048

For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au 82

iFlogID: 9356

Experience a breathtaking artwork by one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most celebrated video artists. Until Sunday 20 February 2011 Free exhibition Open daily 10am-6pm (closed Christmas Day)

ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne www.acmi.net.au/billviola

Presented by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and Kaldor Public Art Projects in association with Melbourne International Arts Festival

Image: The Raft (May 2004), production still, photo Kira Perov