Inpress Issue #1151 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

GORILLAZ EXCLUSIVE: WE TALK TO ALBARN, HEWLETT AND SIMONON

THE LEMONHEADS

FOZZY

FRENZAL RHOMB MELBOURNE SYDNEY BRISBANE

SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS

THE AQ UA BAT S AV E N G E D S E V E NF OL D GOTA N P R O J EC T AR C H I T E C T S

W E D N E S D AY 1 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 ~ I S S U E 11 5 1 ~ F R E E

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

32,903

twitter.com/inpressmag

WED 1 DECEMBER

BIG FOLK + ROSIE AND GEORGE JAZZ CITY

8.30pm $7 entry

THU 2 DECEMBER 5.30pm Free in the Front Bar

BRIDGET PROSS + FILTHY SOUP

8.30pm $7 Entry (Band Room)

FRI 3 DECEMBER

BLACK SWANS OF TRESPASS

6pm Free in the Front Bar

SAT 4 DECEMBER

RONIT GRANOT

TRAVIS MARKE + TWICE SMITTEN

4.30pm Free in the Front Bar

8.30pm $6 Entry (Band Room)

SUN 5 DECEMBER

JAM BANQUET

4pm Free in the Front Bar

ELK & WHALE + TAYLOR & TATE + AL PARKINSON 8.30pm $6 Entry (Band Room) COMING SOON

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

9/12; BRETT LANGSFORD, 10/12;SALLYISAACMEMORIALFUNDRAISER, 11/12 GINGER AND TONIC, 14/12; A SEATED CRAFT

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

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

bookings: 9482 1333 twitter.com/inpressmag

twitter.com/inpressmag

ISSUE 1151

No.109

WEDNESDAY 1 DECEMBER 2010

BRUNSWICK

Thurs 2 December

Suzannah Espie & the Sensitive Strings A unique treat. Suzannah Espie, Chris Altmann & Liz Stringer: one microphone, guitars, banjos, fiddles and beautiful harmonies. 7.30pm

THE FALL

INPRESS 18 20 20 22 26 28

30 32 34 36 38 40 42 42 44 44

Who’s playing what with Charts; 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 Size matters to Muse Bryget Chrisfield talks to Damon Albarn, Jamie Hewlett and Paul Simonon in our huge Gorillaz exclusive The Lemonheads have strong ties to Australia Major Lazer are coming soon to the Cartoon Network Don’t call Gotan Project world music Fozzy don’t sing about wrestling On The Record rates new releases from Kanye West, My Chemical Romance and Gruntbucket Architects have gone through more shit than other bands Hot Water Music are hanging out for Australian food and beer Like stromatolites, Frenzal Rhomb don’t actually do much Avenged Sevenfold almost split after their drummer died Fight! Fight! It’s The Aquabats vs Reel Big Fish

46 48 48 48 49 50

This Week In Arts plots the best way to spend the days ahead NO NO Gallery director Roger Nelson gets Straight Up for their next exhibition Finnish film director Jalmari Helander prepares to warp your view of the festive season TV Set looks at the latest television show taking the US by storm Nicola Gunn explores the world of twins for her new theatre piece, Twin The five best films screening at the Japanese Film Festival Cultural Cringe gets on her bike

52 52 54 56 58 58 58 58 60 60 60 60 55 55 55 74

74 75 75 78 79 80 86 90

Sharon Jones is planning a Xmas record for next year Washed Out doesn’t like the term ‘chillwave’ either The Fall finally have a line-up good enough to tour Australia INXS have a long history of recording with different singers Atreyu dig ‘80s movies Briggs stole beats from his mate Don’t compare Eliza Doolittle to Kate Nash Gun Street Girls have no time for major labels Alps is playing guitar again Straight Arrows have little ambition Papa Vs Pretty hate their band name Rolo Tomassi will sound as good recorded as they do live Our LIVE gives you the best of the week’s live music! Gig Of The Week checks in with The Checks LIVE:Reviews digs Rat Vs Possum Sarah Petchell will Wake The Dead with her punk and hardcore talk 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 Jeff Jenkins gets down and local in Howzat! If you haven’t appeared in Fred Negro’s Pub, your mother probably still speaks to you 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

EDITORIAL

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,

Traditional surf music meets the rolling beats of the Middle East 5pm

Tess McKenna & the Shapiros Electric folk/rock & blues with pitch-perfect harmonies 8.30pm

Sun 5 December

The Gospel According to the Union Special 3-hour show House band Bakersfield Glee Club with Roz Girvan & a host of special guests including the Rich Family. 4pm

THE UNION HOTEL

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

9388 2235

Wed 1. 7:30pm Virtual Proximity (live)

CREDITS

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

BACK TO INPRESS

FRONT ROW 46

50 50

Film Carew takes a trip in Enter The Void, and a reality check with The Refuge Gareth Edwards unveils Monsters on the world The Menstruum explores the walls of the Abbotsford Convent

Sat 4 December

The Reefers

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

Thu 2. 7pm Made In Melbourne Film Festival 9pm MOOD 9pm Photography Night Walks Fri 3. ¬10pm¬ Music Appreciation Society Visuals by PixelAngel

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 4. 5pm Cambodia: The Virginity Trade 10pm Pickled Beats Visuals by Ego Mon 6. 6:30pm Process Architecture Forum Coming Up... Sat 11. 5pm TRI Duo New Media Performance

twitter.com/inpressmag

ON THE STEREO

FRONTLASH

Highwire THE MAPLE TRAIL Merry Christmas II You MARIAH CAREY Progress TAKE THAT A Memory Is Better Than Nothing TELEVISION PERSONALITIES Hot Air EP ADALITA My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy KANYE WEST Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr Rager KID CUDI The Waterfront Years 1991-1993 TUMBLEWEED Broderick Smith’s Big Combo BRODERICK SMITH’S BIG COMBO Play All Night NIC DALTON & HIS GLOOMCHASERS

3RRR SOUNDSCAPE International Rudeboy LOTEK It’s Happening STRAIGHT ARROWS Rockin’ In The Jungle: 1950s American Jungle Songs VARIOUS ARTISTS 270 Stories BELLERUCHE Deviant Nature PURDY Topp Stemning På Lokal Ba CASIOKIDS Depth Of Sound DUBMARINE He Will Have His Way: Songs Of Tim & Neil Finn VARIOUS ARTISTS The Wants THE PHANTOM BAND My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy KANYE WEST

3PBS TIPSHEET

GOTTA LOVE A BJ Hold us back. We just found out that there’s a Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream store opening in Chaddy in December. And they’re giving the stuff away on 21 December. Time to get a bigger freezer (and pants).

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT The No Sleep Til Melbourne punkfest at the Melbourne Showgrounds on Friday 17 December has just been made all-ages! Hop to it, kids.

BUMP AND GRIND With Grinderman’s BDO sideshow sold out, a second and final show has been announced for the Palace on Tuesday 18 January. Bring it on!

BACKLASH Pack of twits

The Four Seasons BIG SCARY Domestic Arts JAMES SHERLOCK TRIO Rockin’ In The Jungle: 1950s American Jungle Songs VARIOUS ARTISTS The Silent Surf ALL INDIA RADIO Out Of The Woodwork SAINT SURLY & MONSTER MONSTER I’m The Man AL FERRIER The Hard Truth THE DUNHILL BLUES A World In Progress ISHU Break Bread With The Mono Brows BLACKIE Ocala Baby JERRY KING & THE RIVER TOWN RAMBLERS

THE ELECTION RESULT

SYN TOP 10 Take Me Over CUT COPY Whirlaway JOOLS HOLLAND & HIS RHYTHM AND BLUES ORCHESTRA I Was The Guy In TISM DC3 I Don’t Belong OFF! Hot Air EP ADALITA Green Glass Bottles ATLAS SOUND Anomie (Collarbones Remix) TANTRUMS Living Is So Easy BRITISH SEA POWER Finally See Our Way ART VS SCIENCE Essendon 1986 EAST BRUNSWICK ALL GIRLS CHOIR

GIVEAWAYS

Belles Will Ring

One look at Ted Baillieu in his Speedos on Monday and we knew Victoria would not be getting a hung parliament.

WIKILEAKS With embassies worldwide in damage control, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange says his next targets are big banks. Should we expect trumped up murder charges against him next week?

QANTAS So the troubled airline is trying to buy some good publicity by flying some American out to the cricket, just ‘cause she’s got the Twitter handle @ theashes? #howaboutyoufixyourfuckingplanesfirst

Email giveaways@inpress.com.au from 5pm Wednesday We’re just nuts about Kiwi rockers The Checks here at Inpress. Their most recent Melbourne show (in September if we remember rightly) was a cracker, and they’re our gig o’ the week this week (see page 63). They play Pony this Saturday – we have five double passes to give away. Blue Mountains-based rock’n’rollers Belles Will Ring launch new single Come North With Me Baby, Wow at the East Brunswick Club this Friday, supported by Guineafowl, Magnetic Heads and The Messengers. Available as a digital EP via iTunes now, Come North With Me Baby, Wow is a catchy and timely spring soundtrack, ready for a road trip along any strip of coast. The song features the band’s distinct textures of jangling guitars and harmonies, and the introduction of a dusty mariachi brass section.

Nineties nu-metal heroes Korn staged one of the more memorable comebacks of the year. Reuniting with Ross Robinson, knob-twiddler on their first two records, the band returned with Korn III: Remember Who You Are. In Australia to play with Guns N’ Roses in a number of states that aren’t Victoria, the band are stopping off at Festival Hall on Sunday with support from Shihad and Sydonia. We have one double pass to give away.

Sydney group Betty Airs launch their debut 7” at the Grace Darling this Friday and at the East Brunswick Club this Saturday. Betty Airs are the new musical project from Darren Cross (Gerling, The ELF) and Run!Hide!’s Christan Campano and Michael Zagoridis. Born in a dilapidated shed in Glebe over the summer of 2010, Betty Airs take influence from ‘50s rock’n’roll, grunge and The Ronettes. Only 150 copies of the 7” have been made, and they will be available to purchase from the shows and via Brave Men Run Records. We have two double passes to the Grace Darling gig to give away.

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

GROHL WITH IT

As Foo Fighters prepare for a return to the stage in mid-2011, frontman Dave Grohl told Zane Lowe the band will have their seventh studio album ready to drop in advance of these dates. “It’s weird to put the biggest show we’ve pretty much ever played on sale when we’re halfway done,” he said on the BBC Radio 1 show. “But I promise you the record will be done. We’re seven songs in with five or six more we’re gonna do.” Butch Vig has tracked the aforementioned seven songs and the entire process is being filmed for a documentary. It has also been confirmed that Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü) and Krist Novoselic (Nirvana) are playing on the follow-up to Foo Fighters’ Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace set (2007). Grohl’s time out from Foo Fighters saw him drumming for/touring with hard rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures and this may have contributed to what he believes is a heavier direction for the Fooeys. “In the 14 songs there’s not one acoustic guitar. There’s not even one in the house,” he continued. John Paul Jones, one of Grohl’s fellow Vultures, threw his hat into the ring for a guest spot at one of the forthcoming Foo Fighters gigs, to be held in Milton Keynes Bowl on 2 and 3 July 2011. “I might gatecrash one of their gigs I think,” the bassist told BBC 6Music, before adding, “If he asks!” Support acts just announced for these dates include our very own Tame Impala alongside Death Cab For Cutie, Jimmy Eat World and Biffy Clyro. As well as more Foo Fighters output, it seems we can also expect album number two from Them Crooked Vultures in “a year or so”. Jones has also been locked in to play bass in an upcoming opera based on the late Anna Nicole Smith. Simply titled Anna Nicole, the production will take place at London’s Royal Opera House and opens in February.

HEAVY FALL

The Fall are scheduled to hit our shores this month, for the first time in more than 20 years. The Manchester group, whose only constant member is frontman Mark E Smith, are taking the Supernatural Amphitheatre stage at Meredith Music Festival on Saturday 11 December from 4.35 to 5.30pm and will also perform a handful of sideshow dates. The Fall have been working on new material in Hustle Studios in their hometown recently so Australian audiences may be treated to some preview tracks at these upcoming shows. Speaking to The Quietus, Smith said work on his band’s next album was delayed when they took on a soundtrack project. He also confirmed that The Fall would release a new album next year, describing the fresh cuts as “a lot heavier” than previous material. “We do this song and it’s like a Greek heavy metal group,” he told the website. Smith supplied vocals for Glitter Freeze from Gorillaz’s latest Plastic Beach set and has been joining Damon Albarn’s ensemble onstage to perform this track at various shows throughout the northern hemisphere. When asked to identify one of the highlights from the Escape To Plastic Beach tour, Gabriel Wallace – touring drummer with Gorillaz – nominated Smith, gushing, “Hands down, he brings it. You never know what to expect!” Although not listed as an official guest on Gorillaz Australian tour posters, we would not discount Smith as a last minute “special guest”, provided he doesn’t spend too much time sinking Pink Flamingo cocktails at the bar of the same name following The Fall’s Meredith set. Speaking with UK magazine Clash about his Gorillaz collaboration, Smith admitted, “I never related [Gorillaz] to Blur. They just kept asking me and I was like, ‘I don’t wanna do it,’ then I thought, ‘Well, maybe they need some help.’ I actually thought Gorillaz were some kiddie rap, like helping out Dizzee Rascal or something. I didn’t realise it’s a big thing… Where I live in Manchester, Gorillaz mean jack shit, honestly. But down there [Southern England] Blur are like gods, aren’t they? It’s alien to me.”

GURRUMUL HEARTS DANCE

The follow-up to Indigenous Australian singer/ songwriter Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s Gurrumul album is scheduled to drop next March. Although Gurrumul recently took some time out to recuperate from poor health, his musical collaborator Michael Honen told ABC Darwin that the artist is now feeling much better and has returned to work on album number two. Gurrumul is said to be playing a wide variety of instruments including piano, bass, drums and electric guitar on the forthcoming set. When asked about the Loverush UK! remix of Wukun, a track from Gurrumul’s debut set, Honen quickly issued a reminder that the singer’s past work in ‘80s band Yothu Yindi saw him playing the dance-inspired keyboard riff. “If people get upset about it, all the purists go, ‘Oh no you’ve wrecked this beautiful thing,’ you know, just think about how much he’s into it,” he concluded. Gurrumul and Loverush UK! share a UK record label.

INDUSTRY NEWS BY SCOTT FITZSIMONS SPA director Craig Treweek and AMID founder Phil Tripp to duet on Kokomo?

SOUNDWAVE’S WESTERN SYDNEY JAM After the negative response to the traffic systems in place following Soundwave’s 2010 event in Sydney at the Eastern Creek Raceway, an article by The Daily Telgraph’s Urban Affairs Reporter Vikki Campion shrouded fresh doubt over the 2011 plans. Citing an Roads and Transit Authority (RTA) report that said patrons were walking down freeway off-ramps and the nature of traffic queues created “the environment for rear-end collisions”. On the back of these findings, a report from Blacktown Council read, “The event is not currently supported due to the inadequacies of the draft traffic plan,” the article insinuating that the event was under threat. Responding to the reports, a joint press release from Soundwave and Eastern Creek Raceway outlined that the findings in the report were based on the 2010 event and the traffic management plans for next February’s event had not yet been submitted. “The safety and comfort of residents, fans and performers takes priority over any commercial concerns of the organisers and the venue and we do not take this commitment lightly,” the statement read, “Soundwave will be going ahead as planned.” Responding to Street Press Australia for the recent Summer Festival Guide booklet, Soundwave’s promoter AJ Maddah cited, “The bottleneck of traffic trying to leave the Sydney Festival site,” as a moment he wished hadn’t happened. “As a result we are working extensively with the RTA, Blacktown Police and the venue to ensure that fans are able to exit the festival easily. We will also have free parking in Blacktown with free shuttle buses to transport people to/from the venue, and the roads in Eastern Creek will be no stopping/tow away zones.”

GOLD DIGGING Nominations for the Country Music Awards of Australia have been announced with Kasey Chambers leading the awards with seven nominations followed by Lee Kernaghan who’s got six. Album Of The Year will be fought for by Dianna Corcoran – Keep Breathing, Kasey Chambers – Little Bird, Lee Kernaghan – Planet Country, Graeme Connors – Still Walking and The McClymonts – Wrapped Up Good. As part of the Tamworth Country Music Festival the Golden Guitars will be awarded Saturday 22 January and will be hosted by Ray Hadley and Beccy Cole.

CHARTS: HERE Despite the fanfare and critical acclaim for My Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West’s new album only managed to debut at six this week – the album has been available for online streaming. It was however the highest debut this week, with Guy Sebastian’s Twenty Ten slotting in at nine. P!nk holds top spot with her best-of and Susan Boyle moves in to second with The Gift. On the punk front, My Chemical Romance crack the top ten with Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys while A Death In The Family opening with an impressive 24 with What Separates Me From You. The singles chart heralded the first impact of talent quest TV show X Factor with winner Altiyan Childs debuting in eight with Somewhere In The World. Channel Seven paid a reported $25 million for the show, which has been a flop compared to similar franchises like MasterChef and the early Australian Idol seises.

CHARTS: THERE Despite falling out of the Billboard Top 20, Eminem’s Recovery became the first album of the year to sell over three million copies. In the last three years Lil Wayne and Black Eyed Peas are the only others to achieve such a feat. Partly thanks to their appearance on the 36th volume of the Now compilation (which debuted at four), Sydney’s Sick Puppies’ track Maybe climbed one spot to fifth in the Heatseekers chart, which tracks emerging artists.

FRESHLY INKED X Factor judge Guy Sebastian has re-signed with Sony Music on a “long term” deal, therefore sticking with the label he’s been with since winning Australian Idol in 2003. Emma Hamilton has signed a deal with ABC Jazz that will see her debut album released through Universal early March. She recently signed with manager Jeff Chandler as well. Sydney pop youngsters The Never Ever have agreed to a publishing deal with Centrifuge Music, the home of Hugo Race, Artisan Guns and Noiseworks.

FOR THE FORCES The Forces Entertainment Tour will be taking Australian performers to Australian soldiers currently deployed on peacekeeping missions in Egypt for Christmas this year. Country singer Beccy Cole, comedy trio The Axis Of Awesome and Luke Dickens will before while Gretel Killeen will MC the two concerts.

MELB-FEST SETS NEW RECORD The Melbourne Festival’s box office takings of $2,700,281 for 2010 has surpassed that of the previous record, 2009’s $2,605,916. The result came in Brett Sheehy second year as Artistic Director and in a statement said, “while great box office and surplus figures are terrific, it is what they say about the people of Melbourne which is most significant, and this year it means that Melburnians have again embraced the Festival in droves, taking ownership of the State’s premier cultural event.”

MUSIC DIRECTORY’S NEW HOME

The Australasian Music Industry Directory – currently up to its 45th edition – has been purchased by Street Press Australia (SPA, the publishers of Inpress). The masthead was up for sale from IMMEDIA! after owner Phil Tripp announced his retirement from the industry and sold off all the assets in the company’s deconstruction. Also included in the acquisition are the websites immedia.com.au, themusic.com.au, musicbusiness.com.au and musicdirectory.net.au. In a statement Tripp said, “We’ve had a 20-year trusted relationship with the Street Press Australia brands starting with Melbourne’s leading music title Inpress, then through its acquisition of Sydney’s top weekly The Drum Media, Brisbane’s Time Off, the creation of Drum Perth and 3D World east coast.” Five media companies bid for the title and SPA co-director Craig Treweek outlined in the same statement that they will be “expanding into new content and extended digital offerings to ensure AMID retains its place as Australia’s only relevant industry guide.” First published 22 years ago, the 46th edition will be published early 2011.

SOUTH BY INVITES

BUY INTO THE DALE

Further invitations have gone out to 49 Australian bands for the 2011 South By Southwest Music Festival, out of the near 300 who applied. Not all of the artists have accepted their invitation yet and there will be more announced in the coming fortnight. Bliss N Eso, The Boat People, The Novocaines, Injured Ninja, The Jefferson, Snob Scrilla, Wagons, Whitehorse, The Swiss, The Vaudeville Smash, Kyü, Ghostwood, DZ, Blue King Brown, Miami Horror, Darren Hanlon, Sampology, Art Vs Science, Operator Please, The Snowdroppers, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Fumes, Dan Brodie & The Grieving Widows, Tame Impala, Hungry Kids Of Hungary, The Chevelles, Young Magic, The Jezabels, Matt Corby, The Holidays, Little Red, Wolf & Cub, Beni, Claire Bowditch, Cloud Control, Boy & Bear, Paris Wells, The Amity Affliction, Sherlock’s Daughter, Gotye, Qua, Belles Will Ring, Dash & Will, Architecture In Helsinki, Teeth & Tongue, Sparkadia, The Cambodian Space Project, Washington and British India were among this round of invitations. There was also a few familiar names amongst New Zealand’s invited acts, Kids Of 88, Ruby Frost, The Naked And Famous, Liam Finn, Nightchoir, Tiddabades, Zowie, Family Cactus, Street Chant, Surf City, Die! Die! Die!, Electric Wire Hustle and Battle Circus. The festival runs from Wednesday 16 – Sunday 20 March in Austin, Texas.

Premier Sydney music venue The Annandale Hotel is looking for a partner to invest in the building ahead of their planned renovations. The venue has long been planning to extend into a restaurant and wider pub, whilst keeping the band room as is. The extra funding is needed to realise the plans as banks become less willing to hand out money, as, booked until July essentially, the band room is holding its own. The Front Line believes that talks have already been had with prospective investors but before they lock into something current owners, brothers Dan and Matt Rule, are offering the rest of the music and/or pub industry the opportunity of a percentage split.

STACK STILL THE FAN’S FAVOURITE Channel [V]’s annual fan-voted Oz Artist Of The Year competition has been won by Short Stack – the second time the trio have one the award after first receiving it in 2008. Beating off fellow top four finalists Amy Meredith, Bliss N Eso and the John Butler Trio, the band are known for their devoted fanbase, the result of strong social networking in their formative years. The band were awarded the prize during a “guerrilla” gig held at Sydney’s Circular Quay by 14-year-old fan Dana Shearer, who won the privilege by voting in the competition. The band’s latest album This Is Bat Country hasn’t charted as strongly as their debut, Stack Is The New Black did when it debut in the top spot.

MUSIC VIC APPOINTMENT Following Music Victoria’s inaugural Annual General Meeting mid-November, the state’s peak body has elected Clare Bowditch and Bruce Milne to the board for two-year periods. Clare Bowditch is an ARIA Award-winning artist whose prominence was highlighted during the recent federal election, which coincided with an album release, when she interviewed Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Bruce Milne is the former owner of the Tote music venue, the temporary closure of which prompted a widespread protest by Melbourne’s industry stakeholders. John Perring was re-elected to the board while at a later meeting Andrew Fuller and Adam Jankie were appointed to the board for 12-month stints.

twitter.com/inpressmag

MAG BURNED FOR LIMEWIRE TALK Following the closure of Limewire, PCMag published a list of alternatives to the peer-to-peer file sharing service only to receive a strongly worded letter signed by record company executives. Despite the disclaimer, “PCMag does not condone the download of copyrighted or illegal material,” the letter read, “The harm done to the creative community when people are encouraged to steal our music is immeasurable. Disclaimer or no, when you offer a list of alternative P2P sites to LimeWire – and include more of the serial offenders – PC Magazine is slyly encouraging people to steal more music.”

VALE PETER “SLEAZY” CHRISTOPHERSON Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson, founding member of pioneering UK industrial outfit Throbbing Gristle (TG) died in his sleep last Wednesday, aged 55. The news of his passing was announced by fellow TG members Chris & Cosey on their website. After TG broke up in 1981, Christopherson formed another wildly influential band, the psych experimental electropunk act Psychic TV as well as continuing to create industrial music as Coil. Christopherson also had a successful career as a music video director, making clips for Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against The Machine, Sepultura, Rollins Band, The The and Robert Plant. He also made clips for Australian artists Silverchair, Barry Gibb and Abba tribute band Bjorn Again (TG members were longtime Abba fans). His most commercially successful clip was Yes’s Owner Of A Lonely Heart. As a designer/photographer with the Hipgnosis art collective, Christopherson is credited for the cover art on first three Peter Gabriel self-titled albums (although Gabriel claims not to recall who was directly responsible) and some sources cite him as contributing to the sleeve art for Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here and Animals albums. In recent years, Christopherson took part in a TG reformation as well as forming the Soisong project and recording as The Threshold HouseBoy’s Choir. Got news? Announcements? Gossip? Unsubstantiated but hilarious rumours? Send them all to frontline@streetpress.com.au.

THE

FRONTLINE

CAUGHT IN THE WEB While online purchases from overseas are extremely enticing – and even cheaper than usual at the moment – there are hidden costs that are starting to take their toll on our music industry, writes SCOTT FITZSIMONS. Compounded recently with the excellent value of the Australian dollar, personal importing has become increasingly popular. Websites like Amazon and eBay are the obvious outlets, but specialist retailers are proving to be more and more popular for individual purchases – especially given that buys under $1,000 do not attract any tax. Good news for consumers, bad news for Australia’s own retailers and something that is certainly having an impact on the music scene. Recently one of those retailers – Mannys, an independent music equipment store in Fitzroy – issued a “promise” on their website, that they would go as far as they possibly could to match legitimate overseas prices. But there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to compete and business owner Manny Gauci-Seddon doesn’t believe they’re on a level playing field. “The real issue for us is that there is no GST for imported goods $1,000 and under,” he told Inpress. “There’s no duty. There’s no compliance cost on electric goods. If a supplier wants to bring in a simple thing like a guitar pedal, for example, he’s got to go through all the C-ticket approvals and if it’s not approved you can’t import it. Individual importers have no issues like that.” What’s most frustrating for him are instances when consumers use the service he provides – come into the store to test the gear – only to then purchase the goods overseas. “We have to pay GST, 10% on everything we import. Anything that’s manufactured in Australia, guitars and amplifiers and what have you, there’s a duty to be paid on that… We try to do the best possible price, but sometimes it’s just impossible. But it’s not just our industry, there’s lots of industries suffering the same thing.” One of the biggest players in the Australian retail market, Harvey Norman co-founder and chairman Gerry Harvey, recently told stakeholders at the annual general meeting that, “This is a huge, huge problem… If you are in retail selling those sorts of goods, you are severely disadvantaged.”

use of the internet as a powerful tool themselves. “There’s no point in looking at an action that will essentially punish the consumer,” Feiler said. When Inpress asked if this would result in cutting out the wholesalers from the retail chain he said it was a “separate issue”. Mannys has an online store and so to does Allans Music + Billy Hyde, one of Australia’s largest music retailers. Though even with their bigger internet presence Allans are still feeling the pinch. “We have people telling us in the store that they bought it overseas,” national marketing manager Rob Walker told Inpress. It’s not just guitars and big equipment that are affected; they’re seeing the effects through things like sheet music, the smaller purchases that often make up the profit margins. “Our industry association have been lobbying the government for a while now… [the tax system] is not a like-for-like concept.”

Manny Gauci-Seddon

In a statement, The National Retail Association’s executive director Gary Black supported the trashing of the $1,000 threshold. “Australian retailers who import shipments are paying up to 30% more than a consumer buying online. The $1,000 tax-free threshold is unique to Australia, with countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand all imposing varying amounts of tax, duties and charges.”

What Harvey suggested – and Gauci-Seddon supported – is that there should be a goods and services tax placed on individual purchases from overseas online retailers. Undoubtedly it’s a hard sell to the public, and therefore politicians aren’t likely to attach their name to the idea. In response to a question at the meeting, Harvey said, “The fact that people say… it is too hard – that is bullshit… We have spoken to a number of politicians and their answer is, ‘It’s too hard; it is too much to collect; we’ll upset the voters because they vote for us.’” On top of the strong Australian dollar, one of the reasons that overseas purchases are attractive is that there’s only two margins involved – usually that of a manufacturer and the retailer. In Australia and with imports, there’s an added middleman, the wholesaler, who imports the goods. Gauci-Seddon believes it unlikely that wholesalers or manufacturers will try to cut out the retailer in Australia, in order to bring margins down.

There’s also the cultural differences working against Australian retailers, especially in terms of America. “The US don’t have a minimum wage, they work on bare bones,” stressed Gauci-Seddon. “They also don’t pay 9% superannuation, they don’t have a Work Cover, and I know it just sounds like me bitching about competition, but it’s not an even playing field.” One company who believes retailers are being melodramatic, and stands to lose a lot from any import GST, is eBay. A spokesperson for the company, Daniel Feiler, told Inpress that “calls for lowering of the GST threshold are misplaced”. He also said that the fault of falling purchases was due to the retailers themselves and that “retailers need to be online in a compelling way”. According to their own statistics, they believe that retailers with an online store through eBay have grown at ten times the pace of those without it. Instead of bemoaning the current climate, they believe retailers should be making

From the outside – especially the consumer’s – perspective it’s easy to side with eBay and peers (Amazon international didn’t respond to a request for comment), and question why the consumer should foot the bill. But, especially in the case of the music industry, the problem runs deeper. Much like a venue lockout will cut work opportunities for students who rely on those early hours for work, Gauci-Seddon says that other retailers have already had to restrict staff and their hours and the same looms for him. “If nothing happens, I’ll have to put people off… Everyone who works with me is a muso, they’re all aspiring musicians or they run a studio and they work with me because they need to supplement their income.” The response from his appeal has been heartening though. “Since I’ve put that up I’ve had ten times the number of enquiries online, and I’ve had people walk into the shop and say, ‘We agree. You don’t have to get it exactly the same price, but can you do it a little bit better than what you normally do?’ Most people have a conscience and they understand that we’re not trying to rip them off.”

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

BULLSEYE

HEY DAD Cherry Poppin’ Daddies formed in the subversive arts scene of Eugene, Oregon. Their neo-swing sound – blaring horns, primal drums, sliding saxophone and feverish piano – soon cemented the eight-piece troupe as cult favourites. In 1998, The Daddies leapt out of the shadows of the underground and on to centre-stage with the release of crossover single Zoot Suit Riot. The single was followed by the release of a compilation album of the same name. Caught in a perfect storm that included indie hit film Swingers and an iconic Gap ad set to Louis Prima’s Jump Jive ‘N’ Wail, Zoot Suit Riot sold two million copies. Heavy MTV rotation of a video directed by porn legend Gregory Dark also boosted sales and led to an MTV Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1998. Celebrating their 21st anniversary, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies are heading to Australia – they play the Corner Hotel on Saturday 9 April. Tickets go on sale from the Corner Hotel box office on Monday; meet-andgreat packages are available from redanttouring.com.

WEDNESDAY 1 DECEMBER RESIDENCY

KKS PROJECT

THRUST HAILEY CRAMER ENTRY $10, 8.30PM

THURSDAY 2 DECEMBER

CHRIS CAVILL & THE LONG WEEKEND

LET THE CAT OUT 2SWAI RYAN BAKER ENTRY $10, 8PM

RIHANNA SUPPORTS NAMED

Calvin Harris and Far East Movement have been announced as supports on Rihanna’s upcoming Last Girl On Earth tour, taking over Rod Laver Arena on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 March. Rihanna’s near-two-hour show is a full theatrical production with set changes, a full band, acrobats, dancers and outrageous outfits. This month Rihanna released her fifth studio album, Loud, featuring her second number one single of 2010, Only Girl (In The World). The singer is also featured on Eminem’s Love The Way You Lie, which reigned at the top of the Australian charts for six weeks running. All up, Rihanna has spent more weeks at number one on the ARIA singles chart than any other female artist in the last decade.

FRIDAY 3 DECEMBER EP LAUNCH

The line-up for South Carolina electronic pop dreamers Toro Y Moi’s first ever Australian tour has been unveiled. Best described as a kaleidoscopic homage to French house, R&B, indie rock and psychedelia, Toro Y Moi will perform at the Workers Club on Friday 18 February as a full band, featuring main man Chaz Bundick on vocals, keyboards, sampling and looping, plus a drummer and a bassist to flesh out his organic sound palette. They’ll be joined by a line-up of Melbourne’s brightest indie-electronic lights of the moment: epic kosmische popsters Magic Silver White and blissful melody makers The Townhouses, with Two Bright Lakes DJs dropping some sweet tunes between bands. Tickets are on sale now from Moshtix.

BALLARAT DATE FOR THOSE DARLINS

LOVE SPREADS Moonshine Lemonade is the album resulting from the collaboration between producer Plutonic Lab (Muph & Plutonic, Dialectrix) and G Love (of G Love & Special Sauce fame). G Love explains of the pairing: “I’ve been making and mashing hip hop and blues for the last 20 years. With Moonshine Lemonade, I finally feel like I got it right. Pluto bought it out of me and that’s that. I know people are gonna dig this shit ‘cause I’ve been rocking it non-stop on my tour bus every freakin’ night.” The duo celebrate the album’s release with a special show at the Northcote Social Club on Friday 14 January. Moonshine Lemonade is set for release in February, but if you can’t wait that long head to moonshinelemonade.com, sign up to the mailing list and you can download the first track for free.

OMG, ANOTHER USHER SHOW

ROYSTON VASIE CANNON

With Usher’s first two performances at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 March selling out in minutes, the R&B superstar has added another Melbourne date to his OMG tour – the new show will take place at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday 31 March. Tickets go on sale Friday from Ticketek.

THE HELLO MORNING COLOUR AGE DUKES OF WINDSOR DJ’S ENTRY $12 DOOR, 8PM

Those Darlins are a garage country band from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Their rowdy, cheerfully sarcastic and sometimes booze-fuelled show has seen them described as “The Carter Family meets The Black Lips”. A co-headline tour with Wagons scheduled for earlier this year was cancelled after a group member broke her arm; the band are making their way out here this month to perform at the Meredith Music Festival, and also play the Espy with Jeff The Brotherhood on Friday 17 December, an afternoon Xmas Even show at the Tote on Sunday 19 December and a Happy Mondays show on the rooftop of Curtin House with Dan Kelly’s Dream Band on Monday 20 December. Those Darlins have also just added an additional date in Ballarat – they play the Karova Lounge on Friday 10 December with The Yard Apes. Tickets are $15+BF from the venue, New Generation (Ballarat) and Oztix.

SCI-FI WAY

The makers of the no-budget Melbourne sci-fi spoof Dawn Of The DMFs are holding a 21st birthday screening and reunion for anyone who worked on this classic film between 1989 and 1999. The event is at the Station Hotel in Prahran this Saturday from 8pm. The movie will be screened in widescreen along with some making-of footage, and a promotional film clip – DMFs Don’t Give A Fuck – produced in 1999 and featuring Fred Negro and the late Tim Hemensley. Any of the film’s long-lost cast and crew who turn-up on the night will receive a free copy of the two-disc special cast and crew edition DVD.

SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER

HELM

WHITE CELL LIFE TO ORDER SLEEPA

ENTRY $12 DOOR, $10 PRESALE THRU MOSHTIX

SUNDAY 5 DECEMBER RED BULL PRESENTS:

WRECKERS YARD FREE, 2PM

MONDAY 6 DECEMBER RESIDENCY

EL MOTH & THE TURBO RADS SPECIAL GUESTS A DJ CALLED MATT

ENTRY BY DONATION, 9PM $2 POTS!

TUESDAY 7 DECEMBER RESIDENCY

DAN WEBB

THE RAFFAELLAS ENTRY $5, 9PM $10 JUGS!

TAKING SIDES Brooklyn duo Matt & Kim will bring their energetic blast of indie punk pop to Australia this January as part of the Big Day Out, and will also play a one-off sideshow at the Corner Hotel on Wednesday 2 February. Matt & Kim have progressed in huge hyperactive leaps and bounds since forming in 2004 – back then Kim had never played drums and Matt had never played a keyboard. The recent release of Sidewalks brings them up to album number three, with the first single Cameras going straight to number one on Hype Machine upon its release. Graduating with art school degrees from Pratt Institute, Matt & Kim stay closely involved in all the visual elements of the band. Kim designs the album covers and band merch, while Matt develops the concepts for their music videos, including the clip for Lessons Learned, which won an MTV award for Breakthrough Video.

B&S BALL Belle & Sebastian are bringing their luscious indie pop back to Australia in March. Following the release of their latest studio album, Write About Love, the band will return for their first national tour in nearly five years. As well as playing Golden Plains, the Scots perform at the Forum on Saturday 12 March. Tickets go on sale 9am this Thursday.

COMING UP:

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) DAYDREAM ARCADE (26 DEC) BLANKFACE DISTORTION (29 DEC) TRAIDMARC (30 DEC)

$2 CARLTON POTS EVERY MONDAY FRIDAY 3RD DECEMBER

LOWTIDE

SATURDAY 11TH DECEMEBER

ISHU

31ST DEC

PBS/SOUL-A-GO-GO NYE PARTY

WED 1ST DECEMBER

THURS 2ND DECEMBER

PATINKA CHA CHA EP LAUNCH

FELICITY GROOM (WA) + HOWL AT THE MOON + THE STAR EXPRESS

SEAGULL + SUPER MELODY SAT 4TH DECEMBER

BLACKBIRD MARKET10AM – 4PM THE FRENCH ALBUM LAUNCH +ALWAYS MATTHEW BROWN DJS: POLYESTER DJS MON 6TH DECEMBER

MONDAY RESIDENCY KING GIZZARD AND LIZARD WIZARD – W/ SPECIAL GUESTS

TUE 7TH DECEMBER

FRI 3RD DECEMBER

LOWTIDE + CLUE TO KALO + MARTIN B SLEEMAN + THE TOWNHOUSES

DJS: TWO BRIGHT LAKES + SIMON WINKLER (RRR)

SUN 5TH DECEMBER

SUMMER SERIES PRESENTS BEACHES + ALPS 7” LAUNCH + KIND WINDS + MIDNIGHT CALLER

AUSTRALIAN WRITERS GUILD CHRISTMAS PARTY twitter.com/inpressmag

WED 8TH DECEMBER

YOUNG MAVERICK VIDEO LAUNCH + THE STAR EXPRESS

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

WORLD MUSIC LONG LIVE THE KINGS Tickets to their last Australian tour in 2009 sold out in minutes, and now Kings Of Leon have announced a return visit in 2011, with dates booked at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 March. One of the biggest bands in the world, Kings Of Leon reaffirmed their status in October, shooting straight to the top of the ARIA charts with their fifth studio album, Come Around Sundown. Sign up at frontiertouring.com to buy tickets from Thursday; general public tickets go on sale 9am on Monday.

SUMMER SIZZLER PR

N SE

Bluejuice had so much fun during their 2010 Sizzling tour, the band have decided it’s time for another summer sojourn, this time hitting the road with sun-starved friends Philadelphia Grand Jury and Purple Sneakers DJs. The Sizzling 2011 caravan will traverse the East Coast in January, hitting Inferno Nightclub in Traralgon on Tuesday 18 January, the Torquay Hotel on Wednesday 19, the Flying Horseman in Warrnambool on Thursday 20, the Eureka Hotel in Geelong on Friday 21 and the Westernport Hotel in San Remo on Saturday 22 January.

KYU FOR JUNIP

BIGGER VENUE FOR KYUSS LIVES

Tickets to the Melbourne performance of the re-formed Kyuss (dubbed Kyuss Lives, the Josh Homme-less line-up features John Garcia, Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri) sold out within four minutes of going on sale last week. With demand so high, the show has been moved from Billboard to the larger-capacity Palace. Tickets purchased for the Billboard show are valid for the Palace; extra tickets are on sale now from Oztix and Ticketek. Kyuss Lives play the Palace on Sunday 8 May.

Swedish folk sensation Jose Gonzalez makes his much anticipated return to Australia this month with his new outfit, Junip. Gonzalez and bandmates Tobias Winterkorn and Elia Araya’s story is one of patience and perfectionism, frustration and persistence, sheer bloody-mindedness, inspiration and success. Junip have existed since 1999, maybe even 1998. It’s so long, frankly, that none of them are quite sure. The recentlyreleased Fields, however, is the album that they’ve been itching to make ever since. Hazy, organic, melodic and hypnotic, Junip lean on an unconventional blend of influences, from John Martyn’s folk-jazz to Richie Haven’s psychedelic soul to elements of kosmische and Afrobeat. Junip play the Falls Festival and the Corner Hotel on Tuesday 4 January, with excellent Sydney duo Kyu just named as support act for the latter. Tickets for the Corner show are on sale now from the venue’s box office, handsometours.com and Polyester Records.

SUPPORT FOR FOTL

Blacklevel Embassy will support Future Of The Left when the Welsh rockers, formed from the ashes of Mclusky, play the Corner Hotel on Sunday 2 January.

Adelaide-born pop sensation Sia will tour Australia in January and February, playing the Big Day Out festival and the Palais on Tuesday 1 February. Sia returns to Australia following the mighty success of her highly acclaimed fifth studio album, We Are Born. Produced by Greg Kurstin – the man behind recent efforts from Lily Allen, Kesha, Britney Spears and Ladyhawke – the album sees the singer in full pop mode, moving on from her earlier, more inward-leaning and languorous work, both with the cinematic UK duo Zero 7 and on her own previous recordings. Sia cleaned up at the recent ARIA Awards, claiming gongs for Best Pop Release, Best Video and Best Independent Release.

EARTH SONG

THOMAS TAKES HIS PICKERS

Californian stoner psych lords Earthless are embarking on their maiden voyage to Australia next month, starting with a performance alongside You Am I and Airbourne at the Espy’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration. Earthless feature members of Hot Snakes, Rocket From The Crypt and OFF! and are inspired by the likes of The Groundhogs, Amon Duul II, Black Sabbath, Hawkwind and Jimi Hendrix. As well as their New Year’s Eve show, the band also play the Arthouse on Sunday 9 January.

THEY LIKE MONDAYS

Thank God It’s Monday is a new initiative by Carlton Dry geared towards hospitality workers and those who have their weekends on Mondays. TGIM is a series of free gigs and parties – the first Melbourne event takes place at the Tote on Monday 13 December with a set from Gypsy & The Cat.

HANDY ANDY

One of Jamaica’s most distinguished reggae icons, Horace Andy, returns to Australia in March. Known for his distinctive mellifluous vocals, Andy has established himself as one of reggae’s most enduring statesmen, in a career spanning almost four decades. Since his first recordings as a teenager on Coxsone Dodd’s groundbreaking label Studio One, Andy’s powerful and politically conscious music and classic Rastafarian message continues to find new audiences with every generation of music fans. Fame came early with the smash hit Skylarking, marking the beginning of his wildly successful collaborations with producer Bunny Lee through the ‘70s. Andy moved to the UK in 1990 and was invited to lay down some vocals on Massive Attack’s Blue Lines. Andy’s latest album is Serious Times, released in July on the Minor 7/Flat 5 label. He plays the Prince Bandroom on Tuesday 15 March.

GET IT INDIA

Incendiary local rockers British India play the Espy this Christmas Eve, kicking off the venue’s festive celebrations. Well known for their explosive live shows, British India are one of Australia’s hardest working groups, having played more than 300 gigs in the past two years. Having resisted the temptation of the major record labels, the boys remain unsigned and as independent as ever. Their third album, Avalanche, released in May, scored the band their second top ten debut in 18 months. Guests for the show will be announced soon. Tickets are on sale now from espy.com.au and Oztix.

HERE COMES THE SUN

The makers of the Helpmann Award-winning The Man in Black (the Johnny Cash story starring Tex Perkins) are back with another narrative-driven concert, The Ultimate Rock’N’Roll Jam Session. Starring James Blundell, Nick Barker, Dave Larkin and Ezra Lee with The Sun Studio Trio, written by Jim McPherson and directed by Simon Myers, it tells the story of the day in December in 1956 when Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash recorded together for the first and last time at the famed Sun Studios in Tennessee. Songs featured include Ghost Riders In The Sky, Blue Suede Shoes, Heartbreak Hotel, Great Balls Of Fire, Folsom Prison Blues and See You Later, Alligator. The show runs from Tuesday 7 December until Sunday 19 December at the Comedy Theatre.

SIA LATER

Jimmy Eat World will return to Australia in April in support of their sixth full-length album, Invented. Fellow Phoenix resident Courtney Marie Andrews, who sings backing vocals on several tracks on Invented, will be joining the band on tour. The album, produced by Mark Trombino (also responsible for the group’s first three albums) debuted at number 20 on the ARIA charts in October and reached number three on the US Billboard rock albums chart. Most recently out here to perform at this year’s Soundwave, Jimmy Eat World play the Palace on Monday 11 April. Frontier members can buy tickets from noon today until noon tomorrow; general public tickets go on sale 9am Thursday 9 December.

This year has been another triumphant one for rock’n’roll bluegrass outfit The Wilson Pickers, and to finish off 2010 the band are lifting a second single, Half A Man, from their ARIA-nominated album Shake It Down. After launching the single in Brisbane the lads are heading south to support Mick Thomas & The Sure Thing at the Corner Hotel on Saturday 18 December.

HELP LUCAS GET BACK

Steve Lucas, from legendary ‘70s Australian band X, requires surgery for a crippling spinal injury that will cost around $10,000. A benefit gig, to take place in the Espy’s Gershwin Room this Thursday, has been organised to help Lucas raise funds for the expensive procedure. Lucas Aid will feature performances from Kretch, The Ears, Dollsquad, Brian Hooper Band, Chris Wilson, Cold Harbour and Spacecho. Doors open at 6pm.

DEVIL YOU KNOW The huge Soundwave quadruple sideshow bills keep coming, with Devildriver, Ill Nino, All That Remains and Nonpoint playing Billboard on Thursday 3 March. Since the arrival of their self-titled debut in 2003, Devildriver have made a massive impact on the metal scene with their monstrous grooves, brutal, haunting vocals and crushing live performances; Ill Nino have discovered the perfect blend between Hispanic flavours, rock and metal styles once again on their fifth studio album, Dead New World; All That Remains are one of hard rock’s pre-eminent breakthrough success stories of recent years; while Florida alternative metallers Nonpoint have built a strong following with a dynamic live show and eight big albums. With Soundwave sold out, this is your last chance to catch these bands in Melbourne. Tickets go on sale Friday from billboardthevenue.com.au and Ticketek.

twitter.com/inpressmag

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

EDDIE PERFECT

BB GUN

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder will head to Australia in March for a string of intimate theatre shows. On Pearl Jam’s last visit to Australia, in late-2009, the band played to around 160,000 people. There have been several occasions over the years where Vedder has stepped into solo mode, including his soundtrack contributions to the films of friend Sean Penn on Dead Man Walking (1995) and I Am Sam (2001). This collaboration most notably came to fruition in 2007 when Penn engaged Vedder to write and record the full soundtrack for his film adaptation of Into The Wild – John Krakauer’s best-selling novel of the same name. Vedder will be joined on his Australian tour by luminous US-based folk pop outfit Evil J & Saint Cecilia, consisting of Australia’s own Eliza Jane Barnes and Ceci Herbert. Vedder plays the Palais on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 March. Tickets go on sale Friday 10 December from Ticketmaster.

BB King, making his long-awaited return to Australia in Easter to perform at the Byron Bay Bluesfest, has announced a Melbourne show to take place at Hisense Arena on Saturday 1 April. From humble beginnings as a hungry young bluesman who at age 12 bought his first guitar for $15, King has been recording since the 1940s and has released more than 75 albums and won 15 Grammy Awards. He was ranked number three on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time list, and has been inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall Of Fame and the Rock’N’Roll Hall Of Fame. In 2008, King released the Grammy Award-winning One Kind Favor, an album featuring covers of old blues songs from his early influences. Tickets go on sale next Wednesday from Ticketek.

CHUCK MATE

With the first Melbourne Hot Water Music/Bouncing Souls show already sold out and this Sunday’s show not far behind, frontman Chuck Ragan is going to treat fans to a special acoustic show at the Arthouse on Monday. Ragan will be joined by local singer/ songwriter Darren Gibson (with whom Ragan has just released a split 7” on Poison City) as well as Dave Hause from The Loved Ones. Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets will be available on the door only.

IN BLOOM

Internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Luka Bloom has enjoyed 20 years of success worldwide. Since the release of one of the all-time Irish classics, Riverside, in 1990, Bloom has taken his music all over the world. He returns in March 2011 for his tenth Australian tour, celebrating a career that has spanned more than two decades. Bloom has carefully chosen and re-recorded some of his faves from his back catalogue for the recently released Dreams In America, charting his career from his emigration to America in the late-’80s to the present day. Bloom plays the Port Fairy Folk Festival on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 March and the National Theatre on Tuesday 5 April.

STACKS OF STAX

The music of legendary soul and R&B label Stax will be celebrated at Stax On!, a star-studded knees-up taking place the Yah Yah’s on Sunday 19 December. Backed by the Yah Yah’s Stax Revue Band (Matt Green, Grant Cummerford, Brendan McMahon, Danny McKenna, Joe Cope, Dynamo Horns, Ross Irwin), artists reinterpreting Stax classics include Dan Sultan, Sime Nugent, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Kylie Auldist, Shirley Davis, Chris Altman, Backwood Creatures, Peter Punk, Ella Thompson, Rebecca Barnard, Abbie Dobson, The Wolfgramm Sisters, Matt Walker, Cal Walker and Linda Dacio. Doors open at 7pm, music starts at 8pm, running over two sets. Entry is $20.

SAYS SUPPORTS PALLETT

Local pop chanteuse and classically trained cellist Jessica Says has been named as the support on the upcoming Owen Pallett tour. Currently finishing her second album, Says’s latest single is World Without Men. Canadian pop maestro Pallett (he’s done strings for the likes of Arcade Fire, The Mountain Goats, Grizzly Bear and Fucked Up) will be showcasing tracks from his acclaimed orchestral pop masterpiece, Heartland. Using instruments, loops and layering his lush soundscapes, in the live setting Pallet becomes a one-man orchestra. Pallett and Says play the Thornbury Theatre on Saturday 15 January and the Toff In Town on Sunday 16 January.

EVERY MONDAY

FE BAC BR K UA RY

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)

SE FALLI ST NG The Frontier Touring Company presents, !

ELIZA DOOLITTLE (UK)

w/ AndyBlack & Haggis

w/ Andee Frost FREE ENTRY - From 12 Midnight

This weeks theme: DUET FREE ENTRY - In the Carriage

SAT 4 DECEMBER

SUN 5 DECEMBER

WILFRED JACKAL

ALEKS AND THE RAMPS

with FABIO UMBERTO and TIM McMILLAN

with SPECIAL GUESTS

CHRISTMAS SHOW with UNDERCOLOURS & GUESTS

Tickets $10 on door

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

Tickets $10 on door

with TAILOR MADE FOR A SMALL ROOM & SUPER MELODY Tickets $12 on door

TUES 7,14 & 21 DECEMBER

WED 8 DECEMBER

THURS 9 DECEMBER

SAT 11 DECEMBER

REDBERRYPLUM

THE KUJO KINGS

RUSH IN ATTACK

MAMA KIN

DECEMBER RESIDENCY with WREN, KRISTINA MILTIADOU & SAM LAWRENCE (7/12)

EP LAUNCH with LOONEE TUNES & THE OPERATORS

SINGLE LAUNCH with 8 BIT LOVE & ZEAL

with MATT JOE GOW

Tickets $10 on the door

Tickets $10 + BF / $15 on door

Tickets $10 + BF / $12 on door

Tickets $18 + BF / $22 on door

THURS 16 DECEMBER

SAT 18 DECEMBER

SUN 19 DECEMBER

JESSICA SAYS

AMAYA LAUCIRICA

LOTEK

‘WORLD WITHOUT MEN’ SINGLE LAUNCH with OSCAR + MARTIN, HUNTER DIENNA and DJ GEOFF O’CONNOR

VINYL LAUNCH with HOWL AT THE MOON & MATT BAILEY

‘INTERNATIONAL RUDEBOY’ ALBUM LAUNCH with RuC.L., MC JULEZ, DRAGONFLY and MORE!

Tickets $8 on the door

Tickets $10 + BF / $12 on door

Tickets $15 + BF / $25 with CD on door

SUN 12 DECEMBER Penny Drop presents,

WASHED OUT (USA) with MATT VAN SHIE

Tickets $40 +BF / More on the door

w/ Dr Phil Smith

THURS 2 DECEMBER

UMLAUT

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

Popular folk rock duo Indigo Girls return for their fourth Australian tour in April. Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have never relied on radio airplay or for success, yet have consistently seen their albums shift more than one million copies. Over two decades the highly accomplished pair have received seven Grammy nominations and sold more 12 million albums. Their most recent album is the two-disc live album Staring Down The Brilliant Dream, a 31-song set handpicked by the pair from performances captured between 2006 and 2009. Indigo Girls play the Palais on Friday 29 April. Tickets are on sale from Ticketmaster.

New Zealand indie pop punk lynchpins The Clean are coming to our shores for the first time since 1989 for Golden Plains and a headline show at the Corner on Friday 11 March. To celebrate this momentous occasion, a four-band bill has been announced with two international supports: much-loved San Francisco kaleidoscopic pop troubadour Kelley Stoltz, whose new record To Dreamers has just been released, along with New York singer/songwriter Gary Olson of Ladybug Transistor fame with an all-star local backing band featuring members of Mid-State Orange and The Lucksmiths, plus local avant-pop noisemakers Actor Slash Model. The Clean were the starting point for the New Zealand punk pop scene and the mighty Flying Nun label, and are as vital and iconic as ever. Tickets selling fast from the Corner box office.

EVERY FRIDAY

WED 1 DECEMBER

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

GIRLS POWER

EVERY THURSDAY LATE

Swing dancing classes

Thai dinner & supper

CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH

SE FALLI ST NG !

twitter.com/inpressmag

SE FALLI ST NG !

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

SOLO DANDO

Canyons

Imelda May

Armed only with his guitar, compelling Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando will deliver an acoustic performance at the Northcote Social Club on Sunday 12 December, featuring songs from his solo album Baby I’m Bored, an array of covers and stripped-back Lemonheads classics. With The Lemonheads show at the Corner sold out and the second show at the Espy not far behind, this will be the last opportunity to see Evan Dando as he performs in an intimate setting

PACE SETTERS

Sixties legends Gerry & The Pacemakers will tour Australia in March. Fronted by the legendary Gerry Marsden, Gerry & The Pacemakers enjoyed six top ten hits and 12 Top 40 successes. The band were one of the few groups to challenge The Beatles in popularity. They created pop music history in England when their first three singles all reached number one in the UK charts, something even The Beatles could not achieve. The songs were How Do You Do It, I Like It, and You’ll Never Walk Alone, the song that became the Liverpool Football Club’s anthem, and which made Gerry & The Pacemakers the biggest group in Britain next to The Beatles. Others hits included Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying, I’m The One, It’s Gonna Be Alright, Ferry Cross The Mersey and I’ll Be There. Gerry & The Pacemakers play the Frankston Arts Centre on Sunday 13 March and the Palms at Crown on Saturday 26 March.

LEENA ME

In between recording new demos and following supports with Paul Dempsey, Joshua Radin and Tim Finn, Melbourne-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Leena will be joining Custom Kings on their upcoming national tour, throughout November and December. She will be showcasing new material plus playing tracks from her debut EP, Mean Old Clock. Custom Kings and Leena play the Prince Bandroom on Friday 17 December and the Grand in Ballarat on Saturday 18 December.

FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS The ol’ bank balance can take a bit of a beating as we head into the silly season, so we’ve pulled a few strings to get you a couple of smokin’ hot tracks for absolutely nothin’. The first is the Modular-debut for Canyons, the second from Irish rockabilly superstar Imelda May. Simply head to universalmusic.net.au/freedownloads/streetpressaustralia to get downloading. My Rescue CANYONS Taking a musical approach guided by intuition and feel, Canyons have forged their own identity amongst a sea of comers, goers and imitators. They traverse the obvious comparisons to whatever is on the radio right now, focusing on creating original music that could be from the past, present or future. Making their much-anticipated label debut, My Rescue is an ode to the sun and enlightenment. It is positivity and musical freedom at its very best. Sneaky Freak IMELDA MAY Imelda May, born in Dublin and raised in the Liberties, may be an unknown name to some, but to many she is already a superstar. She is unmistakable both in her music (a fusion of surf guitars, blues and rockabilly that wouldn’t be out of place in a David Lynch film) and her style, with a solitary curl and shock of blonde in her jet black hair. In Ireland, her debut album Love Tattoo, which she recorded and released on her own label, has gone triple platinum. She has shared stages with U2, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Van Morrison, Scissor Sisters, Eartha Kitt, Lionel Richie and, most recently, the first lady of rockabilly, Wanda Jackson. And now, with the release of her new album Mayhem, she is about to go stellar. May will be touring Australia in February and March.

SEA IS FOR CHRISTMAS

It’s been a mammoth year for The Holy Sea. In September, they released their acclaimed third album, Ghosts Of The Horizon. After criss-crossing Australia on a national tour to support the album, they are home and preparing for their last gig of 2010, A Very Holy Sea Christmas, at the Marquis Of Lorne. There will be prizes, cake and mistletoe, and support from Footy and The Broadside Push when they play this Sunday from 4pm. The Holy Sea will also be premiering their new video clip, directed by Sean Bedlam. Entry is free.

GOTYE SELLS OUT

SONIC BOOMERANG

GOIN’ TO THE ZOO

Top local label Popboomerang Records are throwing a Christmas party at the Cornish Arms on Friday 17 December. The night will feature live appearances from Popboomerang labelmates Greg Williams (Splurge), Underminers, Courtney Barnett, D Rogers, Georgia Fields and The Bon Scotts, as well as a DJ set from foundation Popboomerang band Remake Remodel. Entry is free (though gold coin donation is good karma) and the Popboomerang crew are planning special giveaways and raffles.

OUT OF CON-TROLL

Crawling out from the deep woods of Finland, Finntroll’s music is the truest form of pagan folk metal today. As heard on their new album Nifelvind, sinister guitar riff combine with devil-driven drums, folkish melodies and blasts of folklore. Heading to the southern hemisphere in March, the band play Billboard on Friday 25 March, supported by ale-guzzling Australian warriors Claim The Throne.

Gotye’s first theatre shows in three years have sold out within a day of going on sale. The highly-anticipated return performances follow the release of Eyes Wide Open, the lead single from his forthcoming album, due in 2011, which has received heavy airplay at Triple J and community radio. A documentary that details the making of the track will premiere on iTunes Ping next Tuesday. Gotye, with support from Tash Parker, plays the National Theatre on Friday 14 January. The 2011 Zoo Twilights program has been unveiled, with artists such as Wendy Matthews, The Hello Morning, Daryl Braithwaite, James Reyne, Ross Wilson, Diesel, Leo Sayer, Dragon performing at the Zoo as the sun goes down. The season begins on Saturday 15 January and runs until Sunday 13 March. Tickets are now on sale from zoo.org. au, where the full program can also be found.

GET THE HORN

BLOW YOUR TOP

Returning for their first Big Day Out shows in four years and to support The Black Keys at the Palace on Wednesday 2 February, The Greenhornes have announced their own headline show at the Northcote Social Club on Thursday 3 February. The trio of Craig Fox, Patrick Keeler and ‘Little’ Jack Lawrence have been churning out high quality rock’n’roll for more than a decade. Formed in the late ‘90s in Cincinnati, Ohio, the band have released three full-length albums, one EP and a heap of singles across a multitude of record labels.

Returning to play the Byron Bay Bluesfest next April, blues rock legends ZZ Top have announced a Melbourne sideshow will take place at Festival Hall on Monday 18 April. The legendary Texan trio have been together for more than 40 years and were inducted by Keith Richards into the Rock’N’Roll Hall Of Fame in 2004. ZZ Top last toured Australia in 2000 and have sold more than 20 million records worldwide. Support at the Festival Hall show will come from Rose Tattoo and The Poor.

(HED) ON

With a career spanning more than a decade, US hardcore pioneers (HED)pe are still moving at full speed. October saw the release of album number eight, Truth Rising, a mix of metallic punk rock, hardcore and hip hop, with an underlying and unmistakably important political message. Now the heavyweights have announced they will be arriving on our shores next month to present Truth Rising to local fans. (HED) pe play the Corner Hotel on Thursday 27 January. Tickets are on sale from the Corner Hotel box office.

GRANEY TAKES A FALL

LIKE MIKE Michael Franti & Spearhead return to Australia in April for Byron Bay Bluesfest, and have just announced they’ll also play a headline show at the Palace on Tuesday 19 April. Franti’s most recent album, the uplifting The Sound Of Sunshine, was ironically inspired by a near-death experience. Franti’s appendix ruptured while he was on tour, and he spent eight days in hospital. It was during this time that Franti began to prioritise the things he found most important in his life. Frontier members can buy tickets to the Palace show from noon on Wednesday 8 December until noon on Thursday 9 December, while general public tickets go on sale 9am on Friday 10 December.

Dave Graney has been named as support on The Fall’s upcoming Australian tour. Active on the music scene since the ‘70s, when he was the driving force behind the formation of The Moodists, Graney has almost been as prolific as The Fall. His most recent album is Supermodified, re-recorded tunes from The Brother Who Lived and Heroic Blues, along with a few unreleased songs from those sessions. The Fall and Graney play Billboard on Friday 10 December – the show is sold out.

WELL FED

Held every second Thursday until 21 April, Fed Square Live is a series of free performances across a range of genres, including indie, blues, world music, dance and rock. This Thursday Kylie Auldist and Deep Street Soul keep things funky, while Dan Kelly and The Bedroom Philosopher bring razor sharp wit and cracking indie tunes to the stage on Thursday 16 December. The latest acts to be announced bright up-and-comers Kimbra and Alpine, performing on Thursday 13 January, and blistering trio The Vasco Era on Thursday 27 January.

BACK IN TOWN Justin Townes Earle, heading our way in March to play the Golden Plains and Port Fairy Folk festivals, has announced a headline show at the Forum on Friday 18 March. Earle’s new record, his third, the outstanding Harlem River Blues, has been critically acclaimed universally; the singer channels the Texas blues of Mance Lipscomb and Lightnin’ Hopkins, the folk and honesty of Woody Guthrie, the honky tonk of Buck Owens, the cosmic country sounds of Gram Parsons mixed with traditional Appalachian mountain music and the genius of his namesake, Townes Van Zandt. Tickets are on sale now from lovepolice.com.au/tours.

twitter.com/inpressmag

With a live show every bit as epic as their sound, they don’t come much bigger than MUSE. Now The Resistance Tour is finally making its way to Australia, the band’s frontman, MATTHEW BELLAMY, tells PAUL SMITH how things came to be so huge.

LET THERE BE LIGHTS

t the beginning of this year Muse, very possibly the UK’s biggest rock outfit right now, made the somewhat unusual decision not to play any sideshows whilst in Australia for their Big Day Out appearances. It’s not as if they shy away from the live stage – the band repeatedly appear in those sorts of lists that music mags love to make as one of the top live acts in the world. Indeed, they actually put everything they have into their live shows (lasers included), so it seems they just wanted Australian audiences to experience their latest ‘production’ in all its glory. And size. Speaking during a brief break following their North American dates before the tour arrives (and finishes) in Australia, frontman Matthew Bellamy explains the reasoning further. “It was simply because we knew we wanted to come back and do our own gigs later in the year,” he says. “It just didn’t really make sense to try and squeeze in a couple of shows on the side when we were going to return and hopefully get to spend a bit more time in each city.” This time they are bringing the full scale The Resistance Tour, which will get to reside for a couple of nights in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne before winding up with a night in Perth. It is a massive show in every sense, centring on three large walled video towers that rise and fall with the band members perched separately on top of each. Over the last few years it seems that just as their music has become more and more epic in sound and depth, their live act has been designed to keep up the pace. “I suppose the music that we make has always lent itself towards good light shows and synchronising with video and also putting on a bit of a spectacular,” Bellamy acknowledges. “It may not be all the songs, but some definitely lean towards it and they can’t help but make you want to do something like that and the crowd respond to it. I think when people hear the songs on record they imagine something to be quite epic sounding, so it’s nice to try and reflect that in the live show.” So is there increasing pressure on them now to keep making things ever more extravagant? “Yeah,” Bellamy agrees. “It’s no problem though, I love it. I work well under pressure I think, so I like a challenge. As the venues have got bigger and bigger, it’s like you’ve got to try and put on something a bit more spectacular than what you’ve done before. Then it’s just a case of refining all your ideas and trying to find out what can be done and what can’t be done,

with a little bit of set design. It’s quite an exciting thing really.” Despite the ever growing scale of their performances, Bellamy reverently refuses to accept the notion that they may soon take over the crown as kings of the stadium/ arena production from U2 (who Muse recently supported on some of the US dates for the 360° tour). “No, they’re definitely the biggest live band out there and they put on a great show; an amazing show,” he says. “Watching U2 is different to anything else that’s out there, or any band that’s ever been out there. It’s so unique and they really work the crowd really well and I think they’re a great live band. The only way we’d ever overtake them would be if they retired. So long as they’re around, I don’t think so.” With such a big set up – and the inevitable malfunctions – there have been moments on the tour that closer resembled another ‘band’ though. “Oh yeah, we’ve had a couple of pretty serious Spinal Tap moments,” Bellamy laughs. “The worst was on the second of two gigs in LA. We’ve got these curtain reveals at the beginning when we’re playing up on the towers and three curtains drop down to reveal each

band member. As the first song kicked in only two of them came down, mine and our drummer Dom [Howard]’s. Basically, no one could see our bassist Chris [Wolstenholme] as he played the whole song – Uprising – and only when we finished the song did his curtain come down. Also, when my one came down it pulled my entire guitar rack off the tower that I was on and it smashed up two of my guitars. At the time to be honest with you I didn’t notice anything. It wasn’t until the whole lift that we’re on started coming down towards the end of the song that I thought, ‘Something’s really wrong here’ and I looked behind me and saw two of my guitars in pieces. I think when things are that bad you just have to start laughing, because it is just farcical.” When they finish up with the Australian dates it will be 14 months since the tour commenced. No amount of bright lights, smoke and mirrors can cover up a band’s actual ability to play a dynamic live set, but Muse always manage to match the power bill with their energy. It’s that ever present enthusiasm that has helped cement their formidable reputation. Bellamy explains how he manages to maintain that every night on such a long tour: “Well, you make as much eye contact with your audience as you can. You’re looking for people out there that you can see and they’re looking at you and you have a bit of a connection with them. You’ve got to tune in to the people as individuals rather than always just see it as a mass of people. If you can pick some people out and see their eyes – that makes it feel more intimate even when it’s a big gig and that makes a difference.” It’s all a far cry from all those support slots that the band played in the early days after forming in 1994. Bellamy believes that there were some advantages in those times of minimal lighting and crowds though. “Actually it was quite a lot of fun not being the headline, because you can be much more flexible with your setlist, you can play anything you want really and obviously it’s not your audience so it doesn’t really matter what happens,” he recalls. “If the gig goes badly you can say, ‘Oh well, it doesn’t matter it wasn’t our crowd anyway’. There’s no responsibility or anything so there’s just less pressure.”

“

Watching U2 is different to anything else that’s out there, or any band that’s ever been out there. It’s so unique and they really work the crowd really well and I think they’re a great live band.”

Bellamy also hints that they do have some desire to play some altogether simpler shows in the future and may try making things more minimalist again for a while. “I think we might do that at some point. I think we’d do it in an artistic way though. I don’t think we’d do it literally as just the basics,” he reasons. “I can imagine doing like a very starkly lit show which is all about being in black and white and just shadows and weird, strange lighting and stuff. In other words I think you could strip it back as long as it’s artistically done and not just for the sake of saving money.” The band intends to take a break at the conclusion of the tour, so the Australian shows look like being their last for a while. Bellamy says he expects they will do only a handful of gigs in 2011 and those they do will most likely be in places they haven’t been to yet like South America and Russia. Then, towards the end of next year, they will start making a new album. Although it’s early days, when pushed he does reveal to Inpress a little about the direction in which his most recent writing has been heading. “I’ve been through a lot of personal changes over the last year or so, so I think it’s likely some of the songwriting might be a bit more open and personal. Musically I don’t know though, it’s just too early to predict.” He pauses and adds, “I’ve got to say a couple of bits that I’ve written so far are more stripped down but it remains to be seen whether they’ll stay that way and obviously whether something else might come out.” Before looking too far ahead the focus is on their upcoming Australian tour though and Bellamy promises something extra special for those going along to both nights (where they are doing them) in any city. Despite the sometimes restrictive nature of a big show, they have found ways of changing the set around and it seems they have every intention to do so. “What’s going to be interesting on this tour is that we’re doing two nights in most cities so I think we’re going to come up with two quite different setlists for night one and night two,” he discloses. “The only thing is some of the changes you make you have to rehearse a bit, but I think across the two nights we’ll play quite a big range of material. We’re certainly going to try and mix it up.”

WHO: Muse WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 December, Rod Laver Arena

JOIN THE RESISTANCE

att Bellamy’s own description of The Resistance Tour as “a pretty big rock show” is something of an understatement. With its mix of old school lasers (ten in total to create a 360° ‘cage’ around the stage) and ultra modern high-spec LED screens (each tower has 30 square metres on all four sides giving an overpowering total of 360 square metres) that are used to display visuals selected to match up with some of the concepts of the album, it is as visually impressive as anything ever seen before. Work started on designing the show four months before the arena tour began and it was originally test built at Elstree Film Studios in England (where the original Star Wars trilogy was filmed) while Muse were busy away supporting U2. That allowed the whole show to be put up and thoroughly checked before being taken on the road. The stage can be positioned to play to an audience surrounding it where possible and because of that unique ability, the production crew always have on board everything that may possibly be needed. That includes a special rolling stage that allows for the lighting rig to be built at one end of the arena whilst the stage is being built at the other. With Australia marking the end of the world tour the stage set, following 14 months of use, will be recycled. A full catering team is also on board to keep the crew well fed. That decision followed an American tour a few years ago where a meal prepared by local caterers gave many of the party salmonella. With a number of the crew winding up in hospital, several performances had to be cancelled. Such is the scale of the operation it is critical that unloading starts at 8.30am on the day of the show to ensure it is ready for soundcheck seven hours later. Then, during the last few songs of the set, as many as 90 local crew arrive to assist the 48 touring crew in loading the 12 trucks required to move the set to its next destination. For most of the world tour it was considered critical the loading up took no more than two-and-ahalf hours to allow transportation by truck rather than by air, with distances of up to 700 kilometres between towns. The band generally played three days on and one day off so would average five to six shows a week. With that in mind, it is not surprising that the three towers concept is actually a scaled down version of what they first planned to do. Bellamy recalls plan A: “The original idea was to have three towers inside what would look like a kind of three-or four-storey office block of some description. We would be playing inside it but also inside was like lots of prison cells or something like that and the idea was that either the building gradually disintegrated or we slowly made our way out of the building. It would look like we were trapped in an experiment and as the gig went on we’d gradually try and find our way to escape out of it. It would be something like an Escher staircase. So the first ideas were in that area and then we had to cut them back a bit. It was more a case of what was physically possible to actually move and in particular the biggest thing is what is possible to set up and take down in the space of a day. There is only so much you can do.”

MONKEY MAGIC

With their animated counterparts temporarily locked in the green room, GORILLAZ co-creators DAMON ALBARN and JAMIE HEWLETT have recruited enough musicians to populate a small town to bring it live. BRYGET CHRISFIELD finds the pair invigorated after a steam bath and learns that plans are in place to monitor Albarn’s brain activity. annoying people and so Murdoch’s a great mouthpiece for us to sort of voice our opinions and, you know, get away with stuff.”

DAMON ALBARN PAUL SIMONON AND CYBORG NOODLE

Recent artwork has shown the four virtual band members have evolved significantly – Noodle probably needs a training bra by now, all Murdoch’s late nights and boozing have caught up with him, Russel couldn’t even fit in the vehicle from the Stylo video and 2-D seems to have succumbed to a couple of kilos of middle-aged spread. “They’ve evolved only because I’ve been doing this for ten years, so, if it still looked the same as it did ten years ago, I wouldn’t have evolved,” Hewlett muses. “I think that’s probably why we’ve only done three albums is because they take a long time to do, you see, and there has to be something in between – you’ve gotta do something different otherwise it wouldn’t be as fresh. So, yeah! They’ve evolved in the same way I’ve evolved as a person and an artist [pauses]. God, that sounds really cheesy,” he admits with a chuckle, adding, “I’ve just got better at drawing, that’s all… And on the animation side, what you can do now compared to what we could do ten years ago – it’s such a vast difference that it enables us to be a bit more experimental and we can try out all different things. I do enjoy that. I mean, even coming back [with] the first video, with Stylo Stylo,, and being able to get the characters driving a real car and actually make it look like they really were driving the car – stuff like that’s wonderful.” In terms of the characters themselves, Hewlett says “their personalities are very much based around us lot”. “They’re not based on one person, you know, everybody behind Gorillaz – from Damon to me to Cass Browne, who does a lot of the scripting and plays in the band, and now even Paul and Mick are very much part of Gorillaz. And there’s a helluva lot of other people who work behind the scenes that never really get a mention, but we’re all quite old friends and so there’s a lot of this sort of stuff that becomes the characters’ opinions and attitudes.”

“W

e have a night off tonight, we had a day off today and we’ve been out shopping in San Francisco,” Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz co-creator and animation genius, shares. “Damon bought a ouija board and we bought some fezzes.” So will fezzes be incorporated into the Gorillaz live ensemble, capping off the striped t-shirts and in lieu of sailor hats? “I don’t know, I just liked the idea of wearing a fez. We’ve had a nice afternoon. We’ve been for a steam and we’re gonna go out tonight and enjoy San Francisco.” Gorillaz are in the midst of their gruelling Escape To Plastic Beach world tour, so days off are cherished accordingly. “We do like to enjoy ourselves, but, you know, one likes to be professional too,” he chuckles. Having just spoken to his partner in simian crime, Damon Albarn, the similarities in their speaking voices reflect a long, shared history. “He copies my voice,” Hewlett jokes. “He usually sounds like Daffy Duck when he talks.” Albarn is suitably thrilled by the reception Gorillaz have received on this tour and goes so far as to describe audience receptions as “euphoric”. The Syrian National Orchestra For Arabic Music feature on White Flag, Flag, a cut from Plastic Beach, Beach, and in July Gorillaz became the first western band to play at The Citadel in Damascus, Syria. “I’ve been there several times before, you know,” Albarn downplays. “I mean, the sad aspect of it would be that more people [don’t] go there, because there is totally a very receptive audience out there.” Albarn goes on to admit that performing in the 11th century fortified citadel

was an extraordinary experience. “It defied all the stereotypes that the previous eras had presented to us and, in that, I mean the kind of Blair/Bush era. It’s just not how they portrayed it: It just so isn’t part of an access of evil, Syria.” Triple J aired part of this set on Live At The Wireless late last month and from the moment the intro to White Flag kicked in with the Syrian National Orchestra For Arabic Music in full flight, the home crowd were going off. “They were!” Albarn concurs, “But you know what? That part of the Gorillaz show has been received very well everywhere – it’s been surprising. Here in America, we weren’t sure. And certainly in middle America when I introduce the Syrian musicians, you know. But it’s been very heart-warming, really, how sort of open people are when you actually get close to them to express their own opinions, as opposed to the sort of collective, which suggests all Arabs are somehow sort of threatening.” This current Gorillaz live incarnation features “a band that’s nearly 70 in number” and Albarn has recruited bassist Paul Simonon and guitarist Mick Jones of The Clash, keyboardists Mike Smith and Jesse Hackett, guitarist Geoff Wootton (who formed The Beady Eyes with Liam Gallagher) plus two drummers: Gabriel Wallace and Cass Browne (who also penned the virtual band’s autobiography Rise Of The Ogre). Ogre). How dare Browne be so multi-talented! “Well, you know, you have to be good at more than one thing, really, in what we do,” Albarn points out. So how on earth did Albarn manage to find the time within Gorillaz’ hectic touring schedule to record Doncadelic Doncadelic?? “Doncadelic Doncadelic?? Well that’s a great name for it but it’s actually called Doncamatic Doncamatic,” ,” Albarn cracks up. “Haha, Doncadelic – it’s onomatopoeically exactly the same.” Surely this cut featuring Daley, a rising singer/songwriter from Manchester, was left over from the Plastic Beach sessions. “No, no, no, it had nothing to do with that, I just did a new tune,” he explains. “I felt maybe Plastic Beach was getting caught up in a sort of slightly ambiguous world where everyone didn’t… especially at radio and stuff, they didn’t quite understand it and maybe thought it was a bit conceptual and grown up for pop radio. So I just wrote a pop song. I mean, for me, it’s not that I can’t write pop music, it’s just that I don’t choose to write it all the time, you know? But when I do, it’s usually ‘cause I’m really into it.” During the Escape To Plastic Beach world tour, you will find the animated Gorillaz members – Murdoc Niccals, 2-D, Russel Hobbs and Noodle – have been locked in the green room, where they listen helplessly while Albarn and co hijack their tunes. “Well, you see, there’s an internal struggle starting to happen there between the animated characters and the real band – ie. Damon, Paul and Mick and Cass,” Hewlett enlightens. “And so this is a new part of the storyline that will slowly unfold, and they will have to meet at some point – their two worlds will collide.” We probably shouldn’t underestimate the cunningness of Hewlett’s creations then? “No,” Hewlett laughs cryptically. “You definitely shouldn’t. They’re fun characters to work with, especially Murdoch. I mean, the music industry’s such a stupid place and it’s full of some really stupid,

Gorillaz was born through Albarn and Hewlett’s disgruntlement during a music television viewing session and Hewlett doesn’t believe things have improved over the last decade. “I don’t think I’ve actually sat and watched music television for, I dunno, six or seven years,” he admits, “I can’t actually bear it. You have to wait a long time before anything decent comes along… But if somebody tells me, ‘Have you seen this video by so-and-so? It’s a really cool video,’ then I’ll just go on YouTube and check it out.” Hewlett singles out Spike Jonze, Hype Williams and Chris Cunningham as having made worthy music video contributions. “I prefer videos that have some kind of narrative, some kind of strange, unexplained story with a peculiar ending,” Hewlett shares. “I mean, I love stuff like that. I don’t really wanna watch girls shaking their booty in the camera. Even if I didn’t have young kids around, it gets really fucking tedious after a while. If you can tell a story – if you’re a filmmaker and you get a really great song and you’ve got four minutes to tell a wonderful little story set to a fantastic piece of music, that’s a real gift. They work together so well, you know – animation, film and music – it can really make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck if you see something really fantastic, and I don’t think there’s enough of it. Considering the amount of music that gets pumped out, there should be more great videos and I think that’s probably why I stopped watching music television.” In the lead up to the release of Plastic Beach, Beach, a series of media hijackings, including pirate radio broadcasts from Murdoch Niccals via NME.com, were executed to maximise suspense. So who masterminded this promotional tactic? “That would’ve been, as all things like that are, taken care of by Jamie or Cass or somebody in that Zombie Flesh Eaters area of what we do,” Albarn reveals. “You see, Gorillaz has two production companies: one is [Studio] 13, which is on the bottom floor of our building where all the music’s made – and that’s my area – and there’s a middle floor, and so the second from top floor is Zombie Flesh Eaters and that’s where all of that aspect of Gorillaz is worked on.” Albarn reveals the voice of Niccals is supplied by “a guy called Phil Cornwell”. “We were turned on to him years ago in a series called Stella Street,” Street,” he continues. “You should check it out, he’s genius in it – absolutely genius. A lot of Murdoc’s stuff is adlib. He’s brilliant! He’s a proper lunatic as well. He’s a proper comic’s comic, kind of a professional, serious madman.” At one stage, word on the street was that this voice may have been supplied by Ronnie Corbett. Albarn cackles, “I’m sure he’d like to be one of The Two Ronnies Ronnies!” !” With the current Gorillaz live experience, gone are the days of musicians hiding behind screens emblazoned with images of their animated counterparts. There’s a sense that technological advances haven’t kept up with the

creative masterminds behind the project. “I think there’s lots of limitations,” Albarn permits, “but I think we set up these ridiculous ideas in the first place. place. I mean, at some point it would be really wonderful if the cartoons could be onstage with us properly.” The holograms have been put temporarily on the backburner because, as Albarn explains, “They just don’t work with any volume. They sort of disintegrate with bass frequency, so that’s why we can’t really use them.” “The whole hologram thing never really materialised, but it’s not really possible to do it,” Hewlett concurs. “The bit we did was cool, I think, but it only looked good on TV – it doesn’t work in a live context. So that doesn’t really help us when we’re doing live shows, but it’s fine if it’s on the telly, though. So we dropped the idea of holograms for this tour. Plus it’s really fucking expensive!” “We still have to adhere to what’s going on on the screen, very much so,” Albarn stresses. “So we work as a sort of film orchestra and a live entity – we flicker between the two. But always omnipresent above us are these massive cartoons looking down on the score. I think what’s so great about it is that it’s impossible for there to be a dull moment. You don’t know where to look at any point. You can’t take it all in at once. So over the period of an hour and a half, you’re never bored.” A show of this scale must be particularly prone to technical difficulties. “We do [experience technical difficulties] but people don’t tend to see them, because they get fixed,” Hewlett opines. “They’re just subtle, but the audience haven’t noticed it. When we did Coachella, for instance, we had a vast LED screen. It was made up of 12-inch square tiles and it was so windy that the wind punched a bunch of tiles out, so there were these funny little black squares on the screen. No one really noticed but me. We had guys climbing up the back, up scaffolding, to put them back in as the show started. There’s been hairy moments, but it’s the same as the live music. There’s bits when the band come off and say, ‘Ooh, so-and-so didn’t get that bit right,’ but people don’t notice it, I don’t think.” Perhaps they should dock the musicians’ pay if they stuff up like the late James Brown used to do. “No,” Hewlett laughs, “That’d be mean, wouldn’t it? No, ‘cause they’re really tight, the band, and they don’t want to make mistakes. But getting all of those things to work together – the music and the visuals – having all of that working at the same time, if it goes wrong, I mean I notice it. It’s not as nice as when it works, but it’s been pretty good. It’s getting better and better every show.”

GENERATION CLASH

After being disappointed as a youngster when Saturday Morning Pictures was replaced with Sandie Shaw, PAUL SIMONON, tells BRYGET CHRISFIELD, “With GORILLAZ you’ve got cartoons and a live performance!” “I’ve got two sons and, when Gorillaz first started, they were really into Gorillaz because they liked the cartoons, too,” Paul Simonon, formerly of The Clash and now touring bass player with Gorillaz, shares. Simonon was present at one of Gorillaz’ first concerts at La Scala in London. “They were behind a screen and there were images projected up onto the screen,” he recalls. Did it blow him away? “Yes, it did,” he replies. “I mean, I hadn’t heard the music before – I suppose because it was their first show – but it was really, really interesting. And obviously it’s developed and changed to the point where I’m actually onstage playing some of the songs.” From his position on the stage, Simonon has noticed, “There’s people bringing their kids to our concerts”. “I suppose, in some ways, there’s a broad generation of ages onstage as well, really. Obviously we haven’t got any children in our show.” On what has been a highlight of the Escape To Plastic Beach tour so far, Simonon reveals, “I suppose Madison Square Gardens in some ways is quite good ‘cause, even back in The Clash, we never played there. It’s slightly nerve-racking, but it worked out fine.” The visual aspect of Gorillaz requires that Simonon

resemble a seafarer. “The stripey shirts is the unifying thing for, well, especially the core band,” he says. Simonon rotates four stripey shirts. “As soon as I come offstage I usually wash what I’ve been wearing, my t-shirt, and then hang it up in the back of the tour bus in the temporary curtain rail,” he clarifies, “and, come the morning, it’s dry and clean!” Others have followed suit, utilising Simonon’s makeshift clothesline “so there’s all washing hanging up in the back”. “It definitely feels like we’re in the inside of a submarine, that’s for sure.” Simonon always took his threads seriously as a member of The Clash and contributes, “All I know is, I remember our manager Bernie Rhodes, he said to me, “Look, Paul, if you went onstage and you play a song and you look at the audience and they’re better dressed than you, then why should they listen to what you’ve got to say?” And I think that’s quite important.” It was when another of Albarn’s musical projects – The Good, The Bad & The Queen – was in its formative stages that he first reached out to Simonon. “He was trying to work some ideas out with some tracks that he’d been doing in Nigeria with some other characters and there was an element missing,” Simonon recalls. “And it seems that I was the missing element because, when I got involved in it, it all shifted in another direction.” Tony Allen and Simon

Tong completed The Good, The Bad & The Queen Tong roster and an eponymous album was released in 2007. “We did tour [the album] shortly and that was great fun and that led on to me being involved in this project.” Being part of the colossal onstage Gorillaz cast must require a degree of spatial awareness. “It wouldn’t quite look right if every time somebody comes up onstage, me and Mick [Jones] are pushing our way to the front – it doesn’t work that way,” the bassist stresses. “You need to be sympathetic to other people and step back and let them have the space and vice versa, you know, that’s part of – stagecraft, I suppose, is what you learn over a period of time. Sometimes it gets very busy up there, but it works out fine. Everybody has a moment to shine.” The first gig Simonon attended as a child would take some beating. “I think the first show I ever saw – I didn’t pay to go to see it, it just turned up,” he recalls. “I used to go to what was called Saturday Morning Pictures in Brixton. You’d pay sixpence, or whatever it was in those days, and you’d go there and they’d show kid’s films for the kids. So I was sitting there as a ten year old, and they said, ‘We’ve got a special surprise for you and we’re not gonna show any films, but we’ve got a band.’ And it was Sandie Shaw… It was only for kids, no parents. If you was over 11 you wouldn’t get in ‘cause you were too old.” Simonon doesn’t remember being particularly excited by Shaw’s inclusion on the bill. “Well, it was okay, but we really wanted to see the cartoons. So maybe that’s – funnily enough, well there you go! Now we’re in a situation where you’ve got – with Gorillaz you’ve got cartoons and a live performance! They’ve covered all that ground now.”

Hewlett has also noticed the multiple generations who have been in attendance at recent shows. “I think Gorillaz inspires young kids. Even when we started there were ten-year-old kids who were into Gorillaz who are now 20, and the audiences at the shows – it always amazes me how many kids are in the audience with their parents, and I think that’s a wonderful thing because the little ten-year-old kids are gonna be finding out who Bobby Womack is ‘cause they heard him on Gorillaz and say, ‘Who is this Bobby Womack?’ and they’re gonna discover a complete legend whereas they might not have done. I’ve always loved the fact that kids come to our shows and kids are into Gorillaz because that’s the next generation and it’s good to inspire them correctly.” As well as the aforementioned Bobby Womack, confirmed guests for the upcoming Australian tour include Bootie Brown, De La Soul, Roses Gabor, Kano, Bashy and Little Dragon – plenty of back catalogues for impressionable young minds to discover. “That’s always made me very pleased,” Hewlett enthuses, “because that’s what kids do – they really get into it and they know everything about it and they explore every little detail, it’s great.” Gorillaz won Band Of The Year at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards a couple of months back and, during his acceptance speech, Albarn said, “I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise to Mister Armani for my appalling behaviour the last time I saw him. I am truly sorry.” So what’s the story there? “Oh, it’s a long story,” Albarn deflects until a one-minute version is requested. “Ah, I got very drunk the night before a meeting with him in Milan and spent the subsequent breakfast meeting claiming I could speak Italian, when I couldn’t at all, and interrupting them all the time. And to the point where he’d just had enough and we were escorted out of the building. But it’s all fine now. I really was convinced that I understood, because I speak a bit of Spanish and a little bit of Italian, but not enough.” Not enough to get by in those circles? “Not the high-powered Milan fashionista executive mixing, no.” Just because Albarn is on tour, doesn’t mean he stops creating. “I’ve been writing an album on the road, which I’ll be finishing in a few day’s time, and I’m trying to put that out before Christmas – a Gorillaz sort of road diary.” So clearly plans have been put in place to donate the man’s brain to medical science. “Ah, I did actually get asked by some neuroscientist at Cambridge to monitor my brain electricity but I never got ‘round to doing it,” Albarn concedes.

WHO: Gorillaz WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 11 December, Rod Laver Arena

PLANET OF THE APES We hitch a ride on the GORILLAZ tour bus with three members of the live ensemble – MIKE SMITH, GABRIEL WALLACE and ROSES GABOR – as they Escape To Plastic Beach.

When Gorillaz first arrived on the music scene as a virtual band, how did the concept strike you? MIKE SMITH (keys): “Fa “Fascinating, scinating, daring and very cool would be just three ways to describe my reaction to the idea.”

GABRIEL WALLACE (drums): ““II appreciated the fact that someone went out of their way to have a thorough concept. And it was fun and mysterious – sick music and incredible artwork.” How did you come to be associated with the Gorillaz universe? MS: “I’ve been working with Damon since 1993 playing sax in Blur.”

game. We have a table that we take everywhere and we play every day. After the New York show, we had our after-party at a table tennis club called Spin. We’re that obsessed. We’re very competitive and, not wanting to sound big headed, pretty good!” RG: “The best part – go meet the fans.” GW:“Watch “Watch the support acts kill it (N*E*R*D last month, and Little Dragon/De La Soul currently). Then vibe out in the dressing room as DJ Paul Simonon gets us hyped up with his premium iPod selections. Then we hit – BOOM!”

GW: “I played with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. They’re signed to Damon’s label, Honest Jon’s.”

What has been one of the highlights from your Escape To Plastic Beach tour experience so far? RG: “If I had to chose a highlight I’d say it’s been the O2 Arena. I live in London so my younger sister came and it was nice to share a little bit of my world with her.”

What’s a typical day like for you on tour with Gorillaz? MS: “Apart from the gig, the main thing centres around table tennis. Damon and I have a profound love for the

GW:“Just “Just being in the constant close proximity of sooo many brilliant artists/thinkers and hard workers keeps everyone on their A game everyday.”

ROSES GABOR (née Rosie Wilson – Dare singer): “Noodle asked me if I would sing Dare for her as she loved my voice and, of course, I said yes. She’s a friend of a friend.”

IF I MAKE IT THROUGH TODAY THE LEMONHEADS’ seminal 1992 album It’s A Shame About Ray had its genesis in Australia, so why not come down here a couple of decades later and play it in its entirety? The band’s frontman and songwriter EVAN DANDO tells STEVE BELL that purely being something to do, sometimes, is reason in and of itself.

n recent times it’s become relatively de rigueur for bands of a certain vintage to revisit classic albums from their canon. What started as a novel concept with the Don’t Look Back showcase series soon became a sure fire way to guarantee bums on seats in the lucrative live realm, an area which has become critically important to bands’ revenue streams since the evil advent of downloading started eroding their income from record sales. This is especially so if an act’s back catalogue contains one particular album which resonated more strongly than its counterparts, and is regarded as some sort of ‘Holy Grail’ by their fanbase. Some see this route as a cynical marketing ploy, while others look beyond the quest for filthy lucre and just salivate at the prospect of seeing their favourite album played end-to-end in a live setting.

Rarely, however, has a band been so blasé about their motivations for attacking one of their high watermarks as US alternative icons The Lemonheads. The band’s frontman and sole driving force Evan Dando makes no bones about the fact that their decision to play their 1992 classic It’s A Shame About Ray in its entirety is purely to enable them to get down to Australia, a country which has long been one of his favourite destinations. “The dreaded intersection between art and commerce – you’ve got to work something out,” Dando laughs from his New York abode. “We don’t have any current releases or records out, and we want to play – we’re bored – so we’re coming down to do that. I think it’s a viable thing to do. I mean rock’n’roll’s still the shit anyway, there’s nothing wrong with it, so we’re looking forward to it. Always look forward to coming back to Australia, it’s one of my favourite destinations, that’s for sure. Actually my favourite.” Of course, It’s A Shame About Ray has a connection with Australia that runs far deeper than it just being the pinnacle of The Lemonheads’ long and eclectic recording career. Their fi fth album – which saw them finally complete the move from their ferocious punk roots to the melodic, refined sound that they’d been inching towards over the previous couple of releases – was conceived during the band’s first tour to our shores in 1991, and most of its songs have some concrete relation to events or people that Dando met during that sojourn. “Yeah, it’s all about Australia,” he recalls. “Every song either happened there and was written about back home, or was about something else but was written there. That ’91 tour had a pretty massive impact on both me and the band. It was down there that I met kids that liked The Velvet Underground and The Stooges and Buffalo Springfield as much as I did – maybe even more. It just made me excited about music again, because there weren’t many people like that where I came from. Well, I came from Boston then so that probably doesn’t make any sense, but there weren’t people like that in my circles. I don’t know why I went [to Australia] for that to happen. It was all Dan Peters’ fault actually, because he said it was really fun – Mudhoney went down there first, and then we toured with them and they were, like, ‘You’ve definitely, definitely got to go!’ So that was it.” The kids in question were for the most part the mainstays of the then-burgeoning Sydney indie scene, people like Smudge’s Tom Morgan – who ended up co-writing many of the album’s stronger tracks as well as numerous tunes on subsequent Lemonheads records – and Half A Cow head honcho Nic Dalton, who ultimately became the Lemonheads’ bassist once It’s A Shame About Ray leapt them into the public eye. “It was just that whole atmosphere down there – especially in Sydney – that I just soaked up and brought it back home, and after I was back it just stayed with me,” Dando reflects. “That feeling from down there seeped into those songs. Plus there’s heaps of geography there too – Mt Vernon St from Kitchen is in Sydney, and so is King St from My Drug Buddy.” Even songs which had already existed in various guises ended up becoming Antipodean in nature once completed, such as the album’s stellar title track, which purportedly stemmed from a Melbourne barman with a penchant for calling all of his customers by the one-name-fi ts-all handle of ‘Ray’. “It was a couple of things,” Dando laughs of the tune, “there was a guy in a bar in Melbourne who was calling people ‘Ray’ all the time, and then I saw a headline in a Sydney newspaper that was ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’ – it was about something like a priest who was getting kicked out of all these primary schools. There was something in the zeitgeist and I just grabbed it, I don’t know. “I had the music all done, and then Tom and I did the words. I’d had that melody and the guitar parts for ages. That’s the way I work – you have a piece of music for a long time and nothing happens, and then all of a sudden you get some inspiration and it all comes together. It’s either something that happens to myself, or something that happens to someone else.” Another clear link to Australia comes in the form of the catchy Alison’s Starting To Happen, written about Morgan’s Smudge bandmate Alison Galloway. “Yeah, we were all doing handclaps in the studio in Sydney and we’d all taken E, and she starting going, ‘Whoooah’, and I was, like, ‘Alison’s starting to happen!’” Dando delights. “I thought that was pretty funny, so I wrote that back in America. I’m a big fan of Alison, she’s incredible.” Once he’s done with this trip down memory lane and dispensed with the nostalgia, Dando is poised to get back into writing, but has no idea under which of his many guises he’s going to release the next batch of material. “I dunno. I mean the Mayan calendar says that the world is going to end next year so it doesn’t really matter what happens with The Lemonheads,” he chuckles. “I just want to make music – that’s all. I don’t know if I’m going to put it out as a solo record or as The Lemonheads. I might make up a new band name, but probably not. The solo album I did [2003’s Baby I’m Bored ] was probably my favourite record, so I might go down that path again. Who can tell?”

WHO: The Lemonheads WHERE & WHEN: Thursday, Corner Hotel; Friday, Espy; Evan Dando solo, Sunday 12 December, Northcote Social Club

twitter.com/inpressmag

LAZER LUNACY “If people wanna be stoopid, then that’s what we’re about.” DIPLO tells BRYGET CHRISFIELD that his party crew MAJOR LAZER are all for getting retarded.

“L

ast night I went to Die Antwoord’s show and I’ve got some stuff to do with them today in the studio,” Thomas Wesley Pentz, better known as Diplo, tells of the recent Inpress cover stars. “I love those guys. I don’t know exactly how we know each other, but maybe from my tour of South Africa and then just mutual respect. We put them on our blog really early, before a lot of the stuff happened to them, and then Yolandi [Visser] commented, ‘Diplo, we sent you our MySpace a year ago and you said to fuck off!’ or something like that.” He laughs. “But we’re really good friends now. I like anything weird and some people, you know, they think I work in baile funk or like too much reggae or whatever, and Die Antwoord is – fuck! I like weird white people as well, and they’re as weird as it gets!” If you need a reference point, check out Die Antwoord’s Evil Boy video. “It’s all the Ninja [Watkin Tudor Jones to his proud parents], he does all the art as well. Yeah, they’re really good at that. [Yawns.] I

feel like we try to do that as well with Major Lazer. Well, it was all by accident – we didn’t have anything planned, but when we started doing it it all started to come together with our dancers and then Cartoon Network helped us and now we have a really strong team.” Diplo and Switch, who met each other working with artists such as MIA and Santigold, are the DJ/production team behind Major Lazer – coming soon to Cartoon Network. “We have a pilot that we’ve done and it’s gonna show early next year,” Pentz continues, “and then I think they’re gonna order ten or 12 more episodes… We’re really excited and hopefully it helps us get our record heard by a lot more people.” To collaborate on the cartoon’s plotlines, Diplo enlisted some expert help. “From the beginning, I went with this one writer who writes Harvey Birdman and just gave him some rough ideas and some imagination stuff, and he came back with some even more rough, weirder stuff. And then they chose one to make the pilot.” Major Lazer is actually an animated character created by Diplo and Switch as a visual representation for their music. An Uzi-toting, zombie-killing commando who rocks a beret and ponytail, in fact. Casting the characters to voice the action, which takes place in Jamaica, was next on the agenda. “Everybody read for it – Mark Hamill from Star Wars to Schoolly D and other rappers. And Ricky Blaze [who guests on the Major Lazer track Keep It Goin’ Louder], and we had a bunch of our friends read. And they just picked the right voices. A lot of the time when you’re doing cartoons, it’s the voices in it that are everything.” Next stop action figures? “Yeah, we’re definitely gonna do action figures,” he enthuses. “We’ll see how crazy we can make the characters first.” Major Lazer definitely know how to tear up a stage and there were random festival accoutrements flying in all directions during their set at Falls Festival in Lorne last year. “I was like, ‘I don’t wanna be stuck in the whole reggae thing for my whole life, this is fucking corny,” Diplo says of the inspiration behind his latest venture. “But we actually have a crew together now. It’s not like Major Lazer is the figure and we’re the background.” Diplo and Switch had originally hoped that the Major would save two white boys the effort of promoting a Jamaican dancehall-inspired record. “I think that Major Lazer’s sort of like our badge – me and Skerrit [Bwoy, Major Lazer’s touring hypeman] and Switch have this badge and we’re all part of this secret crew or something, is more how it feels now.” On the variety of characters known to share a Major Lazer stage, Diplo explains, “Sometimes we have ballerinas, in America. We have Chinese dragons – in each show, we have probably between two and ten [dancers].” So is Major Lazer open to recruiting dancers from each country’s local scene to join the onstage spectacle? “It’d be cool,” Diplo considers, “but then that’s also a little bit weird. We don’t wanna take it too serious, do you know what I’m saying? That’s the whole issue: we don’t take anything that we do seriously, so we if we bring somebody else into it we don’t kinda wanna ruin the art of what they do. All we do is a joke, so we don’t wanna take somebody and involve them in our joke [laughs]. And it might compromise them and we don’t do that. If people wanna be stoopid, then that’s what we’re about.” This must mean Diplo’s seen some crazy antics from behind the consoles. “I’ve seen people get naked,” he offers. “I dunno, I mean, you name it, I’ve probably seen it. I’ve seen people having sex before at my show, a couple of times – behind the stage or in a hallway.” Diplo maintains that quality music can be made with minimal funds “as long as you got internet access”. “The main problem is actually marketing yourself and reaching people,” he opines, “and that’s one thing I’m good at – I helped MIA do it in the beginning, I helped us do it with Major Lazer, I helped a lot of other people like Rusco on Mad Decent [the record company for which Diplo is founder/ manager]. I’m actually good at connecting people with fans and getting people aware of stuff, but that’s half the battle. Being competent is one thing, but actually getting your shit out there is another thing. A band like Justice, they’re amazing, you know? And the music stands for itself, but the fucking imagery and the artwork and the marketing they have is so strong that no one’s coming out with something like that. So I don’t know why a lot of kids don’t take cues from that. Like, Major Lazer, to me, is more like a rip on the Justice vibe than anything else because we were so impressed by the way they came out so hard and so full-force.” Pentz is also well known in this country for the work he’s done setting up Heaps Decent, a not-for-profit organisation for the underprivileged. “When we started doing Heaps Decent, we’d do workshops with different kids and I loved it,” he shares. “The first trip I went on to Australia I went to Maningrida, near Darwin… and then we did some [workshops] in Wagga Wagga and there were some we did near Sydney in the suburbs. I’ve done about five now since I’ve been coming to Australia. I hope to do another one this time. I think music in general is the best way – at least for the kids of Australia – to be educated. It’s such an easy thing. Everybody loves music. And if people hate school and they hate the school system, at least they can get into music – that’s one way to excite people.” Heaps Decent makes filling his downtime in this country a cinch, he says. “I love that organisation. It’s actually organised in Australia. It’s such a mess, but we have a really cool group of people that run it over there so it makes it really easy. I mean it’s not always about the Aboriginal kids; I like to see whatever’s happening – if there’s an Indian crew there, or what is like ‘the difference’. I found these girls that were from the bush – white kids – and they just love hard house. I love Nick Skitz, that’s like my alternative culture of Australia. Melbourne Shuffle,” he chuckles. Yes, Diplo is referring to the hard house/prog/trance DJ/producer with the ongoing Skitz Mix franchise. “He’s the man! Yeah, so I wanna get Nick Skitz to perform with me.”

WHO: Major Lazer WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Stereosonic, Melbourne Showgrounds

twitter.com/inpressmag

THREE TO TANGO GOTAN PROJECT have been delivering their revisionist electro-tango to the masses for a decade now. MATT O’NEILL caught up with founding member CHRISTOPH MÜLLER to discuss bringing the mood and surprising themselves.

t is no exaggeration to describe France’s Gotan Project as a paradigm-altering ensemble. In the decade since their formation, the group have effectively redefined the entire world music lexicon within popular culture. While the term will always be misleading to some degree, Gotan Project have nevertheless been instrumental in expanding popular perceptions of the genre from Indo-and Afro-centric to incorporate a more globally-oriented array of influences. “I’ve always found that term kind of strange,” founding member Christoph Müller reflects. “I’ve never really liked the term ‘world music’ because, simultaneously, it includes ethnic traditional music from a specific region – like, I don’t know, music from the north of Finland – and some kind of soupy fusion music I just don’t like on a personal level. It’s been a term a lot of musicians have simply had to live with but, I think, as the industry becomes more global, it’s been a lot harder to maintain.”

Prior to the release of the group’s classic debut album La Revancha del Tango (ie The Revenge Of The Tango) in 2001, world music was predominantly understood by popular music audiences as a loose conflation of exotic drum patterns, dub production techniques, Balearic rhythms, inoffensive jazz influences and indistinct foreign linguistics. La Revancha del Tango introduced a surfeit of new, challenging and exotic influences to the genre’s limited palette. The album was released on respected indie imprint XL Recordings (home to, among others, Radiohead, MIA and Devendra Banhart) and earned instant acclaim for its unique blend of electronic production techniques, live instrumentation and vibrant, tango-inspired productions. Where previous iterations of world music were languid and romantic, Gotan Project’s output was vivid, impassioned and angular. “To my mind, world music should only really encompass specific traditional musical styles. I have no idea where we really fit in – maybe we don’t fit in anywhere,” Müller laughs. “Sometimes we’re labelled an electronic music act, sometimes some kind of new tango act, sometimes jazz, sometimes world music. What we are doing is definitely a new form of tango, in a way, but I mainly consider what we do a form of pop music.” The group was formed by three dance music producers in early 2000 with the specific intention of exploring a different mood within electronic music. Uninterested in the party-heavy aesthetics and staid minimalism of late-‘90s dance music, Müller, Philippe Cohen Solal and Eduardo Makaroff delved into the tones and textures of nuevo tango pioneer Astor Piazzolla. Since that point, the trio’s work has grown to encompass elements of jazz, blues, breakbeat and contemporary chamber music. “I remember, back when we first formed, what we would say in interviews was that we wanted to bring a different mood,” Müller explains. “When we started with Gotan Project, a lot of dance music was very minimalistic and hard-hitting. The mood in the music was all ‘we’re all beautiful and let’s be happy’, you know? The message in house music, anyway, was very much about that kind of thinking and, with Gotan Project, we wanted to bring in a different mood.

“

I’ve never really liked the term ‘world music’.”

“We wanted to bring in a more melancholic mood,” the producer elaborates. “A bit like what Massive Attack had done ten years before, really – bringing a more melancholic mood into the hip hop of the time. The tango allowed us to really bring this more melancholic, more melodic mood into the dance music of the time. It’s a lot like trip hop in a way because it brings in a melancholic mood while still bringing in a really strong energy.” At this point, though, it’s somewhat unfair to limit the scope of Gotan Project’s accomplishments to the field of world music. In the decade since their debut album’s release, the scope of the band’s work has expanded far beyond the exotic novelty of their parent genre. Subsequent albums from the band, most notably 2006’s Lunatico, have actually seen them move away from the electronic innovations of their debut and into more visceral and livelier territories. “The thing is we have this defined territory – which is Argentinean tango and folklore – and, outside of that, we try to push things as much as we can,” Müller says of the band’s work. “There are no limits in that sense. The only limits we have are what we can or cannot do ourselves – and that’s a difficult balance to negotiate. It’s actually good to have that tango foundation though, because it gives us something to hold onto in our work. It gives us focus. “We try not to focus too much on the pressure or expectation surrounding our work,” the producer continues. “I mean, that’s the thing – when we made the first record, we never thought this would be successful. We just did it to explore the music we liked ourselves and we’re always trying to continue in that vein. We’re trying to avoid the concept of pleasing some imaginary audience. It’s how we did it for the first one and we believe it’s how we need to function as a band.” The outfit’s most recent album, this year’s Tango 3.0, has well and truly navigated the ensemble away from the indistinct climes of ‘soupy fusion music’ and into their deserved position as contemporary musical innovators. Continuing the trend towards live instrumentation and songcraft begun with Lunatico, Gotan Project’s third album is as impassioned and organic as it is intelligent and modern – placing the outfit in a category of one. “From the beginning, we used live instrumentation and, each time, we try to use a bit more,” Müller explains. “The electronic side of the band is obviously still very important, but it may not be as easy to hear within the music because it’s become so intrinsic to what we do. The real challenge is for us, as producers, to actually play more instruments live ourselves. We’re always trying to push ourselves in that regard. “We really need to do something different each time. We actually hesitate every time and question whether we should do another album. It’s why we always take so much time between releases,” the producer explains. “There are so many records coming out at any given time so I think it’s necessary that each record is a pronounced step forward. We need to go further into the research of whatever it is that we’re doing – we want to surprise ourselves as well as our audience.”

WHO: Gotan Project WHAT: Tango 3.0 (XL/Remote Control) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 December, Forum Theatre

twitter.com/inpressmag

ROCK’N’ROLL WRESTLING Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson doesn’t write songs about being a pilot, so why should FOZZY frontman and WWE wrestler CHRIS JERICHO sing about his day job, he asks BRENDAN CRABB.

ollowing two albums made up of predominantly covers, American heavy metal act Fozzy hit paydirt with 2005’s All That Remains and this year’s Chasing The Grail. Singer Chris Jericho (best known as a performer with the World Wrestling Entertainment juggernaut) says after doing this for more than a decade, they had successfully shaken the stigma of being “the band with the wrestler and the rap/ metal guy [guitarist/producer Rich Ward of Stuck Mojo]”. “Absolutely man, especially the last three years,” the immediately friendly vocalist enthuses. “Things have really changed for the band and that’s due to the fact that we’ve been doing this for 11 years now; we’ve kind of been through all the hurdles and heard everything. I think at this point in time, because the last two records have been so strong and have done so well, that… It’s either good music or it’s bad music and at this point I don’t think [people] really care about, ‘Oh, Jericho’s a wrestler’ or whatever. I could be a butcher, a baker

or a candlestick maker; all that matters is that it’s a good song. I don’t care that [Iron Maiden vocalist] Bruce Dickinson is an airline pilot – it’s not like he goes on stage and sings songs about peanuts, sitting in Seat 2B and flight plans. It doesn’t make a difference; we’ve never been a wrestling band, we’ve never sang about wrestling, we’ve never body-slammed each other on-stage,” he laughs. “I think it’s really starting to come through, where people view it as two separate entities – two very viable, entertaining and quality performers.” In stark contrast to the brash, long-haired rock‘n’roll wrestling alter-ego he portrayed on television for a decade, Jericho’s wrestling persona has recently undergone a facelift. While the cocky ‘Ayatollah Of Rock’n’Roll character was the ideal fit while moonlighting as Fozzy frontman for their first three albums, in recent years Jericho’s on-screen character has evolved into a cold, clinical figure inspired by Javier Bardem’s character in No Country For Old Men. Does this change the public’s perception of Jericho as a musician? “I don’t think so,” he quickly emphasises. “I’m very protective of not having the band be a part of the WWE, because we’re not and I know that people will understand it.” Given the broad musical scope of Chasing The Grail, the band deserves to be taken on their own merits, seemingly effortlessly juggling influences ranging from Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne to Rush, Journey and Styx. “Well, it’s funny that you mention that, ‘cause all those bands are important in that they’re bands who we appreciate,” Jericho says. “We really have created this kind of a niche for ourselves that not a lot of bands are doing, because we are very heavy and there’s a lot of great soloing and great musicianship, but there’s also a lot of hooks, harmonies, vocal melodies and things that you don’t have a lot of bands really including. We’re really very much a singer’s band, as far as all our favourites from Bruce Dickinson to Steve Perry [Journey] to Michael Kiske from Helloween to all those different bands [who] all have these great singers first and foremost.”

“

If you’re a fan, you’re welcome to come hang out.”

Fozzy managed to please one rather tough critic via the 13-minute prog-metal epic Wormwood on their latest disc. “That is the one thing that was definitely calculated, in that I knew as soon as we started talking about doing the next record I wanted to have a long song on it. This was because I’ve always been a fan of songs of that length – [Iron Maiden’s] Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, the Helloween songs, Dream Theater and Rush. I also knew I had the right players in the band to make it work and the right subject matter in the Book Of Revelations. I knew that just from the lyrics I was writing that this one was perfect to be a longer song, because when I was done I think I had seven pages of lyrics. Then Mike [Martin, ex-guitarist] did a really great job of fitting the mood and the tone for the lyrics I had written and also including the instrumental parts, which we were really looking for. My overall goal was to do a song I could give to [former Dream Theater drummer] Mike Portnoy and have him go, ‘Wow, that’s pretty badass’ and that’s exactly what happened. Mission accomplished on that one.” Where else does the vocalist derive his lyrical inspiration from then? “Well, I always write songs based on song titles. Pray For Blood I thought would be a great idea for a song about 16th century vikings who used to pillage, murder their enemies, eat their hearts and wonderful stuff like that. Then I saw the word ‘paraskavedekatriaphobia’ [a fear of the date Friday the 13th] in a magazine ad and I just thought it would be a great song title, kind of a real cool Steve Harris, Maiden-esque title about superstition. Martyr No More, I just thought that was a coolsounding thing, so how do I construct a song written around that? So I really do base it on song titles first, then kind of write my way out of the corner afterwards,” he adds with a chuckle. Following the success of the latest album, Australia remains one of the band’s strongest per capita markets in the world. It’s something that hasn’t escaped Jericho’s attention, but he’s not sure of why. “I think the cool thing about when you play in Aussie or in England, is that people are so much more interested,” he ponders. “They just like what they like; the scene is different in Australia, like it is in England. I’ve really noticed that. In the States, it’s much more of a snobby type of a thing, where there are people that listen to what’s popular on the radio or what’s popular in the clubs and who’s the hit band to listen to, whereas in England and in Australia and the UK, it’s a little more of people like what they like and stand by those bands. You can really see that in the festivals; very diverse line-ups in the festivals that come through. So for whatever reason, Australia really took to us the first time we came through.” The frontman also suggests the current incarnation’s live show will blow their 2005 Australian visit out of the water. “The band was on fire on this last tour, the setlist is perfect; I think that we always feel we go out of our way to make sure everybody has a great time. The band is tight, the songs are great and I don’t think you’ll find too many people that come to one of our shows that didn’t have an awesome time. Obviously sometimes people come because they’re Jericho fans, which is fine. If you’re a fan, you’re welcome to come hang out. But everybody leaves as a Fozzy fan and that’s the most important thing. I’m sure there’s still a few people coming in out of curiosity, but I think most people know exactly what they’re going to get, exactly what they’re going to see and we’re really happy to be giving it to them.” WHO: Fozzy WHAT: Chasing The Grail (Riot) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, Hi-Fi

twitter.com/inpressmag

SINGLED OUT BY CLEM BASTOW

ON THE RECORD

LATEST CD REVIEWS

SINGLE OF THE WEEK

MARINA & THE DIAMONDS SHAMPAIN Warner Please, just for a moment, “enjoy” the title of this song. Is it, like, a play on “champagne” that also means her drinking is a sham meant to mask her pain? Reminds me of that movie about a bus that had to speed around a city, keeping its speed over 50, and if its speed changed, it would explode. I think it was called The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down. How fortunate, then, that the song itself sounds like Gary Numan producing ABBA, and is, thus, incredible.

SIERRA FIN LOST MAN’S LIE Independent There’s a time and a place for this sort of archly arranged rock/pop – or, rather, there was a time and a place for it, and it was Silverchair’s Neon Ballroom. That’s not to say it was the only time, but the overwhelming sensation I had while listening to Lost Man’s Lie was that Van Dyke Parks did a really good job of the orchestral arrangements for Luv Your Life.

NICOLE SCHERZINGER POISON Universal I find it both hilarious and amazing that this song is being pushed as a “club banger”; we are truly through the looking glass. This is basically the soundtrack to a million future drag routines and teenage callisthenics routines choreographed by adults who should know better. Which means a) it’s pretty awesome and b) will likely also become my chosen Stairmaster/Cross-Trainer soundtrack.

RIVER OF SNAKES WRECKING BALL Independent

VARIOUS ARTISTS HE WILL HAVE HIS WAY: THE SONGS OF TIM & NEIL FINN EMI

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE DANGER DAYS: THE TRUE LIVES OF THE FABULOUS KILLJOYS Reprise/Warner

This compilation, a follow-up to 2005’s acclaimed She Will Have Her Way, sees the blokes have their turn at re-imagining songs that are a part of the musical psyche for most Australians and Kiwis.

This is emo flagbearers My Chemical Romance’s second attempt at following up their 2006 genre-defining album The Black Parade. Attempt number one, recorded with Brendan O’Brien late last year, got shelved when the band realised they’d put too many limitations on what the album should be. So they returned to the studio with Black Parade producer Rob Cavallo and started again.

Boy & Bear dare to colour a little outside of Neil Finn’s lines in Fall At Your Feet, still evoking the same shivers from the delivery of harmonies, though messing with timing and tempo to great effect. Art Vs Science may not bring the same musicality to Tim Finn’s I See Red, though their trademark electro enthusiasm can almost be visualised as frontmen Jim Finn and Dan McNamee take turns to showcase a guitar- then keys-based wig-out. Let’s hope it makes an appearance over their summer festival sets. Darren Hayes’ take on Not Even Close is quality, while surf rock specialists The Break invitie Dan Sultan on vocals to whip around Shark Attack with great gusto. Better Be Home Soon makes an appearance twice via a beautifully simplistic alt.country Busby Marou version, and a virtually unintelligible offering from The Sleepy Jackson. On the flipside, some artists certainly insert their style stamps though wind up offering merely a cover rather than a greatly considered reinterpretation as heard in the opening tracks I Feel Possessed with Oh Mercy at the helm and Distant Sun as performed by Chris Cheney. The album in whole is a decent listen, not requiring an encyclopaedic musical knowledge to appreciate the interesting nuances and twists on the original material. Given the breadth of the Finn brothers’ catalogue, though, not repeating many of the more popular tracks that had already been reworked on the earlier tribute album may have made for a stronger release.

This time around, The Black Parade’s ever present death theme has been replaced with something a little more upbeat – dance music. Not electronica, but danceable rock. Party Poison is one of the best examples of MCR’s newfound joie de vivre – a song with plenty of macho muscle but just about hookier than any song they’ve written before. And the perfect anthem to a crowd that just wants to pogo. But the band don’t always get it right. Planetary (GO!) sounds a little too much like MCR are unsure of what to do with the kids once they’re on the dancefloor, so they’ve tried to channel a more appropriate band. It almost has to be this way though. MCR have only really come into their own since they started appropriating other musical styles into their own emo/punk/hardcore upbringing and, like Julia Roberts making the most of Richard Gere’s credit cards in Pretty Woman, the band are still trying on styles. It’s why there’s plenty of spot-thereference moments packed into these songs. But even so, Danger Days… is still a cohesive and fluent listen and a much better launching point for the rest of their career than the sombre death march of The Black Parade.

GUN STREET GIRLS ADULT LOOSE Matterhorn/MGM Gun Street Girls have been productive in their short time together, and the 11 tracks from Adult Loose, their second album in 16 months, make the band sound like they’ve been around for 11 years rather than two-and-a-half. Opening on the instrumental jam Casey’s Good Fortune, the album takes off where the last one let off with the window rattlin’ heavy rock songs the band have become known for. Johnny’s Down For The Count and Pray For Me Now continue the hard hitting rock anthems as if the band want to get your heart rate up to 160BPM before you hear the guts of the album. This doesn’t last though as they take it down a few notches with songs like Won’t Be No Next Time and Cold Change bringing out the blues style the band are capable of. It’s songs like these that make this album a great second record. Engineer Wayne Connolly (You Am I, Hoodoo Gurus) has helped a great deal in bringing out the rawness of these songs as well. There are some moments with a touch of overproduction, but on the whole the album brings together the band’s original style with a progression most wouldn’t dream of after only two years of being band bros. A second album is always one you want to be different from the first in terms of developing an act’s sound and by teaming up with Connolly Gun Street Girls have created an album that holds a firm definition of the band’s signature style. Tom Norton

Danielle O’Donohue

Tyler McLoughlan

If it were ever appropriate to coin/employ the phrase “Tote Rock”, Wrecking Ball would be a prime example. In its joyous abandon, slightly down-home production values and cacophonous explosion of drums, bass and guitar, it seems to have been beamed into the future from that gloriously scungy band-room’s past.

TAYLOR SWIFT BACK TO DECEMBER Universal You know, I’ve really soured on Taylor Swift. Her whole white-dress/barefoot routine is starting to grate, and I’m tired of her self-appointed role as countrified crusader for the moral high ground. Back To December is effectively a Nashville power ballad version of the speech that Jack Black’s hot neighbour gives him at the expensive restaurant near the denouement of Shallow Hal.

BAND OF HORSES DILLY Sony Hang on, didn’t these guys have a song out last week? I thought flooding the market was for Jessica Mauboy and Moby? In any case, Band Of Horses are another of those bands that seem to be held in some sort of breathless reverence by a bunch of people, which I’ve never particularly understood. From where I see it – and Dilly is a good example of this – they create perfectly listenable, wholly pleasant indie rock; Dilly is pretty and over in 3.31 minutes. Perhaps my godlike-genius receptors are on the blink.

JASMINE RAE HUNKY COUNTRY BOYS ABC Do I even need to tell you what a song called Hunky Country Boys sounds like? A song with a line like, “I want a sturdy, dirty, workin’, hunky country boy”? I put Georgia Satellites’ greatest hits, Genesis’s I Can’t Dance and Trisha Yearwood into a blender, poured the contents into a jewel case, and this is what came out.

SUMMER CAMP YOUNG Popfrenzy

STRAIGHT ARROWS IT’S HAPPENING Rice Is Nice/Other Tongues There’s a trend towards reverb-drenched garage rock in indie music at present, which means there are going to be a number of bands jumping on board who simply don’t get it. You can buy as many records and denim jackets as you like, try and sound as fucked up as you can, but if you ain’t got it, you ain’t got it. Local outfit Straight Arrows have it; they always have, and their first full-length record, It’s Happening, ought to serve as a stark reminder to the pretenders that there’s a certain finesse that comes with making this kind of music that can’t be taught or bought but will separate the wheat from the chaff every time. Admittedly the band do the stompers a little better than the creepers – the frenetic It Begins and Bad Temper are immediately more alluring than the spooky (albeit still more than proficient) Magic Sceptre or Haunted Out – but the listenability of the record – particularly in the realm of trashy garage pop – relies on a semblance of seemingly non-contrived diversity to keep interest. The vintage, not-quite-lo-fi sound of the record is distinct, but the test lies in whether these tunes would stand up if taken out of this sonic setting. You could imagine these songs with the slickest of high tech production or bashed out with the help of a room mic on a scratchy dictaphone and they would still sound stellar.

GLEE FEAT GWYNETH PALTROW FORGET YOU Sony

It’s Happening is a golden slice of garage rock that ought to be remembered as one of the best from the current wave.

So Glee is now an entity unto itself, it seems, and not a title. Anyway, Glee the entity also now releases each episode’s big hits as radio singles, it would appear, and here’s Gwyneth Paltrow performing the whitest, most anodyne, most grossly AutoTuned version of Cee Lo’s Fuck You you’re likely to hear outside of a Christian contemporary album of reworked chart hits. And I say that as a huge fan of Glee (the show, not the entity).

Dan Condon

BIG SCARY THE BIG SCARY FOUR SEASONS Independent Melbourne’s Big Scary have harvested 13 songs inspired by natural cycles. Yet, if The Big Scary Four Seasons is any gauge, Tom Iansek and Jo Syme spend most of their time, if not gigging, then cloistered in a studio. That or exploring a virtual Alexandrian library of music… Big Scary are astonishingly, even defiantly, expansive – all the more so for a two-piece. They’re no archetypal indie band. Big Scary cross everything from pub-rock to Jeff Buckley-esque folk (Thinking About You) to sublime curiopop, like Autumn (imagine Vampire Weekend singing along to the brooding Smashing Pumpkins on a tour bus). Four Seasons is the culmination of Big Scary’s ambitious undertaking to issue four EPs in 2010, each containing songs written about, and cut, during the pertinent season. It’s a year in the life of Big Scary. With climate change omnipresent, seasons could soon be extinct. However, Four Seasons isn’t about a bucolic past, or pastoral romance. Big Scary are too bold for old tropes. They instead discern a wry charm in the mundane realities of urban existence. Tuesday Is Rent Day is a punkgarage tantrum – like the bills, it comes out of nowhere. Microwave Pizza is grungy blues, frontman Iansek dueting with Syme. Hamilton is the album’s epic, Big Scary channelling the ‘80s indie fervour of The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen or early Church. Perversely, it’s about, not scorned love, but dismal hospitality work. Spring, gently whimsical acoustica, is a rumination on self-love – and youth. The dramatic instrumental Summer sounds like Philip Glass composing rave music on piano for Shakespeare’s fairies to perform ballet to – glorious yet just a little bit heartbreaking. Is Melbourne weather behind this wondrously wayward collection? Four Seasons is almost postmodern, being not a debut proper, nor a compilation. Still, it bodes well for Big Scary’s future. Cyclone

twitter.com/inpressmag

This (mini) album from new Brit chillwave outfit and blog stars Summer Camp should come with a rug, a bottle of cheap wine and Aerogard. It’s picnic music – ideal for Laneway 2012. Anonymous no more, Summer Camp is Jeremy Warmsley, a sometime folktronica artist, and GF Elizabeth Sankey, a journo and occasional actor. They specialise in coming-ofage indie-pop for those who’ve long drifted beyond their teens. If the sleeve is any indicator, Summer Camp have raided family photo albums for evidence of their parents’ Summer Of Love. Summer Camp’s music, too, is a nostalgic pastiche. They’re obsessed with cult ‘80s flicks. Jake Ryan is named after a character in John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles. Elsewhere dialogue is sampled. There are obvious ‘80s overtones, from the Cocteau Twins to Altered Images to countless forgotten synth-popsters, yet the ‘90s creep in by way of the shoegaze Mazzy Star and, on the (cheery!) resort soul Ghost Train, Saint Etienne. (New Chill Swing?) The bad romance tune Was It Worth It? channels The Beach Boys’ harmonic surf-pop – and throws up the record’s cutest lines. (How about: “My brother’s huge, he’s gonna take care of you,” or, “Don’t tell me to calm down, I’m gonna make a scene”?) Warmsley principally sings the upbeat Round The Moon, which might be an op shop cassingle. Summer Camp revel in all things lo-fi, fuzzy effects and DIY production, their charm unhewn. The drunken Veronica Sawyer (yep, that’s Winona Ryder’s protagonist in Heathers) is about feeling detached at a party, but, really, it’s an elegy to lost youth. Summer Camp capture that undefined emotional space between bliss and melancholy, although the music is never artificial or artfully ironic. The duo may downplay the notion of their hooky pop as retro, but a press blurb suggests an even more apt description: “transportive”. The Drums shoulda thought of that. And, ultimately, Young embodies Summer Camp’s own past in postmodern fashion – they’re apparently already changing their sound. Cyclone

ON THE RECORD

LATEST CD REVIEWS

TWIN SHADOW FORGET 4AD/Terrible Records Nostalgia has never sounded so good. The debut record from George Lewis Jr’s Twin Shadow is the most perfectly realised example of pop revivalism you’re ever likely to come across. Both musically and lyrically, Forget is an album with its gaze set firmly on adolescence and the ‘80s. Yes, New Order is in there, and Depeche Mode, but this is very far from an exercise in reference-dropping. It is a reflection on and a misty-eyed evocation of a period and an aesthetic. The whole thing is put together with remarkable craft and maturity, too. Listen past all the pop hooks and sparkling production and there’s a real emotional weight there. The back half of the record is particularly strong. Castles In The Snow and Slow stand out immediately as highlights, but the final track, from which the album takes its name, is even better: a succinct and perfect summary of the record’s main theme. Lewis understands that nostalgia is not about romanticising the past but respecting it, that it doesn’t necessarily relate to a better or a happier time, but an important one. “You heard your love again/You wrestled your nightmares/The sweat in your bedsheets/This is all of it/This is everything I’m wanting to forget.” Twin Shadow’s debut stands out from the ever-bulging field of indie retropoppers who take similar material for their inspiration because it meditates on that material rather than simply mining it. Forget sounds natural somehow, the product of a man so deeply concerned with a particular and, evidently, a particularly difficult period in his life that his music couldn’t possibly have sounded any other way. James Parker

KANYE WEST MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY Roc-A-Fella/Universal This is a work of high fantasy. It’s rap music, but not. Four bars from Rick Ross? Check. RZA yelling hooks? Yep. Chris Rock discussing his girlfriend’s “re-upholstered” vagina? Of course. On arguably one of the best albums ever, Kanye West is a ringmaster. And as this otherworldly experience draws to a close, we are greeted with a sample of the polite applause we would have offered anyway. MBDTF is perfect. Wildly talented himself, West’s great success is that he manages to extract bravura performances from those around him. Nicki Minaj hits a PB on Monster. Jay-Z’s money raps on So Appalled are great. But they both pale in comparison to Pusha T’s introspective, arrogant star turn on Runaway. By “I’m just young, rich and tasteless,” you’ll love, pity and be disgusted by your favourite coke dealer. A sad reflection on Ye’s emotional constipation (“I sent this bitch a picture of my dick/I don’t know what it is with females but I’m not too good at that shit”) Runaway is also this album’s best song. It’s been said My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is an instant greatest hits. That’s not far from the truth (though a little judicious pruning may see Gorgeous and Devil In A New Dress make way for, like, Stronger). This is how pop music should sound: honed, euphoric, immersive, expansive, incredible, impossible. It’s time for music nerds to have a listen to Sgt Pepper’s, Thriller, Kid A and whatever else to see where this fits in the canon. James d’Apice

GRUNTBUCKET RECEIVING Torn & Frayed Records

GRÜN GREENLAND Laughing Outlaw Records

Three mates getting together and forming a band after seeing a ‘shit’ line-up at a festival might not be anything new. But, if those three guys just happen to be in three well regarded bands already, well that is news then, isn’t it? The three just happen to be Mikey Madden, guitarist extraordinaire and vocalist with The Vandas, Tim McCormack, bass player for Crystal Thomas’s The Flowers Of Evil, and drummer Dave Watkins from the band The Get Go. Three years down the track Gruntbucket have released their debut album and have delivered in spades on that fateful promise. While the three-piece ooze talent, the production is also top-notch; it was recorded by Ryan Nelson and Andrew McGee up in Nagambie, mastered by Spooky technical whiz Loki Lockwood and released on McGee’s boutique label Torn & Frayed.

From the haunting piano notes that open Common Seabirds, the first track from Grün’s debut album, it’s clear that this is a game changer. The fact that it evolves as a piece to create both peaceful ambience and bonerattling resonance is a tribute to the group creating it. Greenland, a mostly instrumental release, tosses its head through genres without taking a step back, whether through instrumental numbers, or in conjunction with the vocal contributions of singer Katy Wren McNamara.

Receiving abounds in quality, showcasing in particular Madden’s renowned guitar work, songwriting ability and not-so-surprisingly fine vocal style. Right from the opening chords of opener Seven the listener experiences the start of a dark and foreboding rock trip with bursts of psychedelics. B People remains in the same vein but with a more obvious onus on a tight drum beat and superthick basslines. If one was to make any comparison to Madden’s work in The Vandas it might be in the most pop/rock-sounding of all the tracks, She’s A Drag, but it would be drawing a long bow. The obvious beauty in this album not being rushed is that there isn’t a weak link to be found and awesome tracks like Sparkup Wind, Dark Is Coming, Vertical Collapse and On The Rise are dripping in rock’n’roll. For mine though, Again & Again should be lifted as a single and the menacingly frightening yet brilliant The Places You Go is a standout. If you like your rock dirty, dark and full of slashing guitars then this one’s for you. The Boomeister

twitter.com/inpressmag

Formed in Sydney in 2005 from the ashes of several not-quite-big bands like Iliad and Leonardo’s Bride (yeah, they had one hit song, but not much else), Grün are a four-piece who, despite their instrumental leanings, wear their musical influences on their sleeves. Think Radiohead, add some Michael Nyman, and throw in a dash of Tool, and the results speak for themselves. Creativity, exploration and independence are three key ideas that thread their way through the intelligent layers of Greenland, reaching ear-busting crescendos in tracks like Angry Bees, before mellowing the fuck out straight away, with UFO Stole My Sea Lion. On close listen – and, being an instrumental record, it takes one or two goes around the headphones before one can really engage with each song individually – there’s a sense that each song accurately portrays its title. For instance, while listening to Among The Bad Apes, there truly is a feeling that despite the general darkness of the piece, there is undeniable light and positivity through the song, as the reverb-dripping guitar takes flight. Greenland is a masterpiece. The well-spaced vocal tracks only add an extra dimension, preventing Grün from sounding stale and uninteresting. Dylan Stewart

MAKING PLANS ARCHITECTS have gone through more shit than most other bands, frontman SAM CARTER tells DANIELLE O’DONOHUE.

here’s the hard way to tour Australia for the first time when you’re an international band – fighting for every audience member you get, trusting they like you enough to come back and see you next time you’re here, hopefully bringing 15 of their friends in the process. Or there’s the Architects way. Making buddies out of Australian heavy music kings and now ARIA winners Parkway Drive on a tour of Europe, Architects, a metalcore band from Brighton in the UK, arrived in Australia for the very first time to play in front of thousands of people on a Parkway Drive national tour. Then a return visit on this year’s impressive Soundwave line-up bolstered their already strong fanbase. Now, little more than a year after their first tour of Australia, Architects are coming back to headline their very own run of shows. Architects lead singer Sam Carter is aware that not every band gets such an easy pass when they first head our way.

“It’s a bit cheeky, isn’t it? Can you tell we like Australia? We love it,” Carter says with a laugh. “The first time we went over with Parkway Drive and that was obviously amazing. It was cool to go over with an Australian band. We got to meet a load of their friends and meet a load of bands and meet a whole new group of people that we’re really good friends with now. “Then we went back on Soundwave and obviously got to hang out with those people again and make a big group of friends. And the shows were twice as good because people paid attention to us at the Parkway Drive shows. This time we thought, ‘Let’s come back and headline’. This time hopefully it will be even better. It is a bit cheeky, but fuck it, we don’t really care.” This time around the band will be playing with Comeback Kid, Rolo Tomassi and This Is Hell – all bands that got to hang out at this year’s Soundwave. So expect a party atmosphere and a lot of hi-jinks. Well, onstage at least. For Carter, the most important thing for a good show is a good night’s sleep. Forgot the traditional image of a hard-partying rock star. “Now it’s like play, go to sleep in the van and wake up and do it all over again. As long as you get a good night’s sleep. Sometimes I stay up and help with the drive or whatever. That’s obviously when you feel it in the morning.” But if you’re running around on stage for an hour a night, it’s either a good night’s sleep or going to the gym and Carter laughs at the suggestion of exercise. “I used to play drums,” Carter reveals. “I always overdid the drumming to get attention for myself because I was always at the back of the room. I’d always be, like, standing on my drums or pushing my drums over at the end. So then when the guys asked me if I wanted to try out for Architects, I thought, ‘Yeah, I probably should be a frontman because I want too much attention’.

“

I don’t know why people ever say it’s fun to play new songs.”

“At first I did too much. At first I’d like go mental for half an hour and run around and just do everything I could and climb up stuff and jump off stuff and that’s so physically demanding that I honestly couldn’t do six weeks on tour of 45 minutes a night. It was like massive cardio to try and sing songs at the same time. I had to find a nice medium ground that wasn’t going to kill me. And now I’m a frontman I’m like, ‘For fuck’s sake I want just want to go and play drums again!’ I think it took me a while to get my head around it.” But don’t worry. Carter’s not about to give up his day job just yet. After their Australian tour in December the band will head home for Christmas and then in January release their fourth album, The Here And Now, the follow-up to last year’s Hollow Crown. Carter says the band have been playing a couple of new songs on their most recent tour of the UK. “The album’s finished. I can’t fucking wait for it to come out. We’ve had it finished for so fucking long,” he sighs. “I just can’t wait. We managed to play two [new songs] on the headline tour we just did at home. Obviously Day In Day Out because it’s the first single and it’s already out. And we played another song and they’ve done really well. “It’s always fun to play new songs… Well, it’s not fun to play new songs actually – it’s terrifying to play new songs. I don’t know why people ever say it’s fun to play new songs. But it’s nice to see them go down well. I just want to get the album out and see what people think of it because it’s been a fucking long time.” Like their mates in Parkway, who hail from the seaside hippie hamlet of Byron Bay, Architects come from a beachside town not really known for its love of metal. Instead Brighton in the UK is much better known for a certain DJ, one Mr Fatboy Slim. “Fatboy Slim’s massive,” Carter chuckles. “He did a show on Brighton Beach. I didn’t go, but a lot of people I know went and the whole beach was just filled with people. He’s flying the flag for Brighton. “At some point back in the day though, there was a really good scene. There was a lot of heavier bands knockin’ around. There’s still some good bands coming through Brighton; bands like The Ghost Of A Thousand. Nowadays it’s very indie. But you can go out to a show every night if you wanted to, but fuck that. I’m just lazy. I’d rather sit at home.” Instead, Architects seem to enjoy spending more time outside of Brighton than they do at home but with recent tours with the likes of A Day To Remember, Norma Jean and Parkway Drive behind them and yet another visit to a country they love on the horizon it must be a nice feeling to know your band is finally getting there. “Being in a band is like a rollercoaster,” Carter says wryly. “In fact, being in our band it seems to have a thousand bloody dips and a long way up to the top. I swear we go through more shit than other bands go through, but I guess right now we’re at the point that I genuinely feel like for the first time something is starting to happen. I feel like there’s some kind of excitement around our band. At the moment it feels like I could make a career out of it.”

WHO: Architects WHERE & WHEN: Sunday, Billboard, Sunday (2pm, under-18s; 8pm, 18+), Billboard

twitter.com/inpressmag

BACK ON THE BOIL Singer Chuck Ragan told his HOT WATER MUSIC bandmates in 2006 that he was sick of touring. The group disbanded – then Ragan hit the road as a solo artist. Now back together, his bandmates haven’t let him forget his about-face. “We’re too good friends to not be able to give each other shit,” bassist JASON BLACK tells DANIEL JOHNSON. summer, which was excellent, and Dave’s been killing it. “He’s a great dude, real friendly. It works out superwell. He’s been doing it longer than we have. He started touring with RKL when I was still in high school – probably when he was still in high school. It’s nice to have someone who has their own thing going on when they go on tour, who’s not like ‘oh my God, I’ve never done this before’. He’s done it for long enough for enough different bands that he’s pretty good at figuring out everyone’s deal and fitting into it pretty well.” Before Hot Water Music recommenced touring, the band released Till The Wheels Fall Off – a 23-track collection of B-sides, rarities and covers – and Black says he was pleasantly surprised by the positive reception the record received. “It was nice to be able to get that out right around when we started doing shows so there was a little something to carry it, too,” he adds.

ince their return to the live fray in 2008, Hot Water Music have undertaken successful tours of the US and Europe and now it’s finally Australia’s turn. Daniel Johnson caught up with bassist Jason Black. Since disbanding in 2006 after six studio albums, a couple of compilations, a live album and a swag of EPs and splits, each of the members of Hot Water Music have gone on to perform in other projects. Bassist Jason Black now plays in Senses Fail, guitarist Chris Wollard formed The Ship Thieves, drummer George Rebello now plays in Against Me! and vocalist/guitarist Chuck Ragan has forged a successful solo career. Black was in Australia with Senses Fail only a few months back but is excited about the prospect of returning with Hot Water Music, who are co-headlining a tour with Bouncing Souls. “We always love coming down here and it’s the one place we haven’t really had a chance to get back to since we started doing shows on a semi-regular basis I guess,” Black says. “We were able to sort of find time for this and make it happen, so we just kind of went for it.”

When asked what he is most keenly anticipating about returning, Black pauses for a second, before answering “I think everything, man. Honestly. Great food, great beer, great people, awesome weather – the whole thing.” Unfortunately, due to his commitments with Against Me! Rebello won’t be joining Hot Water Music for their Australian tour, but the band have enlisted the services of Lagwagon and Me First & The Gimme Gimmes drummer Dave Raun, who’ll stay in the country to play with the Gimmes at the No Sleep Til festival in December. Although Black is disappointed Rebello won’t be performing with the band, he says Raun has slotted in effortlessly and Rebello approves of the choice of stand-in. “If it hadn’t been something that [Rebello] was okay with we never would have done it,” he says. “It was actually at his suggestion that we even thought about doing it in the first place. It’s not really a line-up change because he’s still in the band, but Dave’s done a spectacular job. We did a two-and-a-half-week European tour earlier this

Black says the band are planning a return to the studio to lay down some new tracks, but with everyone busy with their other projects, getting them in the same place at the same time is proving to be the biggest hurdle. “We’re kind of working on writing songs… I mean we are working on it, but it’s an even slower process than playing shows, I guess I would say. I mean George is so busy and him and Chris are the only two that even live in the same town anymore. That said, the last record we put out was six years ago, so the technology wasn’t really up to where it is now as far as being able to swap tapes over the internet and whatnot. I think that’s going to make it a lot easier.” Although the band haven’t released any new material since 2004’s The New What Next, Black says they feel no added pressure about the next recording. “We’re not going to put anything out we’re not happy with and we’re not going to put something out we don’t think is good,” he says matter-of-factly. “At the same time I think it’s almost impossible to sit there and say you’re going to put out your best record every time. The fans very rarely agree. At least

ROCK OF AGES Much like the stromatolites of Western Australia, punk survivors FRENZAL RHOMB have stuck around a long time without really doing anything, guitarist LINDSAY MCDOUGALL tells SAMUEL J FELL. keen to get our there on this No Sleep Til tour. “It’ll be very much more of the same,” he says on what to expect. “We’ll be doing a bunch of silly stuff as in jumping around like old men who are far too old to jump around… so that and a bunch of hits and some new songs and a bunch of songs no one liked the first time they came out.” Sounds good. Frenzal are renowned for their antics, perhaps none more so than when they allegedly set fire to Less Than Jake’s tour bus in 2001. I wonder aloud whether or not they’ll do the same to Dave Mustaine, whose Megadeth is headlining No Sleep Til. “No, no plans to do that, you could set his hair on fire, although no one would notice,” McDougall quips. “But no, we’re just gonna learn from him, we’re gonna sit and listen at the alter of Dave Mustaine and learn humility, grace, longevity, that sort of stuff.”

s I write this, someone in the house behind my office is playing the theme to The Godfather. It’s eerie. Almost as eerie as sitting on the pier fishing, being eyed off by 13 pelicans, all of them bigger than you. It feels like someone is watching me. All the time. It’s weird. “Well, I had to do a couple of background checks – in my line of business you’ve gotta make sure everyone is on board – so we’ve had a couple of people tailing you for a couple of weeks, just to make sure you’re up to the task,” I’m told by Lindsay McDougall, enigmatic guitarist for local legends Frenzal Rhomb. This explains a lot – G-Men dressed as large water birds, keeping an eye on me and many others like me… the fat is in the fire. McDougall cares not for such things, though; he’s in a buoyant mood – Frenzal are playing the No Sleep Til festival, and he has a new pair of shoes. This is a good day. “I just arrived at work at the national broadcaster but previous to this I went to an opportunity shop and purchased a couple of pairs of

shoes at a very reasonable price,” he says. “I bought some skate shoes, World Industries, from an op shop about two months ago and they’re now mostly footsmell – they’re held together with just foot-smell – so I had to fix that and get myself another pair.” McDougall has the new shoes. He’s got the band. It’s time to get out there then and dust off those chops. “Exactly, and the chops were literally dusted off last weekend when we had a little rehearsal and we’re writing some new tunes as well, some of which we’re going to be demonstrating for the crowd at this festival,” he smiles. “And it was amazing how dusty the chops had indeed become… it was sounding fine by the end, but we were all coughing and spluttering from the amount of dust that we inhaled.” Frenzal Rhomb have kept things quiet recently, hence the large amount of dust covering their chops. They played a gig in Melbourne in September, but prior to that, it’s been a quiet year – I put it to McDougall that they’d be pretty

Speaking of longevity, Frenzal Rhomb aren’t exactly short in that department themselves. The band originally formed in 1992 (McDougall not joining until 1997), and as such have been out there raising their middle finger to music, to the man, to life in general, for almost 20 years – a solid achievement, no? “Absolutely,” he concurs heartily. “A solid achievement, and at the same time, achieving very little.” It’s at this point that McDougall delves deep, coming up with one of the more interesting rock’n’roll analogies. “If you were to base achievement solely on time spent, you would find the stromatolites [basically an algae rock containing some of the most ancient records of life on earth] of Western Australia are the most successful organisms in the world because they’re some of the ones that have been around the longest,” he ruminates. “However, they have actually done nothing but sit there and occasionally get stepped on and killed. “So, if we were to be considered the stromatolites of the rock’n’roll world, that would be fine, although of course that would be more attuned to people like The Rolling Stones,” he carries on, confusing himself, and me, a little in the process. “But then, they’ve achieved, you see, so they’d be more like your bacteria; they’ve been around since the very beginning of evolution itself, and yet have evolved and evolved and things have sprung off them and things have become big off them, yet they still stay the

twitter.com/inpressmag

that’s in our case, everyone’s favourite record is the one before, or the one two before,” he laughs. “Everyone thought [2002 album] Caution was super-slick and polished when it came and now that’s everyone’s favourite record. So taking that into consideration we definitely don’t want to put out anything that’s going to disappoint but at the same time, I think we feel more so now that this is our band and we really own it so we’re going to put out what we want.” Hot Water Music’s frontman Chuck Ragan has made several trips to Australia since the release of his critically acclaimed debut solo record Feast Or Famine in 2007, and Black admits to being surprised by Ragan’s vigour since Hot Water Music first called it a day. “He’s been working his ass off with that,” Black offers. “The only thing I was surprised about was how much he did, because when he wanted to stop touring he turned around and just started touring again. But he kills it; he goes all year long on that and he’s kind of 24/7. He’s all about trying to figure out something, whether it’s Hot Water, his solo stuff or whatever, but his drive is crazy right now, so it’s not really surprising at all.” And while Black harbours no ill-feelings about his frontman’s prolific solo touring schedule, he admits there has been some light ribbing about Ragan’s about-face. “Oh yeah, all the time, man,” he laughs.” He knows; we’re all too good friends to not be able to give each other shit about everything.” Black believes the band’s live show is as vibrant and energetic as it has ever been and says anyone who turns out for the show can expect “a good, solid live performance with some good energy and a pretty serious delivery.” “I don’t think it’s anything groundbreaking but at the same time it’s not orchestrated, it’s pretty off-thecuff and live, so I think there’s a lot of immediacy going on with us live that maybe some bands don’t have anymore. The older you get the easier it gets, I think. I think we’ll just keep doing stuff whenever we can get time; forever probably.”

WHO: Hot Water Music WHEN AND WHERE: Saturday and Sunday, Corner Hotel; Chuck Ragan solo, Monday, the Arthouse

same bacteria, they still manage to infect so many people. That would be more your evolutionary analogy for The Rolling Stones. We are very much the stromatolites; we just hang around, do nothing, occasionally people want to look at us for a bit, take a photo and walk away again and then a few years later go, ‘Oh yeah, the stromatolites’.” This doesn’t sound like the most glamorous analogy, nor does it paint the band in a particularly engaging light, but then again, when have Frenzal Rhomb ever been concerned with glamour and whether or not they’re engaging? Never is my guess, but it hardly matters – if Frenzal Rhomb are indeed the stromatolites of the rock’n’roll world, then they’ve got a lot of time left in them – you’re not gonna be moving those rocks any time soon. The question remains, then: how do they go ahead from here? How does this band go about bettering themselves? “Well, we stopped bettering ourselves a long time ago,” McDougall says. “But we will continue to continue on, we shall release an album next year I believe,” he goes on. “I’ve worked it into my Triple J contract that I’m allowed to… in fact, we did this years ago, where if Frenzal Rhomb calls, we’re allowed to get time off. I’ve got time off just saying I’ve had Frenzal Rhomb gigs before, so I’m probably going to actually have to come through and do it this time. So yeah, we will record sometime next year, we will record quickly, and it will be fairly painless for everyone concerned and then we shall release an album and possibly do some shows following that. “And that is exactly as much as I know of it,” he concludes. “I don’t know what we’re gonna record or who we’re gonna record with or where we’re gonna record, but it’ll be pretty good. We’ll probably record at [singer] Jason [Whalley]’s house, recorded by his kid, Oscar.” The future of Frenzal Rhomb remains murky at best, but this is a good thing. “There’s no point putting an end to things, that’s the height of rudeness I would imagine, the height of self-importance,” McDougall scoffs. “No, the end will come when the last person stops giving a fuck about it, and it’s not too far off, but it’s not for us to decide. We’re like John Howard, to use another analogy; it’s not up to us to decide when we leave office, it’s up to the party, the Frenzal Rhomb party.” That’s a good party.

WHO: Frenzal Rhomb WHEN & WHERE: No Sleep Til Melbourne, Melbourne Showgrounds, Friday 17 December

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

WEDNESDAY 1/12 BANDROOM FROM 8PM

THESE PATTERNS BACK BAR FROM 6PM

LOST &FOUND ETTA CURRY SUPPRESSION RING SPIDEY | DJ GUPSTAR DJ DECAMERON THURSDAY 2/12 BANDROOM FROM 9.00PM

SEX FACE

FARE EVADER| THE YARD APES DJ GAZ (YACHT CLUB DJS) 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

www.coloneltans.com.au

www.revolverupstairs.com.au

FRIDAY 3/12

SATURDAY 4/12

SUNDAY 5/12

BANDROOM FROM 9PM

BANDROOM FROM 7.30PM

BACK BAR FROM 8AM

MISTRESS MONDAYS

LE FOX | LEONE WESTERN TROPICAL GORDON

50% LOCALS THURSDAY DISCOUNT

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)

CAROUSELLE | TEXEL RISING DJ EDDIE LEWIS BACK BAR FROM 10PM

REVOLVER FRIDAYS MATT RADOVICH MIKE CALLANDER | NICK JONES TOM LALLY BANDROOM FROM 1AM

LOUD INVASION

MIKE’S METROPOLIS MIKE METRO |KIZZAM MICKEY NOX |OLIVER JAMES JOEL FLETCHER |KRISTIAN DUCA

SLIMEY THINGS TOEHIDER|SECRETS IN SCALE LAN PARTY | GO-GO SAPIAN

BOOGS| SPACEY SPACE T-REK | RADIATOR

RY EVEEEK W

TUESDAY 7/12 BANDROOM FROM 7.30PM

MELBOURNE THE LATE SHOW FRESH BANDROOM FROM 1AM

RANSOM DUST & FIEND MAT CANT BACK BAR FROM 8PM

MS BUTT REX JUNJI MASAYAMA DISCO HARRY RANSOM BOOSHANK

BACK BAR FROM 7AM

SUNSHINE

REVOLVER SUNDAYS

BLOG: THE-LATE-SHOW.BLOGSPOT.COM

twitter.com/inpressmag

ASH CARUANA AMOS PHILIPS THE THRUSTS GRINNY BY RIDES MONSTER HUMAN JACK SLAYAIN FAERLIE WEATHERLY

BACK BAR FROM 6.30PM

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

KERRIE LOVELESS & MIKEY CAHILL

COMING UP

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) NYD NIGHT

1/1 MILTON JACKSON (FREERANGE-UK)

LIFE AFTER DEATH It was all or nothing for AVENGED SEVENFOLD as they entered the studio following the death of drummer James Sullivan, guitarist ZACKY VENGEANCE tells SAMUEL J FELL.

alifornian metallers Avenged Sevenfold are a serious band. Not serious as in, ‘This is how we make our living and it’s serious’, but more, ‘Life is serious and our music is just as serious’. It’s an interesting way to view things, but in this instance, you can’t blame them, for there’s not been much to laugh about in the Avenged Sevenfold camp over the past year or so. Almost 12 months ago to the day, drummer James ‘The Rev’ Sullivan was found dead at his home, effectively (at the time) putting an end to the ten-year career of the band. It’s an event which, understandably, has changed how this now-quartet view everything, life and music included. At the time of Sullivan’s death, Avenged Sevenfold were in the early stages of putting together record number five, Nightmare – aptly titled, in hindsight, to be sure. This is a record which has, obviously, gone on to see the light of day and it’s through music in general and Nightmare in particular, that the remaining members of the band have been able to carry on. “It’s been incredibly important,” concurs guitarist Zacky Vengeance on how music has sustained the band through these hard times. “And the fact the album had just finished being written, days before Jimmy passed, these particular songs are some of the most important we’ve ever created. If it hadn’t been written, who knows if we’d have been able to go and write something else.” One song in particular, Fiction, holds pride of place amongst the record’s 11 tracks, written as it was by Sullivan himself not long before he died. Looking at it now, it almost seems prophetic. “Yeah, absolutely, it’s a very, very eerie and clairvoyant song,” concurs Vengeance. “Jimmy was a fantastic writer and the fact that he finished that song just a few days before he died… I mean, he hummed it to me over the phone, and there was a lot we could use, but it reads as almost a goodbye, not only to us but to our fans and everyone, all his friends. It’s a pretty haunting way to leave this place. It’s pretty rough, but a really magical song.” So Avenged Sevenfold found themselves in a very serious place once Sullivan was gone, but as is illustrated by the fact Nightmare is here today, they carried on – not only a serious band, but a strong one, too. How they were able to physically record was solved by Dream Theater drummer,

“For us, Mike was an exciting, interesting choice because after we met with him – he was a huge fan of Avenged Sevenfold and has a huge understanding of bands like Megadeth and Metallica – we realised he could work with anyone, with superstars or whatever, and we liked that about him,” Vengeance continues. “We liked that he was gonna bring something different to the table… rock producers, they only look for the rock. All the sounds that they bring are all inspired by the same fucking albums, you know, everyone wants a Black Album or everyone wants to re-write Appetite For Destruction, and that’s boring after a point.

Mike Portnoy, who stepped in, bringing with him his considerable talent. “We knew we had to finish the album, and there aren’t many drummers able to keep up with the drum work Jimmy had already written,” tells Vengeance. “So we reached out to Mike. He was Jimmy’s favourite drummer, and we asked him if he could help us to bring this music to life the way that Jimmy would have wanted it,” he goes on. “So Mike was happy to help, although he only had a very short window, so we basically had to get together, gather all of our courage and get into the studio during the hardest time of our lives. But we just captured what we were feeling during that time and I’m really glad we were able to do that, to document it for the ages, and I think something really special came out of it.” And what of Portnoy? How was he able to capture this music and bring it to life in the style Sullivan would have wanted? “He was our knight in shining armour,” Vengeance states. “He just has a great, positive outlook on life

and he really cheered us up. He’s a great person, he gave us some hope. So knowing we had a chance to finish the album, and to have him in there helping, it really just lightened our spirits. Plus, he’s an amazing drummer… to have anyone else on the album didn’t seem to be fair to Jimmy, but the fact that Jimmy had respected Mike so much, it felt pretty incredible.” The result, released earlier this year, is already being hailed as a masterpiece – no doubt The Rev would be proud. “I think so,” Vengeance smiles. “We worked every minute of every day and night to make sure it was completely perfect, otherwise we wouldn’t have even bothered to put it out. And it had to be a masterpiece to do him justice, to create a legacy so fans will know about him forever, or there was just no point in doing it.” It’s fair to say they’ve done just that. On a musical note, Avenged Sevenfold recruited producer Mike Elizondo to helm the ship and help bring

FROM THE SEA Fins, flippers, wings and guitars are sure to fly when REEL BIG FISH and THE AQUABATS are in the same room. Ahead of their Australian shows together, SCOTT FITZSIMONS has The Bats’ JIMMY THE ROBOT in one corner and Reel Big Fish’s AARON BARRETT in the other. The Aquabats

it all to fruition. This strikes me as an odd move given Elizondo’s background, mainly in rap and pop, where he’s worked with the likes of Dr Dre and Eminem. I mention this to Vengeance, who couldn’t disagree more. “It’s funny because people think that, but the thing with Avenged Sevenfold, we’ve always been thinking outside the box,” he says. “To us, if someone has done a bunch of big rock albums, it would be boring to go and use that person. They’ve already done it, there’s nothing driving them, there’s no fire.

Reel Big Fish

“So, basically, we wanted to create something different, to create our own unique album, sonically, and in order to do that, you’ve gotta bring in somebody who doesn’t quite fit the mould, and so Mike was the perfect choice.” From bad things, good things grow and Avenged Sevenfold have proven as such. That moment when they went into the studio with Mike Portnoy, during, as Vengeance said, “the hardest time of their lives”, would have been a very important moment – this album, for the band, had to be perfect. “Yeah, it was all or nothing,” he acknowledges. “It was either going to be the album that defined us as a band and showed the world how incredible Jimmy was as a drummer and songwriter, or we were just going to call it quits. Because you know, you have nothing to lose at that point. You don’t care about your future, you don’t care about making money, you just lost your best friend and all you care about is him. So we basically went in and recorded an album 11 years into our career after having had a lot of success with the added bonus of not giving a fuck. We just made that record as it needed to be.”

WHO: Avenged Sevenfold WHEN & WHERE: Soundwave, Friday 4 March, Melbourne Showgrounds

wanting just a little bit more and you go one way or the other way. We’ve got as good of a head of steam that we’ve had at any time in the band and that’s great. We definitely feel like there’s a reason and a purpose to be out there every day doing what we do, so it makes it really fun and rewarding. I’m excited, there’s a lot of things on the horizon that are looking really good and I can’t wait for our new record to come out.” But what everyone wants to know in this touring rock circus is how they’re going to be going head-to-head. “Well those guys surf a lot, so they’re all muscly,” Barrett says of The Aquabats. “But we just sit around and play guitars so we’re all scrawny, so in a straight-out fight they’d probably win. But in a musical fight we’d probably win.” So you’re confident then? “No, they’d probably win that as well. And they’re funnier than us... Every night we try and pick up our game to beat them.” Indeed, it seems likely that the battle may take place in the fields of punchlines and puns.

wo bands that share a genre, comedic thread and – usually – fans, are being pitted against each other this summer. Huntington Beach, California’s Reel Big Fish and Huntington Beach, California’s The Aquabats are touring alongside one another to win the hearts and minds of Australian ska punk fans. Both have been around since the mid-’90s, but Reel Big Fish definitely feel like the veterans out of the two. It’s partly due to access, as The Aquabats only made their first appearance here earlier in the year at the Soundwave festival – which Reel Big Fish played as well – and won over fans near effortlessly, with their comic-book inspired costumes if nothing else. As the temperature at the massive event got hotter and hotter they were a welcome splash, so to speak.

“We started playing with them in ‘95 I guess,” says The Aquabats’ Jimmy The Robot, AKA James Briggs, “and we’ve played a lot of shows with Reel Big Fish. It made a lot of sense, obviously coming from almost the same area, and our fans overlap quite a bit. A lot of the kids like to come and see both of us play and we hadn’t done it in a while and we said, ‘Hey, let’s get this thing going again, let’s go on the road’. So here we are.” “We’ve been friends with those guys for 15 years,” echoes Reel Big Fish’s frontman and songwriter Aaron Barrett, “so we’re very happy to tour with those guys again.” It’s been a long time between drinks though, as The Aquabats have been nowhere near as prolific as Reel Big Fish during their career. “They didn’t tour that much. I think the last time we toured with them before Soundwave was in 1997 or something,” Barrett estimates. But that’s not to say they haven’t been busy. If you’re not familiar with The ‘Bats, there’s a lot to learn. No mere ska band, they’ve a complete superhero back story that ties into and provides the meaning of their stage costumes. Basically, after their native island Aquabania – its inhabitants being bat-human hybrids – was attacked by the space monster M, they swam/ floated to California where they were revived and given superpowers by a professor. It’s not surprising then that

the band’s frontman, The MC Bat Commander, AKA Christian Jacobs, is a co-creator of the psychedelic children’s television show Yo Gabba Gabba, which he writes and directs. As members come and go through the band, they get written into the storyline – even Blink182’s drummer Travis Barker has a role as The Baron von Tito thanks to his stint in the band in ‘97-’98. “It definitely helps break the ice, especially at a festival,” says Briggs, obviously out of character to Inpress, “when you can be the band wearing the costume when everybody else may look pretty similar. The Bat Commander is fantastic at what he does and he has a tremendous ability to draw people in and hopefully our music backing him up makes a nice little package of our music for people to enjoy.” The fans earlier this year certainly did and that, along with Reel Big Fish’s prominence, seems to be ushering in a revival for not only these two, but the genre as a whole. For the first time since 2005, The Aquabats have new music, with new album Hi-Five Soup! due January next year. “Any time the wheels really start turning and we’ve got new places to play and we’ve got new music now, it is a revival,” says Briggs. “You try to leave them [fans]

twitter.com/inpressmag

“Each band has got some pretty big guys,” laughs Briggs, “but I couldn’t see how we would actually ever fight because both bands are pretty carefree and trying to have a good time. So it’s kind of built up like that – there’s always a bit of friendly competition when you get to play in front of each others’ audience, you want to try and win everybody over, but that’s really about it. We push each other to reach a little higher and it’s good, it’s fun. Mostly, that or pure comedy [laughs]. See who can be funnier or have the best gags that night.” They do have costumes on their side as well. “Yeah I guess, but that’s kind of cheating, that’s easy. Anybody can put on a costume.” Either way, they walk into this tour as underdogs, given that Reel Big Fish have been on ‘the list’ for a while. Unlike The Aquabats, they’ve focused more on relentless touring than side projects and have ingrained themselves within the ska hall of fame as a result. “I didn’t think we ever would be [this big],” says Barrett, “we don’t think of ourselves as anything special... We’re on that list, the ska list, that when a kid gets into ska he has to go listen to, so that’s pretty cool to be in that position.” WHO: Reel Big Fish/The Aquabats WHERE & WHEN: Saturday, Billboard

twitter.com/inpressmag

frontrow@inpress.com.au

THIS WEEK IN THURSDAY 2

ARTS

Japanese Film Festival – festival showcasing some of the best in Japanese cinema. Screenings include Flavour Of Happiness, Zero Focus, and Sword Of Desperation. Opening night film is About Her Brother, 7.45pm. ACMI Cinemas until Tuesday 7. The Refuge – exclusive season of François Ozon’s new film, which is reminiscent of the director’s early short Under The Sea. Opening night, 7pm. ACMI Cinemas until 12 December. The Tell-Tale Heart – Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale of the macabre gets a fresh adaptation under director Barrie Kosky. Closing night. Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse.

SATURDAY 4 Essence – exhibition of works produced by burning small holes into rice paper with incense sticks. Stunning looking stuff. Closing day. Fortyfivedownstairs. Apophenia: RMIT Textiles Exhibition 2010 – exhibition of textile works from BA Textile Design students, showcased alongside printing, illustration, and digital media, and an interactive artwork (white space!). Closing day. Fortyfivedownstairs.

SUNDAY 5 Duets For Lovers And Dreamers – a cycle of duets for theatre celebrating humanity in relationship to nature and the supernatural: “A prepubescent 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.” Closing night. Fortyfivedownstairs. Things On Sunday: Ear Play – a second collaboration with ABC Radio National, presenting a rehearsed reading of Duncan Graham’s The Love Play, a triptych of short plays making up a single work. Merlyn Theatre, 2.30pm.

YET TO ASCERTAIN THE NATURE OF THE CRIME

MONDAY 6

I Take Your Hand In Mine – the first of three performance readings by Anastasia Malinoff and Paul English under the direction of Ariette Taylor for ACT, based on the letters between Anton Chekov and his wife Olga Knipper. Fortyfivedownstairs, 6.30pm.

TUESDAY 7 RMIT Fine Art Photography Graduation Exhibition 2010 – showcase of 26 RMIT graduates’ work. Opening day, 11am. Fortyfivedownstairs until 18 December.

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 are 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. 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. Theatre Works until 12 December. 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. The Raw Gallery until 22 Deember. 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.

RED STITCH ANNOUNCES 2011 SEASON In 2011 Red Stitch Actors Theatre will celebrate its 10th anniversary. It’s an impressive feat for any independent theatre company to hit the ten-year milestone, but even more so when you take into account that the actors themselves run it as well as act in the productions. “It’s a privilege to have spent a decade working with some of the very best and brightest in the business. Red Stitch is still packing houses ten years later and that is great cause for celebration,” says artistic director David Whitely, and celebrate they will, opening with the Victorian Brendan Cowell’s Ruben Guthrie (2 February to 5 March), directed by the author/playwright himself. The play, which ran for two seasons at Sydney’s Belvoir St Theatre, helped launch Toby Schmitz, such is the role – an alcoholic advertising executive who post-relationship breakdown starts to reevaluate himself. Brilliant stuff. Following this will be Howie The Rookie (16 March to 16 April), a “white-knuckle ride through the dirty dives of Dublin” by Mark O’Rowe and directed by Greg Carroll. Regulars will be pleased to hear that this will feature an all-new cast to the 2002 production. Then it’s The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later (27 April to 28 May), the follow-up to the original play based on interviews conducted in the Wyoming town where a young gay student was brutally bashed and left to die in 1998. Ten Years Later is based on interviews conducted when the original theatre troupe, Tectonic Theatre Project returned to the town in 2008. Finally, the first-ever production in Australia of Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek’s Princess Dramas (8 June to 2 July), will round off the year’s first season. Head to redstitch.net for more information.

THEATRE REVIEW

PINK BITS & PIECES AS NO NO GALLERY READIES FOR ITS NEW EXHIBITION, STRAIGHT UP, ROBERT LUKINS DISCUSSES THE POWER OF RAW MATERIALS WITH GALLERY DIRECTOR ROGER NELSON. Having snipped the opening ribbon on his not-for-profit NO NO Gallery in May this year, STRAIGHT UP is Roger Nelson’s first curated show. It draws on the talents of five artists, their new work investigating “the stuff it’s made of”: cut up CDs, carved wood, expanding foam, dripping paint, petals of flowers, ink, old sneakers. Some of the show’s artists, such as Carl Scrase and Glenn Walls, Nelson has followed for some time, keen to watch their evolving styles. Comrade Dan Lovett has moved from producing portraits to painting flowers and compact discs. Linze Ellis and Kane Grose, rounding out the gang of five, are recent discoveries for NO NO; Ellis being based in Canberra and Grose making his gallery exhibition debut. Nelson describes his interest in the assembled cast. “I was attracted to the variety – from established and commercially represented, to brand new up-and-comers. But I invited them all to be in this show because I think their work shares an interest in being very direct and literal with the materials it’s made from, but also because they all have so much more going on than just that interest in the medium. There’s a… contradiction

there that I find rewarding to think about.” Alluding to a rawness, the materiality of a medium, through an often considered, constructed thing as an artwork presents points of discussion. “It’s a funny and a serious joy.” Nelson answers the question of an inherent falsity in the process. “There’s a contradiction between the materials and the way they are used that is fascinating to me. For example, cheap, untreated wood that has been painstakingly carved says something about craft or skill, and about obsessive detail, and about the time taken in the creation. I don’t think it’s a falsity, I think it’s a productive tension.” A coloured and very real consequence of tension, Scrase’s work provides a not-so-neat illustration. Nelson describes the continued adventures of a floral shower. “Carl Scrase’s photo collage is made of images of a flower bomb he made a few months ago. He literally exploded a cannon full of petals and they showered all over the room. I was at a performance where he did that, and so to see that experience taken and transformed into this work was a big surprise.”

Making new space within Melbourne’s gallery circuit, Nelson has hopes of the fledgling NO NO being an approachable, accessible place. Adding to the more regular audiences of artists and students is a challenge for all small, contemporary art places. Happily responding to inane questions about getting the crowds in, and toilet facilities, Nelson paints a warm picture of the gallery. “The first thing you’d see would be the hot pink entrance, and then the bar, oh, and then maybe some art. And yep, I have toilets. The lovely and brilliant artist Clare McCracken actually gave me a pink toilet roll doll as a gift when the gallery opened. It had a puffy tulle dress that concealed a spare

Artshouse, North Melbourne Town Hall Yet To Ascertain The Nature Of The Crime, by Melbourne Workers Theatre, is a piece of documentary theatre addressing the issues around the spate of attacks on Indians in recent years. The title comes from a chunk of ‘police speak’ referring to an assault on an Indian man in Melbourne. Despite declaring that they had no details of the attack, the police were still able to confidently state that the incident was ‘not racially motivated’. It seems that Indian victims of violence are being hit with a double whammy; after being bashed they are then confronted with society’s collective denial of any racist motivation for assaults. This work explores this theme in a dramatic piece of theatre, sobering yet heartfelt, lacking nothing in stageworthiness nor in entertainment value; the theatricality is graceful and unobtrusive, creating a flowing undercurrent that works well to harmonise the collage of voices. There isn’t an iota of preaching or self-indulgence in this work, which confidently allows the stories to speak for themselves, creating theatrical coherence without a narrative. Georgina Naidu, Andreas Litras, and Greg Ulfan do a fine job of portraying the different identities; skillfully directed (by Gorkem Acaroglu), they are kept busy on stage, no mean feat with such an overwhelmingly text based piece. The simple everyday settings, the ubiquitous barbeque, help to reinforce the idea of these being natural conversations taking place at any time around town, defining and reinforcing attitudes each time they occur. Season finished

LIZA DEZFOULI toilet roll – awesome. But it’s gone missing. I hope its new owners are enjoying it.” WHAT: STRAIGHT UP: new works made with raw materials WHERE & WHEN: NO NO Gallery, North Melbourne this Thursday to Sunday 19 December

FILMS BY MELBOURNE FOR THE WORLD The Made In Melbourne Film Festival showcases the works of Melbourne filmmakers exclusively whilst screening them in the heart of the city, across two nights at Federation Square and Loop. Highlights include Safe House, a finalist in the 2008 Cannes Film Festival Short Films competition, Lucky, a stop-motion film using glow sticks painting images in the sky, which was short-listed from 23,000 entries for the Guggenheim Museum, and The Passenger, an animation that’s the culmination of six years’ work, and gained entry into the Academy Awards Nominated Shorts theatrical run. Made In Melbourne Film Festival plays at Federation Square tonight, 8pm, and Loop Bar tomorrow night, 7:30pm. For more information about the festival and its programme, visit mim.org.au.

twitter.com/inpressmag

frontrow@inpress.com.au than just a third part. I realised I had a huge amount of back story and we realised it would be simple to make the movie about that back story.” The resulting feature stars child actor Onni Tommila (Helander’s nephew) as little Pietari, a kid who still believes in Santa Claus – but is very, very afraid of him, and for good reason. He’s a rather more demonic creature than we’re used to. “It was always my intention to reveal the secret behind the myth about the original Santa Claus,” Helander says. “What the hell happened, and why we have a Santa Claus now that’s the opposite of the original one. There are lots of dark stories in Finnish folklore about Santa Claus and I wanted to remind people of that, that we don’t have to borrow from the Coca-Cola company. I tried to make a film about a kid who still believes in Santa Claus and he has to convince everyone, which is a hard job. I had a version of the script where the father is the main character but I realised it would be more emotional to focus on the little boy.”

JALMARI HELANDER

REALLY BAD SANTA

FINNISH DIRECTOR JALMARI HELANDER DOESN’T SUBSCRIBE TO THE IDEA OF SANTA CLAUS AS A JOLLY FAT MAN – HIS RARE EXPORTS EXPLORES A MORE SINISTER SIDE TO SAINT NICK, HE TELLS BAZ MCALISTER. About seven years ago, a short film hit the internet starring three reindeer hunters in the Korvatunturi mountains stalking a most elusive and dangerous prey – a fat, hairy, white-bearded nude man. When they finally tranquilise him they drag him

off to the showers, clean him up, and ship him off in a crate to department stores around the world. This is the rare export of Rare Exports – bona fide elves, delivered to your door, stand-ins for Santa, all dressed up in the red and white foisted on Santa

Claus by the Coca-Cola Company’s ad campaigns of the 1930s. The budget of the remarkable short film was a mere 3,000 euros and it was shot in a day and a half. A sequel followed two years later. Now, thankfully, Finnish writer-director

Jalmari Helander was given a good deal more to shoot the feature-length prequel, Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. “My original idea was to make a third short film,” says a sniffly Helander, “but people kept saying to me that maybe we should make a feature film about it because I have lots of ideas about this thing. I thought it was a bad idea to try to stretch the short film idea to a feature film but I thought it might work if I could make an idea that stands on its own, rather

THE TV SET (M*A*S*H, Scrubs, etc.). You get the feeling that Darabont wants to take the zombie formula beyond its in-built fanboi demographic and make it appeal to a broad audience, one already tricked into watching the unusual by Dan Draper and Walter White - if viewers can sympathise with a chain-smoking adulterer and unbalanced meth cook, surely they can connect with undead killers…

THE WALKING DEAD

So, Darabont is hammering home the messages most zombie film-makers prefer to leave as underlying themes for fans to take on board or ignore as they want. So far though, each episode has contained enough flesh-devouring, skull-crushing and scary thrills to keep The Walking Dead interesting. In fact, it’s sure to cause a nightmare or two over the coming weeks.

TWIN TOWERS WITH ANDREW MAST The show most-swapped around the coffee maker in Australian offices at the moment seems to be The Walking Dead (which The Age reported last week was close to being picked up for screening here on Fox 8). Despite the zombie thriller starring UK actor Andrew Lincoln, best known for comic dramas This Life and Teachers, it’s not going for laughs in the vein of recent Britzom Dead Set. Made for US cable network AMC, The Walking Dead wants to be a serious contender alongside stablemates Mad Men and Breaking Bad. Brought to our screens by Hollywood heavyweight Frank Darabont (he’s had Oscar nominations for his films The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile), the writer/director/ producer thankfully has a past with B-grade horror to draw upon for this (he specialised in remakes and sequels like The Blob, The Fly ll, and the third Elm St film). The six-part series, based on an Image Comics’ black and white monthly, is set in Atlanta following a zombalypse that has left the States populated by shuffling dead types (‘walkers’) in need of live flesh to gorge on. The series follows Lincoln, as a sheriff

with a small band of non-infected beings, in his struggle for day-to-day survival. This group of zombie-bait is, of course, a microcosm of pre-walker society and in the first few episodes there has been racial tension, domestic violence, and gender disparity - gay adoption, abortion, and zombie rights are surely just around the corner. Darabont has gathered together a smart, but odd, group of writers and directors - with past work on Treme, The Wire, Dexter, Sons Of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, and Angel between them - including Piranha ll: Flying Killers writer Charles H Eglee and former Swedish dance producer Stakka Bo (now Johan Renck). In the five episodes screened in the US so far, Darabont’s Oscar-attracting penchant for ‘meaningful moments in conversation’ shuffles in to devour the action at any given moment (“Guess the world has changed.” “NO. It’s the same as it ever was. The weak get taken.”). It’s a pity, and brings to mind that failed attempt at ‘a meaningful moment of pathos’ in the most recent season of Breaking Bad where a gimmicky two-hander episode, based around a fly being stuck in the lab, was mawkish in a way most US TV waits to indulge in once its been on air too long

And Helander found a truly remarkable elf in Estonian actor Peeter Jakobi. “The moment I saw him I was really happy,” Helander says. “This was just the kind of guy we needed to play a Santa in the film. He is a really skinny, really weird-looking guy. He has actually been in some kind of car accident and his bones look weird because of some kind of operation. All the other Santas were a Norwegian man’s choir – in fact there was a strange moment during the filming when we were shooting that scene where they were washing all the Santas in the shower room, and all the men’s choir guys just started singing Christmas carols... it was the weirdest moment in shooting.” It seems we can expect some very strange DVD deleted scenes from this shoot... WHAT: Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale WHEN & WHERE: Screening in cinemas from 2 December

THEATRE REVIEW THE NIGHTWATCHMAN Theatre Works The set design for Daniel Keene’s The Nightwatchman is simple, three hanging panels of fabric collaged with peeling layers of old wall paper, metaphorically referring to layers of experience and the passing of time. Bill, splendidly played by Roger Oakley, son (Brad Williams) and daughter (Zoe Ellerton-Ashley), spend a last night together at their family home. Bill, about to retire to a nursing home, is accepting of the fact that his remaining years are few. He has already lost his sight and his wife and is now losing his memory. A diary kept by Bill’s dead wife, the mother of Helen and Michael, suggests that a secret may be revealed. There is a lot of reminiscing in the garden along with much thoughtful and nostalgic gazing out into the middle distance. Because Bill is a protagonist who doesn’t want anything, and the other two don’t know what they want, there is little real conflict or drama. The second half gets even more precious with a gently meandering melodic piano score, repeated references to Monet’s garden and even more poignant and meaningful observations about the changing of seasons, flowers and colours, and the fading of light (“we must never regret what might have been”), to the extent that this jaded reviewer started to feel a little ill. The language is exquisite but with Bill being so sorted and neither of the younger characters being idiosyncratic or interesting, I found I couldn’t care about them. Until 12 December

LIZA DEZFOULI

NOT ALL TWINS ARE PSYCHOPATHIC, DECLARES NICOLA GUNN, AS SHE STEERS PAUL RANSOM THROUGH THE STRANGE WORLD OF TWIN. Nicola Gunn sits across the table and ponders the work she is making with close friend and co-conspirator Olivia Bryant. “I’m still wondering what it’s about,” she quips playfully. “I could just say that the show is basically about nothing and it’s just gonna be a bit of fun.” It’s a disarmingly unfussed insight into the process of making theatre about a topic that most would consider deep, dark, and psychological. On paper at least, Gunn and Bryant’s Twin seems to offer up the prospect of something more than a bit of fun. Taking as its starting point the often bizarre and beguiling tale of June and Jennifer Gibbons, twins who shared a life of petty crime, transistor radios, and D.H. Lawrence, and who spent much of their adult lives incarcerated in a mental institution, Twin is principally a show about intertwined identities. “There are two narrative threads,” Gunn explains. “One is based around the story we read about the

Gibbons twins, these two girls who started behaving very awkwardly and asocially; and there was a lot of debate about whether it was on purpose or not… But as much as we were inspired by that we were also interested in exploring our own relationship; y’know Nicola and Olivia making a show together but without it being about making a show.” The self-referential strands of Twin are not intended to be post-Seinfeld kitsch but rather to underscore the show’s themes of individual and conjoined identity. “The Gibbons twins were so consumed by each other’s identity that they decided that one must die in order for the other one to live,” Gunn continues. “And one did die – quite suddenly.” For Nicola Gunn, who has made her name with solo work like the much lauded At The Sans Hotel; this is clearly an experiment in making work with someone else. “I think we have a very sisterly relationship,” she says of her friendship with Bryant, “in that we

hate each other and we love each other. But it’s like our friendship has been put on hold. We don’t see each other socially now, we just do Twin.” However, if things seem like they might be about to veer into solemnity, Gunn wheels out the grinning bluntness. “We’re not hoping to make some meaningful, profound piece of theatre here. We really are just making something interesting to watch. It will be funny and it will be dark. We just want to enjoy making the work. So I don’t think we want people to come away with any newfound respect for life or whatever.” Twin, it transpires, is much less a classically ‘written’ piece than a ‘made’ work; a show that has yet to settle into its final form. With its video

cut aways and moments of surreal silliness, it remains a somewhat organic beast. “I’m sure that the work will evolve over the season and I’m quite happy with that,” Gunn declares. “We really won’t know what it is until we do it; and I think that more work from Australia should be permitted to do that.” And here, just when we think that we’re in for an evening of contemporary absurdist difficulty, Nicola Gunn can’t help but conclude, “Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean anything. You won’t be challenged. You’ll just be distracted for an hour.” WHAT: Twin WHERE & WHEN: La Mama Theatre Wednesday 1 to Sunday 12 December

frontrow@inpress.com.au for Best Foreign Language Film in 2002. It stars Etsushi Toyokawa (20th Century Boys, The Sinking Of Japan, A Good Husband) as swordsman, Sanzaemon, released only a year after killing a powerful yet corrupt figure.

ZERO FOCUS

WHERE & WHEN: ACMI Cinemas Sunday 5 December, 7:50pm

TIME OF EVE Time Of Eve is an anime television series and its film version, simply released under the TV show’s name, is the complete series. In the film, a science fiction tale set in the future, androids are as common place in society as humans. When lead protagonist Rikuo realises that his android Sammy has started showing signs of independent character, he decides to investigate, uncovering the beginning of robot independence in the process. WHERE & WHEN: ACMI Cinemas Saturday 4 December, 4:20pm

SOLANIN

TOP 5: JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL THE JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL KICKS OFF THIS WEEK AT ACMI, BRINGING WITH IT A HOST OF FILMS THAT MIGHT NOT ORDINARILY SCREEN IN AUSTRALIA. HERE ARE FRONT ROW’S PICKS.

SWORD OF DESPERATION Forget guns, bombs, even knives, there’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of a well-choreographed sword fight. Sword Of Desperation is the latest in a long line of samurai films and fans of the pseudo-genre will recognise the name Shuhei Fujisawa, the famed author of such works as The Twilight Samurai, the film adaptation of which was nominated for the Academy Award

Based on the popular manga series of the same name, Solanin is the live action adaptation and is kind of like a Japanese Scott Pilgrim, which in itself was taking inspiration from manga. A young couple have left university, work in bum jobs, and search for meaning in life – all the while one of them dreams of success with their pop band. A hip coming of age story. Trainspotters will notice the lead actress, Aoi Miyazaki. WHERE & WHEN: ACMI Cinemas Sunday 5 December, 5:20pm

FLAVOR OF HAPPINESS Picturesque seaside town? Check. Set in a restaurant? Check. Lots of cooking? Check. We’re suckers for all of the above and, whilst to some this has the potential to be a sleep-inducing nightmare of tedium, we’re pretty sure the Japanese will be as meticulous to detail with this film as they are with their sashimi. Set in a Chinese restaurant in the fishing village of Kanazawa, west of Nagano, a restaurant owner and widow strike up a bond in the kitchen, he teaching her the secrets of Chinese cooking. We hope it’s the cinema equivalent of the Oishinbo manga series. WHERE & WHEN: ACMI Cinemas Friday 3 December, 6:30pm

ZERO FOCUS A stylish film that’s billed as “Charlie’s Angels meets Alfred Hitchcock” it’s the later accolation that’s drawn us in. A remake of the 1961 film of the same name, this new adaptation of Seicho Matsumoto’s novel marks the 100th anniversary of its publication. That such a story is still chilling today speaks volumes of the story: a newlywed man goes missing not long after the wedding ceremony, sparking his wife to trace his steps across Japan in search of him, unlocking secrets of his past along the way. WHERE & WHEN: ACMI Cinemas Friday 3 December, 8:50pm WHAT: Japanese Film Festival WHERE & WHEN: ACMI Cinemas this Thursday to Tuesday 7 December

FUND-RAISING PHOTO EXHIBITION Twenty-four-year-old Calista Lyon is a rather busy person. She helped Adam Elliot on his film Mary And Max before heading over to Germany to train for the Commonwealth Games (she’s ranked second in Australia for discus). Now, Lyon is hosting a photography exhibition of flora, Greek, German, Danish, and Australian landscapes, and interiors to raise funds to help her towards her goal of representing Australia at the London 2012 Olympics. The self-titled exhibition will be held at Creators Artspace, Gateway Island, Wodonga Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 December, and Off The Kerb Gallery, Collingwood Friday 10 to Saturday 18 December. Head to calistalyon.com for a sneak peak.

THE DUMB MOTHERFUCKERS ARE BACK Dawn Of The Dumb Motherfuckers is a film 21 years in the making...sort of. An independently-made Melbourne sci-fi comedy, the film was produced on the weekends over the ten-year period of 1989 to 1999 on Super-8 by Darrell Martin and Chris Krow. When it first screened, over a decade ago, actor Colin Moody hailed it to be “Mad Max meets The Young Ones”, and now the filmmakers want to give it the DVD treatment. To help spread the word, Dawn Of The DMF will be screened at Station Hotel, Prahran this Saturday 4 December, 7pm, and those involved in the production of the film are being asked to come forth and make themselves known. For more information on the film and the screening, head to longshot.tv/dmfs.

frontrow@inpress.com.au

C U LT U R A L

CRINGE

TWEED RIDE

WITH REBECCA COOK It takes more than a weekend of torrential rain to stop Melbourne enthusiasts getting out and about. In fact, the CBD was brimming with more than just water-skiiers this election weekend. For starters, all

manner of pedal-driven cyclists took it to the streets as part of Melbourne Bikefest’s Tweed Ride on Sunday afternoon. Bikefest, which is a community run celebration of bikes in everyday life, ended its four pump-action-packed days on Sunday 28. The Fest included art, design, forums, workshops, markets, music, screenings, and bike rides. Out the front of the State Library Cringe caught the start of the Tweed Ride, promoted as a “stylish jaunt through the fair city of Melbourne where the pedalling is slow and stately.” Riders were encouraged to glam up for the event evoking a time “when gentlemen were dapper, ladies rode sidesaddle, and Lycra hadn’t been invented”. Cringe didn’t spot any ladies riding sidesaddle in the 30-strong peleton but she can confirm there was a lot of tweed, or at least many costumes that would have passed for Dr Watson in a Sherlock Holmes remake. There were also a high proportion of drawn-on

moustaches, pith helmets, and goggles. For the bike-enamoured there were also some classic pennyfarthings as well as many custom retro bikes. The bugle-led group made for a jolly good vision on a wet afternoon as it turns out tweed (despite sounding like it might make you smell like a wet dog and feel itchy like freshly cut hair down the back of your neck) is actually ideal for wet weather conditions and is quite moisture resistant, so instead of popping on that raincoat in the future, think tweed. Cringe’s second stop was the Australian design market, MARKit, while having the advantage of being in the Atrium at Fed Square (ergo undercover) was still surprisingly well attended. The market is being marketed as a way to nurture and support Australian designers and includes jewellery, fashion, stationery, homewares, and art. Limedrop, Sunday Morning Design, and Nancy Bird were some of the brands touting their wares. Cringe recognised a great deal of the earrings and brooches from stores along High St Northcote, but there

A MONSTROUS REGIMENT BRITISH WRITER-DIRECTOR GARETH EDWARDS TALKS TO BAZ MCALISTER ABOUT THE SEVEN-PERSON GUERRILLA SHOOT FOR MONSTERS, AND THE PIONEERING ‘AL-QAEDA’ FILMMAKING METHOD. Ever sat all the way to the end of the credits? Most films require a dead-set army of people to make. From the lead actor to the best boy, there are hundreds of names scrolling sombrely up your screen. That’s one of the reasons Gareth Edwards’ Monsters is such a remarkable achievement. The road-movie sci-fi love-story was shot in three weeks, with just seven people, in a van, in Mexico – Edwards, his two leads, a sound man, producer, driver, and fixer. If it takes an army to make a movie, this was more like a special forces operation. “I think we felt more like al-Qaeda,” Edwards laughs at this suggestion. “Most times when we were doing it we didn’t think we were coming back alive, career-wise. We were on a careersuicide mission!” Monsters was shot with a tiny budget and small crew because of Edwards, who had parlayed his visual effects background into a TV editing job, was frustrated with marshalling armies. “The last thing I did was a one-hour ‘docudrama’,” he says. “We had 50 crew members and if you see the light doing something beautiful on the mountains, or the actor has a good idea, you’d want to adapt. And everyone would say ‘Yeah, of course we can – but it’s going to take about half an hour to move everything.’ I got so frustrated with that, the idea that because there are so many people here to help me, I can’t actually do the things I want to do. ‘If we had a lot less people,

we could do it’ – surely, there’s your answer, at least for this level of budget. On Monsters we sacrificed costume, make-up, continuity – but you don’t need any of those things on a shoot like this. It’s run-and-gun.” So Edwards gathered his A-Team and sped off to the Mexican wilderness, doubling as the scene of a space probe crash which has brought alien life to planet Earth in the form of huge octopoid monsters. Through this chaos travel the likeable stars Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able, as a journo and his boss’s daughter just trying to get home. “We wrote ‘world’s most realistic monster movie’ as what we were aiming for – I do not in any part of me think we made that, but it was the holy grail of what we were after,” Edwards says. “We wanted it to be unplanned and totally real, and use a lot of non-actors.” To that end, everyone in the film besides the leads is

were also designers who don’t seem to have made it into stores (at least northside) as yet. The next MARKit isn’t until 17 April 2011, but if you visit the website you check out each of the individual designers who are involved: markitfedsquare.com.au. Finally, Cringe stumbled upon a group of men who were braver than a Betty Page lookalike riding a fixie up Bourke St sidesaddle. The boys from local band Yellow Stallions had pledged to play live on the Fed Square stage for 24 hours straight to raise $10,000 for cancer research. Cringe spied them at the three-quarter mark and they were still going strong despite vocalist Luke posting to their Facebook page that he may have fallen asleep during one of their songs and that his vision was beginning to blur. On the weekends Fed Square is usually bustling with partygoers but the poor Stallions couldn’t have chosen a worse weekend if they tried. Punters were light on the soggy ground in the Fed Square forecourt and apparently there was no audience for much of the night. Hopefully the boys managed to raise more than a cold. a Mexican civilian slipped a few bucks for their trouble, or a hired guard provided for the film crew by the Mexican government to protect against kidnappers. Edwards says some of his supporting cast did need some encouragement. “It wasn’t that people didn’t want to do it, it was more like ‘Well, I can, but I’ll be rubbish, I can’t act’ and we’d say ‘Fantastic, no one is acting in our film. We don’t want anyone to act.’ It might be a sacrilegious thing to say but acting works on different frequencies, but as long as everyone’s on the same frequency it works. Like a cheesy soap opera – as long as everyone’s being overdramatic it doesn’t bother you.” The result, as you may expect, has divided critics – but Edwards wouldn’t have it any other way. “We didn’t want to make an ‘okay’ film – if you aim for a three-star film, you’re gonna get it. It’s safe. If you aim for a five-star film you might end up with a one-star. I’d prefer to be one than three. That shows you’ve pissed some people off.” WHAT: Monsters WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas now

FILM

CAREW

ENTER THE VOID

WITH ANTHONY CAREW

Enter The Void is the greatest film a 16-year-old stoner could ever watch. There’s always been an adolescent tenor to the oeuvre of Gaspar Noé, the French provocateur whose tendency towards (New French) Extremity has seemed a bit like teenage rebellion, a blackclad leaning towards those pillars of familiar cool: sex, drugs, and violence. He’s a master of the grand gesture, the fuck-you gimmick that sets out to mock, entice, and enrage an audience, in equal measure: I Stand Alone’s countdown clock, which gave viewers a timed warning to leave the cinema (thereafter: incest!); Irréversible’s backwards sequencing, in which the moral righteousness and sanctified satisfaction of the revenge movie was systematically stripped of its pleasures (ie. seemingly pointless vengeance first; horrific incident that inspired vengeance last); and, now, Enter The Void’s first-person perspective, which trips into the hallucinogenic mind and the thereafter by viewing a neon-lit Tokyo fantasia from over the shoulder, through the eyes, and hovering above its main character. At times, it feels more like a video-clip (if not a video-game) than a piece of cinema: a lurid, singular visual trick that seeks to solicit no more a reaction than, like, “dude!” Inspired by The Tibetan Book Of The Dead, Noé seeks to puncture the prison of our reality (“dude!”), first by trying to recreate a psychoactive state, and then by journey into a dreamlike state of hallucination/memory/fantasy that represents posthumous brain activity, a spirit reincarnating, or uninspired stoner philosophising. There’s something admirable about the ridiculous scale that Noé has taken this adolescent dude-ism to, but, at over two and a half hours, climaxing

THE MENSTRUUM 7: CONVENT WALLS BY ROBERT LUKINS Sometimes it rains. It was during some of this cold, wet stuff, as wind made an unfamiliar sounding instrument out of the roof of my new house, as I was deciding not to leave my still boxed-up living room and to not go to another exhibition that I got the phone call about my grandfather dying in the night. Some people run onto battlefields and drag slaughtered friends onto canvas stretchers. They keep boxes of objects, gifts, given as gestures as final bubbles of blood ache out of dead men. Some people go on to lead good lives and just ask to die without fuss. So, I can get on my damn bike and go out in the rain and see a damned exhibition on a late Sunday morning. The Abbotsford Convent is a place that clings to its history. It’s in the dark stone walls and the fair skin and habit of the nun who greets me off the street – she offers a map of the grounds that it seems an insult to reject. The old buildings and their ghosts and ways leach into the running water and humidity, and it adds to the air’s smell of coffee, made in that slow, Japanese way. There’s a story that the nuns washed the Beatles’ shirts and underwear in their laundry when the lads came in ’64. A man with a four-week-old moustache laughs into a mobile phone. Years swirl about each other. Past the weekend stalls and growing puddles, I go into the dry of the St Heliers Street Store + Gallery, showing

a salon-hang of convent artists, more than a hundred works. It’s an amazing shot of life. The work spins from craft to contemporary; faces and gun-metal trams and holiday sands, and remarkable, nestled in this, is Joanne Saunders’ Off The Scale. A dark-honey recorder is in segments above its own exquisite blueprint: exacting, devoted measurements and mapping. In her delicate hand, Musee de la Musique, Paris. Saunders has been across Europe and the United States, freeing baroque recorders from darkness, quantifying their every line, angle. They will be made to live again. To forget the old is as weightless a punch as discounting the new. She measures tone, precisely, at 22 degrees, and her love

REVIEW

is charted. Outside, back at the cobbled gutters and slick road, it’s still coming down wet, but it feels changed. It’s a reminder of life rather than an attack on it. A man nearly ploughs into the back of me at a set of lights – he overshoots, aquaplaning, then rolls down his window to apologise. Alone in his car, he’s shouting because he’s still wearing giant headphones. Sometimes it rains and it’s easy to forget how natural and good that is. Sometimes it is gunna rain, and you can just roll with it. A conversation about it would just make a pain where there isn’t one. You can allow yourself to see rain as it is, natural, and to see it as beautiful.

with the undergraduate revelation of The Void - it both the nothingness of death, and the vagina of birth the flick more than wears out its welcome. Unless, like, your parents are away and you’re shroomin’. For those who’ve been terrified by François Ozon’s dabblings with ’50s kitsch (8 Women), period-piece fluff (Angel), and, um, a flying baby (Ricky), The Refuge marks a welcome return to Ozonism; the filmmaking bringing up familiar themes - the poisonous traditional family unit in comparison to more freely-defined families of friends/lovers, for example - upon his most familiar location (as previously seen in See The Sea, Under The Sand, 5x2, and Time To Leave): the beach. Here, this symbol of eternity - forever changing, always the same - represents the tides of life, as Isabelle Carré (Anna M.!), authentically pregnant for the part, plays the knocked-up recovering-heroin-addict lugging around the unborn heir of her dead boyfriend. Being Ozon, Carré shacks up with her erstwhile beau’s gay brother, and, before you can say A Summer Dress, things get sexually confused. But beyond its fluid sexuality, the film is about the bringing of a child into the world, and those who do it. In a scene in which an overbearing, intruding motherhoodevangelist figure pounces on Carré knee deep in the waves, belly swollen - spewing advice that feels more like a list of demands, the true grit of the text washes to the surface. The Refuge, with its titular evocations of the womb, is about the very notion of the maternal; Ozon debating whether it’s innate, earned, or somewhat of a myth. Trawling through piles of bad films for some ‘regional’ rumpus can be one of Film Carew’s most depressing tasks, and the Japanese Film Festival’s dreckish collection of rag-tag-crew sports-movies (Shodo Girls), hysterical melodramas (A Lone Scalpel), awards-show chasers of both mountain-climbing and multipletimeframe/narrative varieties (The Summit, Flowers), faux-Hitchcockian thrillers (Zero Focus), samurai movies both straight-up and carpentrythemed (Sword Of Desperation, Castle Under Fiery Skies), and monstrouslystupid new-millennial parlour-games (Confessions) had me down. Then along came Villon’s Wife, starring our old pal Asano Tadanobu. Based on a novel by Osamu Dazai, it’s a masterstudy in internal conflict, present not just in its central character, a devoted wife who seeks to honourably absolve her drunken-poet husband’s various misdeeds, but everyone she encounters. It’s naught less than a portrait of a society: the compromised morals, social burdens, misplaced devotion, and palpable self-loathing all powerfully symbolic of Japan in 1946. Guided by Kichitaro Negishi’s calm camera, it’s a study of devotion, delusion, and disillusion, wielded by the caustic pen of its suicidal, autobiographical author. Villon’s Wife goes so far as to ask, aloud, about the existence of God, then, in a later rejoinder, peer up into the trees, as if daring the absent deity to become present. The magic in this celluloid is such that, for a moment, you think you can see - can feel - something there.

twitter.com/inpressmag

STILL LEARNIN’ On the eve of their first visit to Australia since the release of their amazing I Learned The Hard Way record, the leading lady of SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS chats with DAN CONDON about the changes we’ll notice within the band on this latest visit. “I’m not out there just whispering, you know – I’m singing!” she exclaims. “I’m not using my Janet Jackson voice; man, if I could sing like Janet then I could sing for days, I’d do like 20 gigs a day! But you think I’m about to sing like that? Forget about it!” Earlier this year the Dap-Kings released I Learned The Hard Way, not only their finest record but the best their genre has seen in many, many years. So to hear Jones say the songs from the record sound even better when coupled with their scintillating live show is thrilling. “Oh my gosh, believe it or not – I listen to the songs on the record and they’re great – but the live shows are much different and much better,” she says. “It’s sounding so good because we have these background singers.” It became obvious quickly that these new additions to the band were needed when the band kicked off their first US tour in support of the record.

t’s late on Sunday night when Inpress puts a call through to Sharon Jones, who is resting up in her Brooklyn home before a long flight that will land her in our country for a long-awaited visit with her band The Dap-Kings. Jones has been watching the news, where she has just learnt of New Zealand’s Pike River Coal Mine disaster.

going to go back to Australia? That’s my job. In April I was thinking about going to Australia in December, so you want to make sure that your health is going to be good, you’re planning it already, your job is always planned months ahead; you gotta play those gigs and then you got all the other jobs to do in between.”

“I just heard about the miners, 29 miners...” she considers solemnly. “It makes you thankful for the type of job you’re doing. You know, someone has to do that stuff.”

But Jones also says that she enjoys it now more than she ever has. With experience comes a greater knowledge of her limits as a performer which, in turn, helps her deliver the best performances she can.

For the greater part of the last decade, Jones’ job has been that of one of soul music’s most prominent entertainers. She’s quick to point out that there’s a lot more to it than it may appear on the surface. “I just do what I do, come out there and hope everyone enjoys it and take pictures with people and sign autographs – this is what I look forward to doing,” she says. “This is my job, people don’t realise that. Some people get up and do their nine to five but I’m looking ahead to the next year, the next album, when am I

“When we first started out we were doing eight or nine gigs in a row but that’s crazy, you very quickly find out that that just doesn’t make any sense – you’re gonna kill yourself. As I get older and my body gets older things change – it takes a toll on me. I can feel it some nights when I don’t get that proper sleep or get proper rest.” It makes sense. The 54-year-old singer is dynamite on stage, dancing up a storm while belting out songs with gusto.

“On the record you hear the prettiness of the chorus [Jones bursts into the chorus of the title track] but then on stage you’ve got Fernando [Velez] our conga player going [adopts a deep Spanish accent] ‘I learn de ‘ard way bebeh’ and I’m like, ‘Hell no!,’” she hoots, bursting into laughter. “It was so funny, it was so funny! So it was better that we got the background singers.” These aren’t just any old gun-for-hire backing singers we’re talking about here – Jones went back to her past and rediscovered some old collaborators who she knew would be perfect for the job. “The background singers Sandra and Starr, they used to sing with me in a wedding band in the ‘80s,” Jones recalls. “We sang together for a good eight or nine years in the wedding band but then we haven’t seen each other for maybe ten or 15 years. And we haven’t sung together since maybe ’93 or something like that. But here we are now, back together singing again and they’re coming on the road with me. “The girls and me, we blend, I have no problem blending with them and they’re really professional. As far as picking out harmonies Sandra’s got the ear, man, her and Starr both... we just open our mouths and the harmonies

RIDING THE WAVE He’s released just the two EPs, but WASHED OUT – known to his mum as ERNEST GREENE – is up there with the best practitioners of the awfully-monikered chillwave movement. “‘Chillwave,’ the term itself, is universally hated,” he tells ANTHONY CAREW.

Greene has made music since he was an adolescent, growing up in Perry amidst the peach trees, raised on his father’s jazz-centric record collection. But, for a long time, no one was listening. “Before, it was just me in my bedroom,” Greene says. “There were a

“Everyone seems so appreciative of what we’re doing, they really love what we’re doing and we can feel that,” Jones gushes sincerely. “It happens in the States, but it’s just a little bit different when you have to travel so far. People really come out to see you because you’re not there all the time.” The Dap-Kings’ touring experience has changed quite a bit over the years as their popularity has increased. “When we started out it was a bit tougher and we couldn’t afford certain things; now we can get a few more things, but we have a bigger band,” Jones explains. “We have extra singers and now we have a sound guy, because it’s important for us to have our sound. I know a couple of times when I was in Australia I kept complaining about getting the sound right, so it’s important to have our sound man there so that things are right for us and it all works perfect.” One unfortunate revelation Jones makes to Australian fans is that band leader Gabriel Roth will be unable to make the trip down under this time around. “Gabe is not going to be with us when we go on this trip to Australia. His wife just had a baby the other day, just after we did the Conan [O’Brien] show,” she says. “He’s missing Australia but he’ll be back soon. He’s gotta get back out there. Even though he’s the president of the Daptone label all the money is still in touring so he’s gotta get out there and tour too.” The prospect of a new album excites Jones and while she concedes that there’s no new material per se, there’s no shortage of songs we haven’t heard. “We still have some stuff that we wrote from the last album, we came up with 20 something songs and we only put 12 on the album, so there are still songs out there that we didn’t put on the album,” she reveals. “And I want to do a gospel album and maybe try and do a holiday album or a Christmas album next year.” WHO: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings WHERE & WHEN: Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 December, Palace; Saturday 11 December, Meredith Music Festival

With plans on having a “normal career” shelved, Greene, freshly married and looking to buy a house in Atlanta, had to put the thoughts of others out of his head, clear his mind, and author that killer debut LP that would turn nebulous ‘buzz’ into concrete success.

“And, another thing I struggled with,” Greene continues, “[was] in the past when I was writing songs, I was never thinking of this overarching conceptual thing, of it being an album. The EPs are just collections of songs. I think I’m best at writing really simple melodies and really straightforward songs that you can just get on an immediate level, but still there’s enough substance there for it to mean something on a different level. I think there’s a possibility that a lot of people will like it. I was considering taking it in a weirder, more experimental direction, but I was just more excited about making a simple, accessible record that I think people will be able to enjoy pretty easily.”

“I guess the worst ones just jump out at you a lot more,” chuckles Ernest Greene, in an accent beamed from the deep South. The 28-year-old native of tiny Perry, Georgia is the one-man-band behind Washed Out, whose 2009 EPs, Life Of Leisure and High Times, became exemplars of a new sound sweeping the blogosphere last year. Heavily influenced by Panda Bear and Ariel Pink, it mixed slippery electronic rhythms, ’80s pop and new-age synth muzak under a dusty lo-fi haze rich in nostalgia. The sound attracted a few different names, with dreambeat and hypnagogic being two of the more persistent, before, somehow, the world settled on its dreaded handle.

“I try not to think about being ‘chillwave’ too much, and I certainly never mention it. Because of the internet, you have to tread so carefully,” continues Greene. “I guess it’s inevitable that you’re going to [get] put into some kind of genre classification. But, it’s definitely been to my benefit that I was thrown in with these handful of bands.”

Jones can’t wait for us to see – Australia has always been incredibly supportive of the band and it remains one of their favourite places to visit.

“I’ve been working on this record for a while, and it’s really strange writing songs knowing there’s a huge audience there,” says Greene. “It definitely changed the dynamic, the way I think about things. I’m a lot more critical, which is probably not the most helpful thing.

ne of the most depressing developments in recent indie music history has been chillwave. Not the music itself; in fact, its key practitioners – Nite Jewel, Memory Tapes, Toro Y Moi and Washed Out – are all varying amounts of awesome. But the name. Chillwave. It’s not just that it’s unspeakably awful, but that, now, via some conspiracy of history, I’m forced to use this term, from here to eternity. It’s worse than electroclash, or freak folk, or witch house, or any other genre handle of recent vintage. It’s chillwave, for fuck’s sake.

“The amusing thing is that ‘chillwave,’ the term itself, is universally hated,” offers Greene. “And a lot of people must hate the genre, too, just because everything happened so quickly. I feel like, in the US, there was a period of a couple months where it was all anybody wrote about. I think when that happens, almost out of principle there’s a backlash.”

are just right there – boom, boom, boom. You’ll see.”

handful of my friends who were into what I was doing, but it was mostly just for my own enjoyment.” These ‘handful of friends’ just happened to include Chaz Bundick, the guy who’d end up finding game as Toro Y Moi. Together at the University Of South Carolina, the pair were part of a tiny, tight-knit, self-contained scene that included piles of projects. Greene hung around in Columbia, the college town, for a few years after graduation, but, faced with a lengthy stint of unemployment, he moved back in with his folks at 26. Spending his days sending out résumés to college libraries, Greene would stay up all night recording, coming across his signature sound. “I was doing hip hop, samplebased stuff on cracked software,” he explains, of the genesis of, in many ways, ‘chillwave’. “It was instrumental and leaning towards the psychedelic. That still informs the way I do things: I start off with really simple loops, even though, now, I’m utilising pop song structures, and playing a lot of guitar and piano. After the more hip hop stuff, I

moved towards ambient soundscapes. The Washed Out sound is kind of mixing those two things together, then smudging my singing style over the top. I spent so much time developing my style over the last three or four years.” When 2009 began, Greene was, essentially, a nobody. But, after putting a couple of Washed Out songs on MySpace, there began a trickle of influence, and when the blog powerhouse Gorilla Vs Bear posted his tracks, the trickle become a flood. For someone who’d toiled away in isolation and/or obscurity forever before, Greene got swept up in his newfound celebrity; with interviews with Rolling Stone and Spin seeming bizarre for someone who had “never even dreamt” about being able to make music for a living. “At first it was amazing to just see my name,” he recalls. “It was exciting. But it wasn’t very healthy. I was spending more time reading reviews than anything; was way too concerned with what was being said.”

twitter.com/inpressmag

The as-yet-untitled Washed Out debut album is, then, a continuation of all that came before it. It’s, in so many made-up words, a definitive chillwave record. But, given the speed the blogosphere clicks over at, and the snarky, nasty quality of blog discourse, is there any doubt that, by the LP’s eventual release at some point during 2011, the chillwave backlash will be in full effect? “I try not to think about that,” Greene smiles. Initially, his plan for the record was to reinvent Washed Out all over again. “My instinct was to change, keep people on their toes,” Green offers. “But, at the moment I only have two EPs out, and only one of them people are really aware of, so it didn’t make sense to have this drastic change already. I couldn’t really pull some MGMT-type swing when I didn’t even have a full-length out. So, the album is definitely going to sound like an extension of the Life Of Leisure EP. It’s going to sound like what people will expect from me, for better or worse.”

WHO: Washed Out WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 11 December, Meredith Music Festival; Sunday 12 December, Toff In Town; Monday 13 December, Curtin House rooftop

twitter.com/inpressmag

CLEARING THE CLUTTER THE FALL’s return to these shores coincides with MARK E SMITH finally finding a line-up that’s up to it, the singer tells TONY MCMAHON.

Manchester, I’m not the greatest fan of it. I really don’t like it very much, you know, but it must have done.” In Smith’s 2008 autobiography Renegade, he wrote that he disliked Australia when The Fall visited in 1982. But Smith says that this has nothing to do with why he hasn’t been here for 20 years. “No I don’t think so, I don’t think so at all actually. The last group before this one, I don’t think they’d have been up to it, to be honest. I mean, I go into it in the book, don’t I? It starts off in the fucking desert in Texas and they’re all falling to bits. A lot of groups are like kids in an ice-cream shop when they go on tour. I remember last time we were in Australia; I just stayed in a bed and breakfast and organised the shows. I’d had enough of the lot of them. But this group can handle it, know what I mean? I think you can hear that on the album, too.” When he does get here, Smith says that choosing tracks to play from his vast back catalogue is not going to be too much of an issue. There is, however, some new technology involved that he finds more than a little confounding. “It’s funny because we’re doing one or two songs that are from 1979 and 1980 when the group were on form and it’s working well. I don’t usually go in for that much myself, only about a quarter of the set is older than the last couple of years. We do Psykick Dancehall live now. That’s 1979, you know? Nowadays, they’ve got these contraptions, the rest of the group, they’re called a Shazam or something, you just name a song and they can play it. They’ve got more access to Fall stuff than I have. They’ve got things I can’t find in the house. I said, ‘Well, I bet it hasn’t got like Luke Parkin from 1955 doing a rockabilly song’ and it fucking did have it.”

enerable is one way – possibly the only way – to describe Mark E Smith and The Fall. Emerging from the mid-‘70s Manchester punk scene like a magnificent weed in an abandoned parking lot, this most lauded and long-lasting of musical experiments has gone on to record nearly 30 studio albums and tour the world incessantly. The driving force behind The Fall has always been Smith, the only original remaining member and, as the man himself puts it, “If it’s me and your gran on bongos, it’s The Fall”. The group’s most recent outing is Your Future Our Clutter, as urgent and interesting anything Smith has done in the last decade. With a reputation as a prickly interview subject, often of, err, questionable sobriety, Inpress approaches this chat with the utmost caution, but Smith is matey, polite, sober-sounding and engaged. What’s more, he’s quite impressed that Inpress has purchased his new record on vinyl, something he can directly relate to.

“Yeah, it’s come out well, I think. And you can get it on vinyl – that’s fucking good, ain’t it? You’re doing well to have got it, though; I only got it a couple of weeks ago myself. A box turned up about two weeks ago, but before that, I had to go out and buy it. Bit rough, that.” Given he’s been doing it for so long now, how does Smith go about approaching a new record? Does he feel like a time comes when he has enough material? Or does he just get itchy feet and decide it’s time to record again? It seems like it’s none of these things and that The Fall’s gargantuan output has more to do with Smith’s incredible work ethic. “The last LP, to me it took a long time, getting it to certain standard, I suppose. And I wanted to strike while the group was in form. I mean, if I had my way now, I’d start recording another album right away. And I don’t really look at it like this is my 25th LP or anything like

that. It’s more like it’s something I should do while I can do it. I always think the last one is the best one. I might be deluded sometimes, but I do think that.” Which would indicate that Smith doesn’t have a favourite. “It’s always the last one, you know? I don’t listen to them a lot to be honest. I’m a bit of a Fall fan, if you know what I mean. I just listen to them like it’s another group. I like [1991’s] Shift-Work – that always surprises me. I think that’s better than I thought it was at the time.” Given that The Fall are a group conspicuously from Manchester, as well as the fact that Smith has lived there all his life, when asked if he feels like the city has influenced his writing he makes a surprising admission. “Well, I’m more Salford than Manchester. Every fucking group in the world seems to come from Manchester these days. But I suppose so, yeah. But I think it has to be said, even though I live in

twitter.com/inpressmag

The Fall are also playing the Meredith Musical festival on this trip: country Victoria, pissing down with rain and hippies everywhere, not normally the kind of gig associated with this band. Smith has been forewarned, however, and seems somewhat resigned. “That’s what the wife – sorry, my wife – that’s what my wife said. She said it looked a bit Glastonbury-like. It’ll be all right, I suppose, but I’m still a club man at heart.” So, what about the future for The Fall? Does Smith have another ten albums in him? “I can’t really see a problem going on. I’ve always got the stuff so, yeah, why not?”

WHO: The Fall WHAT Your Future Our Clutter (Domino/EMI) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 10 December, Billboard; Saturday 11 December, Meredith Music Festival

twitter.com/inpressmag

NEW SENSATION When INXS booked time in recording studios all around the world to lay down re-imaginings of their classic tracks, vocalists were understandably quick to volunteer their services. BRYGET CHRISFIELD finds JON and TIM FARRISS invigorated by the experience.

NXS are just about to soundcheck for their ARIA performance featuring Dan Sultan and the bowels of the Sydney Opera House bring back memories for the band’s guitarist, Tim Farriss. “We’re in the green room,” he details. “It’s really cool to be here again because the last time we hung out in this particular area – which is the cafeteria, really – was when we were rehearsing the Kick album. We rehearsed a couple of albums here and that was back in the day when you were able to park next to the Opera House, along the stone wall that looks straight into the harbour, and you’d think to yourself, ‘Wow, this must be the most expensive carpark in Australia!’.” Last week marked 13 years since INXS tragically and prematurely lost their frontman. An admission to INXS drummer Jon Farriss that, as an old school INXS fan, some trepidation was experienced before

pressing play and listening to their latest album, Original Sin, is received with kind understanding. “What you just said is the absolute truth and it was the same for us a bit,” he shares. “And it’s been like that largely since Michael died… The band is still a band and because it’s our music, we felt like why not play it how we would like to play it?… The singers were the ones supporting us and also just really having a great attitude about it because obviously they’re not walking in trying to replace Michael or trying to do a one-up on him. It was always just with a great deal of respect, all the way through it.” Dan Sultan belts out a soul-drenched, gutsy, almost unrecognisable version of Just Keep Walking and, when the phone is handed to him for comment, his respect for this iconic Australian band is clearly evident. “Seeing some Australian dudes come out on the biggest stage, Wembley Stadium, is pretty much as serious as you get, and seeing Michael up front and just doing his work – that was pretty inspirational when I was a little kid. I thought, ‘Yep, that seems like a pretty cool job, I’d like to try and do that if I could’.” Was there anyone INXS were dying to work with on their latest project but schedules didn’t permit? “Um, not really. I know that sounds a little bit idealistic to say ‘no’, but it wasn’t like we tried to go for Madonna,” Jon laughs. The album was recorded over two years in studios all over the world and Tim offers, “It started off as, I like to call it, ‘a trial’ and just exploring different themes and different vibes and moods… We came in and didn’t know exactly what it was that we wanted. But it was incredible the amount of singers that put their hand up.” Some of the other artists who stepped up to the mic to re-imagine these classic INXS songs included Rob Thomas, Ben Harper, Mylène Farmer and Tricky. The process of recording these tracks would surely have brought up some emotions the band wasn’t prepared for? “Yeah, it did,” the drummer responds, “and there was some really amazing and strong energy, like, really beautiful energy and some really healing sort of energy. And it just felt right all the way through it, you know, and it just improved all the time. And, again, some of the songs suddenly had a new feeling to them, like, the lyrics had a different feel to them, and that’s where we suddenly found ourselves visiting our music like we heard it for the first time.” When asked to pinpoint his favourite track, Tim replies, “I like a lot of them, but probably the one that moves me the most is the version that Nikka Costa did of Kick. It’s just so different, but it’s really powerful in a moody kind of way. Have you heard it yet?” This scribe’s pick is Tricky’s Mediate. The guitarist shares my enthusiasm: “What’s cool about it too is, the tempo is 2BPMs faster than the original. Andrew [Farriss] had to reconfigure a few of the lyrics for that just while he was there with Tricky.” A few of the cuts on Original Sin feature foreign language lyrics and Tim Farriss explains, “Chris, our manager, he spends a lot of time in France ‘cause he’s got a French son – in fact, he translated Chris’s forward in the beginning of the record. And Chris approached Mylène’s record company about distributing the record in France and he said, ‘Yeah, and we’ve got Mylène Farmer on it.’ And they went, ‘You what?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, Mylène sang on a song.’ And they were like, ‘No way, no one gets her.’ And we went, ‘Well, we’ve got her on the record. Do you wanna hear it?’” It’s not only Farmer’s vocal props that caught Tim’s attention: “The amazing thing about her is, in the live show, she does the full strip!” Does she really strip down to nothing at all? “Absolutely,” he assures. “Nothing at all, just maybe a ring on her finger. So we’re looking forward to touring with her. She does that for her own shows, it might be a bit distracting if she does it while singing with us.” With an Australian tour locked in for early next year, the possibilities for how INXS will present their songs are endless. “It’s almost likely that some songs can be played twice even,” Jon enthuses. “I mean, it just depends on how they work together, and that’s the beauty of it – it gives us a whole new dimension on how we can interpret stuff live. We’ve played these songs for years and years and our body memory is locked in, so [recording Original Sin] was almost like being able to just shake the body memory and how those songs are being played and rediscover them. And it’s also a celebration for us as musicians to explore and expand with other musicians. That was another great thing about this record – it was an open door. I mean, with the Dan Sultan track, Dan Sultan’s guitarist Scott Wilson played [on it].” “They had this wonderful guitar collection there and I actually played the Carl Perkins Telecaster on the track,” Scott Wilson, also in the green room awaiting sound check, imparts. “Apparently it was his guitar and it was owned by Ray Davies of The Kinks, who was another hero of mine. It was a 1951 guitar or something so, if it could talk, it could tell a story or two, I’m sure. And I said, ‘Alright I’ll play this’ and next thing I know I’m playing Carl Perkins’ guitar on an INXS song! That’s a bit weird, isn’t it?” A collection of INXS remixes, INXS Squared: The Remixes, was released in 2004 and Jon tells, “I think one of the things we were groundbreaking in, way back when, was remixing – not a lot of groups were doing that. I mean, it’s almost like a standard thing [now], but that was one of those things we used to pioneer. And, of course, I’m really proud of [the remixes]. Again, I’m a firm believer that once you’ve recorded an album or a song – it’s there for perpetuity, you can’t take that away. That’s why it’s kinda like: if you believe in the force, you let go of it and it’s still there and if you hold on too tight, you end up breaking it… The other thing which is interesting is, Tim and I were just talking the other day, that Michael was already experimenting with different singers – he involved Chrissie Hynde on Full Moon, Dirty Hearts and then we had Ray Charles sing on that same album.”

WHO: INXS WHAT: Original Sin (Petrol Electric)

twitter.com/inpressmag

THE NEVERENDING STORY NEXT BRIGGS THING Shepparton rapper BRIGGS so impressed Hilltop Hoods they’ve released his debut album on their label, writes ALICE BODY.

MARK HEBBLEWHITE sought out ATREYU guitarist DAN JACOBS to ruminate on classic fantasy films from the ‘80s and the ‘festival experience’. Here are the results. One of the most distinctive components of the Atreyu equation is the dual vocal approach that utilises the soft/hard dynamic. Vocalist Alex Varkatzas unleashes a patented roar while drummer Brandon Saller offers a much more melodic counterpart. “Basically the dual vocalist arrangement we use reflects the musical influences of the band,” says Jacobs. “On the one hand we all liked really aggressive, extreme heavy metal because of its energy and passion, but on the other hand we also really liked more traditional metal that utilised melody. So we combined the two sounds to create something that was our own.”

etalcore warriors Atreyu are one of the many acts lined up for the No Sleep Til festival, so it’s lucky they love playing such events. “They tend to bring together a diverse array of bands as well as a diverse range of fans that you find together at any other time.” guitarist Dan Jacobs reasons. “It’s always great for us to be able to play to people who haven’t had the chance to hear our music. And of course getting the chance to play with bands like Slayer, Judas Priest and the mighty Black Sabbath are career highlights for us. “Over the years we’ve had some crazy festival experiences,” admits Jacobs. “The one that really stands out in my mind is the Hove Festival in Norway. It’s held during the summer time on an island and the backstage area was actually the beach. They offered free massages and haircuts and the catering was like staying at a fivestar hotel – it was an amazing experience for all of us.” Formed in 1998, Atreyu nicked their distinctive moniker from a character featured in the 1984 cult classic The Neverending Story. While those of us of a certain age remember watching the film as children, Atreyu’s young fanbase has no connection to the film at all. “There are two definite factions when it comes to this question,” confides Jacobs. “There’s one group of fans that just think, ‘Cool name,’ and don’t bother to think about it any further. Then there are those fans that checked out the origin of the name as soon as they started to listen to the band. Many of them then go back and watch the movie, which is pretty cool.”

It’s actually turned out to be a really good approach because it means that Atreyu can’t get pigeonholed as just one type of band. But surely Atreyu, more than most groups, has been on the receiving end of the ‘metalcore’ tag, especially in the wake of that style’s explosion in popularity over the past five years. “That is true,” answers Jacobs, “but we’ve always taken those kind of labels with a grain of salt. It’s always better to be lumped in with whatever ‘scene’ journalists want to create in their heads than be completely ignored.” Apart from appearing at the No Sleep Til festival, what else can we expect from the band in the coming months? “At the moment we’re coming to the end of our touring cycle, which has been going on for a while now. So we’re going to have a bit of break and recharge the batteries. We’ve written bits and pieces for a new record but we’ll have to sit down and really focus on songwriting.” And will the new record be a continuation of 2009’s Congregation Of The Damned, or represent a radical shift? “Our albums always reflect the state of mind we have and the circumstances we find ourselves in when we are writing and recording, so that’s a very hard question to answer,” points out Jacobs. “But I think the next record will be something our fans will embrace and enjoy.”

WHO: Atreyu WHEN & WHERE: Friday 17 December, No Sleep Til Melbourne, Melbourne Showgrounds

STAGE READY

My Name?). I think it was ’93 or ’94. It was the first thing that I’d ever really paid attention to, that I was like, ‘Oh, what’s this?’ And my cousin was like, ‘That’s Snoop Dogg. He’s mad.’ I think also because he kind of looked like my cousins as well, things were clicking in my head and I was trying to think, ‘What’s going on here. Is he one of us?’”

riggs (real name Adam Briggs – “I wasn’t very creative”) has dragged himself out of some well-earned R&R for this interview. “I just finished the last gig of the tour last Saturday and I just got back here last night. I spent a few extra days in Brisbane with my mates having a little bit of a celebration,” he says, sounding truly exhausted. With his holler-it-louder brand of rapid-fire delivery layered over a diverse range of beats, Briggs has been exerting a lot of energy of late, exploding onto the local hip hop scene with his debut EP, Homemade Bombs, released last year and his debut album, The Blacklist, in September. With interviews for such magazines as Rolling Stone, support slots for acts like Hilltop Hoods and Ghostface Killah, and kudos in the books of almost any hip hop aficionado, Briggs has become one to watch almost overnight. The tour he’s referring to was in support of none other than hip hop veteran and Hollywood drawcard Ice Cube. “It was amazing. It was a great show every night. He’s my favourite rapper and I got to watch him every night and see backstage, too, like the things that people don’t really get to see, him warming up and stuff. It was great.” Briggs hails from the small municipality of Shepparton in northern Victoria, hardly fertile soil for hip hop. “Shepparton doesn’t have much in the way of anything, unless you want factory work,” Briggs snorts. Nevertheless he was introduced to the genre at a young age through his brother and his cousins.

It was music that gave Doolittle the sparks down her spine and by the age of 12 she had penned her own song, Mr Mysterious. “It was about a boy who I had a crush on and he was so mysterious. It was basically copying Destiny’s Child. It was just silly as I was 12 and I didn’t really know about boys, not in that way, anyway.” It took a few years of songwriting practice before she decided to take her musical alter ego public – Caird was 15 when she played her first gig as Eliza Doolittle.

The daughter of West End star Frances Ruffelle and director John Caird, Doolittle stepped into the spotlight at a tender age. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Doolittle’s stage career started in the musical that made her mother famous – Les Miserables. “I was Cosette, the little girl who sings a song at the beginning,” she recalls. However, though she craved performance, she knew that it was not the acting bug that had bitten her on the bum. “I did that and one other show, but I wasn’t really madly into it. I was just at the theatre when they did the auditions. I was like, ‘Can I

The Blacklist certainly embraces a circle of Briggs’ peers, with beats being provided by Suffa (Hoods), Trials (Funkoars) and Jaytee (The Last Kinection). There’s an international influence as well, however, with other beats made by producers Merlin The Wizard from Germany, and 76 and Kelakovski, who both hail from Birmingham, England. The Blacklist’s opening track, The Checklist, has a great cowboys and Indians feel to it. “As soon as I heard it I knew. I was like, I have to have this. One of my friends actually got it from 76, and I was like, ‘You made that beat for me, didn’t you Seven?’ And he was like, ‘You know man, it’s for this other guy.’ And I said, ‘Ring him up and tell him he can have another one of your beats for that one.’”

WHO: Briggs WHAT: The Blacklist (Golden Era) WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Prince Bandroom

“I reckon I must’ve been about seven when I first heard hip hop,” Briggs recalls. “I remember the first song I heard was a clip on TV by Snoop Dogg called Who Am I? (What’s

DAVE LARKIN chats candidly to NICK ARGYRIOU about getting loose on his very adult GUN STREET GIRLS album.

audition?’ So they let me and they liked me. But I was never really that into it. Even then, when I was nine or ten, I knew I wanted to be like Beyonce, a proper recording artist. I knew I wanted to take that route.”

“I

By his own admission, Briggs has never held down a job for more than three months because, as he bluntly puts it, “I don’t like to do what I don’t like to do.” He does things his own way. Critics, however, have noted the influence of the Hilltop Hoods. “We’re all mates,” he says, referring to the Hoods (whose label Golden Era he has signed to), “and we all like the same kind of stuff, so we’re all coming from the same avenue. Except my avenue’s a bit more unkempt,” he adds, laughing.

ADULTS ONLY

The daughter of a West End star and a theatre director, ELIZA DOOLITTLE was always destined to perform, writes JEREMY WILLIAMS.

f you give me a minute I am just going to open my door as it is raining outside.” It is barely 8am here in Melbourne, but English pop star Eliza Doolittle (born Eliza Sophie Caird) is just returning home after a long day’s work at the recording studio. Doolittle has been this year’s surprise star in Britain. While the likes of Marina & The Diamonds and Ellie Goulding garnered the hype at the turn of 2010, Doolittle quietly worked away in the background and superseded her competition. Her eponymous debut album went gold within a month and it is clear Doolittle is still enjoying her unexpected success. “I was really surprised; I didn’t expect it at all,” she says. “Even though I hoped it would do well, I didn’t really know it would run so smoothly. It is such a struggle to get to that point; I thought it would be a struggle to connect with people as well. Luckily the music just worked; people just liked it.”

Briggs’s Indigenous roots play a part in his own music, although, “I didn’t want it to be the main cornerstone of my character or my music. I just wanted to make music to make music. Make some joints you could bump, that anyone could bump, before they go out to a party or whatever. That said, however, I think a lot of the aggression and frustration you could easily stem back to who I am and where I’m from.”

Several years on the live circuit was spent perfecting her craft before Doolittle felt ready to take the next step. She knew she had done the hard graft, but never expected to be taking her music around the world so soon after her debut was released in her home country. “Even once I was signed, I didn’t expect anything, I just knew I had to work really hard to get everyone to believe in my record. I don’t think you can force it, I am just lucky people have taken a liking to it.” Unable to pinpoint what it is that makes her music so popular, Doolittle is bored of obvious comparisons to fellow British singers Kate Nash and Lily Allen. She insists, “I don’t think there are [any similarities] apart from my accent when I sing. I don’t really think the comparisons are right and it annoyed me a little bit actually. It is just because I have brown hair and a London accent.” One listen to Doolittle’s breezy melodies and hum-along choruses and her point is more than apparent. A breath of fresh air, Doolittle’s ditties are devoid of any ego or attitude. Sounding like she just wants to have fun, Doolittle has successfully brought back the cheery pop record, but listen to the lyrics and there is more to Doolittle than meets the eye. “The music has a very uplifting, positive, summery feel to it but the lyrics are more my issues with the world.”

WHO: Eliza Doolittle WHAT: Eliza Doolittle (EMI) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, Toff In Town

“O

n this record I hear the sound of a band that’s really come together and decided, ‘Let’s work up more songs in the rehearsal room, and let’s have more fun with it and play what we love and don’t worry about rules and restrictions.’ That’s what Adult Loose is all about,” opens up Dave Larkin about his main band venture at present. Despite the Oz rocker moonlighting in the almost musical cabaret world over the past year, appearing in the Whole Lotta Love Led Zeppelin celebration and The Ultimate Rock‘N’Roll Jam Session (paying tribute to Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins), Gun Street Girls are still very much where Larkin’s heart lies. Released barely a year on from the band’s eponymous debut record, Adult Loose (a title taken from a mispronunciation of the name of troubled 19th-century Austrian architect, Adolf Loos) is a statement about the way Larkin intends to now roll. He’s grown tired of playing the waiting game with record companies, twiddling thumbs and plotting strategies as when to best release art into the market. “I’ve never been able to come to terms with the mentality that records should take three to four years to come out. I think that’s just lazy,” attests the big fella best known for his work with Dallas Crane, a collective who knew all too well the complexity and politics of being a popular Australian band. “Towards the end of Dallas we were collaborating and trying to do the right thing by everyone and had producers throwing in their five cents, and I was being a total pain in the arse [laughs], but with Gun Street Girls it’s all about writing great songs and having fun,” he states. Fun is positively one word you could associate with Adult Loose. The album art even goes so far as to feature a painting of ‘Barbara The Chicken’ on its cover. Adult Loose

twitter.com/inpressmag

is also an incredibly ballsy, rebellious record and finds Gun Street Girls making a defiant statement in more ways than one. From redefining the record-making process, messing with genre, to the band’s DIY low-budget approach to making videos for singles Johnny’s Down For The Count and Disappointing Friend (polar opposite to the über-stylised Video Hits music world and the $30/$40K spend of Dallas Crane clips), Larkin explains: “I think that there has to be more bravery in rock’n’roll than there currently is and people have to start moving away from such calculated thinking and avoid the pressure… we just thought, ‘Ah, fuck it, let’s just get on with it,’ you know?” Adult Loose features 11 songs across a 30-minute stretch. A handful of tunes barely make it past two minutes. The album even opens with a grungy instrumental riff that’s all Television-esque in its snake-charming feel. Such audaciousness is to be admired with Larkin, bassist/ vocalist/co-writer Dave Butterworth and drummer/ mixer Callum John Barter working over their own brand of grunt’n’groove punk styling in resplendent fashion. “I’m all for cutting the fluff in songs and if they end up being two minutes, so be it, but some of those songs are a long two minutes. I was listening to the Elvis song Don’t Be Cruel – that goes for a few minutes but it’s so memorable and everything that needs to be said is said and there’s even room for a solo in there!” Larkin laughs. With Larkin stimulated by the “thriving Australian music scene,” he just hopes that commercial radio and alternatives to the swamped Triple J format can help boost the profiles of these burgeoning bands and give them, Gun Street Girls included, a much needed national voice. The lads’ March 2011 support of American rockers The Hold Steady should help advance that profile ten-fold. “Yeah, well we sell Gun Street Girls on stage better than we’re gonna sell it anywhere else… so playing to 1,000-plus people around the different states will be great for us,” Larkin attests. WHO: Gun Street Girls WHAT: Adult Loose (Matterhorn/MGM) WHEN & WHERE: Tonight (Wednesday), York On Lilydale; Thursday, National Hotel (Geelong); Friday, Karova Lounge (Ballarat); Saturday, Northcote Social Club

twitter.com/inpressmag

A NOVEL IDEA

BORED GAMES

Each song on ALPS’ new 7” is inspired by the death of a protagonist in a modern novel, CHRIS HEARN tells NIC TOUPEE.

ewcastle-based ex-punk experimentalist Chris Hearn has been releasing conceptually intriguing records under his Alps moniker for half a decade now. His brand new four-track 7” single, which Hearn will be launching this week at the Workers Club, is no different: it’s a conceptually dense, mind-scrambling taster for his next album, which he reports should be in the can and ready for the world by early 2011. Hearn obligingly has a stab at explaining his ideas behind this new single: “The EP is comprised of four songs and each song is based around the death of the main protagonist in four modern novels. Each of the protagonists dies a really fucked-up and disappointing death – one is based on a guy whose passion for his art overtakes his life and kills him. I’ve been reading a lot about illness used by writers as a metaphor – people link death and art a lot in fiction. I myself have an almost consuming interest in music, sending myself on long overseas trips, compromising my health for it, so I can see parallels.” If I were a gambler rather than a jobbing scribe, I’d have odds on a certain classic text on the dangers of narcissism. Unfortunately, Hearn cannot be pressed into giving such helpful hints for any of the other EP tracks. “The nature of each death is quite different: one fades into nothing from not fulfilling their potential. The bodies of these characters are left, brushed aside in some way… I don’t want to give away too much because I want listening to the EP to be somehow rewarding for people listening closely and recognising the books I’ve written about. I think people will actually pick up on the meanings really quickly if they try.”

STRAIGHT ARROWS’ OWEN PENGLIS has few life goals outside making fun, fuzzed out garage rock, he tells ANTHONY CAREW.

There is one further unexpected twist in the tale – this EP, whilst discussing quite a morbid and fictively tragic subject, is actually a happy, even humorous affair. Hearn considers his approach to the subject playful and lighthearted.

His re-roping-in to Circle Pit wasn’t a huge surprise, given that outfit’s Angela Garrick (or, Bermuda, if you prefer) does time alongside Penglis in Straight Arrows. This, finally, is a band that Penglis won’t get kicked out of: it’s his.

“When I was writing these songs, I didn’t want to delve too deeply into the morbid side of it. Although we all have a dark side – everybody thinks about death to some extent. Sometimes the only way to approach a subject like this is to be tongue-in-cheek about it.”

After getting the boot from The Holy Soul, he sought to form a project keeping with his own ideas. “I wanted to have a band that was way more fun and enjoyable to be in,” he says. “No serious bullshit. No aspirations. Just fun.”

After several years of focussing on analogue synthesisers, Hearn has returned to the guitar, and this EP is redolent with it. It isn’t some quasi-religious epiphany which led him back to his first instrument, however, but some abatement in an unfortunately crippling condition, Hearn confesses. “When I stated to make music under the Alps name, I had been playing the guitar for ten years. I had been in a number of punk bands, and had unfortunately developed arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome in my hand. At that point I couldn’t play more than five or ten minutes of guitar without being in excruciating pain. I switched to using a keyboard in 2004 as it was much less painful. Now, the inflammation in my arms is a lot more bearable, so I’ve started using a guitar again. I’ll be playing guitar live on this tour, although from February next year onwards I’ll be having a guitarist and Alps is going to become a ‘band’.” Adding a chronic condition to some morbid subject matter and it is difficult to see how Hearn is lighthearted about his meditations on illness and death. However, since the birth of his son last year, it seems Hearn has found an uncommon happiness and enthusiasm for life. “I’ve been a lot happier in general and writing happier music. I had a baby 18 months ago and in a sense he’s my muse now,” Hearn acknowledges. “He has given me a new outlook on life and a reason to live, so now a lot of my music is indirectly – or directly – related to him. ”

WHO: Alps WHAT: Dead Scene 7” (Past Futures) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday, Workers Club

GROWING PAINS

hat is it about Owen Penglis? Is he just one of those guys? Does he just have one of those faces? Why, in his career of playing in “shittysounding garage bands,” has he been kicked out of, first, The Holy Soul and then Circle Pit? What’s wrong with him? “Maybe if I thought about it too much, I’d just get too bummed out,” Penglis laughs. “I think it just comes down to this: any time you spend a lot of time with people, your personalities can kind of grate on people.” Penglis formed The Holy Soul in 2001, at 17, in thrall to the Nuggets box-set. A 2006 European tour with Mudhoney provided their first big breakout, and became the beginning of the end for Penglis. “I guess I was pretty excited and wanted to party a lot,” he recounts. “The other guys, not so much. So, I got kicked out of that band.” In 2008, Penglis started playing drums in the post-Kiosk outfit Circle Pit, even recording their first 7” himself. Last year, however, he was shown the door. “It’s true: I also got kicked out of that band,” he shrugs. “I think we just had different, opposing ideals. It was nothing too serious, they just wanted to try a different line-up. Without me in it.” Amusingly enough, Penglis has just completed a US tour in, yes, Circle Pit; a drug-possession record for the band’s drummer earning him a denied US visa. The six-week stint included bills alongside such garage rock luminaries as Golden Triangle, Ty Segall, Monotonix, Estrogen Highs, Psychedelic Horseshit and Times New Viking.

“[My then-bandmate’s] first word was Papa and my first word was Pretty,” Rawle explains. “We were joking about how if he left, I wouldn’t be able to sing, so we called it Papa Vs Pretty.” Though the name says little about the group’s sound, it does give us an insight into Rawle and the personal connection he has to the music he produces. Though Papa Vs Pretty started life as a project with a friend, Rawle soon started “to skip school and stay home to record”. Using the home studio that his engineer dad had built, Rawle got lost in his experimentation. However, just before the newly named duo had a big gig, his partner in crime left him in the lurch and he “had to learn to sing in a week.” His new-found independence only served to heighten his interest in music. Just one click on to the internet can trace his musical journey to date. He states adamantly that he would rather there was “some tool to wipe shit from the internet. I was making music from a very young age and putting it on the internet, so there is loads of stuff on there of questionable quality that I don’t really like being up there.” Having honed his craft with an ever-changing band and Friday night performances at Sydney’s Candy’s Apartment, Rawle remained focused and eventually

And, the set is steeped in the classic garage rock sound; the spectre of Nuggets still lingering over Penglis a decade after he first heard it. “I can relate a lot more to those recordings from the ’60s,” he says, “than some really polished-sound current record that I have no idea how to make.” But, Penglis pleads, please don’t perceive him as someone staying ‘true’ to garage rock. He’s a fan, but no true believer. “I certainly don’t want to be some ’60s dress-up band,” he spits. “We’re definitely playing it now; we’re not going to be some purposely era-recreationist kind of thing… That shit’s really terrible.” WHO: Straight Arrows WHAT: It’s Happening (Rice Is Nice) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, the Tote

ROLO TOMASSI reckon they’ll never capture their live energy on record, JAMES SPENCE tells ANTHONY CAREW, but working outside their comfort zone proves fruitful.

added friends Angus Gardiner (bass) and Tom Myers (drums) permanently to the line-up. The journey to band completion was not without twists and turns, with Rawle keen to point out that, “I saw some pretty strange things when I was 15, which I guess is good but kind of weird. I was playing with people who were much older than me, people of 20-plus [years] were in my band. But I was 15 and in charge, which isn’t a very good dynamic!” In recruiting school friends of the same age, Rawle found the line-up “fitted really well”.

“W

Given Penglis hoped Straight Arrows would sound like “what happens when you play really loud into a fourtrack”, it’s no surprise that It’s Happening sounds fuzzed out; filled with short, sharp, silly songs in thrall to juvenile humour and the tropes of teen rebellion. Such songs are the product of “sitting around the house with nothing to do,” and, sure enough, often about boredom. “Maybe if I had other life goals, or a game plan, or something to aspire to, I wouldn’t be so bored,” shrugs Penglis.

MUSICAL REALMS

PAPA VS PRETTY’s THOMAS RAWLE wishes he could wipe his early recordings from the internet – and change band names while he’s at it, he tells JEREMY WILLIAMS.

e have been working really, really hard so that people don’t just look at our bad band name and actually like our music.” Thomas Rawle is seemingly embarrassed by the band name he chose as a 15-year-old dabbling in music with a friend. Though at the time a lot of thought was put into what would be a “heaps cool” name, Rawle states a realisation that he is now lumbered with “probably one of the dorkiest band names”.

But, three years later, with a debut album, It’s Happening, now on record-store shelves, haven’t things gotten a bit serious? “I guess you’ve gotta start showing up to shows on time,” Penglis admits. “And making an album we had to be a tiny bit more serious. Recording with someone else for the first time, you have to kind of get your shit together. But, it’s essentially the same thing. It’s still fun, we’re just, after three years, better at playing together.”

However, having been at the helm for so long, Rawle admits that “it has taken ages to get to the point where it is a comfortable band.” Yet there are factors that have helped forge the bond between the trio. First up is their new EP Heavy Harm, which Rawle approached in different manner to his earlier releases. “The first one I did totally by myself at home, then the second one was done in a studio with a band, but it was still songs that I had written and then recorded at home. This one, we had just finished school and it was very different. We felt it was necessary to name it something rather than just a number, because then it looks like a progression.” Instead of bringing the material in a completed format to his bandmates to record, Rawle opened the doors for Gardiner and Myers to contribute. Rawle concedes that he still writes the lyrics and guitar parts, but thereafter the workload is shared. New material has equally opened the door to touring, an intense shared experience which serves only to further the group’s dynamic. Having already opened for Phoenix, Paul Dempsey and Silversun Pickups, Rawle can’t contain his excitement about his upcoming headline shows. “The main reason I am excited is not because we are headlining, but because we get to play for longer. We have a lot of songs and we get upset when we can’t play certain songs, but it is hard to put everything on the setlist.” WHO: Papa Vs Pretty WHAT: Heavy Harm EP (EMI) WHEN & WHERE: Tonight (Wednesday), East Brunswick Club; Friday 31 December, Pyramid Rock Festival; Monday 3 January, Corner Hotel

felt like it had gotten really, really serious,” Spence offers. The band’s first LP, 2008’s Hysterics, was recorded not long after the majority of their members had finished school. The album was released to across-the-board acclaim in the UK, earning love not just from metal institution Kerrang, but the NME. The positive reviews for Hysterics were, though, more about the idea of the band itself than the actual album. As in, the record sounded a little bit uneven, not really living up to the force of nature the combo is on stage. “There’s an energy that we have when we’re on stage that will never truly be captured on record,” Spence shrugs.

nglish tourists. They’re as familiar a part of an Australian summer as beer, blowflies and raciallymotivated violence. North Country prog-hardcore kids Rolo Tomassi are suddenly playing the role of recurring visitors; blowing into Australia for a second stint of sunshine this year, following their Soundwave shows earlier in 2010 with a support slot for fellow Brit hardcore outfit Architects. It’s a trip the quintet are keen to take. “If I could sum it up in one word, it’d be fun,” James Spence, Rolo Tomassi keyboardist/vocalist, eulogises of their past visit. He’s speaking with a slight glow in his voice, anyway, as his band are fresh off a UK tour with The Dillinger Escape Plan. Back when Rolo Tomassi were just five English teens from South Yorkshire, the DEP’s frenetic, ultra-complex, mutant-math-rock chops were a sizeable influence. “When we started out, we wanted to sound like the bands we were listening to,” Spence admits, without a hint of self-consciousness. “That was stuff like Converge, At The Drive-In, The Dillinger Escape Plan and The Murder Of Rosa Luxemburg.” This was 2005. Spence was 16 at the time, his younger sister, Eva, was 15. It was their sibling act – his squeaky, squelchy, almost arcade-game-ish keyboards and hoarse-throated screams and his tiny sis’ fearsome death-growl vocals – that became the budding band’s calling cards. They grew up like any self-respecting hardcore act, through a steady diet of live shows in local and surrounding scenes. “It grew from the villages we were in, to the towns nearby, then we started playing in cities and within about three years we were playing in different countries. Once we started releasing records, it

twitter.com/inpressmag

Still, for their follow-up LP, this year’s notably ambitious Cosmology, Rolo Tomassi thought they’d try to, if not capture their on-stage presence, at least author an attractive alternative. Curiously, they ended up working with producer, DJ, ex-MIAbeau and pseudo musical ethnographer Diplo. “We saw that he’d mentioned our name in an interview he did and we thought that was very, very strange. We approached him to do a remix,” Spence recounts. “He then said he was interested in working with us on our next record. We were definitely intrigued, immediately; it seemed like a great chance to work with someone who came from another musical realm, to do something very, very different. To work outside of our comfort zone with someone who was used to working with, well, pop stars really.” Wait, outside their comfort zone? “When I say outside of our comfort zone, I mean someone who isn’t tied down in their approach, or who exclusively works with rock or hardcore bands,” Spence explains. “Prior to that, we’d only ever worked with friends in towns nearby to Sheffield… Knowing that money had been spent on sending us to the other side of the world to do something, it made us feel a lot more focused.” WHO: Rolo Tomassi WHAT Cosmology (Hassle/Shock) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday (2pm, under-18s; 8pm, 18+), Billboard

twitter.com/inpressmag

ISSUE 1151 - WEDNESDAY 1 DECEMBER, 2010

TOURS

PRESENTS

(HED)pe January 27 Corner Hotel

THIS WEEK 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

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 (Melton) KYLIE AULDIST, DEEP STREET SOUL: December 2 Federation Square JEZ MEAD: December 2 Northcote Social Club HAILER: December 3 Pony 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

GIG OF THE WEEK THE CHECKS SATURDAY, PONY

o say the rise of Kiwi rockers The Checks was rapid is something of an understatement. After winning a handful of band comps in their native New Zealand, the group were invited to play the Auckland Big Day Out. They were still at school – in fact, sitting in geography class – when they got the call telling them they’d been picked to tour with REM. After rave reviews in NME (of course), they moved to the UK, where they recorded debut album Hunting Whales with The Lightning Seeds’ Ian Broudie. Lumped in with similar fired-up rockers of the time – think The Hives, The Datsuns, et al – they toured hard and wrote their second record, Alice By The Moon, which they released themselves last year. After some AC/DC supports and a well-received Melbourne show in September, the band are beginning to recapture some of the ground they lost in Australia while living overseas.

Rat Vs Possum pic by Serena Ho

After a mammoth changeover time, Towels finally take the stage. This is a special night for Towels (and a strange night for the audience), as they are launching their debut 3.5” floppy disc. While this might seem like an odd bit of retro styling, it isn’t the only bit of the past that Towels bring up. While the guitar is straight out of the early-‘90s shoegaze textbook, the two accompanying synthesisers look further back, to vintage Kraftwerk. While on paper this may sound like an incompatible sound, it works fantastically live, with one synth used to provide drums and the other fleshing out the sound, while the guitar layers various effects and riffs. Like Footy, Towels’ songs are mostly instrumentals that build up in a similar way. The final song in particular, ends with loud and fast drums, mountains of guitar feedback and explosive synthesiser.

UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL

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 EVAN DANDO: December 12 Northcote Social Club LINKIN PARK: December 12, 13 Rod Laver Arena 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

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 PLUTONIC LAB & G LOVE: January 14 Northcote Social Club 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 Palace

LIVE: REVIEWS

RAT VS POSSUM, TOWELS, FOOTY WORKERS CLUB

ocal duo Footy kick off the evening very nonchalantly, with a short set of atmospheric, slow-burning piano duets. At first they seem very reminiscent of Lou Reed, especially during the brief moments with vocals, however it soon becomes apparent that they have more in common with fellow locals Kes Trio, although Footy are probably the more accessible of the two (this link is further reinforced by the Kes shirt that one half of the duo wears). Their songs are built around repetition and layers, gradually building into dense duels. After a very abrupt 20-minute set (made up of four or five songs), they leave the stage.

twitter.com/inpressmag

When Rat Vs Possum take the stage, the tiny band room has filled up with people eager to see the local band. Rat Vs Possum have got a great live reputation and with good reason. They waste no time in playing once they are onstage, immediately launching into Binti Jua, off their Daughter Of Sunshine album. They proceed to play through all of Daughter Of Sunshine, each song being an improvement on its recorded counterpart. When played live all of the songs gain an intensity that is sorely missing from the album, so it is great to see that Rat Vs Possum really step up to play live. They’re an amazing band to see live – each member plays their instrument with utter commitment and concentration. Then, as the songs come to their climax, varying members start to pound away at their individual drums, creating a barrage of rhythm and being utterly mesmerising to watch. The finale, album closer Animals, is a particular standout in this respect, as it is extended and expanded for more complex arrangements and some recorded sound bites amongst the maelstrom of drums. Rat Vs Possum leave the crowd thrilled and will continue to do so for some time to come with their standout live show. Josh Ramselaar

live@inpress.com.au

Hailer: Friday Pony

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 EARTHLESS: December 31 Espy; January 9 Arthouse 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 (HED)pe January 27 Corner Hotel 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 MATT & KIM: February 2 Corner Hotel THE GREENHORNES: February 2 Northcote Social Club 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 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 DEVILDRIVER, ILL NINO, ALL THAT REMAINS, NONPOINT: March 3 Billboard 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, CALVIN HARRIS, FAR EAST MOVEMENT: 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 HORACE ANDY: March 15 Prince Bandroom AFRO CELT SOUND SYSTEM: March 16 H-Fi KINGS OF LEON: March 17, 18 Rod Laver Arena JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE: March 18 Forum THE DOOBIE BROTHERS: March 18 Palais USHER: March 19, 20, 31 Rod Laver Aren URIAH HEEP: April 2 Palais THE SCRIPT: April 6 Festival Hall CYNDI LAUPER: April 8, 9 Palais GOD CHARLOTTE: April 13 Rod Laver Arena DISTURBED, TRIVIUM, AS I LAY DYING: April 24 Rod Laver Arena INDIGO GIRLS: April 29 Palais MAROON 5: May 5 Rod Laver Arena KYUSS LIVES: May 8 Palace

NATIONAL

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 HOODOO GURUS: December 17 Corner Hotel; 18 Ferntree Gully Hotel 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 BRITISH INDIA: December 24 Espy FIREBALLS: December 25 Espy THE BAMBOOS: January 14 Prince Bandroom BLUEJUICE, PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY, PURPLE SNEAKERS DJs: January 18 Inferno Nightclub (Traralgon); 19 Torquay Hotel; 20 Flying Horseman (Warrnambool) ; 21 Eureka Hotel (Geelong); 22 Westernport Hotel (San Remo) CHOIRBOYS: January 29 Palms At Crown

FESTIVALS

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

Fat Freddy’s Drop pic by Jesse Booher

FAT FREDDY’S DROP THE FORUM If one thing is for sure it’s that a Fat Freddy’s Drop gig takes dedication. Epic tracks tend to linger like the smell of a certain substance in the air of the Forum Theatre. Marathon tunes seem pretty fitting in such a flamboyant venue and it’s safe to say I’m not in the least bothered by long-winded dub tracks when they’re laced with the amount of aptitude as these ones. From the word go I find I’m writing notes with the soles of my shoes to opening track Cay’s Crays. All the while trombone player Hopepa (Joe Lindsay) has the crowd bedazzled, extensive solos and (surprisingly) a sweaty beer gut has us eating out of the palm of his hand. While his tendency to throw just about each and every item of his clothing into the crowd and his gyrating leaps and bounds across the stage are all well and good for tricks, it’s the humble and unassuming anthems of trumpet player Tony Chang (Toby Laing) that hold this seven-piece together. Dusted off nicely by saxophone player Chopper Reedz (Scott Towers), it’s safe to say this horn section leaves Fat Freddy’s Drop with a pretty sweet balance of sugar, spice and all things nice. Vocalist Joe Dukie (Dallas Tamaira) has a voice so soothing I feel like I’ve been drowning in honey, adding a whole new layer to a band already towering with talent. While there’s a lot to say for this multifaceted NZ get-up, it’s the crowd that really make this gig. I’m submerged in a sea of skankin’ faces, wide eyed and happy – these are no longer strangers and I don’t really want to say goodbye as in the words of track Roady: “I feel so good when you’re skankin’ with me.” I leave feeling how you should after any great gig: uplifted. Melody Paloma

LEONARD COHEN, PAUL KELLY, CLARE BOWDITCH, DAN SULTAN HANGING ROCK All traffic jams are forgotten once we arrive at the spectacularly picturesque Hanging Rock site and allow its majestic ambience to permeate our pores. The sun shines down on boozy faces and sunscreen is cracked open for the first time for many this year as we relax into chairs and smell wafts from jazz cigarettes floating by. We toast the missing schoolgirls from Peter Weir’s film classic Aussie film, Picnic At Hanging Rock, and Miranda is referenced at various times throughout the day. Dan Sultan in intimate acoustic mode, with his offsider Scott Wilson, provides charming sounds to soundtrack our initial quaffing. Never Let You Down is particularly heartfelt and the husky quality of Sultan’s voice could be an advertisement for tobacco. Old Fitzroy showcases his storytelling abilities and the set is over all too soon. What was it – five songs? The stunningly beautiful Clare Bowditch is up next and she shares an exasperated tale of having attempted to apply liquid eyeliner three times today, with uniformly disastrous results. “I wrote this next song for Leonard,” she reveals of I Thought You Were God. There’s a warm feeling of community onstage as Bowditch’s trio of female backing vocalists form a line and hold portable drums up for guitarist Tim Harvey to smash, while he leans back-to-back against Bowditch. Start A War, Bowditch’s “song about peace” closes her also-too-brief set. The masses reclining on picnic blankets turn feral as Paul Kelly hits the stage, screaming “Siddown!!!!” A sleeping sound tech behind the mixing desk could have adjusted Vikka Bull’s mic volume – her voice is smashing but a tad sharp in this peaceful setting. Bull is given a solo and sings Everything

twitter.com/inpressmag

Turns To White from the Jindabyne soundtrack while Kelly conserves his larynx. How To Make Gravy is reverently received and Before Too Long has the crowd singing along enthusiastically with Kelly’s precise guitar work. Kelly’s sincere delivery has the capacity to turn the most lackadaisical drunken larrikin into a blubbering, patriotic mess. The sheer volume of Leonard Cohen-style trilbies scattered around the place illustrates this crowd’s total devotion. As he opens proceedings with Dance Me To The End Of Love, we hurry back to our designated area. “Sorry!” I apologise to a prone punter whose foot jumps out at me, causing a near-stack. “SSSsssssshhhh!” scolds a zealot from five rows away. Everybody Knows is the perfect device to show off Cohen’s deep, sorrowful timbre. The Spanish Flamenco guitarist is breathtaking, each note channelling immense emotion. In all fairness to the relentless shooshers in attendance, the volume could have been cranked a couple of notches in this wide, open setting. When Cohen recites A Thousand Kisses Deep, there’s something resigned and melancholic in his delivery, which makes the listener feel strangely inadequate. Hallelujah was always going to be a highlight and thankfully people feel too derisory to sing along. The elegant waltz rhythm of Famous Blue Raincoat is a spectral caress with its nostalgic references to handwritten letters and locks of hair. If Cohen’s gentle grandeur didn’t lure Miranda out of hiding, nothing could. And, yes, this is one of those events that those in attendance will rave about endlessly before uttering, “Oh, sorry, I keep forgetting you weren’t there!” Bryget Chrisfield

BONE, DAMN TERRAN PONY Oh, the wonders of the working week. The delights of the double shift on top of a hangover the size of the period of time it’ll take for the next tram to arrive. Well, shoot me in the face with a firecracker and call me enlightened, I think I know what contentment means! OR SO I THOUGHT. Pony. The Mecca for minions far and wide. One of the few places you can find Day Job Nirvana at the bottom of a plastic pint. Local band Damn Terran are launching their EP tonight, and we catch support bone (lowercase, yes) within Pony’s hallowed walls. bone have got to be one of the best new acts in town. This four-piece thrashes the shit out of their instruments as metal musicians are wont, but the violence is the work of pros – sophisticated, clean and super-tight, not unlike a scalpel expertly wielded by a stress-crazed surgeon. Anyway, you should really catch them while they’re relatively unknown, because, yeah they’re really fucking good. So, I should add before I continue with the band of the evening, Damn Terran, that I haven’t properly listened to much on the heavy side of the spectrum since I was a teenager. If seeing bone is an exception, then catching Damn Terran is the catalyst for conversion. The crazy kids in the crowd, flailing their limbs like marionettes attached to a Catherine wheel, are a good initial gauge of the awesomeness issuing from the stage. The dissemblance of structured composition – the hallmark of postpunk – is definitely present in Damn Terran’s set, but the bright, raw energy between the smart sonic layout (a twisted take on a riff there, and a sharp turn on the drumbeat there – not unlike driving along Mt Dandenong Tourist Road at a 120km/h) makes for some compulsive headbanging. A stellar gig, both for its vibrancy and intellectual credit. Now the current feed of indie mulch seems even staler. Alice Body

live@inpress.com.au

FEMI KUTI, BOMBAY ROYALE HI-FI BAR Melbourne Bollywood fanatics Bombay Royale, decked out in masks to hide their identities, are sensational. It’s a kind of Morricone surf take on Indian music with shrill vocals, costumes and some killer dance moves. My favourite is the masked cruise ship captain on sax. Outlandish, kitsch, and slightly earnest, Bombay Royale are great, playing with the kind of debonair flair that you’d expect from the house band on Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom. Femi Kuti comes onto the stage in a fierce blast of Afrobeat noise. It is highly charged, fist-pumping stuff. He grabs his sax and plays one note that goes forever, impossibly long, causing the audience to erupt in a frenzy of dancing and screams. Femi does Afrobeat with ease. It’s like he has a little Afrobeat button hidden in his pocket – all he has to do is press it and suddenly we’re knee deep in infectious, charging Afro funk. These instrumental moments of pure Afrobeat – with its bursting horns, chugging bassline and repetitive call-and-response back-up singers – aere the highlight of the night. But although it’s in his blood, Kuti wants to be more than a slave to the (Afro) beat. Consequently many of his songs, particularly from his new album Africa For Africa exist outside that formula, and though you want him to be able to escape expectations to ape his father, the lush jazz world fusions simply lack the edge of his Afrobeat material. He sings Dem Bobo and the title track of his new album midway through, which he stops to tell us not to come too fast and gives us an educational talk about sexual relations like we’re 12 year olds. It’s really interesting if not a little peculiar and unsatisfying, my response something of a rollercoaster, the sheer joy of those Afrobeat jams struggling under the weight of Kuti’s political lyrics. Where Fela cloaks his message with a mixture of pidgin English and mischievousness, Femi is much more direct and as a result a little fatiguing. He also sings a lot more – shorter songs with more words – where you feel that perhaps his band Positive Force, who are a weapon themselves, would enjoy the opportunity to take their time, to spread out and kick out the jams for much longer. Bob Baker Fish

DIRTY YORK, BROTHERS GRIM, QUE PASO GERSHWIN ROOM Booked as a showcase to preview their new album Say Goodbye To Diamonds, local southern-inspired rock’n’rollers Dirty York made the audacious move of booking the infamous Gershwin Room for their show. But any fears that it might’ve been one room too big were quickly dispelled as I walked in to an already half full room of vibed-up punters transfi xed on the first act performing. Que Paso are an eclectic ensemble led by local multi-instrumentalist Chris Altman. Playing a great brand of roots-infused rock’n’roll, the band mix duelling guitars and harmonised vocals to perfection. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Altman does his best Levon Helm impersonation, expertly

leading the group from behind his drum kit whilst taking the lion’s share of the lead vocal duties. Next up, four-piece Brothers Grim waste little time in grabbing the audience by the scruff of the neck for a blues-infused rollicking. Essentially a three-piece featuring double bass, drums and some thoroughly exhilarating slide guitar playing, the band’s ultimate weapon is frontman James Grim. The bearded singer simultaneously baits and charms the audience with his entertaining banter about heartbreakers, only to then whip the entire room into a cathartic frenzy of visceral voodoo rhymes and riffs. Brilliant. But there’s little doubt tonight as to who everyone is here to see, and the near capacity audience greets headliners Dirty York like conquering heroes as they take to the stage. And in true style the band take it all in their massive stride, beaming from ear to ear as the deliver successive tracks from their latest opus, augmented by backing vocalists, keyboards and horns. Resplendent in his ringmaster’s top hat, vocalist Shaun Brown tears through the catalogue, confirming his status as one of Melbourne’s finest rock vocalists. And not to be outdone, guitarists Benny James and Luke Teys trade riffs like a pair of telepathic axe-men, whilst drummer Luka Szpakolski and bassist Todd Bennett keep the room pulsating to their relentless groove. In short, the band are on fire and everyone in the room knows it. After years trolling the backwaters and basement venues, tonight’s performance should signal the long overdue recognition and accolades that Dirty York have earned. Gig of the year, anyone? Symon JJ Rock

Wells likes to keep things personal and rarely holds back when it comes to the between-song banter. With constant checks to see which of her friends have attended, Wells is unashamedly frank about her loves and hates. With a scathing attack on a friend’s exgirlfriend and an unwelcome reviewer, Wells manages to giggle her way through both and her humanity makes her even more appealing. Whilst new single Through And Through proves why Wells deserves a place at the top of the charts, it is the diversity of material that demonstrates the true depth of talent that Wells has to offer. Wells knows how to make you shake your booty but she can just as easily makes those tears tumble. Jeremy Williams

METRONOMY, WORLD’S END PRESS PRINCE BANDROOM Malcolm McLaren reopened his SEX boutique under the World’s End banner in 1980 and the lead singer of World’s End Press, John Parkinson, bears a huge resemblance to the late impresario. The World’s End Press uniform tonight teams crisp, white collared shirts with an unravelling tie motif – each band member wears his tie/bowtie differently. McLaren would approve. Rhys Richards is a very exuberant keys player who pumps out killer piano riffs and Sashi Dharann’s bass/drum pad combo devastates. Only The Brave is some funky shit and early arrivals start peaking. You’d think this stage had a sprung floor the way these cats bounce about. Will be huge after their upcoming summer festival appearances. After spending a while setting up their own equipment onstage, Metronomy launch into a horny aural assault featuring bass key melodies that penetrate.

PARIS WELLS

Heartbeat Rapid follows and there’s crowd surfing by song two. Something isn’t right for keyboardist Oscar Cash and project founder/frontman Joseph Mount investigates. A fire*something*wire is requested from the crowd, but to no avail. A computer has failed them and Mount explains his band will now have to “muggle through” a few songs. Although momentum isn’t lost, Cash seems most dissatisfied. The band’s chest lights are worn to one side these days and they kinda resemble a breast pad when not illuminated. Technical difficulties prevail and Mount asks if there happens to be a DJ in the house who has a copy of the Benny Hill Show theme tune to accompany their cord manipulation. A DJ arrives on the scene and drops Sesame Street favourite Manamana followed by Mount’s request and then the band tries again. Heartbreaker perfectly punctuates Metronomy’s return attempt. A dude sitting on his mate’s shoulders expresses his delight by hurling a handful of ice into the air. Metronomy immediately reclaim their onstage mojo and Cash starts to ham it up. He could be The Hives’ newest recruit with his quiz show host poses and playing one-handed withe the other poised in the air, ‘Look, ma! One hand’-style, is a comical addition. Mount introduces a new song and it’s mysterious and wistfully beauty, as if he’s fallen in love between albums. It then rocks out and becomes a carni dervish. Metronomy serve up pure magic – except for one obvious, mid-song cock-up when the band members don’t lock back into the groove in unison. Although the band seem mortified by the events of this evening, even the time-consuming cable issues couldn’t drag down the tone of this gig. It happens to the best of them. Bryget Chrisfield

TOFF IN TOWN Melbourne soulstress Paris Wells launched her second album Various Small Fires at the end of October to a wealth of hype and positive critique. Having won over the hearts of the industry, Wells is now putting in the time to reacquaint herself with her fans and try to win over new hearts on the road. Whilst the industry is currently overflowing with a wealth of female artists, Wells’ killer voice takes her straight to the top set. Boasting Winehouse’s vocal swagger mixed with American newcomer Lissie’s crisp country rasp, Wells commands attention from the moment she shyly enters the stage. Though new track I Want You doesn’t quite have the necessary kick to open the set, by the time Wells reaches She Won’t Say Much she has complete command.

Metronomy pic by Shaun Quinsee

Wells makes for interesting viewing, given her emotional attachment to each song. Not one for half measures, each lyric is delivered with an honest authenticity. As Wells closes her eyes to connect to her next song, her physical transformation only serves to enhance her invitation to enter her headspace. Wells is far from a one trick pony. With a set that explores material both old and new, Wells invites her audience to partake in the tumultuous ups and downs. From the tender Grace Baby through to the irrepressible Dat Du Dat, Wells ensures that her audience knows a little about the song before she catapults into an unforgettable rendition.

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

EDGAR HEAD

Scott Edgar (Tripod) backed by a smokin band of Melbourne heavyweights (including Eamon McNelis, 2010 winner of the National Jazz Awards, Wangaratta), cranks out two sets of hooky pop infused with the wit that won him an ARIA at Bar 303 in Northcote this Thursday, as well as next Thursday 9 December. They’ll be joined this week and next by the amazing Xani Kolac (Tim Rogers, Old Man River) on violin. Entry is $5 from 8pm.

STORY TELLING Whether making music or films, the prolific TUJIKO NORIKO is always interested in crafting small narratives, writes ANTHONY CAREW.

GET TANK!D

BASTARD RAINBOW The Bastard Children take their multifarious line-up to the Rainbow Hotel this Friday for a multi-instrumental style-hopping jaunt. Wheezing accordions, bleeding harmonicas, tearing guitars, scraping mandolins, drums, whistlers, and other noisome things. Sordid, scandalous and superbly attired, it’s twisted folk, a smattering of gypsy, old-world jazz, part junkyard blues, part Celtic-Australian and all about good times. They will be joined for and evening of rollicking adventure by The Harlots.

INTA WEBB

Dan Webb caps off a massive year by returning to the Evelyn Hotel for a month-long residency. On the back of the release of his second EP, Hyperspace Clearance, and a string of shows nationally, the 21-year-old alternative rock force will bring his wildly spontaneous set to the spotlight in Fitzroy with special appearances from The Empire Horns. Support will come from a range of popular local acts including The Cuckoos, Wintercoats, The Smoke and The Raffaellas, who are currently rocketing up the Triple J Unearthed charts and will join them for the first gig on Tuesday 7 December. Tickets are $5+BF from Moshtix.

Over the last five years Tank! have been on and off like one of those bad relationships we’ve all had – you know it has to end but it just won’t. Each time the band break up it’s the important things that bring them back together; music, fun and a strong friendship. This time Tank! have stuck together long enough to release their debut, Hello Sparky, a fusion of electronica, punk, hip hop and pop. They celebrate at the Johnson in Fitzroy this Friday night.

PAPA DON’T PREACH Currently winding up their nation wide tour with The Holidays, Papa Vs Pretty are celebrating the release of their Heavy Harm EP with a trip to Melbourne. They’ve turned away punters at their sold-out Sydney EP launch and played alongside a string of local and international support slots with Silversun Pickups and Surfer Blood. A recent performance as part of Perth’s One Movement Festival pricked the ears of some of Australia and the world’s leading music aficionados and delivered one of the highlight performances of the Asia-Pacific music conference. They launch the EP at the East Brunswick Club tonight (Wednesday) with Stonefield and Fuzz Phantoms. Tickets are $8+BF from the venue. Oh, Deanna

COME ALL YE FAITHFIELD

Dublin-based, Australian-born singer/songwriter Rory Faithfield this Sunday takes his straightforward mix of Irish folk storytelling and vigorous musicality to the Drunken Poet stage. Inhabiting the same musical landscape as the likes of Christy Moore and Glen Hansard. Travelling with a widely lauded new record under his belt, this is Faithfield’s only Melbourne show on this trip and is sure to be one to remember. Kicking things off at 4pm will be the high-octane acoustic driven country blues of the Waz E James Band. Rory Faithfield takes the stage at 6.30pm.

ncluding collaborations, Japanese abstractelectro siren Tujiko Noriko has, since the year 2000, issued 12 records, from the awesome Shojo Toshi in 2000, to 2008’s weirdly overlooked Trust. Blessed with a programmer’s nous and a swooning, swooping voice, Tujiko authors albums of richly-detailed digital lullabies; her pure singing set against crackles of static and glinting tones. It’s amazing, Björkian music that, despite her cult following in this country – where she’s been a recurring tourist over the past decade – always seems underrated to me. It was here that she collaborated with Queensland sound nerds John Chantler and Lawrence English on U, the second album she released in 2008. Yet, the 34-year-old – Osaka-born, Paris-based – hasn’t made a record since; the two-year gap an eternity for an artistic as prolific as she, and certainly the longest time between releases in her ten-year career. So, y’know, where’s she been? “I didn’t know that it was the longest time between my albums!” says Tujiko. “I’m quite busy with my life, I must confess. I actually completed one collaboration album with Nobukazu Takemura, already, about half a year ago. That one is just waiting to be released, actually.”

OH DAN BOY Traditional Irish music is music that is traditionally Irish in nature. Each Friday in the early evening Dan Bourke and his posse of trad enthusiasts take to the Drunken Poet in West Melbourne armed with guitars, accordions, fiddles and all other things traditionally Irish and create a cacophony of trad goodness to begin the weekend in style. It’s the type of sound that makes you feel like telling stories that contain no truth, stories about people that you’ve never met in countries that don’t even exist. Unless of course you are Irish and then you likely have no need for making it up. Bourke and his friends begin at 6pm.

Tujiko denies that she’s prolific – “I don’t feel that way at all,” she says – but, when drawn away from such, is willing to admit that she’s hardly one to get creatively stalled. “Creation is very important for me,” she says. “I’m not sure if it has to be music, I think I could feel satisfied creating other things. But music is very beautiful. And I’m very happy that I wanna make it. I also like a lot of other creative things; films I have been spending a lot of time on recently and I really enjoy that. They’re fun to make!”

OH, DEANNA’S FINGER 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 lead still a productive, happy life. 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 you should congregate at the Bendigo Hotel this Sunday where a host of musos will be playing for a great cause. Opening will be the sumptuous acoustica of Tash Parker (whose new album Waking Up is a bloody delight); Cherrywood (formerly Cherrywood Guns) smashing out some alt.country Melbourne style; indie folkers Phia will make all manner of lovely sounds, and headlining is the magical, exuberant Oh, Deanna in all their genre-bending, cheeky, one-of-a-kind, totes sexy glory. Not enough? There’ll be free candy. Entry is $5 from 2pm.

“[Filmmaker/animator] Joji Koyama and I wrote a story for a film,” Tujiko continues. “It was super fun! I’ve also been doing some songs with Tyme. And I did small vocal work for Gisele Vienne’s new work. In fact it’s nice that you asked me what I have been doing. I thought it could be a bit depressive trying to explain what I’ve actually been doing. I always feel I’m too lazy and need to work more. It’s just the way I am. I could always do more. But, now I see there’s been a lot on, I just haven’t really taken stock of it at all.”

BETTY’S MAD MEN

Sydney group Betty Airs will launch its debut 7” this Friday at the Grace Darling with Electric Smile Band and Darren Sylvester, and also at the East Brunswick Club this Saturday with The Toot Toot Toots and Mikelangelo & The Tin Star. Betty Airs is the new musical project from Darren Cross (Gerling, The ELF), Christan Campano (Run!Hide!) and Michael Zagoridis (Run!Hide!). Born in a dilapidated shed in Glebe over the summer of 2010, Betty Airs take influence from 1950s rock’n’roll, grunge and The Ronettes.

twitter.com/inpressmag

Tujiko first branched out into film work in the mid-’00s, making two short films in Paris, Sand And Mini Hawaii and Sun, that showed the songwriter’s film tendencies to be towards quiet, quirkiness and ‘small’ narrative. At the time Tujiko thought about giving up music making to concentrate on cinema, but found the logistics and obstacles of the endeavours too onerous. “Making films is so much more complicated than making music,” she sighs. “Basically, it’s just so much more expensive. But, I’m still working on films. Now, I’m writing a story at present. I have another story that is basically done, which I think we will try and shoot with some financial support. It’s hard.” Tujiko sees the authoring of cinematic narratives as being not a huge step away from writing songs. Whether writing songs in English or Japanese, the songstress always tries to play the role of storyteller. “My songs tell stories,” she says. “The subject is always different in each song; a different story for each song. This is what I am doing with the new album and it is taking some time for me.” Tujiko isn’t, however, someone to impose such narratives too strongly on songs; or, even, to care if people can hear the narratives amidst her swirls of vocal layers and flayed digitalia. “I’m happy for people to discover whatever they want through it,” she smiles. “I think that’s one of the special things about all music: it’s different for everyone who hears it.” WHO: Tujiko Noriko WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Empress

TWO MOONS When you talk about hard-hitting, steel-stringed, hardcore country and roots music, you’re talking about The Moonee Valley Drifters, who mix these styles together with their own stamp of originals. Containing graduates of the Dancehall Racketeers, the Crakajacks, alumni of the Rhythm Rustlers, Slim Dusty Band and the Black Sorrows, the members of The Moonee Valley Drifters have worked the honky-tonk showrooms of Melbourne, Sydney, Tamworth and Texas, mixed in with years of studio time. They play two sets at the East Brunswick Club this Sunday from 1.30pm. Entry is $10.

live@inpress.com.au

WITH ADDED SALT

Salt Lake City have been described as a unique blend of classically influenced performers who have an alternative approach to their dynamic melodramatic sound. They’ll be playing with a huge line-up of Melbourne’s finest musicians at the Evelyn Hotel on Thursday 6 January, including local favourites Ennis Tola in the headline slot. Also playing on the night are acoustic acts Kate Ducardus, Nic Tate and Citrus Jam.

GOLD BALL

Ballarat teenagers Gold Fields have been together for little over three months, and have just a handful of shows under their collective belts, but their bedroom demos are winning fans far beyond the Melbourne suburbs that brought them together. Already the subject of heated label interest, celebrated British singles label Young & Lost will get the ball rolling on their UK assault with the release of Treehouse this December, and in support of the release, Gold Fields will fly over for their first UK dates. Catch them before they fly out this Friday at the Northcote Social Club with Kite Club and Apollo. Entry is $12 from 8.30pm.

BUFFALO SOLDIER

CLINKERFIELD’S CLEAN WILLY

Clinkerfield, Melbourne’s only all-you-can-eat drunken pirate convict rock’n’roll spaz debacle, return to the Tote for the first time since their now almost legendary annual Wash Winter’s Willies Away With Whiskey festival in July. After hardly any shows all year, the Clinkerfield spazmotron is well oiled after some fun-filled hit-outs, most recently for Little John’s packed-out album launch at the NSC. And, because Little John’s album launch at the NSC was such a triumphant success, the planets have aligned to reprise the magic. Clinkerfield, Little John and Roller One play the Tote this Friday. Entry is $13 from 8pm.

TINDERBOX ON FIRE

The Tinderbox Collective is the result of a decision by several of Melbourne’s most outstanding young musicians from the indie, hip hop and world music scenes that it just wasn’t good enough that

they weren’t around for the folk revival of the ‘70s. After meeting at the 2009 National Folk Festival, the group formed with the intention to reinterpret Australian folk and dance tunes for a modern audience. Already gathering a diverse fan base and receiving rave reviews for their energetic lagerphone- and cajón-driven beats, virtuosic violin melodies, Tinderbox will be headlining this Thursday at the Old Bar following sets from Supina (-Miso) and John Fox & The Medicine Bag.

GRUNGE IS GALLANT

The Gallant Trees and Slacquer will be taking to the stage at the Great Britain Hotel this Thursday from 9pm with their captivating punk songs. The Gallant Trees, who write songs about birds and social observations, will be following Slacquer, who will be kicking off proceedings with their version of fun powerchord grunge. So take along your dancing shoes to this free show as you will be left feeling energized for more. Entry is free from 9pm.

VASIE LEAN Royston Vasie get set to launch their debut EP, Welcome To The Pop Boutique, at the Evelyn Hotel this Friday. Having supported the likes of The Cruel Sea, Even, The John Steel Singers, Money For Rope, Whiskey Go Go’s, The Paper Scissors, The Cheats and i=it over the last few months, this is shaping up to be a massive show with support from Cannon, The Hello Morning and Colour Age. Tickets from Moshtix or $12 on the door.

Desert highway hipslinger Brother Buffalo makes a welcomed return to his singer/songwriter roots and showcases a goodiebag of new tunes at Gertrude’s Brown Couch on Thursday 9 December. Joining him as part of the special Freewheelin’ sessions will be gravel’n’honey songstress Teresa Dixon and shambolic pop folkster JJ Symon. For a night of sweet stompin’ dusty tunes and cold beer head on down from 8pm. Entry is $6.

FRUIT JUICY

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 stormin’, square dancin’, fiddle playin’, toe tappin’, knee slappin’, foot stompin’, tobacco chewin’, jaw droppin’ ol’ timey tunes that’ll make you wanna pick some cotton and drink some white Jesus moonshine. The group settle in for two sets.

The Death Rattles launch their new EP at Yah Yah’s this Friday. HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Andy Burns, double bass: “We had a plan to play the Apollo Bay Music Festival this year so we got together in February, madly started writing songs and played our first show at the Bay in March. We have come a long way since then…” HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? Josh Curtis, guitar: “We recorded our first EP, Tales Of Dogs And Men, this year. We did it all for under $600. We heard Nirvana recorded Bleach for $600 so tried to break the record.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? AB: “Fed off blues carrion.” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? Tyron Bremner, vocals: “I would have liked to have sung with Jeff Buckley.” AB: “Fleetwood Mac – they write the best pop songs.” JC: “David Bowie. Enough said.” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Stu Nish, drums: “Led Zeppelin IV.” Tim Neilson, banjo: “Time Out Of Mind – Bob Dylan.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? AB: “Stu has a Municipal Waste tee he likes to show off. I thought Moreland Council were doing merch now…” IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? TN: “Tacos.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? TB: “Johnston Street. It’s got everything – the Old Bar, 120 Bar and the Tankerville.”

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

LONDON FIELDS

The view from EC4 with James McGalliard

In these days of the so-called ‘firework career‘, it’s rewarding when good acts manage to survive, even when fame remains elusive and circumstances are difficult. During November I saw album launches from two of the three acts I marked for greatness in my end of year writers poll for 2006 (regrettably Model Morning never got that far). Back then I had a bet with Evi Vine that when her album came, it should be shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize that year. But her band fragmented, years passed and when she joined supergroup The Eden House I feared that chances of this ever happening were remote. Meanwhile I Like Trains signed to Beggars Banquet and released a debut album, but then found themselves label-less in the merger of Beggars and 4AD. Four years later in some kind of synchronicity both Evi Vine and I Like Trains have self-funded the recording and release of albums without the use of traditional record companies. It seems somewhat ironic that the London launch of He Who Saw The Deep, the second album from I Like Trains, is taking place during a strike by Tube drivers. The recording was financed via fan pledges, and this sort of dedication ensures that the gig is well attended in spite of the travel woes. When they take to the narrow stage of the 100 Club it’s immediately clear that something isn’t quite right – their drummer is missing. It transpires that Simon Fogal, who I’d seen earlier on the merch stand, has a broken leg, so Scott Hislop from Kyte is filling in. I Like Trains have always been much more than the sum of their parts – a clear example of the chemistry between the players creating something special. Even though Hislop does a fine job, the show was noticeably affected by the change of those elements. So while the guitars chime clearly (augmented by Ian Jarrold of the late Redjetson), the bottom end never sounds quite right. If tonight isn’t quite their night, Hope Is Not Enough and lost B-side Victress still shine, and it seems you may well be able to see this consistently great act for yourself soon as Japanese and Australian dates are pencilled in for 2011. Rising rents mean that the 100 Club is yet another live venue threatened with closure. Only this week the owners of the Luminaire, without doubt the best live venue in London, announced it is closing in a month due to financial pressures. I last ran into Evi Vine when I Like Trains played The Luminaire last year (and actually first met her in a queue to see them back in 2006). Eighteen months later her longpromised album is finished, but the Social seems a strange choice for her album launch as it’s more a club space than a live venue. Daunting would be the best description of having to begin a show just after This Mortal Coil’s cover of Song To The Siren has been played, yet Vine turns it into an opportunity by singing along with Liz Fraser’s landmark vocal as a microphone check. When the song ends and the band begin, the background chatter virtually disappears, and I’m quickly reminded of why this voice and these songs floored me four years ago. Her debut album, …And So The Morning Comes, is a very different beast to the one she might have recorded back in 2007, but some of the songs remain, albeit radically reworked. The original drummer, Steven Hill, is now on guitars and effects, and it’s wonderful to see all but one of that earlier line-up here in the audience to support her tonight. The live renditions are better than the album, the seeming simplicity and restraint of the strippedback arrangements make the voice and song all, and sometimes I forget other musicians are on the stage until they chime in. She maps the human heart, sometimes living in the dark places while hoping for the light, at others seeming to finally find a happy place, if only for a fleeting moment. Vine herself is a mixture of fragility and strength. The hauntingly beautiful love song The Colours Of The Night becomes a persistent earworm for days afterwards, the harp here replaced by a picked guitar which actually feels purer. They finish with Time Flies, and the pent-up energy pours out in a dazzling climax – something very special indeed. Perhaps it was in some way fitting that the release version of Vine’s album wasn’t actually ready on the night. Like the long-promised remasters of My Bloody Valentine, it seems to slip just a little further into the future, tantalisingly out of reach, untouchably desirable. When it does come, I just might keep a closer eye on the Mercury that year. Comments/feedback: inpresslondon@yahoo.co.uk

Sorted for E&Ps

EP Reviews with Bryget Chrisfield

MATT CORBY

TWELVE FOOT NINJA

BLEEDING KNEES CLUB

TRANSITION TO COLOUR Communion

SMOKE BOMB Independent

VIRGINITY I Oh You/Shock

Matt Corby, 2007 Australian Idol runner-up, is looking a lot more Angus Stone than Short Stack these days and the folk genre definitely suits his emotive leanings. Highlight track Made Of Stone was produced and recorded by Evermore’s Dann Hume and features glorious, tumbling piano played by Corby himself. Something about the melancholy tone of this track calls to mind The Cinematic Orchestra’s To Build A Home (you know, from the Schweppes ad with the exploding water balloons). Strings are masterfully arranged throughout, adding extra texture when plucked during Breathe. A lot of the material on Transition To Colour would be suitable for ‘cry it out’ sessions. Closer Kings, Queens, Beggars And Thieves isn’t actually 11.48 minutes, there’s an extended pause within the track. A ridiculously accomplished (but never dowdy) offering from Corby, who plays Thornbury Theatre this Saturday and the National in Geelong on Sunday.

Opener Clarion alternates between rootsy, strummed verses and thrashing choruses and this dichotomy is Twelve Foot Ninja’s steez. Game Boy bleeps kick off War – “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” – and aggro riffs grapple to coexist with delicate strings during Apocalpstik. Music fit to soundtrack a chillout by the pool quickly turns into a tune that would not sound out of place scoring Piranha 3D. Closer Manufacture Of Consent, complete with sax assault, is a metal-infused homage to The Specials. Twelve Foot Ninja’s songwriting sessions probably find the band members struggling to harness their unruly musical beast, which I suspect they let loose onstage. See for yourself at Bridie O’Reilly’s in Brunswick this Sunday, Frankston’s Pelly Bar on Friday 10 December or the Ferntree Gully Hotel on Saturday 11 December. There’s also a Twelve Foot Ninja comic, animated series and novel in progress.

The belligerent, garage punk sounds of Bleeding Knees Club are irresistible. These Brisbane boys also make a helluva racket for a duo. Short splices of bedlam (five songs – Bad Guys, Have Fun, Truth Or Dare, Camp Out and Teenage Girls – in 11.5 minutes) that are bound to shake up the mosh. Lyrics live in the here and now (“You found my cigarettes and you took three/They were meant to be for me”) and Alex Wall (vocals/drums) and Jordan Malane (guitar/vocals) call it themselves in the chorus of Have Fun – “I just wanna have fun.” There’s a mysterious extra, cut-off riff followed by a cough at the tail end of this EP but Bleeding Knees Club are rough and ready so anything goes. This music is not for fun sponges. Pack some band-aids and head to Rats this Saturday for Bleeding Knees Club’s EP launch. The band also support Waaves on their national tour next March, which equals killer programming.

LEONE WESTERN HEARTS’ STILL BEATING Independent I’m unsure as to what the piercing sound is that opens and continues throughout Are You Lying but do make sure you don’t play this track when your dog’s in the room. Dwayne Hutton’s vocals channel Placebo’s Brian Molko at times and the combo of angry guitars with ‘80s synths is an inventive concoction. Add drum machines and loops and it’s a murky soundcape. What Leone Western offer is damn original and gives you the impression there’s an admirably painstaking honesty in the songwriting. This set of tunes is challenging to the ear and would suit a projection-drenched live setting. Catch this Melbourne duo at Revolver tonight or Pony tomorrow night (if you’re hard enough).

PIGS COME HOME

FUN MACHINE MORE IS MORE Nash Cap Music The presser describes this quintet from Canberra as “cheek-mongers” and Fun Machine’s band name says it all, really. They could definitely get gigs as part of any comedy festival supporting Tim Minchin and are sure to be fun to see when you’re half cut, but there’s something a bit ‘in jokey’ about hearing these lyrics minus visuals – “Chemical castration, ladies, is the key.” The singers on Play Nintendo In The Jungle could be auditioning for voice over roles in a Lion King sequel. If daggy dancing is your thang, head to Bar 303 this Friday, the Curtin Bandroom on Wednesday 8 December or the Bender Bar on Friday 10 December where you are sure to find suitable musical accompaniment.

THE TOOT TOOT TOOTS CURSE THE CROW G-g-g-g-ghost Records A mighty “WEEEEeeeeeelllll!” opens Rooster Crow and Dan Hawkins sounds like he has a permanent frog in his throat – makes Barnsey sound like a choirboy! This EP tracks the progress of an ill-fated honky family and serves up some solid advice: “Guns aren’t toys and nor are cocks/Boys your age are throwing rocks” (That’s My Boy). The introductory brass of Oh! Maggie strikes a sorrowful note and the Hey Jude-inspired “dah-dah-dah”s become increasingly gravelly as the song develops (and Hawkins joins in with gusto). Ten points for the EP packaging, which features a separate card for each song’s lyrics with an accompanying photo on the back. The Toot Toot Toots are bringing their dark, inbred fables to the East Brunswick Club this Saturday.

BOWERS GET WAXED

Riding a wave of excitement from their 2010 world tour, The Pigs return to the Lomond this Friday. This year, The Pigs played the hidden nightclubs of Berlin, the majestic Lutherstadt Square in Wittenberg, and the Danish seaside festival in Skagen. The boys arrived home on Aussie soil just in time to see their video Single Ladies on Spicks And Specks. Their latest single, Hey Christina, is a revenge fantasy, with a wicked comic twist. The gig starts at 9.30pm.

This Thursday sees The Bowers’ triumphant return to the Australian stage and match-fitness after a three-week, 14-date European tour that left them hoarse and more than a little soggy around the middle. It was clearly all worth it, as they bring with them a fantastic new release in the ultra-deluxe, 180gm Bowerblue limited vinyl edition of 2010’s acclaimed Her Night, thanks to the lads at Cobra Snake Necktie Records. Join them for the release of this tasty slab of wax at the Tote this Thursday, with support from Wrong Turn and the effervescent Wolfie & The Batcubs. Entry is $8 from 8.30pm.

JEZ IN YER PANTS

Jez Mead is the archetypal slowburner. Relying on a DIY attitude and an unyielding touring ethic, Mead has been building a fire of support through appearances at almost every major roots festival in the country and unwaveringly positive word of mouth. Taken from the album, Beard Of Bees, his new single, Town’s Too Small typifies the intimacy and raw emotion that his fans constantly return to. Mead is currently touring nationally in support of Town’s Too Small and plays the Northcote Social Club this Thursday, joined by Lanie Lane, celebrating the release of her debut single What Do I Do. Opening will be James Collins. Entry is $12 from 8pm.

LOOSE GUNS

ONLY THE OLDIE FOR ROY

Having just been announced as the main support for US indie legends 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 this Saturday with special guests The Demon Parade and The Bonniwells. Be quick to lock down tickets from northcotesocialclub.com. All Geelong fans can catch Gun Street Girls and Money For Rope at the National Hotel this Thursday and for the Ballarat posse catch the whole thing live at the Karova Lounge this Friday also with special guests Money For Rope.

It’s the only time that you can wear sunglasses at night inside the Old Bar without being called a wanker and ejected from the venue. That’s because the Oldie is paying tribute to the big O on Saturday. Three of your favourite local acts will take on Roy Orbison and play his songs in whatever manner they see fit. The tribute nights are always a blast and fill up early and this one will be no exception. Jane Dust will kick the night off with her take on the man with the shades then Old Bar favourites The Heel Toe Express will do to Roy what they did to Bon for the Bon Scott tribute night earlier in the year, then the rockabilly bluegrass of Cherrywood will seal the deal and finish the set. Goddamn it’s gonna be good.

twitter.com/inpressmag

CARUS FOR CHRISTMAS Carus is back for Christmas and his annual end of year party show with good mate Loren to be held on Thursday 9 December at the Northcote Social Club. Carus has been based in Europe, playing over 100 shows there since March, and the NSC gig will see him taking to a Melbourne stage backed by a band for the first time this year! Carus and Loren have toured Australia together many times over and their Northcote shows always sell out. Newcomers The Quarry Mountain Dead Rats open the evening, fresh from performances at Queenscliff, FRL and with a set due at The Falls Festival. Tickets from northcotesocialclub.com.

CANNON POINT, SHOOT

Cannon are hitting the stage for the first time in five years to play a one off show with their pals Royston Vasie. Catch them where they left off, at the Evelyn Hotel, playing all of their ‘hardwood hits’, this Friday from 8.30pm.

live@inpress.com.au

BANG BANG

PURPLE SNEAKERS

BANG

RS PURPLE SN EAKE

EAK ERS PURPLE SN NEXT

N EXT PURPLE SNEAKERS

NEXT PURPLE SNEAKERS

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

HELP ALEX RECORD After a huge year playing shows, local residencies, touring and writing new songs, much loved local artist Alex Hallahan and his band aren’t ready to wind down the year yet. This month sees them play a Wednesday night residency (starting tonight) in the Edinburgh Castle’s front bar and then into the studio they head to commence recording Hallahan’s next album with renowned producer Craig Pilkington. Hallahan’s label, Painted Street, has set up a page through alexhallahan. com where music lovers can participate by actually contributing to the album project and in doing so get a bunch of goodies for themselves!

BANDING TOGETHER

LEWIS BOYES, organiser of tonight’s benefit gig to raise money for ill muso Dimitra Bucolo, explains the show’s importance to NIC TOUPEE. The Drones

MIKELANGELO, BITCHES

SHAUN’S A WINNER This year’s VIC/TAS Debut Blues Artist Of The Year Shaun Kirk returns to his home town of Melbourne this week after yet another busy and very successful tour of the East Coast. The young troubadour is gearing up for what is going to be a huge year in 2011 with plans of a new full-length album release to be followed by his biggest national tour yet, and even some overseas touring. You can catch Kirk showcasing songs from his award-winning album, Crusiin’, plus some new songs yet to be recorded this Friday at Oscars Alehouse in Belgrave and this Saturday at Tulkys Bar in Mooroolbark.

DRINK TO THE ’SUN It’s going to be an exciting night of eclectic alternative rock when Redsunradio, Seedy Jeezus and Vintage Radio play the Arthouse tonight (Wednesday) to mark the official beginning of party season! School’s out, work is a farce, no one cares about anything except cool beers and hot sounds as Melbourne heats up for another summer. For a measly $5, you can enjoy the ever popular sensation of blistering guitar and satisfying songwriting, shoulder to shoulder with your kind of people.

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 at the East Brunswick Club this Saturday. It is the first 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/The ELF) and Ancient Slate.

SLIMEY ONE

Slimey Things were first sighted in the venues of Sydney’s underground in the year 2001. This sextet of pseudo-pop psychos have a developed a reputation for their quirky but infectious music and their memorable, laugh-out-loud live performances. Their sound is an energetic blend of catchy pop, futuristic rock, sci-fi movie soundtrack music and zany cartoon sound effects. Catch Slimey Things this Saturday at Revolver for their only performance in Melbourne for 2010 as part of the travelling Menagerie festival, celebrating innovative and experimental music. With support from local heroes Go Go Sapien, Lan Party, Secrets In Scale and Toehider, tickets are $9+BF from Moshtix or $12 on the door from 7pm.

STOLEN FROM ADELAIDE

DO SEX FACE

Sex Face are a three-piece experimental funk group comprised of past members of the John Butler Trio, Epicure and Johnny Amigo. Sex Face relentlessly pursue a sound unto their own along with pushing the boundaries at their live shows, and are always on a savage journey to the heart of sound. Since signing with Green Media/Waterfront Records in early 2010 the trio have released their debut album and are planning a followup for early 2011. Sex Face will be joined at Revolver this Thursday by The Yard Apes, Fare Evader and onstage by DJ Gaz (Yacht Club DJs). Music kicks off at 9pm and entry is $8.

CHARLES

Charles Jenkins & The Zhivagos play their first show since their Winter Ball July spectacular, and their last show of the year at Yah Yah’s this Saturday when they flog their new single Walk This Ocean, from the much drooled over new album of the same name. The band will be touring nationally in February, which is a long way away, so don’t miss this chance to see them up close, and hear them nice and loud. Support comes from Even’s Ash Naylor. Doors at 9pm.

LOON LANDING After winning Triple J Unearthed Big Sound, Loon Lake have been busy writing new songs and gigging around Melbourne. Now, fresh out of the studio after recording tracks for their debut EP, Loon Lake are playing a mini residency at Ding Dong Lounge alongside Undercolours and Fever Artiste. Be there tonight and Wednesday 8 December from 8pm. Tickets on the door.

ewis Boyes confesses that he has never done an interview before. Despite his years performing in Dan Kelly & The Alpha Males, St Helens and Kes Band (amongst others), it seems that Boyes has never had cause to assume the limelight before. He’s now stepping up to the task for the best reason possible: to promote the Dimitron benefit. Organised by Boyes and friends as a fundraiser for sadly unwell Melbourne musician Dimitra Bucolo, Dimitron is a megastravaganza of Melbourne talent, with bands chipping in for the cause including The Stabs, Love Of Diagrams, New War, Hoss and headliners The Drones. Bucolo has been hospitalised due to complications from the complex and somewhat mysterious disease lupus, and requires assistance to meet medical costs – a situation any musician could find themselves in due to the sad lack of employer benefits and superannuation in the music industry.

A close friend of Dimitra, Boyes decided to combine good work with pleasure and turned to the industry to lend a hand with her medical expenses.

FOUND SUMTHIN TO DO

Lost & Found is a classic vinyl-influenced rock’n’roll night running every Wednesday in Revolver’s back room. Each week features Revolver’s legendary stalwarts Spidey, Adalita and Mary M alongside newly promoted resident DJs Gupstar and Decameron. Each week DJs spin lost and found soul, rock and indie records until dawn. Better yet, every week features a special guest on the decks. Entry is free and its kicks off at 10pm.

Boyes is convinced that the gig could sell out, if word spreads properly, because it is attractive on three levels.

“I’ve had this exact conversation with Helen [Marcou] from SLAM [Save Live Australia’s Music]. There is no real superannuation for someone playing gigs – in fact, many musicians often end up on the dole part of the time. If something goes really wrong you are at the mercy of the public health system, which isn’t really a great thing. But Helen, with SLAM, has already managed to get so many great things put through parliament for live music… we’ll see what becomes possible in time.”

Still running hot from their sold out tenth anniversary show in hometown Adelaide, prolific punk band Stolen Youth will be heading east to Melbourne for one show only at the Arthouse to launch their new self-titled 7” this Friday. Joining them will be Melbourne’s own Samsara to bring their brand of crushing hardcore punk with songs from their most recent album, Instinct Over Influence. Other supports include Frozen Over (featuring members of Iron Mind and Warbrain) and the up-and-coming Backlash playing their first ever. Doors are at 8.30pm.

“Dimitra and I have been really good friends for about 13 years,” he explains, “and I wanted to help with whatever I could do. The statistics are that one in 700 people in Australia have lupus. My girlfriend

“The point of the whole thing is that it’s for Dimitri and in that sense I hope people would consider coming because it’s a really good cause. But the bands are a big part of it, of course – it’s a great excuse to go out and hear heaps of really awesome bands. And finally, we’ll be giving away some really amazing prizes on the night, including tickets and accommodation for four people to All Tomorrow’s Parties in the UK in March 2011, curated by Animal Collective. We’ve been very lucky with the generosity of prize donations and bands getting involved,” Boyes admits gratefully. Of these three fine reasons to attend a benefit – altruism, entertainment and material speculation – if you answered ‘B’, this next paragraph may be crucial to your enjoyment of the evening. If you’ve pencilled down any band besides the headlining Drones, you may need a little precision in your planning, Boyes helpfully explains. “The gig is organised a bit like a festival – the first few bands are only playing really short sets – 15 minutes – and doors are opening quite early, at 7pm. I based the idea on the Short Attention Span series of shows Brendan Webb used to run. After 15 minutes of a band I’m personally ready to stop listening,” he asserts cheekily. “By the end the sets area bit longer. The Drones will be playing for 40 minutes but everyone else has between 15 and 20 minute sets at most. Of course, there are announcements and prize giveaways between bands which we had to make time for.” For those who can’t make it at all, Boyes and co have made it very simple to donate: “You can donate before the night by emailing dimitrafund@gmail.com. We’ve already had heaps of people doing that.”

WHAT: Dimitron: Benefit For Dimitra WHEN & WHERE: Tonight (Wednesday), Corner Hotel

JACKAL THE BAND

Celadore play Revolver on Friday 10 December.

After a year of blistering shows and a string of releases, Wilfred Jackal are set to cap off 2010 with their final headline show for the year. Wilfred Jackal have crafted a sound of wide guitars, pulsing keys and aerobatic vocals stretched over a super-tight rhythm section. Catch theirfinal headline show for 2010 at the Toff In Town this Saturday night with Undercolours and special guests. Entry is $10 on the door from 7.30pm.

HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Michael Cooper, vocals/guitar: “We met while Dave was looking after a lonely killer whale, which we eventually helped him to free.” HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? “We released our Make Sure single last year, and our Distance Is A Gun EP earlier this year. Both are available on iTunes.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? “Lemon, lime and bitters.”

also has it, but Dimi’s is really severe now. She is a very private person, though, so I’ll leave it at that.”

FRIDAY’S MISTRESS

IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? “Probably a re-formed Motor Ace.” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “XO – Elliott Smith.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? “I have a pair of black socks with wombats on them that I wear for the more special gigs.” IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? “Tacos.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? “My lounge room. The Workers Club a close second.”

Mistress Mondays return to Revolver Upstairs for their last show of 2010 this Friday with special guests Texel Rising, Carouselle and DJ Eddie Lewis. The talented four-piece have been creating waves in Melbourne’s independent music scene this year with their exciting blend of alternative funk rock. The band are set for what will be a defining 2011 with the recording of their debut EP. Doors open at 9pm and tickets are $10 on the door.

SHAKE IN THE BASEMENT After a great year, the final episode of the Basement Sessions happens at the Night Owl this Friday night, stinging up and rinsing out the sound to round out the present series with Part 3. Get ready for foundation-shaking reggae revival, rootical dubwise and ultra heavyweight basslines forwarded by Melbourne’s original custom-built, high-powered sound machine, crew and friends.

twitter.com/inpressmag

STEVE’S BACK The legendary Steve Lucas of rock royalty X needs some help with X-penses for an X-tensive back operation! Why are we telling you? Because you can help out by attending Lucas Aid at the Espy Gershwin Room this Thursday night. The gig features Kretch, The Ears, Dollsquad, Brian Hooper Band, Chris Wilson, Cold Harbour and Spacecho. Doors from 6pm and entry is $20.

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

MURDERS ARE HIP

HANDS ON LITTLE JOHN

Legendary Melbourne power-popsters Little Murders are about to release a brand new album on Off The Hip Records. Their fi fth album in 31 years is called Dig For Plenty. Get down to the Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood this Saturday to hear the new stuff and the old stuff – ‘cause it’s all good! In support at The Callers and more.

Every now and then a band emerges from seemingly nowhere to release a debut album that captures your attention and causes the hairs on your arms to stand up instantaneously. Little John are such a band with their release Put Your Hands On Me. The Melbourne-based five-piece are purveyors of country gospel and folk rock, and are the brainchild of the singer/songwriter and harmonica player from Redfi sh Bluegrass, John Dickson. They play the Tote this Friday; the Post Office Hotel in Coburg this Saturday; and the Old Bar on Sunday 12 December.

HARLOTT LIKES IT ROUGH

Harlott are returning to the Tote this Sunday for a pleasant evening of pure metal. Sirens Gate kick the night off with a display of heavy metal fury. Following them are the mighty Festation, after having made a triumphant return to music, they’re sure to put on a progressive thrash act to satisfy anyone. Naberus will continue the show with the heaviest melodies this side of Sweden and to finish it all off, Harlott will go ballistic with some thrashin’ madness and general tomfoolery. Anyone who loves their metal or is just after a Sunday arvo of beer and madness should come down to the Tote from 6pm. Entry is $7.

100% PROOF In the last few years, bi-continental collective Loveproof have notched up award-winning pop songs, Japanese and North American tours, and numerous film credits. Their current work is their most crucial and magnetic yet: filmic, shameless songs unifying beautiful pop, strange country, indie soul and splintered rock. Loveproof are playing one last club show before returning to Canada to begin work on their debut album with Darryl Neudorf. It happens this Saturday at the Great Britain Hotel, free from 9pm.

BANG ON, MAN

BangON! is back with a night of total mayhem, rawk, acid wash and metal at the Public Bar this Friday! What better way to kick off the silly season, eh? Gracing you with their amazingness on the night will be the 3 Man Duo and their acoustic metal insanity, as well as the forbearers of totes glamour radness Heavy Mental and the debut show from (soon to be) local shielded heroes The Tut Tut Kings in all their costumed glory. So, what are you waiting for? Oh, right, Friday. Entry is $8 from 8pm.

PICKERS COME DOWN It’s been another triumphant year for rock’n’roll bluegrass outfit The Wilson Pickers and to finish the year off the band will be launching the second single Half A Man from their ARIA-nominated album Shake It Down up north in Brissie this week. The band then head to Melbourne to support Mick Thomas & The Sure Thing at the Corner Hotel on Saturday 18 December. Tickets are $22+BF from the venue. To close off 2010 the Pickers will return to Queensland to perform at the Woodford Folk Festival.

MICK’S BIG PRESENT

SLAPPED WITH COD The dreamy and dangerous sounds of The Cape Cod Affair will erupt for a raunchy residency every Wednesday in December at the Builders Arms. Special guests each week will complete their message of love and togetherness, including tonight’s addition of glorious melodic duo Shag Marry Kill and the dulcet tones of Michael Stevenson.

IMMIGRANTS ROCK

The Immigrant Union Collective are a threepiece country’n’western band with quite the rock pedigree. Comprised of members from The Dandy Warhols, The Galvatrons and The Lazy Sundays, these well seasoned musicians are taking their brand of pop-tinged, back porch blues to the Retreat Hotel this Saturday. These guys are destined for great things. With their debut album due to be released mid-2011, you may not get many more opportunities to see them in such an intimate setting. In support will be country folksters The Wildes. When it comes to spinning a good yarn these fellas are no slouches. The hoedown gets underway at 7.30pm with Tracy McNeil and Luke Sinclair in the front bar.

YOU SHOULD KNOW BONJAH Bonjah will be headlining their first show in Melbourne since March at the Hi-Fi on Saturday 18 December. Currently touring the northern states, the band have been enjoying their largest crowds to date and are excited to be ending the tour in their hometown. Road-testing new material, Bonjah are receiving rave reviews from their audiences. Having had some months off writing, the live shows are creating a huge buzz. The first 100 people through the Hi-Fi door get a signed copy of their Something We Should Know single. Tickets are selling fast and available now at thehifi.com.au.

HOW YOU SAY JSHWA Sydney-based folk poet, cross-country journey man, lover of Slim Dusty and Beck, fast-talking folk-hopping storyteller with enough shades of performance to command a three-band bill, CJ Shaw leads a show at the Edinburgh Castle this Friday. Next up sits angelic beauty Priestessa with her hypnotic beats, devotional tales of love and loss, a voice that swirls high, magnificent and true, like the trees of the Dandenong Ranges, with a smattering of influence from London wonderboy Patrick Wolf and Sarah Blasko. Finally, up strides the long-legged Jshwa & The Owls with their expansive, ionospheric, mystical tales of journey and redemption. Entry is $10 from 8.30pm.

LOST AND FOUND MARY GAUTHIER’s autobiographical seventh album is giving a voice to fans unable to articulate their feelings, the singer tells SAMUEL J FELL. foundling; orphaned at birth, she was raised by an Italian couple, drifted into drugs and alcohol at a young age, and it wasn’t until she was 35 that she wrote her first song. The Foundling is a very personal, powerful record – coupled with Gauthier’s talent as a singer and songwriter, it’s no wonder this record is striking chords.

MUSIC TO THE SLAVE 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.

For the tenth year running, Mick Thomas & The Sure Thing bring their annual Christmas show to town. After touring Europe and China, releasing a new live album, playing a couple of huge shows with Weddings, Parties, Anything and setting up an online subscription music club, Thomas is set to see out the year in style with a couple of shows at his favourite Melbourne musical haunts. Catch the band at the Corner Hotel on Saturday 18 December with JVG Guitar Method and The Wilson Pickers, and Friday 24 December at the Northcote Social Club with The Idle Hoes and Van Walker.

ast weekend, up in Mullumbimby for the Mullum Music Fest, I was lucky enough, on the closing night, to catch Nashvillian Mary Gauthier’s set at the Civic Hall. After two and a half days of wandering around town immersing ourselves in a plethora of country/roots/rock sounds, to finish with Gauthier was an immense pleasure, her poise and enthusiasm on stage the perfect tonic with which to close it all out. She was accompanied by fiddle player Tania Elizabeth (from Canadian folk/bluegrass ensemble, The Duhks), and the pair wove together some of the finest vocal harmonies this side of anywhere – a pleasure it was to be sure. Gauthier’s set-up in Mullum marked the halfway point of her second tour here this year, riding high as she is on the release of her seventh record, The Foundling, a record which has already brought this late-starting muso much acclaim. “It’s been a real journey, and it continues,” she smiles on how well this record has been received, when we caught up a couple of weeks before I saw her in Mullumbimby. “It’s got a slow build, but it’s going in the right direction. And people are saying that it’s dark, but I don’t see it as dark, I see it as a discussion of what it means to have a family, what it means to have a mother and a father… It asks a lot of big questions and I don’t know if that’s fashionable right now.” Gauthier doesn’t need to worry about being fashionable; her music speaks volumes on its own and to hell with what the masses think. The reason The Foundling has been so well received, and also the reason people see it as dark, is because of its autobiographical nature. Gauthier herself is a

“It’s just incredible,” is Gauthier’s simple response when I ask how she feels having laid herself bare on record, and for people to really connect with it. “It’s incredible to watch people react to it. The most rewarding thing to me is when people come up to me and say that I’ve been able to give voice to what they feel, that they can’t articulate. So instead of the song being about Mary Gauthier, it’s becomes universal, which is always the goal.” This is the mark of a good songwriter, someone who can take from personal experience, but make it accessible to anyone and everyone – The Foundling certainly achieves that. I ask Gauthier how she feels having gotten these songs off her chest. “Well, it’s made me stronger,” she muses. “It’s made me realise that I’m not unique or alone. There’s a whole world of people, and an awful lot of them in Australia, who have experienced this very thing.” It would seem that by making this record, Gauthier has empowered herself, has opened doors she never realised it was possible to open. She’s been constantly growing as a musician ever since she released her debut, Dixie Kitchen, in 1997, and she’s not done yet. On that note, given how deep and personal the songs on The Foundling are, where, as a songwriter, does she go from here? “Bubblegum pop?” she laughs. “I don’t know, I think the muse will tell me. I hope she tells me, I’m a little overwhelmed as to where I go next. If I have to think about it, I don’t know what to tell you, but I’ve never, ever known where I was going to go next, but I always end up somewhere.”

WHO: Mary Gauthier WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, East Brunswick Club; Friday, Caravan Music Club

twitter.com/inpressmag

Frankie Alibi & The Fugitives play the Bendigo Hotel this Friday. HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Frankie Alibi, vocals: “One night about a year ago, I was at home and I was sleeping in my bed. On that particular night, Mr Dynamite, soul brother number one himself, Mr James Brown came to me in a dream. He told me that he was concerned with what had become of music in this day and age, that he thought that people had forgotten what good music was all about, and that he knew that I felt the same way. He told me that I had to put together a band. He told me to find 11 of Melbourne’s most talented and soulful musicians, and to take the good music to the people. So that’s what I’ve done.” HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? “We have no ‘official’ recordings as such. Our chosen medium is live performance.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? “Up tight, outta sight.” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? “Well, it would have been the Godfather Of Soul, James Brown, of course. But sadly, as that is no longer a possibility, I would love to take it to Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – to show them what it’s really all about.” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “James Brown – Live At The Apollo.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? “My clerical dog collar. I wouldn’t take to the stage without it.” IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? “Pork and beans. Turnip greens.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? “Wherever the best tunes are spinning and the dance floor is rockin’.”

JD GOES DOWN ON GROUSE The brainchild of friends Romy Hoffman (ROMY/ Macromantics) and band manager/badge-maker Lia Tilson, Grouse Party has brought a music industry ethos to the queer party mess, inviting local and international bands and artists to guest DJ as often as possible. Grouse has boasted such guests as Cansei De Ser Sexy (CSS) from Brazil, Jens Lekman (Sweden), Partyline (USA), Origami (USA), Beaches, and oh yeah, that hilarious drop-in from Katy Perry! Really it’s about bloody time JD Samson got in on the Grouseness for the party’s massive third birthday bash at the Cornish Arms on Saturday 18 December. Tickets are on sale now through Moshtix and you’d better get in quick coz this shit’s gonna sell out. Not even Katy can skank her way into this without paying!

BANG SKYWAY

Playing live at Bang this Saturday will be Skyway (QLD) with support from Word Up! and Mindset. Old Folks Home comes back to Bang! Be in the front bar to hear your fav punk, rock, hardore and emo of yesteryear! This Saturday Bang launches Metalocalyspe Season 3! Thanks to Madman, Brendan Small (Co-Creator of Metalocalypse) will be appearing and as a super special treat Klokblok (Metalocalypse tribute band) will be performing at midnight in the main room! Korn karaoke upstairs in the metal room and 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.

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

DEPARTMENT

WAKE THE

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

Hardcore and punk with SARAH PETCHELL

OF YOUTH

Children of Australia rejoice – Rock Eisteddfod is coming back to life next year! Once again thousands of primary and secondary school students will have the opportunity to perform in one of the 25 or more professionally produced performing arts shows across the country, with the finals being aired on Channel Nine at the end of the year. On top of all of that, Rock Eisteddfod executive producer Peter Sjoquist said, “With more than 800 schools around the world taking part, we are looking at harnessing today’s technology to allow us to stage a global online competition with global winners in each division”, making it bigger and better than ever. The competition began 30 years ago in Australia and has exploded right across the globe. The national competition was cancelled last year due to funding cuts by the government, but it has been confirmed that the Australian, New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian and Western Australian governments are on board for next year. Considering that the organisation has been running off a measly $100,000 contribution from the government and the support of sponsors, and the former Victorian Government just pledged millions to change the name of the St Kilda Junction Oval to Shane Warne Oval or something, it is a disgrace the Rock Eisteddfod funding got cut in the first place. The reason for the swing in opinion of the competition is perhaps down to studies undertaken by the University Of Sydney, Auckland University and Sue Cook Consultancy (UK) which show that students who participate in the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge have higher resiliency, attend school more often and are less likely to engage in risky behaviours such as drinking alcohol, smoking and fighting. Take that expensive government advertising, trying to achieve the same thing but failing. So I’d like to extend a huge thankyou to the campaigners, Rock Eisteddfod enthusiasts and event organisers who did not rest until this fantastic decision was reached and Rock Eisteddfod was saved from the jaws of extinction in the very country that spawned it. My only wish now is that I was still in school – next year’s event sounds like it is going to be epic, and I’m shattered I can’t be a part of it.

THURSDAY

Fed Square Live presents Kylie Auldist and Deep Street Soul live on the Main Stage, Federation Square from 6.30pm. This event is free.

FRIDAY

The South Melbourne Youth Festival is on at the Sol Green Recreation Centre in South Melbourne from 3.30pm. This event is free. Live n’ Loud with At War With Gods, Hallower, The Ascension, The Approach, While The City Sleeps and Ocean Grove takes place at the Cranbourne Public Hall from 6pm. Entry is $10. Stick To Your Guns with Draw First Blood and Wish For Wings play the Phoenix Youth Centre from 8pm. Tickets are available through Oztix.

SATURDAY

The My Future Lies Final Show with 13 supporting bands takes place at TLC, Bayswater from midday. Tickets are $17. The December Bender with Dream On, Dreamer, Summer Of Betrayal, Scar The Surface, Lacerated, Beyond Redemption, The Ascension, Phantom Alice, Summerset Avenue, Lvl 17 and Dale Alards is on at the Beaconsfield Community Complex from 2pm. Arrive between 2pm and 6pm and entry is $5, arrive later and it’s $10. The HighTide Jumpstart Jam Stage featuring Cold Train, Sachi P, Tess Guthrie, Pat Wilson, Jared Drever and Altitude is on the Torquay Esplanade from 11.45am. This event is free.

SUNDAY

The FReeZA Push Start Goulburn North East/Hume regional final is on at the Wodonga Showgrounds. Korn play Festival Hall from 7pm. Tickets through Ticketmaster.

I Exist

DEAD

I’m going to begin this column by reminding everyone that No Sleep Til Melbourne is less than three weeks away. Not only do you have some of the best international punk acts (let’s face it, Descendents are going to be the best thing this year, no question) but it’s also an excellent way for some exceptional local talent to show off what they’ve got. House Vs Hurricane will be fresh back from a European tour and Break Even always put on an excellent show. Tickets are still available so don’t miss out because you will regret it! Timetables and maps are also now up on the No Sleep Til website for pre-planning of your day. Architects commence their Australia-wide tour with Comeback Kid, Rolo Tomassi and This Is Hell this week. Given the blistering performances of all four bands on recent tours (Architects opening for Parkway Drive last year for one…) this is sure to be one of the most memorable gigs of the year. Architects premiered a second track from their forthcoming album, The Here And Now, on BBC1 a couple of weeks ago. Called Live To Learn, it sees these Brighton boys continuing the much more melodic theme of their new material. I’m curious to see if it and Day In Day Out will be featured in their setlists. Jimmy Eat World fans mark 11 April in your diaries, as the Phoenix band will be back on our shores and playing at the Palace. Supporting their sixth album, Invented, Jimmy Eat World will be bringing Courtney Marie Andrews (who sang backing vocals on much of the album) along for the tour. If you missed their awesome sets at Soundwave earlier this year, now is your chance to redeem yourself. Tickets are on sale from 9 December. All the horror punk fans out there will be disappointed to find out that the Misfits tour scheduled for February next year has been cancelled. The promoters, New Noise Agency, have issued a statement claiming that, “Due to timing and our current situation, we are unable

THE

RACKET

to run this tour. We sincerely apologise to those who have bought tickets, and all the fans of Misfits for this news.” Refunds are available from point of purchase.

earlier this year. Pre-orders are available from Monday. Both bands have posted new tracks on their MySpaces, taken from the 7”, in the past week.

The Reel Big Fish vs The Aquabats tour has been looming for a few months now, and this Thursday the tour commences in Brisbane, before making stops in the major cities including Melbourne on Saturday (at Billboard). Tickets are still available, so make sure you don’t miss out on this night of ska goodness!

Roadrunner Records Australia announced last week that their newest signing are Canadian rockers Silverstein. Roadrunner will release the band’s next album and beyond. With a full album to be released in mid-2011, fans can get a taste of the new tunes to come with a five-track digital EP scheduled for January. Vocalist Shane Told said of the signing, “Australia is our absolute favourite place to travel, tour, eat, hang out, shop and hold koalas, so we thought we should get the best label possible to put out our record there. That’s why we went with Roadrunner.” They join Bleeding Through and fellow Canadians, Cancer Bats, on Roadrunner Australia’s hardcore roster.

Just a reminder that Generation 2010 is happening on Boxing Day. I hear that tickets are selling quickly, so you better get your hands on them now because it looks like it’s going to sell out before the date. I know that there are a lot of people travelling from interstate as well, which probably explains why there are a whole lot of excellent shows happening – like at Plastic on 27 December, where Melbourne’s own Hopeless are playing with Sydney’s Phantoms. Speaking of Phantoms… In release news, Common Bond Records announced this week that early January sees the release of a split 7” between Sydney’s Phantoms and Canberra’s I Exist. Due 14 January, the Bad Romance 7” is a release dedicated to the magical place known as Wet’n’Wild. Recorded in one afternoon with Lachlan Mitchell between visits to Sizzler and a Soulfly concert, it features two songs from each act, with all named after a Wet’n’Wild ride. It will also be the first release from both bands after releasing individually excellent debut full-lengths

GIG OF THE WEEK

The Bouncing Souls. Hot Water Music and Dave Hause tour starts this week. The tour hits Melbourne on Sunday night at the Corner Hotel. This isn’t the gig of the week though. That goes out to the intimate sideshow that Chuck Ragan is playing at the Arthouse the following night! If you saw him with Tom Gabel last year or as a part of the Revival Tour earlier this year then you know this is a gig that should not be missed! He is supported by Dave Hause (The Loved Ones) and Darren Gibson (Lead Sketch Union).

Children Of Bodom

Metal, heavy rock and dark alternative with ANDREW HAUG theracket@inpress.com.au How often do you get some of the best Australian metal acts altogether on the one bill for a measly $15? Not often, but I tell ya you’d be mad not to attend this Saturday’s Sonic Forge Festival at the Espy. It’s a charity event for a worthy cause, raising money for the people of Haiti. You can witness many fine acts such as Be’lakor, Ne Obliviscaris, Dreadnaught, Frankenbok, Meltgsnow (Singapore), Death Audio, Contrive, Truth Corroded (SA), Five Star Prison Cell and Aeon Of Horus (ACT) to name but a few. Twelve hours of metal on three stages – be quick, this will sell out! A new Necrophagia song titled Naturan Demonto is available for streaming on the band’s MySpace page. The track comes off the group’s forthcoming Deathtrip 69 release and is the final installment of an Evil Dead-themed trilogy. According to the band, “The new material sounds like it should have chronologically followed Season Of The Dead, consisting of very dark and heavy riffs interwoven with audio horror and inhuman vocals.” Frontman Killjoy is full of praise for the new line-up and says that although it’s been a very long time since the band have been active, it’s the beginning of a rollercoaster ride into horror hell! “Inspiration is at an all-time peak and having known guitarist Boris Randall for over twenty years makes things a lot easier when it comes to songwriting, because we are always thinking in the same direction musically. Another element brought back to Necrophagia is lead guitar passages courtesy of Randall.” Duff McKagan’s Loaded have set The Soundtrack as the title of their new album, due on 22 March via Eagle Rock Entertainment. Children Of Bodom will release their new album, Relentless Reckless Forever, on 8 March via Universal Music. Recorded in Finland’s Petrax Studios with famed rock producer Matt Hyde (Slayer), the CD is the seventh studio album of COB’s illustrious career and the first new record from the band since 2008’s Blooddrunk. “We worked super-hard on this album, at least for

me it was pretty much no sleep or rest for six weeks,” stated Alexi Laiho. “But we were determined to make the best COB album ever, so we were willing to do whatever it took. Of course, having our producer Matt Hyde kicking our asses 24/7 definitely made the results even better, so obviously we’re more than anxious to get this album out there.” Black Sabbath/Heaven & Hell guitarist Tony Iommi recently revealed to UK’s Metal Hammer magazine that he has begun work on new material with the hopes of launching the “next phase” of his career alongside longtime Sabbath and Heaven & Hell bandmate/bassist Geezer Butler. Iommi has since issued the following update via his official web site: “Been a quiet week on the writing front as we are making some changes to the control room at my home studio. The idea is to tidy the whole thing up and get a bit more space as I like to play in there when I’m recording. Should be back at the writing next week.” Iommi previously told Metal Hammer, “What I’m doing now is writing. I’ve gone mad, writing loads of riffs again. I’m really enjoying it, putting stuff together. We will be doing something. I’m in touch with Geezer a lot now and we’ve been talking about what the next phase is going to be. It’ll be great to get out and do something again. I don’t normally say this, but there’s some great ideas coming out. That’s all I’ve got to do right now. Sit and write riffs!”

twitter.com/inpressmag

On the other side Wendy Dio, the wife/ manager of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio, has told VH1 Radio that she encourages the surviving members of Heaven & Hell to work together again under a different moniker. “I don’t know what they’re doing right now,” she said. “I know that Geezer’s been asked several times, and he’s just… he took it very hard. I don’t really know what they’re doing right now. They should do something else, with Vinny, too. I mean, the band was amazing, an amazing band and they should carry on doing something. It won’t be called Heaven & Hell but whatever they call it, it will be great, it will be amazing.” Progressive Norwegian rock/metal band Ulver have set Critical Geography as the title of their next album, due in 2011.

LOCAL GIG GUIDE

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

Dead Forest Index

BREAKDOWN Pop culture therapy with ADAM CURLEY While the rap and rap-sympathising worlds have been busy debating which multimillionaire egomaniac has ‘let his guard down’ more – Kanye on his new album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, or Jay-Z in his new book, Decoded – in a bid to figure out which grown man-celebrity to congratulate more for, y’know, being a human being, in Australia almost every part of music-talk has been overtaken by the oncoming onslaught of tours. Of course, the good value of the dollar hasn’t translated to promoters passing on their savings to the consumer, which means that all that talk is essentially, for people interested in live music, about which acts are worth paying for and which can be missed. It’ll be interesting to see who comes out victorious and who everyone decides isn’t really worth the price of yet another gig ticket. Belinda Carlisle is clearly keeping her odds good by almost exclusively playing RSLs, which must make Joan Jett feel like ‘a winner’ after she sold out the Annandale in Sydney in two minutes last week – especially after Carlisle tried to steal the ‘first female rock group’ title in interviews in the wake of that abhorrent film about The Runaways. Before we get into a detailed consideration about which lady could have cleaned a table with her nose faster back in the day, let’s get onto some of the exciting releases of the past few weeks. Brisbane’s dirgy psych group Blank Realm released a new LP through the Bedroom Suck label, with the ‘chuckle-bunny’ title Deja What?. The Velvet Underground references are kind of obvious but relevant in the best way; their slowly pulsating, clangy rhythms circling under mean rock’n’roll melodies. They’ve certainly got the loveable rawness thing down, with real songs that dig their hooks in and result in return visits to the record. After returning from the US, where they played the kind of ‘blog parties’ that then get turned into insta-historical ‘happenings’ via being incessantly blogged about, Melbourne’s pop princes Crayon Fields then turned out a remix of their All The Pleasures track by city-mates Opulent Sounds. All that partying must have made them hungry for the dancefloor because the track takes the bopping bass and sweeping chorus and turn them into a brilliant robot-arm-at-midnight soundtrack. Stream in on – where else? – the BigSound blog. Staying in Melbourne, the brothers of A Dead Forest Index finally have another release out

ROOTS DOWN

Blues ‘n’ roots with DAN CONDON rootsdown@inpress.com.au Twenty years of worldwide success and acclaim ought to be enough to convince you that Irish singer/songwriter Luka Bloom is a very special artist, but if it’s not then we highly recommend going to see him perform live. His records have been much loved by audiences all over the globe, but one cannot truly understand his genius completely without witnessing his transcendent live shows that have had Australian audiences in awe each and every time he has visited. He’s just released his latest album, Dreams In America, and to celebrate he has booked himself a couple of months in Australia. He has been quoted as saying that he spends two months of every 24 in Australia and 22 waiting to return. He plays the National Theatre on Tuesday 5 April. Tickets are on sale as of Monday morning from Ticketmaster or the venue. Cyndi Lauper has always been one to push the envelope musically and her latest musical venture is a blues album entitled Memphis Blues. The record sees Lauper putting her unique vocal style to some classic killer blues tunes and features guest appearances from BB King, Charlie Musselwhite and Allen Toussaint. Lauper is finally coming back to Australia on her Memphis Blues tour, so we’ll have our chance to see whether or not she can hold her own as a blues diva when she plays the Palais Theatre on Friday 8 April and Saturday 9 April. You can grab yourself a ticket from Ticketmaster right now from $99 up to $138. The Indigo Girls have been one of folk music’s most popular acts for more than two decades now, selling more than 12 million albums and earning themselves seven Grammy nominations along the way. The duo’s latest record is called Staring Down The Brilliant Dream and is a mammoth two-disc

following their studio time in Auckland back in 2009. The Antique EP (Independent) is three tracks from those sessions plus one live track; a modestly dark though texturally balanced traverse through beautiful, chanted vocals, slightly jarring guitar and dramatic drum patterns. Adam Sherry’s voice is a trembling wonder, but, as with Blank Realm, if they didn’t have the songs to back it up it wouldn’t work. They do. Speaking of New Zealand, Christchurch’s Pikachunes is the project of one dude, a drum machine and a laptop. Having signed to Lil’ Chief Records (home to The Ruby Suns, Lawrence Arabia and Shaft), Miles McDougall has just released an eight-track release of cold electro disco beats and bedroom-y vocals (in a good way) that can be streamed free from the label website and the Pikachunes Bandcamp, but also purchased very cheaply (like $5). ‘Perfect for summer.’ If you haven’t been sent it yet (which by now seems unlikely), look up the cover of Justin Bieber’s One Time by Sydney/Adelaide duo and Two Bright Lakes signings Collarbones. Not a ‘fucked up’, ironic take on a pop song by a ‘commercial’ act, it actually takes the song and rebuilds it with warm beats, chiming effects and soulful vocal harmonies to make it even catchier than the original. Apparently it’s off an upcoming album of remixes and covers by the pair and can be downloaded free from their Tumblr. Also recommended this month that I probably don’t need to bang on about: the new Girls and Wild Nothing EPs; the new Time Of My Life single from Patrick Wolf; the new World Without Men single from Jessica Says (and I disclaim that I was part of the clip but it’s still an amazing track); and the first track from the upcoming Death Set album, a ridiculously short song featuring Diplo titled Yo David Chase! POV You Shot Me The Head.

live set that features 31 songs handpicked by the duo from their live shows between 2006 and 2009. Of course each of the songs is packed full of the gorgeous harmonies and thought-provoking lyrics that their fans know and love and they have made sure that they have picked only the most proficient performances from throughout the shows that were recorded. The ladies were one of many great acts revealed as a part of the first Byron Bay Bluesfest announcement a couple of weeks back and now they have made all of their Victorian fans happy by announcing a sideshow to take place at the Palais Theatre on Friday 29 April. Grab your tickets from Ticketmaster from 9am this morning (Wednesday) for $89.90. If you’re down with local western swing, rockabilly, R&B, doowop and roots music then you will probably already be acquainted with The ReChords. The band have only been around for a little more than a year but since their formation they have become one of the city’s more proficient purveyors of old style music. Their two- and threepart harmonies recall classic styles from ‘30s bluegrass up to ‘50s doowop and plenty of things in between, but it’s all delivered with a kind of edge that gives it a certain 21st century relevance. The band released their debut LP, On The Wagon, in September and they’re mighty excited about getting it out to the people of their hometown, so get along to one of their many upcoming shows to become a part of the good times. They play Saddle Up Sundays each Sunday evening until Christmas at the Gem in Collingwood as well as hitting the Bendigo Hotel this Friday, Bella Union at Trades Hall on Friday 10 December and the St Kilda Bowls Club on Saturday 18 December. Not a great deal of blues and roots goodness in the second Big Day Out announcement, but if you’re heading to the festival then you’d be wise to check out US bluesy garage rockers The Greenhornes as well as Drones frontman Gareth Liddiard, whose recently released solo album Strange Tourist is one of the finer records of this year.

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

HENRY’S XMAS TRIP

MATINEE IDOL

Henry Manetta and his maverick jazz funksters The Trip will be pulling out all the stops for their last gig before Christmas at Bar 303 in Northcote tonight (Wednesday). Featuring the indomitable pianistic chaos of Adam Rudegeair, Ron Romero’s ultimate blow, the bass antibauhaus of Adam Spiegl, and Sam Hall’s future world percussion line, The Trip are the full experience. Doors at 7.30pm.

There’s a lot more to MATT CORBY than an appearance on a certain TV talent show. DANIELLE O’DONOHUE finds a thoughtful and emerging voice.

SANTA GOES POPBOOM Just before Santa squeezes his way down yer chimney, the Popboomerang Records Xmas Party will squeeze its way into the Cornish Arms Hotel. On Friday 17 December, the party will feature live appearances and DJ sets from current and old Popboomers as well as special giveaways and merch items. So lock in this date and let Popboomerang kickstart your Xmas cheer. Entry via “gold coin donation” from 8pm; bands playing on the night are Greg Williams, Courtney Barnett, The Underminers, D.Rogers, The Bon Scotts, Georgia Fields.

FREE ROOTS

Popular Melbourne reggae/Afrobeat band Blak Roots are proud to be serving up their funkfilled grooves at Bar Open this Friday from 10pm. Launching in 2008, Blak Roots have taken the Melbourne reggae scene by storm. From the Arts Centre to Moomba and venues in between, their distinct sound and songwriting has set them apart from the pack. Blak Roots’ original show defies conventional categories combining traditional reggae with Congolese rumba, Afrobeat, a touch of Latin and Caribbean salsa and zouk. Entry to the gig is free.

BAND KNOWS LOTS The Band Who Knew Too Much only know one way, and that’s up! An energy-packed, floor-jumping music experience that can inspire a mosh, a shimmy, a pogo or even an impromptu Charleston – whatever your vice, The Band Who Knew Too Much can scratch the itch. They’re back for another summer season at the Pinnacle in Fitzroy North where they’ll be cranking out some new tunes from their upcoming album to be released in April next year.

RATTLES, BABY

The Death Rattles will be launching their EP, Tales Of Dogs And Men, at Yah Yah’s this Friday. Scampering through the woods, fed off the carrion of dead bluesmen and dark country caves, The Death Rattles’ debut EP is a twisting turn in dark keys, stories of strangers, murder ballads and maudlin love. The five-piece will launch the four-track release with the swampy goodness of Backwood Creatures and the brooding melodies of Brendan Welch. Doors at 9pm.

THE BAY THAT 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.

SMILE. OKAY

Mistress Mondays play Revolver this Friday. HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Michael Staples, vocals/keys: “I watched our guitarist’s ability grow from when he was a prepubescent fellow, and I realised my talent alone wouldn’t get me anywhere so I decided to take advantage and conned him into forming a two-piece. Once we came to terms with the fact that we thoroughly disliked each other’s company, Tom Barrow [drums] and Joel Loukes [bass] came into our lives and Mistress Mondays was formed. HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? “As much as I enjoy tooling around in the bedroom we are going in to the studio in mid-December to record our debut single, Sound Of Me Sleeping, which will be released in early 2011.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? “Funk rock with synth.” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? “Karnivool. Their Hi-Fi show in the middle of the year was insane!” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “Icky Thump by The White Stripes.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? “I always wear my hat – not because it brings me luck but like many ‘unique people’ in Melbourne, I am currently recovering from a half-shaved head.” IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? “Mi goreng with an egg (as promised on packet).” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? “Lucky Coq, before the huge price increase from $3 to $4 pizzas.”

The EP has been released on Communion Music, a label run by Ben Lovett, better known in Australia as one of the members of Mumford & Sons. In London Mumford & Sons are practically indie folk royalty. And the ethos behind the label suits Corby to a tea.

Electric Smile Band are kind of a secret magic specialty band made up of a bunch of incognito mystics playing psychedelic journey music dressed as cloud priests. Once upon a time called The Amazing Phillips Sisters. they featured in Filter Magazine (USA) as their monthly “Discover The Undiscovered” artist a couple of months ago. Joining the priest-clad lads is Darren Sylvester – bringing his clever and witty lyrics that are licked along simplistic organs and drums – as well as Betty Airs, who bring their feel-good cowbell infused tunes to Melbourne. Entry is $10 from 9pm.

IN HAILER

Hailer, a four-piece band from Sydney, bring their debut album Good Canyon to Pony this Friday. They’ve orchestrated a fine assembly of Melbourne’s music makers for their launch south of the border – Harvest Smoke (with members of Screwtop Detonators and Sons Of Lee Marvin), Baptism Of Uzi (sludgey go-getters) and tour buddies Cockfi ght Shootout to headline with the impending release of their brand new album. Hailer has been described as a rock’n’roll psych folk band with a twist of lemon, and that’s pretty close. Good Canyon has been getting airplay on the stations that matter, including SYN and RRR.

he last time a lot of Australians saw Matt Corby he was a doe-eyed 16-year-old staring out at them through their televisions as he wowed Australian Idol judges and fans. Though he was one of Idol’s youngest ever contestants, his song choices – covering material by artists such as Damien Rice and Death Cab For Cutie – made it clear fairly early on that Corby wasn’t like most of the show’s other young hopefuls. Though he was to make it all the way through to the final in 2007, losing to Natalie Gauci, there was no runner-up CD release and no beginnings of a omnipotent pop career. “I was really young. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” Corby says. “I knew what I didn’t want to do. But I didn’t know where I was heading.” Instead of finding his voice in public, Corby retreated and set about trying to fit everything he’d learnt during his Idol experience into the musical upbringing he’d already had. “I went through a lot of different phases. I tried a lot of different things. At one point I was trying to sing like Tom Waits, at another point I was trying to sing like Johnny Cash. It was quite funny. But nothing really fitted until I relaxed. I think I was just trying to hide myself from people. I think after the whole thing with Idol I needed to be someone different. It was a big growing process by basically trying to copy everyone else.” Three years down the track, Corby’s voice isn’t what a lot of people will be expecting, but it’s definitely his. His new EP, Transition To Colour, is a beautiful piece of indie folk. His voice shares a similar otherworldliness with artists such as Jeff Buckley or Antony Hegarty and on the EP strings and airy melodies swirl around it.

FORGE A METAL LOVE

The Sonic Forge Festival takes over the entire Espy Hotel this Saturday from 3pm, filling the venue with more Aussie and international metal than you could ever get wood for. Amongst the seriously huge line-up (too long to event print here) are Be’lakor, Ne Obliviscaris, Dreadnaught, Frankenbok, Double Dragon (SA), Arcane (QLD), Earth, Embodied, Death Audio, Meltgsnow (Singapore), In Malice’s Wake, Contrive and Five Star Prison Cell. Tickets are $15+BF from theespy.oztix.com.au.

ROCK IT HOSTILE

Hostile Universe are a hard rock band from Melbourne formed at the beggining of 2009. Fusing many different styles, influences and their combined years of experience, they have created a unique sound that is reminicent of bands from the mid90s hard rock and alternative rock movements. They will be rocking a venue near you very soon this summer, beggining with a show at the Spanish Club in Fitzroy on Friday 10 December.

“They’re basically just building a community of musicians and a community of goodwill. It’s a pretty amazing thing. I feel like it’s done absolute wonders for the way I look at things. Especially musically. Those boys have helped me so much. It’s been really nice to have someone champion your music for you. We went out a lot when I was in London; we’d just go to the pub and argue about music.” Though the Communion connection has obviously been important to Corby in terms of his own musical development, it will hopefully also help the young singer/songwriter confound expectations. Corby doesn’t expect everyone to like his music. He’s not that naive. He just wants the chance to captivate and intrigue audiences on his own merits. “I guess [being signed to Communion] helped me a lot here too because it’s not very fitting for someone to have come from where I’ve come from to be associated with characters like the Mumford boys. I think it confuses people… which is a good thing, I think. It makes them think. But it doesn’t really mean anything.”

WHO: Matt Corby WHAT: Transition To Colour (Mercury) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Thornbury Theatre; Sunday, National Hotel (Geelong)

T-SHIRT PATTERNS

These Patterns, a three-piece experimental postpunk band, launch their t-shirt at Revolver tonight (Wednesday) with a big t-shirt party. With an array of electronic wonders and psychedelic no-wave sounds, the trio will also be celebrating their soonto-be-released debut EP. Supporting them are the electro indie delights of Tropical Gordon, Leone Western and Le Fox. Wear your favorite band t-shirt to the gig. Entry is$10 from 9pm, and you can nab a free demo with a t-shirt purchase – heck yes!

JIMMY’S OTHER PEOPLE

OVERNIGHT VIDEO DAY Chameleons are bringing their world-famous electro roadshow to Melbourne this weekend, hitting the Grace Darling this Saturday. Video Day will unleash his singularly brilliant post-wave and a new single fresh from its appearance in a Japtastic indie feature film. Berlin’s Aurora Kiss packs Italo disco chicanery into a set that takes in four costume changes, frothing gender ambivalence and a red keytar. All six-foot-four of Spender will be taking us around his well-heeled musical block. Pikelet’s DJ Shags will fill all the ambient noise in between with J-pop/Italo/trash gems. Entry is $8 from 9pm.

“It was actually my last night in London and my manager and his brother put on a show for me in this little abandoned café in Notting Hill and just told a bunch of people to come down. It was a weird gig. I actually don’t think I played that well but Kev Jones from Communion was there and Kev is Ben Lovett’s partner with the label. He approached me afterwards to be a part of the Communion movement. Once I processed what they were saying and what they wanted to do I was so up for it.

FLOAT IN, THE RIVER After the successful release of their singles Right Side Of You/Killer In Me and their debut full-length album A Room Full Of Beggars, The Dead River Deeps will see out the year with a killer show at their favourite haunt, the Old Bar, this Sunday! As the band prepare for their national tour in March 2011 to promote A Room Full Of Beggars, The Dead River Deeps will shake the walls full of their infectious rock at the Oldie, joined by good friends The Orphanage. It’s sure to be a beer-soaked Sunday to remember. Entry is $8 from 5pm.

twitter.com/inpressmag

Mr Jimmy formed in late 2008 from the remnants of Freddi’s Arts Victoria funded project, The Swans Of Avon (Shakespeare In Song), that had toured state-wide including Queenscliff Music Festival and Castlemaine State Festival. In the voice of Mr Jimmy’s debut album, Songs About Other People, one hears the sincerity of a country kid longing for a New York City highrise; the authenticity of Bob Dylan as a child; the sensitivity of lovers left behind, and the political straight-speaking of the son of an upper-middle class home. Mr Jimmy mixes their voices to the tropes of the crucified carcass of western world music. They launch the album at the Empress Hotel on Friday 10 December with support from Sarah Carroll.

ALEX RAISES ONE After independently releasing his critically lauded 2008 debut album, The Turning Wheel, local artist Alex Hallahan is now ready to record his next, this time with an interdependent state of mind. Through hia own label, Painted Street, Hallahan has set up a funding site through alexhallahan. com where contributors can “choose their own adventure” through their support. Hallahan and his band will also be madly fundraising through December with a Wednesday night residency at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel (excluding 22 December). They’re in the front bar from 8pm.

live@inpress.com.au

SUNSHINE AND BAR

The amazing force that is Vida Sunshine hits Bar Open this Thursday. Hear her spit immaculate rhythms and be sucked into her engaging vortex of stage presence.Expect a blend of both hip hop and reggae, she balances both worlds with ease. Digital Asssassin will bring a batch of dark beats outfrom the basement, live and direct to the crowd for his completely home grown set. Able & Manix will bless the stage, capturing your ears and minds with their bouncing beats and cryptic lyrics. Local producer Ghostsoul creates sounds and textures that will take your mind on a journey through distant exotic lands, triggering drum machine pads, and triggering thought. Entry is free from 9pm.

BLESS HOULETTE

Houlette is the sugar cube in your tea, with their French pop, country-esque folk minimalism, reminiscent of chanteuses from Francoise Hardy to Kate Bush. The band return to Melbourne for their first show (and possibly last for a few months) on home shores after an extensive tour throughout Europe following the release oftheir acclaimed debut record, Bless Bless. Houlette play Bar Open this Sunday with The Promises, who were born out of a shared love of Paul Kelly, The Cure, Ravi Shankar and traditional bluegrass. Doors at 7.30pm.

UP RAMPS

Aleks & The Ramps are an experimental pop quintet. You may know them from their multimedia extravaganza Antique Limb, taken from 2009’s Midnight Believer album. You may not. They have just returned from a tour of Japan, promoting their new single, Bummer. In the flesh, the band are a surreal treat: bursts of noise scattered between pop gems, a group cacophony of bliss-out proportions, and dynamic songs that flaunt the potential of pop and melody. They play the Toff In Town this Sunday with Tailor Made For A Small Room and Super Melody. Entry is $12 from 8pm.

ANDREW’S LONE HOPE

Hope Addicts have been in the studio recording the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2007 release, Blue. That album saw Hope Addicts return to Europe last year for the summer festival circuit and they’ll be returning again mid next year with their new album and their now extensive back catalogue tucked under their arms. In the

meantime Andrew McCubbin steps out on his own for a special solo show at the Townhall Hotel in North Melbourne on Sunday. It’s been a number of years since McCubbin has performed solo. He’ll be playing mostly new material from the forthcoming album and perhaps a couple of oldies from 5pm. Malcolm Hill will be on at 6pm and entry is free.

CELADORE, K?

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 on Friday 10 December from 9pm with Holliava.

DOZERS IN BRUNNERS This Saturday night sees probably the best line-up the Cornish Arms Hotel has had take the stage. That is if you count scuzzy, hairy, loud, beer smelling people high on your list

of things to see. Catch Dozers, Bone, Beat Disease and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Entry is free for a 9pm start.

STRANGE AND PURPLE

Purple Sneakers is fast growing into that party where a rabble of misfits gather to lose their collective shit over the newest offering in local talent, from the bearded urban lumberjack to the vintage princess and every awkward uni kid in between. Sure, it’s not always a dignified experience, but who needs dignity when the drinks are this cheap? This Friday at Miss Libertine is bound to be the hottest mess yet with Strange Talk jumping off the pages of every major music blog and hitting the stage live alongside the masters of infectious indie Red Ink. Even the most indifferent hipsters are begging to have their chests signed by their newfound favourite lad PhDJ and his pack of audacious DJs: Wildlife DJs, Lukewarm, Nouveau Riche and Poncho DJZ. Entry is $12 from 8pm.

Mannequin Alley play the Espy on Sunday 12 December . HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Estelle Artois, guitar/vocals: “Jess and I met at an audition for an all-girl cover band and hit it off from the beginning. We started jamming together and decided to give the cover band a miss. Then we discovered our drummer Josie who, fresh off a plane from England, was beating the living daylights out of an innocent drum kit at a gig in St Kilda. So we kidnapped her and dragged her down to our musical lair in Fairfield, which is when the magic really started to happen.” HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? EA: “We’ve done a rough demo but we’re looking forward to recording and releasing our EP early next year.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? Jess Riley, bass: “Cheekily aggressive rock’n’roll.” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? EA: “The Beatles – classic band.” JR: “AC/DC, ‘cause I’ve worshipped them since birth.” Josie O’Toole, drums: “U2, because not many bands have so many good songs that still sound great.” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? EA: “I’d struggle to choose between Blast Tyrant by Clutch and Back To Black by Amy Winehouse.” JO: “Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American – a song for every mood!” JR: “Deep Purple, Machine Head – and I’d listen to Smoke On The Water as I watched the place burn down.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? EA: “My lucky bra.” JR: “Lucky boots!” IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? EA: “I’d probably order in because I can’t cook for shit.” JO: “Chorizo red wine chicken and a big chocolate cake.” JR: “Fried eggs and peanut butter on toast… it tastes like satay.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? EA: “The Spot.” JR: “Cherry Bar.” JO: “Pint On Punt and/or The Elephant & Wheelbarrow!”

twitter.com/inpressmag

live@inpress.com.au

critics and didn’t fit the format. When he was voted off the show (he came seventh in 2006), a SMH reader, Roger Joyce, was moved to write a piece for the paper: “The night that Bobby went, I was reminded of the dispiriting scene in the film JFK where Kevin Costner’s character learns about the assassination of Robert Kennedy. He quietly goes upstairs to break the news to his wife: they got Bobby. Well, they did. They always get the Bobbys of this world.”

Bobby Flynn

LUCAS AID – I’LL DRINK TO THAT

HOWZAT!

Local music news by JEFF JENKINS

BACK LIKE FLYNN

Mark Mordue wrote a beautiful piece about Bobby Flynn in The Sydney Morning Herald. “Travelling with him,” Mark declared, “is like going on a voyage and not knowing where it will end up.” Bobby, who started his career in Brisbane, has now landed in Melbourne. He’s playing at the Northcote Social Club tonight (Wednesday). What prompted the move? “The reputation that Melbourne is Australia’s premier music city,” Bobby tells Howzat! He says he loves Melbourne’s “satellite suburbs that all have their own soul and psyche. And the great musicians, writers and producers who are all working hard!” What does he miss most about Brisbane? “My family, the weather and the river.” Bobby released his debut album, Out Front, in 2008. He’s now working on his second album, in the studio with Pip Norman from TZU. “We did a couple of co-writes together and there was chemistry so we just kept writing,” Bobby says. “Before we knew it, we had an album on our hands.”

Fans can contribute to the making of the album via the Pledge initiative. “Pledge is a great way to give people a chance to get into the studio and hear tracks as we make them,” Bobby explains. “It breaks down that wall a little more, and it’s a good way for people to see the creative process at work. It’s also a sweet way to pay for the record to be made.” There’s a range of offers: $10 will get you a download of the album; $30 will get you an autographed CD. For $50, you can get a phone call from Bobby or your name in the album credits; $100 will land you two tickets to a gig and the chance to drink Bobby’s rider, while $1500 will see Bobby doing a gig at your house. Find out more at pledgemusic.com/projects/bobbyflynn. Bobby was 11 when he wrote his first song. “It was a pivotal moment,” he recalls. “It felt like magic.” Around this time, Bobby started washing cars for $4 an hour, spending the money on cassettes, so he could tape his neighbour’s record collection. “They had this great collection of vinyl: The Clash, The Church, The Cure… Hearing this music really affected me. The Cure’s Killing An Arab was the first song that really went into my mind. It affected me physically.” Bobby – who lists his three favourite local songwriters as Don Walker, Perry Keyes and Alex Burnett – was the Idol revolutionary, the artist who confounded the

Steve Lucas is a survivor. As Murray Engleheart’s new book, Blood, Sweat & Beers ($35, HarperCollins), points out, many X members are sadly no longer with us, including Ian Rilen, Ian Krahe and Steve Cafiero. In fact, Steve – who also fronted the blistering Bigger Than Jesus – is X’s only surviving original member. But Steve needs a back operation, and a benefit gig this Thursday at the Espy’s Gershwin Room will help with his X-penses. The line-up includes Kretch, The Ears, DollSquad, Brian Hooper Band and Chris Wilson. Twenty dollars will get you in.

MAYDAY IN DECEMBER They call their sound “postmodern folk”. There are also some classic British influences. JJ Symon & The Monochromes are prolific – Mayday is their third album in three years. They’re also very good. The album is being launched this Sunday afternoon at the Northcote Social Club with special guests The Ronson Hangup.

VALE PAT PICKETT

Doc Neeson did a moving tribute to The Angels’ legendary roadie Pat Pickett, who died of cancer last Thursday. Doc dedicated Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again (which was originally inspired by the motorcycle death of a girlfriend of the band’s manager John Woodruff) to Pat at their Doncaster Shoppingtown show. In Clinton Walker’s Bon Scott biography, Pat was described as “a wicked friend of Bon’s who managed to attach himself to both Fraternity and AC/ DC. In doing so, he learnt the ropes as a roadie and today enjoys almost legendary status himself as one of that game’s elder statesmen.” Pat also did some work with Howzat!’s favourite band, Horsehead.

twitter.com/inpressmag

CHART WATCH

X Factor winner Altiyan Childs arrives at number eight. Somewhere In The World ALTIYAN CHILDS (number eight, debut) Who’s That Girl GUY SEBASTIAN (11, debut) Saturday Night JESSICA MAUBOY (16) Freefallin’ ZOE BADWI (26) Planets SHORT STACK (27) Plans BIRDS OF TOKYO (30) Big Jet Plane ANGUS & JULIA STONE (38) Guy Sebastian’s best-of has a top ten debut. Twenty Ten GUY SEBASTIAN (number nine, debut) He Will Have His Way VARIOUS (14) Down The Way ANGUS & JULIA STONE (15) The Great Tenor Songbook MARK VINCENT (18, debut) This Is Bat Country SHORT STACK (19) Get Closer KEITH URBAN (20) Vegas Songs From Sin City HUMAN NATURE (23) Gilgamesh GYPSY & THE CAT (27) Jack JOHN FARNHAM (28) Birds Of Tokyo BIRDS OF TOKYO (32) Little Bird KASEY CHAMBERS (33) Get ’Em Girls JESSICA MAUBOY (40)

HOWZAT! PLAYLIST

Running Around BOBBY FLYNN Snifferdog Blues JJ SYMON & THE MONOCHROMES Everything You Need NICK BATTERHAM Cold Change GUN STREET GIRLS Degenerate Boy X

Wed 1st

Todd Hart Is Back!!! The blues legend loved the place so much he had to come back. Starting 7.30pm

Thurs 2nd

The Bucket Room. Showcase of local and interstate singer/songwriters. 8.30pm start

Fri 3rd

Big Cheif Swann and his Voodoo Crew. Foot stomping blues and grooves. 9.30pm start

Sat 4th

Shane Diiorio Blues Band. Local blues outfit have a talent for making you wanna dance. 9.30pm start

Sun 5th

Monique DiMatina. Blues and jazz piano/vocals. Starts 2pm

Mon 6th

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

twitter.com/inpressmag

gigguide@inpress.com.au

WED 01

Alex Hallahan & Band Edinburgh Castle Hotel Big Folk, Rosie & George Wesley Anne Bobby Flynn, Goodnight Owl Northcote Social Club Bopstretch Uptown Jazz Café Brian Cadd Wellers Cape Cod Affair Builders Arms Hotel Chris Altmann The Standard Hotel Dizzy’s Big Band Dizzy’s Jazz Club DJ Sir Absolut, Clowns, Kristopher Young, Ruth RogersWright, Mark Fitzgibbon Berlin Bar Edel Plastik, Tim Pledger Product, Henry Manetta & The Trip 303 Electronic Music Masterclass Billboard Felicity Groom, Howl At The Moon, The Star Express Workers Club Goyim Marquis Of Lorne Hotel Hoodoo Gurus York on Lilydale James McCann The Gem KKS Project Evelyn Hotel Loon Lake, Undercolours, Fever Artiste Ding Dong Lounge Luke Howard Trio Paris Cat Jazz Club Made in Melbourne Film Festival Federation Square Michelle Nicolle, Septet Bennetts Lane Money For Rope Cherry Bar Open Mic Bendigo Hotel Open Mic Brunswick Hotel Open Mic The Bender Bar Papa Vs Pretty, Stonefield, Fuzz Phantoms East Brunswick Club Red Sun Radio, Seedy Jeezus, Vintage Radio The Arthouse Render, M-Phazes, Wooshie Bar Open Sime Nugent Duo Retreat Hotel The Drones, Hoss, Zond, Love of Diagrams, The Stabs, Kes Band, New War, Matt Bailey, Breathing Shrine Corner Hotel The Natural Culture Veludo The Nuremberg Code, The Screaming Jesus, Vimana Rubys Lounge The Word, Thousand Needles in Red, Eva McGowan, Roostar Esplanade Lounge The Zonks, Pageants, Pearls and Swine Empress Hotel These Patterns, Tropical Gordon, Leone Western, Le Foxx, Spidey, Adalita, Mary M Revolver

Todd Hart Grumpy’s Green Trivia Glenferrie Hotel Trivia night Royal Derby Hotel Umlaut, Fabio Umberto, DJ Bobo Fantucci, Tim McMillan The Toff In Town Undecisive God, Make Up Sex, The Insect Architect Horse Bazaar Vice Grip Pussies, Bunny Monroe, Rip Rides, Cole, Burn In Hell The Tote Virtual Proximity Loop Wine, Whiskey, Women, Rachel Byrnes, Tanya Ransom The Drunken Poet

THU 02

Ash Naylor, Bruce Haymes The Gem Ben Abraham, John Flanagan Edinburgh Castle Hotel Ben Smith and the Noise Diary Chapter, Purdy Goodwin Rainbow Hotel Beth & The Hemingway Collective Clare Castle Hotel Bewilderbeast Empress Hotel Blondie, The Pretenders, Adalita Palais Theatre Book of Ships, Tropical Gordon, Unique Gift, Drunk Mums, Florentine Antidote John Curtin Hotel Cassandra Jane, RUBY POGO @ Geddes Lane Chris Cavill & The Long Weekend, Let The Cat Out, 2swai, Ryan Baker Evelyn Hotel Eliza Doolittle, Love Story with 1928, Tranter, Rad Pitt, Megawuoti, Sleeves The Toff In Town Fozzy, Segression, Teramaze The Hi-Fi Goodtime Medicine Band Lomond Hotel Graft Vs Host, The Tear Aways, The A-Bomb Whores, The Debutant Kid Esplanade Basement Gravy Train, Kicking In Danger, The Captives Bendigo Hotel Greg Fleet, Xavier Michaelidis, Luke & Cambo, Tom Ward Gertrudes Brown Couch Gun Street Girls, Money For Rope National Hotel Hoodoo Gurus, The Break Hotel Shoppingtown Howard, Zion, Farrugia Bennetts Lane Jazz City, Bridget Pross, Filthy Soup Wesley Anne Jez Mead, Lanie Lane, James Collins Northcote Social Club

Kretch, The Ears, Dollsquad, Brian Hooper Band, Chris Wilson, Cold Harbour, Spacech0 Esplanade Gershwin Room Kylie Auldist, Deep Street Soul Federation Square Lorraine Veludo Made in Melbourne Film Festival Loop Mary Gauthier East Brunswick Club Microflora Builders Arms Hotel Missfire, Gripping Water, Midnight Drive, Dan Scrafo Esplanade Lounge Motion Paris Cat Jazz Club North Meets South Dizzy’s Jazz Club Of Whispers, Like Wizards, December’s Fallen, Venomartyr, I Know a Ghost Rubys Lounge Open Mic The Drunken Poet Oscar & Martin, Leone Western, Cheerleader, Toyota War, Throbulator Pony Patinka Cha Cha, Seagull, Super Melody Workers Club Pub Poker Glenferrie Hotel Rock Aerobics, The Villians Lair, Johnny Rock & The Limits, Guests Of Ghosts, Cloudmouth Yah Yah’s Saskwatch Cherry Bar Scott Edgar & The Universe 303 Sex Face, The Yard Apes, Fare Evader, DJ Gaz, 3181 Thursdays, Hans DC, WHO Revolver Sola Rosa Roxanne Parlour Steve Magnusson Trio Uptown Jazz Café Stick To Your Guns, First Blood, Wish For Wings, Trainwreck Next Stretch & The Truth, Pony Face Retreat Hotel Suzannah Espie & the Sensitive Strings Union Hotel Brunswick TBA The Bender Bar The Bowers, Wrong Turn, Wolfy and the Batcubs The Tote The Box Rockets, The Raffaellas, The Greasers 161 The Bucket Room, Local Singer Songwriter Night Grumpy’s Green The Gallant Trees, Slacquer Great Britain Hotel The Lemonheads, The Candles Corner Hotel The Nuremberg Code, The Hidden Venture The Arthouse The Red Twenties, Tang, The Peep Temple The Prague The Wrap Up Fashion Parade, Matty Grant, Matt Dean Billboard

Tinderbox Collective, John Fox & his Medicine Bag, Supina The Old Bar Undercolours, I A Man, Pack Bear Grace Darling Hotel Urgent Blood, Chaos Kids Blue Tile Lounge Valley Arm Showcase, The Canos, The Lawnton Bowls Club, Ben Cue, The Hazelman Brothers Brunswick Hotel Vedran, Dom Dolla, Beetlejuice, Press Play Dj’s, Retza Royal Derby Hotel Vida Sunshine, Digital Assassin, Able, Manix, Ella Thompson, Ghost Soul Bar Open

FRI 03

Andrew Reid, Gianni Marinucci, Roger Clark, Rory Clark, Mike Williams, Gideon Marcus Dizzy’s Jazz Club B.Two, Matik, Moonshine, Ms Butt Roxanne Parlour Beat Bazaar Horse Bazaar Belles Will Ring, Guineafowl, Magnetic Heads, The Messengers East Brunswick Club Big Chief Swann & his Voodoo Crew Grumpy’s Green Billy Hoyle, Tavares Veludo Black Swans Of Trespass Wesley Anne Blak Roots Bar Open Cj Shaw, Priestessa, Jshwa & The Owls Edinburgh Castle Hotel Clinkerfield, Little John, Roller One The Tote Cockfight Shootout, Hailer, Baptism of Uzi, Harvest Smoke, The Council, Pink Fitt Pony COG Ferntree Gully Hotel Craig Williams Glenferrie Hotel DJ Broadbent The Old Bar DJ Evo The Deck DJ Graeme Royal Derby Hotel DJ Sneak, James Belias, Anyo Pretty Please Dollsquad, The Jacknives Cherry Bar Drapht, Dialectrix, Briggs Prince Bandroom Electric Smile Band, Darren Sylvester, Betty Airs Grace Darling Hotel Fifteenth Avenue Blue Diamond Frankie Alibi & the Fugitives, The ReChords, Mr Doo Wop Bendigo Hotel Friendly Yen, Black Creek, Mechanical Pterodactyl, Tom Woodward, Xani Kolac, Mustered Courage, Blind Alley Band Empress Hotel

Fun Machine, Big Score, Beth & Ben 303 Gold Fields, Kite Club, Apollo Northcote Social Club Good Vs Evil Precinct Hat Fitz, Cara Robinson Williamstown RSL Jordie Lane, Jen Cloher, Kieran Ryan Corner Hotel King City Seven, None the Wiser, Terracotta Pidgeons, Supergreen Esplanade Basement Lowtide, Clue To Kalo, Martin B Sleeman, Monnone Alone Workers Club Mary Gauthier, Charles Jenkins Caravan Music Club Mistress Mondays, Texel Rising, Eddie Lewis, Mike Callander, Nick Jones, Tom Lally, Matt Radovich, Kizzam, Mike Metro Revolver Music Appreciation Society Loop My Disco, Robin Fox The Hi-Fi Paul Van Ross Paris Cat Jazz Club Paul Williamson Quintet Uptown Jazz Café Peter Baylor’s Road House Romeos The Gem Poprocks at the Toff, Dr Phil Smith The Toff In Town Pretty n’ Fatboy, Polo Club, Louie Gallina, Steve Richards, Just Lewis, Rusty (Electric Mary) Esplanade Lounge Ross Irwin Soul Special Night Cat Royston Vasie, Cannon, The Hello Morning, Colour Age Evelyn Hotel Samsara, Stolen Youth, Frozen Over, Backlash The Arthouse Sarah McKenzie Band Bennetts Lane Sean Forde, Rainbow Massacre, DJ Paper Rubys Lounge Shaun Kirk Oscars Alehouse Sofie Loizou, Spinfx, Spherix, Same-O Mercat Cross Hotel Strange Talk, Red Ink, PhDJ, Wildlife DJs, Luke Warm, Nouveau Riche Miss Libertine Tank The Johnston T-Bird Club Abode Teenage Shutdown, Sye Saxon, Wigin Lee Gertrude’s Brown Couch Telefon Tel Aviv, Michael Mayer, Neelix, Solar Fields, Boris Brejcha, Tobias Thomas Brown Alley The Bastard Children, The Harlots Rainbow Hotel The Bon Scotts Builders Arms, early show The Broderick, Scar the Surface, Caught In The Crossfire, Sans Amour Bada Bing

twitter.com/inpressmag

The Death Rattles, Brendan Welch, Backwood Creatures, Jimmy the Clink Yah Yah’s The Delta Riggs, Snow Droppers Ding Dong Lounge The Exotics, Crawfish Dave, Mohair Slim Retreat Hotel The Kill, Garbage Guts, Debacle, Ross The Prague The Lemonheads, Smudge Esplanade Gershwin Room The Madness Method, Graft Vs Host, The Ramshackle Army, Charging North, Atlantic Brunswick The Pigs Lomond Hotel The Silence Engine The Bender Bar Tim Woods, Jackson Fish, The Gallant Trees Cornish Arms Hotel Traditional Irish Music Session, Dan Bourke & Friends The Drunken Poet Tut Tut Kings, Heavy Mental, 3 Man Duo Public Bar Venomartyr, Driven to the Verge, Bury the Fallen Trash @ Casey’s

SAT 04

23 Angles of Attack, Run 330, Brainstorm, Bones Blackwood, Dan Dinnen Brunswick Hotel Alex Legg St Andrew’s Hotel, Arvo Show Andrew Reid, Tracy Bartram plus Jazz Dizzy’s Jazz Club Azlan, Rhythmik (DJ Set), Time Thief, Tristan Boyle, Dom Hogan, Blue MD My Aeon Bleeding Knees Club, Matt Van Schie, Butcher Blades, Neon Knights, Wunderlust Rats @ Brown Buddy Love Kojo Brown Chameleon, Aurora Kiss, Spender, DJ Shags Grace Darling Hotel Charles Jenkins & The Zhivagos, Ash Naylor Yah Yah’s Crooked Projects, The Rosannas 303 Dave Gray The Gem Deep Chi The Bender Bar DJ Evo The Deck DJ Matt Stabs The Old Bar Dom Turner, Supro Lomond Hotel Dozers, Bone, Beat Disease, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Cornish Arms Hotel Dub Station 3, The Nomad, Deep Fried Dub, Oakley Grenell, Dominic the MC Bar Open Fat Chance Station 59 Fats Wah Wah St Andrews Hotel

Feed Your Munkie, Francesca LiDonni Rubys Lounge Gun Street Girls, The Demon Parade, The Bonniwells Northcote Social Club Gypsy Brown Night Cat Haynestown, Lot 56, The Rusty Pickers Chandelier Room Helm, White Cell, Life To Order, Sleepa Evelyn Hotel Hoodoo Gurus, The Break Chelsea Heights Hotel Hot Water Music, Bouncing Souls, Dave Hause, A Death In The Family Corner Hotel Jacket Off Veludo Jon-E, Steve Punch Abode Julio & the Stevies Uptown Jazz Café Knife Fight, Extortion, Straightjacket Nation, Bloodclot Fgts, Pathetic Human The Arthouse Lily and King Oscars Alehouse Loveproof Great Britain Hotel Magic Monkey Waterside Hotel Mary Gauthier Notes Matt Corby Thornbury Theatre Mercy Kills, Vice Grip Pussies Cherry Bar Miami Horror DJ’s, Ooh Ee, Dublin Aunts, ‘96 Bulls Pretty Please Mikelangelo & the Tin Star, Saint Clare, The Toot Toot Toots, Betty Airs, Ancient Slate East Brunswick Club Mr Black & Blues Rainbow Hotel Mr Palmer Precinct Not The Wolf The Drunken Poet Pickled Beats, JPOD, Grotesque, Lickweed, Ego Loop Pillow, Swidgen, The Darrens The Prague Plagiarism begins at Home, Mojo Filter Ding Dong Lounge Private Function Public Bar Reel Big Fish, Aqua Bats, The Resignators Billboard Reverend Funk Blue Diamond Rimply Sed Reveller’s Bar Rodney Rude Ferntree Gully Hotel Ronit Granot, Travis Marke, Twice Smitten Wesley Anne Scratch N Sniff Gertrudes Brown Couch Shane Dilorio Grumpy’s Green Sianna Lee, Hamish Cowan Edinburgh Castle Hotel skyway, Word Up, Mindset Bang Slimey Things, Go Go Sapien, Lan Party, Secrets in Scale, Toehider, Ransom, Mat Cant, Dust, Ms Butt Revolver Smiles on Impact, Perplex, Ooh Ee First Floor

Sonic Forge, Be’Lakor, Ne Oblivisaris, Dreadnaught, Frankenbok, Arcane, Death Audio, Eye of The Enemy, In Malice’s Wake Esplanade (Whole Venue) Steller, DJ Tim, DJ Ash Glenferrie Hotel Steve Sedergreen Quartet Paris Cat Jazz Club Straight Arrows, Chinese Burns, Teen Archer, Halfheads, DJ Per The Tote The Callers, Little Murders Bendigo Hotel The Checks, Fever Artiste, The Ovals, The Kremlin Succession, Redcoats, Love Puff Pony The Crackwhores Labour In Vain The Glorious Bastards Post Office Hotel The Glorious Bastards The Post Office Club Hotel The Immigrant Union Collective, The Wildes, Tracey McNeil, Luke Sinclair, DJ Aerlie Wild Retreat Hotel The Nymphs Builders Arms, early show The Orbweavers Edinburgh Castle, early show The Reefers, Tess McKenna & the Shapiros Union Hotel Brunswick The Snow Droppers Barwon Heads Hotel The Upbeats, Sigma, MC LowQui The Hi-Fi Tujiko Noriko, Hammocks & Honey, John Chantler Empress Hotel Western Synthetics Horse Bazaar Wilfred Jackal, Undercolours, The House deFROST, Andee Frost The Toff In Town Wintercoats, Hammocks & Honey Builders Arms Hotel Yvette Johannson, Mark Fitzgibbon Trio Bennetts Lane

SUN 05

112 Brown Alley A DJ Called Matt The Old Bar Alanna Deutrom, Kane Sole & the Sons of May Veludo Aleks & The Ramps, Tailor Made For A Small Room, Super Melody The Toff In Town Andrew McCubbin, Malcolm Hill Townhall Hotel North Melbourne Architects, Rolo Tomassi, Comeback Kid, This is Hell Billboard Bakersfield Glee Club, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, Jody Bell Retreat Hotel

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

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

#/&! 6 ) 1"

1""+ $" 0%21!,4+ 4 06" 0 5,+ 4&$&+ )"" #/,+1 / o #/""

0 12/! 6 ) 1" 0 / 1 % 0+&## !' 0"1 #/,+1 / o #/""

12"0! 6 o #) 0%#/6 4 02--,/10 +!/,,*

4"!+"0! 6 o 3 + *6"/ 4 / &+ ,4 * 00 /" ! +& * /&" +!/,,*

Wed. 1st (Wine, Whiskey, Women) 8pm: Rachael Byrnes 9pm: Tanya Ransom Thurs. 2nd 8pm: Open Mic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Poetry, Song, & Storytelling Fri. 3rd 6pm: Traditional Irish Music Session with Dan Bourke & Friends Sat. 4th 9pm: Not the Wolf Sun. 5th 4pm: Waz E. James Band 6.30pm: Rory Faithfield Tues. 7th 8pm: Weekly Trivia

All Shows Always Free! 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 Stick To Your Guns

YOUR GUNS NEXT Summer sessions at Next begin this Thursday! Free BBQ and cheap jugs (ahoy!) from 9-11pm every week in the beer garden! Playing live this week as a part of their Hopebringers tour are Stick To Your Guns (USA), with support from First Blood (USA), Wish For Wings (QLD) and Trainwreck! The crew are also holding the launch night for Afends first clothing store in Melbourne! Be in the main room to score some sweet new threads thank to Afends! Also, as a part of the No Sleep Til Melbourne, A Day To Remember party DJs will be playing heaps of A Day To Remember and giving away a double pass to the festival! As always, resident DJs will be 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. Bakersfield Glee Club, Roz Girvan, The Rich Family Union Hotel Brunswick Beaches, Alps, Kind Winds, Midnight Caller Workers Club

Benny & The Fly-ByNighters Manhattan Hotel Blackhill Ramblers Ferntree Gully Hotel Boogs, Spacey Space, Radiator, T- Rek Revolver

Bouncing Souls, Hot Water Music, Dave Hause, A Death In The Family Corner Hotel CC Ryder Sunday sessions, Stoopin Parlour Edinburgh Castle Hotel Chubby Rae & The Elevators St Andrew’s Hotel, Arvo Show Combichrist, Shiv-r + Sirus The Hi-Fi Comedy Night, Jeff Green, Tommy Little, Craig McLeod, The Nelson Twins Blue Diamond Courtney Barnett and the Olivettes Edinburgh Castle, early show Dan Warners’ Corner Band, Woodward & Rough Lomond Hotel DAREBIN SONGWRITERS GUILD, Hot Licks Jazz Band 303 Dom Turner, Supro Williamstown RSL Dylan Hammond Kazbah, Sale Emily Ulman Builders Arms Hotel Fred Negro’s Kooky Karaoke St Kilda Bowls Club Harlott, Naberus, Festation, Siren’s Gate The Tote Headspace, Dale Ryder Band, Bad Boys Batucada Esplanade Lounge

Hoodoo Gurus, The Break Melton Macs Hotel Houlette, The Promises, Guests Bar Open Jam Banquet, Elk & Whale, Taylor & Tate, Al Parkinson Wesley Anne James Kenyon & The Lloyd Weir, Fee Brown & The Highwater Empress Hotel, Arvo Show Jason Singh Precinct JJ Symon & The Monochromes, The Ronson Hangup, Kim Churchill, Justin Carter, Ashleigh Mannix Northcote Social Club Kitty K & the Jager Bombs Cherry Bar Kizzy, Spinifex Rose Rainbow Hotel Knife Fight, Flesh World, Kromosom, Zingers, Reckless Aggression Irene’s Warehouse Korn, Sydonia, Shihad Festival Hall Long Billy Boys Cornish Arms Hotel Los Cabrones Night Cat Malcolm Hill, Andrew McCubbin Town Hall Hotel Mary Gauthier JMC Academy Matt Corby The National Hotel, Geelong

Missing Supergirl, Seri Vida Empress Hotel Monique DiMatina Grumpy’s Green Moonee Valley Drifters, Hat Fitz, Cara Robinson, Social Bandit East Brunswick Club Moose Jaw Rifle Club The Standard Hotel Open Decks The Bender Bar Red Bull ‘Wreckers Yard’ Evelyn Hotel Rod Payne & Fulltime Lovers Yorkshire Stingo Hotel Room Sixteen, Spares without Marie, The Fine Print, September Falls, The Cambrian Party, Vitruvian Man Esplanade Basement Sean Simmons Builders Arms, early show Shannon Barnett Quartet, Tim Wilson & Andrea Keller Duo Bennetts Lane Sophia Brous, Geoffrey O’Connor, Daisy M Tulley Grace Darling Hotel Stella Skinner, Citrus Jam Bar Nancy Steph Brett Great Britain Hotel Supa Fly Sundayz, Duchesz, Ayna First Floor Tash Parker, Phia, Cherrywood, Oh Deanna Bendigo Hotel

twitter.com/inpressmag

Temper, Mushroom Horse, Duck Puppy, Palomino, Dylan Peters, Jeremy Martin Brunswick Hotel The Band Who Knew Too Much Fitzroy Pinnacle The Beat Disease, Bad Aches, Daddy Long Legs Yah Yah’s The Denotators Groovers Lounge The Holy Sea, Footy, The Broadside Push Marquis Of Lorne Hotel The Meg Doherty Band Carringbush Hotel The ReChords The Gem The Woollen Kits, Mondo Phase Band The Arthouse Tracy Bartram plus Jazz Black Lime Lounge Twelve Foot Ninja Bridie O’Reilly’s Victor Stranges, DC Cardwell, Mark Gardener Chandelier Room Waz E James Band, Rory Faithfield The Drunken Poet Wicked Anabelle Lord Newry Hotel

MON 06

Chuck Ragan, Dave Hause, Darren Gibson The Arthouse

Film Night Empress Hotel Josh Owen Band Esplanade Lounge King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Workers Club Mag, The Removalists 303 Melbourne Fresh Industry Showcase, Never Cheer Before You Know Whos Winning Revolver Passionate Tongues Poetry Brunswick Hotel Swing Classes The Toff In Town Tanya George, Jordan Smith Veludo

TUE 07

Dan Webb, The Raffaellas Evelyn Hotel DJ Ash Glenferrie Hotel Eve McGowan, Old Salty, Nicolette Forte, Susan Lily, The Gallant Trees Esplanade Lounge Flash Fry Gertrudes Brown Couch Indian Summer DJs, Swick, Broke N DJs, Gem Rissin, Dirt Nasty Tramp Bar Jimmy Stewart The Gem

Klub M.U.K 303 Open Mic Veludo Redberryplum, Wren, Kristina Miltiadou, Sam Lawrence The Toff In Town Rock Aerobics, Shaky Memorial Retreat Hotel Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Victor Valdes, Miss Goldie, Chris Gill The Palace Theatre Strangers From Now On, Straw King Eye, Buftie Boys, Toyota War Grace Darling Hotel The Bedroom Philosopher, Josh Earl Northcote Social Club The Brunswick Discovery, Spearmint Fur, Wolfgang Wilkins Band Brunswick Hotel Trivia The Arthouse Wasabi Big Band Dizzy’s Jazz Club Weekly Trivia The Drunken Poet

Wed 1ST

JAMES Mccann THURS 2ND

ash naylor and bruce haymes FRI 3RD

peter baylor and the roadhouse romeos

SAT 4TH TUNES BY DAVE GREY SUN 5TH

THE RECHORDS TUES 7TH

JIMMY STEWART gembookings@gmail.com

289 WELLINGTON ST COLLINGWOOD 94195170

KITCHEN OPEN 6 NIGHTS

140 Sydney Rd

BRUNSWICKHOTEL.NET

9387 6637

NO COVER CHARGE

WED DEC 1 - 8PM

THE BRUNSWICK OPEN MIC! $10 JUGS!

THURS DEC 2

VALLEY ARM SHOWCASE

FEATURING: THE CANOS, THE LAWNTON BOWLS CLUB, BEN CUE & THE HAZLEMEN BROTHERS

FRI DEC 3 - 8PM

WORLD ADVENTURE CHALLENGE FUNDRAISER

FEATURING: THE MADNESS METHOD, GRAFT VS. HOST, THE RAMSHACKLE ARMY, CHARGING NORTH & ATLANTIC

SAT DEC 4 - 9PM

23 ANGLES OF ATTACK RUN 330 BRAINSTORM 5PM - BONES BLACKWOOD DAN DINNEN

SUN DEC 5 - 9PM

TEMPER

MUSHROOM HORSE DUCK PUPPY 5PM - PALOMINO DYLAN PETERS JEREMY MARTIN

MON DEC 6 - 8PM

PASSIONATE TONGUES POETRY FEATURE POETS AND OPEN STAGE. HOSTED BY MICHAEL REYNOLDS

TUES DEC 7

THE BRUNSWICK DISCOVERY!

GIVING CHANCES TO UP AND COMING ARTISTS! THIS WEEK: SPEARMINT FUR AND WOLFGANG WILKINS BAND

twitter.com/inpressmag

gigguide@inpress.com.au

BANG

Friday The Lemonheads, Smudge

Saturday skyway, Word Up, Mindset

ESPLANADE LOUNGE

BAR OPEN

Wednesday Render, M-Phazes, Wooshie Thursday Vida Sunshine, Digital Assassin, Able, Manix, Ella Thompson, Ghost Soul Friday Blak Roots Saturday Dub Station 3, The Nomad, Deep Fried Dub, Oakley Grenell, Dominic the MC Sunday Houlette, The Promises, Guests

BENDIGO HOTEL

Wednesday Open Mic Thursday Gravy Train, Kicking In Danger, The Captives Friday Frankie Alibi & the Fugitives, The ReChords, Mr Doo Wop Saturday The Callers, Little Murders Sunday Tash Parker, Phia, Cherrywood, Oh Deanna

BLUE DIAMOND

Friday Fifteenth Avenue Saturday Reverend Funk Sunday Comedy Night, Jeff Green, Tommy Little, Craig McLeod, The Nelson Twins

BRUNSWICK HOTEL

Wednesday Open Mic Thursday Valley Arm Showcase, The Canos, The Lawnton Bowls Club, Ben Cue, The Hazelman Brothers Friday The Madness Method, Graft Vs Host, The Ramshackle Army, Charging North, Atlantic Saturday 23 Angles of Attack, Run 330, Brainstorm, Bones Blackwood, Dan Dinnen Sunday Temper, Mushroom Horse, Duck Puppy, Palomino, Dylan Peters, Jeremy Martin Monday Passionate Tongues Poetry Tuesday The Brunswick Discovery, Spearmint Fur, Wolfgang Wilkins Band

BUILDERS ARMS HOTEL

Wednesday Cape Cod Affair Thursday Microflora Saturday Wintercoats, Hammocks & Honey Sunday Emily Ulman

CARAVAN MUSIC CLUB

Friday Mary Gauthier, Charles Jenkins

CHERRY BAR

Wednesday Money For Rope Thursday Saskwatch

EVERYBODY GET LOW It’s been a busy year for Lowtide. Formerly known as Three Month Sunset, the Melbourne four-piece released their debut EP, You Are My Good Light, to a sold-out crowd in June and have been playing around town with the likes of A Place To Bury Strangers, Steve Kilbey and Ricky Maymi (Brian Jonestown Massacre). After a three-month hiatus and a name change to boot, Lowtide have just been booked to play at NZ’s Camp A Low Hum festival in February, with a new 7” release in the works. Returning to headline the Worker’s Club this Friday with a string of new songs, Lowtide will be joined by local stalwarts Clue To Kalo, Martin B Sleeman (The Morning After Girls) and The Townhouses. Entry is $10 from 8pm. Friday Dollsquad, The Jacknives Saturday Mercy Kills, Vice Grip Pussies Sunday Kitty K & the Jager Bombs

CORNER HOTEL

Wednesday The Drones, Hoss, Zond, Love of Diagrams, The Stabs, Kes Band, New War, Matt Bailey, Breathing Shrine Thursday The Lemonheads, The Candles Friday Jordie Lane, Jen Cloher, Kieran Ryan Saturday Hot Water Music, Bouncing Souls, Dave Hause, A Death In The Family Sunday Bouncing Souls, Hot Water Music, Dave Hause, A Death In The Family

EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB

Wednesday Papa Vs Pretty, Stonefield, Fuzz Phantoms Thursday Mary Gauthier Friday Belles Will Ring, Guineafowl, Magnetic Heads, The Messengers Saturday Mikelangelo & the Tin Star, Saint Clare, The Toot Toot Toots, Betty Airs, Ancient Slate Sunday Moonee Valley Drifters, Hat Fitz, Cara Robinson, Social Bandit

EDINBURGH CASTLE HOTEL

Wednesday Alex Hallahan & Band Thursday Ben Abraham, John Flanagan Friday Cj Shaw, Priestessa, Jshwa & The Owls Saturday Sianna Lee, Hamish Cowan

Sunday CC Ryder Sunday sessions, Stoopin Parlour

EMPRESS HOTEL

Wednesday The Zonks, Pageants, Pearls and Swine Thursday Bewilderbeast Friday Friendly Yen, Black Creek, Mechanical Pterodactyl, Tom Woodward, Xani Kolac, Mustered Courage, Blind Alley Band Saturday Tujiko Noriko, Hammocks & Honey, John Chantler Sunday Missing Supergirl, Seri Vida Monday Film Night

EMPRESS HOTEL, ARVO SHOW

Wednesday The Word, Thousand Needles in Red, Eva McGowan, Roostar Thursday Missfire, Gripping Water, Midnight Drive, Dan Scrafo Friday Pretty n’ Fatboy, Polo Club, Louie Gallina, Steve Richards, Just Lewis, Rusty (Electric Mary) Sunday Headspace, Dale Ryder Band, Bad Boys Batucada Monday Josh Owen Band Tuesday Eve McGowan, Old Salty, Nicolette Forte, Susan Lily, The Gallant Trees

EVELYN HOTEL

Wednesday KKS Project Thursday Chris Cavill & The Long Weekend, Let The Cat Out, 2swai, Ryan Baker Friday Royston Vasie, Cannon, The Hello Morning, Colour Age Saturday Helm, White Cell, Life To Order, Sleepa Sunday Red Bull ‘Wreckers Yard’ Tuesday Dan Webb, The Raffaellas

GERTRUDES BROWN COUCH

Thursday Greg Fleet, Xavier Michaelidis, Luke & Cambo, Tom Ward Saturday Scratch N Sniff Tuesday Flash Fry

GRACE DARLING HOTEL

Saturday Sonic Forge, Be’Lakor, Ne Oblivisaris, Dreadnaught, Frankenbok, Arcane, Death Audio, Eye of The Enemy, In Malice’s Wake

Thursday Undercolours, I A Man, Pack Bear Friday Electric Smile Band, Darren Sylvester, Betty Airs Saturday Chameleon, Aurora Kiss, Spender, DJ Shags Sunday Sophia Brous, Geoffrey O’Connor, Daisy M Tulley Tuesday Strangers From Now On, Straw King Eye, Buftie Boys, Toyota War

ESPLANADE BASEMENT

GRUMPY’S GREEN

Sunday James Kenyon & The Lloyd Weir, Fee Brown & The Highwater

ESPLANADE (WHOLE VENUE)

Thursday Graft Vs Host, The Tear Aways, The A-Bomb Whores, The Debutant Kid Friday King City Seven, None the Wiser, Terracotta Pidgeons, Supergreen Sunday Room Sixteen, Spares without Marie, The Fine Print, September Falls, The Cambrian Party, Vitruvian Man

ESPLANADE GERSHWIN ROOM

Thursday Kretch, The Ears, Dollsquad, Brian Hooper Band, Chris Wilson, Cold Harbour, Spacech0

Wednesday Todd Hart Thursday The Bucket Room, Local Singer Songwriter Night Friday Big Chief Swann & his Voodoo Crew Saturday Shane Dilorio Sunday Monique DiMatina

IRENE’S WAREHOUSE

Sunday Knife Fight, Flesh World, Kromosom, Zingers, Reckless Aggression

JOHN CURTIN HOTEL

Thursday Book of Ships, Tropical Gordon, Unique Gift, Drunk Mums, Florentine Antidote

LABOUR IN VAIN

Saturday The Crackwhores

MARQUIS OF LORNE HOTEL

Wednesday Goyim Sunday The Holy Sea, Footy, The Broadside Push

Thursday Stick To Your Guns, First Blood, Wish For Wings, Trainwreck

NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB

Wednesday Bobby Flynn, Goodnight Owl Thursday Jez Mead, Lanie Lane, James Collins Friday Gold Fields, Kite Club, Apollo Saturday Gun Street Girls, The Demon Parade, The Bonniwells Sunday JJ Symon & The Monochromes, The Ronson Hangup, Kim Churchill, Justin Carter, Ashleigh Mannix Tuesday The Bedroom Philosopher, Josh Earl

PONY

Thursday Oscar & Martin, Leone Western, Cheerleader, Toyota War, Throbulator Friday Cockfight Shootout, Hailer, Baptism of Uzi, Harvest Smoke, The Council, Pink Fitt Saturday The Checks, Fever Artiste, The Ovals, The Kremlin Succession, Redcoats, Love Puff

PRINCE BANDROOM

Friday Drapht, Dialectrix, Briggs

RETREAT HOTEL

Wednesday Sime Nugent Duo

Thursday Stretch & The Truth, Pony Face Friday The Exotics, Crawfish Dave, Mohair Slim Saturday The Immigrant Union Collective, The Wildes, Tracey McNeil, Luke Sinclair, DJ Aerlie Wild Sunday Bakersfield Glee Club, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, Jody Bell Tuesday Rock Aerobics, Shaky Memorial

REVOLVER

Wednesday These Patterns, Tropical Gordon, Leone Western, Le Foxx, Spidey, Adalita, Mary M Thursday Sex Face, The Yard Apes, Fare Evader, DJ Gaz, 3181 Thursdays, Hans DC, WHO Friday Mistress Mondays, Texel Rising, Eddie Lewis, Mike Callander, Nick Jones, Tom Lally, Matt Radovich, Kizzam, Mike Metro Saturday Slimey Things, Go Go Sapien, Lan Party, Secrets in Scale, Toehider, Ransom, Mat Cant, Dust, Ms Butt Sunday Boogs, Spacey Space, Radiator, T- Rek Monday Melbourne Fresh Industry Showcase, Never Cheer Before You Know Whos Winning

ROXANNE PARLOUR

Thursday Sola Rosa Friday B.Two, Matik, Moonshine, Ms Butt

ROYAL DERBY HOTEL

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

THE ARTHOUSE

Wednesday Red Sun Radio, Seedy Jeezus, Vintage Radio Thursday The Nuremberg Code, The Hidden Venture Friday Samsara, Stolen Youth, Frozen Over, Backlash

Saturday Knife Fight, Extortion, Straightjacket Nation, Bloodclot Fgts, Pathetic Human Sunday The Woollen Kits, Mondo Phase Band Monday Chuck Ragan, Dave Hause, Darren Gibson Tuesday Trivia

THE DRUNKEN POET

Wednesday Wine, Whiskey, Women, Rachel Byrnes, Tanya Ransom Thursday Open Mic Friday Traditional Irish Music Session, Dan Bourke & Friends Saturday Not The Wolf Sunday Waz E James Band, Rory Faithfield Tuesday Weekly Trivia

THE GEM

Wednesday James McCann Thursday Ash Naylor, Bruce Haymes Friday Peter Baylor’s Road House Romeos Saturday Dave Gray Sunday The ReChords Tuesday Jimmy Stewart

THE HI-FI

Thursday Fozzy, Segression, Teramaze Friday My Disco, Robin Fox Saturday The Upbeats, Sigma, MC LowQui Sunday Combichrist, Shiv-r + Sirus

THE NATIONAL HOTEL, GEELONG

Sunday Matt Corby

THE OLD BAR

Thursday Tinderbox Collective, John Fox & his Medicine Bag, Supina Friday DJ Broadbent Saturday DJ Matt Stabs Sunday A DJ Called Matt

THE STANDARD HOTEL

Wednesday Chris Altmann Sunday Moose Jaw Rifle Club

THE TOFF IN TOWN

SPRUCE BROUS Haunting melodies, shimmering guitar lines and one powerful voice – ascendant Melbourne artist Sophia Brous and band are hitting the stage for the final week of their month-long residency. With a distinctive sound citing influences stretching back decades, Brous’s music is an uncompromising vision for pop, atmospheric and unforgettable. It evokes the widescreen majesty of Scott Walker and Nancy and Lee and the sweet psychadelia of Broadcast and early Goldfrapp. Brous and her band are joined at the Grace Darling this Sunday by Geoffrey O’Connor and Daisy M Tulley.

twitter.com/inpressmag

Wednesday Umlaut, Fabio Umberto, DJ Bobo Fantucci, Tim McMillan Thursday Eliza Doolittle, Love Story with 1928, Tranter, Rad Pitt, Megawuoti, Sleeves Friday Poprocks at the Toff, Dr Phil Smith Saturday Wilfred Jackal, Undercolours, The House deFROST, Andee Frost Sunday Aleks & The Ramps, Tailor Made For A Small Room, Super Melody Monday Swing Classes

Tuesday Redberryplum, Wren, Kristina Miltiadou, Sam Lawrence

THE TOTE

Wednesday Vice Grip Pussies, Bunny Monroe, Rip Rides, Cole, Burn In Hell Thursday The Bowers, Wrong Turn, Wolfy and the Batcubs Friday Clinkerfield, Little John, Roller One Saturday Straight Arrows, Chinese Burns, Teen Archer, Halfheads, DJ Per Sunday Harlott, Naberus, Festation, Siren’s Gate

THORNBURY THEATRE

Saturday Matt Corby

UNION HOTEL BRUNSWICK

Thursday Suzannah Espie & the Sensitive Strings Saturday The Reefers, Tess McKenna & the Shapiros Sunday Bakersfield Glee Club, Roz Girvan, The Rich Family

UPTOWN JAZZ CAFÉ

Wednesday Bopstretch Thursday Steve Magnusson Trio Friday Paul Williamson Quintet Saturday Julio & the Stevies

WESLEY ANNE

Wednesday Big Folk, Rosie & George Thursday Jazz City, Bridget Pross, Filthy Soup Friday Black Swans Of Trespass Saturday Ronit Granot, Travis Marke, Twice Smitten Sunday Jam Banquet, Elk & Whale, Taylor & Tate, Al Parkinson

WORKERS CLUB

Wednesday Felicity Groom, Howl At The Moon, The Star Express Thursday Patinka Cha Cha, Seagull, Super Melody Friday Lowtide, Clue To Kalo, Martin B Sleeman, Monnone Alone Sunday Beaches, Alps, Kind Winds, Midnight Caller Monday King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

YAH YAH’S

Thursday Rock Aerobics, The Villians Lair, Johnny Rock & The Limits, Guests Of Ghosts, Cloudmouth Friday The Death Rattles, Brendan Welch, Backwood Creatures, Jimmy the Clink Saturday Charles Jenkins & The Zhivagos, Ash Naylor Sunday*The Beat Disease, Bad Aches, Daddy Long Legs

twitter.com/inpressmag

BEHIND THE LINES MEET THE MUSICAL UNDERBELLY

The score he composed for The Truman Show won him a Golden Globe as well as the ASCAP Film & Television Award, but next Wednesday 8 December it’ll be his work composing scores and themes for the three series of Underbelly that Burkhard Dallwitz will talking about at a session hosted at the Richmond offices of APRA/ AMCOS from 6pm. Dubbed The Underbelly Files, you can learn more about screen composition, the collaborations in directing and editing, and a whole lot more, not only from Dallwitz but also series producer Peter Gawler and editor Stephen Evans. The session is free but it’s advised you rsvp to modonnell@apra.com.au.

SOUND ADVICE Gear reviews with ERIN CHRISTIANSON areas whether it be a studio or a balls-to-the-wall live show. Reasonably priced and certainly affordable, even if you have to skip the beers for a week or two, it’s a device that is a must-have for your collection. So it would seem that stomp boxes are not just for guitarists, which is finally a win for all you singers out there. For stockists head to rolandcorp.com. au/support/dealer_locator

MATON’S ULTIMATE MASTERCLASS

Australian owned and made, Maton Guitars will host two masterclasses with expat Australian acoustic guitar virtuoso and Maton ambassador to the US, Tommy Emmanuel, from 7pm Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 December at the Maton factory, 6 Clarice Road, Box Hill. Tickets are $99.99, so they’re not cheap, but this is an opportunity to really get up close and personal and ask everything you’ve ever wanted to know about playing. For details and to book call 9896 9500 or sales@maton.com.au. While you’re at the Maton factory, you might also want to ask to have a look at the new range of guitars Maton have just released (five acoustic and two electric). On the acoustic end of things, there’s the EMGA-12 Grand Auditorium, which features a cedar soundboard, Queensland walnut back and sides and a Queensland maple neck, and comes with an APS Pickup System. Then there’s the EBG808CLW – the Walnut Performer – with a solid Bunya soundboard, while the EM100808 Messiah has a triple A grade solid Sitka Spruce soundboard and solid Indian rosewood back and sides and one-piece Queensland maple neck. On the electric guitar side, there’s the MS503 Classic, with a silver silkwood body, Queensland maple neck and Maton humbuckers. If you can’t get to the factory of course, just ask your local stockist.

NEXT UP: THE GIBSON FIREBIRD X Gibson launch their limited edition Firebird X guitar worldwide on Saturday 11 December, and they’re suggesting that it takes the instrument to new heights of functionality and usability for the professional player and the aspiring enthusiast. Using technologies that did not exist even a few years ago, they claim to have “enhanced an already outstanding instrument to unbelievable performance and creative heights”. The enhancements touch every aspect of the instrument, from using improved manufacturing technologies to the latest electronics. We’ll keep you posted and will hopefully get one to review so we can give you the full story.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

GRETSCH DUO JET G6128T

BOSS VE-20 VOCAL PERFORMER Let’s be honest here: don’t pick up the VE-20 Vocal Performer until you are willing to duke it out. Can you create three vocal harmonies? Yes you can! It’s all about manipulating the machine and this device does just that, whether it be switching back and fourth from your reverb and delay, or the specialised commando rig. Fear not for those who need phantom power as it awaits you inside this machine. It makes talking and screaming a breeze with an array of vocal manipulations. The VE-20 vocal processor includes more than 35 seconds of recording time, with specialised vocal looping for you extreme industrial lovers. The possibilities are endless; it’s just a case of how far are you willing to go?

Solution. It does provide that crisp rock’n’roll sound that it’s renowned for straight away. A rather versatile design, whether your sonic poison be rock, blues or jazz, the Gretsch Duo Jet responds well to commands of scales, solos, power chords and bar chords. It handles everything with remarkable ease and quality. The ebony fretboard comforts your fingers as you tear through really any tune you can think of, the various volume control making tones just that little bit more interesting. The Gretsch caters to more than it’s given credit for as it is really a versatile instrument. Of course, its spiritual home is the rockabilly circles and it’s certainly apt at that, nailing the blues tones and the high-gain rock’n’roll threads brilliantly.

You can safely say that after six weeks of having your hand in a cast, there is nothing more satisfying than picking yourself up a Gretsch G6128T Duo Jet. The beautiful mahogany neck slides with such ease, no doubt the perfect tool for your blues and jazz player – it’s just a wonderfully engineered piece of machinery. The Jet plays well in a variety of situations; sitting or standing, all features are easily accessible. Whether it be your three-way pick up selector switch, or your vibrato tail bar, a clean, crisp sound resonates through this solid body beauty on a variety of amplifier settings.

With the price tag hovering around $4,000 it’s unfortunately not something you’re going to see in too many collections – especially when there are some great guitars for considerablly less than that – but the pleasure of this guitar, steeped in history as it is, is undeniable. And though it is high, the price tag is justifiable, especially with the classy and indestructible branded case with enough padded walls to keep the inmates safe. If you can get one, it’s something you’re not going to regret.

Inpress took a variety of approaches to testing the sound. The first tune played had to be The Living End’s Second

Gear supplied by Allans Music + Billy Hyde: allansmusic.com.au

For stockists head to gretsch.com.au/dealer/list.php

Certainly a heavily built item, it could be stomped and dropped and would still carry out the duties needed. The processor runs on six AA batteries or your standard AC adaptor. A best friend for a live performer, the foot switches make switching between effects a breeze with a bypass filter that would no doubt come in handy. With the VE-20 Vocal Performer the possibilities are endless – dynamics, reverb, delay, distortion, the option to create three-part vocal harmonies, phase looping… it’s a device that would certainly serve you well in all

PROGRESS REPORT SCOTT FITZSIMONS checks in with Sydney pop punks HEROES FOR HIRE as they lay down their second album.

INSIDE PETTY’S TORPEDOES

If you’re a fan of Tom Petty, then you should really check out the Eagle Vision Classic Albums DVD, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Damn The Torpedoes, looking at the making of the band’s breakthrough album, their third, originally released in 1979, and featuring interviews with each of the band members, co-producer Jimmy Iovine and engineer Shelly Yakus, as well as new and archive performances. The album, which was recorded at Sound City in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley and Cherokee Studios in Hollywood, has also been reissued in an expanded two-CD edition. Including additional material, the whole thing was digitally remastered from the original analogue tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios in Hollywood.

WISE WORDS FROM ENO

It seems that while he might have been at the forefront of all things digital over the past two decades or so, there comes a point where even Brian Eno feels we might have gone too far. He suggested to a journalist on the English newspaper The Telegraph that just perhaps editing has become something of a disease, it’s so easy. He went on to say “there used to be a sort of barrier because [editing] was a physically destructive process. When you were actually cutting film or tape, you did it with some forethought and care, because those steps weren’t so easily revocable – you just couldn’t put it back.” He also compared music to a Chinese menu with far too many choices. “One of the things I always try to do when I’m working in the studio is to cut out choices, because there are too many.”

SOUND BYTE

The world might just have missed out on the next Britney Spears album had her English-born producer Rusko not grabbed his hard-drives when a fire broke out in his Los Angeles home studio a couple of weeks ago. We can hear the sighs of relief from here.

Pop punk is making a comeback and Sydney’s Heroes For Hire have been doing what they can to channel the spirit of Blink-182-past over the last year or two. Regulars on the Sydney scene, only recently have they started to get their act together and graduate from drunken, in-joke-ridden live shows that almost saw them fade into obscurity. With some diligent networking and support slots on the back of their long-overdue debut longplayer Life Of The Party, they’re on the charge and currently in Baltimore with producer Paul Leavitt (All Time Low, Circa Survive) at Valencia Studio working on the swift follow-up. “I’ve been sleeping all day, because we got super drunk last night, so I decided to sleep all day,” frontman Brad Smith says down the line. “We’re staying in the studio, there’s beds and stuff here so we just stay here. We pretty much don’t leave unless we’re going out… Last night was huge, we all got really, really drunk. Beer’s excessively cheap in America, which is a good thing for our band because we’re not very rich but then we can still drink lots and lots. People freak when we tell them a Corona in Australia would cost us $9, whereas here it’s $2.50. It’s pretty retarded.” When Inpress talks to Smith, the band have settled into a routine – Leavitt rocks up at about midday and they record until 10pm. The rhythm section are into their final stages of tracking with the lead lines and vocals about to start intermittently to keep vocals strong throughout. “We had the songs all demo-ed and written before we came, and Paul actually knows a lot and made them sound heaps, heaps, better. Just little things that we wouldn’t pick up, like saying when to cut a song better and do different beats here because it’s starting to sound the same. It just opened the songs up heaps more… He’s a really, really nice guy. At first his jokes were a bit weird, but I think that’s just the Australian/American difference.” Staying in the studio’s in-house accommodation, the band have opted to use the house gear as well. “Dwayne [Hazel, guitarist and songwriter] is using [Marshall] JCM 900s and Messa Dual Recs, Lee [McGarrity, drums] used some custom drum kit,” says Smith in true vocalist character, highly likely to nerd-out about gear like a guitarist world. “Mat [Hawthorne, bass] used an Ampeg head like the one he has at home.

They’re using all different guitars than they usually use as well, Matt used a Gibson Grabber on bass, rather than his usual Stingray and it sounds fuckin’ sick. Dwayne’s in their now using a Rickenbacker, so they’re all stretching out of the box a little bit.” As a whole the band have opted to go for an upbeat sound on the as-yet-untitled record, something that will translate into the live show well. “We had a lot of ballads on our last album which is all cool, but then we decided that we hate to play slow songs live so we didn’t want to play half of it because they were real slow and mid-paced. This album’s got the old pop punk sound, it’s got aspects of old Blink, and old New Found Glory and old Fall Out Boy and things like that.” They’re to spend about a month in America and, though they’re still getting along, there’s still plenty of time to get on each other’s nerves. “I think we’re the band that hates themselves the most in the whole world, but nah, everyone’s getting along and having a good time.” Leavitt, as well, has settled into familiarity. “At the start he was like, ‘Oh, you should play this like this,’ whereas now he’ll just go to us, ‘Look, that’s

twitter.com/inpressmag

shit, play it like this.’ He’s one of our mates now telling us what to do instead of tip-toeing around things.” Enthused that even the raw recording are sounding far better than Life Of The Party, the band are making good time and are looking to record acoustic/extra tracks in the free time it looks like they’ll have at the end of the process. Smith’s not going to watch Baltimorebased drug crime super-drama The Wire until he gets home – although his producer is sure they’re in the “safe” part of the city – and the heavy drinking’s going on hold after a night with Michigan pop-punk band Fireworks, until the vocals are done. “That, and the fact that we’re all slowly running out of money.” And the last piece, songs are being whittled down on their individual merit, rather than, say, a tracklisting preference. “On the plane we ditched one because we all hated it and we were like, ‘Why are we going to try this song? We all hate it’,” Smith laughs. “With each song if we like it, it stays, if we don’t, who knows what will become of it?” Heroes For Hire’s second album is due in autumn next year.

AUCTION AN ECLECTIC MIX OF COLLECTIBLES, FURNITURE, HOUSEHOLD GOODS & COMMERCIAL SHOP FITTINGS

GUITARS ORGANS BONGO

PEDALS RECORDS CAMERAS

PLUS HEAPS MORE!!!!

SATURDAY 11th DECEMBER @10:30AM IN OUR ROOMS, 41 GREENS ROAD, DANDENONG SOUTH www.mckearneys.com

McKEARNEY’S AUCTIONEERS & VALUERS

Online andprint classifieds iFlog.com.au twitter.com/inpressmag

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

$25 $50 $40 $40

E]dcZ BVg` 7Vggn %( .--. &... dg %)&. ..( .++ lll#WhhdjcY#Xdb#Vj WhhdjcY5W^\edcY#Xdb

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

$70

LMC GUITAR

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

BAYSIDES PREMIER GUITAR SCHOOL

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! See our website for more details: www.indiemasters.com.au Or call: 0434 891 434 INDIE MASTERS – Mastering Home For Independent Artists since 1000 records ago.

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

OFFER AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME

Engineer credits include: 2 X ARIA AWARD WINING “Gurrumul”

(conditions apply) WORKSHOP NEW SONGS? LAY DOWN A DEMO? PRE-PRODUCTION FOR YOUR NEXT RELEASE? TRACKS FOR MYSPACE?

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

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

of other Fender bargains instore. Logans Music (02) 9744 2400 www. loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER

EMPLOYMENT CALL CENTRE/CUST. SERVICE

iFlogID: 6618

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

GIBSON SG STANDARD LEFTY

ENTERTAINMENT 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

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

PROMOTER

GUITAR AMPLITUBE IRIG

iFlogID: 6614

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: 9809

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

HUGHES & KETTNER TRIAMP MK2 Amazing sounding amp! Used on Top 40 Aria recordings and National Arena Tours. Priced to Sell $2800 PHONE LUKE: 0400077901 iFlogID: 9677

Line 6 Flextone 2 combo. 2 x 12” speakers. Good condition with full pedal board. sell $795 or near offer. Call Frank on 0434 686 755 or 02 9740 8333. iFlogID: 9805

Markbass Studio Pre500 amp. Top of the line unit, used on 3 sessions, still under Warranty. Retail $4395...Sell $2500 o.n.o. Call Frank 0434 686 755 or 02 9740 8333

iFlogID: 9803

BASS Warwick Streamer II 5 String Bass Guitar. As made famous by Dirk Lance of Incubus. As new condition.

iFlogID: 9774

GUITARS AUCTION Saturday 11th December 2010 @ 10:30 AM In our Rooms, 41 Greens Road, Dandenong South Music: 12 x Electric Guitars(1991Fender/Yamaha/Morris/ Ibanez/SX),Guitar leads & stands ,Hammond Organ, Matador Bongos, Hohne Harmonicas, Gazoos, Guitar Cases, etc. www.mckearneys.com McKEARNEY’S AUCTIONEERS & VALUERS iFlogID: 9799

FENDER SRATOCASTER. PINK PAISLEY. genuine early 80’s.with hardcase.all origional.plays great. beautiful tone and sustain.very rare. suit collector. exellent condition. $2500. Ph 0428744963 iFlogID: 9815

FENDER STANDARD STRATOCASTER

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

MATON accoustic steel string 3/4 guitar.model F 11.dated 10/73.no 1591. all australian timbers.good origional condition.suit collector.$500. Ph 0428744963. Cooroy iFlogID: 9811

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. iFlogID: 9430

MIXERS Sell Control Surface Digidesign Control 24 (Focusrite) in excellent condition, $5000. Selling because moving overseas. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions and in order to discuss the price. iFlogID: 9736

OTHER 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! iFlogID: 9562

Billiard Table 8’x4’, Blue, slate, Ash Timbers, Teak Gloss Finish. Also inc Pool Balls, snooker balls, Triangle, 4 Cues, 2 Chalk ,Rule Book, 1 Cross Rest and Handle, Brush. cue & ball stand, score board attached to 2 drawer table. iFlogID: 9672

BURLESQUE & DRAG EYELASHES

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

Quested F11.. 2 way active near field monitors. Pro grade quality. Good Condition. $1395 or near offer. Call Frank 0434 686 755 or 02 9740 833. iFlogID: 9813

T-SHIRT SCREEN PRINT CAROUSEL. Industry standard, work-ready condition, 6 coulour stations plus drying racks. $800. Phone 0408344563. iFlogID: 9359

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!

TUITION

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

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: 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

iFlogID: 9138

GUITAR LESSONS! Luke has been at the forefront of the Australian Music Industry for the past 10 years. Signing to 4 record labels, sharing management with Matchbox 20, playing National arena’s, and writing songs with Eskimo Joe. Call: 0400077901 iFlogID: 9679

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: 9795

PA EQUIPMENT

FOR SALE

Fender Super Reverb. 1969 Vintage 4 x 12” combo. Minor cosmetic damage. Great amp. $2895 or near offer. Call Frank 0434 686 755 or 02 9740 8333.

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!

OTHER

iFlogID: 9564

iFlogID: 9264

AMPS

iFlogID: 9276

iFlogID: 9566

iFlogID: 9367

iFlogID: 9268

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

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-of-akind 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 Look for us on facebook for exclusive promotions. iFlogID: 6658

BSSound PA & Lights SALE Grays Online Auction: 2 to 8 December. Inspection day Tuesday 7 December. 150 Lots of brand-name microphones, speakers, effects, amps, mixers, road-cases and lights. www. bssound.com.au/sale.htm www. graysonline.com/sale/67713 Mark Barry on 0419 993 966 iFlogID: 9651

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 BAND MERCHANDISE NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

DO IT FOR FREE!

SnakeEyeProductions specializes in live gig film clips for your website or myspace. Filming in HD with broadcast quality equipment, we edit clips and provide DVD transfers/authoring and uploads. Great way to make your music stand out from the rest. ph-0416120639

DRUMMER

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

I am looking to join a funk/R&B/ soul cover or originals band. I’m 33, played for 20 years, and have own equipment. Tony 0437 725 521 iFlogID: 9643

GUITARIST 17 yr/o guitarist been playing 5yrs keen to join a hard rock/ metal band, no scremo, death core bullshit, real metal, influences megadeth,maiden,priest,guns n roses etc... interested? call 0435510600 iFlogID: 9645

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: 9568

Experienced Guitarist looking for good Sydney Cover Band. At 23 I have been playing for over 10 years, have 4 years professional touring experience, Pro Gear (Fender, Gibson, endorsed by Mesa/Boogie). Email anthony at anthony320chmiel@hotmail.com No Time wasters please. iFlogID: 9720

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

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

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 iFlogID: 9588

HIRE SERVICES For as low as $100, you get a professional PA system with a sound mixer with operator. Suitable for weddings, pub/club band gigs, private parties etc. infovision@yayabings.com.au Contact Chris 0419 272 196 iFlogID: 9834

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 Chris 0419 272 196 iFlogID: 9256

MANAGEMENT MINSTREL MANAGEMENT Need help with your music career? We provide the best in Recording, Mastering, Tours, Promotion, Publicity, Solicitation, Merchandise, Music Video’s, Photography, International Licensing, Direct to fan Marketing campaigns. WANT TO TAKE YOUR ACT TO THE NEXT LEVEL? www.minstrelmanagement.com iFlogID: 9681

iFlogID: 9542

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

iFlogID: 7415

Tony Day P.A. & Lighting Hire. Comedy Shows/ Small Bands/ Functions. Delivered/ Set Up/ Operated. Reasonable and Negotiable rates with experienced owner/ operator service. Also, Walk-In mixes with mic kit. tonyday66@hotmail.com 0414092463 iFlogID: 9832

RECORDING STUDIOS Eternal Post Production

iFlogID: 9698

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

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

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

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

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: 9335

iFlogID: 9280

iFlogID: 9244

VIDEO / PRODUCTION

iFlogID: 9354

iFlogID: 9371

singer looking for musos to jam or form a band iFlogID: 9618

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

OTHER

need bass playa!

iFlogID: 9178

DRUMMER

iFlogID: 9388

MUSICIANS WANTED

iFlogID: 9602

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 - 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: 9398

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: 9400

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

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

iFlogID: 9363

iFlogID: 9499

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! iFlogID: 9616

Sydney contemporary rock band is looking for a young vibrant 22-30-yr drummer to join now!!! Songs ready to go, gigs waiting for us and we are ready to record our first album early 2011. iFlogID: 9661

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! Offering a range of design services www.melissahowarddesign.com

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

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

MYSPACE BAND PROFILE FROM 200$

iFlogID: 6481

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 iFlogID: 9631

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 iFlogID: 6665

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

OTHER

BOOKING AGENTS

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: 7447

iFlogID: 9836

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: 9417

MUSICIAN & BAND WEBSITES

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: 9337

MUSICIANS WANTED

iFlogID: 9184

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.

Lead guitarist looking to form/ join a heavy metal band,on the central coast. Influences: Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest, Metallica,Iron maiden,Kalmah,Dethklok - Blake 0403138542

iFlogID: 9134

REPAIRS

SERVICES GRAPHIC DESIGN

iFlogID: 9706

PA / AUDIO / ENGINEERING

iFlogID: 9544

MUSICIANS AVAILABLE

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.

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!

GUITARIST WANTED TO TEACH

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

iFlogID: 9584

- PRO QUALITY BACKING TRACKS! - MIDI or MP3 - Any song you want - Send me the song today, Get the MIDI file the next day! - $25 for MIDI / $35 for mp3 - EMAIL: vangelis2133@ yahoo.com PHONE: 0449672435

iFlogID: 9386

GUITARIST

iFlogID: 9168

SINGER

Professional Band and Business Websites: Videos, audio clips/jukebox, Photogallery, Gig Dates, About Us, Contact Us and much more from $399 fully hosted. See www. bizwebsites.com.au or contact info@ bizwebsites.com.au today! iFlogID: 9840

OTHER Do you have an Iphone? If yes, please download my free app, radio bondi, cheers iFlogID: 9653

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

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

iFlogID: 9442

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: 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). 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.

WANTED OTHER 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 iFlogID: 9356

to matt damon.. and the 7foot something guy from the yha.. does anyone know you?? i keep trying to ring the places where i think you’d be to no avail..i know its been years.. please call..

iFlogID: 9145

For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au 90

iFlogID: 9741