Inpress Issue #1160 by TheMusic.com.au

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CARIBOU

PAUL KELLY MELBOURNE SYDNEY BRISBANE

SUM 41

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WED 9 FEBRUARY

50 FIRST DATES WITH DAN PARSONS + STEVE GRADY

8.30pm, $10

THU 10 FEBRUARY

HEATHER STEWART 6pm, ALEXIS NICOLE & THE MISSING PIECES 8.30pm, $5 FRI 11 FEBRUARY

ANNABELLE TUNLEY 6pm PETER COLES 8.30pm, $10 SAT 12 FEBRUARY

TIGER AND ME MUSIC IN THE FRONT BAR

5pm 8.30pm

SUN 13 FEBRUARY

LA MAUVAISE REPUTATION

4.30pm

COMING UP

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

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PEAR AND THE AWKWARD ORCHESTRA, KOTET, TIGER AND ME RESIDENCY, HEART SPACE RECORDS PRESENTS AND MICHAEL PLATTER

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

bookings: 9482 1333 twitter.com/inpressmag

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THE GO! TEAM NEW ALBUM - ROLLING BLACKOUTS STREAMING NOW! The UK’s audio adventurers The Go!Team return with their three years-in-themaking Rolling Blackouts album – another cache of catchy and commanding postpop. Having been shortlisted for the esteemed Mercury Prize with their 2004 debut Thunder, Lightning, Strike, they have upped the ante this time around with guest appearances from members of Deerhoof and Best Coast. And, not only have the blighters made a clip for every cut on the new album but they have promised to tour Australia later in 2011.

ROLLING BLACKOUTS by THE GO!TEAM is on sale now. POWERED BY STREET PRESS AUSTRALIA

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ISSUE 1160

No.109

WEDNESDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2011

BRUNSWICK

Thursday 3, 10, 17 & 24

Sweet Jean

Original roots duo of Sime Nugent & Alice Keath 7.30pm

THE TING TINGS

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

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 Tim & Jean’s friends finally like the music they’re making Swervedriver were a reaction against bad chart music A few tough years haven’t broken Sum 41 An in-depth look at the career of master songwriter turned author, Paul Kelly Caribou is a little cooler than your average math nerd On The Record rates new releases from Cold War Kids and Esben & The Witch Andrew McMahon thinks Something Corporate are over for good

FRONT ROW 38 38 40 40 40 41 42 42

This Week In Arts lists the must-see events of the upcoming seven days Andrea Jenkins paints a portrait of Melbourne transport grottos Natasha Gold talks about The Black Arm Band and the film she’s made about them Danny Bhoy prepares to return to our shores with new material in tow A flood fundraiser brings The Menstruum to 1000 £ Bend Film legend Ivan Reitman talks about Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher in No Strings Attached Cultural Cringe explores the St Kilda Festival and Flickerfest Sydney Film Festival director Clare Stewart and MIFF’s Michelle Carey give insight into

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 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, Chris Chinchilla, Jake Cleland, Rebecca Cook, Kendal Coombs, Adam Curley, Cyclone, Guy Davis, Carolyn Dempsey, Liza Dezfouli, Lizzie Dynon, John Eagle, Guido Farnell, Sam Fell, Bob Baker Fish, Robert Gascoigne, Cameron Grace, Stu Harvey, Andrew Haug, Andy Hazel, Andrew Hickey, Joey Lightbulb, Michael Magnusson, Baz McAlister, Keith McDougall, Sam McDougall, Tony McMahon, Count Monbulge, Luke Monks, Fred Negro, Mark Neilsen, Roger Nelson, Danielle O’Donohue, Matt O’Neill, James Parker, Adam Psarras,

Chris Wilson

Harmonica and blues legend plays a highly entertaining month of Saturdays 5pm

BACK TO INPRESS 44 44 45 45 46 46 46 47 48 48 48 52 60 60 60 61 61 64 64 66 71 74

Lloyd Cole just tries to write good words Yolanda Be Cool never want a day job again The Ting Tings’ latest album is inspired by Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk Mark Sultan doesn’t hate King Khan Miike Snow were blown away by their reception at Splendour In The Grass Anne McCue’s latest LP celebrates the electric guitar The Level Spirits are heading to SXSW with the help of some divine intervention Plan your Good Vibrations festival with our map and times Our LIVE gives you the best of the week’s live music! Gig Of The Week gets down and dirty with You Am I LIVE:Reviews parties at Laneway We chat with the nominees from this year’s Australian Music Prize 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 If you haven’t appeared in Fred Negro’s Pub, your mother probably still speaks to you Jeff Jenkins gets down and local in Howzat! Our Gig Guide fills your diary for the weekend Gear and studio reviews in BTL Find your new band and just about anything else in our classy Classifieds

CREDITS

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

why we need to get behind jailed filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohamma Rasoulof Film Carew looks at 127 Hours and ACMI’s late-night zombie program

Sat 5, 12, 19 & 26 February ARVO SESSIONS

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, Andrew Glover, Kate Griffin, Andrew Gyopar, Lou Lou Nutt, Gina Maher, James Morgan, Heidi Takla, Nathan Uren.

INTERNS Andrea Biagini, Stacey Elms-King

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. ©

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The Detonators Highly fuelled roots & rock’n’roll 5pm

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ON THE STEREO Gutter Rainbows TALIB KWELI Nightingale ERLAND & THE CARNIVAL Adalita ADALITA White Wilderness JOHN VANDERSLICE Con Law & Trust EP GENERATIONALS Why Oh Why (My Caroline?) LUKE LEGS Rolling Blackouts THE GO! TEAM Fading Parade PAPERCUTS Violet Cries ESBEN & THE WITCH S/T II: The Cosmic Birth And Journey Of Shinju TNT AKRON/FAMILY

3RRR SOUNDSCAPE We’re New Here GIL SCOTTHERON & JAMIE XX Hotel Shampoo GRUFF RHYS The Sound Of Siam VARIOUS ARTISTS Dye It Blonde SMITH WESTERNS Shapes And Shadows BEN OTTEWELL Swimming Pool Party EP CATCALL S/T II: The Cosmic Birth And Journey Of Shinju TNT AKRON/FAMILY Baby, How Can It Be? VARIOUS ARTISTS No More Idols CHASE AND STATUS An Introduction To… ELLIOTT SMITH

SYN 10 TOP Warm Jets 78 SAAB Black Panther ELECTRIC SEA SPIDER Summersun GALAPAGOOSE Simple Things (Hidden Suns remix) HAMMOCKS & HONEY She’s Like A Comet JEBEDIAH Dengue Fever MOTHER & SON All Colours MY OWN PET RADIO China SPARKADIA So It Goes AKRON/FAMILY Glass Deers BRAIDS

BILLBOARD HEATSEEKERS Maybe SICK PUPPIES Bass Down Low DEV FEATURING THE CATARACS Buzzin’ MANN Party Rock Anthem LMFAO FEATURING LAUREN BENNETT & GOONROCK From A Table Away SUNNY SWEENEY Smoke A Little Smoke ERIC CHURCH Wildflower THE JANEDEAR GIRLS Do The John Wall TROOP 41 Help Is On The Way RISE AGAINST Make It Rain TRAVIS PORTER

GIVEAWAYS

Swervedriver emerged from Oxford, UK in the early 1990s with a sound that was equal parts guitar frenzy, sublime melody and hazy melancholia. Their last tour here featured their final show in a decade. Then in 2008, Swervedriver bowed to demand and reformed, touring the USA and performing at the Coachella Festival in California. More recently the band were invitees of one-time labelmates My Bloody Valentine when they curated a chapter of the UK’s All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. For their current Australian tour, Swervedriver mainstays singer/ guitarist Adam Franklin, guitarist Jim Hartridge and bassist Steve George are to be joined by Raise-era drummer Graham Bonnar. As well as playing a show on Saturday 19 February at the Corner, Swervedriver have announced a second show on Thursday 17 February in the Espy’s Gershwin Room. We have two double passes to the Espy show to give away. A regular visitor to our shores, Lloyd Cole returns this month off the back of his new studio album Broken Record, a full band performance that includes appearances by Fred Maher (ex-Television, drums) Blair Cowan (ex-Commotions, keyboards), Mark Schwaber (acoustic guitar, mandolin) and Matt Cullen (acoustic guitar, banjo). Additionally, Cole has released the mail order and show-only release Small

FRONTLASH They’re back

HEY BABY… It was mooted last year, but now MTV have confirmed the imminent return of insanely puerile duo Beavis and Butt-head. We cannot wait to hear their illuminating thoughts on the current crop of music stars and wannabes…

THE DAVE GRANEY SHOW Dave Graney’s memoir, 1001 Australian Nights, lobbed on our desk this week – we’re happy to report it’s one of the most rollicking rock’n’roll yarns you’ll read all year.

PEAS OFF Some commentators have remarked that Black Eyed Peas’ diabolical Super Bowl appearance should be enough to kill their career. We can only hope…

BACKLASH LCD Soundsystem - gone for good?

SOUND FAMILIAR? LCD Soundsystem have announced they’ll play a three-hour “farewell” show at Madison Square Garden in April called The Long Goodbye. Don’t be too worried if you can’t make it – going on past form, they’ll be out here playing festivals by year’s end.

PRIMAL YELP Sad to see Scotland’s Primal Scream reduced to peddling back catalogue here last week. The band phoned it in, including a backing vocalist and horn player sometimes miming to the original recordings. C’mon guys, it shouldn’t have come to this yet.

STARS THE STRIPES Jack and Meg have split again, this time calling a day on the career of their much-loved rock combo The White Stripes. Thanks for the music – the enigmatic duo will be sorely missed…

Email giveaways@inpress.com.au from 5pm Wednesday Ensemble. Featuring Cole, Shcwaber and Cullen, Small Ensemble is an acoustic romp through Lloyd’s back catalogue and features re-workings of Cole classics Perfect Skin, No More Love Songs, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? and Undressed, amongst others. With his most recent Australian solo tour a huge success, this first band outing of Cole’s for more than 20 years is sure to follow suit. Catch the performance at the Thornbury Theatre this Saturday and Sunday. We have two double passes to give away for the Sunday show. The second Karavan! International Gypsy Music Festival is on the way, bringing with it some of the greatest gypsy music from Australia and the world. Karavan! will be headlined by two outstanding international acts: Gipsy.CZ (Prague) and Harem’de (Istanbul). From Australia there’s the incredible Russian sounds of Vulgargrad, the raw emotive power of Australia’s leading flamenco ensemble Arte Kanela, Lolo Lovina with the best Balkan stylings around, and the unique Middle Eastern/Balkan fusion of Babaganoush. All this plus two of the finest Balkan gypsy DJs, Systa BB (Melbourne) and DJ Delay (Berlin), so the party never stops. Saturday 26 February at the Corner Hotel will be one of the biggest parties of the year, and we have one double pass 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.

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THE

FRONTLINE

IN THE STUDIO WITH BRYGET CHRISFIELD

NEW STROKE

A sample of what is being labelled as a comeback single by The Strokes, Under Cover Of Darkness, is available for your scrutiny online at stereogum.com together with the striking, monochrome, geometric cover art. This is the first taste of the New York quintet’s forthcoming ten-track set, which is slated for release on 22 March, and first impressions are that the guitar and vocal parts are kinda similar to Last Nite (the band’s second single from their 2001 debut Is This It). This fails to dampen our excitement for their fourth album Angles, however, since we had already heard it was a return to their original form. The single will be premiered in its entirety on Zane Lowe’s radio show on 9 February with an official release two days later.

DON’T FIGHT IT

A fun teaser for the forthcoming Foo Fighters set sprang up at foofighters.fm/108.8 last Wednesday in the form of an old school radio tuner. By randomly tuning the dial using the left and right arrows on your keyboard, you will stumble upon a couple of sound grabs that are bound to get the kids excited. Tune in to 91.0 for a live version of All My Life in its entirety. (Sorry to spoil the fun, but you’ll thank me once you hear how annoyingly authentic the interference sound is.) At 95.0 there’s a galloping sample of mayhem with Grohl screeching over the top of the showy riffs, “These are my famous last WOOOOORDS !” This just has to be on the band’s seventh album, due in April.

GO APE

While Arctic Monkeys finish off their fourth album in LA with producer James Ford, who co-produced the band’s last album Humbug with Josh Homme, frontman Alex Turner has announced his plans to release an EP containing the tracks he wrote for a British film called Submarine. The English comedian Richard Ayoade, most commonly known for his role as Maurice Moss in The IT Crowd, directed Submarine, which was premiered at the recent Sundance Film Festival. Ayoade’s links with Arctic Monkeys go way back and he’s previously worked with the band on their video clips for Fluorescent Adolescent, Crying Lightning and Cornerstone as well as the band’s At The Apollo live DVD (2008). The six tracks Turner contributed to the film will be released on 14 March. Meanwhile, if you’re hanging for new output from Arctic Monkeys, you’ll just have to wait for a release date announcement before you can set a countdown.

ONE DAY STAND

The collaborative project that teams Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor up with Spiritualized’s John Coxon is set to release a second album. The band – which is rounded out by jazz pianist Pat Thomas, Charles Hayward (The Heat) and guests – goes by the name About Group. About Group released a debut, self-titled set in 2009 and now comes news of a follow-up due for a 26 April release on Domino Records. According to dominorecordco.com, the songs were written by Taylor over the past few years and “some, but not all of them, were given out as a CD in piano/vocal demo form for the other members of the group to hear a few days before the studio date”. “The idea was that no one band member would know the songs well enough to have specific parts or be prevented from playing something like the first ideas that came into their head,” the press release continues. Knuckling down for one day in London’s Abbey Road Studios for improvising and recording, the mixing then took a further three days. Aptly titled Start And Complete, the Domino Records website also praises “the beautifully unorthodox genesis of the band itself”. The finished album includes a ten-plus minute reworking of You’re No Good (Harvey Averne/Terry Riley) and footage of the band recording this opus can be viewed at nme. com/news/hot-chip.

PRINCE REMIXED

A recent visitor to our shores, the well-connected German electronic music producer/DJ Pantha Du Prince (AKA Hendrik Weber), is releasing a companion piece to his third album and first release on Rough Trade, Black Noise (2010). XI Versions Of Black Noise is scheduled to drop on 19 April and contains 11 remixed tracks by the likes of Animal Collective and Four Tet, who remix Stick To My Side (which features Animal Collective’s Panda Bear on vocals). You can hear Four Tet’s take on this track on the Pitchfork playlist – they bring an obscure-yetupbeat playfulness to the original.

INDUSTRY NEWS BY SCOTT FITZSIMONS AMP shortlistees: Class of 2010. Pic by Linda Heller-Salvador

FORGET MUSIC, WHERE’S THE PORN? A January released report has suggested that as detrimental to the music scene copyright infringement is, it’s being carried out in far higher volumes in the film and porn industries. American company Enivional analysed the top 10,000 swarms (material being downloaded) on website PublicBT – 35.8% was pornographic material, 35.2% non-porn films, 12.7% television, 4.2% software and 3.9% PC games. Music followed that, with only 2.8% of the share, ahead of only console games, anime, sports, books and unknown. It made up 0.37% of the total number of torrents being downloaded, but 34.9% of the peers. That is, one-third of downloads were concentrated to a small selection of content.

FESTIVAL REINFORCEMENTS Recently in Australia, Aloe Blacc has been announced on the Good Vibrations line-up, while Cut Copy have been added to Playground Weekender. Aloe Blacc’s appointment comes in the wake of cancellations of anticipated performances by Cee Lo Green and Janelle Monae, both controversially pulling out following their inclusion in festivities surrounding the Grammy Awards. Blacc – best known for his single I Need A Dollar – was highly praised for his performances, but not everyone is content at the announcement. One Facebook user posted on the festival’s page, “This pisses me off. Nate [Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins lll, AKA Blacc] was here for another tour and GVF take him but won’t allow the artists in their line-up to do sideshows… I think throwing in an artist who is already here is just pure laziness.” Largely, the other comments were otherwise positive. A comment from Good Vibrations’ organisers did not confirm Blacc was a replacement, saying, “We have added several acts to our Good Vibrations Festival national touring artist bill since the initial line up announcement in September.” In a similar situation, Cut Copy seem to have been added to the bill following Doves’ cancellation, for “personal reasons” and which may have something to do with the band’s ties to Broadcast, whose vocalist Trisha Keenan passed away recently.

SHOOT AT THE MOON Arcade Fire’s latest run in with fellow creative-types was with music video director Vincent Moon. This time, the band’s manager has shot back in spectacular fashion. Following in Wayne Coyne’s criticisms of the band in 2009, in an interview with Eye Weekly the hyped director said, “They’re not good people, that’s it. And I don’t mean the whole band – I mean the leaders of the band and their management… Maybe they’re on an indie label but that doesn’t mean anything. Those guys are just making things on a very big level, a very mainstream way of thinking. The way they deal with their business is really disgusting for me. The way they deal with things is awful. Their management are awful, awful people, and I know what I’m talking about. I have some really terrible stories with them.” And much as the band’s leader Win Butler shot back at Coyne in 2009, manager Scott Rodger took to the comments section on Consequence Of Sound to refute the claims. “I’m one of the so called ‘not good people’. Can we get the camera equipment you stole from the band returned yet? Perhaps if your drug habit could be contained you may actually be able to complete a film. We should have taken advice from our other friends who worked with you who advised us not to. But we thought it would be great. Unfortunately we were wrong. Your move to ‘art films’, that wouldn’t by any chance be circumstantial as no one is prepared to hire or commission you any more? Telling the truth. It’s not that hard Vincent. Now can we get our equipment back?” The two parties worked together on the Take-Away Shows series, published on La Blogothèque.

STRIPES SPLIT Pioneering blues rock duo The White Stripes have acted upon their extended break by announcing that they’ve broken up. A post on the band’s website indicated that it was all over and that they would be making “no further new recordings or perform live”. Divorced couple Jack and Meg White rose to notoriety at the turn of the millennium when the popularity of third and fourth albums White Blood Cells and Elephant was fuelled by widespread critical acclaim. The latter’s single Seven Nation Army became one of the most recognisable songs of the year and a staple cover for garage bands in their first practise. The statement on their website read, “The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health. It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way.” A personal message from the two said, “The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful.” Unreleased live and studio recordings will still be released through their Vault Subscription record club and “regular channels”. Jack White continues to work with a myriad of other projects from in front and behind the producer’s desk, including Dead Weather.

‘SMALL-MINDED’ AMP SHORTLIST REVEALED Once again, artists shortlisted for the annual Australian Music Prize (AMP) are questioning the lack of musical genres represented. Revealed during a ceremony at the Sydney Opera House last week, this year’s list includes Cloud Control’s Bliss Release, Dan Kelly’s Dan Kelly’s Dream, Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s Rush To Relax, Gareth Liddiard’s Strange Tourist, Pikelet’s Stem, Richard In Your Mind’s My Volcano, Sally Seltmann’s Heart That’s Pounding, Tame Impala’s Innerspeaker and The Holidays’ Post Paradise in the running for the major award and its $30,000 prize. As well as PPCA Chief Executive Officer Dan Rosen pronouncing Tame Impala’s album “Innerspeak”, akin to Jessica Mauboy’s gaff, the other talking points for the presentation was the lack of major label representation and the limited scope of genres among the shortlist of nine. With a heavy focus on indie rock, there was no representation from hip hop, punk or metal genres, while blues, roots, jazz, alternative rock and others were also overlooked. “It surely is a shame,” Cloud Control’s bassist Jeremy Kelshaw told The Front Line after the announcement. “It’s a hard job, I can’t imagine wanting to be involved in the process or whittling it down. You look at the styles they’re all vaguely similar.” “That’s so true,” bandmate Alister Wright said, “and looking at the film clips they all had the same psychedelic retro affect,” he laughed. “I know there is a really strong hardcore scene in Australia that is world-class,” Kelshaw continued, “You really need people on the judging panel that are interested for it to happen… You need people that like music of all types, you need people that are broad-minded.” The judging panel is made up of a range of media, industry and artist sources (Street Press Australia’s managing editor Andrew Mast included) and they came under fire last year as well for sticking to a formula in selecting their winner – last year Lisa Mitchell. While the indie scene is burgeoning in Australia at the moment – and all the nominated albums are quality – other unrepresented scenes are not far behind. “You’d think with people coming from so many different areas that a metal act [would appear], or Australian hardcore’s being going really well at the moment and obviously Australian hip hop has been booming, and it probably is surprising to not see any of it,” said The Holidays’ bassist Alex Kortt. “You could also say why weren’t there more pop acts like Washington or Little Red on it? It’s a tricky one.” Evelyn Morris – AKA Pikelet – said that it’s not the first time the punk scene has been snubbed and she’d know having played in a number of bands. “The metal scene and the punk scene in Australia, which I’m really well involved with, there’s never really been much of a crossover of that stuff in Australia, and it’s kind of a shame,” she said. “I think the Australian industry and the Australian media and the Australian mainstream audiences are really smallminded in a lot of ways. I don’t mean to be mean or patronising, but there’s not really a knowledge of much other music other than that which gets played on mainstream radio and that’s something that’s been a problem for a long time.” Alex Kortt finished by saying, “Probably something worth looking into as opposed to what’s getting nominated, [is] the people that are nominating. But we’re very happy, we’re not complaining.” The winner of the AMP will be announced Wednesday 3 March at the Annandale Hotel.

SPLENDOUR STAYING AT WOODFORD

STONE’S WON’T TOUR, YET

A “leaked” photo of the alleged Splendour In The Grass line-up, is incorrect, but the discussion has revealed that festival organisers seem unable to return the festival to Byron Bay as they had hoped to do this year. The festival had intended to return to Byron via the Yelgun site at the North Byron Parklands, the permit for which is still with the State Government. North Byron Parklands Trust General Manager Mat Morris could only comment to the extent of “the decision is pending,” meaning the cut-off time for the decision – believed to be late last year – has passed. The photoshopped line-up is a copycat of the myriad of fakes that appeared prior to Coachella’s announcement this year, and Splendour organisers commented, “Aside from the alleged artwork looking terrible at this point in time those speculating on line up have got it way wrong.” However, at least three of the artists mentioned on the fake bill are known to be booked for Australian visits around Splendour time.

After news that The Rolling Stones had planned to tour this year, the band have issued a statement saying that they have “no firm plans to tour at this time”. The news seeped out of court documents from claims and counterclaims between Live Nation and its former chairman Michael Cohl that suggested the band would tour this year. According to Hollywood Reporter, Live Nation is suing Cohl for breaking an agreement when he left and Cohl is counter-suing, saying Live Nation tried to “interfere” and “destroy” his attempt to gain the rights to a Stones tour for 2011. The band released a statement, clarifying their position. “Following the end of the 2007 A Bigger Bang world tour, The Rolling Stones became free from any contractual arrangements or agreements with Michael Cohl. He is neither their representative nor their tour promoter. Also, the Stones confirmed today they have no firm plans to tour at this time.” The band haven’t toured since 2007, and guitarist Keith Richards hinted in November last year that they were possible ready to tour again. 2012 will mark the 50th anniversary of the band.

CITIBANK TAKES CONTROL OF EMI As widely expected, Citibank have taken taken control of EMI, one of the four major labels. Taken from the control of Guy Hands’ Terra Firma group who bought the label in 2007 at an inflated price, the move is expected to start an auction for the embattled label, home to The Beatles and Coldplay. In a statement, the private equity firm said, “Terra Firma is pleased that EMI’s debt burden has been reduced through Citi agreeing to write down a substantial proportion of EMI’s debt.” A letter from EMI’s CEO Roger Faxon was circulated to all managers with acts on EMI, reading, “In our case it is not hard to see that our parent company would never be able to repay the £3.4 billion it owed to Citi.” With the administrative process, the British company’s debt has been cut to £1.2. He also said that the current management team would continue, and that “regardless of the country of origin of our owner, EMI remains a British company – both legally and spiritually.”

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CHISEL SELECTING NEW DRUMMER Despite management remaining tight-lipped, it is believed by The Front Line that ex-Men At Work drummer Jerry Speiser has been asked to audition as Cold Chisel’s replacement for the late Steve Prestwich. Prestwich passed away 16 January from a brain tumour and the band and management are understandably taking their time with future plans. It is understood that there’ll be no official news until after Easter. Cold Chisel have been working on a new album and the planned reissue of the back catalogue will probably go ahead, as that is a label decision. Got news? Announcements? Gossip? Unsubstantiated but hilarious rumours? Send them all to frontline@streetpress.com.au.

THE

NEW HORIZONS

FRONTLINE

The allure of international touring is one most bands are drawn to. Two bands that will spend this year trying to crack the market are THE AMITY AFFLICTION and GRINSPOON. SCOTT FITZSIMONS talks to their respective managers, LUKE LOGEMANN and GREGG DONOVAN. Of course, you can’t just pack your bags, jump on a plane and think things are going to work out. A classic example is stalwarts Grinspoon, who are only just starting to make international inroads with their last album Six To Midnight. In their case it was a matter of an old record deal with Universal that dated back to 1997, whereby international releases had to be carried out by Universal as well, which has kept them from breaking internationally.

The Amity Affliction

“So it’s just the deal we had with the old times is definitely restrictive in terms of that,” says the band’s manager Gregg Donovan, “and now with Six To Midnight the band own the actual recording, we’ve licensed it back to Universal and they do a great job marketing and distributing and we can take it around the world and do whatever we want elsewhere, which is much easier than it is when you’re stuck with one company. You’ve got a handful of guys overseas that can look at it and if they don’t like it, you’re kind of tied down.”

At the Australian Music Prize’s shortlist announcement last week, Mushroom Group supremo Michael Gudinski gave a speech on the importance of Australian music, a matter he’s notably passionate about. Particularly, this time, he outlined his disappointment at Australian bands that need to break overseas before they do here. There are plenty of recent examples – The Temper Trap are finding it hard to justify coming back home just yet when they’re having so much success in Europe, likewise Empire Of The Sun in America. Gypsy & The Cat and New Zealand’s The Naked & Famous needed press hype from the UK before we really took notice. My Disco struggle getting record deals locally, while they’re loved throughout Asia, PVT went over to England and Warp Records as Pivot before they got the type of festival slots they have been on recently – and the list goes on. It’s not necessarily a bad thing though, because, after all, Australia is a small place comparatively. Brisbane’s

Grinspoon

experimental artist Axxonn (AKA Tom Hall) has relocated (or is about to) to Los Angeles indefinitely and folk duo Luluc found their calling in Canada. Another band gearing up for a big year overseas are The Amity Affliction, and the band’s manager Luke Logemann says their decision isn’t due to a lack of opportunities in Australia, rather the abundance of them elsewhere. “Touring overseas is definitely not a result of some kinda ceiling in Australia,” he tells The Front Line, “but more because the guys want to travel and see the world and have been given the opportunity to do it through their band. Between November 2010 and December 2011 I’d predict they’ll spend about ten months overseas, playing something like 140 to 160 shows. It’s not for the lighthearted, but for a band that has as much as they do it makes sense to just go out and do it. All you have to do is check their personal Twitters while they travel to get jealous of their ability to make light of any situation they end up in.”

With a new deal – as Donovan mentioned they license the tracks back to Universal now – the opportunities are definitely starting to open up for the band. “I think the proof is in the pudding,” Donovan says. “It’s not like we haven’t tried on past albums. We’ve had very successful albums in Australia and we’ve been overseas pounding the pavement trying to get deals and make it happen internally within the group and never had the ability to go outside it. Six To Midnight – different story. We were able to try and open it right up and I was able to gain the interest of a manager in the UK who wanted to co-manage with me, a guy called Seven Webster who manages Skindred and he got us hooked up with DR2 Records who are putting the album out over there in February. So this is actually out first non-imported release in the UK in Grinspoon’s entire career. And we also came out last September in Hydrant Music in Japan, so it just doesn’t hold us back with any restrictions.” Likewise, Amity’s move overseas has been aided by some serious networking and long relationships. The band will

begin an American campaign, which includes South By Southwest, shortly after their Soundwave commitments. “We’re more showcasing for media and fans there as we have our dream team for the band already in place,” says Logemann. “Dave Shapiro [Agency] and Eric Rushing [Artery] are our partners with the band for North America and that stems from relationships our company formed with them through years of business, as well as both guys’ passion for Amity’s music that has gone back years. We know the States won’t be a walk in the park by any means – and the band is even more realistic than us – but the amount of bands and people willing to help them out with accom, vans, gear and tours is a huge help. “The Amity Affliction benefit from something that maybe a lot of other bands don’t have – that being a scene that surrounds the music and culture behind the band. They have now done four UK tours and from the first tour have had fans already waiting for them from hearing them online. The most recent run has been hugely successful, with the band now making money from online merch sales and quality shows in the UK. The first tour they did, I went over with them and we had pretty much every agent related to heavy music at multiple shows wanting the band.”

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

HANDY ANDY

Hailing from Nottingham, England, Andy Fletcher, one of the co-founders of Depeche Mode, will play a special DJ set on Thursday 17 February at Room 680. Depeche Mode’s last world tour missed Australia so Fletcher is hoping to bring a little bit of the group to Melbourne with his DJ set that will feature plenty of new remixes as well as a collection of old favourites. Early bird tickets have already sold out but general pre-sale tickets are still available from room680.com for $24+BF. Doors open at 9pm.

WEDNESDAY 9 FEBRUARY

RESIDENCY

ELLA THOMPSON

HAILEY CRAMER LAURA BAXTER & THE CAPTAINS DJ LANCE FERGUSON (THE BAMBOOS/LANU) ENTRY $12 FULL PRICE, $10 CONCESSION, 8.30PM

THURSDAY 10 FEBRUARY

SINGLE LAUNCH

BETTER THAN THE WIZARDS THE SCARECROWS ASHRA THE VILLAS

ENTRY $8, 8.30PM

FRIDAY 11 FEBRUARY

ALBUM LAUNCH AND FAREWELL SHOW

THE VIOLET FLAMES THE HAPPY ENDINGS THE RUN RUN ENTRY $12, 8.30PM

SATURDAY 12 FEBRUARY

MATINEE

BAND TOGETHER - FLOOD RELIEF

GO TEAM GO! Brighton’s sonic patchwork-pop juggernaut The Go! Team will return to Australia in May for Groovin The Moo and will be bringing the party to Melbourne on their Rolling Blackouts tour. From Sao Paulo to Seoul and everywhere in between, the world is The Go! Team’s playground and their infectious and notoriously fun live shows have galvanised the band’s reputation as an unmissable live experience. Buy Nothing Day – The Go! Team’s first single from their new release Rolling Blackouts – is currently enjoying rotation on Triple J and was the most played track for two weeks in a row. Join in the fun when they play at the Corner Hotel on Tuesday 10 May. Tickets go on sale Friday 18 February from handsometours.com and the Corner box office and website.

MXPX NAME SUPPORTS

The upcoming MXPX All-Stars gig, which will also feature The Ataris, is just a few short weeks away and organisers have now announced the support act lined up for the East Brunswick Club gig on Thursday 3 March. Formed in mid-2010, local five-piece melodic punk band Strickland are set to take 2011 by the throat, rounding out the killer triple bill. Tickets for the show are still on sale from eastbrunswickclub.com and the Corner Box Office.

REZZALP REECE DILLON & THE JELLY BABIES KATE DUCARDUS ATLAS MURPHY SAM HARVEY MATT GLASS DJ TOMMY

This March, Melbourne five-piece Laura return with the release of a limited edition double A-side 7”, This Grey Earth/Mark The Day. Dark, moody and complicated, the latest release from Laura is already gaining significant critical attention, picking up the Single Of The Week honour in these very pages last month. For those familiar with the music of Laura, the extraordinary, broody craftsmanship displayed on this latest offering will be no surprise. They’ve garnered significant momentum in the live arena as well, thanks to intense shows that feature the band’s signature wall of sound, and their dramatic and at times chaotic dynamics. Don’t miss them on Saturday 5 March at the East Brunswick Club.

EVENING

MY SECRET CIRCUS MELODY BLACK TIN MAN

ENTRY $15 DOOR, $12 PRESALE THRU MOSHTIX, 9PM

SUNDAY 13 FEBRUARY

MATINEE

ENTRY $5, 3PM

EVENING

JOHN LINGARD BAND BETTER THAN THE WIZARDS THE KINDLING LAUREN VICTORIA ENTRY 8PM

MONDAY 14 FEBRUARY

RESIDENCY

PROJECT PUZZLES SWAT FORCE MANIX & ABLE

ENTRY $5, 9PM $2 POTS!

TUESDAY 15 FEBRUARY

RAW COMEDY PRELIMINARY HEAT ENTRY $15 FULL, $12 CONCESSION, 7PM

RESIDENCY

DAN WEBB

Neil Diamond is one of the world’s greatest performers. His 2011 Australian tour has seen overwhelming demand at the box office and now a third and final Melbourne show has been added for Saturday 5 March. In further exciting news for the Grammy winner, Diamond will be inducted into the Rock’N’Roll Hall Of Fame in New York on 14 March. He will make a whirlwind trip to New York in the midst of his Australian tour to be a part of the evening celebrating his 50-year musical career. Due to this, Diamond’s Melbourne show currently scheduled for Sunday 13 March at Rod Laver Arena will now be moved to Saturday 12 March. All tickets purchased for this show will now be valid for the new date. Tickets for the 5 March show are available now from Ticketek.

MARK THE DAY, LAURA

ENTRY $10, 1PM

THE BLACKWOOD CREATURES DAN WATERS & THE BORDELLO BLUES BAND

THIRD DIAMOND

NO MERCY FOR OH MERCY There’s just no stopping Oh Mercy, who are getting ready to hit the road again for the Great Barrier Grief album launch tour spanning from March to May. The tour is to celebrate the release of the album of the same name, scheduled for Friday 4 March. Oh Mercy will perform two Victorian shows, the first on Thursday 7 April at Karova Lounge, Ballarat and the second on Friday 8 April at the Corner Hotel. Tickets are on sale now for the two shows from oztix.com. au and cornerhotel.com respectively. Before then you can also catch Oh Mercy when they play a free set in Federation Sqaure with Eagle & The Worm this Thursday from 6pm.

MACHINE HEAD

Shane Nicholson will release Bad Machines, the first single from his fourth solo album of the same name, on Monday. The album is released on Friday 25 March. A native of Brisbane, Nicholson first gained public attention as the lead-singer/guitarist for the rock band Pretty Violet Stain in the late-1990s. Since then he has released three solo albums – It’s A Movie, Faith & Science and the ARIA-nominated Familiar Ghosts, in 2008. See Nicholson performing live at Moomba on Friday 11 March, at the Port Fairy Folk Festival on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 March, at the East Brunswick Club on Thursday 24 March and the Substation in Williamstown on Friday 25 March.

ALLO ALOE US singer Aloe Blacc and his band The Grand Scheme have been added to the line-up of this weekend’s Good Vibrations festival. Blacc, whose most recent album is the excellent Good Things, is a more than fitting replacement for Cee Lo Green, who cancelled his appearance to perform at the Grammys. Meanwhile, Good Vibes Rising is a competition that gives an opportunity for local Indigenous artists to be part of Good Vibrations. Four Indigenous acts have been chosen to perform at the Good Vibrations festivals (one artist per festival state), with Briggs opening the Roots Stage at Flemington this Sunday. From the moment Briggs dropped his self-released debut EP, Homemade Bombs (2009), it was obvious to everyone that this marked the arrival of a powerful and unique voice on the scene. He has supported the likes of Adelaide’s Funkoars and Perth’s Drapht; this was followed by visiting international artists including Necro, Ghostface Killah, Dilated Peoples, MOP and Pharoahe Monch. He then scored the opening slot on a soldout national tour with the Hilltop Hoods. The Hoods were so impressed by his performance they took him along on their 2009 European tour, and eventually offered him a home at their fledgling label Golden Era Records. Acts playing Good Vibrations include Phoenix, Faithless, Friendly Fires, Nas & Damian Marley, Erykah Badu, Koolism and Ludacris.

$2 CARLTON POTS EVERY MONDAY

ARCHER & BOW

ENTRY $7 DOOR, 9PM

FRIDAY 18TH FEBRUARY

$10 JUGS!

TORO Y MOI

FRIDAY 25TH FEBRUARY

LUKE LEGS & THE MIDNIGHT SPECIALS

COMING UP:

DAN WEBB (TUES IN FEB) ELLA THOMPSON (WED IN FEB) HUNTING FOXES (SUN IN FEB) MARSHALL & THE FRO (18 FEB) THE PAPER KITES (19 FEB) INNERSPACE (24 FEB) JASON WEBLEY (25 FEB) HUSKY (SINGLE LAUNCH) (26 FEB) MELODICS (4 MAR) RAPSKALLION (5 MAR)

SATURDAY 12TH MARCH

OZIBATLA

WED 9TH FEBRUARY THURS 10TH FEBRUARY

FRI 11TH FEBRUARY

[ME] SHOWCASE SHOW YOUNG MAVERICK VIDEO LAUNCH + WOOHOO REVIEW + THE WHOLE MOLKO

+ TOMAKI JETS + UNDERWATER JESUS

THURSDAY DJS: DJ DAN BLOCK SAT 12TH FEBRUARY BLACKBIRD MARKET 11AM - 4PM W/ DJS HOUNDS OF LOVE

MON 14TH FEBRUARY

LIFTED BROW PRESENTS: MONOBROW + ANGIE HART + O+O (OWL+ MOTH) + NATASHA ROSE + MILES BROWN + DJ GEOFFREY O’CONNOR FRIDAY DJS:TWO BRIGHT LAKES

PARADING ALBUM LAUNCH BUM CREEK + ALEX JARVIS BAND + ACTUAL HOLES SATURDAY DJS: POLYESTER DJS

SUN 13TH FEBRUARY

ED GUGLIELMINO + CHRIS BRADY

+ KISSY TROUBLE

THURS 17TH FEBRUARY

SEE HEAR SAY SINGLE LAUNCH MONDAY RESIDENCY + THE MESSENGERS + SO MANY VOICES W/ WREN $2 ENTRY, $4 PINTS & $8 EATS KRISTINA MILTIADOU

NICCI@GETNOTORIOUS.COM

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FRI 18TH FEBRUARY

TORO Y MOI

+ MAGIC SILVER WHITE + THE TOWNHOUSES

TICKETS SELLING FAST!

CATE@GETNOTORIOUS.COM

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

PAPA’S PRETTY DINOSAURS

Escape The Fate

Keeping with the summer festive spirit, Brisbane’s Last Dinosaurs have teamed up with Sydney’s Papa Vs Pretty for a quickfire co-headline tour. No strangers to a playful and boisterous show, Last Dinosaurs had already rallied the crowds at Splendour in the Grass and Laneway festival earlier last year, before seeing out 2010 at Falls and Southbound. Now hot off the tail from supporting Oxford’s math-letic royalty Foals, Last Dinosaurs will be hitting the road with new single Time & Place in their back pocket. Papa Vs Pretty had a damn good 2010, and can’t wait to finally put out a full length album this year. They’re anxious to hit the road to give folks a taste. Speaking of taste, the new and slightly demented clip for Wrecking Ball from the Heavy Harm EP is online now; those of you with a penchant for seafood and a strong stomach should check it out. Catch this double-headliner on Thursday 24 March at Ballarat’s Karova Lounge and on Friday 25 March at the Northcote Social Club.

THE CAT EMPIRE TURN TEN

THE GREAT ESCAPE Two of America’s most popular post-hardcore bands, Escape The Fate and Pierce The Veil, are set to hit Australian shores this April. Escape The Fate exude a spirit of chaotic mischief captured perfectly in their electrifying live shows and Pierce The Veil have been converting innumerable fans to their unique style of progression post-hardcore since 2007. Together these two acts will join forces for two performances set to be held at Billboard on Wednesday 27 (18+) and Thursday 28 April (under 18). Tickets go on sale this Friday at 9am from Ticketek and billboardthevenue.com.au.

KIDS AND CLUBS ARE NUTS

CALLING ALL QUEENS

Coming off the back of yet another successful headline tour of Europe and the UK, everyone’s favourite hardcore/rap/party dudes Deez Nuts are heading out around Australia for the national Kids And Clubs Tour. The tour is a combination of overage club shows as well as a series of all-ages shows across the nation. It will be Deez Nuts’ first Australian headline joint since the release of their second album This One’s For You and its subsequent tour in June 2010. As well as playing the Push Over Festival on Sunday 13 March, Deez Nuts will headline shows on Thursday 7 April at Next at Brown Alley (18+), Friday 8 April at Seaford Community Hall (all-ages) and Saturday 9 April at Spudfest in Geelong (all-ages). Tickets for the Next show are available at the door only and tickets for the all-ages shows are available from Oztix.

Wind back time to around 12 months ago and up-andcoming Melbourne rock kids Calling All Cars were celebrating the fact that they’d been hand-picked by AC/DC to support them on their Black Ice national tour. Eleven shows, 48 semi-trailers and half a million fans later, Calling All Cars are about to do it all over again. This time it’s American hard rock royalty Queens Of The Stone Age who have put the word out that Calling All Cars have been chosen to support them on their only Australian shows outside of Soundwave. Calling All Cars are currently writing material for the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2010 debut album Hold, Hold, Fire, and the QOTSA sideshows will give fans their first chance to hear some of the new songs before the band disappear into the studio. Catch QOTSA and Calling All Cars on Thursday 3 March at the Palace.

SWITCHING CARPARKS

Multi-platinum rock act Switchfoot return to Australia this Easter to perform at Eastland Shopping Centre as part of their 2011 world tour. The popular quintet from San Diego, who formed in 1996, are renowned for their charity work around the globe. Now they are bringing their anthemic, melodic rock tunes to the first major concert to ever be staged on the Eastland rooftop car park. Switchfoot’s live shows consist of layered sounds, electronic experimentation, catchy and driving guitar riffs and some softer, reflective ballads. The concert is to be held on Good Friday (22 April) and starts at 6pm. US hardcore quintet Emery plus Melbourne electro rock trio Inner Space feature as opening acts. Tickets are available from Moshtix. Gipsy.CZ

KARAVAN OF TUNEAGE The second Karavan! International Gypsy Music Festival is on the way, bringing with it some of the greatest gypsy music from Australia and the world. Karavan!, held at the Corner Hotel on Saturday 26 February, will be headlined by two outstanding international acts: Gipsy.CZ (Prague) and Harem’de (Istanbul). Gipsy.CZ features famous Czech gypsy violinist/singer Vojta Lavicksa together with effervescent singer/rapper/composer and all-round entertainer Radoslav ‘Gipsy’ Banga and some young traditionally schooled gypsy musicians. Harem’de are the leading gypsy percussion ensemble in Turkey and are led by Yasar Akpence, who is renowned for his work with many of the biggest artists in Turkey. From Australia, there’s the incredible Russian sounds of Vulgargrad, the raw emotive power of Australia’s leading flamenco ensemble Arte Kanela, Lolo Lovina with the best Balkan stylings around, and the unique Middle Eastern/Balkan fusion of Babaganoush. All this plus two of the finest Balkan gypsy DJs Systa BB (Melbourne) and DJ Delay (Berlin) so the party never stops.

The Cat Empire will this year celebrate the tenth anniversary of their first show as the six-piece which went on to become the Empire they are today. To celebrate this milestone, the band will revisit the venues they worked their way through as they gained fans and playing chops, from the small jazz clubs, crazy late night-party rooms, to the pubs, concert halls and theatres. The Cat Empire’s tenth anniversary shows that a combination of hard work, great songs, a good vibe, a genuine vision and a little bit of luck go a long way. You can celebrate with them at any of the five shows in Melbourne: Wednesday 4 May at Bennetts Lane, Thursday 5 at the Night Cat, Friday 6 at the Palace, Saturday 7 at the Corner Hotel and Sunday 8 at the Prince Bandroom.

LEGEND BY NAME... John Legend and his ten-piece will play the Palais on Tuesday 26 April. Legend has collaborated with Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Fort Minor and mentor Kanye West. The singer’s latest collaboration is with hip hop group The Roots on the album Wake Up!. The critically-acclaimed album debuted in the US Billboard top ten and features one original composition alongside covers of 1960s and 1970s soul classics, featuring of consciousness, awareness and engagement.

YOU’VE GOT A VRIEND

CELBRATE SALIGIA, ROGER THAT

Australian rock icon Tim Rogers is preparing to present Saligia for its Melbourne premiere. This ain’t rock’n’roll or even cabaret as we thought we knew it – instead expect a piercing treatise on the seven deadly sins. Saligia is a group of sinfully seductive songs written by Rogers and his accomplice, Melanie Robinson. Extending a gnarled hand, Rogers tempts you to leave your soul at the door and join him on an archaeological expedition into the murky realms of sin. A seven-piece ensemble has been caged and ruthlessly tutored for the occasion. Experience Saligia for yourself on Thursday 17 February at Oakleigh’s Caravan Music Club and on Thursday 24 February at the Famous Spiegel Garden. Also catch Tim Rogers & Temperance Union on Friday 25 February at the Famous Spiegel Garden.

Canadian pop and blues chanteuse Ann Vriend returns to Australia this year to launch her new album, Love And Other Messes. Vriend (piano and vocals) has spent the past two years delivering her unique brand of Americana soul to thrilled audiences around the world and this time she is supported by the Juno Award-winning James Forrest (upright and electric bass). Vriend’s vulnerable yet exquisite voice has been described as a cross between Dolly Parton and a young Aretha Franklin, while her story-like but often enigmatic lyrics reveal her influence by writers such as Leonard Cohen and Paul Simon. Known for her live performances, Vriend is a lyrically profound and heart-wrenchingly honest songwriter, with a unique vocal mastery and prowess on the piano. Catch her on Thursday 3 March at the Toff In Town, Saturday 12 March at the Wesley Anne in Northcote and at the Yackandandah Folk Festival, which runs from Friday 25 until Sunday 27 March.

DIM MAK FOR GOOD PARTY

Tame Impala, Gypsy & The Cat and Flight Facilities have been added to the bill of the Future Music Festival, hitting Flemington Racecourse on Sunday 13 March. They join a line-up that includes Chemical Brothers, Dizzie Rascal, Pendulum, MGMT, Mark Ronson & The Business Intl, Ke$ha, The Presets, Leftfield and more. The festival will also be providing a tantalising taste of La La Land at its glittering finest with party crew Dim Mak heading direct down under for a voyage of mashed-up musical mayhem and Hollywood hedonism. Dim Mak will be hosting their very own stage with an all-star line-up of their legendary LA party posse, including the likes of the infamous brand’s head honcho and luminary Steve Aoki, Don Diablo, Sound Of Stereo, The Subs, TAI, and the host with the most and snapper extraordinaire, The Cobra Snake. The Dim Mak stage is part of Smirnoff’s worldwide Nightlife Exchange Project phenomenon, which sees a series of global events sharing the planet’s finest nightlife experiences. This will all take place on Sunday 13 March at the Flemington Racecourse – grab your tickets now from Ticketmaster.

WE SMELL A RATTUS Former Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell will tour Australia in April this year. The show will feature two sets: the first will feature a collection of Stranglers hits and classic solo material, with the second featuring The Stranglers’ seminal debut album Rattus Norvegicus IV being performed in its entirety for the first time in Australia. Cornwell is one of the UK’s finest songwriting talents and accomplished live performers and has released eight solo albums, most recently the acclaimed Hooverdam. See Cornwell perform on Saturday 7 May at the Hi-Fi.

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FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

CUTTERS AND CO

ECLECTIC AND A LIDDELL ENIGMATIC

Returning to Australian shores for Golden Plains Festival in March 2011, Jamie Lidell has announced a special headline show at the East Brunswick Club. A one-time techno geek, Lidell has completed his transformation into a robotic soul man, shifting boundaries and demonstrating that the further he goes, the better he gets. His famed, largely improvised live shows must be seen to be believed. Constructing his tracks live, voicing and layering right in front of your eyes, effortlessly whipping them out of the air and forging them into clanking electro riffs and funky grooves, Lidell brings the musical process to front and centre as few performers can. Showcasing tracks from his most recent release, 2010’s Compass (featuring collaborations with Beck, Feist and Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor), along with favourites from earlier albums, don’t miss your chance to see this enigmatic live performer up close and personal on Saturday 12 March at the East Brunswick Club.

JAZZ IS FOREVER

Esteemed pioneering jazz outfit Return To Forever will debut their dynamic new line-up on their five-city tour of Australia this month. On top of original band members Chick Corea (keyboards), Stanley Clarke (bass) and Lenny White (drums), Return To Forever will now also include the talents of violin legend Jean-Luc Perry as well as the universally acclaimed, multi-genre guitarist, Frank Gambale. With the Australian shows marking the beginning of an international tour, the new-formed quintet arrangement is an unprecedented and energising new venture for Return To Forever. They performed sellout arena shows in the 1970s and are now ready for their encore. Return To Forever play this Friday at the Regent Theatre and this Saturday at the Forum Theatre. Tickets for both shows are on sale from Ticketmaster.

Touring the world on rips and riffs, surfer-musician Donavon Frankenreiter lands on Australian shores this March for an extensive national tour. With guitar and surfboard at the ready, Frankenreiter and band will make their way from coast to coast. The singer embarks on his fifth Australian tour following the release of his fourth studio album, Glow. The 11-track release offers a stellar collection of warm, uplifting, laidback, softly infectious tunes. Catch Frankenreiter as he delivers the best of optimistic summery, acoustic surfer sounds on Thursday 3 March at the Torquay Hotel and Friday 4 at the Prince Bandroom. Tickets are available from Ticketek from 9am this Thursday.

T EN ES PR

DON A WETSUIT, DONAVON

Dan & Tim (AKA Cutters Records head honchos and Cut Copy band members Dan Whitford and Tim Hoey) will be gracing the decks with a series of DJ appearances across the country. Renowned for their eclectic mixtapes, sought-after remixes and love of house, disco and all things danceable, Dan & Tim will be eager to bring the party to a rhythm-fuelled climax, having spent much of 2010 cooped up in the studio making Cut Copy’s third studio album, Zonoscope. Along for this journey are two of the newest signings to the label, Nile Delta and Das Moth. Nile Delta is dancefloor wizard Joel Dickson, former member of acclaimed Australian act Riot In Belgium and current member of Cutters’ dynamic-house-disco-duo, Voltage. Das Moth is the alias of the Tokyo-dwelling musician and former member of Melbourne band Damn Arms, Tim Sullivan. As Das Moth, Sullivan says no to punk and yes to a fusion of angular basslines, beautiful, esoteric synths and undeniable dance energy. Join the party on Saturday 19 February at the Order Of Melbourne with special guests Knightlife, Rohan BellTowers (Bamboo Musik) and Michael Cue It Up (RRR).

SEEING RED The boys from Thousand Needles In Red aren’t the type to let a thing like physical distance get in the way of good songwriting. With the guitarist based in Sydney and the singer in Brisbane, most of the songs produced by the band are collaborated online. Last year saw the band release their self-titled, seventrack EP. Since then the boys have been back in the studio and on Monday they released their newest single, Into Eternity, which was produced by The Tea Party’s Jeff Martin. To celebrate, Thousand Needles In Red are now set to embark on their Into Eternity Tour this March, travelling to Victoria for four dates with special guests 12 Foot Ninja. On Thursday 17 March they will play at the Bended Elbow, Geelong, on Friday 18 March in the Espy’s Gershwin Room, on Saturday 19 March the boys head to the Ferntree Gully Hotel and after a few days’ rest their final Victorian show will be held on Wednesday 23 March at the Karova Lounge in Ballarat.

LES JAPANESE FRERES

Brothers Moriya and Keito Saito, together as Les Frères, have been shaking it up with their funky beats and boogie rhythms. The Japanese piano duo debut in Australia this March on a national tour. Les Frères’ freewheeling, dynamic performances (“one piano, four hands”) are the unique blend of Moriya’s beautiful ballad melodies fused with Keito’s vibrant boogie rhythms. Both graduates of the Luxembourg Conservatoire de Musique de la Ville, the piano duo formed in September 2002. The pair are already superstars in Japan, with their Tokyo concerts selling out in a matter of hours. Melbourne now has a chance to experience the breathtaking brothers’ charisma for one night only on Friday 4 March at Federation Square’s BMW Edge. Tickets are on sale now ($18-$35) from jpf.org.au.

CLOUD NINE This year is shaping up to be even bigger than Cloud Control’s mammoth 2010 – the band are set to drop a new single and a limited deluxe re-release of their Bliss Release album in Australia, before heading to the UK and Europe for an extensive tour ahead of their album’s release there, followed by a trip to the States for the SXSW festival. New single My Fear #1 is the prequel to My Fear #2, which appears on Bliss Release. The single appears on the new two-disc edition of Bliss Release, which also features a bunch of other exclusive and unreleased tracks, including a handful of outstanding remixes from the likes of Seekae, Djanimals, Spod, Fishing, Countbounce and more. Before they take off overseas, Cloud Control play the Forum on Friday 25 March with Jinja Safari.

EVERY MONDAY

EVERY THURSDAY LATE

EVERY FRIDAY

EVERY SATURDAY LATE

SWING PATROL

LOVE STORY

POPROCKS

and guests

No brainers and guilty pleasures

THE HOUSE DE FROST

FREE ENTRY - From 11.30pm

FREE ENTRY - From 9pm

Swing dancing classes

with JOHNNY T & RAMONA STAFFELD Classes at 6.30pm, 7.30pm Social dancing 8.30pm Tickets $13.30 on door / $22 for 2 classes

with 1928 (STROBE)

TUE 15 & 22 FEBRUARY

w/ Dr Phil Smith

WED 16 FEBRUARY

MAGIC MOUNTAIN BAND SISTER FOR SISTERS

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

EVERY SUNDAY FROM 4PM

THE SUNDAY SET

w/ AndyBlack & Haggis

w/ Andee Frost FREE ENTRY - From 12 Midnight

This weeks theme: BABY FREE ENTRY - In the Carriage

THURS 17 FEBRUARY

SAT 19 FEBRUARY

TORO Y MOI (USA)

THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH

FEBRUARY RESIDENCY with, MAGNOLIA (15/2) and SPENDER (SOLO) & LUKE HOWARD ENSEMBLE (22/2)

with VIDA SUNSHINE, NAI, CANDICE MONIQUE, IDA, SISTA ITATIONS and many many more..

with LOVE CONNECTION HAMMOCKS AND HONEY

with THE STOICS

Tickets $10 on the door

Tickets $15 +BF / $20 on the door

Tickets $10 +BF / $12 on the door with EP

WED 23 FEBRUARY

THURS 24 FEBRUARY

SAT 26 FEBRUARY

SUN 27 FEBRUARY

STEPH HANNAH

GABBY YOUNG (UK)

SAN FRAN DISCO

DEBUT EP ‘MOUTHFUL OF WATER’ LAUNCH with MEGAN KENT

with YEO

SINGLE LAUNCH with SPECIAL GUESTS

DAVE MCCORMACK AND HIS MIGHTY POLAROIDS

Tickets $10 +BF / $15 on the door with EP

Tickets $20 +BF

Tickets $10 on the door

WED 2 MARCH

THURS 3 MARCH

SAT 5 MARCH

SUN 20 MARCH

THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS

JOE PUG

with special guests

JUNGAL, ANDY BULL THE ANN VRIEND DUO (CAN) & OWL EYES & DANIEL REEVES

Tickets on sale Thursday 3rd February at 9.00am.

Tickets $14.20 +BF / $20 on the door

Tickets $27.50 + BF / $30 on the door

(UK)

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Tickets $12.50 + BF / $15 on the door

with special guests TREVOR LUDLOW & THE HELLRAISERS and ROLLER ONE

with SPECIAL GUEST

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

NEW KINGS OF LEON DATES

Kings Of Leon were forced to postpone their tour of Australia recently, allowing time for the band’s drummer to recover from a surgical procedure performed in order to repair torn muscles in his right arm. Organisers have now released rescheduled tour date information, detailing that the two Rod Laver Arena performances, originally scheduled for Thursday 17 and Friday 18 March, are now set to be held on Sunday 13 and Monday 14 November. Ticketholders for the rescheduled shows have been advised to simply hold onto their ticket for entry if they are able to attend the new performance dates. However, for those who are unable to attend the new performance dates the event organisers have been asked to seek a refund for their ticket prior to close-ofbusiness on Friday 18 February. Any remaining tickets to the concerts will be re-released for sale on Wednesday 23 February through Ticketek. Anyone in need of further information regarding refunds or the new tour scheduling should head to frontiertouring.com/kingsofleon.

STOLTZ HALTS

San Francisco troubadour Kelley Stoltz has had to cancel his upcoming Australian tour dates. Stoltz was set to play drums for Sonny & The Sunsets, who will now headline Mistletone’s Sunny Tones party at the Tote on Saturday 5 March, as well as play at Golden Plains the following weekend. Sonny & The Sunsets will also be replacing Kelley Stoltz as the main support act for The Clean at the Corner on Friday 11 March. Stoltz’s show scheduled for the Curtin Bandroom on Saturday 27 February will now be headlined by Lawrence Arabia with support from Scott & Charlene’s Wedding.

WAGONS LOADED

Busy putting the finishing touches on their soon-to-bereleased fifth album, Melbourne’s Wagons have just announced the addition of locals The Twerps and The Rechords to their Corner Hotel headliner and first fullband show for the year on Friday 4 March. The gig will celebrate the release of Downlow, the first single from the band’s upcoming album, due for release in May. Tickets are selling quickly and this will be the last time Wagons will perform on stage in their hometown before they head abroad for tours in North America and Canada. Tickets are available from cornerhotel.com.

GRANT ME SOME EMOTION American singer/songwriter and former Czars frontman John Grant will soon tour Australia for the first time to promote his latest album, Queen Of Denmark. With his good friends and supporters Midlake providing the backing, Queen Of Denmark is a record of gravitas and grace, of FM melody magic laced with raw emotional bleeding. It asks why relationships are roulette and love is hell in a last-ditch attempt at self-improvement and atonement after a decade of alcohol and cocaine dependency. And yet there is redemption in its exquisite grooves. Hear Grant’s effortlessly rich, expansive baritone, couched in typically heartbreaking, lush melody when he performs on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 May at the Toff In Town. Tickets are available from Moshtix.

Warrant

IN SHORT

Before joining up with Darren Hanlon to play in his band on his forthcoming national tour, Shelley Short (USA) and Steph Hughes (Dick Diver and Boomgates), AKA The Gold Coats, will play a handful of shows together to promote their limited edition split 7”single, to be released on Hanlon’s Flippin Yeah Industries. Short returns to Australia to showcase her intimate and beguiling alt.folk songs from her forthcoming album Then Came The After, while The Gold Coats (who make their live debut) are a couple of harmonisers who love their country songs sad and their choreography half-rehearsed. Catch them on Sunday 20 February at Smiley McSlidey Warehouse, corner of Blyth and Nicholson streets, East Brunswick.

HOW SWEDE IT IS

SCREAM AND FEED HER APPLECORES

No Compromise. The one track title says all that you need to know about The Haunted, so brace yourself for the Swedish metal heroes as they bring their enviable live reputation to Australia. The band play the Hi-Fi on Saturday 28 May.

This month sees the return to Melbourne of Brisbane legends Screamfeeder. They’re making the trip down to the headline the Applecore Backyard Festival and stop at the Tote on Friday 25 February for a one-off special sideshow. One of the most loved and important guitar bands of the ‘90s, Screamfeeder gained international acclaim for a series of brilliant albums including the classic Kitten Licks. Consistently putting on breathtaking live shows and always sounding fresh, this promises to be a huge night at a wonderfully intimate venue. Supports come from local pop/noise maestros Actor Slash Model, New Zealand pop wonderkids The Blueness, as well as The Enclosures. Tickets are sure to go fast so get yours now from applecorefestival.com.

EASEY DOES IT

If you’re a live music fan with a radio then you might want to tune to 106.7FM for the last week of February and submerse yourself in PBS’ Live Music Week 2011 program which is packed with a diverse range of unplugged and live performances covering a broad spectrum of genres. It runs from Monday 21 until Sunday 28 February and from 5-7pm daily you’ll be able to listen to The Easey Street Sessions Drive Live series, featuring a stellar cast of performances including Gareth Liddiard, Lisa Miller, The Surrealists, Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side, The Bakelite Age and Teeth & Tongues. On Saturday 27 February there’s also an open invitation for all to head down to Cherry to see The Breadmakers, Clairy Browne & The Bangin Rackettes, Harmony and DJ Pierre Baroni, all being broadcast live on PBS. Doors open at 8pm and entry is by gold coin donation. Full program details for the week can be found at pbsfm.org.au.

METAL HEALTH UNIT Three huge names in American hard rock are joining forces when they head down under for their Metal Health 2011 tour this April. On Friday 29 April the Palace will be rocking hard when Quiet Riot, Warrant and LA Guns take to the stage for their only Victorian show. Between the three bands they’ve clocked up almost 30 million album sales throughout their careers. Tickets for show go on sale this Friday.

SOUTHSIDE SOUL

It’s back baby! PBS 106.7FM’s Soul-A-Go-Go is have a summer Southside Special on Saturday 5 March at Red Bennies. This is the first Soul-A-Go-Go for 2011 and dishing up the funk and soul will be the regular crew, such as Miss Goldie, Pierre Baroni, Richie 1250, Vince Peach and Rampage, as well as special burlesque performances. There are no pre-sales for the event – tickets are only available at the door and it’s sure to sell out so make sure you get down early to avoid disappointment. Soul-A-Go-Go Summer Southside Special will run from 9pm-3am on Saturday 5 March at Red Bennies, South Yarra. Entry is only $8 for PBS members and $12 for non-members.

ALL ABOARD

GO EAST Omar Souleyman is a musical legend from Syria. For the past 15 years, he and his group have emerged as a staple of folk pop throughout the country, having issued more than 500 studio and live-recorded cassette albums which are easily spotted in the shops of any Syrian city. Hailing from the rural city of Ras Al Ain, Souleyman began his musical career in 1994 with a small group of local collaborators. The group tirelessly perform concerts throughout Syria and have accepted invitations to perform abroad in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Lebanon. The myriad musical traditions of the region are evident in their music, which reflect the sounds of Syria, Iraq, Turkey and the sizable Kurdish population. Souleyman plays the Northcote Social Club on Sunday 6 March.

With their sparkling pop single Board The Apartment Up now at radio, Seabellies have decided to take their summer sound out on the road. Board The Apartment Up is the final single to be taken from their debut album By Limbo Lake, and perfectly captures the spirit of the band’s much talked about live show. Shiny brass, interloping guitar melodies and atmospheric vocals are all underpinned by a real groove. Seabellies will be showcasing brand new material, written at Bakery Studios during their recent month-long Melbourne residency, before returning to the studio to commence work on their second album. You can catch the band at the Northcote Social Club on Thursday 3 March.

GUITAR HEROES

Guitars Across The Bay is a two-day guitar expo hitting Williamstown on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 March. Some of Australia’s finest guitarists perform across three stages, alongside exhibitor stands, ukulele classes and workshops. Artists appearing include The RocKwiz Orkestra, Geoff Achison, Ray Beadle, Jimi Hocking, Ross Hannaford and Fiona Boyes. For more information head to guitarsacrossthebay.

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andurah, Western Australia isn’t known for its musical output. Despite a photograph of the town being used as the cover shot for The Triffids’ Born Sandy Devotional album, it’s safe to say that a teenage electronic pop duo is a brightly-coloured aberration in the city’s DNA. Yet Tim & Jean, already riding high on prolific airplay, are now on the verge of getting nationally recognised for forthcoming album Like What, and they’re as surprised as the rest of us. “It’s surreal, man,” says singer and guitarist Tim Ayre. “I guess a lot of people would say that if they went through the transition from staying at home and chilling to going out and doing things they’ve dreamed about, it’s definitely not normal yet. I get excited when [manager] Pete [Carroll] rings me up and says we’re going to do this and that, going to New York or talking about the album being released in the UK. I don’t show it but inside I feel it and it’s crazy – I

think that’s the best way to handle it. Jean, he’s pretty comfortable with it all. He doesn’t show it on his face but I’d say he’s just like me, buzzing about it but wanting to focus on the job to get it over the line,” says Ayre of his bandmate Jean-Christophe Capotorto (that’s a French Jean, as in Jean-Claude Van Damme, not a trouser). “When he started he was 15, which is really young to be touring, but his parents are really cool with it. At the start they were kind of ‘Uhhh…’, ‘cause it’s natural for a parent to be concerned about things like their kid taking a year off school, because they could think anything could be going on. He could be wagging. Now they’re all for it, they always come to shows, they’re like my parents who are the most supportive people you could possibly want.” On the back of their meteoric rise from jamming on an acoustic guitar in Jean’s bedroom in 2009 to being the subject of a multinational major label record bidding war, the first fruits of which will drop 1 April with the duo’s debut album Like What, it’s been a mad 18 months. As with many bands the helping hand has come in the

form of love from Triple J, something Ayre is quick to acknowledge. “I never thought that Triple J would take to us like that. From what I’ve done in the past with other bands, I know it’s difficult. When Jean posted our song [Come Around] on Unearthed and we got that drum sign to say that we’d been played once it was amazing, because that had never happened before,” he says as if it happened five minutes ago. “That was in late 2009, and then they went with it and we got played more and a bit more and in 2010 they flogged it, and they played Veronica and then we released the new song, I Can Show You, a few days ago and it’s been getting played too.” Tim & Jean are most commonly likened to “an Aussie Passion Pit or MGMT” says a politely frustrated Ayre, but, he’s keen to point out, most people are basing this on one song, Come Around. “That track does have a Passion Pit vibe on it, because I sing in a falsetto for a part of it – but I wouldn’t go to an opera and say that sounded like Passion Pit cause some guy is singing high,” he says with a laugh. “The rest of the tracks on the album are

more natural sounding; there are acoustic sounds on there. I don’t think of it too much,” he says, sighing. “We do get that everyone wants to reference us to something and they have to get one from somewhere. I’m looking forward to the time where people say we sound like us.” Though their age has been a good thing for raising eyebrows and getting some attention, Ayre says it has also made getting taken seriously and recognised as a musicians more difficult. “It’s always been a thing, our age,” he mutters distractedly. “It’s true people don’t take us seriously, even if people like the songs they might not like us because of our age. We do attract a younger crowd and because of the music we play it’s mainly people our own age that contact us online. Seeing us live is really different,” he says keenly. “From starting our first show to playing Falls Festival, there’s such a big difference in terms of the crowd we play to. It’s not just young girls but, you know, big men too,” he says laughing. “People can get into it more live and see we can pull it off and that we’re actually musicians.” He

THE DYNAMIC DUO As TIM & JEAN prepare to showcase tracks from their much anticipated debut album at the Good Vibrations festival this weekend, singer and guitarist TIM AYRE dismisses the “Aussie Passion Pit” tag and tells ANDY HAZEL that his friends finally dig the music he’s making.

doesn’t need to prove it, but there are several YouTube clips of crowds getting excited supporting this. That Ayre and Capotorto are musicians first and electronic artists second is a point he comes back to several times. “We’ve got a band now, another keys player and a drummer as well as me and Jean. It was hard rehearsing a show up instead of doing exactly what we do on the record. That I’ve played blues and jazz in the past means I can add that to the live set and adding that element to the electronic music is different to a lot of the electronic bands people see. They don’t expect that and some people respect that.” Acoustic guitarists to begin with, Tim & Jean have a history that few other electronic acts can boast. “When we met I was playing jazz and blues guitar in bands and Jean was playing guitar in shoegaze and indie rock bands. He was getting into Logic, ProTools Reason and stuff, and just recording little things. I heard a couple of things online and thought they were cool. When we met we were just jamming stuff; in fact, the first thing we did was a Dave Matthews song,” he says with a laugh. Before this revelation results in Tim & Jean’s cred taking a beating among some readers, remember they were 18 and 15 at the time. “I was really into him and that vibe – I’ve always been more into the blues thing. We were mucking around trying to get a vibe, making tracks and acoustic jamming and just chucked the electronic thing on it.”

It was so last minute and he was a good choice. He’s a really good dude to work with.” Unfazed by O’Mahoney’s credits (Guns N’ Roses, Coldplay and… uh, ’N Sync), the duo stayed focused on the sounds they wanted to get. “It’s kind of weird,” says Ayre slowly. “Jean is into bands like College and M83, and I was wanting to make it more in-your-face so you can hear lyrics and melodies; we’ve just taken similar sounds and made them poppier. We were really interested in that kind of music,” he says quickly. “We wanted to make more airy and light sounds – that’s what we were into at the time,” he says of the sounds that anyone over the age of 25 would call ‘kind of ‘80s’. Ayre laughs at the idea of these sounds being nostalgic for him, but, as a child of the ‘90s whose parents played pop music, it’s understandable. “Growing up, my parents were always listening to Prince and Michael Jackson because their era was the ‘80s, you know, and they were smashing it at the discos. I think we add a different touch to it – a ‘today’ vibe. Jean was really into building up references from different bands. He’s got about two months of music on his computer – he was just constantly listening to stuff and remembering things he liked, and it did pay off. We’d never done electronic things before. It was crazy to begin with, especially when we’d play it to our friends,” he says with a laugh.

THE NEW WEST ANDY HAZEL sees a lot of great bands coming out of Perth. He asks TIM AYRE why. Kisschasey

“It was pretty hard at first, showing my friends who are musicians and coming from a different style of

“

When Jean started he was 15, which is really young to be touring, but his parents are really cool with it. At the start they were kind of ‘Uhhh…’, ‘cause it’s natural for a parent to be concerned about things like their kid taking a year off school, because they could think anything could be going on. He could be wagging.”

Tim Ayre thinks carefully before answering pensively, “They say there’s something in the water here, but I think that’s bullshit, you know. I’ve heard people say it’s to do with being so isolated so generally bands here will rotate different musicians until they get this awesome line-up, write sweetarse tunes, get on the Triple J loop, make an album, release it and it does amazing,” he says simply. “A lot of people worked together back in the day – Pond, The Silents, Tame Impala – they’re all joined together in this overlapping psychedelic rock scene. For us it’s different because we’re in Mandurah. It’s such a tight scene here because it’s a small place and a lot of kids do music. There’s been a hardcore scene here for ages, mainly ‘cause they were the bands that toured the most. After that there was a really heavy rock/ pop thing like Bullet For My Valentine and Kisschasy that started having a really strong influence here. “We had a year-long festival called Rollercoaster and bands like Birds Of Tokyo and Kisschasy would come down and that’s where the influence comes from; all these heavy bands. So then, people who went to see them started making bands and doing heavy stuff. I was playing keys in a Kisschasy-style rock pop band and it was a bit different but there was no electronic music here or anything,” he says evenly. “That’s why we thought, ‘Let’s try something different’, and now there are a lot of bands doing this electro pop stuff. I don’t know whether it’s because of us but Jean seems to think so,” he says with another laugh. Prior to being a locally influential Bright Young Thing, Ayre was a rooftop plumber, a love of which he says is hard to lose. “Of course, when I get to a festival I won’t enjoy that three-course meal, I’ll be checking out the guttering on the main stage,” he says laughing, before continuing more seriously. “It is good though. I enjoyed getting up in the sun and putting on gutters and downpipes… it’s a job, you know. Some people can live with it – I wanted to do music. If I had to go back to it I would, it’s good money.” Somehow, I doubt that will be happening any time soon – not as long as teenagers need escapism more than a new gutter, anyway. Birds Of Tokyo

It should be pointed out that “chucked the electronic thing on it” is Ayre severely downplaying their achievements. The first thing that jumps out at you when listening to Like What is the remarkable mix of bedroom productionintimacy and arena-shaking bass, along with the dynamic vocals. Ayre’s voice, as featured on a variety of YouTube covers he and Capotorto have posted (Fleetwood Mac, Dave Matthews and Tom Petty), is a thing of Idol-slaying wonder and richness, a quality that is even stronger live. “We produced it in Jean’s bedroom, it was recorded over scattered times here and there and then once we had the tracks we had enough we could pick out what we wanted to put on and what we wanted to do for mixing. We talked about it and decided we wanted to get someone overseas and to go over there and do it, so Pete was like, ‘I want to organise someone in New York or LA,’ and John O’Mahoney got back to us and we did it.

Pond

music,” he says with a wry smile audible down the phone. “Obviously I want to impress my friends, and they’ll be honest with you and they’ll tell you if it sucks, and it was hard. My mates didn’t like it at first, but they liked Come Around and then we re-did the first song [Like What]. Now they’re into it,” he says with a laugh. Don’t think they’ll be the last converts.

WHO: Tim & Jean WHAT: Like What (out 1 April through Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday, Good Vibrations, Flemington Racecourse

FINDING THE FEELING SWERVEDRIVER return to Australia this month after a decade-long hiatus and, according to frontman ADAM FRANKLIN, the old venom is still intact. PAUL RANSOM tests the poison.

dam Franklin laughs a little uncomfortably when confronted by predictions that the next revival craze will be the early ‘90s. Surely some bunch of scraggy kids somewhere will get dubbed the new Nirvana. After all, the Teen Spirit kids are nearly 40 now. Oxford’s Swervedriver were once part of that beautifully noisy rabble that emerged from beneath the tide of god-awful late-‘80s stodge, crashing discordant racket and bittersweet melody together in big buzzing jams. Back in the day, it was nigh on liberating. “There was a period in the late ‘80s when there were a whole bunch of bands in different towns doing something and thinking that they were the only ones,” Franklin recalls, “until finally they’d hear one another band and think, ‘Wow, that’s kinda along the lines of what we’re doing.’ Not exactly in the music but in the attitude. “What we were doing in the ‘80s was Shake Appeal, which was the band that developed into

Swervedriver and we were doing this Stooges/MC5 type thing which wasn’t really fashionable at the time. We weren’t like an NME band or anything like that. We weren’t even alternative,” he stresses. “We were just doing straight-ahead rock as a kinda reaction against the bland chart music of the time.” Yet, while Huey Lewis and Kenny G were scoring big, the un-glossy underbelly was preparing its takeover. “Sonic Youth were certainly blazing the trail with Sister and Daydream Nation and suddenly it was okay to be a loud, heavy guitar band but also have melodies,” Franklin explains. “It sounds strange to say it now, but somehow it was quite a novelty back then. You either had to a heavy band who were grinding and not very melodic or a more melodic, poppier band where the sound was a bit wimpy.” Wind forward two decades and the feedback art has become the reunion tour bus. Perhaps the time is ripe for another much needed injection of scrawl. Adam Franklin picks up the thread, saying, “This tour is not meant not to be nostalgia or music for the oldies, so we’re pretty pleased that there is this younger audience. I mean, when the band broke up there weren’t that many bands citing Swervedriver as an influence but in the period in between some cool bands sprung who actually name checked us. It’s good that’s we’re still doin’ it for the kids.” And that, of course, has everything to do with Swervedriver’s back catalogue of fuzz-drenched, often melancholy songs. Never Lose That Feeling is, perhaps, the one most know best; although at the time of their release, records like Son of Mustang Ford, Mezcal Head and Rave Down were adored by indie kids everywhere. However, when Swervedriver first got back into a room in 2008 it was their chance to hear the songs from a relatively fresh perspective. “I think we were all taken aback by how fast and heavy and loud some of it was,” Franklin declares. “But at the same time having had a certain time away you can hear with a kind of outsider’s ear. I mean, you might be a little less precious about things. Like, some songs would have these little fiddly bits in them and you’d say, ‘Well, does this fiddly bit really have a purpose or shall we just streamline this a bit?’”

“

We’re still doin’ it for the kids.”

Conversely, the songs rendered the whole band experience reassuringly familiar. “The thing that’s similar is the songs, ‘cause there aren’t actually any new compositions and the songs are still played with the same kind of venom, really,” Franklin admits. “When we first got back together in rehearsal and decided to knock these songs around straight away there wasn’t any question of revamping them. I mean, the songs played themselves, y’know … If anything, we’re just doing more vocal harmonies.” Yet, it’s easy to imagine how 20-year-old songs might seem a tad gauche to a man now in his mid-40s. “But Swervedriver never quite grew up in public,” Franklin says. “We were like 23 or something when we first got signed, whereas some of the bands, especially the Oxford bands, were like 17. So, I think that if the band was a band that I was in when I was 16 I would be like, ‘Oh my god,’ but in our case there was something older about the songs in the first place.” Listening back to them you can certainly hear that. Swervedriver were never quite teenaged. “Some people have said that a lot of the earlier songs have this kinda wanderlust,” Franklin adds, “but now we’ve come back from the trip.” It’s a trip, he confesses, that started in the most unlikely place; for like Ride, Radiohead and Supergrass, Swervedriver hail from the University town of Oxford. Better known for its aristocratic aesthetes than its noiseniks, Oxford was way off the A&R map. “Somebody in town [filmmaker Jon Spira] has just made a film called Anyone Can Play Guitar ,” Franklin reveals, “and it’s obviously all about the music scene here in Oxford. Y’know, before it all happened here about 20 odd years ago there really wasn’t much known in Oxford; certainly no internationally acclaimed bands. And now there’s a real scene with new bands coming up all the time, like Foals, who are kinda the latest whatever.” Having lived away from his hometown, notably for seven years in New York working as a solo artist, Franklin is back in Oxford and getting very well reconnected. “It’s quite a contrast, really,” he jokes. “London and New York are fairly similar but Oxford is certainly a different beast.” (As if on cue the family dog starts barking madly in the background, at which Franklin can’t resist the rejoinder, “Told you.”) And so the question emerges: is Swervedriver a different beast? Or do they even want to be? Even though they haven’t written anything new since the reunion, Franklin concedes, “It might happen. It hasn’t really been discussed it’s just been mooted; mainly by other people actually. We’re just seeing if it happens naturally rather than saying, ‘Right, we’re gonna write another album.’” In the meantime, its renewed touring, old faves and new audiences that occupy the band’s schedule. “We did this touring around the States and straight away there were these kids down the front and you could see that they were much younger,” Franklin elaborates. “It’s a great thing that I can totally relate to because I remember going to see Iggy & The Stooges when they got back together and I’d obviously never seen them before because I was too young; and it was just great.”

WHO: Swervedriver WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 19 February, Corner Hotel

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LET ME HEAR YOU SCREAM The boys from SUM 41 have grown up a hell of a lot, but some things never change, as DERYCK WHIBLEY tells GISELLE NGUYEN.

anadian pop punk band Sum 41 have gone through a lot of changes over the last few years. In 2006 guitarist Dave ‘Brownsound’ Baksh left the band after almost ten years, replaced by Tom Thacker of fellow Canadian pop punk group Gob a year later. More recently, frontman Deryck Whibley’s high-profile marriage and subsequent divorce to bubblegum punk princess Avril Lavigne saw his personal life take the spotlight. Camp Sum 41 has been such a busy place that a new album hasn’t been a huge priority – their last, 2007’s Underclass Hero, was generally ill-received by critics and the process for their self-produced fifth, the upcoming Screaming Bloody Murder, has been stretched out slowly over the four years since. “We’ve been making the record the whole time, but sort of on a schedule of never really sitting down to do anything,” Whibley explains from his home in Los Angeles. “It’s sort of been just here and there and we get together

whenever we feel like it… It’s just very free and open and whatever we felt like. So over the last three or four years we’ve been working on this record, but it never really felt like work.” Four years is a long time, especially for a band that started off with frequent output (their first three albums came out within a three-year period). Some of the songs on Screaming Bloody Murder date back to the very beginning of the writing process, having completely slipped Whibley’s mind in the interim. “It’s hard to explain because I don’t really remember writing a lot of these songs; they came really quickly. It was over the course of three years – when I wrote them they came out within five minutes and then I would forget about them and then a year later I would go through my tapes and be like, ‘Oh yeah, I forgot about this song.’ “The whole record feels like it’s cohesive and it works together and it’s weird that they were written over such different periods of time… In that amount of time you go through a lot of different changes in your life. Three of us went through different changes. Some of us got married, some of us got divorced, some of us had this moving around the country. It’s just completely different lifestyles we’re going through, so we all have something to believe in.” Sum 41 were formed in 1996 by the then 15-year-old Whibley and drummer Steve Jocz, who he recruited after hearing him play in another band. In 1997 they recruited Baksh and the line-up was solidified in 1998 with the addition of bassist Jason ‘Cone’ McCaslin – so essentially the band have grown up together, from teenagers playing in backyards to rock stars touring the globe. “The band is pretty much the same as we’ve always been, our relationships are the same as they’ve always been and we get along the same,” Whibley says. “So we feel the exact same, it’s just different things to write about.” The videos for the singles from the band’s 2002 debut full-length All Killer No Filler shot them to popularity with their constant practical joking, from parodying the diving contest in 1986 film Back To School in In Too Deep to rapping to a bemused grocery store cashier in Fat

“

Some of us got married, some of us got divorced… so we all have something to believe in.”

Lip. When asked if the band maintain this penchant for pranks despite almost a decade having passed since those days, Whibley laughs. “Yeah, definitely. We’re always getting up to something stupid on tour I think. I feel like we’re the same people, just a little bit older.” Thacker came into the fold in 2007 (Underclass Hero was recorded by the band as a three-piece after Baksh’s departure) and though he was entering a group with such a long friendship history, he slotted right in. “We picked him because we knew him already and we knew he would be able to fit in with us and he’s been great – he’s fit in well and we’re really lucky to have him.” Though Gob are currently recording a new album and McCaslin also has a side project, The Operation MD, there have been no problems juggling the band members’ other commitments when it comes to recording and touring with Sum 41. The tour for Screaming Bloody Murder began in April 2010 and has seen the band move through Europe, North America and Asia so far. Despite its name, though, little from the album has been played – one track, Skumfuk, was debuted live and the band will soon begin to play first single Screaming Bloody Murder in a lead-up to the album dropping. Otherwise, the album’s contents are remaining under wraps until release day. So the band don’t want to gauge audience reactions to the new stuff? “You know what, if YouTube didn’t exist, yes, but since it does, no,” Whibley muses. “I want people to hear it the way it is on the record, not on a shitty fucking iPhone or something.” Sum 41 have been a firm favourite in Australia for a while, making appearances at least once every two or three years and yet Whibley and co are still surprised when they receive a warm Aussie welcome. “I’m really nervous at first that maybe nobody’s going to come and the shows always sell out and it’s always great and there’s a lot of enthusiasm. I always feel really lucky when we get there, like, ‘Oh great, everyone showed up!’” A few days ahead of their appearance at Summersonic in Japan last August, Whibley was attacked by three men and hospitalised, having suffered a spinal disc herniation for the second time in three years. Doctors advised him to cancel the band’s festival appearance, but Whibley defied their orders. “I can’t stand when I have to cancel a show,” he explains. “The best part of this is being on stage and playing to people, people who paid money to come see us and we flew all the way to Japan for the shows. I just knew if I just took some pills and got up there, I would be okay… Adrenaline does a lot for you. Sure I was in a lot of pain afterwards, but I’ll just suffer for the shows. It’s worth it.” So he’s willing to compromise his health for the sake of his music? Whibley laughs. “I compromise my health in every possible way, so I might as well!”

WHO: Sum 41 WHAT: Screaming Bloody Murder (out 25 March through Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 2 March, Billboard; Friday 4 March, Soundwave, Melbourne Showgrounds

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FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW

PAUL KELLY has long been recognised as one of Australia’s greatest songwriters, but with the release of his new memoir How To Make Gravy he’s been catapulted into the upper echelons of our most successful authors as well. He tells STEVE BELL how a single momentous decision snowballed into his biggest artistic undertaking to date.

enture back to October 2004, and Australian music legend Paul Kelly is searching for something special to put together for a performance in the beautiful Spiegeltent, which was setting up home in Melbourne for the summer. He’s striving for something different, a show unlike any of the thousands of other shows he’s presented under a myriad of guises since kicking off his acclaimed career in the late ’70s. Amidst this search for inspiration, a night’s slumber was interrupted by the idea to present 100 of his songs in alphabetical order over four nights, in solo mode no less, and Kelly knew immediately that he was onto something special. This first season of what would become known as the A To Z shows was so well-received that it became something of a calling card over the next few years; always still a special occasion but widely renowned as a wonderful way of witnessing Kelly’s particular musical talent in a manner devoid of any pomp or pretension. Few songwriters in Australia, nor the world at large for that matter, even have the canon to attempt such an audacious feat, yet Kelly could play the 100 songs that he’d selected for that particular round of shows and still have fans comparing notes about which favourite tracks hadn’t made the cut this time around, whilst savouring the ones that he’d just presented so gloriously in the stripped-back format that the shows inherently required. In time it was inevitable that a version the show would eventually be recorded for commercial release, but when Kelly sat down to write the liner notes for the collection (which was just released under the simple moniker The A To Z Recordings Recordings),), he quickly discovered not that he’d bitten off more than he could chew, but that the well he was visiting was full of more riches than he could ever have imagined, and the resulting work was his life story – delightfully referred to as a ‘mongrel memoir’ on the book’s dust jacket – which he fittingly titled How To Make Gravy. Gravy. That seemingly simple decision to attempt a special one-off musical performance had in turn spurred his first foray into the literary world, with stunning results. “This thing has just sort of kept opening up,” Kelly muses with a quiet chuckle. “I thought it was just going to be a one-off happening, but by the end of the first season I realised that I’d cottoned onto something – a new way to play. It was a new way to play my songs, and it gave my audience a new way to approach them. “[Picking the 100 songs] wasn’t really that difficult. There were a lot of songs that just didn’t naturally sort of fit anyway. There were songs that I thought I could play solo – those first A To Z shows were mainly solo, although Dan Kelly’s got more involved as they’ve gone on so that’s sort of turned it into a duo show with occasional guests – but the stripped-back format is pretty much the way I do the shows. Songs like Under The Sun or Darling It Hurts or Treaty aren’t songs that I could ever really do justice to solo. And then there were other songs that obviously I just didn’t like so much any more, and certain co-writes that I’d done that seemed to belong more to the other people than to me, so it wasn’t that hard. “The A To Z shows aren’t exactly the same every time – I’ve got quite a few songs in play that just come in and out – but the hardest part was just getting them all together and ready for that first show. That’s got easier. Every time I do these shows I sort of have to go back and do revision, I guess, but because since 2004 I’ve probably done the A To Z shows once or twice a year in different places, they’re starting to come back easier each time now. It’s just a thing where if you play your songs you remember them, and if you leave them alone for a while they can go... It’s just a matter of remembering them well enough to perform them, and not have to reach for the chord each time or strive to remember what line’s coming up next. “It’s sort of hard work, but I was playing solo before I was playing bands – that’s how I first started off – and although I have been playing mostly with bands over the years I have always broken it up with solo shows, so it’s something that I’ve always returned to. I did quite a few solo shows in the early 90s when I was in between bands, so it’s always something that I’ve gone back and forth with. So there’s nothing hard about doing four nights compared to one night, it just comes back to that memory feat. But playing solo can get lonely at times, you can miss the big things with the band, but you’re also a bit freer as well, so there’s compensations.” The fact that the A To Z shows became such an integral part of his repertoire led to many of the performances being recorded with a view to a boxed set being released to present the songs in this stripped-back manner – so many of Kelly’s songs which have become ingrained into the national psyche with their full band arrangements take on a whole new lease of life when presented with (predominantly) just voice and guitar – and it was when the time came to write the liner notes for this collection that things began to slowly spiral out of control. How To Make Gravy isn’t an autobiography in the strictest sense of the word, but it has the same effect of giving the reader incredible insight into the life and innermost thoughts of one of Australia’s most notoriously private public figures. It too takes 100 of Kelly’s songs and uses them as a vehicle for reflection – sometimes on the song itself, perhaps on its inspiration, often on something seemingly arbitrary – but the tales are (unsurprisingly) beautifully written and rarely less than fascinating. “I didn’t realise that I was writing a book for a while – I thought I was writing extended liner notes – but once I started writing and I wrote a couple of pages on Adelaide, Adelaide, I thought to myself, ‘Well if I keep going I’ll have a book’,” Kelly remembers. “I just kept thinking, ‘I’ll see how it goes and if it becomes a book,’ so I was never convinced it was a book until I realised that I’d written 20,000 words and was only up to C or something. I always doubted whether I’d be able to go the distance, I just thought, ‘Maybe I’ll run out of stuff to write?’ “That was constantly surprising, because I actually wrote the book in alphabetical order. I knew that I had some songs that I wanted to tell particular stories around – like I knew They Thought I Was Asleep would be a good way to write about family history – so I had little markers up ahead where I thought, ‘When I get there I’ll write about that,’ but a lot of the time I wouldn’t know what I was going to write. Sometimes I’d just stare at a particular song for a while and go, ‘I can’t think of anything to write so I’ll move on,’ so that song wouldn’t get in the book. I just picked songs which somehow had a jumping off point to write about something. For instance I didn’t have a particular story to write about Love Never Runs On Time – I can’t really remember writing it, it’s just a song – but it had one line in it about coffee, so I thought, ‘Oh, maybe I could write about trying to find good coffee on tour’. So I had that freedom to be quite direct and make linear links between the lyrics and the prose, or be tangential. Having that freedom made it easy in a way. “And the other thing that I realised was that because I’d written so many letters home –

ever since I first moved away from Adelaide I was probably lucky that I had my friend John Kingsmill, who I mention in the book, who’s not a musician, he’s a writer and also a graphic designer – but I was writing to him since the mid-’70s because we’d pretty much lived in different cities since that time, he still lives in Adelaide and I moved to Melbourne in 1977. I was obviously travelling a lot with work, so we wrote to each other, and a lot of the time I was writing to him just trying to describe what I was doing. And then on tour I would write letters home to the family and things like that, so I’d actually built up a lot of those prose muscles without realising it. So when I did actually sit down to write the book I was used to writing prose, and I ended up using some bits from letters home – those tour diaries are adapted from actual letters home. And apart from using actual letters home I’d had practice writing prose – I hadn’t actually realised it, but it stood me in good stead when I was writing the book.” While writing prose was obviously different to Kelly’s usual experience in crafting songs, he soon came to enjoy the two crafts as much as each other. “In a way, writing a book was a more ‘graspable’ experience – songs you never quite get hold of until they’re written,” he offers. “But with writing the book I just sat down every day, and I set myself a target to write 500 words a day, or maybe 2,500 to 3,000 words a week. You can see the word count grow – the word count became my favourite thing. Maybe most writers are like that,” he laughs. “With songs you don’t get that nerdy kind of satisfaction watching the words pile up – it’s like building a wall and watching the bricks pile up. You can see the progress, and you get the sense that if you just keep at it – if you just come to your desk every day, even if it doesn’t happen every day but you persevere – so I just had more of a handle on it.” Having the lyrics of the songs in question transcribed in How To Make Gravy is also effective in letting words that may have been known for years – often decades – be looked at in a slightly different light. “They do read differently,” Kelly admits of his lyrics when unadorned with music. “They’re not meant to be read alone, in most cases the music came first and the lyrics were something that got attached

to the music. I put them on the page with the proviso, ‘Understand that these lyrics should be attached to music’. At one point I was still deciding whether to put the lyrics in the book or just have the prose, but because quite often so much of the prose might be referring to something in the lyrics, I thought I might as well put the lyrics in there. Not that you need them all the time. “But once I decided to put them all in, I felt that it gives a good ‘bouncing back’ reference between the lyrics and the prose. And putting down the lyrics to Winter Coat Coat,, for example, just let me put down the lyrics to The Chills’ Leather Jacket, Jacket, which I hadn’t realised until I sat down and started thinking about it that they were essentially the same song, although obviously with different music and everything. They’re different, but with very similar themes. So it worked against other quotes and lists and various pieces of writing.” How To Make Gravy also allows a tantalising glimpse into the personal life of the musician. Kelly is unflinchingly honest about aspects of his inner sanctum that have never before been addressed candidly, such as relationships and his long-term dalliances with heroin, and this candid approach is integral into making the book such a fascinating piece of work. “It wasn’t difficult to write about those things as such, because I just decided just to write and then decide what to leave in later,” he reflects. “The hardest thing was to decide what stays in and what stays out. With my songs and my records, to me they’re fiction, and to be making this book, which wasn’t fiction, was a whole different thing to me. Once I realised that I was writing a memoir of a kind, then I knew that I had to put some guts on the table. A guarded memoir is just a failed book as far as I’m concerned. To me it was the form; I’m following a particular form, this is a memoir, so to me I can’t get too coy, otherwise it’s not a proper memoir. That’s when I decided, ‘Well, this is the genre and this comes with the turf – you have to put it out there’.

WHO: Paul Kelly WHAT: How To Make Gravy (Hamish Hamilton/Penguin) and The A To Z Recordings (Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 2 to Saturday 5 March, Athenaeum Theatre

OTHER PEOPLE’S HOUSES O

ne of the greatest strengths of How To Make Gravy is that it allows one to gain an insight into the myriad of influences that have informed Paul Kelly’s songwriting over the duration of his esteemed career. As with all great artists his inspiration isn’t gleaned from one specific place, and and as you read through the many tales and memories that he lays out over the book’s duration you gradually begin to piece together the many disparate sources that have acted as his muse over the journey. Although this is a gross oversimplification, from a purely music perspective these can be roughly gathered into two separate tribes: the predominantly American blues, country and folk artists of yesteryear, and the Australian contemporaries that Kelly had witnessed firsthand during his formative years as a budding songwriter and music lover. “I think that’s always been the case,” Kelly offers. “When I was really first figuring out how to write songs, I guess in the early ‘80s, that wave of Australian bands at that time were my peers, and that was the music around me so that had a big influence. The Saints, The Go-Betweens, Died Pretty, Hoodoo Gurus, and a little bit before that when I first moved to Melbourne I was seeing a lot of local bands like The Sports, Jo Jo Zep And The Falcons, Man And Machine, Bleeding Hearts, The Birthday Party – that was the music around at the time so I just soaked it all up.” Of course all of this local music was all filtered through the work of the older artists with whom Kelly had been infatuated since his youth in Adelaide. “I started off with Bob Dylan records when I was young – in my late teens – and then I went further back and went deeper into American folk music,” he continues. “One thing leads to another. A friend of mine in Adelaide was a huge fan of blues music, and I used to go around to his place and tape Blind Willie McTell and Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson – it was one guy who turned me onto all of this stuff. Then when I started playing guitar I was in Adelaide with this gang of guys who were playing a lot of country rock – they were sort of influenced by Gram Parsons and The Allman Brothers and Commander Cody and The Flying Burrito Brothers and all of that stuff. So then you get curious and you sort of keep following trails further and further back. If you like Gram Parsons you go further back into country music until you find Hank Williams, and then you go further back to Roy Acuff, and then you go further back until you find Jimmie Rodgers, and then you go back to Emmett Miller, and all of a sudden you’re at the start of the twentieth century! And then it’s all mixed up! You go back further and further into country music, and all of a sudden you’re at the beginnings of jazz and blues, and you start to see that these things are all mixed up, that these divisions aren’t so clear as record charts might say. You think of country music as ’white’ music, but the origins of country music go back to blues and Blackface Minstrelcy and jazz. I mean Jimmie Rodgers – is he country or blues? It gets more murky the deeper you go...” Then of course there are the literary influences that have seeped into Kelly’s songwriting due to his love of devouring books. Everything’s Turning To White is famously adapted from a Raymond Carver short story and you could write a thesis on the written works which inform some songs like Desdemona Desdemona,, but often these literary influences are more subtle. “Well I read a lot. I think that maybe the influence of songwriters on my music is probably more obvious, but as you say the literary influences – apart from the ones that are quite direct – tend to remain more hidden,” the songwriter concurs. “But you can take a turn of phrase from anywhere. If there was one writer that I could take with me to a desert island it would be Shakespeare, so he sort of sneaks in here or there all the time. The King James Bible is the basis for a lot of English poetry, and plenty of works of Shakespeare – there’s just a rhythm and a roll on the sentences and the prose which is deep in our language – if you want to use our language in any powerful way then you’re going to start echoing those writers.” Another trait defining Kelly’s body of work is how distinctly Australian it is in both tone and content – there’s hardly a city or town in the country that you can visit without spying something that will spark the melody of a Paul Kelly song in your subconscious – but according to the man himself this can only be partially attributed to an inherent reflection of being Australian and raised in these environs. “Well obviously yes, that’s part of it,’ he mulls. “And probably also that as a songwriter I was influenced a lot by songwriters like Chuck Berry and Lou Reed, who are quite visual songwriters – they sort of mapped out their terrain. Chuck Berry mapped out the whole of America, and Lou Reed sort of mapped out a couple of square miles of Manhattan. To me they’re like cinematic songwriters – you can see their songs as much as hear them.

I’ve probably naturally had that bent – I just sort of like songs that you can touch and smell. [The Go-Betweens’] Cattle And Cane is a great example. Songs that you sort of get a feeling where they come from – they don’t just come from nowhere.” You also don’t have to delve far into Kelly’s canon to become aware of his deep empathy with the plight of Indigenous Australians. He co-wrote Yothu Yindi’s hit Treaty Treaty,, penned the stunning From Little Things Big Things Grow with Kev Carmody, shared credits for Rally Round The Drum with Archie Roach, and address other Indigenous concerns in songs such as Jandamarra/ Jandamarra/Pigeon, Pigeon, Maralinga (Rainy Land) and (The Ballad Of) Queenie And Rover. Rover. “Again that’s just come through travel and meeting people and again through following trails,” he offers. “Just getting curious, and getting invited out to play in communities, and then getting involved in collaborations. Again it’s not through any great conscious mission, but I guess in my late 20s or mid 20s I realised that I never learned anything about Aboriginal history or Aboriginal culture in school, so I’d better go and try and find out for myself. I found a book by Henry Reynolds called The Other Side Of The Frontier, which was one of those books that occasionally comes along in your life that really opens up your eyes and makes you want to find out more. The Other Side Of The Frontier was a book like that for me. It was the first time that I’d heard about Jundamurra, so I started to find out more about him – one thing leads to another.”

It seems that Kelly has always had this knack of finding the middle ground between the personal and the geopolitical with consummate ease. “I think if you follow the stories that interest you, everything you do is political,” he tells. “The way I wrote the book was that I didn’t set out to do a standard autobiography, but I did know that if I just write about the things that I love, or point people through my songs and my lyrics to the things that I love, that’s it’s going to end up being a true autobiography. And it’s the same with songs – you follow up the stories that you love and let the rest take care of itself.”

PAUL KELLY DISCOGRAPHY PAUL KELLY AND THE DOTS Talk (1981) Manila (1982) PAUL KELLY Post (1985) PAUL KELLY AND THE COLOURED GIRLS Gossip (1986) Under The Sun (1987) PAUL KELLY AND THE MESSENGERS So Much Water So Close To Home (1989) Comedy (1991) Hidden Things (1992) PAUL KELLY Wanted Man (1994) Deeper Water (1995) Words And Music (1998) PAUL KELLY WITH UNCLE BILL Smoke (1999) PROFESSOR RATBAGGY Professor Ratbaggy (1999) PAUL KELLY ...Nothing But A Dream (2001) Ways & Means (2004) PAUL KELLY & THE STORMWATER BOYS Foggy Highway (2005) STARDUST FIVE Stardust Five (2006) PAUL KELLY & THE BOON COMPANIONS Stolen Apples (2007)

AQUA PROFUNDA With his latest album Swim, DAN SNAITH, better known as CARIBOU, has attempted to capture on the record the dynamics of water. GISELLE NGUYEN plunges into his mind.

peaking to Inpress 20 minutes before heading onstage in Cologne, Germany, Dan Snaith sounds exceptionally pleased with the “overwhelming” 12 months Caribou has had. It’s not hard to see why: the Canadian mathematician turned electronic mastermind released his fifth album Swim in 2010 to accolades, including Pitchfork’s coveted ‘Best New Music’ title and a nomination for Canada’s Polaris Music Prize (similar to our own Australian Music Prize or Britain’s more established Mercury Prize), which he previously won with 2007’s Andorra. Even with such an impressive resume, Snaith is unfazed by pressure and still makes music primarily for himself. “I’ve always been making music that makes me happy. I know it sounds like a cliché but it’s generally true – that’s the only thing that’s really important to me. If the next album tanks and nobody’s interested in it, then that’s fine.” After receiving swimming lessons from his wife the

Christmas before last, Snaith became enamoured with water and decided to make a dance record inspired by it – and Swim was born. “It wasn’t even specifically being underwater, but having the elements in it, the dynamics of water… synthesising sounds that kind of swell and decay in the way that a wave might, or move from one side of the stereo from left to right, a kind of fluid washing back and forth.” Emulating such a specific texture means that Swim is brimming with meticulous detail, much of which is executed digitally – so is anything lost when it goes live? “Surprisingly I feel like it’s translated incredibly well,” Snaith says. “I was really worried about it and thought, ‘Is this going to even work or translate at all, or is it going to be some kind of compromise or unsatisfactory?’ But the technology that we use connects us all together and allows us to make the synthesised sounds and samples. It has just improved incomparably in the last five years or so. Our show kind of reflects that. It has all the record’s complexities, but at the same time it’s totally spontaneous and changing as we go along and improvisatory.” Live, Snaith plays with a three-piece band while on record he works mostly alone with minimal outside involvement, but both experiences are essential to his musical output. “I’ve always made music by myself and there’s something that I really like about that process as well, having control of every decision and getting to take my time doing it… It’s almost like the live show is a collaboration of the four of us equally and the records are my own thing I do by myself. They’re two parallel things rather than having to be identical.” Swim also includes contributions from Born Ruffians’ Luke Lalonde, Four Tet and Junior Boys’ Jeremy Greenspan (who also co-wrote She’s The One on Andorra). Though largely still the primary creative force behind the songs, Snaith explains that in the case of Swim closer Jamelia, Lalonde was just as instrumental. “I had already written a track and sketched out the vocal melody and the lyrics and we were rehearsing for a show that we did together at All Tomorrow’s Parties. I thought he would just be the perfect voice to sing that song. Even though the melody was already written, he brought so much more to that track than I ever could have and really made it his own, so even in that case when I’d written the music myself, it’s still very much a collaborative thing.”

“

A lot of the music was inspired by certain dance music coming out of London.”

The number of demo tracks for Swim reached far into the hundreds. “I’m at home and making music all the time because that’s the thing I love to do and because it’s exciting and I enjoy it. If you mess around and make a couple different sketches for tracks every day and do that for a year, you’ve got 600, 700 tracks. I know it sounds ridiculous narrowing that down to nine tracks on an album, but it totally seems really, really easy to me. I try to find if it connects emotionally or if it has that kind of punch or it doesn’t and the ones that I do finish and the ones that don’t probably aren’t meant to be finished or for anybody to have to listen to all these hours and hours of secondary versions – all the same ideas perhaps, but that didn’t work as well. A few of them end up on the tour CDs that we only sell on tours that have like six or seven other tracks that I like, but didn’t fit with the aesthetic or theme or whatever of the album, so that’s a way of getting people to hear those tracks, but beyond that it’s on a hard drive somewhere and I never hear it again.” This is an album of firsts; for one, London – Snaith’s home for the last decade – has begun to influence his sounds. “In the past I always thought it was free of geography, that I could have made music anywhere, but this time around… a lot of the music was inspired by going out to specific club nights and certain dance music coming out of London. Living there obviously focused my attention on those things and made me more excited or feel more a part of what was going on.” And having previously tacked lyrics on as an afterthought, this record has seen them step forward as a necessity. “Swim is the first album where the lyrical themes came about with the music or I felt that I had personal things that I actually wanted to write about… this is the first album that they somehow feel like an integrated part of the music. In some ways it’s the most personal instrument, so that’s why I wanted to put it in my music and it’s been a gradual process learning how to use my voice.” Despite having been around as a musician for a decade, Snaith never fears running dry creatively. “The fact that I change the style of the music I make all the time helps a lot… Music is such a vast universe that it seems unlikely I’ll ever run out of excitement about it or enthusiasm for it.” And though he won’t return to mathematics unless his musical passion dissipates, he acknowledges that they are two parts of him which will always coexist. “There’s no mathematics in my music, but it is a big part of my personality that kind of interplays between the rational side and the artistic side; they’re both components that are shared in both of those things.” Just a little cooler than your average maths nerd. WHO: Caribou WHAT: Swim (Shock) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 16 February, Hi-Fi

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SINGLED OUT BY CLEM BASTOW

ON THE RECORD

LATEST CD REVIEWS

SINGLE OF THE WEEK

ANNA CALVI BLACKOUT EMI

BRIGHT EYES THE PEOPLE’S KEY Saddle Creek/Universal

COLD WAR KIDS MINE IS YOURS Downtown/Shock

ESBEN & THE WITCH VIOLET CRIES Matador/Inertia

You see, when Brian Eno – AKA God – allegedly fetes someone as “the most visionary female artiste since Patti Smith”, you really want for that to come true; those are not minceable words. Fortunately (because I don’t want to lose faith in Eno), Anna Calvi is wondrous, as is the terrific Blackout. It’s cut from a cloth similar to that which gives The Flaming Lips and The Go! Team their widescreen, life-affirming emotion, without resorting to sound-alike posturing. Calvi’s voice – alternately deep and soaring – is buffeted by her careening arrangements, weaving an intoxicating magic.

Despite being one of the key people responsible for the development of Saddle Creek’s “Omaha sound”, Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst has consistently remained inconsistent in his approach to recorded output since at least 2004’s dual opuses Digital Ash In A Digital Urn and I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. With The People’s Key, the tenth and possibly final full-length under the Bright Eyes moniker, he’s switched things up again – but he sounds a lot more focused in his approach this time around.

Returning with their third album, Long Beach’s Cold War Kids have abandoned, well, pretty much everything that you loved about them previously and adopted a shinier, more produced sound thanks to producer Jacquire King, the same guy that dragged Kings Of Leon’s aesthetic through the wash. Similarly so on Mine Is Yours, Cold War Kids feel like they’ve been told to toe the line and behave themselves, only occasionally sounding inspired over the course of these 11 tracks. Gone are the raw vocals and shambolic drums and twangy guitars, leaving in their place watered-down choruses and something that feels like a whole lot of unoriginality.

With debut album Violet Cries, much-lauded British threepiece Esben & The Witch prove themselves masters of two seemingly contradictory domains – meticulously crafted studies of intimacy and tremendously destructive noisescapes of utter despair. It’s obvious as early as the fading final notes of Argyria – the album’s devastating opening number – and is consistently reinforced throughout the record’s remaining numbers.

YOUNG THE GIANT APARTMENT Roadrunner There’s something odd about Young The Giant. It’s clear they model themselves in a sort of hipstery post-college radio mode a la Vampire Weekend and the like, but their sound ends up closer to the end of the contemporary rock spectrum inhabited by The Killers. But – and this is the odd part – it’s actually a brilliant mix. The earnestness of stadium pop rock is tempered by the coolness of the indie angle, and the commercial melodies save the coolness from becoming arch. They should teach this stuff in schools.

WANDA JACKSON THUNDER ON THE MOUNTAIN Nonesuch It may be seen as a heretical statement in some circles, but I have always despised Wanda Jackson’s voice. Thus, I don’t really care if Jack White is using her as the latest pawn in his ‘become the next Rick Rubin’ game (he also takes the opportunity here to throw in a showy rockabilly guitar solo), her voice makes me want to slowly grate off my retinas with a low-grade sandpaper block.

The album opens on an atmospheric, spoken-word monologue that touches on all manner of bizarre subjects. Admittedly, that runs contrary to the idea of ‘focus’, but it all becomes clear around the two-and-a-half-minute mark, when the meat and bones of Firewall kick in – slowly intensifying guitar and percussion overridden by Oberst’s signature warble. Oberst has, after all, explicitly said this album is a move away from the acoustic, country-ish tones of his recent work, which is really only partially true. Sure, the instrumentation is different – all guitar-driven synth pop in the singletastic Shell Games; angular and melodic in the Cursive-esque Jejune Stars; while reverb and lo-fi fuzz get a run in Haile Sellasse – but at the fundamental core of these songs (and on the surface of the title track), there’s still an unshakable feeling you’re being pulled along by a musically rural undercurrent. Maybe it’s the way Oberst’s narrative style has developed with age; maybe it’s the chord progressions – hell, maybe (probably) it’s both. Regardless, truly great heights are reached occasionally: both the minimalist, lonely Ladder Song and closer One For You, One For Me are sublime. If this is the end for Bright Eyes, it’s certainly a good one, but little has really changed other than the instruments used to get the point across. Mitch Knox

The opening title track is bad U2 and things seem bleak – frontman Nathan Willett is virtually unrecognisable with a slow burner that craves to be epic but never comes close. Even more atrocious is the likes of Royal Blue that feels disgustingly like Live – not circa Throwing Copper, more the Ed Kowalczyk-on-a-mountain-passionately-fistingthe-sky phase. Along with single Louder Than Ever, things get more hopeful around the middle of the record where a couple of tracks – Out Of The Wilderness and particularly Sensitive Kid – seemingly prove that Cold War Kids are still masters of their own destiny, showing off Willett’s range and proving that they’re at their best when not playing to mainstream expectations. Cold Toes On The Cold Floor doesn’t necessarily offer anything rewarding, but at least it exudes some true grit. Overall, an incredibly disappointing effort from a band that was once amongst the world’s most exciting. The rough edges have been shaved back to bland while the unhinged delivery of old has been screwed up tight and oiled into a band clearly looking to cross over. Surely there’s a better way. Ben Preece

Observe, for example, how the throbbing percussion and bellowed vocals of Marching Song segue effortlessly into the washed-out folk lament of Marine Fields Glow or the way Light Streams manages to transition immediately from lush melodic guitar figures and crashing cymbal textures into a solitary vocal and a looped field recording without even a hint of discontinuity. Everything about the record smacks of both impressionism and meticulousness. It’s the craftsmanship of the record that will stick with the listener. Vague flourishes of innovation aside, Esben & The Witch are not doing anything particularly novel with their music. The band’s vast, cavernous sound can be traced to goth pioneers like Sisters Of Mercy, their use of leftfield electronic textures recalls Scott Walker’s recent work and Rachel Jones’ reverb-heavy vocals, for better or worse, can’t help but evoke comparisons to similarly lauded LA trio Warpaint. Such is the craftsmanship of the record, though, that such stylistic references are almost completely irrelevant. Throughout Violet Cries, Esben & The Witch (who collectively self-produced the record and provided its remarkable artwork) simply do not allow a solitary note or idea to fall out of place. The lyrics – while quite indulgent – are gorgeous and evocative, the music ambitious and compelling and the production nothing short of astonishing. Potentially the first great record of 2011. Matt O’Neill

GYPSY & THE CAT JONA VARK Sony Jona Vark! Geddit?! Sheesh, if this is what it takes to be a Legitimate Recording Artist, then just wait ‘til you get a load of my expansive alt.country masterpiece, ET Foanhome. Yes, yes, it stands for Joan Of Arc, and it’s a moderately diverting bit of quasi-ELO noodly pop, which means it’s trying very hard to be MGMT, which means I may as well go back to trying to craft punny album titles out of famous names. How about Nepal Ian Bone A Parte? No?

CEE LO GREEN IT’S OK Warner Can I take a moment here to reiterate that Fuck You actually wasn’t all that great? Good, thanks. Back to the topic at hand, which is that I really love Cee Lo in his nu-soul mode, if we’re talking nu-soul in an early-’00s kind of way, which is what It’s OK is like; if they make a sequel to Love, Actually, this will be on the soundtrack. On a related tip, though, can someone get him some good therapy? It’s OK is yet another song about the woman he loves being with another guy and blah blah blah. Dude.

NEON TREES 1983 Universal Guys, just a question: were you even born in 1983? Oh wait, you were – as in, YOU WERE BORN IN THAT YEAR (“The year I was born/I won’t be ignored”). Forgive me for being literal, but when the rest of the song concerns how girls “talking cheap in bathroom stalls” should “put out your cigarette and kiss me on the lips”, surely desiring to “go back” to a year in which you regularly pissed and shit yourself is a little… off? Maybe that’s just how it goes in Utah these days.

JULIA STONE CATASTROPHE EMI There’s something far more appealing about Julia Stone when she’s in her solo guise and not performing alongside brother as part of Angus “We’d like to thank our cat” & Julia Stone. There is absolutely nothing about Catastrophe that is remotely revolutionary – it even has a smooth jazz-esque brass arrangement not unlike early John Mayer – and yet it’s rather lovely, in a deeply daft sort of way. You see, hippies are okay, as long as you confiscate their floral-print homespun, and give them a copy of Court & Spark and a bar of soap before you let them into the studio.

DUBMARINE DEPTH OF SOUND Vitamin Records

FENECH-SOLER FENECH-SOLER B-Unique/Shock

Four years into their career, Dubmarine have finally taken the wraps off their much anticipated debut album, Depth Of Sound. Meticulously produced by local studio wizard Andrew Stephens, the album boasts the trademark big bass sound the band are renowned for, driven by twin trombone blasts and booming synth explosions, while covering a vast array of genres including deep dancehall, reggae, dub, and drum’n’bass.

In ’07 it was Klaxons. In ’08 it was Foals. In ’09 it was Friendly Fires. In ’10 it was Delphic. Every year there seems to be one young English band that stands just that little bit taller than their counterparts with a danceable soundtrack for the year based around the meshing of ‘80s electro pop and indie. In ’11 Northamptonshire four-piece Fenech-Soler have made an extremely early tilt for the crown with their self-titled debut.

Fronted by the charismatic and frenetic D-Kazman, along with vocal backing from the alluring Cat Walker, the ninepiece hailing from a thriving Brissie dub and reggae scene create downright dirty beats and a rich sonic soundscape. With a definitive dance vibe, the wildly sporadic collaboration opens with International Sound Movement, a dubtronica extravaganza with upbeat hip hop bass and velvety reggae grooves contrasted with a unique blend of cultural influences. It’s followed by Point The Bone, a slow groove drenched in Jamaican sounds.

But it will have to be a fairly weak year for music if this is the best the Brits have got. There isn’t much new to offer in the way of ideas, sound and execution but after repeated spins, these ten tracks do an admirable job in gluing themselves in your brain and smothering it with disco kisses. From the outset, Battlefields makes it entirely clear what this album is about with jammy keyboards, layered syncopated drum loops and pitch perfect vocals courtesy of Ben Duffy. Lies is undoubtedly the album’s highlight, the single already seeing plenty of attention abroad with remixes of it turning up on many 2010 and ’11 dance compilations. Again, the combination of fuzzed-up keys, bass and a pulsing hi-hat rhythm is standard but the hook is simply insatiable, the stuff chemically-fuelled indie nights are made of.

The first taste of the album, Chip, is indeed the pop song of the record, however, the group themselves sabotage any commercial airplay potential, while as the title suggests, Pon The Dancefloor is one for the clubs and will no doubt get you moving with its deliciously infectious rhythmic tones. Concluding is the spiritually shrouded Inspiration Drive, which will leave you wanting more. This is definitely the sort of music that needs a stage, as the positive energy and raw enthusiasm of these guys would be phenomenal when exuded in the flesh. However, having said that, it is no less an enjoyable record to chill to in your bedroom or in your car. Dubmarine on this album manage to recreate the fury of their music live, in all of its bass-crunching, rhythm-pounding, hip-shaking glory.

There is no doubt there are times late in the album where Duffy’s vocals and lyrics do veer a little too close to boy band bollocks, “a thousand kisses, return to sender” (Contender). But overall, this album is electric, neon fun that is harmless enough to comfortably throw on at a house party. If they have any sort of decent live show to boot, their stint at Good Vibrations should also go down a treat with punters. Benny Doyle

Skye Oldham

THE TWILIGHT SINGERS DYNAMITE STEPS Sub Pop/Inertia The sixth album by the not-so-new band from Greg Dulli, former frontman of The Afghan Whigs, is another spectacle of over-the-top melodies, beautifully bitter lyrics and multi-layered ocean-inspired soundscapes. You can’t help feel that Dulli has discovered the secret combination of repetitive notes over chords that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, like it’s a scientific equation. Last Night In Town ushers in the mood and transports you to exactly where he wants you as soon as the build up melts away into should-be-stadium-rock majesty. On The Corner is like one big giant shudder, as if the pill is kicking in for one last wave in the early hours of the morning. But the album (and for that matter Dulli’s entire back catalogue) is littered with these moments. He uses drum loops and studio effects to enhance mood and create space instead of over-stuffing moments. When the barely audible jingle bells in the back of the mix on Gunshots kick in, they lift the atmosphere so delicately you wouldn’t know they were even there until they’re left tinkering away on their own. Piano is the key hook-maker on She Was Stolen, much like Teenage Wristband from the debut Twilight Singers record – the first time Dulli managed to wrangle this kind of sound so perfectly with this band. All this talk of formula suggests that the music is contrived and Dulli is manipulating you with his sonic powers into having an emotional response, which is actually exactly what is happening. If it wasn’t so sweet and dark and infectious you could hate him for it, but you might as well just get lost in the aural massage instead of trying to fight it. Chris Yates

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ON THE RECORD

LATEST CD REVIEWS

TENNIS CAPE DORY Spunk

ZACH HILL FACE TAT Sargent House/Other Tongues

BRYAN ESTEPA VESSELS Laughing Outlaw Records

THE GREENHORNES **** Liberator Music

When reviews start off by discussing the background behind a band and/or album, they rarely stray from the ‘like-minded people/school friends/ex-members of other bands’ story. This is not (entirely) the case with Tennis. It starts out very familiar – an American husband and wife duo who met at college – but then it becomes something very different. Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore spent eight months living on the sea, sailing around the North Atlantic coast. A year or so later (no one seems to have a specific timeline for this) Tennis were named second best hope for 2011 in the Pitchfork Reader’s Poll and released their debut, Cape Dory, shortly after.

Zach Hill’s chopped out another sensory-obliterating LP for the masses who like to feel as if they’re being stomped on the head through their headphones. And good on him; we need more music that sounds like you’re being mugged by an alley full of trash cans.

There are a plethora of aspiring singer/songwriters out there in the great wide world (well, even just floating around inner-suburban Australia), few of whom actually gather the stones – and the dollars – to release an album. Bryan Estepa has released three, with his eyes on the stars and his hand on his guitar. And while his third album, Vessels, might not hit the heights to see him take his career to the next level, it does prove just how deep the Australian music scene goes.

The intro into the first single from The Greenhornes’ audaciously titled fourth album, **** (or Four Stars), would blend easily into Jumpin’ Jack Flash by The Stones but the harmonies shimmer like a sunlit daisy chain floating downstream. There’s something appealing and gravelly about Craig Fox’s timbre; he’s obviously has his fair share of alone time with his axe and I’d put money on the fact that he’s also a keen vinyl collector.

The influence of their time spent sailing is all over Cape Dory and is always immediately obvious. Just look at the song titles – Bimini Bay, Water Birds or, the most obvious of all, Seafarer. The lyrics tend to fall into one of two categories: love or sailing. Seafarer could fit into both categories – “Seafarer, you and I belong together,” proclaims Moore over a jaunty beat. However, the sailing life evidently isn’t their dream, as South Carolina ends with Moore longing to “make a family in the quiet country, you and me in simplicity”. The songs even have elements that sound vaguely sea-related. Long Boast Pass bounces along, like it’s perched atop a light swell. Most of the album follows this trend – basic, lo-fi pop with jangly guitars and dreamy vocals. Like a large number of current bands, Tennis are a shameless throwback to the ‘80s – check out the album cover for proof. Moore’s delivery is reminiscent of Kate Bush, if not as weird, and the music is like a more upbeat take on The Smiths (circa Meat Is Murder). The album is very saccharine and cutesy, but if that’s your thing (especially if you like Best Coast but think they’re not sweet enough) then Cape Dory will be essential listening for you for a long time.

That sound is born from Hill’s penchant for using purposefully beat-up equipment, which reportedly doesn’t last long under the force of Hill’s drumming. What’s particularly commendable about him is that he’s part of the lineage of talents who’ve alchemised music out of what is ostensibly unmusical – that is, ‘noise’, a genre that defines itself against listenability. To validate this, consider the names Hill brought on board for this collab: Devendra Banhart, Nick Reinhart, the dudes from No Age and a handful of other noise stalwarts have joined in to bring Hill’s vision to life. No stranger to collaboration, he’s been most generous with regards to sharing his talent around. Other than his main band Hella, he’s played with Marnie Stern, toured with Wavves and contributed to dozens of side projects and LPs, yet he still exhibits the power and fury of an ADHD kid with a wrecking ball. The sweetest track on Face Tat is also the penultimate title one, a three-and-three-quarter minutes long instrumental. Stripped of vocals, it lets Hill and former Hella guitarist Carson McWhirter flex their remaining energy before the more relaxed final track, the Banhartaided Second Life. For such a prolific musician it’s a wonder that he hasn’t burnt out or started phoning it in yet, but it’s a blessing that he hasn’t. Just one tip: like all albums worth listening to, this is meant to be played fucking loud. Jake Cleland

Sydneysider Estepa released his first album, All The Bells And Whistles, in 2006, and it saw him not only find an audience here in Australia, but having also signed with Rock Indiana Records in Spain, find one across the oceans. His music, while not breaking the mould, is pleasant guitar pop, and the simple arrangements and inoffensive vocals ensure pretty smooth sailing (unlike the doomed ship aboard the album’s cover). The album, engineered by Chris Vallejo (Josh Pyke) and produced by Estepa himself, has been refreshingly recorded warts and all. There are imperfections, there are blemishes, but it’s all a deliberate approach to producing an easy, relatively quick album. Clearly inspired by the songwriting talents of Neil Young and Jeff Tweedy, Estepa proves to be on Vessels an accomplished songwriter, with the musical talent to back up his ideas and words. As with the majority of his album, it’s pretty easy to listen to Estepa’s lyrics without delving too deeply into the human psyche (“Don’t tell me how to live/You’ve said it with conviction/Point me where to dig/So there’s no confusion”). But overall, Vessels is a fine local release, recorded very well by an aspiring artist. The Australian music scene goes deeper than what you hear in the Hottest 100, and Bryan Estepa is just one example of what you might find if you dig.

Cave Drawings incorporates some interchanging headphone trickery and demented harpsichord sounds. Then comes a change of pace for Song 13 and My Sparrow. You can’t help but paw the ground impatiently awaiting the next opportunity to shake your moneymaker. Need Your Love delivers and the tambourine excess plus inventive harmonies throughout Let The World Behind call to mind Alone With You Tonight by The Sunnyboys. The Greenhornes comprise half of The Saboteurs (bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler), so this was never gonna be shit. But The Greenhornes got here first and they’re definitely not apologising for it. Cautionary tale Jacob’s Ladder (“You’re down on your knees/Giving everything for a high/And now your lights are slowly fading”) paints a vivid portrait without passing judgement – an intriguing approach. This band obviously feels an affinity with our country and two “Australian Exclusives” are included on ****. Lucky us, because the closing track I’ll Go Crazy is one of these bonus tracks and the sexy rhythm shifts and dirty guitar work will make you screw up your nose while attempting to negotiate the melody. The Greenhornes closed with this belter at their recent Big Day Out appearance, and it was jaws to the floor. Bryget Chrisfield

Dylan Stewart

Josh Ramselaar

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JACK’S BACK As the frontman of piano rock bands Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin, ANDREW MCMAHON’s music has touched and saved countless lives. GISELLE NGUYEN finds out that, ultimately, it saved him too. Transit and The Glass Passenger were almost everyday living to get free of some sort of bigger trauma – in … Transit it was a break-up and in …Passenger obviously it was the recovery from my being sick. I think the great thing about this record is that it’s sort of that same everyday theme; it’s sort of free. There isn’t any kind of overriding tragedy right now – my life is pretty good and I feel like I’m able to analyse it more closely because I don’t have to worry about some other huge trauma.” Touring with Jack’s Mannequin has kept McMahon busy over the last few years, but he’s set to bring a solo tour to Australia in which he’ll play songs from across his career – a treat for Something Corporate fans especially, as the band only visited once in 2004 and actually decided to split while here. “Any time I’m touring I try and make sure I’m playing a lot of my current music, but there will definitely be a mix of older Jack’s stuff and Something Corporate songs in there as well. I don’t know exactly what percentage per se, but I love doing a few of the old songs every night; it’s sort of nice to hear those old songs framed up in an acoustic environment. It sort of brings everything around to the current state of that song.”

f you ask anyone who was into pop punk in the early 2000s what their top records of that genre and time were, there’s no doubt you’d hear Something Corporate’s Leaving Through The Window and North mentioned. Drive-Thru Records was a bastion of pop punk glory and Something Corporate definitely fit that bill, but there was also something remarkably earnest about their fusion with piano rock and Andrew McMahon’s lyrics were starkly honest – they’re a band that evokes the best kind of nostalgia. Though Something Corporate announced a break in 2004, the next year saw the release of the first Jack’s Mannequin record, Everything

In Transit, but it also brought tragedy for McMahon, who was diagnosed with leukaemia the day he finished recording the album. It’s been an upwards journey since then, though – having made a full recovery from the illness, released the second Jack’s Mannequin album The Glass Passenger in 2008 and headed around the US on a Something Corporate reunion tour, McMahon is now working on the third Jack’s Mannequin record in a period of his life where nothing’s ever been clearer. “There’s something that really just sounds honest about this record that I’m really excited about… Everything In

Though Jack’s was originally intended as a solo vehicle for McMahon, the live shows still are a full-band affair; in this sense, the solo shows are the realest opportunities for him to let go of everything and show his rawest emotions, with nothing but a piano and his own voice for company. “It’s a different kind of show and they can be pretty intense concerts because there’s really nothing to fall back on – you’re up there and you’ve just gotta play these tunes by yourself which is great, but I don’t know that I’d do it all year long. Going out and doing a handful of shows really kinda keeps you on your toes and it keeps you thinking about the song and you have to stay really present; you have to have a significant presence of mind to play these shows. It’s good for the brain and it’s a nice way to change up from just doing traditional band stuff every night.” Last year saw Something Corporate tour together for the first time since a one-off reunion show in 2006 and though it’s been almost a decade since Leaving Through The Window, McMahon still relates to the songs that he wrote back when everything was different. “Getting on stage and performing together wasn’t really that tricky at all. We had a lot of fun… They’re all songs

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that I wrote and all those songs are little pieces of things that meant a lot to me at a different time in my life, so revisiting them, even if it’s not my favourite song that I’ve written, if it’s something that came from me I still generally feel pretty connected to it.” Stylistically there’s not a huge difference between Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin’s music, though Jack’s was initially formed as a project through which McMahon could issue songs that he felt were not suited to the Something Corporate name. Despite the similarities, the real difference is the change in time the two names represent and for that reason, McMahon is certain that the Something Corporate reunion will not result in further writing together. “I think we all realised that we were in a moment where we were all kind of doing different things and moving in different directions in our lives, but we sort of wind up on this one minute to kind of get back together and play some shows before we part and do other things away. I see that as more of a one-time happening. You never know, we might get together and play some more shows at some point, but I think in that sense it was really kind of a true reunion rather than a reuniting for more albums.” Though his illness has gone into remission, McMahon continues to be passionate about fighting against cancer, having founded the Dear Jack Foundation in 2006 and releasing a documentary about his struggle, also entitled Dear Jack, in 2009. “Our focus has really become heavily in young adult cancers and trying to do the best that we can to change the statistics and start helping improve survival rates for young adult cancers. We’re starting to really focus in on specific treatments for the age bracket that doesn’t seem to do as well as other age brackets have.” The first annual Dear Jack benefit concert was held in November and featured performances from both Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin and McMahon is hoping to expand the cause across the US with further similar events. “My goal is definitely to have one here in Los Angeles every year around the same time – around Thanksgiving – and in a perfect world maybe expand that to one on the east coast here and maybe pick a different city each year and host a mirror event so other people can come out and raise a lot more money.”

WHO: Andrew McMahon WHEN & WHERE: Sunday, Hi-Fi

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THIS WEEK IN

ARTS

WEDNESDAY 9 Arafat In Therapy – an edgy one-man satire on the Middle East peace process. From UN resolutions to CNN, this show is a piss-take on politicians, peacemakers and human rights from Jeremie Bracka, previously responsible for Enough About Me…Let’s Talk About Jew. Opening night, 8pm. TheatreWorks, St Kilda until 13 February. Seven Samurai – a newly restored print from the British Film Institute of Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, Seven Samurai. ACMI Cinemas, 7pm.

THURSDAY 10 Five Easy Pieces – a perfect example of the brilliant cinema of the United States in the 1970s, this “part road trip, part psychological inquiry and a classic of Hollywood counterculture” restored version of Five Easy Pieces stars Jack Nicholson as a man rebelling against his past. ACMI Cinemas until 13 February. Grindhouse – exclusive screening of the Grindhouse double-feature of Planet Terror and Death Proof the way Tarantino and Rodriguez wanted you to see it – shorter and with fake trailers in the middle. Astor Theatre, 7.30pm.

FRIDAY 11 Murundak: Songs Of Freedom – world premiere screening of feature documentary by Natasha Gadd and Rhys Graham (Words From The City) following four years on the road with The Black Arm Band, made up of such illustrious Indigenous musicians as Archie Roach, Jimmy Little, Dan Sultan, John Butler, Paul Kelly, and Gurrumul Yunupingu, bringing their songs of resistance and freedom to people across the country. Screening for free as part of the St Kilda Festival. O’Donnell Gardens, 8.30pm.

SATURDAY 12 Don Parties On – your last chance to see David Williamson’s sequel to the play that made him a household name: Don’s Party. Playhouse, MTC, 4pm and 8.30pm.

SUNDAY 13 Once Upon A Time In The West – Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, and

7 UP

Claudia Cardinale star in this Sergio Leone western epic, exhibited on newly restored 35mmm Techniscope print. Astor Theatre, 7pm.

MONDAY 14 Valentine’s Day Double Bill – for the classy cinefiles, this Audrey Hepburn double-feature of Roman Holiday and Breakfast At Tiffany’s should bring the romance. Astor Theatre, 7.30pm.

ONGOING Comings And Goings – an allegorical portrayal of solitary man in a transient environment, this exhibition by Andrea Jenkins takes you on a journey through Melbourne’s iconic Flinders St Station and Parliament Station, the underpass, the subway and the Royal Arcade. Fortyfivedownstairs until 19 February. Crowds – exhibition of sketches by Hilary Senhanli, from observations on public transport, whilst shopping, and at sporting events. Fortyfivedownstairs until 19 February. 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. Ruben Guthrie – Victorian premiere season of Brendan Cowell’s brilliant portrayal of a young advertising exec who spends far too much time at the bottom of a bottle. Red Stitch Actors Theatre until 5 March. Shadow Project – the second installation from the metamorphic collective, featuring street art to performance painting from artists such as Josephine Bradley-Scott, Natt Meow Diamond, Alintalucienne, and SPARCS. For Walls at Miss Libertine until 26 February. Skin Tight – a feverish fusion of intense physicality, daring tenderness, and poetic lyricism set against the dramatic South Canterbury landscape. Produced by SaySIX Theatre and The Groundswell Division. Fortyfivedownstairs until 20 February.

SONGS ABOUT ACTORS BY CAM GRACE 1. Lee Remick by The Go-Betweens 2. Michael Caine by Madness 3. Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz 4. Angelina by Billy Bob Thornton 5. Robert Mitchum by Julian Cope 6. Robert De Niro’s Waiting… by Bananarama 7. (He’ll Never Be An) Ol’ Man River by TISM

ANDREA JENKINS - COMINGS AND GOINGS #3, 2007

ALONE RANGER

A SITE OF MASS TRANSIT GUTTED OF ITS PEOPLE AND BUSINESS IS A COLD PLACE INDEED. THIS IS THE WORLD ANDREA JENKINS PRESENTS TO ROBERT LUKINS – THE WORLD OF COMINGS AND GOINGS, HER EXHIBITION OF SOLITARY MAN IN A TRANSIENT ENVIRONMENT. “And this is why I sojourn here, Alone and palely loitering…” Keats was writing of being thrown loveless and without purpose to the side of a onceflourishing lakeside, now barren. Given a ride to the present day and a two-hour concession ticket to Zone 1, little John could rightly feel an affinity with this collection of scenes offered by Jenkins: train stations, underpasses and alleys all sucked of their oxygen and crowds. These works, she explains, are a continuation of a larger project of documenting the Victorian capital. “It was a progression. I had been painting Melbourne from above, the alleys and such. I took a few snaps of the stations, subways which I decided had a good feel to them. I love that grungy look, but the hauntiness was what really appealed to me. After a few paintings I then got a sense of where I was going with them and the metaphor of life as a train journey seemed apt, with the station being the beginning and end.” The works depict settings that will be familiar to any Melbourne traveller, focusing on the escalators,

causeways and stairs; machines and structures that imply or demand continual movement from their human subjects. Jenkins’s figures are unaccompanied, absent or without detail. “Loneliness, yes.” I suggest there is a common emotion at the core of these pictures. “It’s about our own journey which in essence is a solitary trek. Sadness in the beginning, because the image number three [Comings And Goings #3] coincided with a very good friend taking his life and my thoughts were led towards decisions we make, but they are not all sad.” Solitude and its despondency as only a starting point is an important distinction made by this artist and her show. It is easy to render an excluding urban vision – Kafka’s word cities, Edward Hopper illustrations – but it is another thing to see this dirty grey slab as an opportunity for a beginning; an unpainted canvas, an unpopulated Word document, is as dreary a thing, but is similarly as liberating as it is a reminder of a ruined world. Jenkins’s belief in the impacting quality of art is refreshing and

underpins her reply to questioning of her exhibition’s purpose. She speaks in specifics. “Art as painting, perhaps only affects those of us who actually take the time to view it. I hope that my art affects those who view it in a good way,” she upholds, giving weight to a simple idea. “Please take the time.” Back to Keats, that heartsick and eternal teenager – the brilliance of his paeans to pained solitude were in the purposefulness of their self-defeat: in

giving isolation voice, an audience, it turns to water. To Andrea: are we all, at heart, alone? “I hope so,” she says. “I don’t think of alone as a negative thing, it is simply being one’s self. Separate, single, living your own life; no one else’s.” WHAT: Comings And Goings WHERE & WHEN: fortyfivedownstairs until Saturday 19 February

SYDNEY FILMMAKER DISTRIBUTES OWN FILM FEATURING STEPHEN FRY It’s not every day that you receive a press release for a new film from a local crew that you can download for the measly price of $10. And it’s certainly not every day that such a film includes (a fictionalised portrayal of) Werner Herzog and (legit) narration by the one and only Stephen Fry. That film is Benjamin Sniddlegrass And The Cauldron Of Penguins. Its premise? We’ll let them do the talking: “From writer-director Jeremy Dylan comes the story of a nerdy skiffleloving redhead from Cockfosters [UK], who discovers he’s a wizard. He journeys to Australia and is taught magic under the watchful eye of mentor Pentangle and filmmaker Werner Herzog, while a romance blooms with fringed smartarse Scarlett McKenna. Soon, he must battle the evil gorilla-faced Lord Emmerich. But what is the secret of the cauldron of penguins? Narrated by Stephen Fry.” You can download the film now from benjaminsniddlegrass.blogspot.com and a special edition DVD will be released on 16 February.

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RAISED VOICES, RAISED HEARTS NOMINATED FOR FIVE AFI AWARDS FOR THE MUSIC DOCUMENTARY WORDS IN THE CITY, NATASHA GADD IS SET TO LAUNCH HER LATEST FEATURE ABOUT THE BLACK ARM BAND ON TOUR, MURUNDAK – SONGS OF FREEDOM. PAUL ANDREW SPEAKS TO THE FILMMAKER.

Philosopher/guitarist Archie Roach says it best: “We used to take our messages to the streets, now we’re taking them to concert halls.” Natasha Gadd is quoting Roach from a quiet moment in the film; an elder of Aboriginal protest music, a founding member of The Black Arm Band, reflecting on three decades of resistance. In the small hours of the morning on 26 January, 1972, a group of Aboriginal protesters erected a small semi-permanent structure on the lawns of the Old Parliament House in Canberra; a vigil set to change the course of Australian history. In the Tent Embassy bolstered with a list of demands including Aboriginal representation in parliament, recognition of land rights, recognition of sacred sites, and compensation for the damage done to the soul of a people, activists including Roach, chanted their way towards revolution. It wasn’t for another 20 years – Mabo Day, 3 June, 1992 – when some of these demands finally became law, and even longer still – Sorry Day,

13 February, 2008 – when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised for state-sanctioned violence towards Aboriginal people. Gadd is adept at setting the mood for her documentary, which was four years “and lots of dusty road trips” in the making. “The film uses lots of archival material including Tent Embassy footage juxtaposed with recent concert tour footage of the band as they take their songs from Sydney Opera House to Alice Springs and to remote communities,” she says. “Many of the songs from this tour were first chanted on the streets and protest marches by musicians like Archie Roach, his wife the late Ruby Hunter, and Bart Willoughby. Since then they have become Aboriginal anthems, audiences know each and every word. Songs like We Have Survived by No Fixed Address or Joey Geia’s Yil lul [I Sing].” A “one-off, once-in-a-lifetime concert” was planned for the Melbourne Festival 2006 when a

QUOTE

VICKI ST. ELMO: I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD. MACGRUBER: SODID I, BUT I’M NOT. 40

gathering of protest music pioneers decided to take their songs to a wider audience and The Black Arm Band was formed. Explains Gadd of the band’s formation, “This concert was the result of many conversations between black and white performers over a long period. Ngarrindjeri-born singer Ruby Hunter is often quoted expressing a long heartfelt need for an Aboriginal Orchestra.” It was a once-only affair that has become “a music phenomenon”. Gadd, alongside co-director and husband Rhys Graham, charted The Black Arm Band for the last four years. “It’s been great,” she says. “The friendship, the intimacy, the bonds formed along the way is extraordinary. I don’t think we fully understand the full extent of this journey just yet. It’s been such a joy to work alongside these singers and their communities, to witness collaborations with newer talents like Dan Sultan and Emma Donovan with their songs about love, about hope.” WHAT: A Journey Into The Heart Of Aboriginal Protest Music: Murundak – Songs Of Freedom and The Black Arm Band WHERE & WHEN: O’Donnell Gardens Friday 11 February as part of St Kilda Festival

THE MENSTRUUM

PHOTO BY KEALEY NUTT

15: SUMMER RAIN BY ROBERT LUKINS The corner of Elizabeth Street and Lonsdale and the racerboy piece of shit just scorched through the very red light. I wish fear inspired poetry in me, but it doesn’t and all I can think of the shaven bulldog in the black hatchback with the English flag stickers and bad house pumping from tinny speakers is that he’s a piece of shit.

He misses me by the width of one small step, skids into the path of a tram, and “Fuck it – fuckwit,” is what I say to his wound-down window, which doesn’t make enough sense. A woman walking towards us is cross and is shouting, “You nearly hit that man!” “Fook off,” he chews and takes off in front of the dinging tram. I keep walking to 1000 £ Bend and think this is a tiny and personal thing and it wasn’t a tragedy, only vaguely close, and I’m angry and not used to the feeling. Something colossal and actually horrible happens and

THE BHOY CAN COOK BELOVED COMEDIAN DANNY BHOY RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA SOON FOR A STRING OF COMEDY FESTIVAL DATES, WITH A FRESH SHOW AND A SWAG OF RECIPES. WAIT, WHAT? MONICA CONNORS FINDS OUT MORE. Scottish comedian Danny Bhoy spends so much time in Australia that recent media reports falsely claimed he was moving here. Bhoy says he was surprised to read those reports. “I certainly would love to have a base here, [although] I don’t know if I’m actually ready to pack up and completely move”. Instead Bhoy says he doesn’t really live anywhere. “I’m always travelling around the world doing this and I have an apartment in Edinburgh in Scotland but it’s more or less just a storage facility,” he admits. “I just kind of keep my bags and all my gear there, so I’m kind of homeless really.” Having first performed in Australia at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2003, Bhoy says that the city is now a special place for him. “It all kind of started for me there,” he says. “I played to 80 people in a room above a pub, and now I play to over a thousand in theatres there. It’s where I can see how my career has built in that sense and the audiences are so loyal. They’ll come back every single year to see me, so I think Melbourne and also Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, and all these places… I mean, generally I find Australian audiences to be really, really great audiences to play to.” Eight years on and now a veteran of Sydney and Melbourne comedy festivals, Bhoy says they hold their ground in the international comedy circuit.

“They’re right up there; if not in the top five, they’re the top two. I love coming here because that’s where it all started for me. I did Melbourne the first year and then the second year I did Melbourne and Sydney, and then I did Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, so now I do tours all around Australia, but it really all started from Melbourne and Sydney and Brisbane. They were the three festivals that if you could get an audience than it was worth you coming back every year. “And the crowds are great; they’re smart, they’re clever, and you get all kinds of mixes of people. You know, sometimes when you go to comedy festivals, like if I do Montreal for example, it’s very TV-based. It’s very industry based, which is very dull, and in London and in Britain you tend to get the peer type audiences whereas here you get a really good mix. You get like teenagers and you get families, couples, and they’re great festivals.” Bhoy believes he has found such success in Australia due to the sheer amount of time he’s spent here. “A lot of comedians that I started with back in the UK sort of stayed in the UK and built up and have their own TV shows whereas I always wanted to travel,” he says. “It was always a big part of the job for me, taking comedy to different places, so when I got invited to Australia I came and the first year went really well and I

just sort of built. Every year I go back and I don’t do television, so for me I rely purely on word of mouth and the quality of the show.” Another point of difference is that unlike other comedians, Bhoy doesn’t include his family or personal relationships in his act. “It’s the same reason I don’t really talk about sex or anything graphic or controversial in my comedy,” he says. “You talk about what you want to talk about and what you know, really – some people do political comedy and some people do surreal comedy and some people do very personal comedy. I like to keep it fairly light-hearted and not too serious. If something comes up that requires me to talk about my childhood or whatever, then I will, but it just doesn’t seem to be a part of the act at the moment.” Whilst Danny Bhoy is now one of the most recognisible faces in stand-up comedy, life could’ve been very different if he’d followed the path the Scot originally chose: sports reporting. “I moved down to London and I’d actually been told I had a job with a sports newspaper, a new daily sports newspaper, and it actually folded before it got off the ground. So I found myself in London with no job and no prospects and I just sort of got bar work and just picked up anything I could do in the day and at night I would go out and just troll around the

most people are drawn toward good feelings, and some, good actions. I walk past a homeless woman. I wonder why it’s easier to see the shape of your better self against the backdrop of something tremendous and bad. On Little Lonsdale, inside 1000 £ and Thelma magazine are running a fundraising exhibition until 15 February in aid of the Queensland’s wind and wetness. The room is all colour and warmth and with the sounds of coffee. Art is hanging near and on the walls, making a piebald and sweet perimeter made of all stripes; line sketches, photographs, oils, stamped seafarers, and beautiful faces dripping with watercolour. Today there are market stalls, and like the art on sale the money raised is heading to the soggy and broken north-east. Two women are standing to the side of me and they are very good-looking. One is interested in a pair of small, mouse-brown shoes. “…if you had the option of ending it all right now, would you? What would you say…?” I don’t know what they’re talking about. I do a slow lap of the room and go and sit and have one of the coffees. Waiting, I spill the sugar, check my telephone and see a message I’d missed from Joann, my sister – she’d been bailed up by Yasi: “That was truly horrible. Don’t want to play the game again. Now hoping water back on soon and power would be nice. May send boys to grandmas.” The exhibition room is loaded with light and energetic hearts and I find the picture I like and can afford the best and write my name and number on the silent auction sheet below. I write the amount I get paid for this column. In the toilet near the bar, I’m now worrying about paying rent this month and thinking of ways to worry less. On the way back out, there’s a post-it on the light switch, “Please leave the light on – B. Carlisle.”

comedy clubs,” he says. “I mean, it was quite different back then ’cause now it’s a very organised thing, comedy. Back then you could just rock up at a club and say, ‘Well, can I please jump on and do five minutes?’ and most of the time it was fairly successful and they’d squeeze you in and that was it, really. I slowly built up through the weeks and months and years.” Now as an internationally successful comedian, performing at all the major comedy festivals, Bhoy says he prepares for a world tour by writing. “I just sit down and I write. I did a gig last night in Sydney and I just drop into comedy clubs and try new ideas out and slowly I try and put a show together,” he says. “I don’t like to do a full hour or 75-minute act until I know all the components are there, so I work on little bits and put them all together and then I go on tour. “Then afterwards I try and do something completely different. Either go somewhere or I recently did a ridiculous amount of cooking and I became consumed by recipes. “During the day I would plan a meal, even though it was just me eating at the end. I planned these big elaborate meals just because I wanted to learn how to cook and I didn’t think about comedy at all during that time so it’s pretty much a seasonal occupation. When I need to tour is when I need to write so I do.” WHO: Danny Bhoy WHERE & WHEN: Playhouse, Arts Centre Friday 1 to Sunday 17 April as part of Melbourne International Comedy Festival

BLOODY WELL REITMAN THANKS TO SUCH SUCCESSES AS GHOSTBUSTERS, MEATBALLS, AND TWINS, FILMMAKER IVAN REITMAN HAS BEEN A HOUSEHOLD NAME SINCE THE 1980S. HIS LATEST FEATURE BRINGS TOGETHER NATALIE PORTMAN AND ASHTON KUTCHER IN THE ATYPICAL ROMCOM NO STRINGS ATTACHED. THE DIRECTOR SPEAKS TO IAN BARR. “I think it’s a dumb system and doesn’t make a lot of sense,” says Ivan Reitman, bemoaning the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and their R-rating – under-17s not admitted, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. It’s what his latest Natalie Portman/ Ashton Kutcher-starring romantic comedy No Strings Attached has been designated, in which Portman, as a workaholic nurse, attempts a strictly-carnal relationship with old high school pal Kutcher. Perhaps the classification isn’t surprising for a script whose working title was Fuck Buddies, but it’s a relatively unusual facet for a genre inherently aimed at date movie crowds. “It’s not that we were aiming for it, we knew that by virtue of the language that we knew it was going to contain and the conversations, the subject matter, and in America that seems to relegate you to the R-rating,” Reitman says. Reitman’s foray into romcom territory marks something of a first for the journeyman filmmaker, who rose to prominence in the late ’70s/early ’80s with the triptych of Bill Murray classics: Meatballs, Stripes and the juggernaut of Ghostbusters, which changed the face of high-concept Hollywood comedies. The idea for his latest came from a discussion with his producer. “We were talking about how the rules of dating have been shifting over the last few decades… where a story like When Harry Met Sally wouldn’t make sense today… [With that film] the question came up, ‘Can a man and a woman stay friends without sex happening,’ whereas now the question is, ‘Can a man and a woman have sex without romance getting in the way.’” Reitman pitched the idea to a young New York playwright, Liz Merewether.

“She was very sharp, and had a really wonderful ear for contemporary dialogue,” he says. Merewether is key to why the film’s female characters have a three-dimensionality usually lacking from this genre. “It was definitely from a woman’s point of view, which was something that made it original and fresh,” Reitman explains. “But most importantly, it had a very comfortable and contemporary attitude to female sexuality, and the desire of woman to have sex as much as men do, and the right to. Even if it’s kind of bad sex.” In that light, Portman’s involvement in the film seems less of a puzzle for film nerds acquainted with the actress in highfalutin, edgy fare; especially her recent, Oscar-buzzed performance in Black Swan. Reitman assures that Portman’s participation wasn’t a ‘one for them’ deal for the actress: “The most important cast came in first, which was Natalie,” Reitman admits. “Natalie read a very early draft of this… the script was on the blacklist very quickly, which is a list of the year’s very best, fresh scripts that have yet to be made and it was in the top three of that exalted list of screenplays.” Portman quickly expressed enthusiasm for the project, which was reciprocated by Reitman. “I made her a producer of the movie so that she would feel even more beholden in being involved, and I thought that she was really smart and she would help contribute to the intelligence of the dialogue in the script and the events.” For her male counterpart in the love-at-umpteenth-sight narrative, Reitman wanted “someone she’d have good chemistry with and would be an unusual pairing”, and went with Ashton Kutcher, a more conventional lead for the genre. “As soon as they met, I just sat back and watched and you could just sort of feel something

really special about the two of them together.” With such an array of comic talent on board (also including Kevin Kline, Cris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Greenberg’s Greta Gerwig and a scene-stealing Lake Bell), Reitman stresses the importance of improvisation and spontaneity in shooting. “I always think that the work that you do while you’re shooting the film on the script is almost like the last draft.” It’s something he learned early in his career, he explains: “I got used to working with people like Bill Murray and Harold Ramis and Dan Ackroyd very early in my career, who had really smart things to say about stories that we were doing, and I learned not to be afraid of inventiveness while we shoot.” No Strings Attached makes striking use of its numerous Los Angeles locations, and Reitman is conscious that the use of location is integral to the overall texture of a film. “I like to think that Ghostbusters is one of the great New York movies, it really used the New York skyline, and all sorts of very specific New York ideas as a way of illuminating the storytelling…” Similarly, for No Strings Attached, Reitman had his mind set on using LA in a similar fashion. “Because Los Angeles is one of the most filmed cities in the world, because of the historical Hollywood presence and all the movies and TV shows that have been filmed here, it’s kind of an unknown city in a strange way… I just tried to find these places that residents of Los Angeles have learned to love and find over the years of their residency, that visitors of LA don’t notice are there, and make them part of our film.” Reitman sees his latest as marking a low-key direction he’d like to continue in. “I really like a movie like No Strings Attached, which is really about character detail, people speaking in rooms, acting, and a kind of truthful way from which we find comedy, there’s just some very kind of joyful experience shooting it, and I would love to repeat it.” As for his upcoming, much-buzzed Ghostbusters 3, he mostly keeps his lips sealed. “I’m still waiting for Bill [Murray] to read the script.” WHAT: No Strings Attached WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas from 10 February

frontrow@inpress.com.au

C U LT U R A L

CRINGE

THE LOST THING

WITH REBECCA COOK You have to feel sorry for the organisers of the St Kilda Festival. The first day, Saturday, saw the Yalukit Willam Ngargee Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island program kick off with an array of outdoor activities while Melbourne endured a freakish 24 hours of torrential rain. They’d have to see the irony in the full name of the program, ‘Euro Yroke Bullarto Nyooweenth’ – ‘St Kilda Plenty Sun’. While it bucketed down across Melbourne, according to the festival’s Facebook page, it managed to stay dry in the O’Donnell Gardens where storytelling for kids, a Koori Night Market and a free line-up of musicians and comedians all braved the inclement weather. The Live N Local component started on Sunday and will continue up to Festival

Sunday (13 February). You can check out over 90 local music acts, workshops, exhibitions, and theatre works. Initial forecasts for Festival Sunday indicate it will be sunny and 24°C, for the festival’s sake Cringe hopes BOM is right about this one. Performers on the main stage include Gareth Liddiard, Paris Wells, Jebediah, and Tim Finn. There are five other music stages, a dance zone, and Kidszone at Luna Park. Other activities on the day include the Beach Volleyball Victorian Open, a beach football comp, BMX stunts, and an African drumming workshop. Take a raincoat, just in case. With this wacky weather we’re currently facing, an indoor activity might be a safer bet. Luckily short film festival, FlickerFest is coming to Melbourne next Thursday (17

GIVEAWAYS

The idea of meeting up for sex and only sex is the idea behind No Strings Attached, which, according

to director Ivan Reitman in an interview within these very pages this week, was originally going to be called Fuck Buddies. Black Swan’s Natalie Portman and Tweet King Ashton Kutcher star as two friends who sleep together, and decide to keep doing so without emotions becoming involved. The film fleshes out its indie cred with co-stars Greta Gerwig, Olivia Thirlby, and Ludacris, and brings a touch of class with the wonderful Kevin Kline. We’ve five in-season double passes up for grabs, so for your chance to win one email giveaways@inpress.com.au with ‘NO STRINGS ATTACHED’ in the subject line.

February) and it’s inside at the Kino. Flickerfest, one of Australia’s largest short film competitions, marks its 20th anniversary this year. More than 1,750 entries were received from across the world for the 2011 competition. The Best of The Melbourne Shorts programme will showcase the best locally made films including Flickerfest winner for Most Popular Film, The Lost Thing, by Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan; When the Wind Changes by Alethea Jones; and Deeper Than Yesterday – the 2010 Cannes award-winning submarine short. Premiering in Melbourne is Valmay The Visitor From Beep Beep Bleetlebox 967 by Susan Earl, which sees an alien visitor to Earth thrown in the middle of the annual Mardi Gras parade; as well as Richard Vette’s coming of age comedy, Look My Way. Also on the programme is Stony Point by Olivia Peniston-Bird; Morning Star by Jessica Barclay Lawton; Muscles by Edward Housden; and Lily by Kasimir Burgess. Screening alongside the Best Of The Melbourne Shorts will be two international films that won awards in Flickerfest’s Academy Accredited competition in 2011. French flick Donde Esta Kim Basinger? by Edouard Deluc took home the award for Best Short Film, and a warped animation from Germany, The External World picked up the Best Animation gong. This year, you will get a chance to get even closer to the filmmakers as FlickerFest is hosting complimentary drinks between the two sessions on 17 February. For more information or bookings visit palacecinemas.com. au/cinemas/kino.

JAILED FOR THEIR ART FILM FESTIVALS ACROSS AUSTRALIA ARE UNITING TO PROTEST THE RECENT JAILING OF IRANIAN DIRECTORS JAFAR PANAHI & MOHAMMAD RASOULOF BY SCREENING PANAHI’S OFFSIDE. JAMELLE WELLS REPORTS. In December last year award-winning Iranian director Jafar Panahi (The White Balloon, The Circle, Crimson Gold, Offside) and his colleague Mohammad Rasoulof (The White Meadows) were jailed for six years for a charge of making films against the Iranian regime. They were also banned from writing and making films, giving media interviews, leaving Iran, or communicating with foreign cultural organisations for 20 years. Director of the Sydney Film Festival, Clare Stewart, says festivals around the world are trying to put pressure on the Iranian government to have the sentences lifted, because they are not only a deep injustice, but an affront to those who believe in the principle of artistic freedom. “If you look at the case, the basis of the charges against the men is intention,” she says. “They were charged over a film that hasn’t even been made. When Panahi represented himself in court he

described it as being persecuted before even committing a crime. Around 30 percent of the film had been made, so no one really knew how it would turn out.” Stewart says Panahi’s films have been screened across Australia, and she first met the filmmaker in Iran at a festival in 2007. “That was the last time I knew him as a free man” she says. “There’s a long history of movies being banned in Iran - but the same ones get accolades around the world. It’s a contradiction that they proudly display the trophies their filmmakers win, but refuse to screen their work.” Melbourne International Film Festival director Michelle Carey says it’s important to support the courage of the jailed film makers. “They weren’t committing murder and they aren’t corrupt,” she says. “They are expressing their opinion and don’t deserve to go to jail for that.” Winner of the Silver Bear at Berlin, much of Panahi’s 2006 feature Offside was shot on the run during Iran’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Bahrain in 2005. It follows an assortment of young women fans who try to get into Teharan’s Azadi stadium to see the game. Women aren’t allowed to go to the

game because of the risk they will be exposed to foul language. Their solution is to disguise themselves as men. Panahi captures this real-life drama on film. Among the international filmmakers to express their solidarity with Panahi and Rasoulof and to condemn the arrests last year were Robert Redford, Terrence Malick, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, the Coen brothers, Oliver Stone, and Ang Lee. An online petition has been spearheaded by Paul Haggis. Martin Scorsese released a statement saying how depressing it is to imagine a society with so little faith in its own citizens that it feels compelled to lock up anyone with a contrary opinion. Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne film festivals will present fundraising screenings of Offside with proceeds going towards the campaign to free the filmmakers. Tickets are $10. Brisbane International Film Festival is also supporting the campaign. The Berlin Film Festival, which kicks off this week, is screening a tribute to Panahi with his films in four different sections of the program. WHAT: Offside WHERE & WHEN: ACMI Cinemas Sunday 6 March

WHEELER IN 2011: PRATCHETT, PROULX, ARCHER The Wheeler Centre launch their 2011 program this Friday with A Gala Night Of Storytelling: Voices From Elsewhere. The first program of the year, which runs until April, will tackle to themes of democracy and Australian identity, take a look at WikiLeaks and breaking news, as well as Australia’s late, great writers. In addition, Wheeler are launching a Children’s Book Festival and Texts In The City, a program for teenagers. Authors who will gracing the centre include Jeffrey Archer (22 March), Terry Pratchett (12 April), Andrew O’Hagan (8-9 March), Annie Proulx (11 March), David Malouf (23 March), Armistead Maupin (27 February), and a tribute to David Foster Wallace. Topics addressed include ‘Why All The Complaining?’, ‘Secrets & Lies: How WikiLeaks Has Changed The World’, ‘Leaving Microsoft To Change The World’, ‘Both Major Parties Are Failing The Australian People’, ‘In Defence Of Offensiveness’, ‘Why Do We See So Few Plays By Australian Women?’, ‘The Pleasures Of Hate Mail’, and, of course, the Literary Speed Dating. This Friday’s Gala Night includes stories in their native languages from Chinese author Murong Xuecun, Indian novelist Abha Dawesar, French novelist Yannick Hanel, German poet Dagmar Leupold, and locals Nam Le, John Birmingham, Mem Fox, and Sonya Hartnett. Hit wheelercentre.com for all the details you could possibly ever need.

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FILM

CAREW

WITH ANTHONY CAREW The advanced word on 127 Hours is that it’s a grim, insular drama; a queasy chronicle of a true-life story in which a hiker fell down a chasm in a Utah canyon, found his arm trapped by a boulder, and, then, with his life slowly vanishing before his eyes, cut his limb off. Dialogue about the film seems to suggest that it’s an unblinking, realist portrayal of the survival instinct, society stripped away as a man must perform an animal act; with James Franco totally-methoding-out and probably like getting himself trapped in a canyon for research purposes (he has been to film school, people). But all of these cultural conversations seem to be dodging the fact that 127 Hours is a production helmed by Danny Boyle. Danny freakin’ Boyle. With such glittering ‘hits’ as A Life Less Ordinary and The Beach under his belt, Boyle has shown himself only to be a cinematic maximalist; someone fond of blaring colours, massivepop-song soundtrack cues, frenetic barrages of edits, and, without fail, at least one piece of utterly superfluous time-lapse-photography per film. The odds of Boyle making a grim, realist, resonant depiction of the human condition are roughly zero; he’s a grand populist, authoring pictures for the popcorn set. And 127 Hours seems to be a film made for teenagers, or television, or portable devices. Or, more than anything, for the host of corporate interests who’ve paid primo cash for

REVIEW

127 HOURS

their products to be transparently ‘placed’ in front of camera, logo in extreme close-up. Hey kids: when you’re going on your totally extreme adventures – which hopefully won’t end with you hacking at your limbs like some glorified coyote – don’t forget to take your way radical Sports Drink, your super gnarly Digital Camera, etc. At one point, in one of the roughly one billion fantasy sequences Boyle music-videos into proceedings, the film actually runs a showreel of old Coke ads. And, sure, it works as a ‘comic’

desert-island fantasy, but, like, this isn’t some chillwave video-clip illegally repurposing old commercials as half-ironic commentary on the commodification of nostalgia and the lingering wastelands of pop-cultural detritus. This is a billion-dollar corporation deigning to allow their imagery to be used in a supposedlygrim narrative movie. Why? Because they’re getting something out of it: prime, positive-associaton-rich screentime. If Boyle were a more talented, or, perhaps, more thoughtful filmmaker, he could bury that

ad-creep feeling amidst an artful mise-èn-scene, but instead this Coke moment just blares away, with all the glaring thoughtlessness of a bus-stop billboard. You could say it feels like a commercial break, except the whole of 127 Hours rather plays like one long commercial. Like some new-millennial Mac And Me, just with more auto-amputation by former Freaks And Geeks cast members. Many a cultural-studies student and/or embarrassing mass-media columnist has authored plenty of flimsy pseudo-sociological theories

as to the persistence of zombies in popular culture, and I’m not about to join their rank ranks. The phenomenon barely needs acknowledging: zombies dwell within the least creative, most cannibalistic, truly trope-loving realms - horrormovies - so of course the undead are undying. Not to mention: they’re a wondrous, pliable symbol, able to represent both the masses and the minions. ACMI is wheeling out a zombie season on Friday nights, which shows the sub-genre alive and limpin’. Zombies Of Mass Destruction initially seems like little that could be meaningful; from its camp title to its televisual aesthetic to its hysterical caricatures to its general sense of zaniness. But, beyond the immediately-grating aesthetic, Kevin Hamedani’s film has genuine satirical clout: mocking homeland-security-esque paranoia -positing that ‘The Terrorists!’ are responsible for the undead outbreak in some whitebread hamlet - and neo-fundamentalist Christianity in America. It’s terribly made and neither funny nor scary, but weirdly trenchant and incisive. Colin wears its back-story proudly: it was shot

on a cam-corder and made on the most micro of micro budgets. But Marc Price’s picture isn’t schlockhorror, nor some mumblecore-esque talk-piece. Instead, it’s an attempt to take an artful stab at an oft-artless genre: near silent, score heavy, atmospheric, and told in a circular narrative that loops back on itself, like some gallery installation. You can’t quite buy in to the hoped-for poignancy of the piece given Price’s inability to entirely suspend disbelief; in the clamouring-zombies-fill-thestreets shots, it looks exactly like what it is: a bunch of friends dicking around in home-made make-up. But, even if it ultimately feels failed, you can certainly honour his noble attempt. La Horde is a far-more depressing zombie picture: a hyper-macho, gun-wielding, peopleyelling-at-each-other, incrediblyover-the-top-score-blighted survival tale in which cops-and-crims band together in a dirty Parisian high-rise to try and fend off the undead masses. It may be showing late-night as ‘cult’ picture here, but this was undoubtedly made as a mainstream action movie in France, so avoid, accordingly.

MICK TURNER EXHIBITION Dirty Three guitarist Mick Turner will be presenting a collection of new works, fittingly titled New Paintings, at Brightspace, St Kilda in March. Kicking things off Saturday 5, Turner and band will perform live at the launch, the exhibition continuing through to Sunday 27 March. Head to brightspace.com.au for all relevant information.

SHOOTING HIS AGE New wave mainstay LLOYD COLE talks rock’n’roll attitude maintenance and Victoria’s finest golf spots with PAUL RANSOM. rather like Method acting. As a consequence, writing songs is not always the most pleasant experience.” What that means is that there are certain songs he refuses to perform live. However, rather than regale me with a mere list he diverts. “Performing these days is much more of an emotional experience than it was. I think in the early days I saw performance as more of a recital and now, I don’t know, maybe I’m a different emotional creature at age 50 than I was at 25.” In a business where growing old is a sin, Cole is a proud heretic. “It’s regarded as positive in rock’n’roll that some guy who’s 45 has the same attitudes that he had when he was 25, but I can’t think of anything worse,” he argues. “If I’ve tried to do one thing I’ve tried to let my songwriting grow old with me.”

quarter of a century ago, two teenagers sat in an attic and penned an appalling adolescent novel to a soundtrack that included a record called Rattlesnakes. Fortunately, the handwritten novel disappeared into a shoebox, but the album in question went on to become a modern classic. These days, the author of that 1984 songbook, Lloyd Cole, sits in his own attic penning brilliantly literary tunes and imagining himself on various golf courses (although on the evening of our interview what he’s really looking forward is a knock-off beer). Since the major label days of the 1980s, Cole has ditched The Commotions and ploughed a firmly independent furrow, putting out a series of critically acclaimed albums and winning himself a scattered legion of passionate fans. You could use the word ‘cult’ but you know he’d hate that. Indeed, across his 27 years of recording Cole has earned a reputation for superior word use. “I don’t really think about it, I just try to write good songs,” he begins matterof-factly. “For me, the lyrics need to do what I want them

to do but they also need to be flexible. They need to be perceivable in different ways to different people. If a song is too didactic or there’s only one way to listen to it then why would you want to listen to it more than once?” All this talk of words seems to inspire him and before long he’s talking at length. “I’m flattered that people like my lyrics because I do spend a long time trying to get them as good as I possibly can. Sometimes it takes years because you start a song and you don’t really know where it’s going.” Although he insists that his songs aren’t ‘about’ anything, he will confess to a few autobiographical shreds – if not details, certainly feelings. “In order to make the voices in my songs seem believable or credible I think one does have to draw upon a fair amount of emotional experience of one’s own because that’s the only emotional experience that you really have,” he explains. “So, you might be writing a song about something that never happened to you but in order to find the right words for the characters you might have to draw upon yourself,

Today that proudly vintage craft has just produced a new album of countrified storytelling, daringly titled Broken Record. Though it bears all the much-loved trademarks of smart and emotive songwriting, it also marks something of a departure for the normally solitary Cole. It’s the first time in years that he’s made a record with a band rather than a room full of equipment. The resultant record is imbued with an earthy warmth that belies the often sardonic lyrics. “I was listening to some early-‘70s Rod Stewart records that I really liked the sound of and I asked the engineer, ‘How do you get that sound?’” he enthuses. “And the way you get it is by not being microscopic in your approach. You accept that the guitar is in the same room as the drums, so there’s gonna be some drum sound in the guitar sound.” It’s an organic approach many miles removed from the overly clean recording trends of the late ‘80s that Lloyd Cole & The Commotions lived with, and Cole clearly loves it. “If you go listen to a bluegrass band – and I’m not a massive fan of bluegrass music but I love the sound – there’s ten or 12 people standing in a row and they create this great racket, but you can’t really tell sometimes all the notes they’re playing. So thinking about music like certainly influenced the way I went about making this record.” However, Broken Record broke new ground in other ways, with Cole financing the record via fan contribution.

WORLD PARTY Language barriers did nothing to stop the global spread of YOLANDA BE COOL’s surprise worldwide smash, We No Speak Americano. “We’re going to try our hardest never to have [day jobs] again,” SYLVESTER MARTINEZ tells SHAILLA VAN RAAD. “They started doing bootlegs and mash-ups with us,” Martinez recalls. It was then Yolanda Be Cool met and collaborated with DCUP when he remixed one of their first tracks, Afro Nuts, in 2009 – and the rest is history. Martinez and Peterson work hard to achieve their unique and diverse dance sounds, looking for inspiration within almost everything they encounter – adding musical “flavour” with original, multi-ethnic sonic ingredients. “We spent the last three days literally trawling through everything. We both emailed our parents saying, ‘What’s your favourite track from the ‘60s?’ and ‘What’s your favourite track from here and there?’ [We’ve been] going to Bondi Markets looking for old bits of vinyl and pretty much anything that’s a good sample, whether it’s a vocal hook or a horn line from any record that we can just throw in. We look for any genre we can throw over our own beats and percussion… it’s a fun way to add flavour to your own tracks.”

lthough Sylvester Martinez, one-half of Bondibased dance act Yolanda Be Cool, has been made famous out of the fact that he doesn’t speak Americano, that certainly does not stop him from trying. He concedes, “I speak Americano really badly… I’ve been going to lessons every Tuesday but I always fall asleep so I miss all the important stuff. The classes shouldn’t be on Tuesdays for DJs, because I don’t catch up on sleep until Wednesday, so they should move it.” Sylvester Martinez and Johnson ‘Durango Slim’ Peterson formed Yolanda Be Cool in 2009, referencing Pulp Fiction and rising to superstardom via their innovative, multiethnic electronica. The outfit teamed up with producer and neighbour DCUP to create the biggest international dance hit to come out of Australia in 2010. The single, We No Speak Americano, which notably samples the 1956 song Tu Vuò Fà l’Americano by legendary Italian singer/songwriter Renato Carosone, blasted up the charts at phenomenal speeds on a global scale.

In 2010, We No Speak Americano topped the German, Austrian, Irish, UK, Swedish, Belgian, Colombian, New Zealand, Mexican, Peruvian, Argentinean, Venezuelan, Honduran and Costa Rican charts, amongst others. It reached the top five in Australia, France, Italy, Spain and Norway. Martinez regales Inpress with the fabled tale of how the duo came to be. “As the story goes, I met Johnston in the Peach Pit in LA, back in the day. We’re old buddies – he was a DJ at an old bar that we were both working at, I used to bartend there and I always ended up giving him free shots. I said, ‘You’re a cool guy,’ and we shared mutual taste in music and then Johnston went over to Brazil and I took over all his gigs, basically, and then he didn’t have any when he came back. By then, I had a whole heap so we just teamed up and started going back to back.” It turns out that soon after this team-up, Yolanda Be Cool received some interest from DJs and other producers.

We No Speak Americano has given the Yolanda Be Cool boys a ticket to quit their day jobs and experience the world. Martinez excitedly tells Inpress that they are looking forward to not just playing at their first round of shows in the USA and Canada soon, but also to some added fringe benefits of the job. “We’re headlining [historic venue] Webster Hall in New York, playing at mansions in Miami as well and [nightclub] Surrender in Vegas. So we’re doing headline shows all over and playing gigs in Canada in Whistler. We’ll definitely be snowboarding when we get there.” Yolanda have almost now been everywhere, having traversed the globe throughout 2010. “The track resonated in some really funny countries,” Martinez tells me. “We ended up getting this gig in Moldova. I’d never really heard of Moldova before. We had played in Vienna, Austria the night before and they told us that you needed a visa to get to Moldova. We rang the Australian embassy and asked for a visa. We thought that it was too late and that we’d get a night off. But they called the president of Moldova, and he ended up coming and meeting us in Lithuania to give us a visa on the spot. We then read the run sheet, which said our gig expected 30,000 people: we thought that there must have been a mistake, but when we got there, there

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One thousand people paid $45 each to make the album possible. It’s the kind of online funding trick now being employed by artists worldwide; although Cole got a little more he bargained for. “It’s kinda like a technical knockout in boxing,” he jokes. “There’s no way we can call it a failure but I would say that my planning of the whole thing was diabolical. The amount of man hours that my wife and I had to put in to make it happen was astronomically more than we anticipated.” As a jaded industry veteran, Cole is savvy enough to know that the nature of the record business has altered fundamentally since the 1980s. “There’s no middle any more,” he notes urbanely. “There used to be a top, a middle and a bottom and for many years I was quite comfortable in the middle but that’s gone now.” For Cole that’s meant a string of self-financed projects and a lot of touring, which has given him the chance to swing a club at some of the world’s best golf courses. An avid fan, player and sometime golf writer, Cole is palpably excited by the prospect of coming back to Melbourne, if only to get some game time at his favourite local club, Kingston Heath. “For such a world famous club it’s very, very friendly,” he says. “I adore it there, I really do. There’s a really lovely cross section of community there. You’ve obviously got your old chaps in their blazers and school ties but you’ve also got someone like me in the hiking pants I usually wear to play golf; and I must look a bit rough to some people.” Unfortunately, gigging and golfing don’t quite go together the way they used to. Whilst admitting that he would dearly love to play a round during his weekend in Melbourne, he accepts that he will probably only get to caddy for a friend. “I know from experience now at age 50 that I’m not going to be playing 18 holes of golf and trying to do a good music show in the evening,” he laments. So, does this mean that Lloyd Cole is also getting wiser? He laughs at the idea. “I don’t think I would say that my career has given me that awful thing they call ‘life lessons’ but there are some very simple common sense type things to do with playing in a band that I will insist that my son does when he gets started.” WHO: Lloyd Cole WHAT: Broken Record (Other Tongues) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday and Sunday, Thornbury Theatre

were 50,000 people. It was a celebration for students and we got a police escort in. I had left all my CDs on the plane; luckily Johnston had brought all his music.” Yolanda Be Cool are certainly living the life every musician dreams of. Martinez admits that, “Having a track like We No Speak Americano has given us the opportunity not to worry about having day jobs for the time being. This morning when we caught a train to Martin Place to go and get our American visas, we wore shirts and nice shoes. We said to ourselves that this life sucks when we saw everyone on the train. We realised that we should write another hit, so we don’t ever have to get day jobs. We did have them, but now we’re going to try our hardest never to have them again.” The boys are diligent in making their newfound success work; they try to find inspiration in almost everything, creating unique dance music for the world because they find their samples in the most unique places. Being Sydney-based their sonic palette is cosmopolitan and ever-growing, ranging from “Drums and tribally sort of stuff, which sort of lends itself to a Latin sort of feel, to a Caribbean style, which is always fun” to “Techno and minimal, percussive beats. We try to blend the two together, find a fun sort of sample and layer over the top of it with some serious percussive drums… Because we live in Bondi, every Sunday you can hear people busting out world music at the Pavilion, on bongos and all sorts of stuff. We do like Latin-style music, because it’s fun and you can dance to it.” Martinez is positive about the future, but also realistically confesses, “Following up on a big record such as We No Speak Americano is really, really hard, so we’re now working extra hard and being very picky in creating a follow-up single.” Besides looking forward to playing at the Good Vibrations festivals all over the country, there’s more good news in store for Yolanda Be Cool fans. Martinez reveals that the outfit are “planning to release an album in the middle of this year, which will be followed up by heaps and heaps of gigs and European festivals. We’re also looking forward to doing a whole Asian tour. We’ve got eight strong ideas for the album at the moment and hope to get 12 tracks down. We’re looking forward to collaborating with producers, vocalists and other talented people in the process.” WHO: Yolanda Be Cool WHEN & WHERE: Sunday, Good Vibrations, Flemington Racecourse

DRAWING THE LINE THE TING TINGS’ first album was inspired by Talking Heads’ Once In A Lifetime, their upcoming second by Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk. Singer KATIE WHITE explains to JEREMY WILLIAMS why the band have succeeded when her previous groups didn’t. You know, we’ve both been doing music since we were quite young – Jules since he was about 13 and me since I was 15 and we’ve been signed and dropped before we even got our first album out. So that was just a complete bonus; we didn’t really go into it with the ambition of being successful. We’d kind of given up on that deal a little bit.”

s day breaks here on a wet day in Melbourne, in Manchester a sleepy Katie White reasons, “It is getting late here, so it is probably really early there. We are probably both equally tired!” While she would rather be cuddling her duvet than an inquisition about her upcoming Australian shows, The Ting Tings frontwoman is on good form and unable to hide her excitement about what 2011 has in store. But before we get on to talking about the band’s longawaited follow-up to their phenomenally successful 2008 debut album We Started Nothing, White has last winter’s cancelled Australian tour to answer for…

Martino found that after years of perseverance their toil had more than paid off. But success always comes at a price. Having entered into the realms of global stardom, the pair suddenly found themselves barely able to even catch a moment’s breath. A clearly refreshed White admits, “I absolutely hated it six months ago, but that’s just because I was exhausted. I ended up in hospital with exhaustion from it. We were just constantly jetlagged for two years and I’d say every few days we were on some kind of long-haul flight. So it was just bad for our bodies, but now because we have had some time off to do the album, I can’t wait to get out there again. It’s addictive.”

“We were kind of halfway through our album on the last tour and we felt like we couldn’t leave it,” she explains. “You know when you are really creative and then you suddenly disappear for two or three weeks, we just thought it was wrong and it was bad timing. So we are really excited to come back out again.”

With the chanted refrain “clap your hands if you are working too hard” central to the lead single Hands from the upcoming album (which the band recently stated will be called Kunst), it is immediately apparent that their surprise success has taken its toll on the pair. So were they feeling under extreme pressure to perform well on their impending release? “No, not really, because to be honest that first album was a complete surprise for us.

Having not only enjoyed success on their home turf with the record, White and partner-in-crime Jules De

For White, The Ting Tings came after the failed girl group TKO (with whom she supported both Steps and Atomic Kitten) and her first attempt at a project with De Martino, Dear Eskiimo. With neither project garnering the attention she craved, White had all but given up hopes of an acclaimed career. With a slight dislike of the industry side of things, White shows a nonchalance to her position when she admits, “We’ve made music for years and not got it heard and still carried on making it because it’s what we do. We are useless at everything else. We just love writing and recording, we do everything ourselves. From the first note to every instrument on the album, it just comes from us two. And for us, one of the most enjoyable things about being in our band is just locking ourselves away and having absolutely nothing. Then just using your imagination and creating something that gets us excited. That and playing live are the two main draws to it. “So, yeah, I don’t know, because we’ve seen both sides of the way the music industry is, you kind of know that it’s not just down to a record, it is look, it is whether you are in the right place at the right time. There are so many great bands that don’t get worldwide acknowledgment, so we kind of know that it is easy come, easy go. We just write songs that we love really, and just enjoy music.” While their que sera, sera attitude is all part of The Ting Tings’ appeal, does White have any idea as to why this project broke through as opposed to her earlier attempts? “I think when we started The Ting Tings, I just drew a line and said ‘This is what I am prepared to do, this is what I am not.’ This is what our band’s about and people either enjoy it or throw it in the bin, it doesn’t really matter because we are just enjoying the moment. I think as soon as we set boundaries, the people that we attracted to work with us weren’t arseholes any more, they were just, you know, quite passionate people about music. Even down to our A&R guy at our record label, Mike Pickering

ALONE AGAIN The revved-up garage soul of Canadian one-man band MARK SULTAN hits our shores this week. He opens up to DAN CONDON about his bust-up with King Khan on his last Australian tour and the perils of being popular. have any restraints and not be tethered by other people’s quirks and shit, because I didn’t need that at the time.” Lately it has been material released under the Mark Sultan name that is taking up most of his time, which he admits to being something of a change, though maybe not as much as we think. “Most of the projects I’m in I write a lot of the stuff anyway, so now when I’m writing it’s the same kind of excitement because I just love making music,” he begins. “But knowing it’s just for myself is kind of exciting because I get to explore other musical avenues that I usually don’t get to do with other projects. I can carry the burden of any kind of disapproval or love from anybody and I know if there is fault to be had then it’s all mine, but I don’t care because I’m less concerned when I’m by myself about what people think, I just do what I wanna do. So that’s refreshing, I can touch upon a bunch of different genres of music and do what the fuck I wanna do and explore shit. I like it.

he glut of incredible music that has come from Mark Sultan over the past year-and-a-bit is remarkable. As if contributing a large number of songs to records from his bands The Ding Dongs, Almighty Defenders and The King Khan & BBQ Show wasn’t enough, he also released $, his latest solo album. But it’s no big deal for the one-man band, who visits Australia for the first time in solo mode this week, and it won’t stop any time soon. “I’ve just finished 30 new songs, a few albums,” he beams from his Toronto home. “I just finished them today so I’m pretty stoked. “I don’t plan to do it, it just comes out,” he continues, speaking of his prolific nature. “It’s not difficult for me, I have no problem doing it at all; it seems to me to be the easiest thing in the world to do. As long as I can make stuff that I’m happy with then I’ll keep this crazy pace because I have nothing better to do. I could do other stuff but ultimately that stuff doesn’t mean as much to me as putting my soul into something so

somebody can consume it and shit it out later. That’s a good way to keep cyclical and eternal. I’m into it.” Before joining any of the aforementioned bands, Sultan was a member of troublemakers The Spaceshits and incredible garage soul belters Les Sexareenos. But about a decade ago he decided he’d had enough of life in a band. “The absolute breaking point for me playing in a band at that time was I had booked a tour of Japan and Hawaii – this was maybe ten or 11 years ago – it was my birthday and I remember lying on the beach in Waikiki or Honolulu or wherever the fuck it was and a bandmate came over and got upset about money or something. I was like, ‘You know what? Fuck this shit. You can’t see the forest for the trees. I just want to enjoy this – I’m looking at a fucking mountain with beautiful women walking around and I’m drinking from a coconut, I don’t want to talk about money.’ It pissed me off so much that I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna do stuff on my own and even if it takes me direct to a gutter I think I’ll be happier.’ It was the impetus for me to try to do stuff on my own, not

“Throughout the years, no matter what I was doing, I’d stockpile some songs that I’d just write for myself. Now that I get to focus more on touring by myself I’m pretty excited about it. I haven’t had much time in the past few years to do that, but I’m very much at ease if I’m doing stuff on my own. I guess I’m better equipped to deal with some of the negative pressure; I kind of thrive on that stuff.” While he’s been performing with a backing band at home lately, Sultan seems quite thrilled by the prospect of flying solo again. “Although I’m portrayed sometimes as this stoic curmudgeon, I can be pretty witty and charming when I want,” he says. “I’m totally comfortable and at ease with the situation. I started doing stuff on my own maybe eight years ago, I know what I’m doing up there. If you see the show, I’m basically doing whatever the fuck I want. I don’t write a setlist or anything, so it’s pretty fucked up, it’s like a chance for me to vomit in people’s faces. Musically.” Indeed Sultan’s most popular musical endeavour from recent years, The King Khan & BBQ Show, was borne from his early one-man-band exploits.

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– he is a famous Hacienda DJ, then he was in a band called M People, so he comes from more of a musician’s background. We just managed to find the right people to work with this time, not people that thought ‘Girl in a band – let’s get her tits out in FHM and sell loads of records.’” With Hands having provided a taster of what to expect, White pluckily states, “I think it is very different to our first album, really; obviously it still sounds like us because we haven’t brought writers in and we’ve not gone with a huge producer that’s radically changed our sound. It’s still pop songs because we love pop music and catchy songs.” Having decided against pre-empting the album’s sound, White and De Martino decided to just enjoy the recording process. For White, who has already admitted that she finds the creative process a thrill, writing a record is all about experimentation. Yet, as with their debut, White found herself channelling one main source of inspiration to help her with the record. “The first album, I don’t know if you can hear it in our record, but there always seems to be one song that we get obsessed with per album. The first album was Once In A Lifetime by Talking Heads. We got so obsessed with that song, it was the main song we listened to and kept going back to for inspiration. For this one, it was Tusk by Fleetwood Mac. I didn’t even known about Tusk, I think it is quite an obscure song of theirs really. Somebody said, ‘Oh, you should listen to this song called Tusk.’ I found it and we got obsessed with it. It is really rhythmic but with really cool harmonies.” Beaming with pride, White reveals, “We’ve got songs that sound kind of a little bit like bands like The Sundays, really kind of pretty harmonies on one that sounds like TLC to one that sounds really dirty rock. It is just a massive spectrum of different songs. It is like every song is completely different, like a playlist.” But with their Australian dates their first chance to really showcase the new material, which song is she most excited about unveiling? “We have one called Silence that is just huge. There are only two of us on stage, and to see how the two of us manage to make this massive noise… I love it. It is really euphoric. It’s not punky, it’s more… how do you explain it, it doesn’t sound like us but it does at the end. It really grows into this monster, so I am really excited to play that live because it is big.”

WHO: The Ting Tings WHEN & WHERE: Sunday, Good Vibrations, Flemington Raccourse

“That’s how The King Khan & BBQ Show started,” he acknowledges. “I was playing as BBQ and me and Khan would jam – he’d play guitar and we’d share vocals and I’d do my one-man band thing. We started playing shows like that together and realised that even the two of us on that level was a lot of fun because it was so intimate and stupid.” Sultan’s spat with friend and creative partner Khan – much of which occurred on their slapdash tour of Australia in 2010 – was made very public last year. He acknowledges the intensity of the fight, but believes it was blown out of proportion online. “We talk now and again,” he says. “We certainly don’t hate each other; Khan probably shouldn’t have said a lot of what he said and maybe me too or whatever. But I don’t think a lot of that stuff should have been online – why people want to know our business is absolutely crazy to me. We had a fight; we’re brothers, we’re friends and we had a crazy fight and a lot of bad stuff happened. “But of course we got over it. We’re friends – maybe not as tight right now because we haven’t been hanging out. I’m trying to let things cool off as much as possible. It would be awesome if we did play again but I wouldn’t go looking for it. I think Khan has to realise what’s up in his life, and so do I, and if we do play together again it will be fucking ridiculous. But there’s nothing planned or set.” That band was the most widely popular musical endeavour Sultan has been involved with and one gets the feeling that he wouldn’t be too keen on too much more attention than that. “I’m not incredibly popular by any means and I try to stay away from those paths that would lead me in that direction because I think it can damage your personality, it can damage your head, it can damage your music – it can damage a lot of things,” Sultan opines. “Even if some incredible breakthrough was to happen where somehow – not due to my own actions, because I would never try to be – but if I became popular, let’s say that did happened, I would probably find some way – and this is judging from years of experience and knowing myself – of destroying it and ruining it and I’d start playing in two-person cafés again.” WHO: Mark Sultan WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Tote; Thursday 17 February, National Hotel (Geelong); Saturday 19 February, Yah Yah’s

ANIMAL INSTINCTS When he’s not geeking out with his mate Mark Ronson, MIIKE SNOW frontman ANDREW WYATT finds time to sing alongside Boy George and perform at lingerie fashion shows, he tells BRYGET CHRISFIELD. Rossomando – who’s in Klaxons, he’s [also] in Dirty Pretty Things, and he’s a good friend of ours – he came up these various chords, and then Mark arranged it and then Mark and I locked ourselves in a room for about three days and just finished the song. And then Boy George came in as part of Mark’s kind of savant nature with, like, connecting different people from different backgrounds and he got the idea of having Boy George sing the chorus. So we sang him the song and he liked it and it all seemed to work. And it seemed to be somewhat – even though we didn’t write it with him in mind at all, somewhat autobiographical for him – ‘See the Boy I once was in my eyes’ – even though we weren’t really thinking of Boy George. But it ended up being quite perfect. “I happened to be in London when they were tracking George’s vocals and so I got to seem him do his vocals. I had done my vocals in New York and I ended up playing some piano at the beginning [of the track].” The pair’s vocals blend together beautifully, which can be attributed to Ronson’s genius. “Yeah, he really is [a genius],” Wyatt gushes. “It’s also just the way he has his own way of seeing things, this kinda encyclopaedic knowledge of album credits and stuff.” Obviously Wyatt and Ronson indulge in shared listening sessions and geek out over music. “Of course!” he laughs. “When don’t we do that?”

“I

just got back from Paris,” Andrew Wyatt, frontman with the band people often mistakenly think is an individual, Miike Snow, shares. “I played at a fashion show in Paris and just got home yesterday afternoon.” Turns out said fashion show was actually for “a French lingerie brand called Etam”. Did Wyatt get a little distracted by the scantily clad models? “I tried to keep my eyes down,” he chuckles. “And, yeah! It was a lot of fun. There were a lot of bands [playing] and it wasn’t just me. It was The Kills and Mark Ronson and I did that song with Boy George.” The song Wyatt refers to is Somebody To Love Me by Mark Ronson & The Business Intl, which recently came in at number ten in Triple J’s Hottest 100 for 2010. Has Wyatt heard the news? “I did, I did, that’s really exciting news, it’s great!” he enthuses. “I

feel that song is a little overlooked in a lot of territories but I’m glad Australia got the picture.” Not only is the song, which teams Wyatt up with none other than Boy George, one of last year’s sonic masterpieces, the accompanying Saam Farahmand-directed video is a superb tribute to Boy George at his prettiest. “Yeah, he did a great job,” Wyatt agrees of Farahmand’s moving images. “So did Diane Kruger.” Kruger was cast in the role of Boy George in his prime and you would swear footage of the Culture Club singer himself had been spliced into the clip. Wyatt says of his connection with Ronson: “He and I have been friends for maybe the better part of ten years now, since we were kids, and kinda struggling up in the music business together. And then he wrote this song and our other friend Anthony

PROMISE FULFILLED

Although Wyatt is American, Miike Snow’s line-up is rounded out by the prolific Swedish production duo Bloodshy & Avant – Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg respectively – and the trio have been touring relentlessly off the back of their debut, self-titled album (2009). On whether they’ve had a chance to get cracking on a follow-up, Wyatt ponders, “We’ve all been, um, you know, I think individually coming up with ideas and putting things together in a loose kind of way and I think we’re in a good spot to start soon, but we haven’t officially started. We are officially starting right after the Australian tour. We’re gonna go to Sweden for a while and that’s where we’ll begin the process. Hopefully we’ll have something out before fall [our spring].” Sweden seems like a good place to knuckle down and get stuff done. “That’s a good way of putting it, thank you for reminding me of that! Putting it that way is really good because there isn’t that much going on outside of the studio, so it actually allows you to really focus on what you’re doing. I mean, I don’t like to [place] that much emphasis on external forces as

“I mean, I’ll probably make a record in every genre by the time I’m finished, you now? I like so many different kinds of music, I don’t want to stick to any one thing and I think it makes my music hard to categorise, but I think society is like that now, you don’t need to stick to one thing anymore, people have short attention spans.” True enough. Indeed, as I mentioned, McCue has almost covered every genre within this one record. Perhaps not quite, but there’s a good solid mix in there, and again, it runs together well, the mark of a fine record.

From low-down country rock’n’roll, through more upbeat poppish numbers and even some stoner rock in there for good measure, this is one which runs the full gamut, displaying along the way McCue’s full range of influences, particularly through her guitar playing. “You can hear some Link Wray in there and David Gilmour from Pink Floyd,” she smiles in agreement. “And it’s also a tribute to some of my favourite rock bands and rock guitar players. The record before [2008’s East Of Electric] was an acoustic album but I think they run together – one acoustic, one electric. “Usually I’d do both on the one album, but this time I kept them separate, and I kinda like that. I like listening to a whole acoustic album and a whole electric album,” she adds. East Of Electric was indeed a quieter, acoustic record, and while McCue says they’re quite closely linked, I’m interested to know why she chose to strip it back and pick up the electric once more with this new one. “Well, a lot of people were saying I should

“It’s the same band pretty much and the same studio so I think that really helps bring it all together,” she reasons. “And I mean, I get bored if every song sounds the same and I think a lot of people are the same.” So aside from picking up the electric once more, how is Broken Promise Land a sonic evolution from East Of Electric, and also Roll [2004] and Koala Motel [2006]? “I’m kinda becoming more of a producer I think, so now that I’m in Nashville, I’ve produced the last two records myself,” she says. “So I don’t really know about the evolution in songwriting, but I think the one major difference is producing it myself, which is kinda scary in a way, but it’s also exciting.” As a musician, you are, of course, only as good as your last record, and with Broken Promise Land, Anne McCue is at the top of her game. It’s a constant evolution for her, a constant crossing of genres and styles, and that’s something that plays in her favour. She’ll never be boring or out of style – she’s an Australian artist living the rock’n’roll dream in Nashville releasing records which make you jump and jive. Definitely pushing all the right buttons.

WHO: Anne McCue WHAT: Broken Promise Land (Laughing Outlaw) WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Caravan Music Club (Oakleigh)

During Miike Snow’s upcoming Australian tour, Wyatt expects there will be more time in between shows to explore places other than our hotels and airports. “I understand the tour’s built in with a five-day sightseeing opportunity. So, I’m gonna take full advantage of that,” he explains. “I heard the way it’s gonna actually go down is there’s like a [Boeing] 747 and we’re all gonna get in the 747 at the end of each show and fly to the next city.” WHO: Miike Snow WHEN & WHERE: Sunday, Good Vibrations, Flemington Racecourse

The only preparation THE LEVEL SPIRITS needed for recording their debut album was a night on the town, MOLLY JEAN MORRISON tells NIC TOUPEE.

make an electric rock album, because it is kinda my favourite thing to play, electric guitar,” she muses.

Miike Snow’s maiden voyage to Australia included a rapturously received set at last year’s Splendour In The Grass festival plus a couple of sideshows. “It was really one of our best crowds that we’ve ever played for.” Wyatt extols of the Splendour In The Grass massive. “I mean, between that and Coachella. But [with] Splendour In The Grass I attribute the added affection of having it be a total surprise because, when we came to Splendour In The Grass, we got the word that we were playing at about two o’clock in the afternoon and we’d never been in Australia before and we’d had no field report about how Miike Snow was doing in Australia. And we just kind of showed up in a jetlagged haze and the band that were on before us, I don’t remember the name [Tijuana Cartel], but they were on around noon and there was 150 people to see them play. So I thought, ‘We’ll probably have 200 people.’ And then we came back at two and there were about 12,500 people and they all knew every word and everybody jumped up and down like mad. And it was just the absolutely perfect audience for – particularly that song Animal because it was written for white aboriginals to put it – haha. I mean, the song is like for – it’s European tribal music, because it’s got a disco beat to it and then it’s almost like a football chant or something. [The crowd] really got that tribal vibe going, which was awesome.”

DRINK UP

With Broken Promise Land, ANNE MCCUE has made a record showing off the best bits of all her influences, writes SAMUEL J FELL.

an, I love it when a record lands on your desk that just grabs you real good. A record which jumps and jives and hits all the buttons, ticks all the boxes and sets you on a course for the rest of the day which can barely be matched. I love a record that mixes it up and changes it down – still running together as a coherent whole, but with something different and surprising at each turn, a veritable smorgasbord of tasty sonic delights. Anne McCue’s new record, Broken Promise Land, her sixth full-length, does just that and it’s fair to say I’ve been tappin’ my feet ever since it appeared.

a regard to your own creativity, but, in that case, there is absolutely nothing else to do when there’s really, really shit weather and there’s no sunlight and so you’re best off if you can just lose yourself in something adventurous musically, because you really have to find a way to escape in that moment. And sometimes work is a great escape.”

“W

hen we were going to support Even, we were talking about a name for the band. Julian [Matthews, former guitarist for The Stems] and Wally [Meanie, friend and svengali to The Level Spirits] were talking about it, and Julian said, ‘What’s even? A spirit level is even.’ I thought we couldn’t use ‘spirit level’, it’s a bit ‘tradie’, so we turned the name around and there you go – everyone was happy.” Molly Jean Morrison, The Level Spirits’ flamboyant lead singer and songwriter, continues to explain how their name the band’s name has overtones of the transcendental, not just aisle 15 at Bunnings… “There’s the word ‘spirit’ in there, and to me the name has spooky undertones – for some reason it makes me think of Ouija boards. I’m not sure about anyone else, though – I think most people just think of spirit levels,” she laughs dryly. Whether it’s due to Ouija boards, lucky dice or a deal with Mephistopheles, Morrison is certainly doing something right. Hardly out of their freshman year The Level Spirits are headed off to SXSW in a few weeks, alongside Australia’s finest – or at least most fortunate – musicians. Aware of her good fortune, she isn’t quite sure why they were selected. “The universe conspired for us,” she offers, modestly. “We leave in about seven weeks and I’m beside myself! We’re going over with an amazing group of people like Paris Wells – I couldn’t imagine anything better. These last couple of months – with our Cherry Bar residency, South By Southwest and Shine On [festivals] – have been a whirlwind and I’m loving it, of course. I’ve never been in the music industry before but I hear it’s very competitive. It’s all really new to me and really humbling.”

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Morrison’s claim isn’t strictly true – before the formation of The Level Spirits she had been writing musicals and performing burlesque for some years. “I started out writing a musical whilst catching trains. Songs were coming out of nowhere! I bumped into a great group of women in a burlesque troupe called Eyelash, and Carina from Eyelash helped me produce them into a burlesque show based around lust, love and revenge,” Morrison explains. “From there I started putting on more events – I enjoyed the performance aspect and loved creating new characters, and that has definitely continued into the band. After some time I wanted something different I could get my teeth into, so Wally Meanie introduced me to Julian, and there was a brain explosion of liking the same things,” she recalls delightedly. “It has all happened pretty organically from there.” Even recording an album was almost effortless, Morrison admits. “Recording was a really quick process, which surprised me. We whacked it out in two days, and some songs only needed one take! The only preparation required for me was that Julian said to go out drinking the night before so my voice was really raspy – they wanted something a bit gravelly.” Morrison admits she has tapped into some metaphysical mojo to give The Level Spirits extra momentum. “I completely believe in fate,” she declares, describing her faith in the serendipity which brought The Level Spirits together, and has led them down a rose-laden path so far. “A friend of mine brought back an Arabian wish tank as a present. It’s a tiny silver canister, and you write a wish and put it inside. I was wearing it on my necklace every day and the Monday before Meredith it broke off. I thought, ‘They’ve made a decision,’ and then at Meredith Wally told me we were going to South By Southwest. All the way through the Meredith weekend with mud and water and everything, the piece of paper stayed pristine, and on it was written ‘go to South By Southwest in 2011’.”

WHO: The Level Spirits WHAT: Double Crosser (Barely Legal Records) WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Cherry Bar

ROOTS

MELBOURNE

SUN 13 FEB FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE

VIP

GOOD D

VIBRATIONS NSS

JAGER

STAR BAR

EPSOM RD ENTRANCE + EXIT

F R A LEM C IN S T E C O G TO AT U N IO RS N E

MR RJ

STATION ENTRANCE + EXIT

LAUNDRY

STAR BAR

OPEN AIR STAGE

TOILETS

MOBILE

FIRST AID

GREENROOM

CLOAK ROOM

ICED TEA

FREE WATER

9.00

10.00

5.40 - 6.40

6.40

7.10 - 8.10

8.10

8.40 - 10.00

City Calm Down

Tim & Jean

FenechSoler

Friendly Fires

The Ting Tings

Kelis

Faithless

12.50

1.15 - 2.00

2.00

Kuya

360

Kuya

2.25 - 3.10

3.10 - 3.40

3.40 - 4.55

4.55 - 5.25

5.25 - 6.25

6.25 - 6.55

6.55 - 8.25

8.25 - 8.55

8.55 - 9.55

Erykah Badu

Fat Freddy's Drop

Nas & Damian Marley

Ludacris

Koolism

6.15 - 6.45

6.45 - 8.15

8.15

8.30 - 10.00

Grant Smillie

Kill the Noise

Fake Blood

Rusko

Sasha

Sidney Samson

12.00 12.20-12.50 12.50

1.15 - 1.55

Super Melody

We Are Fans

1.55

2.20 - 3.05

Aloe Blacc

3.05

3.30 - 4.15

4.15 - 4.45

4.45 - 5.30

5.30 - 6.00

6.00 - 7.00

7.00 - 7.30

7.30 - 8.30

8.30 - 9.00

9.00 - 10.00

Strange Talk

Mike Posner

Bag Raiders

Miike Snow

DJ Nick Findlay

4.45 - 6.15

DJ Nick Findlay

3.15 - 4.45

DJ Nick Findlay

1.45 - 3.15

DJ Nick Findlay

12.30 - 1.45

Paz

12 - 12.30

Luke Chable

12.20

Luke Chable

12.00

Samrai

5.10

Samrai

4.10 - 5.10

Samrai

3.45

Samrai

3.00 - 3.45

Spenda C

8.00

Spenda C

7.00

Spenda C

6.00

Spenda C

5.00

Agent 86

4.00

2.35

Briggs

Agent 86

FOOD

1.50 - 2.35

Paz

MR J

MERCHANDISE

1.25

12.40 - 1.25

Paz

LAUNDRY

3.00

Kuya

ROOTS

12.00

2.00

BAR

Kraymer

GOOD VIBRATIONS

1.00

STAGE

Agent 86

12.00

Paz

TIME:

ATM

Phoenix

12.00 - 1.00

1.00 - 2.30

2.30 - 4.00

4.00 - 5.30

5.30 - 7.00

7.00 - 8.30

8.30 - 10.00

Anyo

Denzal Park

Luke Chable

Andy Murphy

T-Rek

John Course

Yolanda Be Cool

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ISSUE 1160 - WEDNESDAY 9 FEBRUARY, 2011

TOURS

PRESENTS

Stornoway Thursday Corner Hotel

THIS WEEK INTERNATIONAL

JOE COCKER: February 9 Palais DEERHUNTER: February 9 Billboard MENOMENA: February 9 East Brunswick Club BEAR IN HEAVEN, THE ANTLERS: February 9 Corner WARPAINT: February 9, 10 Northcote Social Club ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI: February 10 Hi-Fi STORNOWAY: February 10 Corner !!!: February 10 Prince Bandroom JENNY & JOHNNY: February 10 East Brunswick Club FOALS: February 10 Palace YEASAYER: February 10 Billboard DE LA SOUL: February 11 Billboard BOB LOG III: February 11 East Brunswick Club RETURN TO FOREVER: February 11 Regent Theatre; 12 Forum BBQ: February 12 Tote TIM FINN: February 12 Corner LLOYD COLE SMALL ENSEMBLE: February 12, 13 Thornbury Theatre ANDREW MCMAHON: February 13 Hi-Fi

GIG OF THE WEEK YOU AM I

SATURDAY, ST KILDA BOWLS CLUB In another huge week of gigs – Laneway sideshows alone see Deerhunter, Menomena, Bear In Heaven, Warpaint, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Stornoway, !!!, Jenny & Johnny, Foals and Yeasayer swing through local venues over the next two nights – we’re most excited about You Am I wrapping up their current tour with a show at the St Kilda Bowls Club this Saturday. While critics have been calling the band’s most recent, self-titled album a return to form, we’ve long maintained the group’s entire post-Hourly, Daily output is criminally under-appreciated. And though You Am I is the group’s most considered and measured album in years, live Tim Rogers and co never deliver anything less than 110%. Support comes from Adalita – grab your tickets from Pure Pop Records and youami.com.au.

The Dirty Three pic by Jesse Booher

RocKwiz’s Brian Nankervis does a cracking job as emcee as per usual and introduces The Skull Cave All Stars – a band comprising RRR announcers: David Bridie, Peter Lawler, Gary Young and Phil Wales. The Wolfgramm Sisters perform a ‘rap’-style homage to Stephen Walker and then later come back to showcase their exquisite sibling harmonies. Rob Craw (Huxton Creepers) does a cover of Iggy Pop’s Johanna and shares a story of having first been clocked by Walker in a school musical, adding that Walker subsequently referred to him by his character’s name when they officially met.

NATIONAL

STONEFIELD: February 10 Tote THE LOST CAUSE, THE SCAM: February 10 Pony; 12 National Hotel (Geelong); 13 Arthouse THE LEVEL SPIRITS: February 11 Tote ANNE MCCUE: February 11 Caravan Music Club (Oakleigh) HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY: February 11 Westernport Hotel (San Remo); 12 Loft (Warrnambool);13 St Kilda Festival LITTLE JOHN: February 13 Old Bar; 14 Espy

UPCOMING

INTERNATIONAL

CARIBOU, FOUR TET: February 16 Hi-Fi (7.30pm early show; midnight late show) FOSTER THE PEOPLE: February 16, 17 Northcote Social Club BBQ: February 17 Nash (Geelong); 19 Yah Yah’s LAMB: February 17 Prince Bandroom I AM KLOOT: February 17 East Brunswick Club KOOL & THE GANG, ROY AYERS: February 17 Palace MAYER HAWTHORNE & THE COUNTY: February 18 Hi-Fi TORO Y MOI: February 18 Workers Club KATE NASH: February 18 Billboard SURF CITY: February 18 Northcote Social Club SHIHAD: February 18 Corner THE LIKE: February 19 Northcote Social Club SWERVEDRIVER: February 17 Espy; 19 Corner THE GETAWAY PLAN: February 19 Hi-Fi (3pm all ages show; 8pm +18 show) THE BOOKS: February 20, 21 Thornbury Theatre BLACK MOUNTAIN: February 21 Corner TUNNG: February 22 East Brunswick Club MICHAEL BUBLÉ: February 22, 23, 25 Rod Laver Arena

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 9, 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 17 Espy; 19 Corner Hotel TUNNG: February 22 East Brunswick Club KARAVAN! GYPSY MUSIC FESTIVAL: February 26 Corner Hotel AXXONN: February 27 Yah Yah’s THE HOLD STEADY: March 11 Hi-Fi THE CLEAN: March 11 Corner Hotel WAVVES: March 14 Corner Hotel THOUSAND NEEDLES IN RED: March 17 Bended Elbow (Geelong); 18 Espy; 19 Ferntree Gully Hotel; 23 Karova Lounge (Ballarat) BALL PARK MUSIC, EAGLE & THE WORM, WE SAY BAMBOULEE: March 19 Northcote Social Club THE HOLIDAYS: April 9 East Brunswick Club DISTURBED, TRIVIUM, AS I LAY DYING: April 24 Rod Laver Arena KYUSS LIVES: May 8 Billboard

LIVE: REVIEWS

STEPHEN WALKER BENEFIT INTRODUCES THE SKULL CAVE ALL STARS FORUM

Melbourne RRR listeners turn up in droves to help raise money for longtime announcer Stephen ‘The Ghost’ Walker. Funds raised tonight will help Walker get to Germany, where he hopes to undergo stem-cell treatment that is said to have a 60% success rate in treating MS. Walker’s gift of the gab is well exercised tonight as he is given a mic to use at will in his Forum booth. The mood in the venue is far from glum and when trying to explain my position in the crowd, it’s easiest to say, “in front of ‘the woo guy’.” Arriving in time for The Soft ‘N’ Sexy Sound of Dave Graney (& The Lurid Yellow Mist), the frontman’s headwear is as awesome as ever – a white beret/flat cap hybrid. Rock’n’roll Is Where I Hide reminds us of Graney’s greatness – “the legendary, mysterious, loudmouth, invisible, rock singer cowboy” – and ‘the woo guy’ agrees. Next up is Gareth Liddiard, accompanied tonight by Dan Luscombe, and The Drones frontman is looking fit. He belches into the mic fairly regularly though, which is off-putting. RRR totally heart The Drones and closer Sharkfin Blues sees the crowd howling for an impossible encore.

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While cigarettes are smoked, The Dirty Three ‘guest star’ rumours are exchanged and two gents – who inform me they pen a blog about the randoms they smoke spliffs with – swear that Iggy Pop is set to grace the stage. We return inside the venue with off-tap excitement to secure a front stalls vantage point. Warren Ellis is hilarious as he intros “a song about freebasing, when even the lady down the shop who’s usually nice to you tells you to fuck off”. The atmosphere is a lot less sombre than at previous D3 gigs and Everything’s Fucked speaks directly to Walker’s medical situation. When Nick Cave graces us with his prowess on the keys, it takes a second for him to settle. “You right there, Nick?” Ellis teases and the punters erupt. Once Cave eases into his ancillary role, he’s a generous and attentive band member whose frequent smiles show he’s happy to ‘help out’. Bassist Joel Silbersher (Hoss/ God) thunders through the squall and we begin to wonder whether The Dirty Three should have been renamed to include these two extra legends tonight. A devoted Ellis fan snaps away to my right and explains she’s been following her chosen subject for 18 years, adding that she once shot four rolls of a particular pair of red shoes the violinist wore. When she points out a curvature in his spine, it’s time to get help. Ellis describes The Restless Waves as “the classic love song – not quite like More Than A Feeling or The Boys Are Back In Town” and then shrugs. There’s a customary violin string broken before the night is through and all assembled are blatantly aware that ‘The Dirty Five’ have played for one night only. Pop is a no-show but we’re more than sated and it’s all thanks to Walker. Bryget Chrisfield

live@inpress.com.au

Laura Saturday 5 March East Brunswick Club

IRON MAIDEN: February 23 Hisense Arena GABBY YOUNG: February 24 Toff In Town AMANDA PALMER: February 26 Forum Theatre CALVIN HARRIS: February 26 Superdisco at Prince Bandroom NEW FOUND GLORY, LESS THAN JAKE: February 28 Billboard SAXON, THE SWORD: February 28 Espy ANBERLIN: March 1 Billboard PENNYWISE, MILLENCOLIN: March 1 Palace PLANET ASIA, COPYWRITE: March 1 Corner ONE DAY AS A LION: March 1 Prince Bandroom BRING ME THE HORIZON: March 2 Hi-Fi SUM 41, THE BLACKOUT, THERE FOR TOMORROW, VEARA: March 2 Billboard GANG OF FOUR: March 2 Corner THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS: March 2 Toff In Town SOCIAL DISTORTION: March 2 Palace HIGH ON FIRE, TRASH TALK, KYLESA, PROTEST THE HERO: March 2 Espy THIRD EYE BLIND, THE ROCKET SUMMER: March 2 East Brunswick Club QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, CALLING ALL CARS: March 3 Palace Theatre MXPX ALL-STARS, THE ATARIS: March 3 East Brunswick Club 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 THE BRONX, FUCKED UP: March 3 Corner MAYDAY PARADE, BREATHE CAROLINA, EVERY AVENUE: March 3 Hi-Fi TERROR, H2O, POLAR BEAR CLUB: March 3 Espy SILVERSTEIN, BLESS THE FALL, SEE STARS: March 3 Prince Bandroom MXPX ALL-STARS, THE ATARIS: March 3 East Brunswick Club ANN VRIEND: March 3 Toff In Town; March 12 Wesley Anne (Northcote) DONAVON FRANKENREITER: March 3 Torquay Hotel; March 4 Prince Of Wales NORMAN JAY: March 4 Billboard LES FRERES: March 4 BMW Edge at Federation Square SONNY & THE SUNSETS: March 5 Tote NEIL DIAMOND: March 5, 11, 12 Rod Laver Arena WILDBIRDS & PEACEDRUMS: March 6 Spiegeltent BEST COAST: March 6 East Brunswick Club RIHANNA, CALVIN HARRIS, FAR EAST MOVEMENT: March 7, 8 Rod Laver Arena THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS, ART VS SCIENCE: March 9 Rod Laver Arena KE$HA: March 9 Festival Hall JANE BADLER: March 10 Famous Spiegeltent 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 THE CLEAN: March 11 Corner DEAD PREZ: March 11 Espy BELLE & SEBASTIAN: March 12 Forum BJ THOMAS: March 12 Palms At Crown HAWKWIND: March 12 Billboard THE BESNARD LAKES: March 12 Corner HAWKWIND: March 12 Billboard JAMIE LIDDELL: March 12 East Brunswick Club GERRY & THE PACEMAKERS: March 13 Frankston Arts Centre; 26 Palms at Crown WAVVES: March 14 Corner HORACE ANDY: March 15 Prince Bandroom

JOANNA NEWSOM: March 15 Melbourne Recital Centre AFRO CELT SOUND SYSTEM: March 16 Hi-Fi THE TREWS: March 17 National Hotel (Geelong); 18-20 Cherry Bar JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE: March 18 Forum THE DOOBIE BROTHERS: March 18 Palais CHRIS ISAAK: March 19 Mornington Racecourse USHER: March 19, 20, 31, April 1, 2 Rod Laver Arena JOE PUG: March 20 Toff In Town WEIRD AL YANKOVIC: March 23 Palais EDDIE VEDDER: March 24, 25 Palais FINNTROLL: March 25 Billboard MOTORHEAD: March 26 Festival Hall PAUL COLLINS: March 26 Tote UNWRITTEN LAW: March 27 Billboard LIONEL RICHIE, GUY SEBASTIAN: March 29, 30 Rod Laver Arena BB KING: April 1 Hisense Arena URIAH HEEP: April 2 Palais LUKA BLOOM: April 5 National Theatre THE SCRIPT: April 6 Festival Hall CYNDI LAUPER: April 8, 9 Palais CHERRY POPPIN’ DADDIES: April 9 Corner

NATIONAL

POND: February 16 East Brunswick Club LITTLE JOHN: February 20, 27 Old Bar; 21, 28 Espy TIM ROGERS: February 17 Caravan Music Club (Oakleigh); 24, 25 Famous Spiegel Garden STONEFIELD: February 17, 24 Tote SHIHAD, FLOATING ME: February 18 Corner; 19 Ferntree Gully Hotel THE GETAWAY PLAN, TONIGHT ALIVE, SECRETS IN SCALE: February 19 Hi-Fi HUGO RACE: February 24 Northcote Social Club OLD MAN RIVER, PASSENGER, DANIEL LEE KENDALL: February 25 East Brunswick Club SCREAMFEEDER: February 25 Tote ALPINE: February 25 Corner Hotel LOVE OF DIAGRAMS: February 25 Northcote Social Club BONJAH: March 26 Northcote Social Cub GOLD FIELDS, BLEEDING KNEES CLUB: February 26 East Brunswick Club DAN PARSONS, STEVE GRADY: March 3 Jack Ryan’s Irish Pub (Sale); 4 Kay St (Traralgon); 11 Barwon Club (Geelong); 12 Baby Black Cafe (Bacchus Marsh); 13 Great Ocean Hotel (Apollo Bay) ALTIYAN CHILDS: March 4,5 Palms At Crown WAGONS: March 4 Corner ANDY BULL, OWL EYES: March 4 Pure Pop Records; 5 Toff In Town EVIL EDDIE: March 4 East Brunswick Club 78 SAAB: March 5 Northcote Social Club LAURA: March 5 East Brunswick Club CATHERINE TRAICOS: March 5 Empress; 6 Pure Pop JORDIE LANE: March 10 Famous Spiegeltent MY FRIEND THE CHOCOLATE CAKE: March 3 Famous Spiegeltent; 10 Caravan Music Club (Oakleigh) TRIAL KENNEDY: March 12 Northcote Social Club OZI BATLA: March 12 Workers Club DIESEL: March 13 East Brunswick Club THE WAIFS: March 16, 17 Forum THOUSAND NEEDLES IN RED: March 17 Bended Elbow (Geelong); 18 Gershwin Room; 19 Ferntree Gully Hotel; 23 Karova Lounge (Ballarat) ILLY, M-PHAZES: March 18 Corner

FESTIVALS KARAVAN! INTERNATIONAL GYPSY MUSIC FESTIVAL: February 26 Corner SOUNDWAVE: March 4 Melbourne Showgrounds GOLDEN PLAINS: March 12-14 Meredith PUSH OVER: March 13 Abbotsford Convent FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL: March 13 Flemington Racecourse APOLLO BAY MUSIC FESTIVAL: April 8-10 Apollo Bay SOUNDS LOUD: April 9 Queens Park (Moonee Ponds) SUPAFEST: April 17 Melbourne Showgrounds GROOVIN’ THE MOO: April 30, Bendigo Showground

NEON LOVE, THE CAIROS, COMIC SANS DING DONG/KAROVA LOUNGE Having spent the better part of my first year at uni chasing Neon Love across the state from show to show, the news last year that the band had decided to call it quits hit me pretty hard. But, what seems like months later, their final two shows are finally upon us and a strange feeling of joy and sorrow seems to be hanging over all in attendance. Having never seen Comic Sans before, I am shocked to learn the Brisbane fivepiece broke up late last year. They begin their Ding Dong set a little rusty, but really hit their stride the following night with the Howl boys screeching their support from the front row. Vixon gets the crowd on their feet and the shirts off onstage, prompting Neon Love’s drummer to proclaim loudly, “I love nipples.” Pulling a rapidly topless friend from the crowd to play lead on a fierce rendition of the Benny Benassi hit Satisfaction, the freedom from his guitar allowing the frontman to jump on the shoulders of Howl drummer Daniel Marie and hitch a ride around the crowd. This energy is lost on The Cairos who flatline the show until Neon Love triumphantly hit the stage just before midnight. Nipuna Jayasekera stalks on stage with a hooded cape pulled low over his wild hair, imposing his presence over the crowd as the band join him to launch into crowd favourite Disco Me. It is clear from the beginning that the crowd is going to make the most of this last gig, howling along to every song and moshing like I haven’t seen Ballarat moshing since the first time I saw the ‘Love’rs four years ago. At what seems like lightning speed, the boys play all their hits, pausing for Michael Belsar to order a beer and have it passed through the crowd to him. Reminiscing about their long-forgotten, fluoro-wearing, strobe light-toting days, the boys impress with old hit Zombie Shake and a well-orchestrated stage dive from Belsar. Following instructions on administering an encore, the boys reluctantly return to the stage for their final two songs. An epic rendition of Holiday has the boys thanking everyone and almost auctioning off Belsar’s “hot single mum” before finally completing the song, bowing briefly and exiting to an eruption of applause and a call for their return. I can’t stay any longer, it is too agonising to prolong. The music here may be dead, but the memories will live on.

announcing that front(mad)woman Alice Glass will be performing against doctor’s orders tonight. Of course, Glass’ response to said medical professional included multiple f-bombs. The punters lap it up. Through near-darkness and strobes, we witness three silhouettes wandering onto the stage, greeted by deafening cheers. Ethan Kath glides towards his station like the Grim Reaper under his hood, Chris Chartrand takes his place behind the drum kit with little fuss and then our wounded heroine hobbles toward the mic with a crutch and moonboot concealing her broken ankle. Glowsticks are flung in the air from the stalls and we’re flung into Fainting Spells in all its demon conjuring goodness. What follows is a cathartic experience and Crystal Castles sound like teenage humiliation amplified. Their music speaks to the rawest part of your being as you gyrate with little form or grace. Glass appears so fragile and her tiny frame is rugged up in layers as she bellows like a wounded she wolf protecting her cubs. Baptism sounds like an alien disco but it’s Alice Practice that conducts our souls tonight. Kath is a genius although he remains concealed behind his hood – in the zone and like a character from your recurring nightmares. The unforgiving lighting design sees crowd members constantly cowering and covering their eyes, but perfectly suits this music. Glass sings Robert Smith’s part in Not In Love and we’re all reminded of that special someone who got away. Better than therapy and a hellavu lot cheaper. Bryget Chrisfield The Verlaines pic by CHrissie Francis

Kendal Jay Crtstal Castles pic by Jesse Booher

THE VERLAINES EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB Playing the same room as resurgent Flying Nun cohorts The Bats and The Chills last year, The Verlaines launch their first Melbourne gig in decades with two songs from 2007’s overlooked Pot Boiler. Drummer Darren Stedman joins the moody opener It’s Easier To Harden A Broken Heart (Than Mend It) after a brief bout of drum machine, while Stop Messing Around is rendered more lackadaisically. Singer/guitarist Graeme Downes is as thin and casual as ever, and he’s flanked by two former uni students of his on guitar and bass, making this a proper Verlaines gig only in a loose sense. And yet the room is packed with fans of the veteran New Zealand band.

CRYSTAL CASTLES, MY DISCO PALACE Overhead conversation in the powder room that just about sums up tonight’s crowd. Skank one, from inside cubicle: “Bodysuits are foul, right? Who invented them?” Skank two, while applying lip gloss by the mirror: “‘Some bored person. Anyway, let’s go out and meet some guuuys!” (Sad fact: Skanks will be proud to have made it into print.) As My Disco do what they do oh-so brilliantly, a Friday night fuckwit calls out, “I know one chord!” When the same individual ‘boo’s, it’s time to negotiate another place to stand, one level up in the dress circle. Aah, that’s better! Drummer Rohan Rebeiro’s drumming throughout Turn (“I turn/I turn to see her/ We pass”) is relentless and the vicious guitar stabs are timed as if with the aid of a metronome. This perfectly disciplined trio somehow manage to play music that has the intensity of thrash metal that you can dance to. Looking down upon the bulging ground floor area, the tide buckles and swells long before tonight’s headliners have probably even entered the building. A horrified neighbour in the crowd points out individuals falling under the current and explains she suffered from a shoulder dislocation after being pulled from the mosh at a Bloc Party gig. When a gentleman approaches the mic, we half expect that the show will be called off due to a fear of casualties. Instead, the dude revs up the crowd further by

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A song from 2009’s Corporate Moronic is followed by one of Downes’ solo tunes, Song For A Hollywood Road Movie. The first truly old song of the night is Joed Out, and though it betrays the stiltedness of this line-up, its well-worn charms are welcome. After two more Corporate Moronic entries come the band’s best-known song and de facto theme, Death And The Maiden, its rousing refrain consisting solely of the word “Verlaine”. Then it’s The Verlaines’ second best-known song, CD Jimmy Jazz And Me, pulled off well enough despite the young players. By this point, though, a fair few punters are showing mixed feelings about this incarnation. It’s a similar vibe to that of The Chills’ gig, where a somewhat rashly assembled band couldn’t do justice to songs that fans had frozen in their minds from records made decades ago. (Unlike The Bats, who have soldiered on with a steady line-up.) Still, there are highlights for those who keep their expectations realistic, from the No Alternative-featured Heavy 33 that closes the set to the encore’s Phil Too?, from 1985’s Hallelujah All The Way Home. Clearly chuffed by all the people in attendance – and the wide age range – Downes introduces the final song as “the last one we know”: Pot Boiler closer Real Good Life, a typically bittersweet creation that fittingly fades with the line “say goodnight”. Not a perfect set by any means, this was still a chance to watch Downes deliver his most beloved songs and – naysayers aside – show the strength of his more recent work. Doug Wallen

live@inpress.com.au CSS pic by James Morgan

PRIMAL SCREAM, UNDERGROUND LOVERS FORUM

CSS, ROMY CORNER HOTEL Eighties and ‘90s revivals are as common as macaroons, with the denim-on-denim-on-denim style now available from the front window of Sportsgirl. Cue the entrance of early-‘90s dance queen Romy, with her mass of curly ‘fro à la Beyonce, short purple leather skirt and boofy jacket. But it’s the highly synthesised dance tracks that complete the ‘90s reproduction package – a package that would be well suited to the Melbourne Shuffle in clubs 20 years ago. It’s the less synthesised tracks where Romy Hoffman dons her guitar that have the most appeal and get the audience nodding with approval as the stable dance beat carries on unchanging through Hoffman’s seemingly autobiographical rendition of Rapunzel as she shakes her giant mane up and down. As the curtain pulls aside, CSS look rather different as members come and members go. Nonetheless, the love of my life, Lovefoxxx, is onstage, so focusing on anyone else would be like cheating. And I am a faithful servant. It’s rather difficult having a love that’s so illegally pedophilic but as she comes under the lights with her glistening dark lipstick and skin so marked with texta that she looks more like a school project, all necessity to conform with legality is thrown out the window. [Luisa Su is in fact 27 – Legalities Ed.] Opener Holiday leaves no rest for my beloved as she jumps around, shaking herself about with her legs perched on anything remotely perch-worthy, with glitter shooting across the stage like a fairy genocide. Through Off The Hook, Lovefoxxx rolls on the ground, lathering the fairy remains onto any remaining inch of skin and jumping up to create another shimmer explosion. Sparkling like a disco ball, she gyrates and turns to Music Is My Hot Hot Sex in a way that creates a unified crowd pants party. She’s down on her knees pleading with the crowd to come along on a wild dancing ride with her. It’s contagious energy that gets everyone mimicking her completely unpredictable dance moves. The rest of the band offer little in the way of enthusiasm in comparison to the crowd-running, gyrating, jumping hullabaloo that Lovefoxxx gives, but once Let’s Make Love And Listen To Death From Above comes on, the entire band and crowd jump together in an excitable frenzy like puppies at the poodle parlour. Closer Alala carries Lovefoxxx breathlessly to the edge of the stage and jumping out. “I hope you can catch all 59 kilos of me!” And catch they do, as I quickly write my 60th marriage proposal to her. Leonie Richman

JIMMY TAIT, HIGHWATER BALLROOM BAND OLD BAR “Oh, it’s just a bunch of fi xie-riding gay cunts,” the drunk guy states loudly to his mates, stumbling into the bar. “Anyone who rides a fi xie,” he announces to the room, in the manner of someone delivering a royal decree, “is a gaybo. They just don’t want to admit it.” If the rest of he room is concerned with his opinions – not least in what remote high school playground he picked up the incisive term “gaybo” – they manage to veil it. Probably out of some exotic concern like common courtesy. For the unenlightened few who simply think he is a douche, Jimmy Tait offers welcome respite. As do the support act that the audience has to sit through, Highwater Ballroom Band – and, god forbid, get their money’s worth and even enjoy the music of. A rumbling engine of a set, their sound is such that it causes my friend to liken it to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds circa Murder Ballads. Jimmy Tait offers a veritable slideshow of shadowy takes on folk rock with their headline set. Rocking gently between drawn-out tortured soul stuff and a heavier “yeeargh my soul’s getting hung, drawn and quartered in front of its children” stuff, it is a show that pulses along at a fairly consistent rate. Although recently released single Goodnight stands out enough for it to be a favourite, each song skirts close to sounding a lot like the last. Effectively, a hypnotic ebb and flow infiltrates the Old Bar, a not-unpleasant dreamlike sensation save Senor Douchebag’s cameo. However I think maybe the set would be better suited to being played loudly through my stereo, in the dark, with a bottle of red and a broken heart. Oh and no douchebags. Alice Body

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Tonight’s billing has ‘retro’ stamped all over it. After all, it was 20 years ago today – well practically – that some of us saw Underground Lovers support My Bloody Valentine at the Prince, as hipster friends raved about the latest Primal Scream singles, which featured some pretty stunning B-side remixes. Time has been good to Screamadelica and it hasn’t aged too badly over the years; it’s a pity that it has not been as kind to many of the punters here tonight who are keen to relive those ‘90s vibes. Still there is plenty of representation from a younger generation keen to discover what all the fuss is about. Looking older and perhaps wiser, the recently reformed Underground Lovers demonstrate that they can still operate as a tough and tight rocking unit. Sounding less shoegaze and swirling with effects than I remember, Underground Lovers apply a rough rock sound to their tunes. We arrive as they are working their way through Promenade and the band seems lost in concentration. I Was Right, Leaves Me Blind, East Side Stories and Get Off On It follow. Keyboard player Phillipa Nihill shares vocal duties with Vincent Gianrusso, who looks oddly amused and seems surprised by the decent-sized crowd gathered to hear their set. Your Eyes crescendos, bringing the set to an end but somehow it’s unconvincing. After a short break, Primal Scream explode onto the stage to kick off the show with Movin’ On Up before launching into a rocked-up version of Slip (or was that trip?) Inside This House. It’s a joyous start to this nostalgic celebration of Primal Scream’s most revered album, Screamadelica. It’s the album that helped us forget The Stone Roses and surely ranks as one of the best releases from the ‘90s. Screamadelica was always considered innovative for bridging the gap between dance and rock, but tonight the arrangements are pure pop confection that moves skillfully through a range of broader influences. Bobby Gillespie has not changed one bit in over 20 years and in a shiny red silk shirt and black suit looks as though he’s off to a high school dance. Back in the day when Primal Scream played the Metro to promote Screamadelica, Gillespie seemed so wasted and relied on the band and backing singers to carry the evening that the gig washed over as a little limp. Thankfully Gillespie is on fire tonight, bouncing about onstage it seems that he has evolved into a more dynamic frontman. Meanwhile, the band is impossibly tight and Mani’s disco bass manoeuvres are simply brilliant. The funky Don’t Fight It, Feel It throws even more gasoline to fuel the flames and is one of tonight’s many highlights. Breaking with the original track listing of the album, the group proceeds to chill with The Stones-inspired southern fried country soul of Damaged, which bleeds nicely into the dreamy downer I’m Coming Down. Inner Flight provides a whimsical instrumental interlude that is somewhat reminiscent of Air but the two part of Higher Than The Sun in all its spaced-out psychedelic glory brings some momentum back to tonight’s set. The party is reignited with Loaded and in between the lasers and strobes Gillespie shakes his maracas leading the band into a full tilt rave freak out. Sadly tonight’s version of Come Together doesn’t quite hit the mark as it exchanges hypnotic dance grooves for a more aggressive rock workout. Presented tonight as a delightful collection of pop tunes, Screamadelica is largely the sound of garage rockers being pushed onto the dancefloor by producers Andy Weatherall and Terry Farley. It’s a sound that Primal Scream kind of left behind on subsequent albums and a short-but-thunderous encore comprising Country Girl, Jailbird and Rocks decked out in glam demonstrates this perfectly. Primal Scream drop an enjoyable set that despite being almost two hours long seems to come to an end all too quickly. Guido Farnell Primal Scream pic by Chrissie Francis

live@inpress.com.au Ariel Pink pic by Lou Lou Nutt

ST JEROME’S LANEWAY FESTIVAL FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE After last night’s inclement weather conditions, it’s time to hit the festival website for updates. There are no cancellation notices so a poncho is purchased en route to the festival. Flooding on the River Stage means Rat Vs Possum are unable to perform and it’s up to World’s End Press to warm up this stage with their rowdy sing-along choruses and infectious dance moves. Synths, more cowbell and a frontman who feels every word he sings – World’s End Press need to find Ewan Pearson’s ears immediately. Golden Child is off the chain and a natural, grassy slope ensures the greatest view from everywhere. Taking to the Car Park Stage just after 1pm, Brisbane rock quartet Violent Soho waste little time in winning over the swelling audience. Undeterred by the early hour of their slot, the band delivers a tight and blistering set. In a blaze of grunge-inspired riffs and giant sound levels, the four-piece bring a much-needed injection of gutmoving movement to the overcast afternoon. Arriving on the Moreland Street Stage, American duo Jenny & Johnny, performing as a four-piece with their accompanying drummer and multiinstrumentalist, set about delivering their shiny pop melodies via a slow building, 40-minute set. Effortlessly swapping between guitar, bass keyboards and percussion, the duo also splits and shares vocal duties during their country-inspired drone pop. By the close of their set, the band has amassed a considerably wide and appreciative crowd. Striding on down to the Car Park Stage for Menomena, there’s an ease of movement around this festival site that suggests some lightweights may have done a no-show due to hydrophobia. “Do you like massive saxophones? I don’t even know why I asked that,” says Brent Knopf’s replacement as Justin Harris wields the giant brass instrument. “Ladies and gentlemen, Paul Alcott,” Harris teases, to which Alcott shrinks, “Sorry”. There’s something amiss and despite the amicable onstage banter, Menomena seem unhappy with the sparse gathering that has assembled before them and in-jokes alienate potential fans. Cloud Control picked up a couple of AIR Awards last year and their confidence is on the increase, as witnessed on the River Stage today. Once seemingly tentative in their performance

style, the quartet from the Blue Mountains now present more sprawling, balls-out guitar versions of their songs – such as live favourites Gold Canary and There’s Nothing In The Water We Can’t Fight – that are vastly different from their recorded counterparts. The harmonies are glorious, the inclusion of Heidi Lenffer’s sweet contributions always welcome, and Cloud Control are more than ready to launch their sunny Bliss Release in the UK. Later in the afternoon, Beach House tame the audience with their psychedelic-infused sounds. The trio of musicians onstage captivate the now-huge crowd with their ambient soundscapes and vocalist Victoria Legrand’s theatrical hand gestures and head tossing. Unfortunately a timetable overlap requires an early exit from their set to check out indie darlings Warpaint on the River Stage. A huge crowd amasses on the cascading lawn to gape at the fetching quartet onstage who are expertly punching out grooveinfused guitar pop drawn from their acclaimed debut album. In the slowly emerging afternoon sun, the gorgeous vocal harmonies, hypnotic rhythms and slinky basslines provide an early-day highlight. After a blistering set at Splendour In the Grass last year, Irish indie dance kids Two Door Cinema Club return for a repeat dose of charm. Playing the main Moreland Street Stage, this band is an amazingly accomplished live act (given that their average age is 21). Lyrics speak directly to your heart with an urgency that channels the confusion of unrequited adolescent love. There’s no bells and whistles and their outfits aren’t coordinated but they don’t need tszujing – tunes such as Come Back Home, I Can Talk and Undercover Martyn just make you wanna bop along and grin. Yeasayer bring their stunning catalogue to the same stage, but we’re left feeling jipped. How songs you’d previously adored can be stripped to lukewarm after witnessing them in a live setting is baffling. “I want that one to sing,” a neighbour in the crowd points to Anand Wilder. Amazingly, Wilder’s voice sounds incredibly similar to that of Chris Keating and the lyrics from ONE – “No, you don’t move me anymore” – seem prophetic. Simply playing the songs, no matter how great they are, just isn’t enough any more. A last minute scheduling change sees Holy Fuck take to the Car Park Stage early to surprise punters turning up to see Blonde Redhead. But despite the initial confusion as to who is actually playing, the Canadian quartet has the crowd swaying and then dancing feverishly to their intense rhythm section’s heavy pulse and the random electronic pulses and tones. Warpaint pic by Lou Lou Nutt

Two Door Cinema Club pic by Lou Lou Nutt

In stark contrast later in the evening, the hotly tipped Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti confound the large crowd that congregates back at the River Stage for the much-coveted 6.30pm slot. Amidst some tired funk grooves and paint-by-number indie keyboard flourishes, the only real highlight of their set is the frontman’s exceptionally tight gold pants. Unfortunately his eye-catching trousers aren’t enough to salvage his set from an indifferent audience response. Later in the evening as festival drawcard Deerhunter begin their set, a quick departure is hastily made by a portion of the huge audience to return to the Car Park Stage for the rescheduled Blonde Redhead set. And there are few complaints regarding the scheduling change, as the American quartet set about delivering a colossal set from their 16-year back catalogue. And while their new repertoire reflects a more electronic flavour than their previous performances and recordings, their energy equals any other performance delivered on a day heaving with fantastic performances. It’s a tough call whether to cap off the day in front of the Moreland Street Stage for Cut Copy or the River Stage for Gotye and it’s pleasing that two such shining Australian entities headline an on-point line-up such as this. With a brand spanking new album ready to drop, Cut Copy are tonight’s winners and they hit the stage with all guns blazin’ and a spectacular light configuration with a door as its centrepiece. The Melbourne quartet present tried and tested tunes such as Lights & Music and Hearts On Fire with renewed vigour. It’s virtually impossible to hear frontman Dan Whitford’s vocal over the enthusiastic mass singalongs so new material presents a chance to soak up his timbre before the punters have had time to learn the lyrics. Pharoahs & Pyramids is a new live favourite and compliments go out to their couturier.

Tool’s set begins with a monologue by Timothy Leary. As he repeats the phrase, “Think for yourself, question authority,” the members of Tool emerge to a rapturous welcome. They fire straight into Third Eye and jam on the usual structure, extending the song by several minutes. Maynard Keenan is the anti-front man, half crouching and bobbing his mohawked head in spasmodic movements, silhouetted against the digital screens up on the riser he shares with the drums. He rarely speaks, save to utter “Good evening” after the first song. Guitarist Adam Jones and a newly shorn Justin Chancellor share the limelight at the front of the stage and Danny Carey is a titanic force behind the drums. It is his work in conjunction with brilliant bassist Chancellor that give Tool their thunderous live sound. Jambi is awesome in its rhythmic complexity and bludgeoning force, the unconventional guitar lines of Jones and soaring vocals of Keenan combining with the rhythm section to create a dense sonic onslaught. The stunning visuals are a show in itself, combining with the lasers, lighting and music to provide an immersive experience. The imagery accompanying Vicarious is spectacular, with dazzling psychedelic artwork by Alex Grey. The remainder of the set features a good selection of tracks, including a rare rendition of You Lied from Chancellor’s former band Peach, and Intension and Right In Two from 10,000 Days. After Schism a droning intermission is accompanied by hypnotic, kaleidoscopic visuals of complex geometric patterns, interesting enough to keep the crowd transfi xed. The epic Lateralus is a musical and visual highlight and features a humorous guest appearance from a Borat clone in a mankini (Jeff Friedl, one of Keenan’s Puscifer cohorts) and Jakob’s drummer, in what looks like a wookie suit, adding additional drums and percussion. Keenan holds up various scorecards (‘3’, ‘6’ and ‘?’) during their performance, one of the few times we can see him clearly. Before the apocalyptic Ænema Keenan announces, “Here’s one for all the crazy shit going on,” and Stinkfist provides a crowd-pleasing finale. Tool’s live show is an impressive spectacle that any rock or metal fan should see at least once. It’s inspiring that Tool can effortlessly sell out this venue while remaining true to their uncompromising artistic vision, and also leave the capacity crowd hungry for more. James O’Toole Tool pic by Lou Lou Nutt

Bryget Chrisfield, Symon JJ Rock

TOOL, JAKOB MYER MUSIC BOWL Kiwi instrumental trio Jakob have the enviable task of opening for Tool tonight and they’re a good fit, their music not too far removed stylistically from that of the headliners. Jakob lean more to the atmospheric and ambient side of progressive rock as opposed to Tool’s heavier take, but their interesting and flawlessly executed material goes down well with the rapidly building crowd.

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THE AMP 6TH ANNUAL S THE PRIZE RECRUITS THE STRENGTH OF LAST YEAR’S AUSTRALIAN RELEASES IS CLEARLY EVIDENT WHEN YOU CLAP EYES ON THE SIXTH AUSTRALIAN MUSIC PRIZE SHORTLIST. BRYGET CHRISFIELD TRIES NOT TO PLAY FAVOURITES WHILE WEIGHING UP THE ODDS. The 2010 Australian Music Prize (AMP) shortlist is in and sees nine stellar Aussie bands competing to take home the major $30,000 prize pool. The Holidays have already taken out the fifth Red Bull Award for best debut release for Post Paradise, but that doesn’t automatically disqualify them from collecting the AMP as well and getting even richer. It’s been a great year for debut Australian albums with Tame Impala (InnerSpeaker) and Cloud Control (Bliss Release) also making the cut. Gareth Liddiard is also a debut album contender when you consider that Strange Tourist is his first solo release sans The Drones. Does a name change count? In which case, Sally Seltmann (née New Buffalo) could qualify as having released her debut album (under this moniker), Heart That’s Pounding. Placing themselves in the ring for another possible case of double dipping from the prize pool, Eddy Current Suppression Ring took home the AMP in 2008 for their second album, Primary Colours, and have once again made the grade with its follow-up, Rush To Relax. A slew of second albums were also shortlisted this year, including Richard In Your Mind’s My Volcano, which is in with a fighting chance. This band has been up against their mates Cloud Control in many competitions over the past five years. Will Richard In Your Mind beat Cloud Control this time? Also in the running for her second offering, Stems, Pikelet has expanded into full band mode and her next project will be entirely collaborative. Last but definitely not least is Dan Kelly, whose second solo outing, Dan Kelly’s Dream, saw him traversing the globe to add just the right amount of finesse. Regardless of which finalist collects the giant novelty cheque this time, the aforementioned titles are a fitting representation of the strength and diversity of the Australian releases we all had on high rotation in 2010.

PAST SHORTLISTS 2005: Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By The Drones (Winner); Wolfmother Wolfmother; Oceans Apart The Go-Betweens; Coal Devastations; Smiling At Strangers TZU; Notes From A Ceiling The Mess Hall; All Is Forgiven Tex, Don & Charlie; Awake Is The New Sleep Ben Lee. 2006: Moo You Bloody Choir Augie March (Winner); Like Drawing Blood Gotye (Outstanding Potential Award); Suburban Songbook Bob Evans; Howling Bells Howling Bells; Fight ‘N’ Flight Jackie Marshall; The Silver Tree Lisa Gerrard; What The Sea Wants Sarah Blasko; Gala Mill The Drones; Gravity Won’t Get You High The Grates. 2007: Devils Elbow The Mess Hall (Winner); Problems Bluejuice (Red Bull Outstanding Potential Award); Somewhere Anywhere New Buffalo (MySpace Public Vote); Last Ghost Train Home Perry Keyes; Dystopia Midnight Juggernauts; Morning In The Bowl Of Night Lisa Miller; Yes, U Devastations; Places Like This Architecture In Helsinki; Mirror Mirror Dardanelles; The Signal Urthboy. 2008: Primary Colours Eddy Current Suppression Ring (Winner); Love Is Gone Jack Ladder (Red Bull

Outstanding Potential Award); Apocalypso The Presets; Beaches Beaches; Havilah The Drones; In Ghost Colours Cut Copy; Jungle Blues CW Stoneking; Presque Vu Tom Cooney; Sympathy For The New World Ross McLennan. 2009: Wonder Lisa Mitchell (Winner); Privileged Woes Oh Mercy (Red Bull Outstanding Potential Award); Secrets And Lies Bertie Blackman; Call Signs Black Cab; Kid Sam Kid Sam; Black Across The Field Lucie Thorne; As Day Follows Night Sarah Blasko; For The Birds The Mess Hall; Spitshine Urthboy. 2010: Bliss Release Cloud Control; Rush To Relax Eddy Current Suppression Ring; Post Paradise The Holidays (Red Bull Debut Album Of The Year); Dan Kelly’s Dream Dan Kelly; Strange Tourist Gareth Liddiard; Stem Pikelet; My Volcano Richard In Your Mind; Heart That’s Pounding Sally Seltmann; InnerSpeaker Tame Impala.

MOST WINS & SHORTLISTINGS Gareth Liddiard – three shortlists with The Drones and one solo; and one win with The Drones (2005). The Drones – three shortlists, one win (2005).

PIC: LINDA HELLER-SALVADOR

TURN IT UP

NOW THAT THE AMP IS IN ITS SIXTH YEAR, IT’S TIME FOR BEARD-STROKING MUSIC TYPES TO GET THEIR STATS ON. HERE’S SOME AMP TRIVIA FOR THOSE WHO STROKE. The Mess Hall – three shortlists, one win (2007). Eddy Current Suppression Ring – two shortlists, one win (2008). Devastations – two shortlists. Sarah Blasko – two shortlists. Urthboy – two shortlists. Sally Seltmann/New Buffalo - two shortlists.

STATE OF ORIGIN* 28 shortlisted titles have originated from Victoria (with three winning titles). 20 shortlisted titles have originated from NSW (two winning titles). Four shortlisted titles have originated from Qld. Two shortlisted titles have originated from WA. *Artists’ state of origin was determined by the home state listed in biographies and we accept that this one is open to debate…

SHORTLISTED WOMEN 2005 – Out of eight acts, there was one woman, Fiona Kitschin in The Drones - who won.

2006 – Out of nine acts, there were three female solo artists and three bands with female members. 2007 – Out of ten acts, there were two female solo artists and one band with female members. 2008 – Out of nine acts, there was an all-female band and Fiona Kitschin in The Drones. 2009 – Out of nine acts, there were four female solo artists - including winner Lisa Mitchell. 2010 – Out of nine acts, there were two female solo artists and one band with a female member.

SHORTLISTED GENRES* Rock – 25 titles. Singer/songwriter – 19 titles. Adult contemporary – four titles. Electronic – three titles. Hip hop – three titles. *Okay, so we’ve really generalised here but you get the drift.

ARIAVS AMP Compare and contrast titles nominated in ARIA Album Of The Year category and those shortlisted by AMP. 2005: ARIA goes to non-shortlisted Missy Higgins. Ben Lee nominated in both. 2006: ARIA goes to non-shortlisted Bernard Fanning. Wolfmother and Augie March nominated in both. 2007: ARIA goes to non-shortlisted Silverchair. Gotye nominated in both. 2008: ARIA goes to The Presets. The Presets also shortlisted by AMP. 2009: ARIA goes to non-shortlisted Empire Of The Sun. Sarah Blasko nominated in both. 2010: ARIA goes to non-shortlisted Angus & Julia Stone. Tame Impala nominated in both.

SURPRISE SHORTLIST NONAPPEARANCES Grinderman/Bad Seeds; Rowland S Howard; The Temper Trap; Bliss N Eso; Hilltop Hoods; Washington; Sia.

KEY WORDS TO HELP YOU GET SHORTLISTED ‘New’ – worked for Ben Lee’s Awake Is The New Sleep and Sally Seltmann scored her first shortlist as New Buffalo. ‘Ghost’ – Perry Keyes’ Last Ghost Train Home and Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours both shortlisted. ‘Like’ – Gotye’s Like Drawing Blood and Architecture In Helsinki’s Places Like This. ‘Night’ – Lisa Miller’s Morning in The Bowl Of Night and Sarah Blasko’s As Day Follows Night. ‘Colours’ – Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s Primary Colours and… ah, Cut Copy again. And fluids are big with AMP judges from ‘Blood’ (Gotye again) and even ‘Bloody’ (Augie March’s Moo You Bloody Choir), through to ‘Sea’ (Blasko’s What The Sea Wants), ‘River’ (The Drones’ Wait Long By The River…) and ‘Oceans’ (The Go-Betweens’ Oceans Apart).

Crank up the AMP. 52

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SHORTLIST

guitarist seemed particularly chuffed to receive the giant novelty cheque. “The actual giant cheque’s still around,” he confesses. “Whether the actual money’s still around – that’s a different story. I was actually at Brad [Barry] our bass player’s house last Saturday and he’s got it in his man room. He’s got it hanging on the wall. It looks pretty amazing up there. We had to fold it in half to get it on a plane though, so it’s a bit crumpled up but it does look really good.”

revious AMP winners Eddy Current Suppression Ring – who took home the giant novelty cheque in 2008 for their Primary Colours set – have once again made the grade and are in with a chance of becoming the first band to double dip from the prize pool. “I can’t imagine we’d be so lucky

to win it twice,” guitarist Mikey Young says modestly, following Rush To Relax being shortlisted. “Once is enough.” The other eight contenders may be out for some ECSR blood if they have a repeat victory. “Yeah, I think that could cause a bit of spite,” he laughs.

Eddy Current Suppression Ring also comprises frontman Brendan Huntley and Young’s brother Danny on drums and the four-piece recorded the follow-up to their AMP-winning album on a very modest budget. “Rush To Relax is our cheapest yet,” Young admits. “I managed to get it in at the grand total of zero dollars… I guess we’re just in a lucky position where I own enough gear to record an album and can do it by myself, so why not save the cash and do it that way? I think for every bit of money we saved there we spent it on… we made a film clip and shot the album cover. So I think some of the [AMP] money went towards that rather than the actual recording of the album.

When speaking to Young following the band’s AMP triumph, the

“We’ve pretty much got an unsaid rule that if we don’t get it down in

three takes, we really shouldn’t be recording it and I’m not interested in makin’ it perfect. Or I think if we laboured over songs we’d just strip ‘em of whatever qualities they’ve got, so most of them come pretty quick.” Following the recording of Rush To Relax, Young admits, “For the first time I was really happy with the album as a whole, which is a change to me. I’m not saying it’s our best album or anything, but for me personally, I just felt like I achieved what I was trying to achieve whereas with the first two I didn’t think I’d nailed it as far as what was going on in my head.” Young believes submitting their album for consideration is “a pretty good gamble” – “Fifty bucks, or whatever it is [$95], for the chance of winning $30,000”. “The year that we won, after it got longlisted and then to the next step of being shortlisted and then winning, it definitely sparked interest in the sales again and sort of kept it going over the course of the whole year, where it had dropped off a bit. Because, oh well, you’ve been out for six months or so and as far as maybe dudes that aren’t regular gig goers, or [who] just might have missed out on a few releases during the year – it seemed to put [the album] in different people’s eyes that may not have heard the record.”

EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING

RICHARD IN YOUR MIND

“I

just moved to the Blue Mountains and we’re sort of close to finishing a third album,” Richard Cartwright, Richard In Your Mind’s frontman who describes his band’s inclusion on The AMP shortlist as “an honour”, shares. Richard In Your Mind’s My Volcano release made the cut and Cartwright says the Sydney quartet managed to keep recording costs down by utilising a skilled friend for mixing duties. “We got Brent [Griffin], or SPOD, to mix it and he happened to be someone whose knowledge was growing and he was really looking to start mixing for other bands… We spent a lot of time. Had we been paying a professional to help with it, it would have been very expensive. “SPOD has really helped My Volcano; he’s brought it to life and also ‘cause he did the film clip for Candelabra, which got some good recognition. And I think having film clips is an important and great way to open up how people can experience your music.” Cartwright works in a St Vincent De Paul shop to pay the bills and describes the vocation he shares with fellow band members Conrad Richters (bass/synth), Jordy Lane (guitar/ bass) and Pat Torres (drums/

percussion): “We’re all full-time musicians that have to be parttime workers.” Richard In Your Mind took out the triple j Unearthed Big Day Out competition in 2006 and Cartwright explains, “We got to play Big Day Out and that was a really great thing and that really helped us realise that we were actually a band, not just some people hanging around spending our time making music. That gave us the confidence to keep going further.” Interestingly, Richard In Your Mind are often up against another band on this year’s AMP shortlist. “We’re always in the same things as Cloud Control,” Cartwright observes. “We did a uni band comp with them and they’re great friends of ours. They came first and we came third and now both our albums came out in the same year. And they’re doing so well – and deservedly so – but, yeah! We’re always up for the same awards and they’re always winning [laughs]. “But in no way do we hold any animosity. I think they’re absolutely deserving [of] all their success and I think we’re just a different sort of a band. I was sort of joking that that’s why I moved to the Blue Mountains.” Perhaps Cartwright can drink from the stream and there may be something in the

PIC: LINDA HELLER-SALVADOR

water. “Yeah, which is funny ‘cause they have that song, There’s Nothing In The Water [We Can’t Fight] or whatever,” he chuckles, “and I reckon it is something in the water.” On which shortlisted band Cartwright tips to take home the giant cheque for $30,000 this year, the vocalist/guitarist

ponders, “There was some real standout Australian music this year. I must say that Tame Impala’s InnerSpeaker – we certainly gave that a good listen to in the tour van as we were driving around to do shows and Cloud Control’s [Bliss Release]. They’re the main Australian ones that we were into, but they’re the really good ones, I reckon.”

PIKELET

PIC: LINDA HELLER-SALVADOR

“I

had a lot of help from Love & Mercy [Records] with the financing of the album, which was really awesome ‘cause I don’t know how else I would have done it,” Evelyn Morris (aka Pikelet) comments of how her AMP-shortlisted album, Stems, came into being. “It took maybe a year or so [to record], but I mean the songs were already written a year before we started recording.” Although Morris recorded all of the instrumental parts on her self-titled debut, she went with a different approach on this, its follow-up. “This one was more collaborative, so I came up with the main structures of the songs and the lyrics and everything and then the band added their own parts. So it was a pretty organic process ‘cause that was something that we developed over a year and a bit. And then we started recording and the songs were already done and they’d been played live already for a while… I mean, that’s the way that I prefer to do it, because I feel like when you play songs live it really tests them out and, also, the more that you play them live, they kind of develop their own life a little bit rather than being something that you forced into a particular shape. “There was lots of instances where we were like, ‘Oh, gosh, I’m not sure this is gonna work out,’ you know? Like, Weakest Link, actually the one that turned out to be the most popular track on the record – I wasn’t even sure I was gonna record that. I just thought it was terrible and really the

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bandmates were the ones that said we should persevere with it. And I didn’t wanna play it live for ages; I just hated it. I thought it was terrible, but I think it was because it was a little bit of a song that exposes insecurity. It was more just difficult for me in my mind. But when we were trying to record, it also just didn’t feel right. It was just really wrong and then all of a sudden we changed a bit of the drums and a bit of the bass line and it was perfect.” Now that she’s in full band mode – with Tarquin Manek (bass/clarinet/backing vocals), Shags Chamberlain (synths) and Matt Cox (drums) on board – Morris explains, “We really, really wanna have a little time away to write together – the whole band.” If Pikelet goes on to win the $30,000 prize, Morris admits, “It would be great to have some time off where we don’t have to worry about money and [can] just write some stuff, because the next album’s gonna be entirely collaborative – all of us writing together – so we’re looking to develop our songwriting relationships.” When asked whether she has won anything in the past as an acknowledgement of her musical prowess, Morris ponders, “Well actually, yes. When I was in Year Nine at high school I was given a little keyring with a drumkit on it and told I was the most dedicated music student out of the whole school! And I still hold onto that keyring; it’s on my keys. It’s one of my most prized possessions.”

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THE AMP 6TH ANNUAL S THE HOLIDAYS

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U PIC: LINDA HELLER-SALVADOR

he Holidays have already picked up the Red Bull Award for best debut release and therefore found out they were on the shortlist ahead of the rest of this year’s AMP contenders. “We all thought that both Cloud Control and Tame Impala had really good albums, also debut albums,” Simon Jones, frontman with The Holidays – who also produced the band’s debut longplayer, Post Paradise – says. “And were like, ‘We don’t have a shot against those guys.’ I think they’re pretty good company to be in so, when we won, we were pretty shocked that it wasn’t one of them, I guess.” The Holidays are still eligible to take out the Australian Music Prize, despite having already received the Red Bull Award. Their win means Jones and his bandmates – Will Magnus (guitar/keys), Alex Kortt (bass) and Andrew Kerridge (drums/percussion) – score $15,000 worth of flights and accommodation to record in the Red Bull studio in Los Angeles and Jones enthuses, “All of which we need, which is good. It’s come at a perfect time because we’re demoing new songs at the moment and figuring them out, so some studio time definitely wouldn’t go astray.” The Holidays are about to head to Austin’s South By Southwest for some showcases and Jones admits, “The band’s never really toured abroad yet, so March is gonna be our maiden voyage so to speak.” So do The Holidays have a producer wishlist for album number two? “I produced the first one myself so I think we’ll probably do that again. It’s a bit scary working with a producer. It’s more laidback by yourself. I mean, if you’ve got a producer

that you’re really comfortable with – but we’ve been through a couple and with mixed results really, so I think if we had a really big-name producer it would probably be intimidating… You kind of get so attached to [the material]. You don’t want anyone playing with your baby.” On recording Post Paradise, “None of it came together easily,” Jones opines. “I guess we probably spent, from start to finish, eighteen months, which is a fair bit of time when you’re doing it every day. So there were a couple of tracks that literally took months to get the final version nailed down. The last track on the album, A Million Eyes, we had that for a long time. It kind of kicked around in about six or seven vastly differentsounding versions and then, in the end, we were about to mix it and put the album out and the label and our mixing guy Tony [Espie] were like, ‘Oh, I think the other version you did was better.’ So we ended up going back to the other one at the last minute.” Post Paradise also won Album Of The Year in the 2010 EG Awards. “There’s different criteria in judges and stuff and the EG [Award] was good ‘cause it was a reader [voted] one but, yeah, this feels kinda cool ‘cause it’s more an industry panel of judges.” It seems as if The Holidays are on a roll. “I guess in our career we’ve had a few things that have gone our way in that respect, sort of one thing led to another and that is important but I’d like to think that our meticulous attention to detail is what gets us to where we are,” Jones laughs.

lrich Lenffer, drummer/ percussionist with Cloud Control, is excited by the reaction to his band’s debut, Bliss Release. “It’s been a bit of a dream run as they say,” he acknowledges. Lenffer is also pleased to be included among the stellar acts on this year’s AMP shortlist. “We were really happy with the [shortlist] actually, ‘cause we’ve toured – or at least played – with a few of those bands, like Tame Impala. We did our last big national tour with Richard In Your Mind and played with Pikelet in Melbourne and Sally Seltmann, we played with her a while ago [when

she was known] as New Buffalo… So I’m really happy, really happy that these albums of quality, quality songs got recognised.” Bliss Release has already collected some awards for the trophy room. “We won two AIR [Australian Independent Record] Awards, which was good,” the drummer admits enthusiastically. Cloud Control took home the Best Independent Album and Breakthrough Independent Artist AIR awards. “We’ve been nominated for more things than we’ve won.” On recording Bliss Release, Lenffer recalls, “It took, I think it was nine

months to complete fully – that’s not nine months of solid work, that was nine months of when Jez [Jeremy Kelshaw, bass] could get time off his full-time work and when everyone could make it up to the [Blue] Mountains and when our engineer Liam [Judson] was free. It was a bit ramshackle, but I think it was good because it gave us plenty of time in between recording sessions and time to think and time to work on the songs and that kind of thing.” Kelshaw works as a Fair Work Ombudsman and Lenffer explains, “It’s so funny. It means we’ll just be driving around in our tour van and he’ll point out businesses and say, ‘Oh, I busted them the other week. They were paying their employees ten dollars an hour,’ and we’ll have a good old chuckle.” The other two band members who travel on Cloud Control’s tour bus are Lenffer’s sister Heidi (vocals/keyboards) and Alister Wright (lead vocals/guitar). Of the ten tracks on Bliss Release, Lenffer says, “They were all pretty difficult to put to rest, to be honest, just because they were all quite fluid in their creative state. You form a bond, obviously, with particular songs if you really struggle with them. And it goes for all members of the band – their particular part, if they’re having troubles or if people aren’t vibing

on it then they just have to keep working and try to find something that everyone’s happy with. When you finally do come to that end point, it is just a jigsaw puzzle and everything falls into place. So that happened with There’s Nothing In The Water [We Can’t Fight]. I think all we did was put in some guitar parts and a little bit more vocals over a particular section and it just kicked the whole thing along. It was like, ‘That’s it! It’s so much better.’ So it’s those small victories that create the bigger, overarching victory.”

Cloud Control are preparing to release Bliss Release in the UK and Lenffer is encouraged by the way the album has “kept on kicking” in this country. He also reckons his band could use the AMP prize money to improve their quality of living once they relocate. “To be honest, we’ve been at this game for years and we’ve seen very little personal remuneration, so I think this would probably just go straight into our pockets,” he laughs when considering where Cloud Control would channel the funds if they won. “Especially because we’re moving to London and we’re gonna be living on fifty pounds a week, apparently.”

CLOUD CONTROL

DAN KELLY

“T

he last record,

Drowning In The Fountain Of Youth, won Inpress Album Of The Year, which was good, plus I won the EG Award for Best Male Artist last month,” Dan Kelly, whose recent solo offering Dan Kelly’s Dream made the AMP shortlist this year, is talking of some past victories. “I mean it’s not really about winning. I’m very pleased to be on the list. I kinda just looked at all the records and I’m not that hung up on competition. Well, okay, I’m an independent artist and any kind of indication is really good just to get people a little bit interested, you know what I mean? And it’s good to feel that what you’ve done was worthwhile. A lot of really big records came out this year. A lot of really good records too. Winning’s not really, I don’t think, something that I’m expecting to do, but to make the list I’m like, ‘Wow, okay, that’s really great.’” So what were some of the Australian albums that Kelly had on high rotation in 2010? “I really like the Tame Impala record,” he says. “I thought that was great. Gareth [Liddiard]’s record’s fantastic. I’ve sort of been a fan of The Drones

since I was a babe in the woods.” Kelly and Liddiard are in fact about to head out on the road to play a string of shows together. “I just hope we get some people and that we don’t get ultra competitive,” Kelly admits. Perhaps they should add their recent AMP shorlistings to the fliers? “Oh, that’s true, yeah: Two AMP contenders touring with no amps.” Kelly recalls the process of recording Dan Kelly’s Dream took “a lot longer” than he’d estimated. “I had to go ultra dirt cheap and record it myself and then I went to a friend’s studio and a mud brick studio in Brunswick. We just sort of hunkered down there and did it and then I got my old guitarist and producer Aaron [Cupples] – who did the last record with me, Drowning In The Fountain Of Youth – and he lives in London. And I had frequent flyers, so then I actually flew to London because it was cheaper to do it with him in a little room than it was to pay someone to do it in a proper studio. So I travelled – I went from Melbourne to Sydney to the bush behind Daylesford then to London. It kinda turned out being as geographical as the actual subject matter. “I don’t think you’d call it an expensive record, it’s what people spend, but for me it was a lot more

than I wanted to.” Kelly “wasn’t tremendously happy” with the vocals that he initially recorded. “When I listened to it I thought, ‘Oh, that sounds like a stressedout guy,’” he chuckles, “which is fine if you’re in, like, Pantera. I think I was over-thinking it so just went and redid it. I was feeling better and feeling a bit more relaxed and it just sounded heaps better to me, you know? Without all the stress.” On whether there’s a track on the album Kelly particularly rates,

he suggests, “You get really passionate about songs often when you’re mixing them because you get excited when they start to work and then you get to like different songs because some of them work better live than other songs. I mean, I’m just glad that it turned out good, because I had my fears for it for a while and so I was glad when I felt like I could let it go without feeling ashamed and put it out in the world. It’s a big fear that you’ll end up putting out a record that you don’t like.”

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SHORTLIST

have a bit more time, to be honest [laughs] and so most of the tracks were – I just got good enough to play ‘em, you know what I mean? It was the classic thing where you make an album – except your first – you sort of make an album where you hurry, hurry, hurry, get it done and record it and when you get out and tour, you play ten shows and wish you could go back and do it all [over] because you’re a hundred times better at it. Things just occur to you that seem obvious in hindsight. But that’s really normal. Everybody gets that.”

ince the AMP was introduced in 2005, Gareth Liddiard hasn’t released a record that wasn’t shortlisted, whether it be a solo outing or with his band The Drones. “Um, no, we haven’t,” Liddiard concurs. Does he realise how exceptional this situation is? “Yeah, it’s cool.” Liddiard’s recent shortlisting is for his debut solo album, Strange Tourist. Reflecting on how it all came about, he says, “The process would’ve been about ten days, just recording. I wrote it in two months and then went up to where the studio was and just [spent]

five days getting the groove of the songs and Burke Reid, who was engineering it, was kinda getting a feel for the sounds. And then, yeah, about five days doing it once I got good enough.” Strange Tourist was recorded “about 50, 60 ‘k’s away from Yass.” Reid was at “this big old mansion” and Liddiard explains, “He was recording another band from Sydney and once he’d finished he was meant to come down to my house. In the end he just said, ‘Come up here, I’ve got the place for another week or so.’ And, yeah, it was cool… I mean, the whole thing was down to the wire. I would’ve liked to

He seems hypercritical, but has Liddiard ever been out and about, heard his own music and gone, ‘What’s this great tune?’ He laughs, “Yeah, yeah. I remember the first time I ever heard that happen and a few other times. You go, ‘This sounds pretty good,’ and then you go, ‘Oh, fuck!’ Because if you’re doing the right thing, I guess you’re makin’ shit you wanna hear, you know?” Of the eight tracks on Strange Tourist, Liddiard says he has a soft spot for “different [songs] for different reasons”. “Highplains Mailman kinda seemed the most natural or something when we recorded it and then, like, The Radicalisation Of D – I kinda wrote

it real quick. In eight weeks I wrote the whole thing and so I didn’t really know what it was. I couldn’t see the forest from the trees kinda thing. So now [that] I play it and hear it, yeah, I’m surprised I managed to do it.” Does Liddiard believe you can lose the essence of a song by spending too much time on it? “Yeah, that happens. I mean, those processes – after you’ve done it a million times you see that sort of thing coming and you remove it before it’s too late. And you’ve just gotta keep it fresh. But, yeah, it certainly happens. And sometimes the opposite – sometimes you don’t have enough time at all and you wish you did.”

SALLY SELTMANN

Liddiard certainly hasn’t considered how he’d invest the $30,000 incentive if he wins but, when asked, reckons he’d definitely kick off his spending spree with “a couple of slabs”. “I could buy myself a little pressie,” he continues, “a little bit of gear that I usually wouldn’t be able to afford. And something for the studio, yeah, that’d be cool. And then the rest, I think – I dunno, I usually just blow all the money I get. I might save up and try to buy a house one day before it becomes impossible.”

GARETH LIDDIARD

TAME IMPALA

“I

guess it was our record label who lent us the money to rent a house somewhere,” Tame Impala’s frontman explains, recalling how the band financed their AMPshortlisted album, InnerSpeaker. “I was just gonna do it at home, but there was this album budget that we had come across. On the contract it said the album budget was minimum ‘xxx’ dollars. I was like, ‘Whaddaya mean minimum? What if I just wanna do it in my bedroom?’ We used most of the gear we already owned and borrowed some equipment off friends of ours that also have studios just so we could step up the production values a little bit from our previous work.” InnerSpeaker is a collection of songs Parker describes as spanning his “whole songwriting life”. “Most of them had been done within the last year, but a few of them were four- or five years old. It was just kind of like picking the songs that would fit together the best on an album. Doing the main tracking, it was just two of us – Dom [Simper, guitar] and I – that recorded everything and we did six weeks in the house. Then I got back and finished all the overdubbing in my bedroom and,

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Tell us a bit about how you financed your AMP-nominated album Heart That’s Pounding and how long the process was.

because I’m quite a procrastinator, I left recording vocals to the last minute and I ended up recording some of the vocals about five minutes before the song was due to be mixed, which is a little bit hair-raising. I mean, I’m always sort of lashing myself about the vocals but, at the end of the day, I think they ended up sounding all right. We didn’t need to use any AutoTune,” he laughs. Bassist Nick Allbrook and drummer Jay Watson complete Tame Impala’s lineup and Parker says of the mixing process, “There were more tracks that were really difficult to mix than there were easy to mix just because the sound was so layered and so dense that it’s sometimes extremely difficult to cram all these things into a mix without it turning into sonic mud. Even for the mixer [Dave Fridmann] – the guy in the world who’s renowned for being able to make cosmic music out of lots of fragments of mud.” Parker cites Alter Ego as an example. “It was after we tried to do it twice – over the mixing stage – and we couldn’t get it to sound the way we wanted it to, [that] I was beginning to think the way I wanted it to sound was actually physically impossible – something that can only really exist when you think about it rather than something that can come out of the speakers.”

“I recorded the album in about a year and a half. It was a roller coaster of a ride, because I started recording when I was pregnant, then part way through spent a few months in hospital, then started up again when my daughter was a tiny baby. I financed the recordings myself from royalties I had made from a song I had written with Feist [1-2-3-4].”

Not only did InnerSpeaker take out the 2010 J Award, it was also voted Album Of The Year in the Inpress writer’s poll. “Yeah, that’s amazing,” Parker replies enthusiastically. “I’m continually astonished each time one of those things happens. I still think that it’s just like a sympathy thing for us because we’re not as big as everyone thinks we’re meant to be. They’re kind of giving us the thumbs up by offering us an award of some sort. I really do think it’s that. I can’t actually come to terms with the fact that people like it so

much; that they think it’s the best album out of a whole bunch of other albums. Obviously I think it’s the best album, but I don’t expect anyone else to.” So how would Tame Impala spend the money if they won? “I guess it’ll probably just go back to the band account,” Parker considers. “I don’t even know how much we have in that. I’m pretty sure we’re quite poor at the moment, because we went on a tour to America and I’m pretty sure we lost money from that.”

for the chorus. I was trying to get that combination of ‘dreamy meets tough’, but I need to face it, I always sound feminine and not very tough and there’s not much I can do about that!” Is there a track on the album that you feel an extra amount of love for? “Yes, I love Book Song. I really like the lyrics and I love how, as a song, it floats in on the breeze and then leaves the room.” Have you ever won anything in the past?

Was there a particular track from the album that was difficult to nail in the studio? If so, why do you think that was?

“I won APRA Breakthrough Songwriter Of The Year in 2008. I think I won a Canadian award for 1-2-3-4.”

“Dream About Changing proved to be quite difficult, but also fun. Franc [Tetaz], [who I co-produced the album with] spent a lot of time on the drums and then we added in the secret key ingredient to the track – which was Mark Monnone slapping his bum in time – for the whole entire song. The vocals were really challenging for me and I worked and worked on getting the right vocal performance

Is there an Australian album that was released in 2010 that you had on high rotation?

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“There was no particular full album, but I did listen to Alter Ego by Tame Impala a lot. It’s an incredible song.” How would you spend the $30,000 prize if you won? “I would probably put it towards recording my next album.”

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DREAM OF SOUND ART The first Dreamland Recordings event for 2011 is an afternoon of sweeping atmospheres and delicate songs held at Loop this Saturday. Presenting a small, varied taste of Melbourne music and sound art, the event will see Saskia Sansom play her ethereal, powerful, intimate-yet-lonely songs that have drawn comparison to Cat Power and Mazzy Star. Mystic Eyes – AKA Lisa MacKinney – has a deep appreciation of the harmonic subtleties of drones, layering, non-standard tunings and overtones. Dark Passenger is the alias of Zac Keiller, who will be found improvising long slabs of dense guitar and Theremin drones with little regard to the final outcome. Automating sifts through the sonic waste of field recordings, found sound, tape manipulation, noise and effects units. And Wolf 359 contains elements of modern dance beats, ‘80s minimal synth punk and twisted metallic experimentation. Entry is $8 from 3pm.

TASTE TEST LAWRENCE HENRY – JULY DAYS The song that always gets me on the dancefloor at 3am is… Song 2 by Blur or Are You Gonna Be My Girl? by Jet. Such amazing tunes that get you moving. Amazing bands. The song I most wish I’d written is… While My Guitar Gently Weeps by The Beatles. When George Harrison wrote a good song it was so damn great.

CHERRYWOOD TOO Straight off the back of their successful tour to Tamworth, Cherrywood continue their Sunday residency at the Great Britain Hotel this weekend. Expect country, a little bit of rockabilly and a lathering of blues to be mashed up with frontman Tim Durkin’s verbose diatribe. Get up and boogie, have a few beers, watch strings get broken and fingers bleed while you get loose. Entry is free so there are no excuses for all you tightarses – kick off is 7.30pm.

HANKY PANKY WILLIAMS

The song I’m really digging at the moment is… England by The National. Reminding us of some great times.

July Days play the Yarraville Arts Festival this Saturday and the St Kilda Festival this Sunday.

A song more people should know about is… Consolers Of The Lonely by The Saboteurs. A rockin’ tune.

This Saturday, the Empress Hotel is tipping its stetson to one of the greatest of all time: Hank Williams. The drink and the drugs took Williams a little too early for our liking, but his songs have definitely stood the test. The ReChords, Hank Ferguson & His Cosmonauts, Alysia Manceau and Danny Walsh will perform their own renditions of these classics in a tribute to one of the maddest bastards to ever take the stage. Hearts will break, tempers will flare and for one night only, “Hey good lookin’, whatcha got cookin?” will be accepted as a pick-up line. It’ll be a dang hootenany! Doors at 8pm for ten bucks.

UNITED STATE OF QUA Our local genius and super producer Qua is jetting off to the USA to inject those cowboys with blips, burps and complex bubbles of synthetic joy. Starting with SXSW and then off on a Mush Records tour, Qua will be armed with all new Quatronica for his first ever US excursion. The official send off show will be at the Grace Darling on Saturday 26 February with friends posing as supports and no doubt a little magic confetti along with a chance to hear his latest works. Doors at 8pm.

SCAM A PONY They are loud, angry, obnoxious, fairly strange-looking and probably just a little insane, but for the second time in six months The Lost Cause and The Scam hit the highways for their Southern Invasion tour. Two of the Gold Coast’s most notorious punk bands prepare to launch a full-scale assault on punters when they roll into Pony this Thursday night. The Lost Cause (selfproclaimed “pirate punks”) and The Scam (fast-paced “street punks”) have established reputations for wild live shows, furious crowd antics and a punishing mix of hardcore punk that had both bands playing shows relentlessly throughout 2010. Joining them will be The Half Pints and Footsoldier, and doors open at 8pm.

The song I never want to hear again is… Any AutoTuned American pop trash that is currently getting played on the radio. There’s so much better Australian music out there not getting a go.

ARCHER YER BACK Acclaimed Melbourne poet Luke Beesley put down his pencil and picked up a reconditioned 1965 parlour guitar and started writing minimalist, bookish folk rock. Under the guise of New Archer, and with a voice that sits somewhere between Neil Young, Will Oldham and Tim Buckley, he is developing a reputation as one of Melbourne’s most unique songwriters. In 2010 Ian Wadley (Minimum Chips, Bird Blobs, St Helens) came on board with some wonderfully sensitive, fidgety drumming. Before they head to the studio, they can be caught at the Builders Arms every Wednesday in February, including tonight with Yuko Kono. Entry is $6 from 8pm.

The 16th annual Bruthen Blues & Arts Festival is nearly here! The festival kicks off on Friday 18 February from 7pm with the Music Jam competition at the Bruthen Inn Hotel. On Saturday and Sunday be entertained in the gardens with live (and free) performances on the street stage from Mike Jones, Elsewhere, Daniel Champagne, Aaron Burton, Barrel House, Wally & Da Cats, Rosie Burgess and many more. Browse the street market stalls and enjoy the beer garden while the kids are entertained at the kid’s carnival. Food vendors, BBQs and local businesses provide plenty of options for breakfast, lunch or dinner so you can make the most of a full day at the festival. Night time entertainment kicks off on Saturday night, again at the Bruthen Inn Hotel, and also at the Family Friendly Hall, where you can enjoy a meal and entertainment throughout the evening. For all info head to bruthenblues.com.

Play Like A Girl is a jam session and network for women musicians that provides an opportunity to gain inspiration and support from each other, and a ‘safe space’ to jam together and expand creativity, skills and networks. Run by Melbourne musicians Diana Wolfe and Fiona Wilde, Play Like A Girl sessions are held on the last Tuesday of every month and hosted by a different special guest artist each time. On Tuesday 22 February at the Cornish Arms, the night will be headed by “art nouveau rock chic” act The Electrique Birds. Entry is by gold-coin donation from 7pm.

ENVY US Asian Envy met in a Japanese hotel, later solidifying their intentions to create electro dance pop music with unusual and elaborate accompanying videos. The duo wrote and recorded their debut album, Sweet And Vicious, in Melbourne, our city also playing host to the launch of the album this Friday at Revolver Upstairs. The gig will feature special guests Back Back Forward Punch, So Many Voices and DJ Simon Edwards (Joy FM). The album unites the broodiest of ‘80s synth with the brightest of savage electro pop – inspiring the album’s title, an ongoing subject and theme throughout each track. Tickets are $12+BF on sale from Moshtix.

The Limelight at Miss Libertine is a monthly acoustic showcase of local independent music. For over two years now, The Limelight has been, and continues to be, a platform for both aspiring and veteran musicians and performers to exhibit their craft and road test their new original music. Spread the word! Get down this coming Tuesday 15 February and hang out with friends – live local music, $5 pizzas and cheap jugs (ahoy!). Performing this month will be David Hoang, Troy Barrett, Dylan Redman, The Miffl ins, Aquanaut and Lauren Victoria. It also makes a good Valentine’s date if you can get your gal or guy to wait an extra day. Entry is $10 from 7pm.

WORK IT AT RUMBLE It’s time to razz your berries again because this Friday Rumble takes over the Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood! Take your ducktails and chiffon scarves and go for pinks! Catch The Workinghorse Irons before they jet off to Brazil’s Psycho Carnival and rock overseas with their psycho punk-infused live shows. Supporting them are the sleazy, trashy, surf rock’n’rollers The Yard Apes and newcomers La Bastard. Kicking off the night in true DJ style is The Duchess, bringing with her all the sounds that will get your drinking boots and Hawaiian shirts moving. Entry is $10 with cheap jugs all night.

Young Maverick launch their new video at the Workers Club this Thursday.

HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? “We’ve done professional recording which are available on iTunes and some bedroom recordings, which actually sound pretty good considering our lack of gear.”

SQUEEZIN’ THE LIMELIGHT

GIRLS LIKE THAT

HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Will McLennan, drums: “It’s a family affair. The two brothers, Dave and Robbie [Williams], recruited their mate’s little brother, Matt [Sheldon], for his freakish ability. Matt and I have been friends for a few years so I joined the party.”

AppleJack are an enigma. The art of storytelling, humour and their fanatical approach to life with an eggplant in hand can only be described as, well, bizarre actually. However, this quirky, harmonic trio is set to play Miss Libertine this Sunday with the talented likes of Since We Kissed, Gateless Gate and The Shivering Timbers for a door charge of $10. Head down to Miss Libs and make your Sunday count!

After receiving rave reviews from fans and critics regarding their debut single Janet Leigh, Howl At The Moon will be reunited at Pony with close friends Slow Waves (Sydney) for a night of dark and emotive R&B this Saturday. Cutting their teeth in Sydney’s inner-west, garage rock trio Slow Waves toy with tried-and-tested blues forms to create music that is simultaneously unique and nostalgic. Singer/songwriter Ryan Nicolussi’s voice evokes the dynamics of Nina Simone and the snarl of Howlin’ Wolf. Be sure to catch them on what is only their second tour of Melbourne. They will be joined on the night by razor-sharp ‘60s rockers The Bluejays playing tunes from their LP Colours In The Window and local favourites The Medicators. Doors at 9pm.

When we last heard from Ancient Free Gardeners they told us they were about to traverse the globe in different directions, urging us to get to their album launch. What they told us was a lie. They’ve been here the whole time. And they’ll be here all month, too, specifically at the Empress on Thursdays, where they are in the middle of their residency. This Thursday they’re supported by the progressive psychedelia of Chiliad and Speed Orange. Entry is $5 from 8pm.

BRUTHEN GETS THE BLUES

JACK OF IT

TOUCH THE MOON

NOT SECRET GARDEN

CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? “Delicious, smiling, holiday pop.” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? “Kings Of Leon (circa 2004), because the afterparty would be outrageous.”

LOG, LADIES It’s been some time since Bob Log III released his supersonic, spasmodic, slide guitar storm upon the good people of Melbourne. After months of traversing solid sections of the European continent, where he played to thousands of zealous Swedes on a heavy metal cruise ship, performed an entire show astride a human Scandinavian drum stool, had a show stopped by Italian police as a result of his Pope-waking ruckus and narrowly avoided eating a horsemeat sausage, he rolls into the East Brunswick Club this Friday. With guests The Toot Toot Toots and The Red Brigade delivering excess skills and hoopla, this promises to be a night of unbridled revelry and flat-out fun.

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IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? “My hair’s getting longer, so the headband I acquired in Spain is set to become a regular at our gigs.” IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? “I’d probably hire a chef, because they wouldn’t be that impressed with my spag Bol.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? “The Rochy.”

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WIZARDS ROLL SLEEVES UP

EASY MOTIONS

Labelled ‘roots and beyond’ when they won the Queenscliff Music Festival foot-in-the-door competition, Better Than The Wizards have taken the tag as permission to blur genres. Soaring saxophone and keyboard harmonies blend effortlessly with funky feels and they don’t mind mentioning dance and jazz in the same sentence. If you didn’t catch them last year at the St Kilda Festival then get to the Evelyn Hotel this Thursday night. Support comes from Jehan Gonsalkorale (with his new trio, Ashra), The Villas and The Scarecrows and tickets are $8+BF from Moshtix and on the door from 8.30pm.

This Thursday night from 8pm, four awesome bands will be tearing the Arthouse down, with the best hardcore and death metal music in Melbourne! Hitting the stage and kicking off the night are newcomers going by the name of In Motions, the fantastically talented dudes of Event Horizon and The Approach, and to finish off the amazing night with some of the best metalcore music around is Crown Us Thieves. Head down for a great show and help support some of the best of the Melbourne metal scene!

LOOK, BUDD After the successful release of their brand new album, Budd take their full-tilt, riff-soaked show to the Prague this Saturday with a massive lineup in tow. Supporting Budd will be Mammoth Mammoth fresh from a national tour with Airbourne, as well as The Devilrock Four and first-time giggers Battle Axe Howlers round out the evening. Doors at 8pm and entry is $10.

RUSTLE CLARK After an intense three-month UK tour, Sam Clark is back performing tracks from his debut album, Take Me Home, along with a few covers, this time as a punchy acoustic duo, at the Workers Club on Saturday 19 February. Pop folk country four-piece Sarah & The King Bees, also signed to PLW Entertainment, have just finished recording their debut single, Daisy Chains, and will be the support. With a video clip in the works and a nationwide tour scheduled, this is the perfect opportunity to catch the Bees and Sam, a couple of great homegrown acts. Entry is $8 from 3pm.

TRANSATLANTIC SERVICE Inspired by the sounds of the early American soul music circuit and with an authenticity and musicianship beyond their years, The Transatlantics form the new face of Australian soul. Signed to UKbased Freestyle Records in 2010, The Transatlantic’s amazing live show has taken the band across the country to perform at festivals including Falls Festival, Big Day Out and Parklife and now they are heading to Revolver Upstairs this Saturday for a night of pure soul excitement! In support will be The OMG’s, Saskwatch and DJs Chris Gill and Andras Fox dropping their wisdom on weary souls. Tickets are $10+BF from Moshtix or $12 on the door from 9pm.

Full Ugly play Hell’s Kitchen this Saturday. HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Nathan Burgess, vocals/guitar: “Michael [Caterer, guitar/vocals] and I have been singing together since high school and Thomas [Bjorn Mendelovits, Milk Teddy frontman] wanted to play drums. Zach [Schneider] saw us play and was like, ‘You guys would be better with bass, want me to join?’ I said, ‘Okay.’ I wouldn’t have said yes to just anyone – this guy is good.” HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? “I started out on a four-track in my room without drums and with instruments like the banjo and the slide guitar, but then one day Michael and I played the same songs with drums and electric guitars and it sounded like Frank ‘Poncho’ Sampedro. As the four-piece we recorded a practice, just four or five songs – it’s pretty raw though. Hopefully we will release something this year.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? “Clean homely one sock.” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? “Playing at Woodstock would have been cool.” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “The Carter Family: 1927-1937.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? “We all dress pretty nice, I’d say. Thomas and Mike get wacky sometimes but nothing lucky. I always wear a green guitar strap, but that just goes with the guitar.”

WHAT’S FOR DESERT Desert Wanderers are currently adrift in space and at work on their debut EP Scarecrow Mountain, but they’re stepping out of the studio to play a show at the Builders Arms this Saturday night. Think Nick Cave, Franz Kafka and …Trail Of Dead in creative communion. Along for the ride are the psychedelic explorations of Wunderlust and the spacey indie rock of Infi nite Ox. $5 entry.

HANDSOME MEN EXIST The Very Handsome Men successfully launched their latest CD at the Prague in December to a rousing response. Now they return to the Thornbury venue for what is shaping up to be an excellent Sunday arvo of country/blues-inspired entertainment. Support comes from The Last Chill and Middleton Road, and entry is $10 from 5pm.

LISTEN TO DR PHIL Join the crew at the Toff In Town for Friday favourites with Dr Phil Smith playing no-brainers and guilty pleasures from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, today and tomorrow. The sounds of pop, disco, rock, R&B, MOR, AOR, funk, soul, Motown, Latin, reggaeton, oddball covers, foreign language versions, ska, rocksteady, soundtracks, hip hop and then some, with an emphasis on great music as fun! The party starts at 9pm and entry is always free!

Due to popular demand, Rory Ellis will be back playing a double set at the Retreat Hotel from 8.30pm tonight (Wednesday). Ellis is a blues artist like no other. He has one of those voices you just can’t buy – rugged and gravelly, it oozes ‘been there done that’ credibility and the words that emerge from deep in his throat are rough enough to use as sandpaper. On Saturday night at the Retreat, Jo Kelly Stephenson takes her unique style of alt.country to the brand spanking new dixieland-style stage. After winning the Vox Populi award for Alt.Country Album Of The Year in the Seventh Annual Independent Music Awards, Stephenson has again reached the finals for the Eighth Annual Awards. On Sunday night, the Retreat sees the return of local funkadelic soul outfit The Moreland City Soul Review from 7pm. Let their sweet soulful melodies wash away the hangover from the night before. Entry is always free at the Retreat so it won’t cost you a dime.

Goddess is an event that will highlight some of Melbourne’s finest female singer/songwriters in a dazzling expo of live performances and video at Bar 362 in St Kilda this Friday. The first of a series of gigs, it will be a vaudeville format of 20-minute sets, backed up with video pieces in between each act. Headlining this first showcase event will be internationally renowned singer/ songwriter/guitarist Penny Ikinger along with Los Dominados, Kate Buck, Butterfly, Marilyn Rose Veil, Rosie Haden, Helena Ashton and Lisa Wood. Entry is $10 from 8pm.

YOUR YOUTH RETURNS Coming back to Melbourne for one last show before their hotly anticipated new album Dark Century is released, Adelaide’s Stolen Youth will be unleashing their ferocious brand of melodic punk/hardcore on the Arthouse this Friday. In tow will be fellow Adelaide-based rockers Grenadiers (fresh off the Big Day Out), melodic punks Strickland, battle axe wielders Viking Frontier and the killer sounds of newcomers Cavalcade. Doors at 8pm. If you dig punk rock in any form, you can’t afford to miss this one.

TASTE TEST JULIAN CUE – THE BARONS OF TANG A song more people should know about is…. Abduction by The Tango Saloon. It’s film noir detective music for the apocalypse. I love this song, it’s got an awesome vibraphone breakdown in it!

IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? “Coming from an Italian background I’m pretty good at spaghetti Bolognese so I’d probably cook that and have a Coles garlic bread as a side. Or maybe chicken cacciatore.”

MEET JO KELLY

PENNY FOR YER EARS

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? “No favourite, but there are definitely places I wouldn’t go.”

The song that always gets me on the dancefloor at 3am is… Probably anything by The Cramps. Let’s face it all their songs are pretty much the same but great for stomping and shaking.”

MOTO TO THE MARQUIS

The song I most wish I’d written is… I actually wish I’d written the entire soundtrack to The Neverending Story. It’s an orchestral synth odyssey. It’s got that whole yesterday’s future today feel about it. I think it’s one of the first memories I have of feeling powerful emotions listening to music. Swamps Of Sadness still brings a tear to my eye.

Start your engines! The Marquis Of Lorne is doing live music four days a week, and they’re off and racing! Tonight (Wednesday), garage punk pop powerhouse MOTO come direct from New Orleans to bring the beat, backed up by local luminaries Richard Stanley (Onyas, Ooga Boogas) and Ally Spazzy. Taking a turn to the country on Saturday arvo with Sweet Jean, featuring Sime Nugent and Alice Keath, SJ are a guitar/mandolin/banjo duo that’ll smooth out Friday’s hangover and set you up for Saturday night. Sunday evening goes around the bend with the tripped-out outback-meets-West Coast sounds of Sand Pebbles as part of the Marquis’ Season Of Psych Sundays. Far out! Finally, Monday slows things down with Pinto’s Ever-changing All-inclusive Exclusive Roller-rama Rama Lama Ding Dong. Phew!

The song I’m really digging at the moment is… Conversation 16 by The National. There’s just something about these guys. Catchy songwriting that leaves you hanging and this particular track features a bass clarinet which is always a mental gold star in my head.

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The song I never want to hear again is… Don’t Cry For Me Argentina. I used to work in a café that had a whole album of different versions of that cursed song on loop, all day, every day… Needless to say I quit. The Barons Of Tang play the East Brunswick Club this Saturday.

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LONDON FIELDS

TASTE TEST

The view from EC4 with James McGalliard

GREG QUILL & JON BROOKS

“We are live; please do not swear.” The axing of Big Brother may have seen this catchphrase pass into the annals of TV history, but it also seems as if taboos are shifting also. On three occasions recently BBC presenters have inadvertently dropped the c-bomb while taking about the current government. Meanwhile Channel 4 advertised their scrapping of the ten-second broadcast delay for the 21st British Comedy Awards, ensuring all the naughty words would be unable to be expurgated. The ceremony this year was fairly tame; the most significant comedy story began when members of Top Gear made comments about the sexism row concerning Sky Sports presenters backstage. In the following weeks Top Gear ended up in the news again after some questionable racial stereotype jibes aimed at Mexicans and their ambassador to the UK featured in a recent edition. Now Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza didn’t take too kindly to this; far from being indolent, he had put his life in peril leading a major campaign against drug gangs prior to his London posting. Last Saturday Jeremy Clarkson used his column in The Sun to apologise, claiming that offence is necessary in humour; the column ended with another ethnic joke about Mexico. So what are the taboos in comedy nowadays – terrorism, racism, political incorrectness, disability? Over the weekend, Steve Coogan, clearly incensed by the situation, wrote in The Guardian that “…you can get away with saying unsayable things if it’s done with some sense of culpability”, believing that comedy should have a “moral standpoint” targeting “hypocrisy, human frailty, narrow-mindedness”. A couple of weeks ago I was in the audience for the filming of four episodes of the second series of Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle. By far the most edgy section was an appreciation of the IRA – “gentlemen bombers” with achievable aims, whose street art was a natural precursor to Banksy. Lee’s skilled in irony, but sailing so close to the wind makes misinterpretation ever more likely. His 2009 Edinburgh show If You Prefer A Milder Comedian Please Ask For One had a lengthy section on Top Gear, wishing all sorts of terrible calamities to befall its presenters and their families. His get-out phrase there was the same one they use on Top Gear, that it’s “just a joke”. It may seem like a long time ago, but the repercussions of the phone messages Russell Brand and Jonathon Ross left on Andrew Sach’s answering machine are still being felt. Sachsgate was the fifth most complained about incident that broadcasting watchdog Ofcom have received in the last decade, and the BBC has only just aired an episode of Never Mind The Buzzcocks filmed two years earlier as Brand had been a panellist in it. What you can do on stage, or on DVD, is very different to what you can do as a state broadcaster, so it’ll be interesting to see if the BBC allow all of Lee’s material to go to air. Over on Channel 4, Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights also made headlines. After the initial fuss about a joke involving disability and incest had subsided, his use of the racist P-bomb and n-bomb in the fourth episode raised shackles again. In context the joke was a variation of “the ethnicities of the fatalities were, in order of importance…”, but here using evocative terminology for those at the bottom. Boyle displays a mean intelligence. Mean is a particularly apposite description; his comedy is a cross between the vitriolic rantings of a misanthrope and a carefully planned assault pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable. While sometimes very funny, it’s also spiteful and vindictive with a nastiness that can leave a distinctly unpleasant taste. Speaking in Germany last Saturday, British Prime Minister David Cameron echoed the words spoken by German Chancellor Angela Merkel last October when he said that multiculturalism was an experiment that had failed. On the same day in Luton, the EDL mounted a massive demonstration against Islam. Meanwhile last Thursday, the BBC decided not to film a certain section of an upcoming Stephen Fry program in Japan after the backlash over a section on QI where jokes were made about Tsutomu Yamaguchi, the only official survivor of both nuclear blasts in Japan in 1945. Taboos can be challenged, but maybe it’s time for some to stop hiding behind the safety curtain of ‘political correctness gone mad’ and be seen for what they are – the classroom stirrer deliberately making provocative statements just to get attention.

Jon Brooks: Grinderman 2 – Grinderman. What I’m watching right now is… GQ: On TV, The Boardwalk Empire, which goes inside Atlantic City politics in the Roaring Twenties. The most memorable movie recently is Animal Kingdom… tough, smart and shocking. JB: The death of the liberal class in the West. What I’m reading right now is… GQ: Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian – an epic tale of murder and mayhem in the American south-west in the 1850s. JB: The Fatal Shore – Robert Hughes. The Transatlantics play Revolver this Saturday and the St Kilda Festival this Sunday.

The best fi lm of all-time is clearly… GQ: No contest: Citizen Kane. JB: The Lives Of Others.

HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER? Kevin van der Zwaag, drums: “Ross [McHenry, bass] and I decided to form the band over a cup of tea some time in 2007.” HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? “Well, I prefer to tool around in the shower, but The Transatlantics currently have a two-album deal with UK-based Freestyle Records. Our debut album was released in October last year and we’re about 50% through recording our second.” CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR BAND’S SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? “Super soul party barbecue.” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? “Oh man. Too hard! I was bummed that I missed the Gorillaz tour this year so a second shot (and a free ticket) to see that show would be sweet. Obviously, Sharon Jones would be a winner too.” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “Hip To Be Square – Huey Lewis & The News.” DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? “All I need is a well-fitted suit and some decent socks.” IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? “A slammin’ bangers and mash with heaps of good onion gravy.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? “A bar called Section 8. Outdoor. Crates. Awesome.”

The one song I wish I’d written is… GQ: Because We’re Free, by Jon Brooks. What I’m listening to right now is… Greg Quill: Lynn Miles’ Fall For Beauty. Canada’s Queen Of Heartache seems to have found a reason to believe.

Melbourne rock powerhouse My Secret Circus head back to the Evelyn Hotel this Saturday to showcase songs from their soon-to-be-released debut album. They have just signed on to be the official band for Canada’s biggest Mixed Martial Arts Entertainment Company MFC, their songs being used for the massive 2011 promotion across Canada and the US. Be sure to catch this awesome Melbourne band at their old stomping ground. Support comes from Melody Black and Tin Man, and tickets are $12+BF from Moshtix.

BEN DOES IT GENTLY As far as intimate shows go, you can’t beat Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side, featuring Queenslander Ben Corbett, who alongside his brother Geoff fronts the brutally frenetic SixFtHick. Where the ‘Hick have their cathartic aggression, instead, Ben does indeed pull out his ‘Sensitive Side’, and can best be described as seeing Bryan Ferry perform on the night his wife and kids left town with his best friend and burnt his house down, his powerful vocals ringing out over the tight backing band and all the time oozing suave and swagger. They play the Grace Darling on Friday 25 February with bluesy party band (with the sci-fi twist) Plague Doctor and crowd favourites Buried Horses. Entry is $12 from 9pm.

FRANCESCA’S FOOL PROOF This Sunday at the Bendigo Hotel, Francesca Sidoti launches her album Bright City Light Fool. Raised on folk, country and blues, Sidoti will be playing a live set that is sure to be talked about. By 19, she had won a major award for singing at the National Folk Festival. By 21, she had been described by Sydney’s The Drum Media as “bringing smiles and laughter”. Her mix of folk and jazz combines traditional folk sensibilities with contemporary ideas. Supported by special guests The Busy Kingdom, don’t miss this afternoon of live musical talent when its launched on stage at the Bendigo. Entry is $10 from 3pm.

Melbourne is simmering with devastatingly good bands of the rock’n’roll/country/blues persuasion. These three are no exception. Lone Tyger have been paying their dues at every watering hole this side of Albury for a while now and are primed to deliver a punchy set of soulful rawk. Joining them are The Strydes and Collingwood’s most prolific troubadour Peter Ewing. You get all this at the Empress for just $6 this Friday. Doors open at 8.30pm.

MAGIC HAPPENS Magic Mountain Band is a new and exciting arrival on the Melbourne music scene. After a triumphant debut in 2010 they return in 2011 to perform their unique brand of instrumental, country folk, space rock at the Toff In Town. In a time of endless and uninspired repetition they dare to take the audience boldly by the scruff of the ear and lead them into a magical and ethereal world of possibility. With special guests Jordie Lane, Roller One, The Hello Morning (solo), Magnolia, Spender (solo) and The Luke Howard Ensemble, Tuesdays in February promise to be the new Friday. Tickets are $10 on the door from 7.30pm. Let’s call this one ‘G’day from WA’. Merle Fyshwick and Claire Hollingsworth, both originally from Perth, share a common uninhibited love for their music. For Fyshwick that means playing in countless bands as guitarist and traversing the globe. For Hollingsworth this means writing, teaching, singing and thinking music. It makes for a melodious afternoon when these two team up, which is why you should get to the Empress this Sunday from 3.30pm. Josh Earle will open proceedings. Before that, Fyshwick also plays IDGAFF on Saturday night.

Greg Quill and Jon Brooks play Spenserlive this Saturday.

SECRET LOVE

LONE AT THE PUB

HIS NAME IS MERLE

JB: You Are My Sunshine.

CHRIS PLAYS FOR ENGLAND Chris Cavill & The Long Weekend are no strangers to the Melbourne music scene. With the release of his debut album Distance in 2009, and three solo EPs prior to this, Cavill has earned himself a strong reputation both from the airplay received across independent and community radio stations and his energetic live shows. Check out the blues and roots singer/songwriter and his band in action at the Great Britain Hotel this Thursday from 9pm. Entry is free!

PLANET OUT Combining electronic elements with more organic ‘dark folk’ influences, Planet Love Sound continue to captivate audiences with their enveloping and intricate blend of programmed beats, synthesised basslines, acoustic guitars, and layered vocals. Comprised of two former members of indie rock band Dukes Of Windsor, PLS join forces with Brisbane-based soloist Timothy Carroll and Video Day at the Grace Darling Hotel this Friday to showcase their latest in alternative pop folk bliss.

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LOST ANIMAL LIVES Lost Animal is the (mostly) solo project of Jarrod Quarrell, formerly of St Helens and further back The New Season. Lost Animal is a rhythmic brew of programmed beats, keyboard-based riffs, free jazz-inspired sax breaks and the dirty funk of Shags Chamberlain’s (Pikelet) bass. Quarrell is currently putting the final touches on Lost Animal’s debut album with John Lee in the engineer’s seat, but has taken a break to open for Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti at the Hi-Fi this Thursday, followed by a free show at Bar Open this Sunday with support from Jonny Telafone and Thugquota. Doors at 7.30pm.

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NEXT PURPLE SNEAKERS

BANG

BANG NEXT

R ER LE SN EAK PURPL

PURPLE SNEAKERS

S BANG

EAK ERS PURPLE SN BANG

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DEPARTMENT

WAKE THE

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

Hardcore and punk with SARAH PETCHELL

OF YOUTH

The big Sunday of the St Kilda Festival is almost upon us (four sleeps to be precise), and that means it is time to start planning. It is always a big day starting very early in the morning and ending quite late at night – very late if you let it. And because the festival is free it is always very tempting to leave when you get too tired or hot or cold or other, but there is so much to look forward to this year. The Break are on early on the main stage and you do not want to miss them as the band are three-parts Midnight Oil and one-part Violent Femmes and a whole lot of surf-rock madness, perfect for a nice relaxing day on the beach. Later on the main stage, enjoy the happy, fun sounds of Muscles playing one of his favourite gigs: an all-ages show. In between those acts there is much to see and do, from dance lessons to extreme sports, Tim Finn to Graveyard Train, songwriting collectives to hip hop workshops; St Kilda Fest really does have something for everyone. The weather is predicted to be fairly nice, 24 degrees and partly cloudy, so being as the festival is on the foreshore, wear something warm. Best route to the festival is via the 112 tram which leaves from Collins Street and takes you right into the thick of the action. All other St Kilda Beach-bound trams will stop at the top of Fitzroy Street. Most importantly, look out for one another, on nice days the St Kilda Festival can average more than a million visitors, and have fun. See you there. St Kilda Fest also means that summer is fast coming to an end, which means the end of summer concert at the National Gallery Of Victoria is just around the corner. Occurring this year on the second last day of summer (on account of 27 February being a Sunday and the last actual day being an awkwardly placed Monday), this year’s concert, coinciding with Unnerved: The New Zealand Project, will have a New Zealand feel. That means that on Sunday 27 February you can enjoy an afternoon of free music from The Twerps, The Frowning Clouds, Lawrence Arabia and a live broadcast of RRR’s The JVG Radio Method while RRR DJs Fee B Squared, Jonathan Alley and Richard Watts will pay homage to one of our nearest and dearest neighbours, with a selection of Kiwi-inspired tunes throughout the day. Happening in the Grollo Equiset Garden at NGV International from 12.45pm, or in the Great Hall if it rains. From now to this Saturday the Summer Moreland Photographic Competition exhibition is open to the public. The competition is open to all high school and primary school students in Moreland. It’s about describing what it’s like for you and your friends experiencing summer in Moreland – the good, the bad, the fun and the not so fun. All entries are featured in an exhibition at Tinning Street gallery.

THURSDAY

Eagle & The Worm and Oh Mercy play free on the main stage at Federation Square. The gig starts at 6pm.

FRIDAY

Underage is on at the Wyndham Youth Resource Centre in Hoppers Crossing featuring a range of local artists. Entry is $8, doors open at 7pm.

SUNDAY

The Push have a special stage featuring some of their favourite acts at the St Kilda Festival, including Mission In Motion, 8 Bit Love plus emerging acts The Roman Danicks, Little Warriors, The McQueens and Admit One. Make sure to check it out on Cavell Street. The Break

DEAD

New Noise Agency appear to be active again, and this time they have put together an East Coast tour featuring Star Fucking Hipsters and AC4. The thing that has me the most excited about this tour is AC4. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a MASSIVE Refused fan, and AC4 contains Dennis Lyxzen and David Sandstrom of Refused fame. Not to mention that their output is decent punk rock that will certainly bring back pogo-ing. Tickets are on sale now for the show that is happening at the Arthouse on 14 April. Emery have announced an Australian tour. To be honest, I completely forgot about these guys, which is weird because I used to be obsessed with their album The Question. So I pulled out a couple of their records, had a listen and remembered why I used to like them. They’re coming out here to play Easterfest and have decided to extend their stay to include a number of shows. For Melbourne, they will be hitting up the Corner Hotel on Friday 21 April and unfortunately it will be an 18+ show. To coincide with the tour, the band will also be releasing their much anticipated fifth studio album on 29 March, entitled We Do What We Want. This means that Australian audiences will be among the first in the world to hear tracks taken from the new album in a live setting. Tickets are also on sale now. On a bit of a sad note, Byron Bay hardcore band Word Up! announced that they have decided to call it a day at the end of their Cabin Fever release tour. On their Facebook page, the band stated that, “Due to travelling commitments, this year we are all parting our own separate ways… After two demos, an EP, a full-length album, multiple national tours and playing with bands we grew up listening to, we can’t be any more grateful for the memorable times that we’ve had… Hopefully we’ll see you all on the road one last time.” Their debut album, Cabin Fever, was released in December 2010 and it a great slice of local hardcore. You can catch the band on their final tour at Catfood Press with Apart From This, Step Down, Incision and Right Mind this Sunday.

THE

RACKET

Onto release news! If I had to make a list of my top ten favourite bands, Thursday would be on it! So I am super excited by the announcement this week that Epitaph Records will be putting out the band’s sixth full-length on 8 April. Titled No Devolucion, the album is reported as being the band’s both experimental effort to date. Vocalist Geoff Rickley told Spin magazine, “There are definitely going to be at least a few fans that are like, ‘This isn’t what I want from Thursday.’ Half the reason we picked the album title is because it means, in Spanish, ‘no returns’. As in, ‘No returns, cause if you buy it, you got it!’” One look at the list of influences (which include The Cure, The Smiths and Portishead) and you can see exactly what Rickley is talking about, and this has made me even more amped to hear the album. The first track to be released from the album is called Magnets Caught In A Metal Heart and you find it in a couple of places across the internet. This week’s Soundwave Q&A is from the awesomely amazing Fucked Up! Their drummer, Jonah, answered a few questions for us. And [spoiler alert!] he cites Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s Rush To Relax as one of his favourite releases of 2010. That earns him bonus points in my books… What are you most looking forward to about heading to Australia for Soundwave? “Three words: summer in winter. The floods, of course, are a concern but even still it’s -20C here in Toronto with the windchill and I had to dig out the car with the blunt end of a snow brush today. Bring on the underside of the earth!”

Anno Domini

Sadly another great rock legend passes on! Renowned rock guitarist Gary Moore recently died while in Spain. Moore was reportedly found dead in his luxury hotel room in the Costa del Sol. He was said to be on holiday at the time of his death. The cause of his death has yet to be determined. Boasting a massive career dating back to the 1960s, Moore played with artists including Phil Lynott and Brian Downey as early as his secondary school days, leading him to a membership twice with the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy. Moore was brought into Thin Lizzy by Lynott to replace the departing Eric Bell, another guitarist from Northern Ireland. Bell told the BBC on Sunday he was still “in shock” at Moore’s death. “I still can’t believe it,” he said. “He was so robust, he wasn’t a rock casualty, he was a healthy guy. He was a superb player and a dedicated musician.” After a 21-year career, British doom/stoner veterans Cathedral have announced their “retirement” from the scene. The band will make their exit from the live arena at the end of this year and plan to record one final studio album to be released in 2012. Commented vocalist Lee Dorrian: “It’s simply time for us to bow out. Twenty one years is a very long time and it’s almost a miracle that we managed to come this far! We’ve had a great time during Cathedral’s existence and it has literally been our life. It’s just time to move on and leave our recorded legacy to linger”.

Maybe I spoke too soon in last week’s The Racket. According to the Fakt.pl website, Nergal guitarist/ vocalist of Behemoth has been readmitted to the hematology division of Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne (UCK) in Gdansk because he developed

Who are you most eager to check out on the bill? “There are lots of friends on this tour, so it’s going to be great to see familiar faces – Trash Talk, The Bronx, Kylesa, Terror. All those bands will be a pleasure to watch… but Soundwave kind of has it all. I’m definitely curious about Gang Of Four. I keep hearing about people who’ve taken flights where Bruce Dickinson is the pilot, and that he flies to his own gigs, so maybe by the end of it we’ll all be flying Trooper Air for free or something. Oh, and I can guarantee Damian [Abraham, Fucked Up singer] and I will try and pick the brain of the singer of Monster Magnet about his amazing old band Shrapnel.” What is something that no one knows about your band? “Even though we played one of the last gigs toward the end of CBGB, not a single one of us used the bathroom there. Now we’ll never have the chance to regret it.” Do you have any rituals or superstitions that you have to stick to before you go onstage? If so, what… “We don’t have any officially sanctioned rituals like a huddle or doing a shot or something, but it almost always goes the same way at a club show. We all set up our gear and leave the stage to change clothes or grab a drink except our guitar player who, without fail, always stays on stage and noodles for like 16 minutes until we all awkwardly join him on stage. Then when we’re about to start something about his or someone else’s equipment fails and we all stare at each other uncomfortably until we go in to the first song. See you out there, Australia!” What was your favourite album of 2010 and your most anticipated for 2011? “Hard to peg a fave album for the year. I am horrible at it. I liked Kurt Vile’s record, the Wild Nothing LP, the latest Eddy Current LP… It’s probably too lame to say you’re most excited for your own record to come out, but now that I’ve said that without actually saying it I’ll say I’m really excited for the new Omegas LP, Blasts Of Lunacy. I recorded their demo and first record (but not this LP), so it’s a bit like a coming-of-age story for me – and them too, I guess. It’s almost an equally unrealistic choice because it’s a pretty unknown release, but now you know about it so when the time comes you know what to do!”

Kevin join Six Feet Under. He is undeniably one of the best, if not the best drummer in death metal, and I’m proud to have him along for the ride!” Chicago-based progressive metal hybrid Born Of Osiris will release their third full-length album, The Discovery, on 22 March via Sumerian Records. The CD was recorded at BOTA Studio in Lake In The Hills, Illinois and was mixed by Jason Suecof (Devildriver). Commented guitarist Lee McKinney: “I should start by saying this new album is heavier than anything the band ever released. We have moved onto seven strings and it couldn’t have complemented our sound any better. We brought back the BOO-bounce on this one. It’s definitely a really fun and upbeat album”.

Metal, heavy rock and dark alternative with ANDREW HAUG theracket@inpress.com.au

Atlanta progressive metallers Mastodon will release a new live DVD/CD, Live At The Aragon, on 15 March via Reprise. The set was filmed/recorded during the band’s October 2009 concert at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois and it features a performance of the Crack The Skye album.

Fucked Up

TOURS, TOURS, TOURS Iron Maiden – Wednesday 23 February, Hisense Arena an infection six weeks after he underwent a bone marrow transplant procedure. “The patient was taken to hospital again because he did not take proper care of himself,” Dr Maria Bieniaszewska, assistant professor in the Department Of Hematology, was quoted as saying. Sydney death metal act Anno Domini, who recently released their new album Atrocities, are teaming up with Victorian black metallers Infektion for three big shows: this Thursday at the Newmarket Hotel in Bendigo, Friday at the Eastern Station Hotel in Ballarat and this Saturday at the Central Club in Richmond. Vocalist Chris Barnes of Florida death act Six Feet Under has issued the following update: “To the loyal fans of Six Feet Under, our longtime friends and bandmates Terry Butler (bass) and Greg Gall (drums) have decided to move on and depart from Six Feet Under. Steve Swanson (guitar) and myself are grateful for all the fun times we’ve shared together through the years, and wish them the best of luck in their musical endeavours. Just to fill you all in, Steve and myself are very excited about the future of Six Feet Under and I have been working hard on writing the new material for the past four months with a new writing partner.” The band have wasted no time in enlisting a new drummer to their ranks, being none other than Kevin Talley (ex-Chimaira) . Further comment from Barnes: “I am 110% stoked to have

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Saxon, The Sword – Monday 28 February, the Espy Bring Me The Horizon – Wednesday 2 March, Hi-Fi High On Fire, Trash Talk, Kylesa – Wednesday 2 March, Espy Rob Zombie, Murderdolls, Monster Magnet, Dommin – Thursday 3 March, Festival Hall Finntroll – Friday 25 March, Billboard Devildriver, Ill Nino, All That Remains – Friday 25 March, Billboard Disturbed, Trivium, As I Lay Dying – Sunday 24 April, Rod Laver Arena Alestorm – Saturday 14 may, Corner Hotel Suicidal Tendencies – Sunday 15 May, Billboard Morbid Angel – Friday 27 May, Hi-Fi The Haunted – Saturday 28 May, Hi-Fi Nevermore – Friday 10 June, Billboard Andrew Haug hosts Triple J’s The Racket every Tuesday from 10pm – triplej.abc.net.au/ racket. Email theracket@inpress.com.au

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THE

Belle & Sebastian

BREAKDOWN Pop culture therapy with ADAM CURLEY Sitting in a beer garden with a friend and a ‘song from the past’ comes on, and we look at each other and do that thing with our eyebrows like we both know it ‘means something’ to each other. Is that called ‘puppy face’? It doesn’t really matter what song it is. Okay, it’s a You Am I song, but it’s a ‘recovery day’ and Will Smith could probably make us teary. Actually, Will Smith has probably made more people cry than You Am I. We talk about what the song reminds us each of and it turns out it’s pretty much the same thing: adolescent ‘angst fantasies’ about what was to come; the kind of scenario that, if it was in a ‘tween’ movie, would involve a girl with a diary rolling around on her bed and maybe looking at pictures of ‘cute guys’ in the school year book and sighing a lot. Traumatic stuff. We talk about the way a song can make you feel something even before you’ve experienced it in real life, even if you know it isn’t a ‘true feeling’. Like, you can go through a ‘heartbreak’ in a Warpaint song without having actually been ‘heartbroken’, or you can imagine what Mariah Carey must be feeling and wonder when you’re ever going to experience that feeling yourself. As a kid, I mean, obviously, although Mariah probably has some stuff to teach us about marrying your manservant or how to pose for photos with your arms and legs spread as far out as possible. Why does she always do that? Is it supposed to be ‘sexy’? We get the bartender to change the music to something more ‘upbeat’ and he puts on the Misfits’ Some Kinda Hate. No kidding. But the conversation reminds me of a competition Belle & Sebastian held in the US when their latest album, Write About Love, came out in October last year. The idea was that, when you bought a copy of the album, you got a code that let you enter the competition, and to enter you had to write 300 words ‘about love’. Anything ‘about love’. The winner gets to spend a day with Stuart Murdoch and have a Belle & Sebastian song written about them, which will be released as a 7”

ROOTS DOWN

Blues ‘n’ roots with DAN CONDON rootsdown@inpress.com.au I’m not quite sure where to begin when it comes to Tony Joe White. More than four decades in the scene, an enormous number of studio and live records and a whole heap of chart hits (admittedly all of them written by White but performed by other people); the man is nothing short of a bona fide legend. As a live performer, the unassuming and oft-laconic 67-year-old has a certain unspeakable charm that is not just alluring, it’s transfixing. This swamp rock legend is the real deal, his songs effortlessly transporting listeners to the swamps and bayous of his native Louisiana and his unique guitar playing is some of the most understated yet strangely virtuosic you’ll see in blues anywhere today. Thankfully he’s in Australia all the time and his next visit will see him play the Caravan Music Club in Oakleigh on Thursday 21 April, Boogie Festival in Tallarook on Friday 22 April, the Thornbury Theatre on Thursday 12 May and Meeniyan Town Hall on Friday 13 May. As you ought to know by now, Joe Bonamassa will be on our shores in May for the second time in little more than 12 months; before he’s here though he will be releasing his 12th solo album, Dust Bowl. Now 12 records is pretty impressive by anyone’s standards, but take into account that this guy is just 33 years of age and it becomes kind of mindblowing. The record features appearances from guests like John Hiatt and Vince Gill and was once again produced by long-term collaborator Kevin Shirley. The record is out on 22 March and you can catch Bonamassa and band at the Palais Theatre on Thursday 26 May.

this year. Sounds great until you consider what Stuart Murdoch would actually think of you. The winner, announced a few weeks ago (guess Stuart Murdoch has been busy touring or taking washed out Polaroids of 1960s Catholic schoolgirls or something) is a 15-year-old named John Ficenec from Omaha, Nebraska, who wrote a list of “advice for young lovers”. One of his pieces of advice was: “Don’t go out with someone if you have to keep it a secret because when it ends since no one knows you were dating there will be no one there but your actually ex to comfort you and chances are pretty good that they won’t.” Stuart Murdoch has said he thinks the advice is good. I wonder if Stuart Murdoch has ever had that happen to him. I almost wonder if Stuart Murdoch ‘identifies’ with John Ficenec, or if he ‘sees himself in him at that age’, but the answer to that is obvious. Mostly, I wonder if, when writing a song about John Ficenec, Stuart Murdoch will read and portray him correctly or whether he’ll place ‘feelings’ on him that he hasn’t yet experienced in real life or says he has experienced but has only really experienced through listening to a song; maybe even a Belle & Sebastian song. I wonder if anyone will listen to the Belle & Sebastian song about John Ficenec and roll around on their bed with their diary and dream about the day they will feel what Stuart Murdoch says John Ficenec is feeling. And then that person will be sitting in a beer garden ten years later, giving ‘puppy face’ to their friend on ‘recovery day’ about an emotion they wondered if they’d ever have that never even existed for anyone, ever. John Ficenec should probably just listen to the Misfits.

Syrian street music and injects it with massive beats that will get you shaking. He has been incredibly active as a musician for more than 15 years now, but recent years has seen him gain a great deal of notoriety after inking a deal with US label Sublime Frequencies and being namechecked by a number of popular musicians from all types of genres. You can grab tickets to see Souleyman live in action from the venue’s box office right now for $25+BF. Everyone loves a Bob Log III show and it has been far too long since Melbourne was given one. So the helmeted slide guitar master is back in town this week to make you feel dirty all over again. He has spent most of his time of late in Europe where he has always been well adored and word is he has some absolutely incredible stories to tell involving heavy metal cruise ships, a human drum stool, the Italian police and eating a horse. Grab your finest scotch glass and head on down to the East Brunsick Club this Friday night so you can hear them and plenty more, no doubt, as well as his kick-arse brand of guttural, hard driving blues punk. The Toot Toot Toots and The Red Brigade support and you can grab a ticket from the venue’s box office right now for $15+BF. If you’ve not yet had a chance to check out the line-up for the Brunswick Music Festival then I strongly suggest you get along to their website, brunswickmusicfestival.com.au, as soon as you possibly can as the organisers have assembled an enormous bill of insanely diverse roots talent from overseas as well as locally that will hit venues in and around Melbourne from Wednesday 16 to Sunday 27 March. I’ll list off a few of my personal highlights as the weeks go on. Bob Log III

SATURDAY 12TH CHAD MASON 5 TIL 7 PM

SUNDAY 13TH SPOONFUL 5 TIL 7 PM

TUESDAY 15TH PETER EWING & FRIENDS ACOUSTIC FROM 8.30PM

Unfortunately we don’t get nearly enough sideshows from the Womadelaide festival when it comes around each year and indeed this year is looking decidedly lean at present (seriously, we want an Amadou & Mariam show!). We’re glad to announce this week that Syrian Dabke master Omar Souleyman will indeed be hitting Melbourne when he’s in Australia though for a massive dance party that will hit the Northcote Social Club on Sunday 6 March. Souleyman’s music takes some of the traditional elements of

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CHOP SHOP

TASTE TEST

Punk/noise/doom/art/um… all are words that have been used to describe the frenetic sound that Melbourne two-piece Duck Duck Chop have been creating over the past five years. This Saturday night at approximately 2am (okay, so technically Sunday morning but don’t tell your liver that), Duck Duck Chop will play Pony, focusing on newer songs and delivering their always-manic live show. Stay up late, it’ll be fun.

RYAN MEEKING What I’m reading right now is… Brave New World. Is it wrong to think that soma would be pretty sweet in real-life?

RAUL MAKIN’ YA CRY Raul Sanchez, wily guitarist for such bands as Magic Dirt, Midnight Woolf and now River Of Snakes, will be playing a special solo show on Saturday 18 February at the Sporting Club Hotel in Brunswick. Sanchez’s no-acoustic, all-electric set will include familiar covers and originals you can cry and dance to. It’s the weekend so you’ll probably be doin’ both of those things anyway, so you may as well do ‘em with a decent soundtrack. He starts at 9.15pm and entry is free!

The best fi lm of all-time is clearly… District 9 or Children Of Men based on the number of times I’ve watched them. Based on quality, Big Trouble In Little China wins hands-down. The one song I wish I’d written is… Street Spirit (Fade Out) by Radiohead. That, or Love Shack. What I’m listening to right now is… Sufjan Stevens blowing my mind like a party whistle. What I’m watching right now is… The closing credits to Baywatch. Oh the disgustingly video-effected, shockingly grotesque early-’90s shame!

Ryan Meeking plays the Northcote Social Club this Friday and the QV Summer Concert Series this Saturday in QV Square from 2pm.

Goyim covers a range of gypsy and Klezmer styles (comprising dance and celebration music) from across Eastern Europe and the Middle East, creating a touch of that burlesque cabaret Balkans brass band appeal, all the while getting an infectious high energy village street sound found among the gypsies. If you’d like a bit of all that in your life, head to the Edinburgh Castle this Thursday to see Goyim as part of their monthlong residency. It’s free in the front bar from 8pm.

CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR SOUND IN FOUR WORDS? “Lyrical, spacious, wispy, folk.” IF YOU COULD SUPPORT ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? “The Monsters Of Folk because I really love their self-titled album and the band contains a bunch of my favourite artists.” IF A HIGHER POWER SMITES YOUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE RECORD FROM THE FIRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “Neil Young – After The Gold Rush. It was the first LP my dad ever bought.”

OH FAYE Head down to the Bendigo Hotel this Saturday to witness the profound musical talent of April Maze. This duo have hit the road with Canadian folk singer Faye Blais for a three-month-long tour of Australia’s East Coast, Tasmania and New Zealand! Armed with cello, guitar, banjo, stomp box and strong male/female harmonies, this fiercely passionate yet affable duo combine folk, classical and soul music into their captivating live show. This lineup promises to grace the stage with a show that is definitely too good to miss. Entry is $10 from 8pm.

DO YOU HAVE A LUCKY ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WEAR FOR GIGS AND WHAT IS IT? “No, but I use an old pedestal fan on stage for hot Brisbane shows.” IF YOU INVITED SOMEONE AWESOME ROUND FOR DINNER WHAT WOULD YOU COOK? “Wild mushroom risotto with the mushrooms picked from the forest near where I live.”

WANNA GET OUTTA HERE?

HEIRS OF SABBATH Prepare for an evening of rites, ritual and ruin as 27 Stone presents Heirs, Dead and Stellarvore Vs Abre Ojos this Sunday at Yah Yah’s in Collingwood. Celebrate the beginning of Lupercalia, the anniversary of Black Sabbath being released or even the birth of Jerry Springer on this fine night as the acts journey through the depths of low-end and back again. Doors at 6pm, first band at 7pm, and entry is free.

TOTAL BETTY Betty’s Driving Force features Betty’s heartfelt vocals and cool-as-a-uke grooves, subtle bass and drums. This is ukulele-driven music – nothing too strenuous. Betty and her boys will be presiding over lazy afternoon drinkies at the Builders Arms this Sunday. Relax to some rockin’ blues and laid-back jazz, some pop and a sprinkle of originals. They draw from the magic of Nina Simone, Mose Alison, Tom Waits, Bonnie Rait and Rose Royce amongst others. They play 4-6pm in the front bar, and it’s free.

BLAZIN’ GUNS

GET SMASH’D Melbourne nouveau yacht rockers The Vaudeville Smash return to the Toff In Town on Saturday 19 February to follow up on their massive show there in early January. It will be their last headline show before they leave our shores for South By Southwest conference in March. In the incredibly short time they’ve been together, The V Smash have already established themselves as one of the most exciting, unique and danceinducing bands in the country. This year has already seen them film their second film clip, finish their second single and travel to Sydney and Adelaide. Support comes from The Stoics and tickets are $10+BF on sale from Moshtix.

Timothy Carroll plays the Grace Darling this Friday and Pure Pop Records this Saturday. HAVE YOU RECORDED ANYTHING OR DO YOU PREFER TO TOOL AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM? “I have recorded two studio releases. Of late, I have been recording in sweet little studios and rooms in Berlin and Stockholm.”

HEY HO, LET’S GOYIM

The annual Melbourne Adventure Travel And Backpackers Expo is once again on from Saturday 19 to Sunday 20 February at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton. Entry is free! Talk to over 100 exhibitors from all over the world who are there to give the lowdown on all that’s happening out there: Where to go, what to do, where to stay, how to get there… plus information on working overseas – paid or volunteer work. Listen in on the free travel talks; get great deals and specials and win prizes and enjoy the freebies on offer. The Expo is open 10am-4pm both days. For more details, including a list of travel talks and prizes, head to myadventureexpo.com.

SWAMP DIVING

Get on down to the Arthouse for some mid-week madness tonight (Wednesday). There’ll be beer, there’ll be babes, there’ll be pointy guitars and sweet, sweet rock! Featuring the tunes and awesome presence of Superguns, Dead City Ruins, 180 Proof and House Of Honeys! What more could you ask for on a Wednesday night? Entry is $5 from 8pm (must supply own babes).

ALAN COMING For the first time in recorded history, Alan James & The Speckled Band are playing the south side of the dirty river – well, almost. Yup, they will be strutting their fine stuff down at the brilliant Great Britain Hotel in Richmond for the grand price of zip and nada this Saturday. And all in one banging one-hour set too. So expect the usual mix of pop, Americana, roots music, music hall, gospel and any other downand-dirty genres you can think of. Accompanying them on this journey will be Lot 56, country brigands of the rarest order. They kick off at 9pm.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO DRINK IN MELBOURNE? “The Gem, because I love being served a drink by one of my favourite singers, Nathan Hollywood.”

DEAD STARS ARE HOT Stepping up to the plate to headline at Cherry this Friday are the ball-tearing rock’n’roll assault of Dead Star Renegade as they get set to achieve the greatest act a band can pull off in Melbourne – tearing Cherry Bar a new hole! With their debut album Blackwing due to drop on 25 March and two songs on free download from Reverbnation getting airplay all over the world, things are starting to heat up! Packing them in to the rafters will be special guests Destroy She Said and oTHEr taking it to another level of relentless, ear-bruising rock’n’roll! Doors open at 8pm and entry is $12.

Melbourne’s top theatrical rock bands get together at Red Bennies on Friday 18 February with the “crème de la sang” of horror burlesque performers and Sydney’s infamous voodoo daddy Juke Baritone for a dark cabaret knees-up. Featuring bands Juke Baritone & The Swamp Dogs, The Scarlets, and Rouge Fonce, and burlesque beauties Miss Nic, Vesper White, Lux St Sin and Kerryx, this is a night not to be missed! Entry is $15 from 7pm.

MCCUE TO GO OUT The Caravan Music Club (located at the Oakleigh/ Carnegie RSL in Oakleigh) continues its showcase of musical delights over the next couple of months with Anne McCue and band this Friday, celebrating her long awaited return to Australia with a two-set show. Christine’s Rockabilly Night for the QLD Flood Disaster Appeal happens this Saturday, featuring Sons Of Sun (SA), Tommy & The Lucky Strikes, DJ Midnight Rocker (UK), auctions, raffles, clothing, memorabilia and more. On Thursday 17 February, Tim Rogers stars in Saligia, a piercing treatise on the seven deadly sins written by Tim and Melanie Robinson and accompanied by a seven-piece ensemble! Also coming up are Kieran Kane & David Francey with special guest Jordie Lane on Friday 25 February and Rebecca Barnard’s Singalong Society on Wednesday 2 March. See caravanmusic.com.au for show and ticket details.

THE DC3 BORN FROM A ROOT! The DC3 is a band. There’s three of them. No surprises so far. Douglas Lee Robertson (The Icecream Hands) plays bass and sings; Henri Grawe, a jazztrained sax player, guitarist and keyboardist, has played punk rock in Barcelona, “kosmische musik” in Bremen, and run contraband in Morocco; and Damian Cowell (he claims to be the guy from TISM) plugs in a machine, hits the odd drum, but mostly raves on like a street-corner preacher. The three men got together in the nominally alt.country outfit ROOT! for two albums. That project ended, and now they’re back, just the three of them, sans cowboy hats, pseudonyms, or real drummers. They play their first gig at the Northcote Social Club this Saturday with PB Croft and Telemachus Brown. Tickets are $10+BF from the venue or $15 at the door if still available from 8.30pm.

BARBARIÖN RAVAGE YA Formed in the fiery pits of hell, somewhere between East Brunswick and Heidelberg, Barbariön are brave warriors who came together to unleash destruction upon the pissy little cardigan-clad indie bands. These helmeted warriors in leather codpieces and steel armour are gods of true metal and rawk. This Saturday at Ding Dong, the always riotous Tone Deaf party offers the band human sacrifices (that would be you) as they take the stage alongside Bitter Sweet Kicks, their brothers in rock destruction, as well as the rock’n’roll pillaging and plundering of Vice Grip Pussies. Head to tonedeaf.com.au for all the info and tickets.

SEAN OF THE ED While his main project, The Spoils, remain on extended hiatus, singer Sean Simmons has ventured out on his own for a residency at the Edinburgh Castle over Saturdays in February from 4pm. Simmons will be performing Spoils songs in intimate mode. The Spoils haven’t played in Australia since April 2010 and plan to return to Europe in 2011 so this will be a rare chance to hear Spoils songs again performed in any format. Support comes from Dot Matrix, an improvised, instrumental, experimental project with guitar and bass ably backed by a $30 Casio synth, an ‘80s drum machine, a $6 typewriter and a clarinet which he boasts to have never had a lesson for. Be in the backyard from 4-6pm – entry is free.

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SCHOLARS OF ROCK Gearing up for the launch of their debut album Can’t Stop, The Scholars are planning to rock your keyboard socks this Saturday night at the Edinburgh Castle. Performing a high-energy party set full of all the rockin’ riffs you can fit on 88 keys and a drum kit, this will be the first show for the local Brunswickians since their recent tour of Germany. Joining the line-up are Melbourne fun-rockers The Merrygorounds and joining them for the first time, the man from Edinburgh himself, Rich Davies & The Devils Union. Entry is $6 from 8.30pm.

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THE OTHER KINDA GLEE Born in the olden days, back before the banjo had become the coolest kid in class, the fine young gentlemen of the Bakersfield Glee Club established a firm plan. This plan was both outrageous and canny, a plan for the ages. That plan was to take musical instruments, and play them, often all at once! Featuring some familiar faces of the local country and roots scene, the Glee Club cordially invite you along to the Drunken Poet this Saturday for an evening of traditional country, masterful musicianship, and, well, glee. They play from 9pm.

NO BOUNDARIES Few genres are off-limits when OKA come together to make music, STU BOGA FERGIE tells NIC TOUPEE. vibes”. Almost constantly on tour these days, Oka appear at dance festivals, folk festivals, jazz festivals; while their lack of clear genre makes them a journalist’s nightmare, it obviously allows Oka to appeal to a wide variety of audiences.

KILLER JAMS

COSMA KILDA’S IT David Cosma returns to the 2011 St Kilda Festival with three live performances throughout the festival. They’re playing this Festival Sunday on the Live N Local Music Stage, Rotary Park at 1.30pm. Why not come along and grab a copy of Cosma’s latest EP release, The Tale? It’s a massive week of live, mostly free entertainment, so be sure to get amongst it. More details at davidcosma.com or the SKF website.

MUST GET STONEFIELD Every Thursday this month sees Stonefield grace the stage of the Tote for a very special residency. Stonefield will play alongside Immigrant Union, a new Melbourne-based project from The Dandy Warhols drummer Brent DeBoer. If you haven’t heard Stonefield yet, now is the time to take notice. The four sisters from the Victorian hills have been turning heads with their stellar songwriting and soulful ‘70s rock’n’roll sound. This will be one of the last chances to see Stonefield before they travel overseas to play the renowned Glastonbury and Great Escape festivals in the UK. Their debut EP, Through The Clover, is available in stores and online now through Shock. This Thursday they’re also joined by Merri Creek Pickers and doors open at 8.30pm.

MEEKING AN ENTRANCE After a busy 2010 recording in Atlanta with producer Nick DiDia (Springsteen, Powderfinger, Pearl Jam) and playing gigs at venues and festivals around Australia, Ryan Meeking and his band are kicking off 2011 by bringing their melodic and engaging songs to one of their favourite hometown venues. Catch their exciting live set at Northcote Social Club this Friday and see for yourself what made Rolling Stone herald “Ryan Meeking Shall Inherit The Earth”. Support comes from Tully & The Thief and Leena and tickets are $15+BF from the venue or $20 at the door if still available. From 8.30pm.

The Fearless Vampire Killers have been lying low of late putting the finishing touches to their debut album with very few sightings of them propping up bars around Melbourne. However, it’s all been worth it because they’re storming into Yah Yah’s to play a headline show this Saturday! Bringing back their Kill Surf City guitar freak-outs to the place they misbehave most, the band have their new album tracks down pat and they’re promising to deliver one of the most killer sets of their career. Joined by Undead Apes, Sungod Replica and Dune Rats, this is gonna be one hell of a party.

ZINGERS ‘N’ PINGERS Everyone loves free and this Thursday at Bar Open, beggars can be choosers with a free event showcasing three of Melbourne’s more unique and diverse bands. Psychward Vs RSI will crawl into your ears like smoke and take over your hearing like voodoo. Harsh power electronics noise with spinetingling DS synth barrage. The Flesh World’s take on US-styled ‘80s hardcore is a lot different to how this style of music is usually done in Melbourne. Not shit. The Zingers have been on the touring circuit consistently for the last two years perfecting their ever-so-zany KBD punk sound. Doors at 9pm.

TALK ‘TIL YER PURPLE Put your sweat to good use this Friday by lubing up the dancefloor at Purple Sneakers at Miss Libertine. Strange Talk DJs will be blasting fresh gusts of the best indie mash-ups. Catch Dune Rats play live for ramshackle surf rock goodness without the sand in your undies. The Brisbane duo are only a few months old but when they consist of BC (The Cairos, Comic Sans) and ex-Villains Of Wilhelm singer Danny Wilhelm, they definitely aren’t strangers to cutting loose on stage. Plus Wildlife DJs, Black Olives, Mary Tyler More and JJ will be melting those wheels of plastic with the hottest party tunes all night long. This week is also the launch of the mini album from Ghoul, thanks to Inertia. For more details and to find out how to win a copy head to boundarysounds.com. Entry is $12 from 8pm.

PHIL WORKS NIGHTS Local singer/songwriter Phil Smith will be launching his new album, I Work Nights, at the Knox Community Arts Centre in Bayswater on Saturday 26 February from 7.30pm. This cabaretstyle launch will showcase Smith playing solo, with his band The Realistics and special guests, playing new songs and old, and particularly the new album. Tickets are $15 or $12 concession – bookings via cdlaunchbookings@gmail.com.

THICK AS BRICKS With their explosive stage energy, insane ramblings and powerful songwriting, Bricks are set to tear down the Tote this Sunday. Forming just over a year ago, Bricks have set a new standard in hardcore, bringing back the fire of the old school and combining it with the ferocious songwriting style of modernday metal bands. With appearances at last year’s Melbourne Music Festival and regular airplay on PBS, Bricks are fast earning themselves a good rep. Joining them for an early gig at the Tote will be Moustache Ant, Hybrid Nightmares and gypsy legends Rapskallion! Entry is $7 from 6pm.

GEORGIA FIELDS CALLS After launching her debut album to critical acclaim in November 2010, Georgia Fields has already managed to squeeze in a national tour and a special guest appearance alongside Kim Salmon with the RocKwiz Orchestra at the recent Queenscliff Music Festival. Now the indie pop dynamo returns to the Empress Hotel on Friday 18 February to play some album tracks and new songs with her band of multi-instrumentalists. Nick Batterham, who recently released his debut record Second Lovers, will be supporting. There is every possibility they’ll perform some kind of humorous/endearing cover together, for the hell of it. Entry is $10 from 8.30pm.

f their press is to be believed, the best way to experience Oka is to see them live – as the expectant and ever-excited crowd at yearly outdoor festival Rainbow Serpent recently found out. Chatting with Inpress while tackling the long drive to the festival site, Oka’s didge player and exotic dancer Stu Boga Fergie – AKA Didgeristu – admits that describing Oka’s music is tough even for him. “Argh,” he groans, ruefully. “It’s the hardest thing to do, defining Oka’s sound. We just play and it’s what comes out. It is all of our influences melded together – and we have all been involved in heaps of different genres. I grew up with hip hop and reggae, Chris [Lane, guitarist] studied a lot of jazz and Charles [Wall, drums] is into reggae too. There aren’t too many types of music we’re not into and recently our sound has been becoming pretty rocky. Our music is constantly evolving. “Our live festival show at the moment is quite high energy and we like to get the crowd dancing all the time. We do have a cool, rootsy element to it but dance sounds in there too. It is based in electronica but it changes as we go along and create new jams. As we keep developing now tracks we develop new sound flavours to explore.” Whatever the Oka sound is, the one thing that remains clear is that it works. Having started simply in 2002 in Melbourne after touring with Lane’s brother through Canada, a small interval of jamming quickly became a band, and then a band with five albums, their most recent release being Oka Love, released in 2009, which was memorably described as “fluorescent chill” with “Indigenous

“It’s a pretty honest form of music,” Fergie asserts, to explain the breadth of their fanbase. “We try to create a bit of a journey on stage, and we find that a nice energy always happens at our shows. We get the crowd involved and somehow it becomes something memorable. I’m not sure what our secret is,” he admits candidly, “but we seem to be having some great shows. I think we offer something a bit different – didgeridoo and electronica bands have been around in the past but we have our own kind of style, something new and fresh.” Certainly, what they do have is a native didge player in the band: Fergie’s Indigenous ancestry and exposure to many native peoples of PNG and Australia in his childhood have given him insight – and musical awareness – that few people have, and this undeniably infuses the Oka sound. “I bring a bit of my culture to the band, playing the didge, and make it into an honest art form. Charles also brings some traditional elements with his instruments so it’s a bit of a hybrid of traditional sounds. We both bring our culture into the band and that makes it a little bit different.” Oka have also taken an unorthodox approach to the remix album concept, with their new Dub Edits And The Jamaican Mule release. Instead of sourcing big name DJs and producers to lend some kudos and gloss, they’ve remixed the lot themselves, tweaking their album tracks to reflect their current live incarnations. “When we play our studio tracks live we remix them a lot, so we wanted to bring out an album that reflects the live remixes we’ve been we’re trying to do,” Fergie explains, “to give the tracks a new flavour.”

WHO: Oka WHEN & WHERE: Friday 11 to Monday 14 March, Port Fairy Folk Festival

ARMS FOR GHOSTDRUMS

CALL TO ORDER

Ghostdrums’ debut self-titled release made a huge impact in 2010. You may have heard Red Thread on 3RRR or seen apparitions of the single Morning Sun as Rage’s Indie Clip Of The Week. Now Ghostdrums comes to Melbourne from his WA home for the first time for a special one-off show at the Builders Arms this Friday. Ghostdrums’ experimental electronica combines intricate production with a lo-fi acoustic sound that’s as innocent and whimsical as his performance setup. Keeping things spooky, he joins forces with Mystic Eyes and Aoi. Entry is $8 from 8.30pm.

After slogging it out in the Perth rock scene for the past four years, State Of Order are ready to embark on a new journey. The band will record and release their debut album this year and have just released their first single, Calling Out, as a teaser. Recorded by Adam Round at Underground Studios and mixed by Tom Larkin (Shihad, Calling All Cars, The Getaway Plan) and mastered at Crystal Mastering, the song is ambient, powerful and melodic. They head this way to play Revolver on Friday 25 March with Involume, Life To Order and Fisker.

ALT.DRUNK

Soulful, sassy vocals, twangin’ Gretsch guitar, pumpin’ drums and a thumpin’ double bass is what you’ll get from The Level Spirits. Featuring former Stems man Julian Matthews on guitar, Molly Jean Morrison on vocals, ex-Kingpin 440 bassist Mark Mansour and the mighty Robert Urban on the drums, the band mine the sounds of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s to create one helluva soul garage sound and launch their debut album, Double Crosser, at the Tote this Friday with special guests The Exotics and Wolfy & The Batcubs. Entry is $15 from 8.30pm.

In sporting parlance, a triple threat is described as one who is expert or adept in three fields, skills etc. In the world of music a triple threat might be exemplified by the combination of three such talents as Van Walker, Liz Stringer and Chris Altman on the one Sunday afternoon! That’s right, three of Melbourne’s finest take their righteous justice to the stage of the Drunken Poet on the eve of everybody’s favourite hallmark holiday, Valentine’s Day. Walker and Stringer kick things off at 4pm, with Altman bringing it home at 6.30pm.

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DOUBLE-SHOT SPIRITS

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Are the Lucchesi brothers volatile, like the Gallaghers, or more mild-mannered, like the Farriss brothers? “We’ve done things that would make the Gallaghers look like schoolyard freaks,” Marc laughs, “but we’ve learnt to become more Farriss-like over the years. You sort of have to, especially considering that we now all live together. There’s no brawl like a brawl between brothers. The good thing is, five minutes later you’re friends again. We have actually had a couple of very heated arguments on stage. I think the punters think it’s part of the show – at least I hope they do.”

The Vaudeville Smash

As the guys put the finishing touches to their debut album with producer Tim Johnston, they’ve released a single called Roller Disco. And before they head to Austin for SXSW, they’re playing this Sunday at the St Kilda Festival, and Saturday 19 February at the Toff.

HOWZAT! Local music news by JEFF JENKINS

THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH HIT Howzat! thought it was going to be a quiet Friday night. A mate suggested we check out a new band at Roxanne in the city. We arrive about half an hour before they’re due on. It’s a big venue and not many people are there. “This is not going to be good,” we think. But then, as the band hits the stage, a couple of hundred people miraculously appear. They seemingly know all the words and they proceed to sing along. You can’t help but move. The gig is an event. The Vaudeville Smash are a great live band. “You guys just make me happy,” one punter told singer Marc Lucchesi, “you’re an antidote for the daily grind.” While another fan revealed: “The child in my stomach was conceived to your music.” The Vaudeville Smash say they took the name from an Italian children’s karaoke machine that was around in the late ’80s. And they have a great

description for their sound: ‘nouveau yacht rock’. “Yacht rock is a term for the smooth West Coast sound that came out of America in the late ’70s and early ’80s,” Marc explains. “Acts like Hall & Oates, The Doobie Brothers, Toto and Kenny Loggins, to name a few. If you ever saw the soft rock collection you could buy on late-night infomercials, you know what I mean. While we’re influenced by a lot of different types of music, this period is what gets us going the most; it’s music with incredible melodies and harmonies, and, in many cases, an amazing groove, made by incredible musicians. The nouveau part is just a fancy way of saying we’re new.” Like the Bee Gees, INXS, Kings Of Leon and Hanson, The Vaudeville Smash are a band featuring three brothers. Marc, Dan and Luca Lucchesi’s dad sang Italian and Spanish folk songs and dug The Beatles. And their mum’s dad was the conductor of the Adelaide Latvian men’s choir and taught the kids classical piano. Marc’s first album purchase was Paul Simon’s Graceland (“I only really wanted You Can Call Me Al”) and his first big concert was James Brown at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. “It was also the night I lost my virginity,” he reveals. “Pretty good if you ask me.”

The Vaudeville Smash show a great sense of humour in their music and on Twitter. December 12: “Amazing gig in Byron Bay last night. Timmis broke hearts, Luca broke balls, Nic broke his guitar and Dan broke chairs by simply sitting on them.” January 1: “Happy new year from everybody’s favourite band. Our new year’s resolution is to get Dan to stop eating.” January 9: “Great show at the Toff last night. Crowd went a little bit nuts. Timmis got man of the match. Percy found true love. Dan is still too fat.”

BIG BEN

CHART WATCH

Drapht leaps into the Top 20. Who’s That Girl GUY SEBASTIAN (number ten) Rapunzel DRAPHT (16) Friday To Sunday JUSTICE CREW (20) Big Jet Plane ANGUS & JULIA STONE (23) Rock It LITTLE RED (25) Saturday Night JESSICA MAUBOY (26) Fall At Your Feet BOY & BEAR (37) Angus & Julia Stone close in on triple platinum. Down The Way ANGUS & JULIA STONE (number seven) Twenty Ten GUY SEBASTIAN (eight) Altiyan Childs ALTIYAN CHILDS (11) Birds Of Tokyo BIRDS OF TOKYO (13) Gilgamesh GYPSY & THE CAT (14) We Are Born SIA (17) Running On Air BLISS N ESO (24) He Will Have His Way VARIOUS (26)

Is there anything Ben Lee can’t do? He’s now the Paul Shaffer-like music man on the Tom Hanksproduced internet show The 3 Minute Talk Show With Barry Sobel. You can check it out at lstudio.com.

Get Closer KEITH URBAN (29)

NATURAL D. SASTER!

Midnight Remember LITTLE RED (37)

Why did D. Rogers call his new album Natural Disasters? Since he settled on that title, the nation has been rocked by floods, fires and cyclones. And then, as Dave launched the album last Friday, many punters were left stranded, battling the Melbourne deluge. As Howzat! tried to head to the Northcote Social Club, one friend pondered: “Why didn’t he call the album ‘Sunny Nights & Good Times’?” And Dave joked that he was going to call his next album “Perfect Album Launch Weather”.

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Immersion PENDULUM (30) I Believe You Liar WASHINGTON (31)

HOWZAT! PLAYLIST

Roller Disco THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH Biggest Bitch FIONA LEE MAYNARD Buyer’s Remorse D. ROGERS Mark The Day LAURA Downlow WAGONS

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

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FRIDAY 11TH FEBRUARY SALT LAKE CITY CITRUS JAM NIC TATE STARTING 7:00 PM SATURDAY 12TH FEBRUARY MON KERR BRIEGA YOUNG KYLE CINNINGHAM STARTING 7:30 P.M COMING UP SOON TRAVELLING ROCK CIRCUS HAPPY ENDINGS IDGAFF BAR

160 HODDLE STREET ABBOTSFORD VIC 3026. FOR BAND BOOKINGS PLS CONTACT HARRY: 0433 967 207 IDGAFFBOOKINGS@GMAIL.COM twitter.com/inpressmag

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WED 09 12 Tone Diamonds Bennetts Lane Angel Eyes, Alec & Emma, J.A. Core Bar Open Annie McKinnon, Travis Marke, Kid Wolf Empress Hotel Bear in Heaven, The Antlers, Sherlock’s Daughter Corner Hotel Bopstretch Uptown Jazz Café Chris Altmann The Standard Hotel Cilla Jane Edinburgh Castle Hotel Dan Parsons, Steve Grady Wesley Anne Deerhunter Billboard Dizzy’s Big Band Dizzy’s Jazz Club DJ Lapkat, 555 Horse Bazaar Ella Thompson, Hailey Cramer, Laura Baxter & the Captains, Lance Ferguson Evelyn Hotel Engine Three Seven, Working Horse Irons, The Mercy Kills Esplanade Gershwin Room Grizzly Jim Lawrie, Ross de Chene Hurricanes, Sarox, Emily Shobbrook, Mr DNA, Dj Mike Sabba The Late Show Gallery Joe Cocker, George Thorogood & the Destroyers Palais Theatre Lady Noir, Agent 86, Kiti, Mr Thom, Joybot Lucky Coq Let The Cat Out, The Wanderer Veludo Lo-Res, Post 303 Luke Yeoward The Gem M.O.T.O Marquis Of Lorne Hotel Menomena, Tobias Cummings East Brunswick Club Miles H O’Neil, Simone Page Jones The Old Bar New Archer, Yuko Kono Builders Arms Hotel No Stairway, Applejack, Shadow Queen, Slayain Ruby’s Lounge Obliveus, Manchild, Moonshine, Tahl, Matt Radovich, Lindsay Marchment Bimbo Deluxe Open Mic Bendigo Hotel Open Mic Brunswick Hotel Open Mic Soft Belly Bar Open Mic The Bender Bar Peter Tollich, Stand & Deliver Co., Crown Rob Burke Quartet Paris Cat Jazz Club Rory Ellis Duo Retreat Hotel Six Ft Hick, Gruntbucket Cherry Bar The Hidden Venture, Changing Falls, Red Rockets Of Borneo, Andrew Swift, The Ship Wrecks Esplanade Lounge

The Superguns, Dead City Ruins, 180 Proof, House of Honeys The Arthouse Trivia Grumpys Green Warpaint, Seja Northcote Social Club Wedgetail, Plague Doctor, Chigwell Sharp The Tote Wine, Whiskey, Women, Lydia Phillips, Kate Lucas The Drunken Poet Woohoo Revue, The Whole Molko Workers Club

THU 10 !!! (CHK CHK), Worlds End Press Prince Bandroom Adam Bartas, Dean Paps, Luke Will, Jody McLeod, Heath Renata, Kizzam Dakota, Ringwood Alex & Tobes Dan O’Connell, Carlton Ancient Free Gardeners, Chilliad, Speed Orange Empress Hotel Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Pikelet, Lost Animal The Hi-Fi Better Than The Wizards, The Scarecrows, Ashra, The Villas Evelyn Hotel Broderick Smith, Matt Walker Duo Retreat Hotel Bucket Room Grumpys Green Buried Feather, The Grand Rapids, Strangers From Now On Esplanade Lounge Burn In Hell, The Jimmy Deadman Communion, Good People Doing Nothing Esplanade Basement Chris Cavill & The Long Weekend Great Britain Hotel Cookin’ on 3 Burners 303 Crown Us Thieves, The Approach, Event Horizons, In Motion The Arthouse Foals, Last Dinosaurs The Palace Theatre Funkadelic Side Cherry Bar Goyim Edinburgh Castle Hotel Heather Stewart, Alexis Nicole and the Missing Pieces Wesley Anne Jahrukus Veludo Jake O’Leary, China, Jimmy Cox, James Rosales, Joel Alpha Valve James Reyne Wellers of Kangaroo Ground Jason Lowe, Ben Smith The Drunken Poet Jeff & Pete Elephant and Wheelbarrow Jenny & Johnny, The Laurels East Brunswick Club Jenny Biddle Elephant & Wheelbarrow, St Kilda Lisa Wood, Frank Lee Ernest Lyrebird Lounge

M.O.T.O, Divorced, Interzone, The French Yah Yah’s Manic Musicians Jam Night Brunswick Hotel Mickey Cosmo, Andreas, TMC Red Love Cocktail Bar Miles Jnr, Dwayne Thompson, Tom Evans White Charlie Mood, Tuan Beser, Johan Elg Loop Motion Quartet Uptown Jazz Café Nadene Satch Rainbow Hotel No Way Out, Feed Her To The Sharks, Stickmike Next North Meets South Dizzy’s Jazz Club Oh Mercy, Eagle and the Worm! Federation Square Preston Perche, Aluka Paris Cat Jazz Club Raw Comedy Footscray Community Arts Centre Rosstown DJ’s Rosstown Hotel Saltwater, Green Scooter Moose Ruby’s Lounge Sam Lawrence, Pete Baxter, Harmony Builders Arms Hotel Scotty E Wheelers Hill Hotel Sean Simmons The Gem Slow Waves, Rich Davies & The Devils Union, Ferry Tails, Saint Jude The Old Bar Station DJ’s Station Hotel Stonefield, Immigrant Union, Merri Creek Pickers The Tote Stornoway, Otouto, The Bon Scotts Corner Hotel Sweet Jean Union Hotel Brunswick Switch DJ’s Eve Bar The Half Pints, The Lost Cause, The Scam, Foot Soldier, Love/Hate, A13, Throbulator Pony The Oceans Baroque Ensemble Bennetts Lane The Prague Short Film Night The Prague The Shipwrecked, We Knew When We Landed, Tim Ireland, Juniper Sando The Zingers, Flesh World, Psychward, R.S.I Bar Open U-One, Dave Pham, Tiger Funk Bimbo Deluxe Warpaint, Seja Northcote Social Club WHO, Agent 86, Lewis Can Cut Lucky Coq Wilfred Jackal, The Scarecrows, Greasers, Andras Fox, Mic Newman, Dmanual, Sam Gudge, Vadim Revolver Yeasayer, Ghoul Billboard Young Mavericks, Tomaki Jets, Underwater Jesus Workers Club

FRI 11 Andrew Reid, Howard Cairns Dizzy’s Jazz Club Annabelle Tunley, Peter Coles Wesley Anne Anne McCue & Band Caravan Music Club Asian Envy, BACK BACK FORWARD PUNCH, So Many Voices, Simon Edwards, Andy Hart, Mike Callander, Jamie Stevens, Craig McWhinney, Virginia Le Revolver Basket Case, Rewind 80s Rock DJ, DJ Bongmist Prince Bandroom Bastian Kill Joy, Morgan MacManus Ruby’s Lounge Bob Log III, The Toot Toot Toots, The Red Brigade East Brunswick Club Boogs, Phil K, Musca, Andrew Padula The Decca Carvel, Animaux Brunswick Hotel Chantal, Turro Martinez, Venus Del Rio Copacabana CQ DJ’s CQ Bar Dave Houchin, Shaun Parker, DJ Return, Soulgoose Horse Bazaar Dave Houchin, Shaun Parker, Soulgoose, DJ Return Melbourne Social Club De La Soul, Prince Paul, Mantra Billboard Dead Star Renegade, Destroy She Said, Dj Max Crawdaddy Cherry Bar Diamond Dancers, Baby D, Julz, Yatha, Nova, Nousky Lotus Bar & Lounge Eddie Mac, Chris Ng White Charlie Element Elephant and Wheelbarrow Elly Hoyt Quintet Paris Cat Jazz Club Evika Lee Attwater, Scott Langham The Bender Bar Fifteenth Avenue Blue Diamond Fort Knox 5, Nick Thayer, Slynk, Nice & Ego, Citizen, Matty Blades Roxanne Parlour Fuck Face, Guests Public Bar Ghost Drums, AIO, Mystic Eyes Builders Arms Hotel Gian Slater, Jamie Oehlers Quartet Bennetts Lane Good Vs Evil Precinct Holliava Esplanade Gershwin Room Jack Carty, Isaac de Heer, Justin Hunter, Tasty Cakes Yah Yah’s JaseFOS, Aaron Static, Jslyde, Simon Murphy, Dave Juric, Recoil Loop Jason Midro, Bexta, Master Kaos, Jewelz, Dj Kat, Steve Strangis Platform One Kim Churchill Torquay Hotel

Kingswood, Wilderbeast, Austin Busch, Rusty (Electric Mary) Esplanade Lounge Ladida DJs Ladida Live Music Grumpys Green Lone Tyger, The Strydes, Peter Ewing & Friends Empress Hotel Los Impenetrables Builders Arms, early show M.O.T.O, Woolen Kits, Kids Of Zoo, Royal Chant, Slugger Fontaine Pony Matt & Earl James Squire Brewhouse Matt Rad, Mr George, Tom Meagher, Phato A Mano Lucky Coq Midsummer Festival Event, Dolly Diamond Red Bennies Mu-Gen, NXR Eurotrashbar My Dynamite, Dead City Ruins, The Mercy Kills, The Deep End John Curtin Hotel Neo Abode Penny Ikinger, Los Dominados, Kate Buck, Butterfly, Marilyn Rose Veil, Rosie Haden, Lisa Wood Bar 362 Peril, Sef, Achos, Shaggz, Dinesh, NYD, Unique Marrakech Lounge Phil Manning Churchill’s Restaurant Planet Love Sound, Timothy Carroll, Video Day Grace Darling Hotel Platinum DJ’s Valve Poprocks at the Toff, Dr Phil Smith The Toff In Town Private Function The Prague Provincial DJ’s Provincial Hotel Purple Sneakers, Strange Talk DJ’s, Dune Rats, Wildlife DJs, Black Olives, Mary Tyler More, JJ Miss Libertine Red Love DJ’s Red Love Cocktail Bar Retro DJ’s Club Retro Return to Forever Regent Theatre Rob Schneider The Comedy Theatre Ryan Katzen, Shaggz, NYD Tryst Bar Ryan Meeking, Tully & the Thief, Leena Northcote Social Club Silverdollars Unlimited, Junk, So Many Voices, Tronikelesch, DJ 303 Simon Slieker, Mo Ichi, Freya, Mish’chief, Katie Drover, Shane Copal Bimbo Deluxe Sircuit DJ’s, Gavin Campbell Sircuit Six Ft Hick, The Bakelite Age, Undead Apes The Old Bar Spank Room 680 Stan Walker Alumbra Station DJ’s Station Hotel

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Stolen Youth, Grenadiers, Strickland, Viking Frontier, Cavalcade The Arthouse Sunset Circus, Ding Dong DJ’s Ding Dong Lounge Tabasco Tom & Doc White w/Steve Williams, Dutch Tilders Rainbow Hotel Tavares The Night Cat The Awesomes Elephant & Wheelbarrow, St Kilda The Belltones The Gem The Big Hoo Haa Portland Hotel The Level Spirits, The Exotics, Wolfy and the Batcubs The Tote The Melodics Veludo The Shaolin Afronauts Bar Open The Youngs, The Bell Parade, DJ Mantooth Retreat Hotel Traditional Irish Music Session, Dan Bourke & Friends The Drunken Poet Trash DJ’s Casey’s Nightclub Vincenzo, Heidi Brown Alley Working Horse Irons, DJ the Duchess, LA Bastard, The Yard Apes Bendigo Hotel

SAT 12 1928, Tranter Co, Sleeves, Mu-Gen, Megawuoti, Dceed Eurotrashbar Adam Askew, Henry Thorn, Peter Baker, Sam McEwin, Adam Trace, Myagi, Samari, Myles Mac, Tom Evans Bimbo Deluxe Adam Bartas, Spacey Space, Chris Papas, PTFFP, Mark John, Wei Shen White Charlie Alan James & the Speckled Band, Lot 56 Great Britain Hotel Alexis Nicole and the Missing Pieces Builders Arms, early show Anno Domini Central Club Hotel April Maze, Faye Blais Bendigo Hotel Azucar Mi Corazon Barbarion Ding Dong Lounge Blackbird Market, Bum Creek, Parading, Alex Jarvis, Actual Holes Workers Club Boogs, Spacey Space, Radiator, Nick Coleman, Tom Evans, Damon Walsh, Dean Benson, Nick Jones, Ash Lee Platform One Boogs, Phil K, Musca, Andrew Padula The Decca Budd, Mammoth Mammoth, Devil Rock 4, Battle Axe Howlers The Prague C-Bas Station Hotel Chad Mason Labour In Vain

Chelsea Drugstore, The Hired Guns, The Little Sisters Cherry Bar Chill James Squire Brewhouse Chris Wilson Union Hotel Brunswick Christine’s Rockabilly Party Caravan Music Club Circus Flood Aid Red Bennies Clip Clop Club Pint On Punt Cotton Sidewalk, The Run Run, Dangerous Truth, Light Noise, Sendfire, Hard Rubbish, SPG, Crackwhore, Stork Brunswick Hotel Counterfeit, Apart From This, Cynosure Bang Cumbia Cosmonauts, Djumba Bar Open Dan O’Connell Fiddlers Dan O’Connell, Carlton Dave Larkin The Gem Desert Wanderers, Wunderlust, Infi nate Ox Builders Arms Hotel DJ Artie, Dean G, Luke De Angelo, USO Tryst Bar DJ Eucalyptus, Austin Floyd, Jo Kelly Stephenson, DJ Matty B, Steel Birds Retreat Hotel Dragon, Ronit Melbourne Zoo Elf Tranzporter, Sofi Fiya, Voodoo Dred, Burn City Queenz Horse Bazaar Eye of The Enemy, In Malices Wake, Elysian, Naberus The Arthouse Fearless Vampire Killers, Undead Apes, Sun God Replica, Dune Rats, Shaky Memorial Yah Yah’s Freak Technique Blue Diamond Full Ugly, Lehmann B Smith Hell’s Kitchen Gareth Emery Brown Alley Greg Quill, Jon Brooks Spenserslive Gypsy Brown The Night Cat Howl At The Moon, Slow Waves, The Blue Jays, The Medicators, Duck Duck Chop, Touch It Pony Jack Talbot, John Baptise, Van-G, Genetix, Bran Kalus, T- Rek Wah Wah Lounge Jacket Off Veludo James Sherlock Trio Uptown Jazz Café Jamie Vlahos, Frazer Adnam, Scott McMahon, Mr Magoo, Ziggy Billboard Jesus, DJ Agey, Andy R, Adrian Marolda, Rob Sama, Dean Paps, Matty Grant Marrakech Lounge Jon Beta, Nikko, Lister Cooray, Darius Bassiray Loop Live Music Grumpys Green Liz Tobias Mamma Jazz Quintet Paris Cat Jazz Club

Lloyd Coles Small Ensemble Thornbury Theatre Mariso Quigley, The Boogaloos, Highway 41 Horns St Andrews Hotel Mark Sultan, M.O.T.O, UV Race, Rodney & the Rumours The Tote Matt Carr Band Rainbow Hotel Metrik Elephant and Wheelbarrow Montes, Syme Tollens Abode Moonshine, Pacman, Ash Lee, Kodiak Kid, Jean Paul, Sam McEwin, Tahl Lucky Coq Motel DJ’s The Motel Mr Palmer Precinct Muscles (DJ Set) Rats @ Brown Alley New Skinn, Mushroom Giant, Ennis Tola, Ungus Ungus Ungus, Phil Para Esplanade Lounge Ove-Naxx, Toxic Lipstick, Babayaga Witches, Baaddd, Fabio Umberto, Keith Party, Kt Spit, Xian Noise Bar Pean, Ralph Dakota, Ringwood Pez & 360, The Melodics, The Bedroom Philosopher, Dead Actors Club The Hi-Fi Play-Doh Elephant & Wheelbarrow, St Kilda Provincial DJ’s Provincial Hotel Raw Comedy, Tijuana Cartel, The Barons Of Tang East Brunswick Club Red Love DJ’s Red Love Cocktail Bar Return to Forever Forum Theatre Rezzalp, Reece Dillon & the Jellybabies, Ducardus, Atlas Murphy, Sam Harvey, Matt Glass, My Secret Circus, Melody Black, Tin Man Evelyn Hotel Rob Schneider The Comedy Theatre Ross Horkings, Clint Morgan, Death By Disco, Bianca White, Stevie Mink, Taylor Stanton, Chango Phat Ladida Sean Simmons, Dot Matrix Edinburgh Castle, early show Simon Digby, James Belias, Ganz, Nik M Alumbra Six Ft Hick, Midnight Woolf, The Jackals The Old Bar Speed Orange, Waterford, Jo Dawson 303 Superfluid, Tonight Alright, Looking For Scarlett Chandelier Room Sweet Jean Marquis Of Lorne Hotel The Bakersfield Glee Club The Drunken Poet The Big F**k Off Febirthday Dance Party in the Pub Ruby’s Lounge The DC3, PB Croft, Telemachus Brown Northcote Social Club The House deFROST, Andee Frost The Toff In Town

Wed. 9th (Wine, Whiskey, Women) 8pm: Lydia Phillips 9pm: Kate Lucas Thurs. 10th 8pm: Jason Lowe 9pm: Ben Smith Fri. 11th 6pm: Traditional Irish Music Session with Dan Bourke & Friends Sat. 12th 9pm: The Bakersfield Glee Club Sun. 13th 4pm: Liz Stringer & Van Walker 6.30pm: Chris Altmann Tues. 15th 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 The ReChords, Hank Ferguson & his Cosmonauts, Alysia Manceau, Danny Walsh, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Jimmy Dead Communion, Danny Baeffel Empress Hotel The Scholars, Merry Go Rounds, Rich Davies & The Devils Union Edinburgh Castle Hotel The Shivering Timbers The Sporting Club The Slight Return: Jimi Hendrix Tribute The Post Office Club Hotel The Transatlantics, O.M.G.’s, Saskwatch, Chris Gill, Andras Fox, Ransom, Nick Thayer, Paz, Mat Cant Revolver Thomas Henry Walker The Bender Bar Tiger & Me Wesley Anne Tim Finn, The Chemist, Jackson McLaren Corner Hotel Timothy Carroll, Planet Love Sound Pure Pop Records Tom Evans, Nick Jones, Ryan Wells, Josh & Sash, Mee2, Nick Fleming Valve Urthboy, Joelistics, Ishu, Lady Lash Esplanade Gershwin Room Wonderland DJ’s Casey’s Nightclub

Woolhouse, Michailidis, Robertson Trio Federation Square Yvette Johansson, Joe Ruberto Trio, The Melatonins, Jelly Tub Rollers, Harry Angus Bennetts Lane

SUN 13 Afrodescia Alumbra Alan James & the Speckled Band Edinburgh Castle Hotel Andrew McMahon The Hi-Fi Andyblack, Haggis The Toff In Town Angie Hart Victoria Market Applejack, Since We Kissed, Gateless Gate, The Shivering Timbers Miss Libertine Askew, Peter Baker, Booshank, Paz, Miss Butt, Junji Lucky Coq Betty’s Driving Force Builders Arms, early show Butch, Boogs, Isaac Fryar, Dean Benson, Monty McGraw, Jacob Malmo Revolver Chardy, Luke McD, Nick Young, Aaron Trotman, Tom Evans, Anyo Circus Nightclub

Cherrywood Great Britain Hotel Daimon Brunton Open Studio DAREBIN SONGWRITERS GUILD, Hot Licks Jazz Band 303 Duck Musique Edinburgh Castle, early show Eaten By Dogs Rainbow Hotel Edward Guglielmino, Chris Brady Workers Club Faithless, Phoenix, Nas, Kelis, Tim and Jean, We Are Fans Good Vibrations Festival Francesca Sidoti, Busy Kingdom Bendigo Hotel Franky D, John Course, Stephen Allkins, Grant Smillie, Gavin Campbell, Goodwill, Andrew McMahon, Leena Prince Bandroom Fuefukuro, The Pontian Community Dance Group, Romana Geermans Gypsy Fire Fairfield Amphitheatre Good Vibrations After Party, Bag Raiders, Agent 86, Muska, Tahl Brown Alley Grand Wazoo Blue Diamond Heirs, Dead, Stellarvore, Abre Ojos Yah Yah’s Hybrid Nightmares, Moustache Ant, Bricks, Rapskallion The Tote

Jason Singh Precinct Jels King, Drew Sutherland, Sacha Pollard, Merle Fyshwick, Claire Hollingsworth, Josh Earl Empress Hotel Joel Plymin & Them Blues Cats, Tom Tuena, Baron Sunday, The New Loutonians, Crydee Archers Brunswick Hotel Katie Haverly, Ditto Chandelier Room Kitty K & the Jager Bombs Cherry Bar La Mauvaise Reputation Wesley Anne Little John, Jack On Fire, Skyscraper Stan The Old Bar Liz Stringer, Van Walker, Chris Altmann The Drunken Poet Lloyd Coles Small Ensemble Thornbury Theatre Lost Animal, Jonny Telafone, Matthew Brown Bar Open Mick Pealing Band St Andrews Hotel Monique DiMatina Grumpys Green Oehlers, Grabowsky Bennetts Lane Open Decks Bender Bar Open Decks The Bender Bar Pat Mckernan PJ O’Brien’s Irish Pub

Phato A Mano, Agent 86, Tiger Funk Bimbo Deluxe Pure Blondie Melbourne Zoo Ross McLennans New World Sympathetique, Cam Butler & the Shadows of Love Northcote Social Club Salsalando The Night Cat Sand Pebbles Marquis Of Lorne Hotel Shackleton Carringbush Hotel Spoonful Labour In Vain St Kilda Festival, The Bamboos, Purple Sneakers DJ’s, Jade MacRae, Owl Eyes, Undercolours, Clowns, DJ Mu-Gen, Headspace Esplanade (Whole Venue) St Kilda Festival Special Event Veludo Sunday Summer Sessions James Squire Brewhouse Teeth & Tongue, New War, Harmony Grace Darling Hotel The Bamboos, Purple Sneakers DJ’s, Owl Eyes, Under Colours, The Clowns, Mu-Gen, Hellhounds, AC/Dshe, Straylove Esplanade Front Bar The Davidson Brothers, Moreland City Soul Revue Retreat Hotel The Detonators Union Hotel Brunswick

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The Glorious Bastards The Post Office Club Hotel The Half Pints, The Lost Cause, The Scam, Foot Soldier, Spew n Guts The Arthouse The Mission In Motion, Tim Finn, Hungry Kids of Hungary, Kimbra, Paris Wells, Kate Vigo, Stonefield, The Vaudeville Smash, July Days St Kilda Festival The Original Snakeskin The Standard Hotel The ReChords The Gem Under The Apple Tree Elephant & Wheelbarrow, St Kilda Very Handsome Men, The Last Chill, Middleton Road The Prague Zaite, Nyce Bryce, Wonzo, Kenjii, Stu Mac Provincial Hotel

MON 14 Alex Subryan Luis Veludo Andrew Swann Collective Grumpys Green Bird & the Bomb, Tiger Funk Lucky Coq Browne, Smeathers, Tinkler, Pankhurst Bennetts Lane

Fruit Jar’s Old Timey String Band The Old Bar Kristina Miltiadou Workers Club Little John Esplanade Lounge Ms Kiti, Lady Noir Bimbo Deluxe Passionate Tongues Poetry Brunswick Hotel Pinto’s Roller-rama Rama Lama Ding Dong Marquis Of Lorne Hotel Project Puzzle, Swat Force, Manix, Able Evelyn Hotel Sircuit DJ’s Sircuit Swing Patrol, Johnny T, Ramona Staffeld The Toff In Town Virtual Proximity 303

TUE 15 Alice Orchestra 303 Dan Webb, Archer & Bow Evelyn Hotel David Hoang, Troy Barrett, Dylan Redman, The Miffl ins, Aquanaut, Lauren Victoria Miss Libertine DJ Streetparty, Swick, Tranterco, Smokin’ Todlers, Polyavalanche, Streetcore DJs, Boobs & Booty Eurotrashbar

Fantastic Mr Fox, DJ Coburg Market, WHO, Chairman Meow Bimbo Deluxe Ken Walker, Wes Bucello Casey’s Nightclub Magic Mountain Band, Magnolia The Toff In Town Mantak, Belligerent Intent, Adamus Exul, Alters of Sin East Brunswick Club Meg Doherty, Judy Judy Rainbow Hotel NHJ Lucky Coq Open Mic Dan O’Connell, Carlton Open Mic Night Veludo Peter Ewing & Friends Labour In Vain Post / Percy New Guernica Rick Charles Wheelers Hill Hotel Rock Aerobics Retreat Hotel Room 680 DJ’s Room 680 The Brunswick Discovery Brunswick Hotel The Scarecrows, Better Than The Wizards, Carousel, The Cisco Ceaser Experience Esplanade Basement Trivia The Drunken Poet Zac Corrie Quartet Dizzy’s Jazz Club

140 Sydney Rd

Wednesdays Trivia from 7.30pm Free Entry Thursdays Anna’s Go Go Academy Free BBQ $10 Jugs SUNday Beer Garden Residency Heel Toe Express

BRUNSWICKHOTEL.NET

9387 6637

NO COVER CHARGE

WEDNESDAY FEB 9TH - 8PM

THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL OPEN MIC $10 JUGS.

THURSDAY FEB 10TH - 8PM MWT PRESENTS

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Beer Garden FULL KITCHEN COMING SOON Open Tuesday- Friday 4pm till Late Saturday and Sunday Midday till Late

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COTTON SIDEWALK THE RUN RUN DANGEROUS TRUTH LIGHTNOISE(NSW) SENDFIRE(NSW) 4PM - HARD RUBBISH SPG CRACKWHORE STORK

SUNDAY FEB 13TH - 5PM

JOEL PLYMIN AND THEM BLUES CATS

Contact Details 380 Victoria Street Brunswick Phone: 9388 0830 Email FUNCTIONS AND BAND BOOKINGS TO: victoriahotel @me.com

TOM TUENA 9PM - BARON SUNDAY THE NEW LOUTONIANS CRYDEE ARCHERS

MONDAY FEB 14TH

PASSIONATE TONGUES POETRY

8PM $10 JUGS - FEATURED ARTISTS AND OPEN STAGE. HOSTED BY MICHAEL REYNOLDS

Wed 9th

LUKE YEOWARD THURS 10th

SEAN SIMMONS FRI 11TH

THE BELLTONES

Wed 9th February Trivia

SAT 12TH tunes by

7.30pm

Thurs 10th February The Bucket Room showcase local singer/songwriter night 8.30pm

DAVE LARKIN SUN 13TH

Fri 11th February Shane Diiorio Powerhouse blues trio

THE RECHORDS

9.30pm

TUES 7TH

Sat 12th February The Last 5 Minutes Indie Rock

Jimmy Stewart residency

9.30pm

gembookings@gmail.com

Sun 13th February Monique Dimattina Chilled jazz and bluespiano vocals 2pm

Mon 14th February The Collective jazz and blues

289 WELLINGTON ST COLLINGWOOD 94195170

7.30pm

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

KITCHEN OPEN 6 NIGHTS twitter.com/inpressmag

gigguide@inpress.com.au Friday Holliava Saturday Urthboy, Joelistics, Ishu, Lady Lash

BANG Saturday Counterfeit, Apart From This, Cynosure

BAR OPEN Wednesday Angel Eyes, Alec & Emma, J.A. Core Thursday The Zingers, Flesh World, Psychward, R.S.I Friday The Shaolin Afronauts Saturday Cumbia Cosmonauts, Djumba Sunday Lost Animal, Jonny Telafone, Matthew Brown

BENDER BAR Sunday Open Decks

BENDIGO HOTEL Wednesday Open Mic Friday Working Horse Irons, DJ the Duchess, LA Bastard, The Yard Apes Saturday April Maze, Faye Blais Sunday Francesca Sidoti, Busy Kingdom

BLUE DIAMOND Friday Fifteenth Avenue Saturday Freak Technique Sunday Grand Wazoo

BRUNSWICK HOTEL Wednesday Open Mic Thursday Manic Musicians Jam Night Friday Carvel, Animaux Saturday Cotton Sidewalk, The Run Run, Dangerous Truth, Light Noise, Sendfire, Hard Rubbish, SPG, Crackwhore, Stork Sunday Joel Plymin & Them Blues Cats, Tom Tuena, Baron Sunday, The New Loutonians, Crydee Archers Monday Passionate Tongues Poetry Tuesday The Brunswick Discovery

BUILDERS ARMS HOTEL Wednesday New Archer, Yuko Kono Thursday Sam Lawrence, Pete Baxter, Harmony Friday Ghost Drums, AIO, Mystic Eyes Saturday Desert Wanderers, Wunderlust, Infinate Ox

BUILDERS ARMS, EARLY SHOW Friday Los Impenetrables Saturday Alexis Nicole and the Missing Pieces Sunday Betty’s Driving Force

ESPLANADE LOUNGE

USE YER TEETH Teeth & Tongue combine elements of pop, garage and post-punk with metronomic precision and haunting vocals to ignite your insides set your soul on fire. Following the release of their first album, Monobasic, Teeth & Tongue went on to be chosen as a Triple J Next Crop artist and were invited to perform at the Falls and Laneway Festivals in 2009/2010. After being locked away in the studio recording their forthcoming album, Tambourine, you can catch them at the second show of their residency at the Grace Darling Hotel this Sunday with New War and Harmony. Doors at 6.30pm.

CARAVAN MUSIC CLUB Friday Anne McCue & Band Saturday Christine’s Rockabilly Party

CHERRY BAR Wednesday Six Ft Hick, Gruntbucket Thursday Funkadelic Side Friday Dead Star Renegade, Destroy She Said, Dj Max Crawdaddy Saturday Chelsea Drugstore, The Hired Guns, The Little Sisters Sunday Kitty K & the Jager Bombs

CORNER HOTEL Wednesday Bear in Heaven, The Antlers, Sherlock’s Daughter Thursday Stornoway, Otouto, The Bon Scotts Saturday Tim Finn, The Chemist, Jackson McLaren

DIZZY’S JAZZ CLUB

EMPRESS HOTEL Wednesday Annie McKinnon, Travis Marke, Kid Wolf Thursday Ancient Free Gardeners, Chilliad, Speed Orange Friday Lone Tyger, The Strydes, Peter Ewing & Friends Saturday The ReChords, Hank Ferguson & his Cosmonauts, Alysia Manceau, Danny Walsh, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Jimmy Dead Communion, Danny Baeffel Sunday Jels King, Drew Sutherland, Sacha Pollard, Merle Fyshwick, Claire Hollingsworth, Josh Earl

ESPLANADE (WHOLE VENUE)

EVELYN HOTEL Wednesday Ella Thompson, Hailey Cramer, Laura Baxter & the Captains, Lance Ferguson Thursday Better Than The Wizards, The Scarecrows, Ashra, The Villas Saturday Rezzalp, Reece Dillon & the Jellybabies, Ducardus, Atlas Murphy, Sam Harvey, Matt Glass, My Secret Circus, Melody Black, Tin Man Monday Project Puzzle, Swat Force, Manix, Able Tuesday Dan Webb, Archer & Bow

GRACE DARLING HOTEL Friday Planet Love Sound, Timothy Carroll, Video Day Sunday Teeth & Tongue, New War, Harmony

JOHN CURTIN HOTEL

Wednesday Dizzy’s Big Band Thursday North Meets South Friday Andrew Reid, Howard Cairns Tuesday Zac Corrie Quartet

Sunday St Kilda Festival, The Bamboos, Purple Sneakers DJ’s, Jade MacRae, Owl Eyes, Undercolours, Clowns, DJ Mu-Gen, Headspace

Friday My Dynamite, Dead City Ruins, The Mercy Kills, The Deep End

ESPLANADE BASEMENT

EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB

Thursday Burn In Hell, The Jimmy Deadman Communion, Good People Doing Nothing Tuesday The Scarecrows, Better Than The Wizards, Carousel, The Cisco Ceaser Experience

Saturday Chad Mason Sunday Spoonful Tuesday Peter Ewing & Friends

Wednesday Menomena, Tobias Cummings Thursday Jenny & Johnny, The Laurels Friday Bob Log III, The Toot Toot Toots, The Red Brigade Saturday Raw Comedy, Tijuana Cartel, The Barons Of Tang Tuesday Mantak, Belligerent Intent, Adamus Exul, Alters of Sin

EDINBURGH CASTLE HOTEL Wednesday Cilla Jane

Thursday Goyim Saturday The Scholars, Merry Go Rounds, Rich Davies & The Devils Union Sunday Alan James & the Speckled Band

Wednesday The Hidden Venture, Changing Falls, Red Rockets Of Borneo, Andrew Swift, The Ship Wrecks Thursday Buried Feather, The Grand Rapids, Strangers From Now On Friday Kingswood, Wilderbeast, Austin Busch, Rusty (Electric Mary) Saturday New Skinn, Mushroom Giant, Ennis Tola, Ungus Ungus Ungus, Phil Para Monday Little John

ESPLANADE FRONT BAR Sunday The Bamboos, Purple Sneakers DJ’s, Owl Eyes, Under Colours, The Clowns, Mu-Gen, Hellhounds, AC/Dshe, Straylove

ESPLANADE GERSHWIN ROOM Wednesday Engine Three Seven, Working Horse Irons, The Mercy Kills

LABOUR IN VAIN

NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB Wednesday Warpaint, Seja Thursday Warpaint, Seja Friday Ryan Meeking, Tully & the Thief, Leena Saturday The DC3, PB Croft, Telemachus Brown Sunday Ross McLennans New World Sympathetique, Cam Butler & the Shadows of Love

PONY Thursday The Half Pints, The Lost Cause, The Scam, Foot Soldier, Love/Hate, A13, Throbulator Friday M.O.T.O, Woolen Kits, Kids Of Zoo, Royal Chant, Slugger Fontaine Saturday Howl At The Moon, Slow Waves, The Blue Jays, The Medicators, Duck Duck Chop, Touch It

PRINCE BANDROOM Thursday !!! (CHK CHK), Worlds End Press Friday Basket Case, Rewind 80s Rock DJ, DJ Bongmist Sunday Franky D, John Course, Stephen Allkins, Grant Smillie, Gavin Campbell, Goodwill, Andrew McMahon, Leena

PUBLIC BAR Friday Fuck Face, Guests

RETREAT HOTEL Wednesday Rory Ellis Duo Thursday Broderick Smith, Matt Walker Duo Friday The Youngs, The Bell Parade, DJ Mantooth Saturday DJ Eucalyptus, Austin Floyd, Jo Kelly Stephenson, DJ Matty B, Steel Birds Sunday The Davidson Brothers, Moreland City Soul Revue Tuesday Rock Aerobics

REVOLVER

Thursday Wilfred Jackal, The Scarecrows, Greasers, Andras Fox, Mic Newman, Dmanual, Sam Gudge, Vadim Friday Asian Envy, BACK BACK FORWARD PUNCH, So Many Voices, Simon Edwards, Andy Hart, Mike Callander, Jamie Stevens, Craig McWhinney, Virginia Le Saturday The Transatlantics, O.M.G.’s, Saskwatch, Chris Gill, Andras Fox, Ransom, Nick Thayer, Paz, Mat Cant Sunday Butch, Boogs, Isaac Fryar, Dean Benson, Monty McGraw, Jacob Malmo

ROSSTOWN HOTEL Thursday Rosstown DJ’s

ROXANNE PARLOUR Friday Fort Knox 5, Nick Thayer, Slynk, Nice & Ego, Citizen, Matty Blades

THE ARTHOUSE Wednesday The Superguns, Dead City Ruins, 180 Proof, House of Honeys Thursday Crown Us Thieves, The Approach, Event Horizons, In Motion Friday Stolen Youth, Grenadiers, Strickland, Viking Frontier, Cavalcade Saturday Eye of The Enemy, In Malices Wake, Elysian, Naberus Sunday The Half Pints, The Lost Cause, The Scam, Foot Soldier, Spew n Guts

THE DRUNKEN POET Wednesday Wine, Whiskey, Women, Lydia Phillips, Kate Lucas Thursday Jason Lowe, Ben Smith Friday Traditional Irish Music Session, Dan Bourke & Friends Saturday The Bakersfield Glee Club

MARQUIS OF LORNE HOTEL Wednesday M.O.T.O Saturday Sweet Jean Sunday Sand Pebbles Monday Pinto’s Roller-rama Rama Lama Ding Dong

NEXT Thursday No Way Out, Feed Her To The Sharks, Stickmike

REZZALP SAY HELP The recent Queensland floods have rocked our nation and it’s time to rock back! Show your support this Friday at the Evelyn Hotel with an acoustic gig featuring Rezzalp, Reece Dillon & The Jelly Babies, Kate Ducardus, Atlas Murphy, Sam Harvey and Matt Glass. This is a local line-up dedicated to raising money for those desperately in need. Profits go to the Premiers Flood Appeal. Doors open at 1pm and the music continues until 6pm.

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Sunday Liz Stringer, Van Walker, Chris Altmann Tuesday Trivia

THE GEM Wednesday Luke Yeoward Thursday Sean Simmons Friday The Belltones Saturday Dave Larkin Sunday The ReChords

THE HI-FI Thursday Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Pikelet, Lost Animal Saturday Pez & 360, The Melodics, The Bedroom Philosopher, Dead Actors Club Sunday Andrew McMahon

THE OLD BAR Wednesday Miles H O’Neil, Simone Page Jones Thursday Slow Waves, Rich Davies & The Devils Union, Ferry Tails, Saint Jude Friday Six Ft Hick, The Bakelite Age, Undead Apes Saturday Six Ft Hick, Midnight Woolf, The Jackals Sunday Little John, Jack On Fire, Skyscraper Stan Monday Fruit Jar’s Old Timey String Band

THE PRAGUE Thursday The Prague Short Film Night Friday Private Function Saturday Budd, Mammoth Mammoth, Devil Rock 4, Battle Axe Howlers Sunday Very Handsome Men, The Last Chill, Middleton Road

THE STANDARD HOTEL Wednesday Chris Altmann Sunday The Original Snakeskin

THE TOFF IN TOWN Friday Poprocks at the Toff, Dr Phil Smith Saturday The House deFROST, Andee Frost Sunday Andyblack, Haggis Monday Swing Patrol, Johnny T, Ramona Staffeld Tuesday Magic Mountain Band, Magnolia

THE TOTE Wednesday Wedgetail, Plague Doctor, Chigwell Sharp Thursday Stonefield, Immigrant Union, Merri Creek Pickers Friday The Level Spirits, The Exotics, Wolfy and the Batcubs

Saturday Mark Sultan, M.O.T.O, UV Race, Rodney & the Rumours Sunday Hybrid Nightmares, Moustache Ant, Bricks, Rapskallion

THORNBURY THEATRE Saturday Lloyd Coles Small Ensemble Sunday Lloyd Coles Small Ensemble

UNION HOTEL BRUNSWICK Thursday Sweet Jean Saturday Chris Wilson Sunday The Detonators

UPTOWN JAZZ CAFÉ Wednesday Bopstretch Thursday Motion Quartet Saturday James Sherlock Trio

WESLEY ANNE Wednesday Dan Parsons, Steve Grady Thursday Heather Stewart, Alexis Nicole and the Missing Pieces Friday Annabelle Tunley, Peter Coles Saturday Tiger & Me Sunday La Mauvaise Reputation

WORKERS CLUB Wednesday Woohoo Revue, The Whole Molko Thursday Young Mavericks, Tomaki Jets, Underwater Jesus Saturday Blackbird Market, Bum Creek, Parading, Alex Jarvis, Actual Holes Sunday Edward Guglielmino, Chris Brady Monday Kristina Miltiadou

YAH YAH’S Thursday M.O.T.O, Divorced, Interzone, The French Friday Jack Carty, Isaac de Heer, Justin Hunter, Tasty Cakes Saturday Fearless Vampire Killers, Undead Apes, Sun God Replica, Dune Rats, Shaky Memorial Sunday*Heirs, Dead, Stellarvore, Abre Ojos

BEHIND THE LINES VALE BRUCE JACKSON

Sydney born and bred Bruce Jackson was an electronics buff from his school days so, dropping out of uni at 18, he and Phil Storey set up their own sound and lighting company, initially operating out of his bedroom before moving the fledgling J & S Research Electronics into a nearby shop. The name soon contracted to Jands and the pair designed and manufactured all sorts of lighting, guitar amps and PA gear, and also soon set up a light and sound rental division. In 1970, Jackson met Roy Clair of Clair Brothers Audio when the latter came over from the US with Blood Sweat & Tears and that prompted him to sell out his part of Jands and head for the US, where he worked for Clair Bros until 1978, even returning to Australia to set up a Clair Bros Australia – a bit cheeky since it was directly competing with his old company. From there Jackson went to work for Bruce Springsteen for ten years, promoting and distributing the Australianmade Fairlight on the side. He set up another company, Apogee Electronics Corp, developing gear in the new area of digital audio, but again sold out his share, setting up Lake Technology with Fairlight cofounder Kim Ryrie, originally based in a garage, though this time in Santa Monica, California, becoming Senior Vice President Of Research at Lake Technology. He remained with the company after it was bought by Dolby. Jackson was audio director for the Sydney 2000 Olympics opening and closing ceremonies and also worked as Barbra Streisand’s sound designer/engineer for a decade. Over the last weekend of January, he was pursuing one of his other passions – flying – when he died in a crash in Palms Springs.

PRESENTING THE ‘SAE SOUNDS’ AUDIO COMPETITION

The SAE Institute, in collaboration with Austereo, has launched SAE Sounds, an innovative competition designed to showcase the future of Australia’s audio engineering industry and provide undiscovered Australian talent with a platform to present their skills. The winner will receive a full one-year scholarship in the SAE’s Bachelor Of Audio Production course. So, SAE Sounds is calling on aspiring audio engineers to demonstrate their technical and creative aptitude and create an entirely new song based on at least six of the tracks provided on saesounds.com.au. Just download and remix the tracks and upload the results. The top five will go through to the Finals Round involving an interview with the SAE Audio department heavyweights, the winner scoring, as Emma Hughes, SAE Institute’s National Marketing Officer, puts it, the “opportunity to take the first step towards building a career in audio engineering”.

QSC COMPLETES THE TRILOGY

US amplifier manufacturers QSC have just released the latest model in their very popular GX Series, the GX7, which delivers the highest power output in the range, a staggering 725 watts per channel at eight ohms, 1000 watts per channel at four ohms. At the core of the GX7 is QSC’s road-proven PowerLight power supply, which offers one of the highest power-to-weight ratios in the industry. Just like their GX3 and GX5, the GX7 is equipped with all the input and output connectors needed for compatibility with virtually any source, loudspeaker or wiring scheme. Its lightweight design, combined with compact size, makes it easy to move or mount within small, portable racks. Just as easy to use, it features straightforward user-selectable functions accessed via simple front panel controls. The QSC GX Series is distributed in Australia by Technical Audio Group, so get onto your local stockist and check it out.

SOUND BYTES

Eagles founder Don Henley is currently in the studio in Nashville cutting an album of country music covers with producer and drummer Stan Lynch (ex-Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), his first solo record in a decade. Wilco are currently recording their next album in their studio, The Loft, in Chicago. The Get Up Kids went into their Black Lodge studio in Eudora, Kansas at various times over last year to complete the recordings that would become the album There Are Rules, due out this month. Utilising their warehouse rehearsal space in Alexandria, psych-pop four-piece Plasticine Machine invited engineer Greg Fitzgerald down to capture material for their debut EP, hooking up a Zoom HD16 Hard Disk Recording Studio and an Apple Mac laptop. As busy as ever, The Brain Studios in Sydney’s inner-city Surry Hills has seen owner/operator and in-house producer Clayton Segelov recording singles, EPs and albums for, among others, The Dunhill Blues, Red Bee, Little Napier, Inside The Exterior and Captain Kickarse & The Awesomes over the past three months.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

STUDIO ADVANCE GEAR REVIEWS them away properly which really helps as headphones tend to break as often as a pair of cheap glasses. It’s the little things like input options to plug into your sound card or into your laptop or the nice leather pouch to store them away safely. As well, you can unplug the entire cord from the headset so if you have lead issues (which we all have from time to time), you can replace just the lead instead of the entire headset. Finally, there’s an extra pair of ear muffs in case you damage the original ones.

GIBSON THUNDERBIRD IV

My first real bass was a Gibson EB3, whose best-known exponents are probably Cream’s Jack Bruce and Free’s Andy Fraser, both of whom were major original influences. In 1963, in a determined effort to break Fender’s then lead in terms of bass guitar sales, Gibson introduced its first 34” scale bass – the EB3 was a “short-scale” bass, with a 30 1/2” neck – the Raymond Dietrichdesigned Gibson Thunderbird bass. Dietrich had made his name designing for car manufacturers Chrysler and Lincoln, so the Thunderbird inevitably bore that hallmark American ‘tailfin’ look, based around a trapezoid shape. Fender took exception to the design, suggesting it too close to their Jazz bass, so a ‘non-reverse’ version replaced that original Thunderbird design in 1966, and that’s the version that has been replicated in the latest ‘Classic’ issue of the Thunderbird IV. And a snappy looking bass it remains, all classic lines, vintage sunburst finish, the neck-through-body solid mahogany neck providing a great solid feel and easy playability under the hand right up to the bass’ body. Unlike the original, the latest edition has active pickups and that immediately gives the bass a lot more grunt, though the basic sound still has that ‘plonky’ quality, as against the edgier Precision or the ‘honky’ quality of the RicKenbacker. Recognising that as a potential limiting factor, the Thunderbird has, however, broadened its audio spectrum by providing not just one but two volume controls, one for each of the TB Plus Ceramic Magnet humbuckers, so there’s a vastly increased flexibility in mixing the signals picked up the bridge and body pickups – the biggest step up from the old EB3s.

kicking in fairly in the sweep to add plenty of top end to match the bridge pickup, perfect for pick playing if you’re looking for that sharper, more metallic cut, while it allows for a sharper, clearer note that can sometimes evade the finger player. Rolling it off meanwhile allows for a more muted ‘jazz’ tone. Matching the increased efficiency of the black chromeplated Grover bass tuning keys is the three-way adjustable bridge and tail-piece, which means thaT the harmonics can be much more finely tuned and therefore the intonation more precise along the 20-fret rosewood fingerboard. Overall then the welcome return of a classic bass with the added extras of contemporary hardware technology to give it a flexibility even Dietrich could have only dreamed of back in 1962 when he took on the task of bringing Gibson’s ideas of a more contemporary rock bass to life.

They go for about $299 and are well worth the outlay. Comparatively to other brands on the market you’d expect to be up for something like $400, but perhaps with the dollar being the way it is we can finally start seeing some more affordable high-end gear in Australia. What you should be looking for in headphones and any studio monitors is a flat sound, not too heavy on the high and lows. They’ll comfortably handle a rough mix as the SRH840s do produce a nice even sound, suitable to anyone with a portable studio, travelling musicians off for their first European self-discovery trip or the rehearsal studio for the next live demo playback. With these headphones, it would appear that Shure has made something as sturdy and durable as their signature mic. Logan Price For stockists head tojands.com.au/ purchase/australian_dealers

Michael Smith For stockists head to gibsonami.com. Supplied by Allans Music + Billy Hyde, allansmusic.com.au

SHURE HEADPHONES SRH840

The Shure SRH840 headphones come from Shure’s high-end range. We all know their microphones, as anyone who has ever played a gig or rocked up to a rehearsal room unprepared has usually been given the SM58 – your standard heavy duty microphone. Well, they also do headphones. What impresses most about these is that the headphones are isolated or closed back, cutting out any background sounds that might interfere. They fit the ears well and when you’ve finished with them, they bend at the ears so you can store

The front volume control is particularly effective,

PET SOUNDS BROOKE FRASER tells MICHAEL SMITH about her discovery of EastWest Studios in Hollywood, its connection to her own nationality and the legendary acts that had recorded there before, all impacting her new album, Flags. called soundware, his first commercial release a drum sample CD, which he followed with the multi-awardwinning Bob Clearmountain Drums sample collection.

When New Zealand-born, Sydney-based singer, songwriter and keyboard player Brooke Fraser and her husband and occasional co-songwriter Scott Ligertwood relocated to Los Angeles for four months early last year to write and record her recently released third album, Flags, she didn’t have a particular studio in which to record in mind, so it was quite by chance that she discovered a Kiwi connection in the place she ultimately chose, EastWest Studios in Hollywood. “I knew that I wanted to make the record in LA,” Fraser explains, “and I knew the people I wanted to work with in terms of the engineer and the players [the album was engineered and mixed by Joe Zook and produced by Fraser herself]. We did a tour of EastWest and I was literally almost going through it as a tourist and not even thinking about it as a producer because I thought there was no way we could ever afford it, but they were incredibly kind to us and made it work for us. EastWest was where Frank Sinatra recorded My Way and The Mamas & The Papas recorded and The Beach Boys recorded Pet Sounds; these incredible, iconic artists made music in this place but it was left to fall into disrepair and saved by a Kiwi as it happens! An incredible studio that was abandoned, and the state of California wanted to turn it into a parking lot, and then a Kiwi by the name of Doug Rogers bought the building and completely restored it and got [internationally renowned designer] Philippe Starck to do all the interiors but really, really sensitively, and restored the studios themselves and kept them in their original form, so you’re walking through Studio 1 and there’s this lino with Frank Sinatra’s scuff marks on it and the podium where he recorded and Elvis did his 1968 comeback special in Studio 1 as well, so just incredible history in these rooms but it’s been remarkably preserved, so just a real sensory experience and you can smell the decades of cigarettes and the tangible sense of musical history. So to record in a place like that I think definitely inspired the music.”

Originally built in 1961 by audio engineer Bill Putnam and run as Western Recorders, the building was bought in 1989 by Allen Sides and renamed Oceanway, only to be bought ten years later by Rick Adams who renamed it Cello and then seems to have promptly forgotten about it, so when producer Doug Rogers bought it in January 2006, it was run down to say the least. The next two years were spent in bringing the facility, to use Rogers’ words, “into the 21st century… [while] preserving the integrity of the live recording rooms, as built by Putnam.” EastWest includes six studios, soundware and software development all under one roof, the soundware and software development side of the equation the primary reason for Rogers’ purchase, seeking as he was a set of great-sounding rooms in which to make virtual instruments. While, as Fraser points out, Rogers ensured the integrity of the original studios – it was, after all, their sound that had clinched the deal – he did make one significant change to the control rooms, installing ATC SCM300ASL (dual 15-inch, three-way soffitmounted) and SCM150ASL (single 15-inch, three-way, mid-field) monitors, all part of that bringing the facility into the 21st century. EastWest was the name of the company Rogers set up in 1988 to develop what he

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“In the song, Ice On Her Eyelashes,” Fraser continues, “we used the same echo chambers on the drum sound that The Beach Boys used in Pet Sounds, and just little quirky stuff that musical geeks like me find really exciting! There was one mic worth about $US100,000, and these amazing 50-year-old microphones that we just had at our full disposal – Joe Zook, the engineer [who had also engineered Fraser’s previous album, 2007’s Albertine, also recorded in LA with producer Marshall Altman], was just going crazy – it was pretty much eight days of sonic heaven for us. I think it was good having that time pressure of only having eight days in the studio as well. “Listening to it now, there are a million things I’d like to change but I also think there’s something very special about just capturing a moment and not labouring to get things perfect. One way that I’ve always recorded is to put all the musicians in a room and sitting them in a circle and everybody plays together and for me it’s really important to capture that magic and that sound of community and players feeding off each other’s energy, almost testing and challenging each other. I don’t think you can capture that in layering an arrangement part by part. “It’s actually funny though – we went through all these different microphones and in the end when it came to doing vocals, we actually found that the cheapest, clunkiest mic was the one, and the engineer said that he got it for $1,500 from Radio Shack or something, but for my voice it ended up being better than the $50,000 Neumann! It was something I’d never heard of, almost the Supre of microphones, like something embarrassingly cheap! But for whatever reason, that was the mic that had the presence that we wanted for my vocal sound.” Flags is out now through Sony.

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

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

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

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 73

amps, foldback wedges, rack cabinets, and crossovers. Check out the list and prices at http://bit.ly/pasale. Contact Jeremy 0400 404 919.

EMPLOYMENT ENTERTAINMENT

iFlogID: 11167

Theatre,Backstage,Lighting,Sound ,Crewing jobs online now at backstagejobs.com.au join our facebook page search backstagejobs.com. au and press like or join the fun on twitter/bsjaustralia its free to join and search iFlogID: 11112

Carver USA 1800 watt split mono rack mount P.A amp.with Bose controller/pre amp.8 speaker inputs.very loud.in case.VGC.cost over $2500.sell $850. Ph.0428744963. Cooroy. iFlogID: 10784

MUSIC SERVICES

PROMOTER Kings Cross venue with legal capacity of 400 seeks live music proposals iFlogID: 11035

Promoters wanted for a nightclub in kings cross easy money Get paid to party Duties will include Hosting/ organising birthdays/ flyering for more details jarrad@therouge. com.au iFlogID: 10887

BAND MERCHANDISE BADGES! Special $50 for 100 x 1 inch Badges + $8 Express Post Australia Wide. Larger 2 1/4” Badges also available. To order visit www.xbadges. com or email mail@xbadges.com

iFlogID: 10625

BOOKING AGENTS Gig Launch are looking for artists to receive free radio play in and around Australia. Lots of genres, lots of time slots. Submissions are free, we just need quality songs! To submit, head to www.giglaunch.com.au

FOR SALE AMPS Fender Super Reverb guitar amp (circa 1969 - 71) 4 x 10” original Fender speakers, top right speaker needs reconing otherwise unit sounds great. Needs cleaning.Speaker repair cost is approx $200 in Sydney. Will deliver anywhere in Sydney...Sell $1895 iFlogID: 11075

Markbass Studio Pre-500 bass amp. Top of the line unit...Three stage distortion... 2 x valve stages + solid state... Compression on-board.... EQ.... 9 months old still under warranty. Retails for $4395. SELL $1950 ...Perfect condition.Will deliver anywhere in Sydney. iFlogID: 11077

ORIGINAL 1973 VOX AC30 Amp! Get the original from the year Brian May made it famouse!It’s now a head & cab as head was taken out and given new casing to preserve it’s condition. pics avail on request. 0403-498-103 info@nathaneshman.com iFlogID: 11000

Peavey Bandiy 112 80 watt 12” guitar amp combo with reverb’saturation and more.2 channel footswitchable. USA made.great fat tone.VGC. $350. Cooroy. Ph.0428744963 iFlogID: 10782

CD / DVD Attention Musicians, Record Collectors, Universities, Libraries - new Book available (print/cdROM/direct download)compiling 100 years of popular music. GO TO www.plattersaurus.com for free web-site and information on how to buy. Enquiries: (02)9807-3137 eMail: nadipa1@ yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 10750

iFlogID: 10930

Gig Launch is Australia’s first online booking agency, connecting artists to promoters. We’re currently taking submissions on a large amount of opportunities and gigs, so head over to www.giglaunch.com.au to submit your songs and information! Go Aussie, go Gig Launch! iFlogID: 10938

Gig Launch is Australia’s first online booking agency. Gigs at home and abroad, including paid trips to Japan, Nashville and London. CD duplication, management, recording equipment and song contests. Join the phenomenon this month for free! www. giglaunch.com.au iFlogID: 10717

OzSong International is now accepting submissions! Choice of prize is yours: fly to Nashville to record or fly to Sydney to record. Runner-up prizes include studio equipment. Head to www.giglaunch.com.au to get submitting! iFlogID: 10932

SnakeEyeProductions offers EPK’s also know as an electronic press kits they work as a bio/ show reel, to promote your band to bookers/ promoters/labels and venues. PH0416120639 iFlogID: 10908

EP RELEASE SYDNEY SUMMER 2011 - Compilation of Sydney bands. Download free from www.swimmingpoolrecords. com Now seeking submissions for Sydney Autumn 2011. iFlogID: 11098

GUITARS

HIRE SERVICES

Fender Pink Paisley Strat.genuine 1980s model.all original.plays great.beautiful tone and action.very rare.excellent condition.with case. $2500ono.Ph.0428744963. Cooroy

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

iFlogID: 10786

Gibson 335 chet atkins tennessean signature guitar ebony neck translucent see thru orange real head turner, no fret wear or scratchers mint condition in case $2000 no offers PH 0449536661 iFlogID: 10920

Maton 1973 accoustic steel string 3/4 guitar.model F11.dated 10/73.all australian timbers.original cond.$500. Ph.0428744963.Cooroy. iFlogID: 10788

OTHER

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: 10926

MASTERING Mastering by Wayne Lotek (UK), award winning producer of Roots Manuva and Speech Debelle. From $50 per track, online service available or come into the Melbourne studio. All styles catered for, reggae, hip hop specialist. Email: wayne@lotekproductions.com Phone: 0394170760

more information.

iFlogID: 10881

Valleyarm Records are looking for bands for our A&R Showcase Series live gigs at the Prince of Wales Hotel in St Kilda. All bands selected get a 3yr distribution deal automatically. Contact nathan@valleyarm.com if you are interested. iFlogID: 10936

www.ozjam.com.au is free to join, and with over 4500 members its fast becoming the largest online music community in Australia! If your looking to join or form a band, find a band member, or get exposure check Ozjam out today! iFlogID: 10587

PA / AUDIO / ENGINEERING P.A. and LIGHT HIRE. Quality Systems and Quality Crew. Start from $300 a nite to Touring Rigs. Delivered, Set-Up and Operated. jacksongigs@gmail. com 02 9456 3124 iFlogID: 10627

RECORDING STUDIOS Affordable, high quality audio production. Recording/Mixing/Mastering and more. Over a decade of experience, working with award winning artists. Visit www.simonpaul.com for rates and details. iFlogID: 10944

Come and record with Award winning UK Producer Wayne Lotek in his Melbourne studio. Purpose built space with sound proof recording booth, analogue and digital tracking available. From $350 per day. More info: www.lotek.cc Email wayne@lotekproductions.com or call 0394170760 iFlogID: 11134

Have you got a hit song, but no production skills to match??? Get world class production without blowing your budget. Radio quality - EVERY TIME! Don’t sing? We’ll provide session vocalists and any musos needed. www.nathaneshman.com or call 0403 498-103 iFlogID: 11053

REPAIRS 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: 9346

--------SYNTH SERVICE MELBOURNE--------- Specialising in sales and repairs of pre 90’s analogue synths. Complete recalibration/ tuning, sliders and keys refurbish only $130. Visit: www.synthservicemelbourne.com.au Call or Text Luke: 0424 420 605 iFlogID: 10928

TUITION Guitar Lessons with Jon St. Clair. 10 Years teaching experience and

founder of rock school @ olympic studios. Learn any style and progress quickly. First Lesson Free. iFlogID: 10780

Guitar Tuition Experienced teacher of 15 years and acclaimed national and international touring musician and songwriter. No need for theory knowledge. Learn how to play with others and improvise. Learn what you want to learn. Alphington based 0414 267 957 iFlogID: 10890

GUITAR, BASS & DRUM TUITION, SONGWRITING CLASSES, MUSIC INDUSTRY CONSULTATION.... Tuition available for all ages and levels. Close to public transport, relaxed learning environment, 10 years experience as an artist on Major labels, recording & touring Australia. call: 0400077901 email: minstrelmusiclessons@gmail. com iFlogID: 11141

Studio 88’s now filling vacancies for private music tuition in Albion Park! Studio 88 provides tuition in piano, voice, saxophone and musicianship in a quiet, relaxed environment. All ages welcome. Call Blake to organise your free trial lesson e:studio88music@ live.com.au m:0431007910 iFlogID: 10896

VIDEO / PRODUCTION MUSIC VIDEOS offer a great way to gain exposure. Immersion Imagery has worked with over 20 artists and strives to offer quality creative Music Videos at an affordable price. Visit www.immersionimagery.com or email info@immersionimagery.com iFlogID: 10885

SnakeEyeProductions offers EPK’s also know as an electronic press kits they work as a bio/ show reel, to promote your band to bookers/ promoters/labels and venues. PH0416120639 iFlogID: 10910

SnakeEyeProductions specializes in live gig film clips for your website or myspace. All filming is done in HD with broadcast quality equipment, we also edit clips and provide DVD transfers/authoring and uploads.... PH- 0416120639 E- kaisha33@ yahoo.com iFlogID: 10906

MUSICIANS AVAILABLE BASS PLAYER Quality Bass programming avail. Can work on most styles. Prices charged on hourly rate. Visit www.nathaneshman.com for audio examples or email info@nathaneshman.com iFlogID: 11057

DJ WANT A DJ? Etch ‘n’ Sketch are availiable experienced club ready house dj’s call seth on 0401655063 iFlogID: 10733

most licks Call for Rates Sydney City Based 0425 820 547 iFlogID: 11139

Quality Drum programing available. Great sounds & awesome groove. Able to do all styles. Check out the audio at www.nathaneshman.com or call 0403 498 103 iFlogID: 11059

GUITARIST 18 year old Guitar player wanting to join a rock n’ roll band. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper. I live in the south. Call Tom on 0401722767 iFlogID: 10948

Experienced guitarist/backing vox wanting to join Duo/Band. Recently moved to Sydney from Brisbane where I have been working in an acoustic Duo playing in/around Brisbane. Pro gear, transport, committed and have promo material available. Please email fast58chev@gmail.com or call 0407164026 iFlogID: 10679

MUSICIANS WANTED BASS PLAYER BASS PLAYER NEEDED FOR ALTERNATIVE/ROCK BAND

iFlogID: 10952

Bass player wanted to complete ready to gig 8 piece soul, reggae band No time wasters please we have had far too many of those! Please contact jon@low-gear.com if you are up for a challenge!

drummer and 2nd guitarist to form a creative rock band. Applicants must want to create originals and want to expand in playing infront of bigger crowds. Contact if interested iFlogID: 10934

DRUMMER Drummer wanted for LIBERATION FRONT Well established Sydney/Newcastle based Rock/Alternate/Punk/ Hardcore band. Influences include: Green Day, Bad Religion, Against Me!, Rise Against and Anti-Flag. To listen check out myspace.com/liberationfrontau Contact: liberationf@hotmail. com and Call Tim: 0416128852 iFlogID: 11051

Drummer wanted for up and coming original,covers rock blues band, require committed and experience drummer, influences free hendrix Deep purple Eric clapton to play with motivated Guitarist no band hoppers rehearse between central coast and newcastle 0449536661 iFlogID: 10924

DRUMMER WANTED Looking for Session, possible full time drummer, for central coast rock band, for gigs, recording, radio etc. Already on rock compilatioin in USA, on ITUNES, amazon.com, tunecore. Press release in late Feb. Contact Kurt on 0403915430 iFlogID: 11087

BASS PLAYER WANTED

Lead Guitarist and Singer seeking an enthusiastic Drummer and Bass Player to join a Western Sydney rock covers band to play various gigs. Influences include Collective Soul, Pearl Jam, Matchbox 20 etc. Please contact Paul on 4774 0085 or 0402746733.

bass player wanted To form orignal band with singer songwriter aged 25-37 around the cheltenham area. Must be deticated .Influences include nirvana, hole,oasis,tool,faith no more,Guns n Roses,the pixies,green day, if your intrested call 0422 668 854

Opium Sky Classic Heavy Rock Band wanting M/F drummer, age open, with flair,groove and feel.Emphasis on original music, no COVERS. Songs are written by 3 core members, which have made a practice cd for incoming members.Zel 0448168215

iFlogID: 10963

iFlogID: 10865

iFlogID: 11114

iFlogID: 10827

Invalides are looking for a bass player to play shows and record albums. Must be serious and reliable. myspace.com/invalidesmusic MIshka: 0404 247 555

Tortured Willow requires experienced drummer to complete line up.Gigs Waiting, E.P Recorded, Full Set ready, great opportunity to join a solid line-up. If Rock/Roots/Blues is your thing please contact Jordan 0411451976.

iFlogID: 10777

Looking for a bassist (25+) to help bring our old school noise punk, death metal grunge monster alive. All welcome. Fans of the Melvins, Fugazi, Sonic Youth, Mastodon. Either call me, on 0404739617 or email in_seine@ yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 10754

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL Bass player wanted for sydney based rock/funk/blues/hard rock band. We’ll start off playing a few covers then start writing our own material once we’re gigging. Call Ben on 0400120340 or drac-tacular@hotmail.com iFlogID: 10918

DRUMMER

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

25, experienced & powerfull keen for

Looking for singer, bass player,

iFlogID: 10619

GUITARIST 18 year old Guitar Player looking for another Guitar player to form a band with. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper. I live in the south. Call Tom on 0401722767 iFlogID: 10950

Lead Guitarist Wanted:busy original band Novakayn,are looking for an easy going, peacelovin’ person 2 join us. Must be reliable, creative and professional attitude. Soft Rock, catchy songs. Email: novakayn@y7mail.com or ph. 0403777532 iFlogID: 10971

We are seeking a Rhythm Guitarist.18- 28yo. Professional to join Rock/pop band. (Vocal ability bonus)

Must have: • Great gear • Transport • Good attitude • Live experience Please send, MP3’s or myspace link to: thestellaraffect@hotmail.com Our links: www.reverbnation.com/ thestellaraffect & www.myspace. com/thestellaraffect iFlogID: 11004

HOTMAIL.COM OTHERWISE STAY SWEET iFlogID: 10429

The Sydney based and established AUSTRALIAN PINK SHOW, require a lead vocalist. Gigs booked, and agent backed. Please email details to: info@ ozpinkshow.com.au iFlogID: 10744

KEYBOARD Dam the Dawn are looking to embrace a keyboardist who would like to contribute to the bands sound. Preference is given to the person who can add feels,riffs and sequencers etc. were not after a classical pianist iFlogID: 10460

OTHER ROCK BAR LOOKING FOR ACTS!!! Melbourne’s newest original live music venue located in Melbourne Central, is currently looking for artists to perform. Please email Trager at johntragernoiseprojects@hotmail. com for more information. iFlogID: 11120

SONG WRITER Acoustic Open mic nite in Footscray at the Plough Hotel starts Feb 17th Thursday contact nsound@live.com. au for bookings Great Pa and equipment, great atmosphere. All instruments welcome Covers and orignals welcome iFlogID: 11096

At OzSong International you CHOOSE the prize! Choose between recording a song in Nashville at the prestigious Funhouse Studios with world class Australian Producer Mark Moffat or record in Sydney at Studios 301 with renowned producer Michael Morgan. www.ozsong.com.au iFlogID: 10720

SINGER Dam the Dawn are seeking a vocalist of any age to complete original pop/rock outfit. Were bass,guitar and drums. We need someone to help write and polish the songs,record and perform.Must be able to sing at least.

SERVICES GRAPHIC DESIGN Professional Gig Posters check out my work for other bands at www.wix. com/nicolereece/website

iFlogID: 10458

iFlogID: 10439

Looking for metal/rock/melodic, no growling shit but can scream, reliable singer located around Boronia/ringwood area must be able to write good lyrics none of that death crap, dont play thrash/death crap. 18-22 years old. if interested call on 0430305338

Seriously Good Design. Website design ranging from only $100 $400. Free domain hosting and email included. Check out our website for all the information www.seriouslygooddesign.com.au iFlogID: 10987

iFlogID: 10722

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL New dynamic 60’s concept show is looking for a professional male vocalist who can cover all vocal ranges and styles.Must be a fan of the music and times with rehersals in Eastern suburbs 1-2 times a week.Auditions 19/2 Call 0420511187 iFlogID: 11104

Professional female singer with cover band experience - for a High End Corporate/Functions Party Covers Band; Sydney based with great pay and conditions. Please send the CV/Bio and recent photo to info@techwebdevelopers.com iFlogID: 10873

Singer wanted 4 busy original band Novakayn. Harmonies and shared lead vocals required. Must be a peacelovin’, easy going person with a profession, creative, reliable attitude. Soft Rock with catchy tunes. email novakayn@y7mail.com or ph. 0403777532 iFlogID: 10973

SINGER WANTED FOR ROCK/ALTERNATIVE/HARD ROCK BAND. MUST WANT TO WIRTE MUSIC AND PLAY GIGS ANYONE 16 18 MALE OR FEMALE. OUR INFLUENCES ARE CHILLI PEPPERS GUNS AND ROSES AND MUCH MORE. IF INTRESTED PLEASE EMAIL US BENNY-6666@

OTHER Exhibition Space: Approx 30sqm, high ceilings, white walls, hanging system, shop front window, 10 minutes walk from St James Station (City), staffed 5 days/week ONLY $900 for 3 week show, no commissions taken! www. monstrosity.com.au iFlogID: 10746

Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively - About Us, Photogallery, Videos, Audio Jukebox, Gig Dates, Links, Contact Us, Forums and much more from $399 including Hosting! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au iFlogID: 10871

New Year’s resolutions? Make this year different. Take it Shake it Life Coaching. Free coaching on Mondays during Janaury and February. Check it out. www.tisi.me iFlogID: 10551

PHOTOGRAPHY! Melbourne based professional photography service, specializing in gigs/concerts, parties, festivals, shows and other events. Cheap rates. Contact Caleb on 0420415510. Check my website for examples of my other work - www. caleblloydphoto.smugmug.com iFlogID: 10955

TUITION PROTOOLS TUTOR AVAILABLE - Brent Heber, ex Avid Digi product specialist and Avid certified instructor, is available for online tuition. Get up to speed with Pro Tools 9 or Q&A on more advanced editing and mixing topics. www.protoolsprofessional.com iFlogID: 10742

SHARE ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE

iFlogID: 11132

AKG D112. Never used!

iFlogID: 11122

Excellent studio monitors, Yorkville YSM1P. Sparsely used and in great condition. iFlogID: 11126

Korg Mr-1000 1-bit professional mobile recorder.Includes Korg’s exclusive AudioGate software and carry bag. As new condition. Original packaging. RRP $2500. Will sell for $1200 O.N.O. Call Shaun on 0408 993 889 or e-mail billop93@hotmail. com. View online ad for more details. iFlogID: 10769

Lexicon MX 220 Dual Reverb Effects Processor. A pristine, never used unit, ideal for small studios. iFlogID: 11124

Male Siberian Husky 7 month Puppy Great Affectionate Nature Pedigree Papers Chipped and Vaccinated All accessories with sale $700 negotiable call matt 0425 820 547 iFlogID: 11136

PA EQUIPMENT Australian Monitor, Inter-M, dbx and more. The Princess Theatre is selling a number of PA components including

OTHER ATTN METAL BANDS! We’re looking for acts to feature on our Valleyarm Absolute Metal compilation to be sold on iTunes internationally with royalties paid to each act. Contact marta@ valleyarm.com to submit your track for consideration.

Unfurnished Room- Rent $280 per week including electricity. In 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment with pool and gym, In Alexandria, close to transport.To Share with 1 female who works full time,loves music and enjoy mixing music.Available Now!contact 0411822557 iFlogID: 10946

iFlogID: 10857

Have your music handed out at SXSW and Canadian Music Week to the world’s top music industry professionals with Valleyarm! Contact info@ valleyarm.com for more information on how to be included in our American Music Industry Sampler. iFlogID: 10855

Mr Moon Alien? 100%Austr-alien, since Earthtime 92 mr Moon Alien has been creating the craziest sci-fi soundtrax & imagery ever! its Weirdits Crazy - its...Totally Space Out! prepare to blow your mind!! www. youtube.com/digitalfiction3000 iFlogID: 10833

PRESS RELEASE/PRESS KITS/ARTIST BIOS crafted by a professional music journalist. Promote your upcoming release/gig/launch the right way. Contact paige.x.cho@gmail.com for

WANTED BUSINESSES STALL HOLDERS WANTED FOR NEW SATURDAY PUB MARKET IN BONDI $30 INC TABLE 0426275655 ANDY FOR DETAILS iFlogID: 10961

OTHER BANDS & DJ’s GET YOURSELVES ON RADIO! Come and play at the Royal Hotel in Bondi for ABM & we’ll showcase you and your music on our network of Radio Stations for a month! Call Andy 0426275655 for details

For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au 74

iFlogID: 10959