November Issue | 2019
Brisbane | Free
S I M P L E C R E AT U R E S When All Time Low and blink-182 collide: Alex Gaskarth spills ahead of Good Things Our annual ARIAs form guide. Surely, we get it right this year...
The politics of street art
Why you’ll want Rex Orange County as your new best friend
ONE SHOW ONLY
JOINED ON STAGE BY GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING BLUEGRASS BAND THE STEEP CANYON RANGERS
DYLAN MORAN 4TH & FINAL SHOW ADDED DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND
2–5 DECEMBER QPAC
FRIDAY 6 DECEMBER CONVENTION CENTRE
Y A D S R THU Y R A U N 16 JA VOLI THE TI
WEDNESDAY 4 DECEMBER THE TIVOLI
BOOK NOW AT ABPRESENTS.COM.AU THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
DESIGN : openagency.com
WE D N E SDAY 13 NOVE M B E R E NTE RTA I N M E N T CE NTRE
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
The new home of music is opening right here in Hobart. It’s where you can sit in on a scoring session for a media production, discover how acoustics are used as an instrument in composing, or explore what the latest technology can do for your music – then take what you’ve learnt out into Tassie’s thriving festivals and creative scene. There’s never been a better time or place to realise your creative potential than right now at the University of Tasmania.
Apply now to study music in 2020. 1300 363 864 | utas.edu.au Design by Liminal Architecture with WOHA and Arup. Renders by Doug and Wolf. CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
THE NEW ALBUM PONY AVAILABLE NOW TOURING AUSTRALIA IN MAY/JUNE 2020 THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
BALL PARK MUSIC | CONFIDENCE MAN | CUSTARD EMMA LOUISE | FRED LEONE | GEORGE | KATE MILLER-HEIDKE KEITH URBAN | KEV CARMODY | POWDERFINGER REGURGITATOR | SAVAGE GARDEN | SCREAMFEEDER SHEPPARD | THE GRATES | THE JUNGLE GIANTS | THE VERONICAS THELMA PLUM | VIOLENT SOHO | WAAX | AND MORE
30 AUGUST 2019 — 19 APRIL 2020 MUSEUM OF BRISBANE LEVEL 3, CITY HALL TICKETS ON SALE NOW
museumofbrisbane.com.au PRESENTING PARTNER
TECHNOLOGY PARTNER
EXHIBITION PARTNERS
THE MUSIC
MEDIA PARTNER
•
NOVEMBER
Open, search and scan on SPOTIFY
SECRET SOUNDS PRESENTS THE 27TH ANNUAL MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL
HALSEY (ONLY AUS SHOWS) • VAMPIRE WEEKEND • DISCLOSURE PEKING DUK • OF MONSTERS AND MEN • PNAU • LEWIS CAPALDI • MILKY CHANCE JOHN FARNHAM • BANKS (ONLY AUS SHOWS) • DOPE LEMON • VERA BLUE YUNGBLUD • G FLIP • CROOKED COLOURS • PARCELS • THELMA PLUM • #1 DADS WAAX • BAKER BOY • PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS • AMYL & THE SNIFFERS THE JAPANESE HOUSE • PINK SWEAT$ • CXLOE • TOTTY AND IN ADDITION PLEASE WELCOME
PLAYBOI CARTI • MONTAIGNE • HOLY HOLY • WAVE RACER BAD//DREEMS • B WISE • A. SWAYZE & THE GHOSTS ADRIAN EAGLE • TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS TASH SULTANA • THUNDAMENTALS • COSMO’S MIDNIGHT • CONCRETE SURFERS THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
PPSSHHHH!
THE SOUND OF SUMMER @goatbeer goatbeer.com.au
Drink Responsibly. THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
9 STRATTON ST | NEWSTEAD
312 BRUNSWICK STREET | FORTITUDE VALLEY
NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER GRINSPOON
RADIO BIRDMAN
FRIDAY 01
FRIDAY 08
w/ The Stems
TIJUANA CARTEL VANCOUVER SLEEP CLINIC LIME CORDIALE D OUT
SATURDAY 02 THURSDAY 07 SATURDAY 09
Robbery Tour
SATURDAY 09
SOL
Robbery Tour
THE WINEHOUSE EXPERIENCE
W/ THE HARD ACHES THE GOOCH PALMS & BUGS
SATURDAY 16
CHANNEL 9 TELETHON CONCERT FEAT/ ICEHOUSE, SHEPPARD & ARC
SATURDAY 23
HERMITUDE
ALL AGES
SUNDAY 24
WHY DON’T WE
ALL AGES
FRIDAY 29
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB
ALL AGES
SATURDAY 30
PETER BENCE
ALL AGES
SUNDAY 10 7pm LIME CORDIALE Robbery Tour WEDNESDAY 13
UT
GRINSPOON
LIME CORDIALE
SUNDAY 10 12pm
W/ THE HARD ACHES SOLD O THE GOOCH PALMS & BUGS
(Amy Winehouse Tribute)
THURSDAY 14 FRIDAY 15
THE TRIFFID 5TH BIRTHDAY PARTY! DIESEL
Sunset Suburbia EP Tour
NEWTON FAULKNER WEDNESDAY 20 THE TESKEY BROTHERS
MONDAY 18
Run Home Slow Tour
THURSDAY 21
FRIDAY 22
THE TESKEY BROTHERS
Run Home Slow Tour
COMING SOON
THE TESKEY BROTHERS
LIAM GALLAGHER
FRIDAY 06 DEC
Run Home Slow Tour
SOLD
OUT
WED 15 JAN
MAC DE MARCO
DEACON BLUE TUESDAY 26 JAMIE WEBSTER LIVE WEDNESDAY 27 NOT ON YOUR RIDER! THURSDAY 28 DEACON BLUE SATURDAY 30 LAGERSTEIN
SATURDAY 23
WED 22 JAN
LAUREN DAIGLE THURS 12 MAR ALL AGES
FRI 13 MAR
THE PIXIESSOLD O
THE PIXIES FRI 27 MAR
‘Endless Rums’ Tour
SOLD
THE NATIONAL
OUT
SAT 28 MAR
THE NATIONAL
THURS 28 MAY
VOTE FOR TRIFFID’S QLD ALBUM
KATHERINE JENKINS
OF THE YEAR…….
TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS GO TO WWW.THEFORTITUDE.COM.AU
thetriffid.com.au THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
ALL AGES UT
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
Credits Publisher Handshake Media Pty Ltd Group Managing Editor Andrew Mast National Editor – Magazines Mark Neilsen Senior Editor Sam Wall Editors Daniel Cribb, Neil Griffiths
Favourite things
Assistant Editor/Social Media Co-Ordinator Jessica Dale
I
spotted Julie Andrews being interviewed by Stephen Colbert recently (she has a new memoir to spruik) and it got me in a mood. So this month I’m gonna skip through a few of my favourite things from the past month. I’ve mentioned my admiration for the music of Nico here previously. I’ve read the book, seen the movie, now I’ve experienced the play too. [Oh yeah, I also saw her gig in Melbourne back in the day.] The Nico Project was met with mixed reviews — most criticism aimed at the pretentious dialogue. However — the staging, the music and the lead performance made for a remarkable event. For starters, it starred UK actor Maxine Peake (you might know her from such things as the original Shameless series, the intense Metalhead episode of Black Mirror, epic TV drama The Village or Carol Morley’s woozy The Falling), so that’s never gonna be a bad thing. It also featured an all-female orchestra and chorus re-imagining Nico’s music as wild, polyphonic pieces matched with jarring movements. And, it didn’t shy away from confronting stories of Nico’s racist views (the orchestra costumed as Hitler Youth) and her drug addiction. Also confronting were US visitors comedian/author/activist Chelsea Handler and auteur/author/anti-establishment elder John Waters. Both figures, despite originating from completely different eras and scenes, have come to represent the American entertainment industry’s continuing opposition to the right-wing clown show that has dominated their homeland in recent years. Both their shows offered evenings of dark humour and refreshing honesty. As a bonus Waters threw in an audience Q&A that was a masterclass in dealing with attention-seeking fans. Recent weeks also saw the return of a favourite podcast, ABC’s Russia, If You’re Listening. Now in its third season, the Matt Bevan-hosted pod has developed from a sometimes-tongue-in-cheek investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, into a deep dive of Russia’s influence around the globe. It’s now one of the most important political pods on the planet. And, no breakdown of favourite things is complete without a list of tunes that have dominated my listening of late. If you haven’t heard any of these yet, go add ‘em to your November (Ausmusic Month) playlists now:
Editorial Assistant Lauren Baxter Arts Editor Hannah Story Gig Guide Henry Gibson gigs@themusic.com.au Senior Contributors Steve Bell, Bryget Chrisfield, Cyclone, Jeff Jenkins Contributors Emily Blackburn, Melissa Borg, Joel Burrows, Anthony Carew, Roshan Clerke, Shaun Colnan, Brendan Crabb, Guy Davis, Joe Dolan, Joseph Earp, Chris Familton, Guido Farnell, Donald Finlayson, Liz Giuffre, Carley Hall, Tobias Handke, Mark Hebblewhite, Samuel Leighton Dore, Keira Leonard, Joel Lohman, Alannah Maher, Sean Maroney, Taylor Marshall, Anne Marie Peard, Michael Prebeg, Mick Radojkovic, Stephen A Russell, Michaela Vaughan, Rod Whitfield Senior Photographers Cole Bennetts, Kane Hibberd Photographers Rohan Anderson, Andrew Briscoe, Stephen Booth, Pete Dovgan, Simone Fisher, Lucinda Goodwin, Josh Groom, Clare Hawley, Bianca Holderness, Jay Hynes, Dave Kan, Hayden Nixon, Angela Padovan, Markus Ravik, Bobby Rein, Barry Shipplock, Terry Soo Advertising Leigh Treweek, Antony Attridge, Brad Edwards, Jacob Bourke sales@themusic.com.au Art Dept Felicity Case-Mejia print@themusic.com.au Admin & Accounts accounts@themusic.com.au
Ready — Montaigne; DYS — CLYPSO; Diving — New Lovers; Riding On My Bike — Nick Griffith; Boy With The Winfields And The Wild Heart — flowerkid.
Distro distro@themusic.com.au Subscriptions store.themusic.com.au Contact Us Mailing address PO Box 87 Surry Hills NSW 2010
Australian music also gets honoured in the annual ARIA awards this month, and we set Lauren Baxter the task of weighing up the talent and making some professional calls on who will take out the pointy gongs this year. Also, Paul Kelly — not just one of this year’s ARIA nominees but also one of the most nominated artists of all time (along with John Farnham) — took some time out to sit down with Bryget Chrisfield about his latest best-of and upcoming Xmas shows. There’s lots more too, so hopefully you can find something about your favourite things (ah yeah… one of my other favourite things is a neat ending that brings us right back to where we started).
Melbourne Ph: 03 9081 9600 26 Napoleon Street Collingwood Vic 3066 Sydney Ph: 02 9331 7077 Level 2, 230 Crown St Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Happy reading.
Brisbane Ph: 07 3252 9666 info@themusic.com.au www.theMusic.com.au
Andrew Mast Managing Editor
THE MUSIC
•
12
•
T H E S TA R T
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
Our contributors
This month 12
This month’s best binge watching
Pic
: Nathan Byrne
Guest editorial: Support Act CEO Clive Miller
The Arts
Kazuki Komatsu Kazuki Komatsu – known as KAZKOM – is a
17
The best arts of the month
18
Film & TV reviews
Simple Creatures A “weird amalgam, trashypop thing”
20
ARIA predictions Our fearless picks of who we think will end up with shiny pointy things this year
22
36 38
Dylan Moran “Everybody can go fuck themselves if they want to put pressure on me”
Your Town
28
30
Paul Kelly, Turnover
tions of simple life experiences into colourful and nonsensical portrayals. Take a peek at her Instagram, @_kazkom_, or at kazkomatsu.com.
Clive is the CEO of Support Act. He started
42
life as a broadcaster and band manager before moving into the not-for-profit world where he worked for the Fred Hollows Foundation and the Yothu Yindi Foundation, among others. He returned to the music industry as CEO of Support Act in 2018.
26 Street art The power, politics and players
She loves to illustrate exaggerated percep-
Clive Miller
24
Rex Orange County
mator, comic artist and crayon enthusiast.
39
Brisbane icons ARIA nominees speak
Sydney-based freelance illustrator, 2D ani-
Husky They’re a Mullum Music Festival triple threat
43
The Triffid’s birthday highlights
43
This month’s local highlights
44
The end
46
Pic: Campbell Manderson
Editor’s letter
Dan Cribb Dumb Things How a yearning for home created their sound
Dan is an Editor at The Music, co-host of
31
podcast That Sucks!, Supanova Comic Con & Gaming’s Managing Editor and musician who narrowly avoided a lawsuit after attempting to record and release EVERY song from The Simpsons. He is also best friends with Bill Murray.
Album reviews
32
THE MUSIC
•
14
•
T H E S TA R T
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
It must be Lauv
Lauv. Pic: Stefan Kohli
Singer-songwriter, producer and pop sensation Lauv is coming to Australia ahead of the 2020 release of his debut album. The How I’m Feeling world tour lands in Qld this 22 Nov before stopping in NSW, Vic and WA.
Praise be! On Becoming A God In Central Florida
On Becoming A God In Central Florida immediately made waves when it dropped in the US earlier this year and now it’s coming to SBS and SBS On Demand. Watch the Kirsten Dunst-led dark comedy from 21 Nov.
Molto… Khalid what you will
Pop prodigy BENEE is visiting Australia for a tour and Spilt Milk appearances from 22 Nov. The New Zealand artist will play headline shows along the east coast on the back of her June-released debut EP, Fire On Marzz.
Khalid
BENEE. Pic: Nikko LaMere
After releasing his second album, Free Spirit, earlier this year, US singer Khalid hits Australia this 23 Nov for two Spilt Milk appearances and a run of headline arena shows in Qld, Vic, SA and NSW.
THE MUSIC
•
16
•
T H E S TA R T
Stream dreams
Horrorshow. Pic: Cole Bennetts
The usual
This month’s best binge watching
Aussie hip hop legends Horrorshow head out on a massive end-of-year tour this month in support of their recent LP, New Normal. Catch a mix of fresh material and old fan favourites from 7 Nov.
His Dark Materials
The TV adaptation of Philip Pullman’s beloved fantasy series lands this month. Staring Dafne Keen, James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson and LinManuel Miranda, the eight episodes of His
Zion and on and on
Dark Materials follow the plot of Northern Lights, the first book in the trilogy, and all the political intrigue, witchery and armoured
Ambient artist Vancouver Sleep Clinic is taking his new album Onwards To Zion on an east coast run staring in NSW this 5 Nov and stopping in Vic before finishing with a hometown show at The Triffid in Brisbane on 7 Nov.
polar bears therein. Streams from 5 Nov on Foxtel
The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian is the first live-action Star Wars series to be made and it looks amazing.
Vancouver Sleep Clinic
It’s a space western about a bounty hunter from Mandalore (no, not that one) with a cast list including Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano and Werner Herzog. It’ll be part of the seemingly limitless content coming when Disney+ launches in Australia. Streams from 19 Nov on Disney+
Dickinson
Joshua glee U2 return to Australia this 12 Nov for the first time since 2010’s 360 Tour. The legendary Irish rockers are performing their seminal fifth record The Joshua Tree in full, alongside fan favourites, with support from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
Apple TV+ brings a stack of shows Down Under this month as well, including postapocalyptic Jason Momoa vehicle See and news drama Morning Wars, featuring Jennifer U2. Pic: Ross Stewart
Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell.
THE MUSIC
•
17
•
T H E S TA R T
We’re especially keen on Dickinson, which sees poet Emily Dickinson stick it to the man in a period dramedy with a modern twist. Streams from 2 Nov on Apple TV+
Up shirt creek Now in its fifth year, Ausmusic T-shirt Day looks to celebrate everything we love about Australian music. But the day is about more than just repping a cool tee from a cool band, partnering with charity organisation Support Act in 2016. Here CEO Clive Miller speaks about the not-for-profit organisation that’s helping musicians who are doing it tough.
W
e all understand the importance of merch when it comes to generating income for our favourite artists and bands. It’s also a fun and affordable way to rep the music that we love and flesh out our wardrobe at the same time. Triple j and ARIA captured the moment in 2014 when they created Ausmusic T-shirt Day as a massive nationwide celebration of our strong local music scene. They described it as the ultimate free dress day for fans, with the idea being to show support for artists by buying and wearing their merch, in turn helping them tour and continue to make the music we love. Realising that nothing is real unless it is documented on social media, they encouraged fans to post photos of themselves wearing their best T-shirt, or proudly displaying their full collection. If you want to see just how passionate lovers of Australian music are when it comes to their merch choices, check out hashtag #AusmusicTshirtDay. Music industry charity, Support Act, was also looking for ways to expand access to their services for artists, roadies and music workers who have fallen on hard times, and in 2016, we were invited to be a partner. We did this by encouraging people to make a donation to Support Act when they were posting their photos to social media. Last year, we thought it would be cool to reclaim the casual Friday concept, but this time with T-shirts rather than jeans. If you don’t work in an office, you might not be familiar with the idea, but it essentially means that staff get to rock their favourite T-shirt to work in return for making a donation to Support Act. And instead of posting an individual T-shirt to social media, we encouraged the whole office to get involved and post a group photo instead. Universal Music Australia were one of the many music industry companies that got behind our fundraising efforts last year, raising over $8,600 (including matching funds from the company) and claiming the number one spot on our leader board. Their staff put together an impressive program of activities in the lead-up to and on the day, making it a real celebration of music while repping a cause that is close to all their hearts. Midnight Oil fan club, Powderworkers, was another team that really got behind the day, mobilising support from their members in Australia and around the world. Their power and passion was fantastic to observe. In all we had close to a hundred team pages set up on our website — ausmusictshirtday.org.au — and we raised $110,000. This far exceeded the original $30,000 target that we had set ourselves for the day. We received great feedback as well. Not only in relation to the T-shirts that people were proudly wearing, but in support of the services that Support Act provides to people in the music industry who might be struggling with their physical or mental health. It’s no secret that many people in our industry are doing it tough. Many can survive on modest incomes (often from a variety of music and non-music related sources), but when something unexpected occurs — such as injury, illness, death of a partner or colleague — then things can tip into crisis mode very quickly.
Last year, Support Act provided more than $850,000 in programs to support music workers in crisis. This included crisis relief grants of more than $350,000 (a 21 percent increase on the previous year), and in the majority of cases, our support enabled our service users to return to some form of work in the music industry. Often, our grants keep people in their homes (avoiding possible eviction), allowing them the time to recover from their crisis in a less stressful environment. We also help with medical expenses and equipment, phone and utilities expenses and we provide funeral support when this is needed. The Support Act Wellbeing Helpline is also proving to be an essential resource for our community. Research shows that people in the music industry suffer from anxiety, depression and other mental health issues at far greater rates than other sectors. This can sometimes be the result of factors such as financial insecurity, irregular working patterns and environments, transience, and/or the lack of safety nets such as private health insurance and superannuation. The helpline, which is a free 24/7 phone counselling service available by calling 1800 959 500, provides support for people concerned about their mental health and wellbeing. To date, more than 200 artists, road crew and music workers from all genres have accessed the service, utilising more than 500 counselling hours. Career concerns head the list of reasons that people have been calling, followed by anxiety, depression and other personal issues. The helpline has also provided support in relation to financial and relationship issues, stress management, health issues and substance use. Support Act is invested in leading industry change toward good mental (and physical) health, but we can only do this if we have additional funding. Which is why we are so excited that our fundraising campaign in support of this year’s Ausmusic T-shirt Day is off to a good start with more than 70 individual and team pages created — and we hope many more to come. It’s not too late for you to get your company, school or network involved. We still have time, and creating a team and getting your networks involved is quick and simple to do. If you can’t get a team together, then please consider making a donation to one of the existing teams. They will be delighted to receive your support! You can also buy a T-shirt from the merch section on any artist website, or you can visit levis.com.au, General Pants, Sound Merch, Warner Music Australia, 24Hundred and Space Mirror, all of whom are donating a percentage of proceeds from T-shirt sales over the next few weeks. We can’t wait to see you all repping your favourite Australian T-shirt on Friday 15 November — and don’t forget to post your photos to social media with the tags; #ausmusictshirtday, @supportact, @triplej and @aria_official.
“Research shows that people in the music industry suffer from anxiety, depression and other mental health issues at far greater rates than other sectors.”
THE MUSIC
•
18
Ausmusic T-shirt Day is on 15 Nov.
•
GUEST EDITORIAL
Music
Outdoor Stage
Sun 1 Dec
THE ROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Band of Frequencies, Bobby Alu, Karl S Williams, and Little Georgia.
Cabaret
Fri 6 Dec
HOT BROWN HONEY WITH YO! MAFIA
It’s phenomenal – sexy, foot-stomping fun and radical consciousness-raising all at the same time. ★★★★★ The Scotsman
Music
Sat 14 Dec
DEADLY HEARTS
Sun 15 Dec
CALLING HOME
A CELEBRATION OF AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS MUSIC
FEATURING LIOR, PARVYN SINGH, CAMERATA ORCHESTRA AND THE AUSTRALIAN VOICES
Featuring Jessica Mauboy, Archie Roach, Aodhan, Selve, Kinship Collective, HVWKS + more to be announced.
A celebration of music and performance that transcends beyond ordinary.
Background artwork: Rural Landscape by Jasmine Sarin
BOOK NOW H O TA . CO M . A U
PRESENTED BY
This event is part of our Indigenous Program, proudly H Bond E MUniversity. USIC supportedTby
•
NOVEMBER
PA RT N E R S I N R H Y M E
“At the time, I think Mark saw some of himself in us.”
THE MUSIC
•
20
•
MUSIC
Simple Creatures, aka All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth and blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, will be throwing the “trash-pop” party of the year at Good Things Festival 2019. Gaskarth tells Daniel Cribb they’re just going with the flow, even if it “pisses some people off”. Cover and feature pics by Ashley Osborn.
“I
t’s all deeply upsetting,” jokes Simple Creatures’ Alex
more often than not, now that I remind myself of those
Gaskarth of the duo’s recent Thanks, I Hate It music
things, I find that it really helps me get to the next step. It’s a
video; a clip that uses deepfake technology to super-
valuable tool to have.”
impose his face and that of his bandmate, blink-182’s Mark
It wasn’t only Gaskarth who had to break away from
Hoppus, onto an array of cheesy infomercials to horrifying
his comfort zone a little, with some fans of each member’s
effect. The clip captures the duo’s essence and self-pro-
respective projects also taking time to adjust. “People want
claimed “trash-pop” brand perfectly, with humour smashing
what they’re comfortable with and it becomes that conversa-
headfirst into organised chaos.
tion of band versus brand.
Since announcing the project back in January, the All
“When you’ve been in a band for a long time, you have
Time Low frontman and his partner-in-crime have dropped
to get out of your own way, as far as, there’s a brand and a
two EPs, Strange Love in March and Everything Opposite
known thing and something that people expect from you
in early October, the latter of which features Thanks, I Hate
and I think that it’s important to not obsess over that too
It and dark synth-pop earworm One Little Lie, which also
much — you have to make the music that feels true to you
recently received the music video treatment.
at the time, whether or not that pisses some people off,” he
“We got to the [studio] and it wasn’t until we walked in
says. “We wanted to tread new ground and do something
that Mark went, ‘Hey, I’ve been here before,’” Gaskarth recalls.
completely different, and I think it just took people a little
“And then he thought about it for two more minutes and
while to come to terms with how it wasn’t necessarily what
went silent for a while and went, ‘I know what it is! We shot
they expected when they found out about the project.”
[blink-182’s What’s My Age Again?] here.’ So it’s kind of cool to be continuing the legacy.”
As far as Simple Creatures’ development since the start of the year, Gaskarth says they’re just “having fun with it” and
At the time What’s My Age Again? was released, Gas-
not overthinking its progress or direction.
karth was a couple of years shy of discovering blink-182 with
“The project’s turning into this weird amalgam, trashy-
The Mark, Tom And Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!).
pop thing that we get to explore the soundscape of and kind
“I was already starting to dive into rock and punk rock and
of create it as we go,” he says. “We sort of jokingly named it
these genres that set me on a path of wanting to be in a band
‘trash-pop’ one day and that’s really stuck, and what I love
myself,” he explains. “It was that record and a couple of other
about that is, arrogantly making up our own joke name for
live albums that really put me onto this idea of wanting to get
a genre is perfect for this, because I don’t know that we ever
up in front of people and actually do that.
want it to fit in a genre, or for people to have some kind of
“At that point, it was not just about this music that I had
expectation of what that genre is going to sound like.
been connecting with for a long time, it was also about the
“We want to be able to mould it to what we feel like
intangible energy that you suddenly discover only in live
doing at the time, because that’s the nature of this project —
records and live shows, where it’s like, ‘There’s a real energy
that’s exactly what this project is supposed to be: fluid
here and they’re connecting with people and they’re having
and experimental.”
fun.’ Suddenly, that was everything to me: ‘That’s what I want to do, that’s what I’ve got to do.’”
After the duo pops into Australia for Good Things Festival on the east coast, they’ll be trying to lock down more studio
It was those live recordings that put Gaskarth on a path
time for Simple Creatures. “There’s still more music kicking
that would see him not only befriend Hoppus, but later
around, there are plans to get back in the studio and contin-
become his collaborator. “[All Time Low] had some lucky
ue writing, continue working, so there will be, at some point,
occurrences after lucky occurrences and worked our arses
an album,” he reveals. “It’s up in the air because Mark and I
off and we sort of had enough good fortune to get in front
both have our ‘side project’,” he laughs. “So we’re fitting these
of people like Mark and some of the people that we grew up
in as we can and as we can get together and actually sit down
idolising,” he says. “At the time, I think Mark saw some of him-
in the studio.”
self in us. It’s always cool when you see new bands coming
Aussie fans attending Good Things can expect a show
up and doing what you probably inspired — it’s a nice full-
that’s “somewhere between an electronic show and a
circle thing to see, as an artist, that you’ve made an impact
rock show”.
in some way, because, really, when you make music, that’s all you want.”
“We aren’t shying away from the fact that it’s not a band, it’s Mark and I, and we create a lot of this music on comput-
The first time Gaskarth and Hoppus found themselves in
ers and with synths and stuff like that, so we really lean into
a room together working on music was for All Time Low, and
that live,” he explains. “I think, again, just like learning about
while that tune “didn’t see the light of day”, it did set them
Simple Creatures, people come into the shows not knowing
on a “path to a friendship that has blossomed into what you
exactly what to expect and then after the first song every-
see now”.
body is like, ‘Oh yeah, fuck, I’m in!’
The DIY, easygoing nature of Simple Creatures is real-
“It’s a party and we have a good time and it’s fun to trans-
ly what defines the band. Having fronted All Time Low
late these songs live and do it in front of people, because I
since 2003, Gaskarth had to adjust his songwriting style
think that, with any kind of music, that’s when you really
for Hoppus.
know that you’re onto something. The second we heard
“From the moment I have some inkling of what I want to
people singing these songs back, we were like, ‘Ok, great. The
write about, I’m already overthinking it, so I think [Hoppus] is
energy is there; we did something right — we’re good to go.’”
a nice kind of balance for me,” he says. “I’ve learnt a lot about his writing sensibility, his ability to sort of craft lyrics out of the ether and not overthink what he’s saying right out of the gate. One of my biggest takeaways from working with him is to just go into every song without too much second-guess-
Simple Creatures tours from 6 Dec.
ing. You can second guess it later. “Every now and then, even with my own writing for All
Check The Guide on theMusic.com.au for more details.
Time Low and stuff, I’ll realise that I’m hitting that wall and getting to the point where it’s like, ‘Ok, you’re probably overthinking this — knock this wall down and continue on.’ And,
THE MUSIC
•
21
•
MUSIC
AND THE
ARIA
COULD GO TO...
Pic: Nathan Byrne
From breaking ARIA chart records to her expected clean sweep at this year’s ceremony, forget the Chinese zodiac, as far as we’re concerned, it’s the year of the dancing monkey thanks to Tones & I. To get you ready for the Australian music industry’s night of nights, notorious non-psychic Lauren Baxter has put together The Music’s annual ARIA predictions to help you prepare for the big night.
The 2019 ARIA Awards take place on 27 Nov.
THE MUSIC
•
22
•
ARIAS
Best Group 5 Seconds Of Summer — Easier; Birds Of Tokyo — Good Lord; Hilltop Hoods — The Great Expanse; RÜFÜS DU SOL — Solace; The Teskey Brothers — Run Home Slow Who will win? Hilltop Hoods Who we think should win? The Teskey Brothers Before we begin, can we have a moment for the women who were snubbed in this category? We didn’t realise a prerequisite for success as a group was being a man? Do better, Voting Academy. 2019 marks the fourth nomination in Best Group for 5SOS, Hilltop Hoods, RÜFÜS DU SOL (née RÜFÜS) and Birds Of Tokyo. 5SOS took it out last year and it’s unlikely they’ll back it up with a single that peaked at #12 on the charts — the last time a group took it out two years in a row was The Cruel Sea in 1994. A big year on home turf for Hilltop Hoods — filling in for Chance The Rapper at Splendour In The Grass, supporting Eminem’s huge stadium romp and their very own arena tour — could see them first across the line here, nipping The Teskey Brothers and RÜFÜS DU SOL’s chances in the bud. Especially considering it seems unlikely for any of the artists nominated here to pick up Album Of The Year. Despite the gravity of its lyrics, Birds Of Tokyo’s single Good Lord won’t be enough to secure this category against the Album Of The Year nomi-
Best Male Artist
nees. Oozing with grit and soul, Run Home Slow, sees a band
Dean Lewis — A Place We Knew; Guy Sebastian — Choir;
on form, making them our pick. Even with a voice that good,
Hayden James — Between Us; Matt Corby — Rainbow Valley;
The Teskey Brothers play off each other’s strengths to deliver an
Paul Kelly — Nature
even stronger album.
Who will win? Dean Lewis Who we think should win? Paul Kelly Dean Lewis lost all the categories he was up for at the 2018
Breakthrough Artist
G Flip — About Us; Stella Donnelly — Beware Of The Dogs; The
ceremony but it looks like he’ll Be Alright in 2019. Especially
Teskey Brothers — Run Home Slow; Thelma Plum — Better In
when you consider ARIA’s propensity to award Best Album
Blak; Tones & I — Dance Monkey
and Best Artist to the same person.
Who will win? Tones & I
As for the rest of the nominees, we can probably rule out
Album Of The Year
Paul Kelly considering he’s won the award previously (2017,
Who we think should win? Stella Donnelly
Dean Lewis — A Place We Knew; Hilltop Hoods — The Great
1998 and 1997). This year sees the seminal Australian musician
It’s probable Tones & I will clean up this year, with a single no
Expanse; RÜFÜS DU SOL — Solace; The Teskey Brothers —
pick up his 18th nomination in the category and if he were to
less, but the four full-length records nominated here are all
Run Home Slow; Thelma Plum — Better In Blak
add it to his collection, he’d overtake Diesel, John Farnham
worthy of the title. And none more so than Stella Donnelly’s
Who will win? Dean Lewis
and Alex Lloyd to hold the record for most wins here. It would
Beware Of The Dogs.
Who we think should win? Thelma Plum
be a deserving record for the beloved songwriter — whose
Her intelligent songwriting and important storytelling
bold work on Nature sees him putting poems from the likes
make Beware Of The Dogs one of this year’s best releases and
First awarded in 1987, the coveted Album Of The Year cat-
of Sylvia Plath and Dylan Thomas to music. He knows to cel-
Donnelly’s voice seems vital in the Australian music landscape.
egory looks to recognise excellence, innovation and achieve-
ebrate the little things. Triple J fave Matt Corby nabs his third
Album Of The Year nominees Thelma Plum, with her Paul
ment. Trailing behind Byron-based wunderkind Tones & I, this
nomination in the category and it’s the first we’ve seen for dark
McCartney-approved Better In Blak, and The Teskey Brothers,
year both Hilltop Hoods and The Teskey Brothers picked up
horse Hayden James. Although neither look likely for the win,
for Run Home Slow, will also come up empty-handed.
an impressive seven nominations each for their respective
between us, the future looks bright.
That’s not to say Dance Monkey isn’t deserving — none of
records. It puts them in good stead for the big one — it’s also
The only artist likely to give Lewis a race for the title is Guy
us can remember a time in which an Australian artist blew up
the first time either have been nominated in the category —
Sebastian — this year sees the former Australian Idol winner
as fast as Watson — and when it comes to breaking through,
but Dean Lewis’ ARIA #1, A Place We Knew, is the safe bet here.
pick up his seventh nomination in a category he’s never won.
she pretty much wrote the manual. If she is to win, Watson will
The Australian singer-songwriter has made waves across
What’s that saying again? Seventh time’s a charm? Might be
follow in Ruel’s footsteps — he too was the only artist nominat-
worth putting a combination bet down.
ed last year without an album out and took the title.
Best Female Artist
Best Independent Release
the country since the release of his 2016 single of the same name but 2019 sees the rest of the world paying attention. In July this year, Lewis hit one billion streams for the lead single off A Place We Knew, Be Alright. Moreover, he went double Platinum in Australia and played everywhere from Splendour
Amy Shark — Mess Her Up; Jessica Mauboy — Little Things;
Angie McMahon — Salt; G Flip — About Us; Julia Jacklin —
Julia Jacklin — Crushing; Thelma Plum — Better In Blak;
Crushing; The Teskey Brothers — Run Home Slow; Tones &
Tones & I — Dance Monkey
I — The Kids Are Coming
a huge year and have the fanbase to back it up. If they don’t
Who will win? Tones & I
Who will win? Tones & I
nab Album Of The Year, the hip hop trio are well placed for
Who we think should win? Julia Jacklin
Who we think should win? Julia Jacklin
Teskey Brothers, it’ll be a case of ‘always a bridesmaid, never
If you’ve managed to escape the Dance Monkey frenzy you
So The Teskey Brothers don’t get suited and booted for no
a bride’. Their best chance on the night is to take out Blues
must be living under the proverbial rock. With the most nomi-
reason, they could very easily take home Best Independent
& Roots.
nations of any artist, Tones & I looks to take a clean sweep
Release for Run Home Slow but Best Blues & Roots Album
RÜFÜS DU SOL shouldn’t be a complete write-off, espe-
of her categories. Even considering Toni Watson’s record-
seems more likely for the four-piece. And while Tones & I’s inclu-
cially considering Solace peaked at #2 on the ARIA charts and
breaking run on the charts happened post nominations, this
sion had us raising our eyebrows and consulting the category’s
soared up the Dance/Electronic chart in the US, landing at
burgeoning artist’s unique voice burrowed its way into the
criteria sheet, you’d be daft to make any other call. Even if The
#6. However, first out the gate, we’re doubtful they can go the
nation’s collective consciousness long before votes were cast
Kids Are Coming just made it into the mix with a 30 August
full distance back on home soil. Solace’s release last October
in September.
release date.
to Ellen. It all bodes well. Close on his tail are Adelaide’s Hilltop Hoods. They’ve had
Best Group and Best Hip Hop Release. Unfortunately for The
might be a distant memory for the Voting Academy who cast
It means Jessica Mauboy, who won the award in 2013, will
Elsewhere it’s a strong category for women, Jacklin and
their votes in September this year and the group have had
find her eighth nomination in the category fruitless. She’s fast
Angie McMahon releasing two of the year’s best records. They
their focus overseas. Thelma Plum’s Better In Blak, our pick of
approaching the legendary Kylie Minogue who holds 14 nomi-
are the two that stand out with the most independent charm.
the category for its brutal, heart-on-its-sleeve honesty, seems
nations for Best Female Artist, only winning once.
Jacklin picked up six nominations for Crushing, her intimate
unlikely to make a dent in proceedings other than its win for
Amy Shark is in for a shot too. Picking up Best Female
and revealing follow-up to 2016’s Don’t Let The Kids Win, but her
Best Cover Art. Plum shines over added Paul power — both
Artist in 2018, the Academy might follow the category’s trend
best chance to capitalise is in the Adult Contemporary category.
McCartney and Kelly feature on the album — arriving with a
and go two for two. This means Plum and Julia Jacklin, who’s
Salt too is an impressive debut from McMahon worthy of the
debut that’s confident and assured, making her one of the
album is as crushing as its title suggests and gets our vote, will
title but she might have to make do with the prestigious Grulke
most exciting voices in the industry. Academy, take note.
have to look elsewhere for the shiny metal statue.
Prize for Developing Non-US Act she was awarded at SXSW.
THE MUSIC
•
23
•
ARIAS
Dean Lewis
Baker Boy
Thelma Plum
ON POINT As an Aussie artist, what do the ARIAs mean to you?
What’s your favourite ARIAs moment and why?
Dean Lewis: The ARIAs are an incredible
Guy Sebastian
The ARIA Awards are all about celebrating our amazing pool of musicians. And as Guy Sebastian puts it, they’re a chance to “celebrate how diverse and unique the talent is in Australia”. Here we quiz Sebastian and fellow nominees, Dean Lewis, Danzal Baker aka Baker Boy, and Thelma Plum, to find out about their ARIA experiences.
DL: For me it was performing Be Alright
Who are you hoping to rub shoulders with on the evening and why?
If you win, where will your very pointy, very heavy award live and why?
recognised for the work they have done! It’s
special moment to be able to play a song of
DL: It’s always great running into G Flip and Tones & I! I think it’s going to be a big night
DL: I would keep it at my parent’s place! As
a great time to come together and celebrate
mine in front of so many of my peers.
for both of them!
stuff just has been piling up at their house!
2003. My entry into the industry was not
years. Over that time I have built so many
they are downstairs in the main living area,
opportunity for Australian artists to be
the past year.
Guy Sebastian: To me, the ARIAs are about
live last year! Really enjoyed it. It was a super
GS: I still remember my very first ARIAs in
GS: I have been in the industry now for 16
I’m travelling and touring so much all my
GS: They used to live in my studio but now
community. I love that we all come together
how I ever imagined. It was so fast and I was
relationships with other artists, musos and
out of reach of the kids. Those things are
to celebrate how diverse and unique the
so naive, wide-eyed and green. I accidentally
industry peeps. To be honest, I just want to
bloody lethal!
talent is in Australia. I am all about break-
bumped into John Farnham and there I was,
be around musicians and mostly I want to
ing down the walls that divide us within
saying hi to one of my vocal heroes, in per-
see them perform live. The live element of
this community, and acknowledging that
son!! When I apologised for bumping into
the ARIAs is what inspires me the most. I
music is bigger than us; it is such a powerful
him he actually said, ‘No worries, Guy,’ and I
don’t get to see many live shows, so watch-
medium that moves us all.
walked away thinking, ‘I can die now, Farnsy
ing these artists showcase what they have
knows my name.’
done to make such a mass connection is
Danzal Baker: Getting recognition from
my peers in the industry at large (and the general public for the voted awards!) is a pretty cool thing.
Thelma Plum: I grew up watching the
ARIAs every year, so it means so much to be nominated for this many of them. It’s quite a surreal feeling.
DB: Dr G at the 2008 ARIAs was very special.
awards in my career so it will live next to the others. They all are very special to me.
TP: At my parent’s place. My mum has a semi shrine of me at their home, so she would probably want to add it to that.
so good!
DB: Looking forward to celebrating with
He was singing in language, and I use lan-
guage in all my songs, so he proved it could
my team. I’m also really keen to catch up
be done and also have commercial success.
with Thelma Plum, I did a few gigs she was
TP: Delta [Goodrem] in 2003. I was obsessed
at before her album dropped and I’m keen
with her music growing up (still am) and was
to show her some mad love and respect for
so inspired that she won so many. I could
Better In Blak.
TP: Lee Kernaghan. So excited.
only watch half that night ‘cause it went past my bedtime, but my mum taped it and I woke up so insanely early to finish it.
THE MUSIC
DB: I’ve been fortunate to already win a few
•
24
•
ARIAS
The 2019 ARIA Awards take place on 27 Nov.
Established 2015
FEATURED November RELEASES
1ST
8TH
MAJESTIC HORSES
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
Away From The Sun (Kasumuen)
The new project from legendary Screamfeeder bassist Kellie Lloyd harkens back to the shoegaze and lo-fi movements of the ‘90s, a fertile playground indeed!
15TH
Ghosteen
(Bad Seed Ltd) Delayed physical release of new Nick Cave opus is another perfect musical manifestation of grief and loss, life’s beauty transcending the inherent pain.
PAUL KELLY
Songs From The South: Greatest Hits 1985-2019 (GawdAggie/EMI)
One of Australia’s finest careers just keeps on keeping on, and his ‘greatest hits’ package is now updated to include a myriad of the most recent highlights.
UPCOMING INSTORES 22ND
THURS 7 NOV WINTERBOURNE
29TH
DUMB THINGS Time Again
SUN 17 NOV MAJESTIC HORSES
BECK
Hyperspace
(Coolin’ By Sound)
(Capitol/EMI)
An intrinsically Queensland collection of timeless, sunburnt guitar-pop, the perfect indie rock soundtrack to the impending Aussie summer. Peak Brisbane.
25 years since he burst into our lives with slacker anthem Loser, Beck is still at the coialface and exploring new dimensions in sound with collaborator Pharrell Williams.
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 12/360 Logan Rd Stones Corner (In car park of Stones Corner Hotel)
SAT 23 NOV OLIVIA’S WORLD SAT 30 NOV RELAY TAPES SUN 1 DEC DUMB THINGS
(07) 3397 0180 sonicsherpa.com.au THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
Show pony Alex O’Connor, aka Rex Orange County, makes music riddled with neurotic optimism. But, as he tells Carley Hall, he’s still trying to stay upbeat.
A
lex O’Connor is taking a well-deserved breather at home in London. The 21-year-old behind Rex Orange County has just returned from a run of festival slots around Europe, and even had time to swing by New York as a musical guest on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. In the past four years, O’Connor has released two albums, several standalone singles and an EP of postgenre neo-soul and indie-pop. Undoubtedly, the song that broadly announced the arrival of Rex Orange County — from Surrey, England — was Loving Is Easy. O’Connor thinks the song’s popularity comes from its simplicity. “If I’m honest, I think it’s probably because there’s really only two sections in it — it doesn’t stay for long, it’s two-and-a-half minutes long. I think it’s also because Benny Sings wrote it with me and he’s great at writing pop songs. Even though him and I made it together, it definitely wouldn’t be the same without him.” By the time O’Connor had notched up two albums — 2016’s Bcos U Will Never B Free and 2017’s Apricot Princess — he was known for his half-spoken vocals and buoyant melodies. It’s hard to chart how he ended up at his distinctive sound, given the steady diet of early ‘80s pop-rock and punk of his youth, and his interest in choral singing and musical theatre. “There was definitely a lot of theatrical music around me and I was kind of doing musical theatre, but my parents listened to a lot of ABBA and Queen and put me onto a lot of pop music. I eventually found out who Kanye West was, and I loved Green Day... I think some of the stuff that I write stems from what I truly loved from those songs and bands that I originally listened to; I think that’s still in what I do now.” From a young age, O’Connor was interested in performing, whether in a choir, an orchestra, or a band. Even now, O’Connor says the most thrilling part of music-making is touring, and being able to engage with a different bunch of listeners around the world, night after night.
“I do love it, I really do enjoy it the most out of each of the things that I do that are to do with my music. I don’t know what it is, but from the start, before I even wrote songs, I just enjoyed being on stage — even if I wasn’t at the front. Really, it could just be some strange need for affirmation or attention, but it is just the one thing I’ve always oved.” O’Connor has a mammoth touring schedule lined up around the release of his third album, Pony, which underlines just how accomplished he is at 21. At the same time, his success seems slightly at odds with his lyrics, which are riddled with neurotic optimism. O’Connor looks
“From the start, before I even wrote songs, I just enjoyed being on stage.”
young, sounds young, and is young, but his riffs on love, mental health, and life suggest he’s been at it for years and years. “I do my best to be honest and I know that some things I say will sound very negative and somewhat indulging in sadness, and some things will be for the sake of being therapeutic and positive. You know, saying something is good because it really is and making a great song out of it is something that I really love doing. There’s definitely a lot of trying to be optimistic but I can’t be.” On Pony, O’Connor indulges in more of these sharp truths and beguiling rays of idealism. Curtain-raiser single 10/10 picked up plenty of airplay upon its release earlier this year, the first of a new suite of tracks that careen between hope and heartache. O’Connor says he’s thankful for his life right now, but he has had some distinct downs and eye-opening experiences in the music industry. “It probably happens to everyone naturally with doing this sort of creating. After a while, you realise it’s very difficult to find people to work with who 100 percent understand and are on the same page as you... I think you have to go do things to realise what you don’t want. And I had a lot of that in terms of ‘the industry’; there’s no point in me directly going into it, but I would absolutely say that I have been and that’s what a lot of this album is about. “It’s great to finally have the album nearly out, I’ve worked on it for so long. I’ll be happy to see people react to certain songs and find out what people like and then have the chance to go out and play them live next year in Australia. I’m genuinely excited, and I’m not really nervous now because I’ve been listening to it for a while, so, yes, I’m ready for it.”
Pony (Sony) is out now. Rex Orange County tour from 28 May.
Check The Guide on theMusic.com.au for more details.
Pic: Alexandra Waespi
THE MUSIC
•
26
•
MUSIC
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
The writing’s on the wall Joel Burrows speaks to street artists Luke Cornish, aka ELK, Van Rudd, and Peter Drew about how political graffiti is changing hearts and minds.
P
olitical graffiti, and street art, has been around for literally centuries. It can be found on the walls of Pompeii and in the ruins of Ephesus. The first-ever picture of Jesus was carved into a wall, and he had the head of a donkey. Even in Sydney, the old North Head Quarantine Station has graffiti that could date back around to 1835. However, even though political graffiti has almost always been a thing, it’s really coming to the fore lately. A bunch of Australian street artists, including ELK, aka Luke Cornish, Van Rudd, mononymously known as Van, and Peter Drew, and their political artworks, have been getting a lot of media attention. Some political street art is popular partly because it looks dope. For instance, Van Rudd painted a mural of Scott Morrison and the Opera House succumbing to rising sea levels. The water is up to Morrison’s neck, and he’s Gollum-esque, clutching a piece of coal. It’s a captivating way of protesting the government’s climate policy. Rudd says these visual elements stemmed from a “gut feeling”. The idea of comparing ScoMo to Gollum “just came off pretty much that day when I was doing it. And there wasn’t much thought behind it. But you kind of know that people are going to get it”. Rudd’s spontaneity created an engaging piece of political art. “There’s something about the atmosphere of it being on the street that people don’t want to miss out [on],” he says. Luke Cornish’s stencil art is also visually compelling. One of his most recognisable works was at Bondi Beach. It featured 24 Australian Border Force officers, masked and holding automatic weapons. The text, “WELCOME TO BONDI” loomed over them and made the whole piece feel inescapable. Cornish says that this imagery, and its pro-asylum seeker message, upset some people in Bondi: “Some people genuinely, legitimately were confronted by seeing these dominating figures with automatic weapons.” However, despite this backlash, he believes that “the stars aligned with that piece”: “I needed an image that I could replicate multiple times, and soldiers was something
I’ve been painting since I started painting. The aesthetics of the textures translates so well in stencil.” Audiences really connecting with the messages of these works feeds into their popularity. Peter Drew’s AUSSIE posters are an example of a street artist’s politics resonating with the public. This series’ starting point was a man called Monga Khan. Monga Khan was originally from India and applied for an immigration exemption to the White Australia Policy in 1916. Each poster features a photo of Monga Khan with the word “AUSSIE” written beneath him. This combo of text and photography denounces the insidious racism in Australian society.
“Wars have been started with stencil art. But they’ve also been finished with it too.” In 2016, the general public crowdfunded this series to the tune of $19,426. And the works were so successful that Drew published a book about his work called Poster Boy. He also received a lot of support when he travelled around Oz and put his posters in different cities. “I always get messages of people offering to help,” Drew says, “whether that’s driving me around, or having me stay with them, and it’s often very helpful. Especially when it comes to driving around cities I’m not as familiar with. Yeah, it does require help once the project’s running.” These political artworks are sometimes, ironically, signal-boosted by their detractors. Cornish recalls Liberal councillor, Leon Goltsman, was offended by his Bondi mural: “He went on 2GB [with Steve Price].. If he had just kept his mouth shut, no one would have ever seen it. So, as annoying as it was, the guy, he gave it the spotlight that it deserved.”
THE MUSIC
•
28
•
C U LT U R E
When right-wing critics call for the works to be destroyed, they can sometimes generate publicity. Van Rudd’s mural of Egg Boy, Will Connolly, breaking an egg on Senator Fraser Anning, was painted over after that kind of backlash. It was “obviously attacked by the far-right”, Rudd says. But that brought more media attention to the piece. Sometimes, when you try to censor these artists, you’re just providing them a megaphone. The public nature of street art and just how accessible it is means there are no gate-keepers. The possible viewership is endless. “It’s an immediate audience,” notes Cornish, “opposed to making art and putting it in a gallery where a thousand people might see it. You put a stencil up in Martin Place, and you’ll have 5,000 people see it in one day.” Peter Drew adds, “In the gallery, you speak to the art world. Whereas on the street, you speak to everybody.” It’s no wonder that political street art has gained a lot of media attention and has risen in popularity — it’s visually engaging; the audience believes in its message; it generates more publicity with any backlash; and it has an instantaneous audience. These street artists have a powerful medium, and they’re using it to make their politics heard. And if our leaders continue to ignore and contribute to major issues in our society like the climate crisis and the plight of asylum seekers in offshore detention centres, this street art will only become more popular. All of these artists believe street art can change Australia’s political landscape. Rudd says, “There’s an unwritten feeling there, a vibe. You know when ELK did that one in Bondi Beach, that one? When I saw him post that, straight away I congratulated him... And I’d love it if there were way more street artists doing that.” “What attracted me to Australian identity and street political art?” Drew ponders. “It’s growing up — you’re eventually going to have to come into contact with politics, and the big decisions being made for us. And we need to get involved with that. It’s just a part of growing up.” Cornish also thinks that graffiti can improve Australia and our politics. “Wars have been started with stencil art,” he says. “But they’ve also been finished with it too.”
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
Altogether different Singer Austin Getz tells Anthony Carew that Turnover is the centre of his life, and how thankful he is for that.
A
ustin Getz founded Turnover just out
beginning], and not the same in any way,”
of high school. Ten years and four
Getz offers. “That underlying arc to our rela-
albums later, they’re still together, this
tionship, how it’s grown and how it’s changed,
band having defined his life.
reflects the way the band has changed.”
“I’ve definitely had relationships end,
And change they have. “We started
friendships fade away, and a tonne of new
out as a punk, pop-punk, emo-punk band,”
ones begin, all because of the band,” he says,
Getz admits — a sound that seems a long
contemplatively. “In [every facet] of my life,
way from where they’ve ended up. It was
every decision that I’ve made, the first thing
on their third album, 2017’s Good Nature,
I’ve thought about is the band... It’s kind of
that they first transcended their punk roots;
like someone who’s a workaholic, where their
stripping away the noise and distortion for a
job is the centre of their life, and any experi-
clean, indie-pop sound. On their sunny, syn-
ence they have they’re relating it back to that,
thy new album, Altogether, they take this
making it fit around this thing that is so cen-
idea further, the album full of keyboards,
tral to [their] life.
melody, harmony.
“There have been times when I’ve hated
“We wanted to use different instrumen-
it, and felt trapped, because I’ve spent so
tation, different types of arrangements of
much time giving to it, and sacrificing for it.
the songs, different treatments of how we
Times of forgetting why I love it. But, then,
recorded the songs,” Getz offers. “Without
things have changed, and I’ve gotten back
any of us demanding that we do things dif-
to remembering why I appreciate it, why
ferently, a lot of different stuff just happened...
I’m so thankful for it [and how] Turnover
The songs have a lot more dynamic than our
[has] caused me to grow so much by its
other records in the past; in terms of the writ-
very nature.”
ing, the techniques used to record, the fact
The germinating seed for all of this was
we’ve kept it all stripped back, never just lay-
a fortuitous, formative, pop-punk encoun-
ered on the guitars. We were listening to a
ter. “In first grade, I heard All The Small
lot less rock stuff, so we never had that com-
Things by blink-182 on the radio on the way
pulsion to make something that was this big
to school, and I became obsessed with it,”
rock record.”
Getz recounts. In eighth grade, he begged
Of course, by this point, change may be
for a Les Paul, and was shocked when his par-
the band’s definitive quality. “The narrative
ents got it for him (“I told everybody on my
about Turnover is starting to be that you can’t
AIM friends list”). The guitar initially gathered
ever expect anything, because we’re always
dust, but when his family relocated from
moving along, doing something different,”
New Orleans to Virginia Beach, that changed.
Getz says. “Putting out these new songs, you
“I had no friends, so I started playing guitar
see a lot of love, but you definitely see some
every day,” Getz says.
hate. But, now our fans will go in to bat for
Turnover were formed with due DIY
And death shall have no dominion
us, say, ‘Yo, if you still want to go and listen
punk spirit, and ambitions beyond the musi-
to [2015’s] Peripheral Vision, you can still do
cal. “[We wanted] to use our music as a vessel
that, it still exists.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah!’ That’s when
to create, be able to see the world, make new
you know we’ve got [fans] willing to grow
friends, have cool experiences, [and] get out
with us.”
When Bryget Chrisfield sits down with Paul Kelly he discusses how performing songs from his 350-strong catalog allows him to “carry [his] old friends around even though they’re not here anymore”.
of the suburban life we were used to.” The core of Turnover — Getz, his brother Casey on drums and bassist Danny Dempsey — has been there from the start, their lives changing alongside the band; and the band, in turn, changing. “I feel like it’s an entirely dif-
Altogether (Run For Cover/ Cooking Vinyl) is out this month.
P
aul Kelly is wearing a smart navy suit and apologises for needing to send a text before we chat. It’s AFL Grand Final week and this Cremorne studio is not far from the MCG, where Kelly will perform as part of the pre-game entertainment. Leaps And Bounds was one of the songs Kelly performed at the 2012 AFL Grand Final and we’re tipping it’s gotta be good vibes singing about the MCG from the MCG’s hallowed turf. “Oh, that’s fun, yes,” the national treasure enthuses, a warm smile spreading across his face. “It’s a very old song and I wrote it with my friend Chris Langman when I first moved to Melbourne in ‘77. We were in a sharehouse together and we played in a band together for a very brief while, and we had started
Pic: Abbie Shipperly
ferent animal at this point [compared to the
THE MUSIC
•
30
•
MUSIC
Time and time again Dumb Things set out to make “the best record [they] possibly could” this time around. Anthony Carew speaks to frontman Adam Vincent about how it all got started thanks to one fateful trip to China.
that song. For us, it was kind of a song about nothing, really. It was just a song about a feeling; it was an autumn song. And we didn’t actually finish it when we first wrote it — we just had a chorus and a melody — and I finished it later on when I actually moved from Hoddle Street up to Punt Road. I was living in a first-floor flat and out my window I could see the Nylex Clock and the MCG, so that’s where that lyric came from. It was never really written as a football song, but it’s sorta been picked up.” During last year’s Making Gravy show at Sidney Myer Music Bowl (the one that narrowly avoided cancellation after heavy rainfall caused the venue to flood), the audience clearly got a kick out of singing along with the opening lyrics (“I’m high on the hill/Looking over the bridge/ To the MCG...”) with these local references (almost) in eyeshot. While introducing From St Kilda To Kings Cross that night, Kelly mentioned that he always feels the late guitarist Steve Connolly’s presence whenever he performs the song. “That happens a lot and I guess that feeling’s getting stronger as I keep playing,” Kelly considers. “I mean, Spencer P Jones is another one that played on How To Make Gravy — that slide part — and he left us last year so, you know, it’s quite precious to be able to, in some way, carry your old friends around even though they’re not here anymore. So that’s something I’ve noticed as I’ve got older. And Steve Connolly, he’s in so many
Setting out to make their second album, Time Again, Dumb Things did allow themselves to dream a little bigger. They wanted to make something “tighter, more concise” and, even, “the best record [they] possibly could”. Again, the guitars jangle, and the lyrics are filled with the feeling of the seasons turning. “Time is, obviously, [a recurring theme],” Vincent offers. “It’s not something we consciously do, it’s just that it’s this recurring sentiment that gets a bit of a mention. Especially time passing. Time is such a multi-faceted thing, it can come up in different ways, and you can take it in different directions.” Despite the thematic resonance, titling the LP Time Again was still “a bit of an inside joke,” Vincent says. “I thought that if we named the record Time Again, after the closing song, that people would be more likely to listen [to the end]. If you look at streaming numbers or numbers on Bandcamp, you’ll see that people start out listening to the first six or seven songs, but they almost never make it through the whole thing. And then, there’s also the idea that we’re doing this all again. A lot of the songs on the first album had time in them, and then, with this one, here we go again.”
Time Again (Coolin’ By Sound) is out this month.
Check The Guide on theMusic.com.au for more details.
songs that I still play: To Her Door, Leaps And Bounds and Dumb Things. Steve Connolly’s always with me.” All of these classics are among the 43 songs on Songs From The South 1985-2019: Paul Kelly’s Greatest Hits, which drops this month. Exactly how many songs has the great man written to date? “Oh, it’d be 350 or something like that and I probably have about 100, 150 that I could recall, pretty much.” The cover art features young Kelly holding a trumpet and looking pretty chuffed with himself. When asked what would’ve been happening in his life around that time, he offers, “I think I was 12 or 13. I learnt trumpet for five years in high school and I decided to play the trumpet ‘cause my older sister was going out with this guy who played trumpet. I sorta looked up to this guy and then he brought around some Louis Armstrong records and I heard Dixieland — you know, Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five — for the first time. And, to me, that was just incredible sort of wild music where everyone seemed to be just playing off on their own, but somehow they were all playing together — that was my first experience of jazz, with Louis Armstrong playing the trumpet. So that was a big discovery for me: the power of music. And then my parents bought Herb Alpert’s Greatest Hits and I fell in love with that. And I used to lie down in the dark listening to that record and imagining myself playing the trumpet. So that was probably the first time I sort of had an idea that, ‘Oh, maybe I could do this, maybe I could make a living or, you know, go and play music to people.’”
Songs From The South 1985-2019: Paul Kelly’s Greatest Hits (EMI) is out this month. Paul Kelly tours from 7 Dec.
THE MUSIC
•
31
•
MUSIC
Pic: Cybele Malinowski
W
hen Adam Vincent — guitarist/vocalist from Brisbane group Dumb Things — was at university, he decided to study abroad for a year. He ended up in Guangzhou, China, to study Chinese, wholly submersed in a foreign culture and a foreign language. “In that whole year, I think I only ran into one other Australian,” recounts Vincent. Because of that exchange, he started yearning for the culture he’d grown up in. “Before that, I’d always had a bit of a cultural cringe with Australian stuff,” he admits. “But, during that year, I got pretty homesick, and found a new appreciation for Australianisms. I found myself listening to a lot of Paul Kelly and Crowded House, classic bands like that, but then also what was, at the time, new Australian underground stuff like Twerps and Boomgates.” Back in Brisbane, he marshalled that sentiment into the formation of Dumb Things, a band that matched him with an old sharehouse housemate, drummer Pat Hill, and guitarists
Madeleine Keinonen and James Southey, and bassist Andrew Robinson. For a band whose sound, in both vocal and jangle, seems so quintessentially Australian, it’s curious that their 2017 self-titled debut ended up being self-released at home, but coming out on labels in France (Hidden Bay) and Spain (Bobo Integral). In turn, that meant that their Australianness had been understood, or perhaps misunderstood, largely by foreign audiences. “A lot of it seems to be centred around comparisons to The Go-Betweens,” Vincent offers. “I did an interview for a French magazine or blog, and obviously English wasn’t their first language, but they’d just assumed that, in the Brisbane scene, everyone just knew Robert Forster, and he was a mentor to everyone. Unfortunately not!” Vincent grew up in a more Grant McLennan-esque setting — the cane farms and mines of Mackay. He got into music in his adolescence, soon graduating from loving Limp Bizkit and blink-182 to his parents’ Pink Floyd, REM and Bruce Springsteen records. He played in a teenage punk band, Border 17 — his role, Vincent offers, was “similar to what I do in Dumb Things, but not as well: playing guitar and a bit of singing” — and harboured musical dreams. But, as Vincent worked as a surveyor in Toowoomba, then studied in Brisçbane, those dreams were largely put on the backburner. That all changed after his stay in China; all that listening to musical Australiana inspiring his own songwriting. Dumb Things picked back up on old friendships, slowly taking shape over endless jams, the fledgling outfit working out how their songs would fit together. A moment of clarity came with Drivin’ Home, the opening song of Dumb Things’ debut LP — this was how they wanted to sound, how they wanted their band to feel. Beyond that, ambitions were pretty modest. “We never set out to be some massive band that gets played on the radio,” Vincent recounts. “We just enjoy hanging out together, writing songs, making music.”
Album Reviews
Colours In The Sun is another massive leap forward for longrunning Perth band Voyager. It sees them following the newfound stylistic path they began on album number five, V, back in 2014 and on follow-up Ghost Mile in 2017. This time they’ve added some wondrous new pieces to the puzzle to boot. Voyager have managed to change, evolve and modernise their sound in the last five years, all while retaining the bulk of their fanbase, and indeed adding many new devotees in the process. The recent, stratospheric trajectory of their career is testament to this. How they have achieved this, when other bands have had mixed results, is actually pretty simple: they retained their core elements — soaring melodies, exuberant delivery and a sense of fun amid the heaviness — and continued to write fabulously catchy tunes, but injected new and different elements into their music. And this album carries that forward with a skill and savviness that is breathtaking to behold. Every song on this record is killer. Every track imbues a brand new energy to proceedings. Every tune brings rich new colours and textures to the table, to what is a beautiful and cohesive patchwork of melodic and progressive heavy music. Virtually every track features sounds and styles that are glorious throwbacks to bygone eras, mostly the ‘80s, while maintaining a modern edge that is so 2010s going on 2020s. All within a compact ten-track, 40-odd-minute framework that gives bang for your buck but never outstays its welcome.
Voyager Colours In The Sun Season Of Mist
HHHH½
Highlights include towering and cathartic closer Runaway, the mid-album show-stopper Entropy, which features a highly auspicious contribution from none other than Einar Solberg of Norway’s awesome Leprous, and Water Over The Bridge, which may be the album’s heaviest and most memorable moment. It is this placement of old-school influences in such a modern setting that is arguably the most joyous part of this record, and indeed their change in direction overall. It is also what will find them continuing to appeal strongly to people who love ‘80s pop and rock, and contemporary heavy music. But cherry-picking songs is a little unfair to the rest of the tracks, as this record is wall-to-wall quality. Special mention must be given to frontman Daniel Estrin, whose voice soars to the very heavens, whose keytar work just puts a big fat smile on your face and whose songwriting nous just gets better with age. Backed of course by a band whose individual skill on their instruments is second to none and whose performances slot seamlessly into the whole. While other bands have stumbled trying to navigate a major change of sound, two decades and seven albums into their journey, Voyager are absolutely nailing it and somehow just keep improving. And we the fans are reaping the rewards.
Rod Whitfield
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
Sudan Archives
DJ Shadow
Elizabeth
I Made A Place
Athena
Our Pathetic Age
Drag City / Spunk
Stones Throw / Inertia
Mass Appeal Records / Caroline
The Wonderful World Of Nature
HHH½
HHH
HH½
Our Golden Friend
A new album of original material from Bonnie “Prince” Billy, aka William Oldham? Great, it’s time to get the tissue box out and spend the week in bed to mull over all the horrible mistakes of your adult life. Psych! This one is actually marginally brighter than the rest of his catalogue. It’s still introspective and sensitive, but it’s certainly not the iceberg of sadness that something like I See A Darkness is. Is it as good? Nah, but even if you aren’t already a fan of ol’ Billy Bummer, I Made A Place is definitely worth the time of anyone who likes good folk and country music.
Brittney “Sudan Archives” Parks is slipstreaming into the limelight, having hooked up with the LA beat-maker big wigs that run Stones Throw. Her first two EPs for the label were simple in-house affairs — written and performed by Parks, and self-produced. Armed with little more than her fiddle and homemade beats, they had a fresh energy that’s somewhat lacking here. With the addition of a whole lot of new contributors of guest producers, the character of Parks’ early work has been crowded out and fades into the scenery. In the final wash-up, Athena is slick, self-assured and just a little bit too safe for its own good.
Seeing as we already know how stellar Endtroducing..... was and how dry everything afterwards turned out to be, let’s just cut to the chase. DJ Shadow’s latest album, Our Pathetic Age, is a fucking chore to sit through. Side one opens with a lengthy run of tracks that are just confusingly awful. The beats from the CD Key Generator that came with your illegal copy of Photoshop are better than this stock drum machine crap. It’s a shame too, because side two really has a nice handful of tracks with some inspired production and verses. Are those diamonds in the rough worth the hour-and-a-half price of admission though? Absolutely not.
Christopher H James
Donald Finlayson
Donald Finlayson
THE MUSIC
•
32
•
ALBUM REVIEWS
HHH½ On her solo debut, Elizabeth’s sharp, intimate vocals are the perfect balance for the hazy backdrop of distant melodies. Her voice acts like a beacon which focuses all your attention on her. In songs like Take Me Back, it’s almost haunting. Beautifully tragic and unapologetically sad, the album entices you in to indulge in her pain, but instead you’re confronted by love’s ugly truths. Throughout, Elizabeth paints herself as the villain in a series of unhealthy relationships, but instead of wallowing in it, she empowers herself through her indiscretions. Katie Livingston
For more album reviews, go to www.theMusic.com.au
Emotional Oranges
Green Buzzard
These New South Whales
Michael Kiwanuka
The Juice: Vol. II
Amidst The Clutter & Mess
Kiwanuka
Avant Garden / Universal
I OH YOU
I Just Do What God Tells Me To Do
HHHH
HHH
ADA
HHHH
Emotional Oranges made quite a splash with the release of The Juice: Vol I earlier this year. Building on that success, they front up with another album bursting with a juicy selection of eight tracks. Vol II deals in a svelte groove which dreamily shimmers out of our speakers. A male/female duo, the contrast of their voices and perspectives seemingly chase after each other across this record and as they squeeze R&B, hip hop and funk into a kind of chilled pop, the chemistry between these two is undeniable. Emotional Oranges herald the coming of antipodean summer with a feelgood soundtrack for good times.
It’s been two years since Green Buzzard became a solo project, disbanding shortly after the release of their second EP, and Paddy Harrowsmith hasn’t given up. While the album does follow a similar style to Green Buzzard’s previous work, it is pared back - less rugged synth-rock, more smooth indie. Drawing inspiration from his own experiences, Harrowsmith tackles breakups and surrender. Combined with the bare, dreamlike quality of the music, it’s almost mournful. But the loneliness is balanced by more upbeat songs, that carry a hopeful aspect and the promise of healing.
With a killer stage presence and unique sound, These New South Whales trample over any other artist playing punk music. It’s Its Own Heart begins with a repetitive kick, with fast chords, extended guitar wails and barking dogs. In The Light Of Day tones things down. Rather than focusing on familiar and heavily distorted notes, the track shows that the Whales can change tack without compromising their artistic integrity. Full of strong, catchy, punk anthems, overall this is a brilliant progression from a band who are branching out.
British favourite Michael Kiwanuka is back bigger and better with third album Kiwanuka, a wonderful showcase of the singersongwriter’s worldly brand of soulful, rockinspired indie music. There’s a strong feeling of love and joy running throughout Kiwanuka, with album opener and first single You Ain’t The Problem setting the scene with its brassy celebration of acceptance. Kiwanuka makes old school soul music for modern audiences and has once again crafted a personal album oozing with ‘60s rock and soul.
Guido Farnell
Katie Livingston
Taylor Marshall
Tobias Handke
Boydos
Ocean Sleeper
Raised Fist
Pumarosa
It’s Alright, Look At Me I’m Young
Don’t Leave Me This Way
Anthems
Devastation
Independent
Epitaph
Fiction / Caroline
Cooking Vinyl
HHH
HHH½
HHH
Gippsland’s Ocean Sleeper risk fading into a saturated scene with their debut release. Kicking off with Sleep Life Away, its haunting guitar riff and thumping basslines are energetic and fun. When the gravelly tone of heavy vocalist Karl Spiessl lights a fire during Killing Me, there’s no question that Ocean Sleeper do melodic hardcore well. Catchy hooks and gritty breakdowns take you from moshing to dancing and back again in an Amity-like formula. Better Days’ haunting mix of strings and a light piano melody provides an emotive ending to what is a tight and enjoyable album, yet disappointingly unoriginal.
Arriving four years on from its predecessor, this record does what it says on the tin, the band attacking these often anthemic tracks with the gusto of a kid tearing into the wrapping paper at Christmas. Songs rarely outstay their welcome, or surpass the three-and-a-half minute mark. Alexander Hagman’s distinctive shout leads the charge, bellowing socio-political banter, motivational messages and self-referential fare — their modus operandi. He’s aided by riffs both bruising and hook-laden, and curious yet engaging touches, such as pseudo hip hop flourishes and occasional clean singing, or In Flames-infused melodic overtones.
On their second album, London’s Pumarosa channel ‘90s British electronica — Massive Attack, Faithless — and even contemporary bands like Purity Ring, while still retaining a live instrument sound and feel. The result? A very accessible, indie-friendly record. Arrangements here and there nod to lo-fi Detroit techno, while Adam’s Song could have been a Sneaker Pimps track. It’s these influences that underpin, but don’t saturate, a sound that the band continue to prove is their own. A more experimental, focussed and tighter affair, when compared with their critically well-received debut, in a lot of ways Devastation is more satisfying.
Emily Blackburn
Brendan Crabb
Adam Wilding
HHH½ Boydos’ debut album It’s Alright, Look At Me I’m Young is a bold and catchy example of some of NSW’s finest indie-rock. It’s the perfect blend of emotional turmoil and black humour. Boydos’ lyrics tackle some heavy stuff, from career anxiety to internet sex, but a sprinkling of deadpan humour gives character to his lyrics and adds layers to his songwriting. There’s a real atmosphere to his music and it’s hard not to be drawn in by Boydos’ rich vocals and heavy rhythms. Rambling, reckless, and utterly addictive. Katie Livingston
THE MUSIC
•
33
HHH½
•
ALBUM REVIEWS
Interscope Records / Universal
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
Dita Von Teese: Glamonatrix Burlesque superstar Dita Von Teese returns to Australia this month for a national tour of comedy and sophisticated striptease, Glamonatrix. It’s her anticipated follow-up to The Art Of The Teese, which was dubbed the most successful burlesque tour of all time. Von Teese leads an all-new variety show in four acts, set to feature martinisipping, a bejewelled surprise cake routine, Von Teese’s twist on lion taming, and, of course, a titillating “Lipteese”, set to the music of French electronic artist Sebastien Tellier and Monarchy’s Andrew Armstrong. She’ll be joined by beloved burlesque performers like Dirty Martini and Australian Zelia Rose, dressed in dazzling costumes by people like corset maker Mister Pearl, designer Jenny Packham, couturier Alexis Mabille, burlesque star Catherine D’Lish and more. Expect Swarovski crystals, sparkling lipstick, body positivity, and a whole lot of glam.
Dita Von Teese is on tour from 19 Nov.
The best of The Arts in November
1.
2.
1.
Wonderland Festival Wonderland Festival takes over Brisbane Powerhouse with 30 events for lovers of comedy, burlesque, circus and more, including transgressive cabaret from Baby Got Back, pictured, and an ode to the 1988 Bruce Willis classic, Die Hard: The Movie, The Play. From 21 Nov at Brisbane Powerhouse
2.
The Finders Keepers Get your Chrissie shopping done early by stocking up on artisan wares from local designers at The Finders Keepers markets, including beauty products from Eunoia Soul Rituals, homewares from Claire Ritchie, pictured, and ceramics from Paxxy & Flora. Pic by Samee Lapham.
3.
From 8 Nov at The Marquee, Brisbane Showgrounds
3.
4.
Clancestry QPAC have packed out their Clancestry First Nations program, expanding it to a three-week event, featuring Mojo Juju, sitespecific installations from Libby Harward, and Sandy Greenwood’s one-woman show Matriarch, pictured, about four generations of Gumbaynggirr women.
5.
From 18 Nov at QPAC
4.
Steve Martin And Martin Short: Now You See Them, Soon You Won’t Two of the most loved men in comedy, Steve Martin and Martin Short, join forces this month for a new stand-up tour. The pair have been touring together since 2016, and friends since they met on set of the Three Amigos more than 30 years ago. 13 Nov at Brisbane Entertainment Centre
5.
Good Chat Comedy Club Every Wednesday at brew pub Fritzenberger Good Chat Comedy Club hosts some of the best comics from Brissie and all over the country. Their November line-ups are set to feature the likes of Mel Buttle, pictured, Craig Quartermaine and Gavin Sempel.
6.
Wednesday nights at Fritzenberger
6.
Chicago Natalie Bassingthwaighte stars as Roxie Hart in Chicago, a role previously performed by the likes of Gwen Verdon, Liza Minelli and Renée Zellweger. She’s joined by Casey Donovan and Alinta Chidzey in the iconic musical about women criminals, satirising both the way we deal with criminal justice and ‘celebrity criminals’. Pic by Jeff Busby. From 2 Nov at Lyric Theatre, QPAC
THE MUSIC
•
36
•
ON IN NOVEMBER
Subscribe now To our daily newsletter. For up-to-the-minute industry news Subscribe at:
theMusic.com.au
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
Film & TV Years And Years
HHHH Airs from 6 Nov on SBS
Reviewed by Guy Davis
T
he six-episode drama Years And Years, penned by Russell T Davies of Queer As Folk and Doctor Who fame, jumps ahead a few years with each episode, following a British family as they wrestle with seemingly every dilemma the 2020s has to offer. But the populism, inequality, fearmongering, radicalisation and general sense of total fucking precariousness depicted in this show is very much rooted in the here and now. Such conspicuous relevance can be a blessing and a curse. Watching Years And Years, one can easily empathise with the members of the Lyons family — it helps that the clan is so very diverse in how the four siblings each represent a different economic strata and socio-political leaning — as they contend with everything from a topsyturvy economy to turbo-charged identity politics. But at the same time, anyone who’s paid even the slightest attention to current affairs may feel an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
Giving hot-button topics a (barely) fictional framework provides room for different perspectives and interpretations, and Davies and his excellent cast, including Rory Kinnear, Russell Tovey and Jessica Hynes, imbue their characters with genuine heart and soul. Even when Years And Years threatens to edge into a highlight reel of worst-case scenarios (Donald Trump set off a nuke! All the butterflies are dead!), its human element serves as a vivid reminder of the toll that is taken. Oh, but there’s also Emma Thompson, terribly impressive as a wealthy political outlier who gains power by playing on voters’ fear and anger. Years And Years is overwhelmingly a superior piece of mainstream drama, one that serves as a strong reminder of the hazards that are prevalent now, and the possible solutions that we have within our grasp.
Judy & Punch
HHH½ In cinemas 21 Nov
Reviewed by Anthony Carew
M
irrah Foulkes’ directorial debut, a riff on the most famous names in domestic violence-themed puppetry, is one of the most distinctive — and ridiculous — Australian films in years. At once grim fairy tale, social satire, absurdist parable, and magic-realist tragicomedy, it’s a mixture of horror and hilarity that seems unexpectedly indebted to The Simpsons’ Treehouse Of Horror tale that riffed on the Salem witch trials and small town moral hypocrisy. In a storybook Ye Olde village, local yokels have two forms of entertainment: puppet shows and public executions. Mr Punch (Damon Herriman, local cinema’s number one villain after his The Nightingale turn) and his wife, Judy (Mia Wasikowska), have arrived in town to perform their puppet show in front of the braying drunkards at the grimy pub, McDrinky’s. Mr Punch himself proves to be a nasty, vituperative drunk, and a traditional trope of the Punch & Judy show — Punch hitting his wife with a big black stick — is repurposed here as an act
THE MUSIC
•
38
•
REVIEWS
of horrifying violence. Judy is left for dead in the woods, where she discovers a community of outcasts, hatches a plot for revenge, and foments a feminist uprising. In her revisionist Punch & Judy spin, Foulkes is undertaking a study of violence, in both cultural and pop-cultural forms. Here, violence is a form of domestic oppression and tool of righteous rebellion. But it’s also entertainment, both in the puppet show within, and in cinema itself. At its beginning, the film’s title banner is laid over a shot — a frontal tableau — of the crowd gathered to see Punch and Judy perform; at its end, as the credits roll, we see vintage newsreels of real-life children watching the puppets, often in horror. Though it’s set in storybook yore, Judy & Punch is very much about the contemporary (and extremely online) climate, interrogating violent entertainment, morality policing, and angry mob justice. The film does this all while remaining funny, fun, and genuinely silly — this anything but the standard Australian arthouse fare.
Bernard Black doing yoga? It’s been “20 fucking years” since Dylan Moran wrote a television show, and he’s now at work on a new one. He tells Daniel Cribb he’s happy marching to the beat of his own drum — and a little Kanye West, too.
W
hen Dylan Moran isn’t doing comedy, he spends a lot of time talking about it. “I think the simplest way to talk about [comedy] is to talk about it like music,” the Black Books legend says. “People say, ‘Well, how do you do this?’ or ‘How do you switch?’ but it’s all music, you’re just playing different notes and different tunes; one thing might be a ballad and one thing might be a rock song or a blues thing. There are genres within [comedy], you might see somebody do a rant, or you might see somebody do a dialogue, or you might see somebody do a reveal or reverse.” Artists like Weyes Blood, PJ Harvey, John Martin, Canned Heat and Little Dragon are just a few of the artists Moran is listening to at the moment, allowing him a little break from comedy every now and then. “Some of this is really poppy and I don’t give a shit,” he enthuses. “This is stuff I would have poo-pooed years ago, but I’ll give anything a go now. I’m interested in what they’re doing, rather than whether I’m supposed to like it or not. “I like finding stuff that I’m appalled that I like,” he laughs. “I didn’t think I was going to like anything by Kanye West because he’s such an annoying-faced fucker, but he’s very talented. “This is my main discovery though,” he adds, lowering his voice. “This guy is a genius and he’s unbelievable — this guy called Darondo. He’s this funk, soul guy.” While saying he tries to mix it up and “play everything” when it comes to his stand-up, he’s quick to admit that, much like a musician or band, there’s always going to be something definitively Dylan Moran about his work, no matter how far he ventures into new territory. “When you go and see a band, you’re going to see that band, so if you’re coming to see this dude, it will be like some things that you’ve seen before in that I’m the same dude and make some of the same sounds,” Moran says. “In fact, and in the broadest possible way, maybe it’s not different at all; maybe none of my shows are different, maybe they’re all the same, maybe it’s just me talking about stuff,” he laughs. His latest stand-up show, Dr Cosmos, which he’ll tour across Australia from October to December, borrows its name from a new series he’s been writing. “I wrote a pilot for a show called Dr Cosmos, and that has changed now into a new show where he is a charac-
ter,” Moran reveals. “It’s funny, because it’s quite dangerous when you’re writing something to talk about it. I’ve written four episodes, there’s going to be five. I don’t want to say too much, but it’s going to be a short format; I think that’s going to be happening a lot with television because there’s just so much being made. “This thing is 15 minutes, it’s incredibly tight and fast-paced. They’re short theories and short problems and I wanted to make five of them. I wanted to make the whole thing as zippy as possible. There’s no fat on the thing.
“I’m going to be trying to keep body and soul together; I’m going to be doing yoga and making sure that I’m having smoothies and stuff because I want to get to the end of it alive.”
“The name [Dr Cosmos] came from the emergence of all these populist politicians, which reminded me of the era of snake oil salesmen,” he explains. “You used to see them in westerns, they’d rock up to town in their wagon, selling some elixir that would restore your pubic hair and give you good eyesight, so that’s where the notion came from.” The last time Moran visited Australia was with his Off The Hook show in 2015. His schedule this time around is a little more hectic, or, in his words, “pretty fucking bang bang”. “I’m going to be trying to keep body and soul together; I’m going to be doing yoga and making sure that I’m having smoothies and stuff because I want to get to the end of it alive.” Drinking smoothies and doing yoga aren’t necessarily the activities you’d expect from Bernard Black, but as Moran points out, his character on Black Books would likely be dead at this stage, given his steady diet of alcohol and cigarettes. “You can smoke or you can breathe and I couldn’t breathe anymore,” Moran says. “You get older and your options change, and you adapt or die. Everybody has an Uncle Harry who lives on cigarettes and whisky and lives to be 102, but I ain’t him.” It’s hard to believe, but the iconic British comedy celebrates its 20th anniversary next year. “Why do I get the feeling you’re a young man? You don’t mind saying things like this; you don’t know what that does to me,” Moran jokes. “It’s nuts! You never think you’ll be in that position. I’ll tell you what’s really funny. that means it’s 20 fucking years since I wrote a television show,” he laughs. No pressure on his yet-to-be-titled new series, then. “No, there isn’t, because I don’t work like that. I’m not good with pressure, so everybody can go fuck themselves if they want to put pressure on me,” he stresses. “I’m just having a good time and if anyone says we need to do this fast, I’ll say, ‘You really can go fuck yourself — I’m not doing anything.’ I’ll go back on the road. I don’t work like that; I just do what I want to do.”
Dylan Moran is on tour now.
Check The Guide on theMusic.com.au for more details.
THE MUSIC
•
39
•
COMEDY
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
Bris Must Be The Place We’re suckers for a Talking Heads reference and even more so for a night where we can lord our supreme musical knowledge over the wider public. If you too know your Triffids from The Day Of The Triffids and can sing all the words to Truly Madly Deeply, be sure to join Jeremy Neale, Aimon Clarke (The Creases) and Megan Washington at Museum Of Brisbane this 14 Nov for a night of Brisbane music trivia and surprise musical moments.
Illustration by Mel Baxter
1 2 3
How now brown snake?
4
The XXXX Brewery will open its doors this month to host a one-day music festival and it’s got us thinking about the many Brisbane icons on the Brown Snake. Ahead of the fest this 16 Nov, why not spend the day moseying down its majestic riverbends and tick off these four favourites.
1. Story Bridge
2. XXXX Brewery
3. Queensland Cultural Centre
4. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
The Story Bridge is Australia’s longest cantilever bridge — suck on that, Sydney. It opened in 1940 and was named after public servant John Douglas Story. Three people died during its construction and the road across it is one of Australia’s shortest highways. Bridge facts — fun! Now you’ve learnt something new, we’d recommend a stroll across the bridge and down to Howard Smith Wharves for peak city views.
There’s nothing more Brisbane than sinking a Milton Mango on the Brown Snake and this month the home of the Queensland staple will open its doors to host XXXX Presents: Live At The Brewery. A killer lineup of acts, including Holy Holy, Confidence Man, Custard and Nice Biscuit, will join Mr Fourex in his hallowed beer halls. You even get a free brewery tour with your ticket purchase. We’ve teared up just thinking about it.
Hoo boy, do we love a bit of brutalism in Brisbane! And you can’t top the cultural precinct with the iconic Art Gallery, Museum, Performing Arts Centre, Cultural Forecourt and The Edge. Just like a Queenslander, these concrete buildings were built to last. Who needs London? The only South Bank for us comes with bin chickens and a man-made beach. We’ve even got a big wheel. Brutal! Iconic! Brisbane!
Every tourist that passes through Brisbane makes the pilgrimage out west to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary because Lone Pine is the best. It’s the largest and oldest koala sanctuary in the world and a mere 12km out of the city centre. The first koalas that called the sanctuary home were named Jack and Jill (adorbs), but now it features heaps of native wildlife including Tasmanian devils, wombats, echidnas and two platypuses.
THE MUSIC
•
42
•
YOUR TOWN
Day of The Triffid
Pic: Tao Jones
Bernard Fanning. Pic: Stewart Munro
The Triffid turns five this month so we asked owner and former Powderfinger bassist, John “JC” Collins, for his top five shows.
Triple threat The Delta Riggs November 2014
In their their second and final year as Mullum Music Festival patrons, Husky are planning something special, airing three of their new side projects — Husky Gawenda solo, Gideon Preiss’ Piano Bar and the music and visual exploration, First Kiss Goodnight. As such, we asked them for three things at Mullum that inspired them doing the three different projects this year.
We had been open for about three weeks and it was the first time a band had sold out The Triffid. It was that first real experience of saying, ‘This is awesome, this is gonna be great.’
Sunnyboys with The Riptides March 2015 I’d grown up listening to the Sunnyboys which is one of the reasons Hoggy [Ian Haug] and I became mates... I grew up with this band so it was a special feeling to have them perform at our venue.
The open Mullum mind First Kiss Goodnight is a project that sprung up out of the fertile days and nights spent in the studio with Matt Redlich, who has produced the forthcoming Husky album. Things happened in the studio that we wanted to explore but were of a very different world to the record we were working on. So First Kiss Goodnight was our way of exploring those ideas. We enlisted Erin Van Occi to add a visual element, because the music already felt like it had such a visual dimension and we wanted to see that
Goat with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard December 2015
manifested. It’s an unusual project — hard to define, risky. That’s what Mullum’s all about.
The Mullum Piano Bar
This was the first time seeing King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and they were just awesome. There’s nothing else to say, they’re just awesome and so unique. A very cool show, I loved it.
Gideon’s Piano Bar is a chance for Gideon to improvise, be spontaneous, and explore his piano playing and jazz roots. The piano bar is a small room: the audience sits around the piano, there is no separation between audience and performer, and the journey is taken by everyone together. Sometimes people get up and sing, sometimes people dance, sometimes they sit eyes closed and disappear in the music for a while. This is a unique space to Mullum festival.
Bernard Fanning October 2017
The Mullum audiences
I couldn’t do this without mentioning one of my old bandmates. It was pretty hard to choose cause Darren, Hoggy and Bernard all played here in some capacity but I’ll give it to Bernard. He played four shows in a row and got his name on the honour board.
The warm embrace of Mullum audiences convinced me to play a set of solo songs that I’ve been slowly tinkering away at for a couple of years. I didn’t write them with the intention of ever playing them live necessarily — they are quiet, intimate, written in my little room on late nights, sung in whispers. Only at Mullum would I consider doing so.
Mentorship. Pic: Anthony Moulay
WAAX September 2019
THE MUSIC
•
43
•
YOUR TOWN
There have been so many great performances by the new brigade of young Brisbane artists but WAAX are on fire at the moment and you’ve got to have a new Brisbane band in the top five... What a great rock’n’roll band.
The Triffid’s 5th Birthday Party featuring You Am I and Jebediah is on 14 Nov.
This month’s highlights Life’s a beach
Bow to fate
Carly Rae Jepsen, CHVRCHES, Logic and a stack of Aussie talent, including Sampa The Great, Kaiit and Tkay Maidza, will make their way to the Gold Coast for the inaugural SandTunes festival. It all happens at Metricon Stadium in Carrara this 30 Nov — 1 Dec.
Clare Bowditch
Clare Bowditch released her memoir, Your Own Kind Of Girl, last month and is touring it round the country in November. Catch Bowditch in conversation with Myf Warhurst at the Brisbane Powerhouse on 1 Nov or at Maleny Community Centre with Steven Lang on 6 Nov.
Kaiit
San Mei. Pic: Savannah van der Niet
No place like home Hometown Fest is a two-day music festival that celebrates homegrown talent. This year it’ll feature the likes of Meghan Patrick, Dallas Smith, Fanny Lumsden and San Mei, so head down to the Brisbane Showgrounds on 23-24 Nov for all the free action.
Watch that scene Scene & Heard Festival has roped in some big names for its jaunt down the east coast. Don’t miss the likes of The Dandy Warhols, Sneaky Sound System and Alex Lloyd when they stop into Eatons Hill Hotel on 2 Nov.
Up in the air
Party Dozen
Mama Kin Spender
Now in its seventh year, the Airlie Beach Festival Of Music will return to the heart of the Great Barrier Reef this 8-10 Nov. With 74 artists, including John Butler, The Superjesus, Mama Kin Spender and Tia Gostelow, to match the 74 islands of the Whitsundays, you’d best get out the boat shoes.
Wide blue yonder Sneaky Sound System
The fine folk behind Jungle Love Festival are putting on a new festival this month called Yonder. Get on the group chat and roadtrip with your mates to the Mary Valley this 28-30 Nov for the immersive arts and music festival featuring imbi the girl, Party Dozen, Chakra Efendi and more.
Montaigne is taking her new album Complex on the road this month including a date at The Zoo in Brisbane on 15 Nov. She’s also making the trip to Byron to play The Northern on 16 Nov.
THE MUSIC
•
44
•
YOUR TOWN
Montaigne
The full Montaigne
FRIDAY 1ST NOVEMBER
A.SWAYZE & THE GHOSTS, BOING BOING, THE SQUIDLICKERS, CHILLI GOMEZ SATURDAY 2ND NOVEMBER
SAT 2 NOV
SAT 14 DEC
CROCODYLUS, ISRAELI CHICKS, PERVE ENDINGS
SCENE & HEARD
SO FRESHTIVAL 2000S PARTY
FRIDAY 8TH NOVEMBER
TUE 5 NOV MELBOURNE CUP
FRI 8 NOV
THE VIOLENT MONKS, WHITE BLEACHES
WED 1 JAN
SATURDAY 9TH NOVEMBER
TIGERLILY
NEW YEAR’S DAY FOAM PARTY
FRI 15 NOV
SAT 25 JAN
PROJECT BONKA
HOLY GREEN
SAT 16 NOV
SAT 8 FEB
BJORN AGAIN
PENNYWISE
FRI 22 NOV
THUR 13 FEB
80’S MANIA
HYBRID THEORY
FRIDAY 15TH NOVEMBER
SAT 30 NOV
SAT 15 FEB
SOY, STOKER
ALEX WILLIAMSON
BEERFEST
THUR 12 DEC
THUR 2 APR
SIX60
THE DOBRE BROTHERS
STUMPS, GRACE TURNER THURSDAY 14TH NOVEMBER
SUPERHEIST, CRISIS TO COLLAPSE
SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER
MONTAIGNE FRIDAY 22ND NOVEMBER
JACK BOOTS & FELIPE BALDIMIR SATURDAY 23RD NOVEMBER (07)
SENATE X CLUB RAIDERS
3325 6777
TICKETS & INFO GO TO: EATONSHILLHOTEL.COM.AU
FRIDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
EATONSHILLHOTELPAGE
SAN MEI, DAISY BRAINS
646 SOUTHPINE RD EATONS HILL
SATURDAY 30TH NOVEMBER
THE DREGGS
JONSON STREET BYRON BAY
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE WWW.THENORTHERN.COM.AU
the best and the worst of the month’s zeitgeist
The lashes Front
Back
Pic via Fire Drill Friday’s Instagram
Pic via ABC
Praise the Sun
About time
Pure pro
Absolutely not
Animals
Asp-ocolypse
The mercury has finally
Uluru has officially closed to
October was another big
A platoon of hooligans
It shouldn’t need to be said,
The planet has spoken, after
tipped past the point where
the public at the behest of
month for climate protest.
howling misogynistic
but please don’t kill animals
years of mistreatment and
we can take a dip without
its Traditional Custodians,
Non-violent activist move-
chants on public trans-
for kicks. If you feel the
wanton kookaburra slaugh-
fear of frostbite. The sun is
the Anangu. After one last
ment Extinction Rebellion
port isn’t a bit of fun, it’s
need to tear the head off of
ter, humanity is to be swept
shining! The birds are sing-
rush of clueless tourists
took to the streets around
terrifying. The footage of
kookaburras, or mow down
away in a wash of venom-
ing! The pollen is every-
(looking at you, Hanson),
the world, including here in
St Kevin’s College students
swathes of kangaroos with
ous sea snakes - which last
where and doing awful
the sacred site is no longer
Aus, while OG activist Jane
shows a brazen disregard
your car, or stone wombats
month starting mysterious-
things to our sinuses! That’s
accessible to climbers.
Fonda got cuffed three
for women that doesn’t
to death, take a deep breath
ly washing up on Australian
times protesting in Wash-
bode well for anybody.
and remember that you’re
beaches en masse. Nope.
not the shining centre of
Not a fan.
still a win!
ington DC. Legend.
the universe.
What shaped trophy do they give out at the Teen Choice Awards?
2. Which Australian artist won a Grammy for Dance/Electronic Album in 2017? 3. What three iconic words became a meme after the 2015 VMAs? Cartoon by Kazuki Komatsu. Curated by Chris Neill.
4. Which artist has won a Grammy, Brit, VMA, ARIA... plus a Gold Logie (better than an EGOT)? 5. Which Aus comedian won a 2019 Emmy in a field that included Beyonce, Adam Sandler and Amy Schumer? 6. What red carpet moment inspired the creation of Google Images?
THE MUSIC
•
46
•
THE END
7. In what year did Kanye interrupt Taylor Swift at the VMAs? 8. Whose ARIA Award impaled their bedroom floor earlier this year? 9. Who currently holds the record for most ARIA Awards won? 10. Which short film won Walt Disney a posthumous Oscar?
Answers:
1.
Test your award knowledge.
1. Surfboard 2. Flume 3. “Miley, what’s good?” 4. Kylie Minogue 5. Hannah Gadsby 6. J Lo, Green Dress, 2000 Grammys 7. 2009 8. Montaigne 9. Silverchair, 21 10. Winnie the Pooh And The Blustery Day
The Quiz
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
Experience
being the future of Brisbane’s music industry! Apply now for The QUBE Effect 2020. Take your career to the next level with Brisbane City Council’s six month development program. Thousands of people will see your professionally produced music video, network with and be mentored by industry professionals, attend BIGSOUND and perform live during Brisbane Youth Week 2020. You’ll also have the chance to win major prizes including performing at some of Brisbane’s iconic venues and festivals.
Applications close 5pm Monday 25 November 2019.
CA19-836831-04-4569 © 2019 Brisbane City Council
For more information visit brisbane.qld.gov.au and search ‘The QUBE Effect’.
THE MUSIC
•
NOVEMBER
Featured artist: The Blockades
The QUBE Effect is just one of the ways Council is creating more to see and do in Brisbane.