The Music (Sydney) Issue 2 by TheMusic.com.au

# 0 2 • 2 1 . 0 8 . 1 3 • S Y D N E Y • F R E E • I N C O R P O R AT I N G

JAPANDROIDS “ W E ’ R E A P R E T T Y B L A C K A N D W H I T E BA N D ”

music

PLUTO TO JONZE

film

CHLOËË GRACE MORETZ

travel

HOLI LI FEST

fashion

ONESIES NESIES

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themusic 21ST AUGUST 2013

#002

INSIDE FEATURED Japandroids Kick-Ass 2

video

Franz Ferdinand Simon Reynolds Upstream Colour What Maisie Knew Snakadaktal Blue Man Group Tyler Touche Onesies The Beasts Of Bourbon Avenged Sevenfold Known Associates Miss Julie

EXCLUSIVE: HOT SYDNEY-BASED INDIE DUDES GLASS TOWERS PLAY A COUPLE OF SONGS FOR US, LIVE AND STRIPPED BACK.

STREAM: HEAR LOVE GRASS, THE BRAND NEW LP FROM COUNTRY-FOLK DARLING SARA STORER FIRST ON THEMUSIC.COM. AU, BEFORE ITS RELEASE ON FRIDAY. RIGHT NOW ON THEMUSIC.COM.AU

RIGHT NOW ON THEMUSIC.COM.AU

BLOG: DAN CONDON WILL HAVE FIVE FRESH SICK TUNES YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS FRIDAY.

“LIGHT, SINCERE AND REFLECTIVE.” PETE LAURIE REVIEWS TIRED PONY (P.45)

ON THEMUSIC.COM.AU

Holi Festival Washed Out Pluto Jonze Drenge Jerusalem The Johnny Cass Band

REVIEWS

Album: King Krule Live: Paul Kelly Arts: Elysium Gear: Cole Clark Angel Guitar …and more

THE GUIDE

“THERE IS A LOT OF BULLSHIT ABOUT THIS BAND. GOSSIP, RUMOUR AND SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE THAT BECOMES FACT.” SPENCER P. JONES OF THE BEASTS OF BOURBON (P.32)

feature “IS SHE KILLING PEOPLE FOR A CAUSE OR IS SHE JUST HAVING FUN, YOU KNOW?” CHLOË GRACE MORETZ FROM KICK-ASS 2 (P.22)

Cover: Lyall Moloney Local News Gig Guide

Eat: European Food Sport: Five Sports You Don’t Know Travel: Volunteering In Switzerland

review 8 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

“PAUL KELLY’S VOICE SOUNDED BETTER THAN EVER AS IT CHANNELLED THE FOLK SINGER, THE SNEERING POST-PUNK AND THE COUNTRY STORYTELLER.” CHRIS FAMILTON REVIEWS PAUL KELLY (P.49)

th f e or ha m rperl hoy te

WED 21ST 7PM

900 PRINCES HIGHWAY, TEMPE PH: 9559 6300 www.valvebar.com.au ULTRA SERIES BAND COMPETITION

ULTRA DECORATED THEME HEAT, UNIQUE CONCEPT - ONE HEAT THEMED COMPETITION

THU 22ND 7PM

“IVORY” INDIE SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM: “THE WILDBLOODS” , “RAW IDIOCY” ,

FRI 23RD 7PM

“SCHLAM” ROCK SHOW WITH SUPPORT FROM “STELLAR ADDICTION” , “BURNSIDE” ,

SAT 24TH 1PM

ELECTROSHOCK ELECTRONIC ROCK SHOW FEAT: “CYBRIDIAN” , “FUTUREMAN” ,

“LIL SMOKE”

ADAM GORECKI

“SERPENTS OF THE SHE”

SUNDAY 25TH AUGUST TO TUESDAY 27TH AUGUST

VALVE IS MOVING TO SYDNEY CITY - 871 GEORGE STREET COMING UP:

Wed 28 Aug: ULTRA Series Band Competition ; Thu 29 Aug: Metal Show feat: “Akumas Kinder” , “Mandala” , “Darkness Reigns” , “Chronic” ; Fri 30 Aug: Basement: Thrash Metal Show with “Lethal Vendetta” , “Skulldogory” , “Abacination” , “Enter 6” , “Senile Circus” ; First Level: Hip Hop Show/Album release with Izzy n The Profit , Apollo Creed (Bretheren + Oakbridge) , Bayside Wreckers, DJ Maniak and many more; Sat 31 Aug 7pm: Bring In The Spring Soul/Funk/Reggae/Hip Hop Show with “The Kumpnee” , “Blue CaNdy” , “Soul Benefits”; Sunday 1 Sept: 4pm: Rock Show with “Rudefinger” , “Wynk”; 7pm: Country Indie Rock Show with “The Rocking Chair & Shotgun” and many more For band bookings please email valvebar@gmail.com

Bistro open Lunch and Dinner !!

T H E

2 0 1 3

POWER 50 EDITION

be where the POWER is!

OUT NOW!

ORDER FROM STORE.THEMUSIC.COM.AU THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 9

CREDITS PUBLISHER

Street Press Australia Pty Ltd

GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Mast

EDITOR Mark Neilsen

ASSISTANT EDITOR Natasha Lee

ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR Cassandra Fumi

MUSO EDITOR Michael Smith

GIG GUIDE EDITOR Justine Lynch nsw.gigs@themusic.com.au

CONTRIBUTORS Adam Wilding, Andrew McDonald, Anthony Carew, Ben Meyer, Ben Doyle, Bethany Cannan, Brendan Crabb, Cameron Warner, Cate Summers, Chris Familton, Chris Maric, Chris Yates, Cyclone, Dan Condon, Dave Drayton, Guy Davis, Helen Lear, Jamelle Wells, James d’Apice, James Dawson, Justine Keating, Kris Swales, Liz Giuffre, Lorin Reid, Mark Hebblewhite, Mat Lee, Matt MacMaster, Paul Ransom, Paul Smith, Rip Nicholson, Robbie Lowe, Ross Clelland, Sam Hilton, Sam Murphy, Sarah Braybrooke, Sarah Petchell, Scott Fitzsimons, Sebastian Skeet, Sevana Ohandjanian, Simon Eales, Steve Bell, Stuart Evans, Tim Finney

THIS WEEK THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK • 21 AUGUST - 27 AUGUST 2013

aww shit

PHOTOGRAPHERS Angela Padovan, Carine Thevenau, Clare Hawley, Cybele Malinowski, Josh Groom, Justin Malinowski, Kane Hibberd, Peter Sharp, Sara Wills, Thomas Graham, Tony Mott

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Brett Dayman

ADVERTISING DEPT Brett Dayman, James Seeney, Andrew Lilley sales@themusic.com.au

ART DIRECTOR Matt Davis

ART DEPT Eamon Stewart, Nicholas Hopkins

Tonight, it’s time to tell a very tall tale. WordPlay Sydney is launching at the screening room upstairs at Yullis on Crown Street in Surry Hills. Local writers will take to the stage to present finished prose or works in projects. Don’t worry, this ain’t some pseudo poetry slam. At WordPlay, prose is the hero. All the action kicks off tonight at 6.30pm at Yullis, 417 Crown Street, Surry Hills

A new study from the United States claims that drinking more than four cups of coffee a day could kill you. So the unfortunate news goes: Drinking 28 cups of coffee a week increases your chances of dying young. No word yet on what drinking 28 cups on deadline day here at The Music does.

A shit storm has erupted following the Vanda & Young Song Competition, which has been won by The Preatures frontwoman Isabella Manfredi. APRA’s now in a bit of strife after it emerged they’d doctored the t-shirt Manfredi wore to the awards, which originally said “F##K ABBOTT #SEXAPPEAL”, but in an email sent around by an external PR company the word “ABBOTT” was mysteriously missing. Censorship, much?

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CONTACT US PO Box 2440 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 Level 1/142 Chalmers St Surry Hills NSW Phone (02) 9331 7077 info@themusic.com.au www.themusic.com.au

SYDNEY

wtf ?

win

On a list of ‘Things that really piss us off ’ here at theMusic, people who crash into you while checking their phone is pretty high up there. Finally, somebody has decided to bring an end to this assault on simple manners (or at least try), with Japan just erecting smartphone warning signs that read: “Walking while using a smartphone is dangerous... But those people probably didn’t see this announcement.”

watch

cringe

Howdy Miley Cyrus! Guess what? We get it! You’re a big old girl now and you want people to stop treating you like some dang Disney starlet! But, please stop. All this twerking shit at old mate Terry Richardson’s blindingly white studio is just… odd, uncomfortable and like watching your sister feel herself up. And no one wants to do that. Okay? Thanks.

We’ve all been that lonely soul trawling through their phone for some late-night extracurricular activities, and the video for Arctic Monkey’s new single, Why’d You Only Call Me When Your High? captures the desperation of the situation in full drug distorted glory. The song mightn’t be as good as Do I Wanna Know? (which they cross promote cheekily here), but the clip is an absolute corker. What’s Alex on? Anyone’s guess. But if he’s offering, then, well...

lol

“That’s not a campaign; this is a campaign.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart knows how to break the ridiculousness of politics down, and in less than eight minutes they’ve managed to show the world what a bunch of jokers most of Australia’s candidates are. Peter ‘merlot cock’ Dowling, Stephanie “turbo-Palin” Banister, Jaymes Diaz; they’re all gloriously roasted by the great John Oliver on DOWN-UNDERcision 2013. Laugh at the gaffs while shaking your head at the frightening reality of it.

national news news@themusic.com.au THE CRIBS

SHINING STAR

He’s American by birth and a Brit by base, but Cosmo Jarvis recognises Australia as his adopted home. Embraced by our nation, songs like Love This quickly became summer singalong favourites and with a new record in the pipelines for early next year, the prolific 23-year-old will left spirits with material new and old. Along with rambunctious indie rockers Lime Cordiale, the devilish pop auteur will play Beetle Bar, Brisbane, 13 Oct; Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 15 Oct; Workers Club, Melbourne, 16 Oct; Karova Lounge, Ballarat, 18 Oct; Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine, 19 Oct; Barwon Club, Geelong, 20 Oct (matinee); Annandale Hotel, Sydney, 24 Oct; Mona Vale Hotel, Sydney, 25 Oct; Fat As Butter, Newcastle, 26 Oct; and Yours and Owls, Wollongong, 27 Oct.

THE HUMAN JUKEBOX SIBLING SOUNDS

Help British brothers The Cribs celebrate ten years of chaotic rock goodness when they land on our shores for a full national tour later this year. Prepare to for a sweat-fest at one of these following dates: 23 Oct, The Small Ballroom, Newcastle; 24 Oct, Beresford Upstairs, Sydney; 25 Oct, The Zoo, Brisbane; 26 Oct, Ding Dong, Melbourne; and 29 Oct, Rosemount Hotel, Perth. All shows are proudly presented by The Music.

SOUTHERN BASS

There are few producers more revered and respected in the world of electronic music than Hernan Cattaneo. The Argentinean has spent the his career – spanning three decades – putting South American club culture on the map, all the while dictating the dance in some of the world’s biggest venues including Homelands, Bedrock, Pacha and Fabric. Cattaneo will be returning to Australia next month, bringing his deep, progressive house to select capital city venues. Check him out 20 Sep, Prince Bandroom, Melbourne; 21 Sep, The Ivy, Sydney (day) and The Met, Brisbane (night); and 22 Sep, The Court, Perth.

SURE TO BE A HOOT

Owl Eyes’ debut record Nightswim continues to give and give, with the Melbourne dream pop starlet ready to drop her fourth single off the longplayer. Along with Willow Beats and The Kite String Tangle, Brooke ‘Owl Eyes’ Addamo will tour Hurricane this spring, performing at Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane, 11 Oct; Woombye Pub, Sunshine Coast, 12 Oct; Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 16 to 18 Oct; Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, 19 Oct; Wollongong UniBar, 24 Oct; ANU Bar, Canberra, 25 Oct; and Fat As Butter Festival, Newcastle, 26 Oct. And heads up, The Kite String Tangle doesn’t appear in Wollongong or Canberra – sorry folks.

SO THIS IS WHY THE LIBS HAVEN’T LET ABBOTT SAY ANYTHING FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS... EDDIE PERFECT [@EDDIEPERFECT] BOARDS THE POLITICAL ZIGGERS TRAIN.

12 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

Paul Dempsey can tell a story, no question. His work with Something For Kate has turned the songwriter into a musical icon of this country and his solo output has only solidified such a notion further. In amongst all this though, Dempsey has built a reputation as a formidable covers gun, tackling everything from The Clash’s Rock The Casbah to more modern fare like Active Child’s Hanging On, all in his own distinct style. Now, that side of his repertoire is going to be showcased, with the Shotgun Karaoke tour heading around the country: 5 Oct, The Zoo, Brisbane; 9 Oct, Lizotte’s, Dee Why; 10 Oct, Lizotte’s, Kincumber; 11 Oct, Lizotte’s, Newcastle; 12 Oct, Factory Theatre, Sydney; 20 Oct, Fly By Night, Fremantle; and 25 Oct, The Hi-Fi, Melbourne. Special guest at all dates is Melbourne up-and-comer Olympia.

DAN SULTAN

LONE RANGER

Local legend Dan Sultan will be showcasing his refined side with his Back To Basics tour, playing in stripped back solo mode before he releases his third record. Catch him 23 Oct, Lizotte’s, Newcastle; 24 Oct, The Basement, Sydney; 25 Oct, Heritage Hotel, Bulli; 26 Oct, The Abbey, Canberra; 31 Oct, Old Museum, Brisbane; 1 Nov, Woombye Pub, Sunshine Coast; 2 Nov, Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne; 8 Nov, The Wool Exchange, Geelong; 9 Nov, Theatre Royal, Castlemaine; 16 Nov, Fly By Night, Fremantle; and 17 Nov, Ellington Jazz Club, Perth. Proudly presented by The Music.

national news news@themusic.com.au ASTA

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

TEEN SENSATIONS

Since taking out last year’s triple j Unearthed High competition, Asta has been steadily been solidifying her position as one of Australia’s most exciting young talents and now she’s excited to reach out to her ever-growing fanbase with the Synergy Tour. Swim with the Tasmanian’s gorgeous neu pop on 21 Sep, Goodgod, Sydney (afternoon/all ages; evening/18+); 28 Sep, Brisbane Powerhouse (afternoon/all ages) and Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane (evening/18+); 4 Oct, Northcote Social Club, Melbourne; and 5 Oct, Phoenix Youth Centre, Melbourne (afternoon/all ages). Proudly presented by The Music.

LORDE

BABY THEY WERE BORN TO RUN

Holy shitballs! Most Bruce Springsteen lovers thought they got it pretty sweet when The Boss ripped through some marathon sets earlier this year with his longstanding E Street Band. But we can guarantee you few – if any – of those fans would have guessed they’d get a second slice of the magic in less than 12 months. However, here we are, stoked to tell you that New Jersey’s favourite son and his cohorts will be touring Down Under in 2014. Here are the all ages dates: 7 Feb, Perth Arena; 15 Feb, AAMI Park, Melbourne; 19 Feb, Allphones Arena, Sydney; 22 Feb, Hope Estate, Hunter Valley; and 26 Feb, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, with supports at the various shows including a reformed Hunters & Collectors, Dan Sultan and The Rubens. Tickets go on sale this coming Monday, but we recommend getting on the pre-sale happening Wednesday because these shows are going to sell out, no question!

EVERYTHING I SAY SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY SOMEONE PLAYING A THEREMIN

YASSIR LESTER [@YASSIR_LESTER] CAN ONLY DREAM.

RAISE ME UP

Emerging from nowhere to be topping the US alternative charts with her track Royals, New Zealand’s Lorde has had a monumental rise to the top in 2013 and now with the release of upcoming debut album Pure Heroine the 16-year-old will play an intimate run of dates along the east coast. The songstress performs 16 Oct, The Zoo, Brisbane; 17 Oct, Metro Theatre, Sydney; 19 Oct, Zierholz, Canberra; 21 Oct, Corner Hotel, Melbourne, with Oliver Tank supporting at all dates.

PURE LOONACY

The release of Loon Lake’s debut album is itching closer and closer and, as the band drop the second single from the forthcoming LP, Carolina. Dance all crazy like when the quartet play Spectrum, Sydney, 9 Oct; Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane, 10 Oct; Howler, Melbourne, 11 Oct; and Flyrite, Perth, 17 Oct.

PUNK ACROSS BORDERS

It may not be a recognised punk hotbed, but that arguably makes the dedication and success of Useless ID all the more magic. The Israeli noise makers have been causing the pit to heave for twenty years now and continue to fly the Middle East punk flag high, with their explosive, melodic strains. Catch them with Perth loudmouths The Decline at these dates: 8 Nov, Prince of Wales, Bunbury; 9 Nov, Blood Rock Fest, Rosemount Hotel, Perth; 12 Nov, Worker’s Club, Melbourne; 13 Nov, Great Northern, Newcastle; 14 Nov, Hot Damn, Sydney; and 15 Nov, Crowbar, Brisbane.

IMAGINING THEIR DESTINY

Their recent tour with A Day To Remember and The Devil Wears Prada proved that Dream On Dreamer have what it takes to operate alongside the big boys of metalcore and now the five-piece Melbourne outfit are excited to hit out on their own headline tour, giving their latest record Loveless the full treatment for fans. Dream On Dreamer will punish these venues into submission: The Tempo Hotel, Brisbane, 31 Oct; Expressive Grounds, Gold Coast (all ages), 1 Nov; Annandale Hotel, Sydney, 2 Nov (afternoon all ages and evening 18+); Racket Club, Newcastle, 3 Nov (licensed/all ages); Basement, Canberra, 6 Nov; The Hi-Fi, Melbourne, 7 Nov; Arrows On Swanston, Melbourne, 8 Nov (all ages); Amplifier, Perth, 10 Nov (18+); and HQ, Perth, 11 Nov (all ages). THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 13

local news nsw.news@themusic.com.au YOU AM I

EAT, DANCE, OLE!

Australia’s biggest and free celebration of Latin American music, dance, food and culture will pump-up the fun to huge proportions when the annual Fiesta Festival takes place in various Darling Harbour venues on 12 and 13 Oct. Fiesta 2013 will feature a weekend full of live performances by headline international acts including Latin reggae icon Quique Neira from Chile, the fabulous alternative Latin American performer Kevin Johansen and the hot Brazilian vibes of Sistema Criolina.

GOOD WORK, GUYS

To celebrate the forthcoming release of the All That Good Work/Blue EP, late-night curators Naysayer & Gilsun will be taking their visceral live show throughout Australia in September and October. The new material is built on the interplay between organic and digital sounds. And the club is Naysayer & Gilsun’s next stop, as they perform a live audio-visual show, NGTV, as well as DJ sets. Check out the AV show at Goodgod Small Club on 7 Sep and the DJ set at Carriageworks on 8 Sep, with The Presets, Seekae, Worlds End Press and more.

FESTIVAL FRIDAY

Festival Of The Sun returns to Port Macquarie on 13 and 14 Dec, packing a new Black Friday theme (prizes for the best costumes!) alongside its reliably rockin’ homegrown line-up. They’ve just announced their first round of acts and it’s a good’un: You Am I (pictured), The Rubens, Ash Grunwald (featuring Scott & Andy from The Living End), The Beards, Kingswood, Stonefield, Spit Syndicate, The Basics, Glass Towers, Tigertown, The Good Ship, Howlin’ Steam Train, Set Sail, Gang Of Brothers, The Whores 4 Pinot, Mar Haze, D At Sea, Kaurna Cronin, Mustered Courage, Kita, James Bennet and DJ Healey. That’s just the start of it, so stay tuned.

SHRIEKIN’ WITH JOY

Twelve Foot Ninja have just announced killer supports for their Shuriken tour. Warming up the stage on 12 Sep at Zierholz, Canberra will be Meniscus; 13 Sep at Waves, Wollongong and 14 Sep at Manning Bar is Breaking Orbit and again Meniscus; 19 Sep at Small Ballroom, Newcastle will be Teal and Let The Number Be X; 20 Sep at Entrances Leagues is Teal once more, In Hydes Shadow and Bleeding Gasoline; and finally on 21 Sep at Mona Vale Hotel is Meniscus and Dividers. This will be Australia’s last chance to catch the ‘Ninja’s live show before they leave for Europe and the USA.

21ST AT THE BEACH

An integral part of the multi-cultural community that is Bondi, the Beach Road Hotel is super psyched to announce they’ve teamed up with purveyors of partying, Sosueme, to bring to you the Beach Road Hotel’s 21st Birthday Mega-Bration. The entire hotel will come to life on 11 Sep, with shenanigans taking place across two floors and five bars, featuring Bloc Party’s Kele playing a DJ set, party thrashers DZ Deathrays, a mystery headlining DJ act and Sosueme DJs. There’ll also be kissing booths, tarot card readers, magicians, contortionists, face painting, hula hoopers, fairy floss, popcorn, jelly shots, froghurt and a silent disco for your amusement.

“REALLY HOPING ELYSIUM KICKS OFF A TREND OF INDIAN DUDES BEING THE PRESIDENT IN MOVIES” - AZIZ ANSARI [@AZIZANSARI11] SHINING FOR A NEW ROLE. 14 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

WINNERS AND LOSERS

Sydney’s 23-year-old Aimee Francis has announced a new single, Losers Game, and national tour to go with it. Francis has already established an impressive musical resume having toured the world with the likes of Pat Benatar and Steel Panther. As well as opening for Pink at Allphones Arena from 1 to 5 Sep, Francis will perform at Spectrum on 6 Sep; Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor on 7 Sep; Newcastle Uni (arvo) and Cambridge Hotel on 18 Sep; and Frankie’s on 24 Oct. FOY VANCE

PLANS FOYLED

Songsmith Foy Vance will be making his first ever appearance in Australia this October, off the back of his debut album Joy Of Nothing. The son of a travelling church minister, Vance spent time exploring the American South, an experience that found his music horizons broadened. Returning to his birthplace Ireland some years later, Foy began writing his own music, deeply shaped by the sounds of his youth. See him at The Basement Circular Quay on 10 Oct and Lizotte’s Newcastle on 13 Oct.

THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 15

local news nsw.news@themusic.com.au JACQUES LE CONT

DEREB THE AMBASSADOR

WATERSIDE PARTY

Sydney’s spectacular waterside party Harbourlife returns on 23 Nov in full swing, for its tenth birthday. It will be held on Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquarie’s Point, complete with stunning views and a house music line-up to kick off the summer in style. The acts confirmed so far are: Art Department, Carl Craig, David August, Finnebassen, Jacques Lu Cont, Moodymann and more to be announced.

NEED SOME DRAMA

On Thursday from 6pm a free info night for Sydney’s infamous institute for drama and film NIDA will be held. See what they have to offer for varying streams within the industry. Some of the main courses available entail acting, music theatre, costume, design, production, props and staging. If you are interested on improving your skill set or plainly starting from scratch, whether in acting or behind the scenes, it’s worth attending. Need a bit more convincing? Courses provided by NIDA have aided such stars as Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrmann, Sam Worthington, Mel Gibson, John Bell and Richard Roxburgh.

FUCK BUTTONS

MUSIC OF THE WORLD

The new season of The Basement’s World Music Wednesdays gigs are kicking off soon, beginning with the Ethiopian soul tunes of Dereb The Ambassador on 4 Sep. Other acts who are set to perform include previous WMW artist Keyim Ba (9 Oct), as well as a few new faces like Queensland’s Bobby Alu (27 Nov), The Hi Tops Brass Band (13 Nov) and samba, soul and funk crew Kriola Collective (30 Oct).

“I JUST HEARD THE TERM SWAGGAMUFFIN FOR THE FIRST TIME AND NOW I’M SAD” - SO ARE WE, MARK RONSON [@IAMMARKRONSON12], SO ARE WE.

FAMILY AFFAIR

The Handsome Family is a 20-year songwriting collaboration between husband and wife, Brett and Rennie Sparks. Musically you’ll hear everything from parlour ballads to overdriven guitars, mandolin and banjo, intricate sevenpart harmonies, pedal steel and elemental rock ’n roll. They play at Moonshine Bar, Manly on 10 Oct and The Basement on 13 Oct.

PUSH IT

Fuck Buttons will be playing at Oxford Art Factory on 24 Oct with local support Kanyon and Kilter. Initially Fuck Buttons was born as an outlet for their nihilistic-noise tendencies but quickly, the duo realised they could harness the use of noise as a tool to immerse and evoke. No longer afraid of melody or rhythm, the group started fusing all these elements to the point when drone becomes melody becomes rhythm. They recently released their third album, Slow Focus. 16 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

SOMETHING TO BRAGG ABOUT

Billy Bragg has been reborn and will perform a special, intimate show at the Factory Theatre on 13 Sep at the Factory Theatre to showcase his universally acclaimed new album, Tooth & Nail, with support from Patrick James. His first album in five years, Tooth & Nail emerged from a period of introspection and draws on soul, country and folk music influences to explore the ups and downs of relationships. Bragg is also one of keynote speakers at Brisbane’s BIGSOUND music conference.

SECOND TIME OUTSIDE

The second and final wave of acts to join the ranks of 2013’s already massive OutsideIn line-up has been announced. The bill now also includes the following array of international and local talent: Knxwledge, Snakehips, Wave Racer, Willow Beats, Elizabeth Rose, Movement and I’lls. And to round out the line-up will be local DJs: Slow Blow, Lewi McKirdy, Levins, Frames, UNTZZ Twelve Inch, Mike Who, Bad Ezzy, Jimmy Sing, Ben Fester, Max Gosford, James McInnes, Felix Lloyd, Mary’s Basement, Clunk & Sleepyhead and Percy Miracles. OutsideIn takes place at the Factory Theatre on 21 Sep.

THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 17

www.thebasement.com.au

BVS 6][S ]T :WdS ;caWQ AW\QS '%! THU 24 OCT

DAN SULTAN

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;BACK TO BASICS TOURâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

MELBOURNEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DAN SULTAN IS SHOWCASING HIS INSPIRED COLLECTION OF NEW MATERIAL IN ITS RAWEST FORM WITH A VERY SPECIAL STRIPPED BACK SOLO SHOW FOR HIS â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;BACK TO BASICS TOURâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. TICKETS ON SALE THURS 22 AUG 9AM. ANN JUST

OUNC

THE LIBERATORS (WORLD MUSIC WEDNESDAYS)

WED 21 AUG

SHORTS & SOUNDS

THU 22 AUG

TUKA & ELLESQUIRE WITH THE BASEMENT BIG BAND

FRI 23 AUG

DRAGON CELEBRATES THE POLICE(EARLY SHOW)

SAT 24 AUG

PROFESSIR GROOVE

SAT 24 AUG

BUILDING FROM THE BLUEPRINTS OF 1970S NIGERIAN AFROBEAT AND AMERICAN FUNK AND SOUL. $5 ON THE DOOR.

2013 SYDNEY LATIN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER FEATURING BRAZILIAN FUNK, SULTRY TANGO AND MEXICAN FOLK MUSIC ALONGSIDE EXCLUSIVE SCREENINGS FROM THE FESTIVAL PROGRAM.

THE BASEMENTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VERY OWN 15 PIECE BIG BAND HAVE THOUGHTFULLY REARRANGED A SELECTION OF SYDNEY HIP HOP ARTISTS TUKA & ELLESQUIREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MATERIAL.

LEGENDARY ROCKERS DRAGON CELEBRATE THE MUSIC OF THE POLICE AND LAUNCH THE START OF THE â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;DRAGON CELEBRATESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; SERIES. DOORS 6.30PM.

AND THE BOOTY AFFAIR (LATE SHOW)

SPECIALISTS IN LOWDOWN STREETFUNK, DISCO AND ELECTRO BOOGIE HOUSE GROOVES. DOORS 11PM.

MARIACHI MONDAYS (FREE ENTRY)

MON 26 AUG

THE BASEMENT BIG BAND(BIG BAND TUESDAYS)

TUE 27 AUG

VIRTUOSO MEXICAN HARPIST & WALKING ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LATIN MUSIC PAST & PRESENT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; VICTOR VALDES & FRIENDS. FREE ENTRY. EVERY MONDAY NIGHT.

OUR VERY OWN 15 PIECE DANCE ORCHESTRA PLAY 2 SETS FOR ONLY $5. PLUS COMPLIMENTARY SWING DANCE LESSONS FROM 7PM.

NEWS FROM THE BASEMENT

COMING SOONâ&#x20AC;¦

FRI 30 AUG FUNKOARS + VENTS + BRIGGS + K21 SAT 31 AUG MARK WILKINSON + LITTLE BIGHORN (EARLY SHOW) SAT 07 SEP CREOLE ZOUK LIVE FOLLOW US: ON FACEBOOK @ THE BASEMENT & ON TWITTER @ #BASEMENTSYD RESTUARANT OPENS AT 11AM, SERVING FOOD ALL DAY 18 â&#x20AC;¢ THE MUSIC â&#x20AC;¢ 21ST AUGUST 2013

music

THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE Words Benny Doyle. Photos Leigh Righton (cover & next page), Tom Nugent (this page).

On the eve of Japandroids first ever headline tour of Australia, frontman Brian King talks with Benny Doyle about the slow build that’s resulted in one of the most exciting rock acts on the planet.

he beat of the drum, some tearing guitar chords and a passionate howl; Japandroids’ music comes from little but delivers a hell of a lot. The Vancouver duo’s 2012 record, Celebration Rock, is exactly what it says on the box – a burning-hot serving of howling tunes that doesn’t relent. Listening to the LP, you can practically see the sweat coming through the stereo. Fast-talking guitarist/vocalist Brian King is at home in Vancouver; he’s keeping an eye on a hockey game, resting and trying not to do very much. When you’re in a band like Japandroids though, nothing still means something. “I had the day off in the sense that I was not on tour – I didn’t have to play a show,” says King. “But I spent most of the day doing logistical stuff and

kick you in the arse. They amplify your enthusiasm for every facet of your existence and make you want to be the best fucking human going. The guys have been slogging it out solidly on the road for a year or so now and are almost ready to start working on album number three. But not before the touring is complete. For as King explains, the band, unsurprisingly, like to keep things simple, and even though they may currently be putting ideas down, little riffs and the like, they’re not going to really focus on new music until the road is in their rear vision.

Japandroids have learnt that if they try and mix the two, it simply means diminished returns on the stage and in the studio. And that result is good for no one, whether you’re a band member or merely a fan. “There’s so much that goes into touring in the way that we tour that people don’t ever see and don’t understand, y’know, because we have a couple of weeks off touring it’s easy to think we’re just sitting on a beach having fucking cocktails doing fuck all,” King scoffs jokingly. “So it’s not until the touring is done and you’re like , ‘Okay, you’ve kinda played all the shows you can play on this record, you’ve gone to as many places as you possibly can, now you’re going to take six-to-eight months off, twelve months off, and you’re not going to book any shows.’ That’s actually when you can focus a hundred per cent of your time on trying to write a really great album, and you don’t have to worry about all the logistics that go into touring. So that’s the plan now, we’re going to be touring through to about the fall, and then once the fall hits and we stop playing shows then we can make a plan to take a serious chunk of time off and make another record.” No question about it, the band’s third full-length – although still an afterthought at this stage – is going to stir up some serious anticipation in the

“BECAUSE WE HAVE A COUPLE OF WEEKS OFF TOURING IT’S EASY TO THINK WE’RE JUST SITTING ON A BEACH HAVING FUCKING COCKTAILS DOING FUCK ALL.”

getting things ready for the next tour that we’re going to do. A band our size, we don’t have some army of people working for us to take care of stuff; Dave [Prowse – drums/vocals] and I mostly do everything ourselves still. And it’s not like a regular band where you can split things up between five people; everything is split between two or three people, between us and our tour manager we have to take care of this worldwide touring operation, so there’s a lot of work behind the scenes that people don’t see – work that goes into touring different parts of the world for several months at a time. “You have to get all these visas to all these places, you have to get all your equipment sorted out, you have to get your flights and transportation sorted out, all your merch has to get from here to there, and we’re still practicing to make sure we are tight for all the shows. It’s like a full-time job when we’re not on tour, just getting ready to go on the next one.” And get ready they do, for when Japandroids take the stage nothing else is significant. Their shows could be described as a visceral explosion; well-oiled chaos that seems simultaneously teetering on the edge while remaining totally in control. When the Canadians perform they don’t massage your soul; they 20 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

“We’re a pretty black and white band in the sense that we don’t work seriously on writing songs or writing a record when we’re in the middle of touring. We care a lot about our live shows and we tour so much that it kinda occupies all of our time and energy when we’re doing it. Our last record that we did, we basically wrote that entirely after we finished touring our first record [2009’s Post-Nothing], and a lot of stuff that had been written along the way got left behind and we kinda started from scratch when we got home.”

time leading towards a release. Since they formed Japandroids proper in 2006, after first connecting during university years before, King and partner in crime Prowse have seemingly made nothing but the right moves. Their DIY idealism and hard-working nature have drawn the affections of punk, rock and garage fans worldwide, while their punchy tunes and to-the-point albums have struck a chord with critics – who credit them with keeping modern rock honest – and festivals, who recognise their ability to destroy on any stage at any time. “We’ve definitely taken it further, we’re playing better, we’re playing harder, if you come and see our own shows we’re playing longer and I think we sound a lot better,” King admits, citing the band’s biggest improvements in the past 12 months. “I think we’ve gotten a lot better across the board. But I think as we’ve gotten better, the bar has been raised for how good we need to be, because we’re playing bigger rooms, we’re playing for more people, so there’s some growing pains in there inherently. Sometimes we’ve totally nailed it, and sometimes you walk off stage and you feel like, ‘Okay, I am officially in over my head.’ I think it’s a pretty natural learning curve, but I think we’ve managed to do a fairly good job, all things considered.

REASON TO BELIEVE The Music was fortunate enough to have caught Japandroids’ set on the first weekend of the 2013 Coachella festival, and it’s safe to say the Friday afternoon tear-up happening on the Gobi stage was electrifying stuff. While sharing memories of the event, King explains just what he took away from Japandroids’ desert days.

“There’s a handful of things that have happened in the last year that I can reflect on and go, ‘We were clearly not ready for [that] and we clearly fucked up,’ but there’s also a million times where it’s like, ‘I was really nervous about this, but we threw it down and we killed it and everyone had a blast and it was awesome.’” After already laying waste to audiences Down Under as part of Laneway Festival earlier this year, the Canadian two are set to return to play their own shows on their own terms. The environment this time though is set to suit the duo far better than a concrete jungle on a hot summer’s day. In those situations – in which Japandroids are finding themselves more frequently – King admits they’re still discovering strengths and extending capabilities. Where we’re going to experience them this time around, the frontman says they’ll be in their element. “I feel like we’ve mastered a certain size of indoor club, and we’re getting to a point now where when we play clubs we’re starting to play the bigger-sized ones, and when we play a festival we’re starting to play to more people and starting to not necessarily be on the smaller stage, so there’s definitely a learning curve in

that – it’s a lot different. Playing in the afternoon in a huge fucking tent outside is a lot different than playing a fivehundred capacity club at one o’clock in the morning, which is where we’d typically play, so there’s definitely a learning curve. I think we’re getting better [overall] but it’s still a work in progress.” And considering there were murmurs that a second Japandroids album wasn’t even going to happen – let alone a probable third – to be visiting Australia again and to be kicking goals still makes this

incredible ride all the more memorable for Japandroids. “Part of the advantage of treating the band like every tour might be the last one, every record might be the last one, you actually treat it that way when you’re out on the road, and I think that’s part of what motivates us to play the way we play on tour,” the frontman levels. “If we decide not to make another record for example, then this might be the last time we ever get to play in this place so we better make it pretty fucking good.”

WHEN & WHERE: 31 Aug, Manning Bar

“One of the things I’ve learned is that a lot of it just comes down to confidence,” he states with authority. “Nick Cave fronting Grinderman or Karen O fronting Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Ian Svenonius fronting The Make-Up – these people just walk onstage and they seem to have the crowd in the palm of their hands before they’ve even said a word. I feel like we’re still a little bit intimidated by those bigger stages. I still walk out and I’m nervous. I don’t just waltz out there like I’m the centre of the universe. “So the biggest thing that I took away [from Coachella] was just to learn how to have a bit more confidence in what you’re doing when you walk out, because as long as you don’t get too carried away – I don’t know if I need Kanye West-confidence in myself – but there definitely is a certain amount that creates these textbook lead singer rock star types and they’re incredible to watch.”

THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 21

film

KILLING IT Chloë Grace Moretz tells Guy Davis she took her Hit Girl role in the Kick-Ass films on her mother’s advice - every mum dreams of hearing their child say: “Okay, you cunts, let’s see what you can do now.”

iewers of film and television are well-aware by now that you mess with Chloë Grace Moretz at your own risk. The 16-year-old actress of course has a fair few lighter roles on her alarmingly extensive resume – the precocious voice of reason in (500) Days Of Summer, an adventurous bookworm in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, Alec Baldwin’s teenage nemesis on 30 Rock – but it’s with somewhat darker, edgier roles in movies like Let Me In, the US remake of the acclaimed Swedish vampire story Let The Right One In, that she’s made an even greater impression. And maybe the biggest impression she’s made on movie-goers to date is with her role as pint-sized badass vigilante Mindy Macready, aka the purple-clad Hit Girl, in Kick-Ass, the big-screen adaptation of Mark Millar’s nasty, ultraviolent comic book. Trained in martial arts and maximum intimidation by her father and fellow costumed crimefighter Damon ‘Big Daddy’ Macready (Nicolas Cage), pre-teen Mindy had no qualms about laying waste to any lowlife in her path with guns, blades and a choice array of well-deployed profanity. (Her opening line to a gang of thugs – “Okay, you cunts, let’s see what you can do now” – inspired more than a few shocked gasps and laughs.)

she was doing – she was kind of lost. She never really had a childhood, and now she’s still putting on this mask and this uniform, thinking that’s what she wants to do. But I do think she really knows if she’s a vigilante or a villain. If she’s killing people for a cause or whether she’s just having fun, you know? Her moral compass has gone a bit haywire.” No fear of that happening to Moretz, who has strong family backing to help guide her career choices. “My mom would never allow me to do something she felt would harm me as a person or my career as a business,”

Girl. “My mom read it and she fell in love with it. She told me it was one of the best characters she’d ever read, so I read it and I fell in love with it too, and I just chased after it until I got it. So I booked the film, knowing exactly what was in the script and exactly what they wanted to shoot, and we did it.” Reprising the role was subsequently a no-brainer, and Moretz says “it was like coming home – it was super-fun to be back in the uniform.” Especially since starting work on Kick-Ass 2 came a mere two day after wrapping her previous job, playing the title role in Boys Don’t Cry director Kimberley Peirce’s new adaptation of Stephen King’s classic horror novel, Carrie. Playing the victimised Carrie White, who eventually uses her latent telekinetic powers to wreak vengeance on her high school tormentors, was a marked contrast to portraying Hit Girl. “It was kind of mind-boggling to be in this bloodied prom dress one day, beating up people in this purple superhero suit the next,” laughs Moretz. “They are the most polar opposite characters you could ever imagine!” She’s extremely excited about Carrie, which co-stars Julianne Moore and is due for release later this year, but admits she had a few misgivings before meeting with the studio backing the film. “Brian DePalma’s version of Carrie is a beloved movie for me, so when it came up during this meeting how Kimberley was already attached and I was told about the work the screenwriter was doing on the script, I went ‘Oh, so you’re not making some gory, hacky cheesefest; you’re making a real film’,” she says. “When I got the script and read it, I fell in love with who Carrie is. This is the perfect depiction of Stephen King’s Carrie – she is here who she is in the book. It isn’t a remake of DePalma’s film; it’s an adaptation of Stephen King’s book. And I fought tooth and nail

“IT WAS KIND OF MIND-BOGGLING TO BE IN THIS BLOODIED PROM DRESS ONE DAY, BEATING UP PEOPLE IN THIS PURPLE SUPERHERO SUIT THE NEXT” Three years on, Moretz is reprising her role as Mindy/ Hit Girl in Kick-Ass 2, with her character facing a far more dangerous adversary than the city’s criminal element. Enrolled in high school, she finds herself frenemies with a clique of mean girls who play just as dirty as the street scum she used to dispatch with such glee. But using her lethal skill-set to sort the situation is out of the question... right? Well, let’s not spoil anything in that regard. But fans of Hit Girl’s homicidal antics in the first film, directed by Matthew Vaughn, will be pleased to know that a fair few wrongdoers meet a messy fate at the business end of Mindy’s impressive arsenal in Kick-Ass 2, which sees writer-director Jeff Wadlow taking the reins. Moretz points out, however, that the character is a little torn at times as to whether she’s creating carnage in the name of justice or simply because she gets a kick out of it. “At the end of the first Kick-Ass, Mindy was orphaned,” she says. “And without her dad, she didn’t know what 22 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

she says. However, when the 11-year-old Moretz saw the action movie Wanted, she admits she raced home and told her mother she simply had to find a role similar to Angelina Jolie’s hard-hitting, straightshooting assassin. “And I’m not kidding, a month later my agent came to us and said ‘I’ve got this script, it’s a very risky role,’ and they gave me the whole spiel, all the pros and cons.” The script was Kick-Ass, the role was Hit

for this movie; I took four different meetings, did two auditions, and they all went for hours. I know that no one else could be Carrie like I could be Carrie. And when I was able to step on set and be her, it was my most fruitful experience as an actor.” That certainty is a key aspect of Moretz’s selection of roles. “If I look at something and I don’t go ‘I am going to be the best actor for this and I’m so invested in this, I don’t think anyone else can do it’, I won’t do the film. I won’t do it if I don’t have that feeling, even if I think the script is amazing. You’re living in the shoes of characters like Mindy and Carrie, and you have to be able to portray her in such a way that the audience doesn’t feel like you’re lying to them.”

WHAT: Kick- Ass 2 In cinemas 22 Aug

THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 23

as a band. And personally speaking, I listen to the lyrics and the melody first [in a song]; I need some content, decent lyrical content, something to engage with.” To flesh out the foundation themes from which to build their latest opus, Hardy, Kapranos and their bandmates, guitarist Nick McCarthy and drummer Paul Thomson, would simply talk. Conversations about general things, about bigger pictures, about ideas that would work well on record. One person would bring something into whichever studio they were working in at the time – London, Glasgow, Stockholm, Oslo – and then Kapranos would expand on it, taking the initial ideas away for the afternoon before returning with something more substantial. “Alex has this ability to take an idea and to condense it into lyrics; I don’t have that, my melody writing’s terrible,” Hardy shrugs. “He can assimilate ideas much better than I can, so on a lot of songs he’ll come from a much more general theme and then we’ll have a chat about that, then I’ll come back the next week and there’ll be a song written with those themes – it’s quite good.”

music

SHARP DRESSED MEN Franz Ferdinand are back with leaner songs and snappier suits. Bob Hardy tells Benny Doyle about doing things the right way. n 2004, Franz Ferdinand sung Take Me Out, which the world dutifully did, dancing along as the track charted globally. A year later they queried us: Do You Want To? And yes we did, we did want to. Now, they arrive with a statement: Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action.

The title of Franz Ferdinand’s fourth album could very well be a summary of their career to now. The smashing success of their eponymous Mercury Prize-winning debut propelled the Glasgow four-piece to instant global acclaim, and over the following decade Franz Ferdinand have become synonymous with indie rock’n’roll in the UK: stylish, sharp-witted and constantly moving. Since their barnstorming sets at Coachella in April this year, the Glasgow quartet have been putting the ribbon around their brand new long-player, ten tracks of hip shaking jams that remind you just why the guitar is the sexiest instrument of all. And as bass player Bob Hardy explains, it’s a record ready to give. “I think the actual recordings, they’re quite dense, not in a bad sense, but there’s a lot going on that you can get rewarded [with] for repeat listening,” says the 32-year-old. “I also think [the songs] function immediately as well. [One thing] we were all conscious of in the studio is that they should be instantly arresting, but then it needs to have a little more depth that hopefully demands repeat listens. “Alex [Kapranos – vocalist/guitarist] has obviously been a producer in his own right. He’s working on three albums at the moment [from bands including The Cribs and Citizens], so he’s obviously very interested in production and sounds, as are the rest of the band,” he adds. “And I think that as we go further on in our recording career that becomes more a part of our process.” Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action is a guitar record first and foremost – Franz Ferdinand still refusing to go all experimental on us – but for once the staggering riffs were a secondary consideration. And although 24 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

Hardy doesn’t directly admit it, their fresh songwriting approach can be seen as a reaction to their at-times sluggish 2009 LP, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand. “On our third album a lot of the songs did come from a riff or a groove, but I don’t think we were all completely satisfied with [those] songs, so this time around we worked backwards and we started everything with an idea,” he reveals. “Not a concept but an idea of what the song would be about, and then we’d work on lyrics and a tune, and then we’d learn to play it and arrange it as a band, then all the production stuff would come last.” Working backwards? Surely this would result in a loss of momentum for most groups? Franz Ferdinand, however, thrived with the structuring shift. “I think it’s a much better way for us to work,” the bassist informs. “It’s how it was on the first album to a large extent, and the best of the next two albums I think worked in that way. It suits us

Again, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action – it works on so many levels. This record has been an enjoyable one to make for Franz Ferdinand. They have afforded themselves another four-year break between full-lengths, and with hindsight now on hand can see the benefits that come from taking stock of your achievements. When they exploded out of the Scottish streets originally, this wasn’t so much the case: “It was such a massive, quick success we had, it kind of took us all by surprise,” recalls Hardy. “And when you’re riding that wave you don’t really want to stop; you don’t want to break it, y’know what I mean?”

“BEING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD, TO HAVE THAT REACTION... WAS ABSOLUTELY MENTAL.” Their debut was a monster hit, and one that Franz Ferdinand will be hard pressed to ever top. But rather than rushing to prove their place at the pinnacle, they currently hold a more considered outlook. However, it still seems suitable for the band to return with Harvest for some festival fun later this year, as according to Hardy it was here in Australia where the adventures of Franz Ferdinand first got rolling. “2004 we went to play Splendour In The Grass. It was our first time in Australia, not any of us had been, and it was just insane!” Hardy excitedly remembers. “We were in this tent and we played Take Me Out and the whole crowd was jumping and undulating. I can remember that vividly. Being on the other side of the world, to have that reaction – somewhere you’ve never been before – was absolutely mental.” WHAT: Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action (Domino/EMI) WHEN & WHERE: 16 Nov, Harvest, The Domain

haven’t had much desire,” comes his honest response to why he’s yet to tackle a strictly non-musical book project (though 2011’s Retromania did see him delve into fashion, science fiction and the space race while investigating pop culture’s obsession with its own past), arguing that his approach to music writing hasn’t always been all about the music anyway.

author

“I always use music to write about other things – music as the prism through which I write about politics or the human condition or anything that was on my mind,” Reynolds explains. “Love, race, class, gender, you can always use music to write about them.” Good music writing, for him, is about “trying to make a sensibility, really”. “And then try to persuade people to adopt it,” he laughs. “That’s the kind of music writing I grew up on. People who weren’t just writing about good music to buy, it was about music as a way of explaining yourself or your identity or your life or whatever.”

THE NEVER-ENDING JOURNEY

If veteran music journo Simon Reynolds had a second shot at his 2011 book Retromania, he tells Kris Swales that Daft Punk and Random Access Memories would have their own chapter.

f you were ever assembling your own pub trivia team equivalent of The Avengers, Simon Reynolds would be your first round draft pick for the vital ‘music encyclopaedia’ role. Speaking from Los Angeles (“the vanity capital of the world”) about his current book project – a look at the evolution and legacy of the 1970s glam rock movement – Reynolds is reeling off random facts within seconds. That a club called English Disco was the preferred hangout of Iggy Pop and David Bowie at their most decadent, and Mötley Crüe had their genesis in a band called London are minutiae that few music writers could casually recall, but Reynolds is no ordinary music writer. The Brit, based in LA for three years now and “something like 18 years – it’s hard to say” in New York City before that, has written definitive tomes on some of the biggest musical revolutions of the post-rock’n’roll era – postpunk and hip hop amongst them. Perhaps his most important work is Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music And Dance Culture, the 1998 journal something of a Star Wars of electronic dance music considering it’s been re-released in two special editions since. The 2013 addendum sees Reynolds apply his participantobserver style of music journalism to the USA’s ‘EDM’ explosion, specifically with a two-day sojourn to the HARD Summer outdoor festival in his adopted homeland. Though only just on the right side of 50 when he hit the dancefloor in front of modern superstars such as Skrillex, Reynolds says the frequent flyer points racked up in 1990s nightclubs are still valuable for assessing this latest twist in the evolution of club culture. “I’m not going out shoving pills down my throat,” Reynolds admits, also expressing a dislike for extended doses of an EDM sound he describes as “too digitised”, “The thing is, it isn’t that different from what it was in the ‘90s, just in certain respects. It’s a lot more sexual. It was a kind of carnival-esque aspect as well which interests me – this total Las Vegas slash fancy dress carnival basically, like Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.”

So how does the author, set to speak at a series of writers’ events down the east coast of Australia, go about stepping back into a scene where the majority of the protagonists are half his age or younger? “You just wander around,” says Reynolds. “People are friendly. I look a bit young for my age as well, so I don’t stand out as much as I should do. But also people when they’re off their faces are pretty indiscreet as well. I wasn’t really snooping; you hear things. People on the train home were talking about their adventures and I heard people swapping anecdotes about how fucked up they got.” Reynolds’ conversational prose and knack for being in the right place at the right time have seen his work featured in a lengthy roll call of music publications, from now-defunct UK rag Melody Maker to Rolling Stone and beyond. “I

Reynolds namechecks Forest Swords as a standout amidst the “weird dance stuff and underground blog world sort of stuff ” that’s currently ruling his playlist. His curiosity has also been piqued by the 2013 long-players from Disclosure and Daft Punk – records that both fan the flames of rapidly shortening musical trend cycles he lit in Retromania.

“PEOPLE WHEN THEY’RE OFF THEIR FACES ARE PRETTY INDISCREET AS WELL. I WASN’T REALLY SNOOPING; YOU HEAR THINGS.” “I was very suspicious,” he says of Disclosure, the duo breathing life into the turn-of-the-century UK garage and 2-step sound he was “obsessed” with first time around. “It seems too soon to revive it, but I must admit when I heard the album [Settle] that it was quite a well done version of it, and they’d added enough new ideas to it to make it pretty good. But it’s weird to think that this sound from 1999, the cusp of the millennium, is being recycled and rediscovered. “Daft Punk – if [Random Access Memories] had come out when I was writing Retromania it would’ve deserved a whole chapter on its own, really. In fact, it has so many things that feed into my theories, like the track from Giorgio Moroder all about making the music of the future – but that becomes a memory. There’s a story about when [Donna Summer’s Moroderproduced] I Feel Love came out, Brian Eno heard it and grabbed a copy and ran around to David Bowie’s house and went ‘David, David, I’ve heard the future!’ “It’s an amazing record, I Feel Love, and it was revolutionary and all that, but nobody is going to say of Giorgio By Moroder... nobody is going to rush around to anyone’s house and say ‘I’ve heard the future’. There’s something very poignant about the fact that Giorgio Moroder and Daft Punk collaborate but they don’t actually do anything mind-blowing. They just do this rather sweet pastiche of something from 1977.” WHEN & WHERE: 3 Sep, Sydney Uni THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 25

film

THE BIGGER PICTURE Shane Carruth wants his films to be subjective and open to interpretation, he tells Anthony Carew. His second feature Upstream Color has certainly got his audience scratching their heads.

“A

s an audience member, I want an experience that lasts longer than the running time of the film,” says Shane Carruth. The 41-yearold has just made a film that, he hopes, lives up to these expectations: Upstream Color. To call the film a labour of love, or even to bill Carruth as mere ‘auteur’, probably sells short how involved he was in every aspect. He wrote, directed, edited, photographed, scored and starred in the movie; and, in the US, he even self-distributed it. He’s probably more comparable to an indie musician than a

filmmaker; and, like the best of albums, there’s an elusive, interpretive quality to Upstream Color. “If you make a film and everyone walks out of it knowing exactly what it is, and their knowledge after seeing it is the full extent of what anyone will ever need to know about the story, I find it hard to believe that the experience would be compelling for people in any way,” says Carruth After showing at the recent Sydney and Melbourne film festivals, local audiences are getting in on the discussion. Which often begins with one question: WTF? Upstream Color

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essentially follows Amy Seimetz (herself another actor/ filmmaker), who is drugged with a parasite harvested from an exotic orchard. From there, it’s a flowing, sight/sound, vaguely-plotted portrait of the life-cycle of organisms on Earth, cycles of abuse, the dangers of bio-engineering, and the mysticism of field-recordings. “I don’t think anything I can say in conversation is particularly useful to understanding the film,” Carruth warns, early in our first interview. Across two conversations – first on a sketchy phone-line from Casablanca, then a week later in Paris – Carruth can seem evasive, confessedly “abrasive”. He refutes the notion that either Upstream Color or its 2004 predecessor Primer (a micro-budget time-travel chin-scratcher) has a single genesis-story about their beginnings, or can be interpreted a single way. “There’s a lack of exposition,” he says, “[because] I didn’t want to get bogged down in the specific minutia of the details.” Carruth doesn’t believe that any ‘misinterpretation’ is a problem – “if you make something that’s veiled, you’re doing so operating under the understanding that it will, in the big picture, only be truly understand by a select few.” Just as Upstream Color is a film about the ‘big picture’, ecologically, the filmmaker takes a big picture approach to his work. “The thing I’m most passionate about in filmmaking is that there’s universal quality that can be relevant when seen in any era,” offers Carruth. “Hopefully you can make a film that touches on this shared understanding of what it feels like to be a human in the world.” WHAT: Upstream Color In cinemas 22 Aug

THE OTHER WOMAN Alison Mosshart has starred in and scored her first feature film without appearing on screen or singing a lyric. Anthony Carew finds out how.

lison Mosshart has been half of The Kills for the past decade, and then in 2009 she joined ‘supergroup’ The Dead Weather; each band earning not just the interest of rock’n’roll fans, but, due to the celebrity wives and ex-wives of co-collaborators Jamie Hince and Jack White, the attention of gossip mags. “Constructive criticism is great, but sadly we don’t live in a world of that anymore,” Mosshart says. “I’d say 90 per cent of stuff written about us I don’t read, because 90 per cent is, to be honest, idiotic.” Yet, if seeing her reflection in print has long since become meaningless for Mosshart, the 34-year-old has suddenly seen a far more confronting reflection: someone evoking her on screen. “I may have become desensitised to have people write about me, but having Julianne Moore ‘play’ me in a performance, that’s something else entirely,” Mosshart laughs. In What Maisie Knew, Moore plays a flaky rock’n’roller going through a divorce with Steve Coogan’s blithe art dealer, with their eight-year-old daughter being passed back and forth between them. Though the character isn’t based, at all on Mosshart, Moore’s on-stage performances entirely are; and the film is filled with Kills songs that Moore has re-recorded the vocals for.

26 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

“Julianne went through old Kills B-sides, leftover songs, vinyl bonuses, non-album tracks, things like that,” Mosshart explains. Moore took the impetus herself – seeing Mosshart as a figure of inspiration for her character, and approaching the singer to ask if it was okay. “I said, ‘Of course!’” Mosshart offers. “I love everything that she does. She’s just an incredible actress. But it was undeniably strange to listen to [the songs]. Hearing her sing with the exact same music – they’ve used the exact same tracks as we did on the originals; they’re still Jamie’s guitars and drums – that’s quite weird, for me.”

Mosshart wasn’t sure how the music would actually be represented in the film, which is a very loose adaptation of Henry James’ fin de siècle novel of the same name, and watching it for the first time at 2012’s Toronto International Film Festival, Mosshart went through a “whole gamut of emotions”, especially when Moore’s performance cut close to home. “It’s hard to watch if you’re in a band, but I think it’d be a hundred times harder if you were in a band and you had kids, and anyone had ever accused you of being a bad parent because you leave to go on tour,” Mosshart says. “The job is pretty crazy, you’re never home; so when that’s your job, it’s an uncomfortable thing to watch. I know what it’s like to be on a tour bus forever, but if I had a child [as well] and saw this film it would be almost too confronting.” WHAT: What Maisie Knew In cinemas 22 Aug

THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 27

SCHOOL’S OUT FOREVER

create a record that had its own life and we didn’t want listeners to feel that they had [gotten] their head around it in the first listen. Hopefully that came across.” The band also steered away from stringing together existing material. Instead, they spent four months living, writing and recording in producer Dann Hume’s Stables Recording Studio in Gisborne, determined to produce a cohesive album rather than just a collection of songs. “It was great,” says Cockburn of the process. “It was a huge experience and it was how we wanted to do it from the start. We couldn’t have imagined doing the studio hours, whatever they may be, that’s just too foreign for us...

Unearthed from the schoolyard, Snakadaktal are ready to stand on their own ten feet. Phoebe Cockburn tells Samson McDougall about maturing in the spotlight.

n these days of instant TV-talent-show-gratification it’s natural to question the legitimacy of ‘discovered’ bands, and triple j’s annual Unearthed High cannot be immune to such scrutiny. However, looking back through the five years of the contest, the calibre of winners is undeniable. Of these bands – Tom Ugly, Hunting Grounds, Stonefield, Snakadaktal and Asta – most have gone on to achieve significant success. And though it’s too early to say whether Snakadaktal (the 2011 victors) will match the level of Stonefield’s international achievements, their debut album, Sleep In The Water, suggests they have plenty to contribute. The five pieces of Snakadaktal assembled in 2010 at Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School and, though the debut album has been a while coming, there have been small but significant milestones along the way. Their debut self-titled EP broke into the ARIA digital top 30, and they scored consecutive Hottest 100 spots in 2011 and ’12. “We were all at the same school and were all the same kind of age so we were all just mates,” says singer and keyboardist Phoebe Cockburn. “We all loved music and the four boys [Sean Heathcliff, Joseph Clough, Jarrah McCarty-Smith and Barna Nemeth] were playing and writing together and then one day they asked me to have a sing. That’s when [it] started.” As the band’s life has spanned a major transitional period, it wouldn’t be surprising if their sound had morphed dramatically through this time. Though Sleep In The Water exhibits more contrast than their EP and prior singles, there’s an undeniable Snakadaktal-ness to it all. “We all enjoy each other’s music and enjoy what each other [loves] most and from there I think all of our influences somehow combine and that’s where we begin to create our own sound,” says Cockburn. “We never really pinpoint particular artists and then hope to create a sonic product that’s similar to that.” Nor, says Cockburn, were they necessarily trying to appeal to triple j sensibilities. “It came as a big surprise when the Unearthed thing happened and we became associated with triple j. It’s been really great for us

through the process and they’ve been really supportive and they’re always eager to premiere or preview our new songs and that’s been a really great thing for us and helped us along the way...

“The product that we wanted to make wasn’t one that was a bundle of songs or a bundle of, I don’t know, really concise pieces of music. We think that the record is musically very patient, as was the process of recording it. And I think that comes across. We did want it to be one body of work from the very beginning and we did want it to have a really lateral dynamic throughout the songs, sonically and lyrically. I guess that was just what we wanted to create from the very beginning.”

“WE NEVER WANTED TO WRITE OR CREATE A SOUND THAT WAS FOR A CERTAIN SCENE.” We never wanted to write or create a sound that was for a certain scene or a certain radio station; we just hoped that people would enjoy the music...” The strength of Sleep In The Water is that its songs are given space to breathe., with the poppier pieces (Fall Underneath, Hung On Tight, Isolate) offset by more sparsely instrumented and challenging tunes (Ghost, The Sun I). “With this record I think sonically it’s taken a change and that’s due to our ageing and developing as people,” comments Cockburn. “We did intend to

At the time of the interview, Snakadaktal are on the cusp of a huge national tour which stops at iconic venues right around the country. And working to fill these larger rooms, Cockburn admits the live performance is still a little hard to grasp. “I’d definitely say we’re a recording-based band,” she says. “The live performance is something that I think we struggle with emotionally a lot of the time... Hopefully with time it will become a bit more natural and a bit more easy and we’ll be able to understand why people are there looking at us a little more... It’s really overwhelming, and trying to focus on something while you’re so confused about something else is a difficult thing to do. Hopefully that will just become a bit more easy with time.” WHAT: Sleep In The Water (Liberation) WHEN & WHERE: 28 Aug, Bar On The Hill, Newcastle; 30 Aug, Metro Theatre; 31 Aug, Uni Bar, Wollongong

FOR YOU BLUE

a lot more artists to gather inspiration from. Most of our work is trial and error.”

By looking at the world as it might appear if you were, well, a wide-eyed inquisitive man, bald, silent and blue, New York City performance troupe Blue Man Group have brought something completely unique to the stage. Callum Grant gives Michael Smith the lowdown.

heir hairless heads and hands painted a highgloss acrylic blue, three silent men/aliens/droids (?) wander the stage, moving with the grace of flamingos and the curiosity of meerkats through a landscape filled with undiscovered wonders to be picked up, joined together, pulled apart, ponder and hit – yes, hit a lot – in various ways and combinations, to the pulsing sounds of rock, as light dazzle and bedazzle. Welcome to the world of Blue Man Group.

“It constantly develops,” Blue Man ‘Captain’, Callum Grant, explains of the performances that began in New York City in 1987 when three young friends put together a strikingly unusual “salute to the ‘80s”. Spotted as part of a variety show hosted by Tom Murrin in his guise as the Alien Comic, the trio were commissioned to create a full-length show. “There are still elements that have existed since the beginning,” Grant continues. “The original started as Blue Man and now it’s Blue Man Group, so it’s much wider and has

TECHNICOLOUR DREAMS Looking to put a bit of ‘80s disco-funk back into a future R&B world, Jordan Hankins AKA Tyler Touché just needs to get high school out of the way, as Troy Mutton discovers.

ne of the finalists of last year’s triple j Unearthed competition, Jordan Hankins, aka Tyler Touché, has rapidly gone from classrooms to nightclubs and music festivals since exploding onto the j-waves with debut single, Baguette. It’s a balance he’s understandably still coming to terms with. “Yeah it’s been interesting, a bit of a juggle I guess,” Jenkins reckons, still coming to grips with the idea people want to call up and talk to him about his work as a young dance music producer. “It’s interesting just seeing people at school’s reactions to all this stuff. I don’t usually gloat about it or tell

everyone who I am in this second life kind of thing. [I’ve] just finished a musical rehearsal at my school actually – I play saxophone, so I’m in the band for it.” When looking at his pedigree it’s not hard to see how Hankins found himself mixed up in this crazy world we journalist-types dissect for days on end trying to make a buck. His parents met while a part of a touring cover band, and his father (a sound engineer for over 20 years) nurtured his growing interest in production. “[Having dad there] has been super helpful, learning the production side of things and

stage

Anyone who has experienced their performances would agree that the idea of their being built on a series of ‘happy accidents’ is perfectly apt, a perfect reflection of the childlike wonder with which the Blue Men approach everything they do in those performances. How best to describe those performances? “You can expect a form of entertainment you haven’t really experienced before – there isn’t another comparison out there. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the Australian crowd react to this show. Australians always like to have a bit of fun. I suppose… it’s just a very different reaction. In Tokyo they didn’t have the same gestures or connotations that they did have in America. And also the first time we performed in Germany, I thought we sucked because nobody said anything for the whole show, and then we got a standing ovation at the end!” Music is an integral part of the Blue Man Group shows, and over the past 14 years, Blue Man Group have released three albums – 1999’s Audio, 2003’s The Complex and 2008’s How To Be A Megastar Live! – as well as a dozen singles and EPs, the most recent last year’s Shake Your Euphemism. Along the way, Blue Man Group have become underground cultural icons. “We never imagined we would appear in things like The Simpsons or Arrested Development,” Grant chuckles. WHAT: Blue Man Group WHERE & WHEN: 14 Aug to 8 Sep, Sydney Lyric Theatre

having it at home, a built-in studio almost, which he lets me use, which is awesome.

music

“On the road with him he’s been super helpful. He’s been in the industry and done his bit touring with bands and that kind of thing.” Hankins even sampled his mum’s vocals in the abovementioned breakout disco-banger. The track features on his just-released second EP, Technicolour Symphony, a groovy five-tracker featuring four originals plus a remix of Baguette by new friend Sterling Silver, whose vocals also feature on the title track. “Sterling I’ve gotten to know over the past few months, and he’s totally cool. He’s into all the same music I’m into, which is great; all the ‘80s funk stuff and things like that.” Given Hankins has already been rocking nightclubs for months, he has a confidence some can take years to gain. “I think the first time was a little triple j Unearthed show. There wasn’t heaps of people there but I was super nervous and now, just playing Splendour was the last show I played and the biggest crowd I’ve played to, probably a few thousand people, that was just so much fun. I was pretty relaxed up there…” It all puts him in good stead for the upcoming triple j House Party tour, the 2013 edition featuring fellow disco enthusiasts Flight Facilities and Cassian. And once that tour is over, school will almost be done and Hankins gets the chance to get back to doing what he does well. “After I finish school I’ll get stuck into writing a bunch more music, which I’m keen to do ‘cause I haven’t had a lot of time this year to write new tunes.” WHAT: Technicolor Symphony (Create/Control) WHEN & WHERE: 24 Aug, The Metro (Afternoon All Ages & Evening) THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 29

fashion

ONESIE MOMENT, PLEASE… They crept in among us like a cute, fluffy armada of awkward, oversized animals. But Natasha Lee explains why she welcomes our new onesie overlords, and finds out the deal behind the haters and conspiracy theorists of the trend.

dmittedly, I have a lot of problems. But regressive, infantile fantasies that see me constantly battle a painful urge to wear adult nappies and suck my thumb in public are not one of them. Nor do I crave, as Freud believed we all do, “to return to the womb”. Okay, not so sure about the last one given it could actually exist somewhere deep, deep in the inherent cesspool that is my subconscious, but who’s judging? My world does not, as the ABC’s Annabel Crabb (alas, one of the many columnists who have expounded their nauseating pseudo-psychological theories on the subject) writes: “structurally infantilise me to a degree where I now see no alternative to dressing like an actual baby. I should be independent by now, but here I am – an overdeveloped house pet, in effect”. Wait, what? Now, I’m no Carl Jung, but how’s this for a theory: onesies are a fad. You know, a trend. These things come in waves; like planking, My Little Pony and mankinis. Maybe, just maybe, there is no need to read any kind of sick Freudian theory into it. I have worn a onesie, albeit only once, to a friend’s themed birthday party. Needless to say, my mother was horrified and refused to believe that I had willingly 30 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

ordered the onesie, saying that, “the delivery man has made a mistake and dropped off a baby suit”. Oh mother, there’s no mistake. That garish pink pig is mine.

who make a big deal about wanting to, ‘stand out, man’, but they do it by being a conformist! It’s about trying to be on trend by being ridiculous.”

Contrary to popular myth, it did not cause me to sink into a childish mess, but rather, provided me with some jolly good, warm comfort. End of.

“I can’t say I’ve seen it a lot in real life,” says Cousens. “I have seen it a lot on TV or online media, and people tend to wear them at music festivals.”

So why all the hate?

“I don’t get why people are making onesies sound like some weird fetish,” says 22-year-old Brighette Ryan, who claims that Ryan Gosling was behind her decision to purchase her pink giraffe playsuit.

Radio broadcaster (and non-onesie wearer) Stephen Cenatiempo likens the cuddly, animal suits to flaunting your pyjamas out in public: “It’s a bit like the goth uniform,” he explains. “You know, all those people

But co-founder of online opinion site Something Clever, Daniel Cousens, finds onesie wearing is more a case of reel life, rather than reality.

The trend has spawned a stack of online stores, while at the time of publication there were 80,847 results for onesies on eBay.

“I think Ryan promoted them on Ellen, and that’s why I went a bought mine. Look, they’re just a fad, but they’re a comfy fad.” Cenatiempo agrees, kind of, adding that they’re merely plush vehicles for attention seekers: “They’re not even real onesies, anyway. They don’t even come with socks.”

CREDITS MODELS:

Blue Onesie – Nicole Lau Pikachu – Danae Pearl Tiger – Chelsea Burroughs

STYLIST: GIRL

CO-ORDINATED BY: GIRL

PHOTOS:

Nathan Mewett

“THESE THINGS COME IN WAVES; LIKE PLANKING, MY LITTLE PONY AND MANKINIS.”

Needless to say, the hate and vitriol against the Japaneseinspired playthings has come thick and fast. Earlier this year, former Kevin Rudd spokesperson Lachlan Harris started an online petition calling for a onesie ban.

But don’t worry; both Cousens and Ryan are certain the fad is close to fading.

“As hard as it is to believe,” began Harris, “you are adults now. One of the least talked about, but most important, elements of adulthood is the responsibility to stop wearing clothes designed for small humans in nappies.” Ouch. (Despite several attempts, Harris did not return any of The Music’s calls/SMSs/tweets).

“It probably won’t last much longer now, because once it becomes a ‘thing’, which onesies have, these things usually fade,” explains Cousins.

The pro-onesie world hit back, launching a counter petition, titled ‘Lockie Harris And Anyone Born Before 1983: Stop Petitioning Gen Y To Stop Wearing Onesies’.

Ryan, however, isn’t ready to throw out her pink giraffe just yet, saying that she believes they’ll stick around until at least next year.

Sufficient mudslinging took place. Insults were served. And, as expected, both parties managed to achieve absolutely nothing. Ultimately, as with every obtusely, oversaturated fad, the real winners here are mates Tom Cohn and Nick Harriman, who are the co-founders of Kigu – one of the biggest online onesie retailers. The pair originally bought 300 suits back from Japan for a cool two grand. A few years on, and their turnover has blown out to almost $1.7 million.

“I mean, I think it will be around next winter,” she says, “but that’s it. I think after that people will just get really sick of them.” Oh well. Back to planking it is then. THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 31

music

THE BACK WITH THREE BEASTS

offended was (later Beast) Charlie (Owen), but he was cool about it – I think he quite liked the idea of seeing that version too.

Intrigue! Conflict! Even a little crime and punishment! The 2013 election campaign? No, just some ingredients of the legend that is The Beasts Of Bourbon. With shows celebrating surviving 30 years, Spencer P Jones takes Ross Clelland through some of the latest convolutions.

is own musical history, whether under his own name, in bands such as The Johnnys and Hell To Pay, or as sometime sideman to Paul Kelly and Chris Bailey all make Spencer P. Jones a name to be respected. He’s also one of only two – the other being the inimitable Tex Perkins – to make it through the 30 years and three distinct line-ups of ragged glory that is The Beasts Of Bourbon. This also means he gets to do the triple shift as the band run through their chequered history and personnel over consecutive nights, but he’s typically laconic and matter-of-fact about making it this far. “Of course you never thought that far ahead. But I don’t see why we can’t keep doing it - as long as we’re all still alive, and sort of well,” Mr Jones deadpans down the line. Thing is, the ‘still alive’ element might only be half joking. The Beasts have always gone in hard, and there have been some burnouts and line-up implosions through their history.

have come together lately through a mixture of accident and design. The most unlikely revival - that of the original 1983 ensemble featuring Kim Salmon, then fellow-Scientist Boris Sujdovic and a man of many myths and stories in his own right, James Baker on drums – put back together for The Drones-curated All Tomorrow Parties event. By coincidence, Jones and Baker were putting together what would become The Nothing

“That was meant to be a one-off - and then we got offered the Iggy Pop tour, and Charlie couldn’t do one of the shows – he was off with Jimmy Barnes opening for Bruce Springsteen, as you do. Not the sort of gig you can knock back,” he adds drily. “So we asked Charlie if it was okay to get Kim in for that. He was okay with it – well, relieved he was off the hook. “These shows, we’ve just decided to be a bit more organised. It’s not like Tex and I got together and fiendishly conjured something up. It all been too complicated to be a plan.” But it does come down to Spencer and Perkins doing triple duty, covering the whole Beasts catalogue of sodden blues with occasional outbreaks of romance, drug smuggling and blood. “Ah, you gotta pay the troll if you want to rock and roll,” he philosophises. And admits there’s a different dynamic for him in each of the band’s formations. “Oh yeah, each ‘band’ does feel a little different – whether that’s me just playing slide on some songs some nights, or some things in the way Charlie and I work, which is different to the way I play off Kim and the way he does things – and even they’ve changed a bit over the years. “Have I got a favourite child among the lineups? I don’t think so. Wait, maybe – sometimes. I’ve played on a lot of records over the years,” he understates. “I still think (Beasts’ debut) The Axeman’s Jazz is a great record, The Low Road is a great record. And I think Gone and Little Animals are pretty good records – the last one could have been a bit longer. But I’m just second guessing.”

“I STILL THINK (BEASTS’ DEBUT) THE AXEMAN’S JAZZ IS A GREAT RECORD, THE LOW ROAD IS A GREAT RECORD.” When presented with the facts, the guitarist lets out a coughing laugh: “Yeah, it is a fucking miracle really, isn’t it?” before getting a bit of perspective: “There is a lot of bullshit about this band. Gossip, rumour - and somewhere along the line that becomes fact. But OK, there’s a bit of notoriety, maybe rightly. And sure, one of our members has spent some time in jail, but that’s his issue. And I reckon we’re not the only band where that’s the case.” There’s a knowing chuckle. “But looking back, the Beasts is probably one of the few things in most of our lives that’s turned out pretty much effortless, and we can just keep coming back to it. It’s the old hot rod thing - it’s in the garage, we take it out for a run every few years. Maybe take some things off or bolt on some new ones, give it a bit of a polish and off we go. You just turn over the V8 every so often.” The flipside is that things sometimes just crumble into place. Performances of the various eras of Beasts 32 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

Butts record with Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin, but weren’t the first to know about it. “Gareth never said anything to me or James about that idea. The ATP people went to Kim first before anybody else - and offered him a very princely sum which made him happy. It was like a focus from a whole different side, and it worked out. Possibly the only person who might have been

Even after 30 years, there’s still something that keeps them coming back: “Absolutely – we can still find something in these songs. Maybe because it’s always been that part-time, ‘other thing’ most of us do, sometimes.” Mr Jones has more in the diary once this Beasts excursion is done. There’s a solo record done where he plays just about everything on it, as well as producing “a real pop record” for Ally Spazzy that “just needs a couple more songs” and…“I’m doing another Escape Committee record – that’s really my main band now. But some of them are a bit upset that Western Australian couple (Liddiard and Kitschin) horned in and took some the songs they never got the chance to record. I might have do some peacemaking.” WHEN & WHERE: 22-24Aug, Factory Theatre

AIN’T LIFE GRAND

music

As Avenged Sevenfold release their first album without founding drummer The Rev, Synyster Gates talks to Tom Hersey about how his presence was still felt throughout the making of the record.

“W

e wanted this thing to be like the modern version of Led Zepplin’s IV or AC/DC’s Back In Black. We wanted it to be gigantic… And I think we achieved that, and I’m really proud of that.” With the kind of chutzpah you’d expect from someone who adopted the moniker Synyster Gates (real name Brian Elwin Haner, Jr), Avenged Sevenfold’s guitarist kicks off our conversation about the band’s sixth record, Hail To The King. It’s grandiosity that borders on pomposity – Gates says the band “feels the fire in our loins for these songs” – but few can deny that Avenged Sevenfold have earned the right to entertaining their feelings of grandeur. They’ve sold around 10 million records in a decade, transformed from a metalcore sensation to rock’n’roll juggernaut and brought an entire generation of kids along for the ride. Most importantly, they’ve dared to be rock stars in an age where the rock star is dead. Case in point, Hail To The King. The ballsiest rock’n’roll record you’re likely to hear all year. ...King has Avenged Sevenfold taking the direction of 2010’s Nightmare to bigger and better plateaus, even if that means scaling back on the chaotic maelstroms that endeared fans to records like 2001’s Sounding The Seventh Trumpet and 2003’s Waking The Fallen. “When we started off [in the band] it was kind of like, ‘Let’s just have fun in the studio and write a bunch of ridiculous shit’. And we’d fill albums to the brim with crazy guitar solos and crazy vocals and everything we could put into them. I think that’s just being young and having fun, but maturity needs to set in. And that maturity tells us what a song should really convey. We’ve always felt that we write those epic, grandiose songs. But this time we wanted to do it in a different format. We wanted to have an album that sounded regal, but with relentless, heavy-hitting grooves. “[To do that] we stuck with the game plan, and stuck with songs until everybody loved them. It was very difficult within those parameters, because we’d

never had that. We could always write whatever we wanted before; that’s one of the beauties of being in a progressive band.” The band’s restraint in writing pays off – Hail To The King represents a milestone for the band. It also bears the sombre distinction of being the first album to be written without

we were writing on his birthday, and we couldn’t figure out a chorus for a whole week, but we did this different version, because Jimmy was always like ‘oh yeah, just try this differently’ and it came out right away. So I’m not too much of a religious or spiritual guy, but it was a cool coincidence. That he could give us a gift on his birthday.” After a brief association with Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy (“He wanted to come in and be a fully fledged member and write and do all that shit; we just weren’t ready for that at that time,”), Avenged Sevenfold invited a virtual unknown, Arin Ilejay, to sit behind the kit. It was a bold move, but A7X deals exclusively in bold moves.

“WE’VE ALWAYS FELT THAT WE WRITE THOSE EPIC, GRANDIOSE SONGS. BUT THIS TIME WE WANTED TO DO IT IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT.” founding drummer Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan, who died in late 2009 during the recording of Nightmare. Despite his absence, Gates feels The Rev’s presence is still felt within Avenged Sevenfold, especially when they were writing Hail To The King. “It’s kind of like, ‘what would Jimmy do?’ He’s always with us, and I remember

“We wanted a hungry, young kid, who would come out of nowhere, but deserve to come up. That’s the approach we wanted… Collaborating with this kid from nowhere, who’d never expect it, and then all of a sudden go and play in front of 50,000 kids.” On the eve of ...King’s release, Gates is now turning his sights to taking the record of stadium rock to stadiums around the world. And the guitarist says Australian fans are a top priority. “We’ll be over there at the beginning of next year… We’re going to take this record everywhere because these songs are meant to be heard live.” WHAT: Hail To The King (Roadrunner Records) THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 33

music

FRIENDLY FLOW On Tuesday nights Maggot Mouf and Ciecmate would hang out, drink beers and talk shit. Two years later and these evenings have led to Known Associates releasing Ashes To Dust. Chris ‘Ciecmate’ Mercieca explains the chemistry of everything in between to Rip Nicholson. he Broken Tooth collective are frequent collaborators. But for the most part, the new Known Associates album was kept to the two MCs and DJ No Name Nathan, because as Chris Mercieca aka Ciecmate explains, creativity suffers in numbers.

it will just [turn into a] party,” he laughs. “I’ve found the less amount of people in the studio the more creative you can be.”

“It may not work if we had a whole big group and have everyone rock up on one night and try to make an album. But, you know the saying ‘Too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the broth?’ So with too many people in the studio

Maggot Mouf, of the Alikeminds Crew from the ACT battle scene, moved to Melbourne in 2005 and hooked up with the Hospice Crew’s Mercieca who has snapped off beats and bars with everyone on the Broken Tooth roster. Mercieca clicked early on with Mouf and produced his 2010 album You’re All Ears, so to hear them tagteaming like jacked-up jocks on their new LP shouldn’t be a surprise. “We worked together on my solo record

theatre

SLOW ON THE UPDATE Ahead of Miss Julie’s final unveiling at the Belvoir, director Leticia Caceres speaks to Matt O’Neill about how a text written in 1888 about class and female sexuality is still relevant today.

“W

e had a meeting in early 2012 to talk through some initial ideas and, from that point on, we’ve all been immersed in that world,” Caceres says. “I think the best way to work is intensively, but over a long period of time. That’s the kind of approach we’ve taken. The material is rich and big and Stringberg deserves the best. We’ve been very careful and devoted to it.” Of late, adaptations have been increasingly decried among Australian theatre critics as lazy or cheap theatre-

making. Nobody will be able to make that accusation of Belvoir Theatre Company’s Miss Julie. In adapting August Stringberg’s classic text of class and gender politics, director Leticia Caceres, writer Simon Stone and actor Brendan Cowell spent over 18 months figuring out how best to tackle it. The original work concerns a frustrated nobleman’s daughter rebelling against her station through an affair with one of her father’s servants. As events unfold, Stringberg investigates the relationship between the working class and the elite and a young woman’s negotiating

34 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

and that started that back-and-forth style. I find that writing with someone is far better and it ends up feeling more like a song rather than just two people [trying] to make something,” says Mercieca. “So we’d write and record [at night] and sometime you’d be in there till 6am and Maggot would have to get up and go to work and he’d be dishevelled all day from being up all night. I think in general, each track was destined to that particular night and overall the energy of us being mates gave the album that consistent feel.” Mercieca has always made his conscious efforts heard on his records, so it was natrual for him to drop knowledge on the track Beware of Bio Chips. “I’m really into conscious rap and I’m all about learning about the world and the things we’re not being told. My missus says I make propaganda music but I’m giving you shit you haven’t read yet,” In contrast, the summer friendly Short Shorts celebrates a lighter slice of life. “That was a culmination of months and months of us joking about wanting to make a song about that. As we’re out we’d see more and more short shorts everywhere and be like, ‘God damn, we’ve gotta do this’,” stresses Mercieca. “And I made the beat one day and it was just on! It was done about ten hours later.” Maggot Mouf and Ciecmate will continue to work at their craft, but as Known Associates are they just one and done? “I hope not,” concludes Mercieca. “Maggot Mouf is about to have a kid so he’s embarking on a whole new journey there. Hopefully we’ll work on some music in the future but at this point we’ll see how this album goes. As long as we link up and make tracks together it will be Known Associates, 100 per cent.” WHAT: Ashes To Dust (Broken Tooth) WHEN & WHERE: 24 Aug, Hermann’s Bar

of her sexuality and identity. Stunningly, it was written in 1888 – a time when even the existence of female sexuality was still under debate. Caceres says of the work: “What’s exciting about it is, when we return to the original script, we discover that it’s still incredibly relevant. There’s still very much that snobbery that exists between classes. There’s still that grudge from the lower classes towards the higher. The misogyny in the text is still alive in our society today; we’ve seen it with the recent dethroning of our prime minister.” It’s a project clearly driven by passionate investment. In particular, it’s obviously an important work to Caceres. One of Australia’s most respected young directors, Caceres’ career has been built on political work; both as an independent director and with her company RealTV. When she first discovered Miss Julie as a theatre student, the work’s thematic content found an immediate sympathy. “I’ve always been drawn to Miss Julie precisely because of what it deals with... I remember studying it as a teenage girl and being completely confronted by it. Our culture has saturated everything with sex in a really horrible, gonzo-porn style, meaningless objectification of women. It’s a great time to be doing Miss Julie. I think the way that it stands in its classical form speaks about a particular time in history when we still had an aristocratic notion of class, and that doesn’t exist explicitly anymore. So, we had to re-imagine it and illustrate that it still holds. What’s frightening is how much it all still holds.” WHAT: Miss Julie WHEN & WHERE: 24 Aug to 6 Oct, Belvoir, Upstairs Theatre

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Fairplay Entertainment Presents Coopers LIVE & LOCAL Alex Gibson Jason Singh (Taxiride) The Mason Rack Band Weekend Warriors Big Gig presented by Mall Music Fairplay Entertainment Presents Coopers LIVE & LOCAL Sydney Youth Jazz Orchestra Ray Beadle Fathers Day with Hotel California - A tribute to The Eagles

LIZOTTE’S CENTRAL COAST (02) 4368 2017 Last week during Abby Dobson’s performance at Lizotte’s Kincumber, a small fire broke out and the restaurant was evacuated. Thanks to swift and professional reaction of the staff and the very prompt response from emergency services, the fire was contained. We were once again reminded what a wonderful community we are lucky enough to be a part of, with offers of help and support flooding in and we thank everyone for their well wishes. To all of our customers, things are moving forward. The phones are operational, if you need to speak to one of our staff please call 4368 2017. We are contacting all ticket holders for any of the shows which may be affected and the restaurant will be back in operation at the beginning of September. Thank you again for everyone’s concern and support. We look forward to getting back to taking care of your social life very soon!

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(02) 4956 2066 Belmont High School Lionel Cole - Cole Soul & Emotion The Idea of North 20th Anniversary Concert Jason Singh (Taxiride) Avondale School Showcase Melody Pool The Incredible Ian Moss Fathers Day with Ray Beadle

Calling all artists for Live and Locals! Contact chris@fairplayentertainment.com.au Lizotte’s Sydney 629 Pittwater Rd Dee Why

Lizotte’s Central Coast Lot 3 Avoca Dr Kincumber

Lizotte’s Newcastle 31 Morehead St Lambton

w w w . l i z o t t e s . c o m . a u THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 35

travel

THE MANY FACES OF HOLI

Kris Swales walks the streets of New Delhi’s Paharganj district for the Holi Festival, a day where humanity is united by colour, but some of Delhi’s demons can’t help but show their face.

here’s an unusual sound filling the air of New Delhi on this overcast March morning. Absent is the cacophony of car, motorcycle and tuk-tuk horns that usually soundtracks a transport system best described as Delhi Dodgems, replaced instead by an eerie silence – or perhaps, more accurately, the sound of expectation. The annual Holi Festival has arrived in the bustling Paharganj district, home to countless tourist-filled hotels, honest street vendors, and just as many shady street hustlers. Last night, small bonfires were lit on the side of the narrow streets and laneways to burn evil spirits as part of the Holika Dahan ritual. If that was a solemn undertaking, the main festivities are far more celebratory. Later tonight parties will rage across the city, with artists such as Ace Ventura and Liquid Soul bringing the psy and progressive sounds familiar to Australian bush doof goers into New Delhi’s cultural melting pot. Daytime, though, is where the real fun lies – just not fun of the good, clean variety. For Holi, at its essence, is the Indian equivalent of an Australian high school muck-up day; reminiscent of the water fights of Thailand’s Songkran Festival, but with colour. Lots of it. While families tend to enjoy their own Holi celebrations behind closed doors, groups of Indian males – predominately in their teens and 20s – roam the streets and laneways of Paharganj. They’re bearing bags of richly coloured food dyes to smear on the hair, face and bodies of their fellow man so that everybody looks the same, hence breaking down barriers of age, sex, caste and creed for the day. Meanwhile, the rooftops above are lined with snipers eyeing off unsuspecting passersby – some simply emptying buckets of water on their prey, others throwing water balloons with the ferocity of a pitcher on the plate for the first innings of baseball’s World Series. There’s a largely carnival atmosphere in the air as perfect strangers, both local and foreign, greet each other with the “Happy Holi!” cry, trade colours, then hug warmly. Men who don’t participate with the enthusiasm of their 36 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

brethren are chided as being “macho”, but in a city where public displays of affection between males are commonplace, the machos are few and far between. Futuristic water pistols, gigantic air pumps and spray cans of foul-tasting coloured foam are also part of the arsenals of seasoned Holi veterans, who drench anyone who walks past whether they’re prepared or not. Throngs of partygoers gather en masse in some areas where the colour trading feels more like competitive sport, though always with the same smiling faces. Some side streets, strangely, remain as silent as the morning air. The colour and water fights begin to die down around lunchtime, just as proceedings take on a sinister edge. A pair of British sisters are groped first by one young local man, then by a mob which quickly forms around them. This isn’t an isolated incident for a female tourist today, so it’s time to go back to the hotel and take a good, hard look in the mirror. These dyes are colourfast, and it’s going to take more than one scrubbing session before the face looking back at you is a familiar one.

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out in the country, and it was very much a change of pace moving from travelling and being on the road all the time to just working on music and being creative and being by myself, so in some ways I was kind of in this paracosm: a place away from everything and free to do whatever [I] [wanted].” Greene went big on the album, incorporating over 50 instruments, clapping, chatting, chirping and laughter, indecipherable blurps and snaps, all rolled together under his paracosmic dome. “I’m probably pretty terrible at [project managing] so I definitely needed someone to do that,” Greene continues. “The mixes were definitely a lot more complicated than anything I’ve done before. I had kind of a rough draft already before actually taking it into a real studio and finishing off the rest of recording and mixing – we were sort of mixing all along, which made it a lot easier... There was a lot of conceptual stuff that made it so much easier as well, like, I knew that I wanted to use a lot more analogue effects and get away from digital.”

music

COUNTRY HOUSE Washed Out’s Earnest Greene moved into a house in the country post-touring and stumbled upon the new word that would become his latest album title via the internet. “In some ways I was kind of in this paracosm,” he tells Samson McDougall.

n album title can be a contract of sorts between artist and listener/consumer; expectations can be raised or lowered depending on the promise of the cover. You know exactly what’s inside just looking at Slayer records with names like Reign In Blood and featuring the demonic artwork of Larry Carroll; Battles’ Mirrored album also springs to mind, all reflective angles and hard lines. Some artists set out to subvert this. Deadmau5’s >Album Title Goes Here< is a classic example, as is Faith No More’s Album Of The Year. Some of the best titles employ subtle plays on words: The Beatles’ Revolver (so good it was subsequently aped by Fugazi with their debut Repeater, and taken one step further with Public Enemy’s Revolverlution) and Rubber Soul, Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks and so on. There are, of course, inherent pitfalls: too earnest and you’ll be labelled a dag, too cryptic and you’re a wanker, too funny and you’re not taken seriously, not funny enough and you’re a twit. Earnest Greene’s musical outlet Washed Up’s latest album is called Paracosm – a kind of detailed imaginary world, an invented alternate reality. It’s a bold statement but Greene has by and large managed to live up to the premise and the promise. “As soon as I started work and figured out a sonic palette that worked it became almost this full-blown kind of concept album, which I never really anticipated,” he says. “I toured for quite a while with the last record and it didn’t leave a lot of time for writing new music, so I had a lot of ideas that I’d just had in the back of my mind for the last couple of years and one of them was I wanted to write a pastoral-influenced record. For me that meant a lot of acoustic instruments and a lot of warm sounds and I think that was pretty much the first jumping off point.”

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Dense birdsong opens the record as watery keys and percussion creep out of the surrounding emptiness followed by a flourish of strings and choral voices that lead you into the bubble. It’s a lightweight listen; you could even say nothing really stands out. “I was very much thinkin’ of it as a daytime record,” continues Greene. “I was trying to write an optimisticsounding album and because of that I was writing mainly in major keys, so there’s a little bit more light and it’s a little bit more colourful [than past releases].” The title itself was an accident – Greene stumbled across the word on the internet about halfway through the writing/ recording process. “[It’s] certainly influenced some of the lyrical content on the record,” he says. “I’d moved into a new house after touring,

On this album Greene reckons he wrote each part with live performance in the back of his mind, though he’s still had to strip away excess to take Paracosm on the road: “We don’t have the means to travel with a string section. I feel like the songs are strong enough on their own to shear a lot of parts away and they’ll still sound like the record. That’s been an important part as well, to just kind of work on a skeletal version of a song and see what works and what doesn’t.” From the bones of such an abstract and unplanned concept, ultimately Greene’s happy with the results. Listening to the thing, it does become its own feathery little cosmos. He says that working within the limitations of this world actually made the process easier. “There’s definitely some lyrics on the record that don’t have anything to do with

“IT BECAME ALMOST THIS FULL-BLOWN KIND OF CONCEPT ALBUM, WHICH I NEVER REALLY ANTICIPATED.” the Paracosm idea, but sonically I think there is [a narrative thrust]. I had these limitations kind of set up from the beginning where I knew to use a certain type of sound, which really kind of helped with the songwriting because I was able to just jump straight into the actual writing of songs, whereas before, on the past few records I’ve done, there was a lot more experimenting and trial and error, kind of stumbling across sonic ideas to work with... There’s a few songs that ended up taking on a life of their own but there’s also quite a few that – the original idea I had in my head, the finished product is pretty close to it. I think it had a lot to do with this project in particular: I had a lot of ideas in the beginning of what I wanted it to be, but I see in the future it being not that easy.” WHAT: Paracosm (Sub Pop/Inertia)

music

KEEPING UP WITH JONZE Pluto Jonze lugs around an extravagant stage setup, which includes TV sets and a Therimin. “I always get jealous of the DJs who rock up with a USB,” he confesses to Liz Giuffre.

“N

ot many people spent their time thinking about the Theremin,” Pluto Jonze admits. However the indie-dance-pop darling is, thankfully, one of those people. Featuring on Jonzes’ debut album Eject, as well as in his touring spectacular, Therimin is, along with some other weird and wonderful bits, a thing to behold. “My dad’s a gizmo geek, he loves it. I found it [the Theremin] on the balcony one day, exploring as you do as an early teen, and he explained to me that it’s an instrument that you play without actually touching it,” Jonze recalls. “And that was it, I was in love. There are certain types of melodies that are easier to play than others, and I create easy, hoopy melodies on the Theremin. But it’s also difficult when you play live because it bases its tuning on the room, it’s like a radio antenna. You know how sometimes if you open a fridge or turn on a heater it might get a bit temperamental? The thing that’s closest to it has the biggest influence, but still, everything has an influence. So you might tune it up at soundcheck and then people will swarm into the room and change the tuning, so you’ll have to do it again. But it’s fun, and I guess it’s part of my schtick is the tuning of the Theremin. It sounds cool and hoopy tuning it up too. And you just run with it, making the limitations a strength.” Also making it into Jonzes’ live show are old school analogue TV sets that look like they’ve broadcast some of the best (and worst) entertainment from yesteryear. The aesthetic and slightly unpredictable style matches Jonzes’ sound to a tee. “The cool thing is working out how the tuning works so my visuals can come up,” Jonze says in reference to the part of his performance where lyrics and ‘ghost-ing’ add to the experience. “And [the TVs are] not just a fancy prop; I like that they’re hooked up so these visuals can come across in a slightly abstract way, representing some of the sequenced portions of the music live. Although, I always get jealous of the DJs who rock up with a USB. I’m there with a station wagon, it’s like I move house every week!” While he won’t reveal how the sequencing is done (“That’s a deep and dark Pluto Jonze secret”), Jonze is happy to embrace those times when the TVs decide they want to participate without him. “Sometimes, depending on how

the venue’s wired up, or just the feeling in the air, the TV gets static and you can control it by stomping your feet, or the kick drum will make it kind of distort in a cool way – so we play with that for a bit.” Jonze has made waves for himself with his single Eject and the

Jonze explains why he was running late to today’s interview: “Mostly in the mornings I’ll start something from scratch if I’m not really feeling it with something I’ve already got, or I’ll be developing something already started. But it’s kind of a constant process for me, I can’t really turn it off. I’m always scanning conversation, menus, the world, misheard names from a radio in another room, whatever – for a good title. So it is an obsession that I can’t turn off, and as a result of that disease I’ve always got things on the boil. And it’s cool because then when I’m writing I’m always tied to the real world situation where it came from. I don’t normally

“I’LL TAKE WORLDWIDE NUMBER ONE, WHY NOT?” unpronounceable Hispedangongonajelanguiro (Capiche?). In addition to these upbeat tracks, he gets slower and more sultry too (Come On Sunshine). His attention to detail in both recordings and performance does invite comparisons to Gotye, and it’s a label he’s fine with. ““Yeah, I’ll take that. I’ll take worldwide number one, why not?” he laughs. When it’s suggested he might have to get his kit off for the film clip, the response is perhaps not as enthusiastic: “Well I guess that‘ll be bold, yeah.”

start with a blank canvas, but it’s always tied to the thing that got me there. I do, it funnily enough, mostly on my phone, because that’s the thing that I always have on me and I guess I’ve only really worked like that for maybe two years. And before then, until embarrassingly recently, I had a cassette recorder – that’s how I managed my ideas in a hugely inefficient way. But now it’s voice memos on the phone.” This description conjures up ideas of another technology/Pluto Jonze collaboration in the future: perhaps some songs co-penned with Siri? “Sure, she’s my little creative secretary,” he jokes. WHAT: Eject (Stop Start/Inertia) WHEN & WHERE: 23 Aug, Yours & Owls, Wollongong; 24, Goodgod Small Club; 31, Small Ballroom, Newcastle; 2 Sep, Rolling Stone Live Lodge; 13, Efterski Festival, Thredbo Village THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 39

music

LOVE BROS After being namedropped by the most uncool of uncool dudes, a British politician, Drenge are rocking steady to prove their musical viciousness. Eoin Loveless explains all to Natasha Lee.

he last Australian politician to reference a band was trade minister Craig Emerson. He stood on the greens of Parliament with a boom box at his feet. On cue, a member of his team pressed play, and Emerson began bopping along to the intro bass line in Skyhooks’ Horror Movie, in what is arguably the most god-awfully awkward 30 seconds in Australian political history. Now, while nothing quite so cringeworthy happened to British band Drenge, they were inadvertently thrown into the political sphere

thanks to retiring UK MP Tom Watson who, in his resignation letter said: “if you want to see an awesome band, I recommend Drenge.” “It’s amazing that anyone likes our band in the first place,” says singer and songwriter Eoin Loveless, who fronts the band while brother Rory smashes out the drums, and is on the phone from the UK. “It’s just weird when music meets politics in the UK. Writers here spend most of the day writing about politics and then when someone suddenly mentions a band – they go a bit weird.” Loveless is talking ahead of the release of their

theatre

METHOD MADNESS

Nicholas Eadie talks to Dave Drayton about his first new theatre role, the problem of being typecast, and why method acting isn’t always a great idea.

icholas Eadie has been gracing stage and screen for decades now. An AFI Award winner, you may have seen him on screen in the 1987 mini-series Vietnam, or the long-running ABC show GP, or more recently on stage as Sam in the original cast of Mamma Mia!. Yet, somewhat surprisingly for a Sydney-based actor, he’s never graced the stage at New Theatre. “I’m a bit ashamed to say it but I’ve never been to the New Theatre, it’s a bit embarrassing. I was very much an eastern suburbs boy,” he sheepishly admits. That’s all changed with Jerusalem.

“You normally do co-op for one of a few reasons. It’s either a great role – I did Macbeth at the Darlinghurst Theatre, Macbeth was my Hamlet – or a great play that’s never been seen that should be seen and hasn’t been done, often because it’s been overlooked by the major theatre companies because of the size of it. They just can’t afford to have to large casts, or a fantastic director that I’ve never worked with but I’ve always wanted to,” Eadie explains candidly. “It’s a labour of love.” In the case of Jerusalem, it was two of the three – Eadie plays Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron in the Australian premier of Jez Butterworth’s play about

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self-titled debut album, which has already spawned two successful singles, Backwaters and Bloodsports. Describing themselves as “2 brothers. guitar & drums” on their Facebook page, Loveless is touchy when obvious comparisons to The Black Keys and The White Stripes are made: “Well, we get compared to a lot of two-piece bands because we are a two-piece. But when it comes to songwriting, we like to listen to bands outside of the two-piece, like Nirvana or Queens Of The Stone Age.” That said, the same gritty, raw lo-fi sound made so popular by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney hurtles towards you on Drenge, a bone-shaking 12 tracks that showcase the brothers’ total, violent synchronicity. “It’s really easy playing with my brother,” Loveless admits. “Considering, you know, you talk to some people and they’re like, ‘I hate my brother,’ or ‘I hate my sister.’ Sure, I mean Rory and I don’t get on all the time, but at the same time I love my brother.” The creative process for the pair is rather ad hoc but curiously methodical. “The songs just come from me figuring stuff out on the guitar, and then trying to come up with some kind of song structure with Rory. Then I’ll play the song loads of times to get it just right before writing lyrics.” Lyrics that include darkly witty song titles like, People In Love Make Me Feel Yuck and I Want To Break You In Half. “I try and make the words compliment the music, and I want the words to be about something that isn’t in the music.” For the brothers Loveless, however, the real magic is wrought during their live performances. “When your full-time job is a muso, and a touring muso, and you travel from city to city and spend nine hours in a van or longer – you day ends up revolving around a 45-minute set.” WHAT: Drenge (Liberator)

the disintegration of rural communities and the pervasive excesses of the nanny state. Eadie had previously worked with director Helen Tonkin on another Butterworth play, The Night Heron, for Griffin Stablemates. “Rooster’s a bit of a lowlife, a bit of a drunk – he starts his morning with half a cup of vodka with milk and a gram of speed and it sort of goes from there,” Eadie gives a brief character synopsis, and an explanation as to why method acting won’t be part of the prep: “I’ve had my wild times in the past, but I’ve never got to that stage!” Working alongside Tonkin in The Night Heron ensured she got in touch with Eadie when casting Jerusalem, but not before a couple of friends overseas had taken the opportunity to tell Eadie he was perfect for the role. “People saw it in London and they got in touch with me and said, ‘You have got to go for this role; he’s a drug dealer, he’s wild, he’s that, he’s this,’ and I thought, ‘Is that what you think of me? You’re typecasting me as that sort of person?’” Eadie asks in mock offence. Rooster has been on a patch of land for nearly three decades, living like a gypsy and paying no rates or taxes. In Jerusalem, we witness the standoff between Rooster and his motley assortment of hangers on, and the force of police and council. “It’s a comment on the homogenisation of England and the world, the whole nanny state thing of rules and regulations; there’s not many places left in the Western world for an outcast, an outlaw, a rebel; for someone like Rooster, who is a law unto themselves,” says Eadie. WHAT: Jerusalem WHEN & WHERE: 13 Aug to 14 Sep, New Theatre

ROCKIN’ THE MANCAVE He’s been a venue owner, a frontman, and people reckon he’s “a bit of a cowboy”. Johnny Cass puts a bit of all of them into his new album, as he tells Michael Smith.

ven when he was running the boutique inner city Sydney venue he established more than a decade ago, The Vanguard – and he was often upstairs cooking for its patrons – Johnny Cass would sometimes book himself and a few musical friends to stretch out on some blues rock, just to remind himself that he was a singer first and restaurateur second. Once he sold the business, he decided to return to the business of making music in earnest once more. The first fruit of that is the debut Johnny Cass Band album, Tombstone Bullets, which began in The Lakeside Ramble.

“Lakeside Ramble is basically my ‘man cave’,” Cass chuckles, on the line from his property down on the south coast of NSW, “looks like an oldstyle kind of shack, and that’s where we did most of the recording. It’s a ten by ten metre room and it’s got a really high fivemetre roof, so it’s quite a large sound and I guess one of the challenges that we faced what to do if we didn’t want a large sound! That’s when the old Vanguard curtain came in handy – we baffled the drums and kind of made a big tent the drummer played in under the Vanguard curtain. “There’s one song on the album that was actually recorded at The Vanguard

in 2010 – Holdin On. I’d recorded about eight songs there before we left and I never really did anything with them.”

music

As you can tell from the album’s title, the music Johnny Cass makes is very much in the roots rock vein. “The songs start with a bit of a genre twist,” Cass suggests, “starting off blues and roots and then venturing into a gumbo of Southern rock. I think the biggest challenge for this album was trying to have continuity within the songs, which I guess is the struggle of most artists. As far as the songs go, they’re a mixed bag of storytelling, personal experiences and writing about characters that I’ve met. There’s always a little bit of me in there as well. “A lot of people might say I’m a bit of a cowboy,” he chuckles, regards the imagery he’s put into the cover and title, “ready to shoot off any moment. But yeah, I really love the whole ‘70s rock thing and with the ‘70s, especially with the Southern rock thing, you’ve got that element of a cowboy, a gunslinger – a guitarist is a gunslinger – so that’s imagery I’m trying to get through.” WHAT: Tombstone Bullets (The Planet Company/MGM) WHEN & WHERE: 22 Aug, Rock Lily; 23 Aug, Old Manly Boatshed; 24 Aug, Commercial Hotel, Milton; 25 Aug, Towradgi Beach Hotel; 8 Sep, Jamberoo Pub; 26 Sep, Brass Monkey; 5, 6 Oct, Great Southern Blues & Rockabilly Fest, Narooma; 27 Oct, Sydney Blues & Roots Festival, Windsor

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reviews

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

This week: Zola Jesus covers herself, Matt Damon fights to get off earth in Elysium and our thoughts on the MXR Super Badass Distortion Pedal

KING KRULE

6 Feet Beneath The Moon True Panther/XL Jake Bugg ruined the blanket statement: no other 19-year-old in contemporary music could summon the pathos of Archy Marshall, King Krule. Krule’s debut album 6 Feet Beneath The Moon is angry and simple, but too long, and overwrought (great art being not what is put in so much as what is taken out, etc.). Track one Easy Easy is recognisable as a previously released single – it’s a wonderful song. Marshall’s vocals come apart again and again like a pre-schooler’s shoelace. He sounds as if he’s cooking the lyrics up as he goes along; a rare and precocious talent in a musician. His work is his voice, hoarse and sonorous. “I need the warmth of your mother to hold me down/Hold me down/Girl, let me lay here,” Marshall howls oedipally in The Krockadile. A very young man boiling himself alive with self-loathing right there.

★★★½

TRACKLIST 1. Easy Easy 2. Borderline 3. Has This Hit? 4. Foreign 2 5. Ceiling 6. Baby Blue 7. Cementality

8. A Lizard State 9. Will I Come 10. Ocean Bed 11. Neptune Estate 12. The Krockadile 13. Out Getting Ribs 14. Bathed In Grey

There are standouts in 6 Feet... – pools of gloom, ironically, hiding from proverbial streetlamp light. The record is too well-produced. Gone is Krule’s grit, 6 Feet... turns Zoo Kid’s A Lizard State into a ska track. There’s also a second incarnation of Has This Hit? on the record, supplanting the lo-fi halo of its first incarnation with a question mark (literally) and the magnesium-flare of top dollar production values. Still, Marshall is a brilliant lyricist, largely because he sings every word like he is blaming the listener (and the critic) for his having written it. Callum Twigger

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album reviews

FRANZ FERDINAND

AVENGED SEVENFOLD

Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action

Hail To The King Roadrunner/Warner

Domino/EMI It’s been almost a decade since France Ferdinand announced their arrival with hit single, Take Me Out, and their self-titled debut. They emerged confident in their sound then and haven’t messed with it too much since. Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action sees the next small, but not disposable, step in their evolution. Opening track, Right Action, shows from the get-go that the Franz guitars are as jangly and the rhythms as staccato and precise as ever. But don’t be fooled, this isn’t just a rehashing of that signature sound. Evil Eye is a jaunty, theremin-infused number that sounds like it could be used in the opening credits of a ‘50s sci-fi parody. Love Illumination returns to that vintage Franz Ferdinand sound, with singer Alex Kapranos philosophising about a “sweet love celebration”. It almost sounds

★★★ ½ like a self-help affirmation, but is somehow sweet and genuine. The Universe Extended delivers a late album breather that’s a little more contemplative than the rest of the record, before Brief Encounters brings a laidback ska rhythm to continue the low-key wind down. Goodbye Lovers And Friends marches towards the closing moments, with Kapranos going so far as to finish the album with, “This really is the end”. If Franz Ferdinand were attempting any neck-jarring changes in direction, they failed miserably. But if their goal was to make another record of catchy, tight-jeaned alt. rock, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action more than delivers. Pete Laurie

If there was ever an American band that sounds like America, it is Avenged Sevenfold. Like fellow patriots George W. Bush, Chris Brown and Michael Bay, these Californian rockers have never allowed other people’s opinions or common sense stand in the way of their doing whatever the fuck they want to do. What they want to do, as becomes immediately apparent on their sixth album, Hail To The King, is play balls-out stadium rock and to be like Guns N’ Roses, minus those god damn sissy ballads. Paring back on the intricacies of 2010’s Nightmare, songs like the title track and This Means War are beefy slabs of Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates showing off their rock god guitar licks, while new drummer Arin Ilejay somehow manages to make a drum kit sound more bombastic than Phil Collins’ In The Air Tonight and frontman M.

SARA STORER

ZOLA JESUS

ABC Music/Universal

Sacred Bones/Inertia

Storytelling is at the heart of any great country artist and Sara Storer is still a great storyteller. Lovegrass, her fifth studio record and her first of entirely new material since 2007’s Silver Skies, comes after marriage and family life – experiences that are on this album’s sleeve. She openly admits the title track is written for her husband (it doesn’t have the same tension as a Kasey Chambers/Shane Nicholson duet, it’s far warmer) and other cuts – Come On Rain, Heart & Sold, You’re My Everything – can be attributed to that same family muse. Even when it’s not about them, a romanticised Australian country life underpins everything here.

Zola Jesus, or Nika Roza Danilova as she is rarely referred to, has clearly transcended her electro-gothic roots. After being asked to perform at New York’s Guggenheim Museum in 2012, Danilova took the bold idea of performing her songs in a stripped back, small orchestral arrangement. This album is the result of those performances.

Lovegrass

One point that the record steps out from personal accounts is on ANZAC ode Pozie, which features a particularly wise-sounding John Williamson. It cements this as a proud Australian record, but it’s not flag-waving nationalism, it’s a tactfully44 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

★★★ Shadows does his best Axl wail. It’s an obvious formula, but A7X manage to keep it interesting for the album’s duration. Hail To The King is the sonic equivalent of a stretch Hummer monster truck with Bald Eagle decals and a vanity licence plate driving through a McDonald’s drivethru to order a McGriddle and an extra, extra-large Dr Pepper. The thing is big, decadent and completely over the top. And like that McGriddle and Dr P, Hail To The King might leave you feeling a little queasy afterwards, but when you’re there and you’re in the moment, its delights are undeniable. Avenged Sevenfold, FUCK YEAH! Tom Hersey

Versions

★★★ ½ delivered and humble dose of self-esteem. The musicianship is impeccably unobtrusive; existing as a platform rather than an engine room, with Matt Fell’s producing equally balanced and restrained. If there is a fault here it’s the overarching familiarity and lack of experimentation, but such excitement would be at odds with this selection of songs. Storer doesn’t need to prove anything on Lovegrass after the career she’s had, and the break has given her a chance to choose the time and manner of her return. This feels right, it feels natural and it feels comfortable. Scott Fitzsimons

As wonderful as the existing Zola Jesus albums are, lush and beautiful are hardly terms that come to mind when describing them, so it’s all the more wonderful that this album works as well as it does. Stripped of the gothic dark wave electronica, we are given more room to marvel at how utterly gorgeous a singer Danilova is when she allows herself to be. The new arrangements, for the most part, stick to the original in terms of structure, but the string and minimal beat backing breathes a human immediacy into the music that

★★★ ½ simply wasn’t there before. The new versions of Hikikomori and Seekir are so excellent that it’s difficult to hear the originals presented as they were. Of the nine songs here, only one is a new track and five are from her most recent LP, so there is a tendency to compare these to the originals or perhaps feel slighted by a cover album of one’s own songs – but this wouldn’t be fair. Danilova hasn’t necessarily created magic with this record per se, but in revealing these songs for the beautiful pieces they clearly are, she’s certainly discovered it. Andrew McDonald

album reviews

★★★½

TIRED PONY The Ghost Of The Mountain Universal With members including Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol), Richard Colburn (Belle & Sebastian) and Peter Buck (REM), Tired Pony could collapse into a terrible mess of conflicting egos. But The Ghost Of The Mountain manages to highlight the respective talents of its members, while becoming something in its own right. Light, sincere and reflective, The Ghost Of The Mountain is a great example of a supergroup creating something new and worthwhile. Pete Laurie

★★★½

BELLE & SEBASTIAN

The Third Eye Centre Rough Trade The Third Eye Centre, a collection of rarities, collectibles and nonLP tunes (Belle & Sebastian’s second such release), covers their work over the last ten years and deftly demonstrates why they are so highly lauded. There are a number of remixes included, the most notable being the Avalanches’ tribal transformation of I’m A Cuckoo. With such perfect indie pop offerings as Heaven In The Afternoon, The Third Eye Centre is a definite must have.

★★★½

★★½

CROCODILES

A$AP FERG

Shock

A$AP Worldwide/Polo Grounds/Sony

Crimes Of Passion

The gentle rock‘n’roll of Crimes Of Passion makes an unashamed nod to The Jesus & Mary Chain’s Psychocandy – the main difference being a little less fuzz and a little more warmth. The camaraderie of light and dark that exist throughout the album are a refreshing and more palatable departure from the more noise-laden albums past, though there’s just enough fuzz to remind us of the band’s earlier catalogue, with an additional softness that makes it far easier to digest. Justine Keating

Dominique Wall

Trap Lord

Ferg, often described as the only member of the A$AP clique besides Rocky with star potential, is tough to pin down. He’ll drop a Bone Thugsn-Harmony tribute the next track after a Bone Thugs-nHarmony cameo. He’ll disclose his ambition to “be as known as Jesus” in interviews. He’ll send out a sing-song guest spot: Kissin’ Pink. He’s becoming known as someone who brings excitement. Sadly, Trap Lord is not that artist’s album; this is not the fun Ferg promised. It’s a debut, sure, but for now his apparent destiny seems a little way off. James d’Apice

★★★½

★★★

BLESSTHEFALL DEVILDRIVER Hollow Bodies

Winter Kills

DON WALKER

Fearless/Shock

Roadrunner/Warner

MGM

On their fourth album, posthardcore outfit Blessthefall combine fatalistic riffs within in an organised display of mayhem, combining sickly sweet melodic phrases with downright aggressive passages that by any logical means should not work. After years of terrorising stages across the globe, Hollow Bodies is the band’s most cohesive work to date. The band’s adaptability in combining metalcore and pop sentimentality is perfectly demonstrated in the single, You Wear A Crown But You’re No King, and the album’s title track, yet it’s the grittier songs where Blessthefall sound more comfortable – and they do that honourably.

Meat and potatoes remain popular because they mostly hit the spot. Groove-oriented metal cohorts DevilDriver must recognise this because they haven’t altered the recipe too radically after six records. Everconsistent, the Americans’ attack bristles with potency; fusion of Pantera-esque stomp, melo-death trimmings, monstrous circle-pit fodder (Gutted) and memorable hooks (Winter Kills) ensuring they could teach the Germans a few lessons regarding efficiency. Covering indie/electro mob AWOLNATION’s Sail deviates from their norm, but proves to be a misfire. Few curveballs, but another mosh-friendly beast.

He is among the best – the most Australian – of songwriters. And that might be part of the problem on parts.

James Dawson

Brendan Crabb

Hully Gully

He has the turn of phrase, the so drily laconic voice. The stories, like the drive out of the ‘Cross in Young Girls, or the wait as the tide ebbs On The Beach, are heat-hazed atmospheric things, but elsewhere it seems he feels the need to play up that nasal twang to almost parody. Maybe accept the lift but perhaps pretend to doze when some of the yarns seem a bit arch. Ross Clelland

★★★½

ELLIOTT WHEELER

The Long Time MGM Elliott Wheeler has emerged with a suitably cinematic, orchestrated and dark solo debut six years in the making. Wheeler’s gentle falsetto vocals decorate a handful of tracks, accompanying the slick electronic production on Crystal Love, reminiscent of Antony & The Johnsons, while a collection of charming guest female vocalists grace the remaining tracks. The Long Time is a rounded and complete effort compiled from the flowing and orchestral influence of Wheeler’s experience shaping film scores, but with the added pull of modernity, electronica and beats. Lorin Reid THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 45

singles/ep reviews

★★★

CHVRCHES

The Mother We Share Goodbye/Liberator Further sweetly-voiced but darkly-electronic pop souvenir to remind of the recent small tour which you will one day lie about seeing, when they come back next time and likely fill the Hordern.

LADY GAGA Applause

Streamline/Universal The last pop star starts pushing out the ocean liner of the album that’ll arrive for the Christmas market with a bit of dancey thump that will please the faithful and let the current affairs shows tut-tut.

THE APE

★★★

★★½

BASTIAN’S CHET FAKER HAPPY FLIGHT FT KILO KISH

ESKIMO JOE

Heart/Works

Melt

Independent

Downtown

Westralian electronic thing which unashamedly uses the word ‘disco’ in their self-descriptions, but walks a carefully balanced line between the sincere and ironic. When it works, such as in the niftily titled Come For The Early (Stay For The Late) the moves are smooth and it’s good music with it, but when they try for more soulful – for instance, Fight The Urge – it might be just a little self-conscious. Not as obviously pisstaking and one trick as Donny Benet, but a lot may depend on how seriously you regard Hall &/or Oates.

Wonder if Nick Murphy ever thought his lazy pun alias would still be happening some time later? It seems to have worked so far; he’s now signed to the label of Gnarls Barkley and Santigold, among others. Lead song has the necessary detached cerebral passion to possibly go in that latest ‘alternative R&B’ pigeonhole in this postFrank Ocean world, but while utterly stylish and obviously constructed with care – right down to Kish’s vocal interjection – you’re not quite sure that if you drilled down you’d strike oil, or just Evian water.

Does the reviewing of something crowdfunded come down to whether the investors think they got their money’s worth? Should a band as ‘established’ as Eskimo Joe even resort to passing around the hat? On musical grounds, Got What You Need comes built on an ‘80s synth spiral, and Kav up near falsetto wooting. It marches along, perhaps treading a little too lightly. And then it’s done. And you feel like not a lot’s happened. Which is a bit of a shame because they could be better than this.

Ross Clelland

Got What You Need Dirt Diamonds

Ross Clelland

Crawl Back/Don’t Need Nuthin’ Independent The artist sometimes known as Tex leads small slinky combo – this one with a Dallas Crane and a Magic Dirt among others – in sinuous twist suitable for ‘80s porn soundtrack or grinding dance.

OKKERVIL RIVER

It Was My Season Spunk/Caroline Mr Sheff and latest company under the name make something of almost honky-tonk swing while still keeping their inherent melancholy underneath. Smart song, well played, as you’d expect.

SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR West Coast Secret Fox Title gives hint as layers of “la la la”s accompany a drive to Big Sur in a classic convertible, while not forgetting their more usual means of transport is the Number 19 tram through Brunswick. Ross Clelland 46 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

★★★★

THE PREATURES

Is This How You Feel? Mercury With the hype surrounding them, and their irritating precocious youth and beauty, I so wanted to hate The Preatures. And then they have the hide – to be effortlessly, coolly, frighteningly fucking tops with it. There’s the jittery funk of the title track, the rolling insistence of Dark Times, and that slinky glide of Manic Baby. Megan Washington called that tune ‘sexy as fuck’ on the Tweety the other day, and who am I to disagree? Largely ‘cause I can’t think of many better descriptors. They’re going to be massive. Ross Clelland

★★★★½

THE SMITH STREET BAND Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams Poison City If you haven’t worked it out already, we need The Smith Street Band, or something like it. They make the real suburban blues, yelling as the struggle gets too much, but realising they have to suck it up and soldier on. Sure, there’s some of that old spirit of what Weddoes used to do – the philosophy that even if you haven’t got two zacs to rub together, you can still give a shit. They make music that really feels, and even better, that feels real. Ross Clelland

★★★½

THE SURES

The Night Hero Waste Time Getting Better Ivy League The layers are beginning to collapse into place. The guitars wiry, the vocals drifting in from down the hall. Sometimes it skews to the dreamy end of melodic, like in the quietly nervous Waste, which itself even outbreaks into an internalised yell. They seem to really let themselves go only occasionally – then contradict that as Time is an utterly assured thing that engages while simultaneously holding you (and the object of affection) just out of reach. Young and intriguing. And potentially very fine. Ross Clelland

A D R I A N B O H M P R E S E NT S

THE LONG AWAITED RETURN OF

WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER STATE THEATRE BOOK AT TICKETMASTER 136 100 TICKETMASTER.COM.AU

THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 47

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live reviews

BASTILLE, TIGERTOWN Metro Theatre 14 Aug Tigertown gave a killer performance to a sold out crowd. With their catchy melodies and vocal magic, they had the crowd jumping and amped for the main act. This talented Aussie clan had the daunting duty of opening for Bastille, the UK foursome that is widely being acclaimed as the next Coldplay. Led by frontman Dan Smith, Bastille entered the stage amidst a blinding flash of lights chorused by a deafening roar from a sea of adoring

The guys played a mix of their own hits as well as some fun cover songs that really pumped up the crowd, including the 2001 hit from City High, What Would You Do? and the early ‘90s hit Rhythm Is A Dancer, with Smith announcing, “I am actually a really bad dancer, so if any of you could join in that would be really good, so I feel like less of a twat.” The standout performance of the night was the final track, Pompeii, a song that has easily been the band’s biggest hit to date. The entire crowd joined in with a chorus of “eh, eh, oh, eh, oh”s with Smith shooting a cheeky grin to keyboard player Kyle Simmons; it was clear that the guys were moved by how involved the audience were.

BASTILLE @ METRO THEATRE. PIC: JOSH GROOM

fans. With his gravity defying hairdo, flawless vocals, endless energy and rock star good looks, Smith had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand from start to finish. The singer jumped, played keyboards, drums and even made his way through the crowd, breaking a few hearts along the way, as screaming girls rushed to get close to him. Last night was the boys’ first ever gig in Australia, with a few members of the crowd even welcoming them to the stage with a round of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi!”s. Although it was their first gig down under, it was clear that their music has already made its mark, with the entire audience knowing every lyric to every song and happily singing along in unison.

obvious, particularly in Over The Hill and Be Fine. The latter features a distorted and aching guitar melody with a distinct ‘70s California feel. Shades of more modern bands such as My Morning Jacket and Broken Social Scene to name a few are spread throughout each track. Their sound is drenched in optimism and that overbearing happiness transferred to the crowd who happily bopped along with the Sydneysiders. Violent Soho gripped the crowd early as they belted out tracks from their soon to be released third album Hungry Ghost.

As the guys left the stage the audience chanted, “One more song, one more song,” but with a quick throw of a sweaty towel into the audience by drummer Chris ‘Woody’ Wood, the guys were gone and the show came to an end. Deborah Jackson

VIOLENT SOHO, BEARHUG

Brighton Up Bar 14 Aug Bearhug opened the night with their infectious sub pop tunes, reminiscent of the golden age of indie rock. A Dinosaur Jr influence is

Cameron Warner

BASTILLE @ METRO THEATRE. PIC: JOSH GROOM

of the crowd from getting too out of hand, and hair and shoulders were flying freely as Violent Soho exuded a more refined brand of grunge than their previous discography. Similar to, though much heavier than, London-based indie/psychedelic grunge rockers Splashh, a more mature emotive style is achieved, with patience and temperament embedded in the instrumental tracks, contrasting Luke Boerdam’s fraught, desperate vocals. Their sound is still distinctively ‘90s grunge, and in each tune the influences of Mudhoney, Smashing Pumpkins or Pixies is never too far away. Opener Dope Calypso was an intelligent mixture of thoughtfulness and

Leaving breakout tune Jesus Stole My Girlfriend out of the set list didn’t even dampen the mood of the appreciative audience who loved every minute, some travelling all the way from Canberra just to be there. The boys have strayed out of the garage – though not too far – and onto the main stage making for an exciting new sound and a live show bursting with energy.

Like at a grunge gig of old, security nervously tried to keep a boisterous front area

BASTILLE @ METRO THEATRE. PIC: JOSH GROOM

recklessness. The first single off the album In The Aisle is raw and reckless, classic Violent Soho intensity meshed with a new maturity that the band seems to have picked up. Boerdam’s vocals were a highlight, spitting despairing lyrics at an eager crowd.

GLASS TOWERS, SURES, JORDAN LESSER The Standard 16 Aug The relatively small crowd who turned up early to see Jordan Lesser were rewarded for their effort with the singer putting in a fine set of swirling songs. Lesser’s thoughtful and husky vocals seemed gentle over the driving piano, with the cello work adding depth to an intentionally minimalist set. A powerful performance from a name to watch. THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 49

live reviews Next up were SURES, who have definitely matured as performers in the past year. When they were first making a name for themselves, the young four-piece were a little up and down. However, this set was 30 minutes of straight pop-punk gems, with the band confidently running through their growing back catalogue. As always, Poseidon and new track, Waste, were standouts, with the band’s rubbery hooks ensuring the swiftly growing crowd were primed for the main act.

And by the time crowd favourite, Halcyon, closed out the set, it was clear there were some new kings of the local indie rock scene.

Last up were breakout kids Glass Towers, who took to the stage to the clamouring of a now sold-out crowd. Pretty impressive for a young band, with the lads in good form right from the get-go. The jangly guitar riffs washed over the crowd, while the underrated

Goodgod Small Club

Timothy Scarfe

THE STABS, THE HOLY SOUL, TREATMENT 17 Aug Four-piece Treatment did their best to entertain the few early attendees with their style of rollicking rock

GLASS TOWERS @ THE STANDARD. PIC: JOSH GROOM

rhythm section drove the songs along and set a platform for the excited crowd to dance to. In reality, the set was more of a party than a performance. The crowd embraced the band and took every opportunity to sing and dance along to each track, and Glass Towers loved every minute of it. Album tracks, The Best Of Friends and Tonight, got the dance floor moving early, and also induced one of the strangest instances of mass dance-stage-diving ever witnessed at The Standard. Stage antics aside, the strength of the set was noticeable. The sound hit the crowd hard and filled every corner of the largish venue; however the subtleties of the guitar work were also clearly evident. Come summer festival time, these guys will be heading a lot of bills. 50 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

drowned in effects or playing keep up with Worrad’s wiggling bass notes. There was only a slight feeling of a little something amiss with Wilson’s absence. It really was the double bill of dreams, with Melbourne’s always outstanding The Stabs headlining the show. It’d been a while since we’d seen the trio in town, and with the sizeable audience crowding around the front of the stage, an unwavering fervour seemed to flow between band and crowd. After locating a missing guitarist, the swampy noise sounds that have become synonymous with The Stabs reverberated through the venue. The songs were short, sharp and straight to the point. Six Foot Rodent was equal parts sinister and thrilling, with piercing guitar screeches giving way to the

GLASS TOWERS @ THE STANDARD. PIC: JOSH GROOM

played emphatically loud and with verve. Working hard to encourage the small crowd, the smattering of applause by set end suggested most were waiting for the two acts to follow. The Holy Soul continue to be one of the finest bands in Sydney; loud and aggressive, but equally melodic, they had the audience’s attention from start to end. Even with drummer Kate Wilson replaced for the night, the band managed to wind their way through songs with gusto, frontman Trent Marden cutting an authoritative figure as he brayed and yelled with taut enthusiasm. In between losing a guitar slide and rediscovering it, guitarist Jon Hunter, along with bassist Sam Worrad, rounded out the noise beautifully. Melody is inherent in what The Holy Soul do, and it was ever present in Hunter’s guitar riffs, whether

traditional songwriters may have seemed odd. Yet when faced with the reality of it few would have left muttering dissent after witnessing Urthboy’s opening set. With a live drummer, keyboards and the sublime voice of Jane Tyrrell accompanying him, Tim Levinson set about painting vivid imagery with thoughtprovoking lyricism backed by fine yet minimal musical accompaniment that owed as much to funk and soul as it did to hip hop. Levinson displayed humility and intellect as he sang/rapped about everything from immigration to neglect of the elderly and was warmly received by the arriving audience. Paul Kelly needs no introduction, yet his first task for the evening was to explain

PAUL KELLY @ CITY RECITAL HALL. PIC: CLARE HAWLEY

silence whilst they sang, ‘oh man, oh man, you’ve really done it this time.’ But it was the nihilistic No Hoper that incited hollers and headbanging in unison, as the song cautiously built from its low guitar riff into the screaming refrain. The night was proof once more that you just can’t go wrong with The Stabs and The Holy Soul on the same bill. Sevana Ohandjanian

PAUL KELLY, URTHBOY City Recital Hall 13 Aug To some the pairing of an Australian hip hop artist and one of this country’s finest

PAUL KELLY @ CIT PIC: CLARE

that his recent album Spring And Fall would open the show, played in full with no between song commentary from him. It is one of his finest records, and accordingly, it was given a warm and tender treatment by Kelly and band. Nephew Dan Kelly (guitars), Bree van Reyk (drums), J Walker (keys, guitar) and Zoe Hauptmann (bass) were all exceptional players and backing vocalists, perfectly matching the required sensitivity or intensity of the songs. Hearing Spring And Fall live brought its song cycle aspect even more into focus, its arc from the first flushes of new love to the bitter aftertaste inspiring moist eyes and the occasional flutter of laughter from the enthralled audience. With Spring And Fall completed we were treated to another 90 minutes of classic Paul Kelly that ran the gamut from the perennial

live reviews but never tired Bradman to the surging melodies of seminal songs such as Before Too Long, To Her Door, Sweet Guy, Deeper Water, Dumb Things, From St Kilda To Kings Cross and the beautiful From Little Things Big Things Grow (featuring vocals from Urthboy and band). It was a set that highlighted the extent to which Kelly has maintained such a consistently high quality of songwriting over his career. Aside from the faultless performance of his band, Kelly’s voice sounded better than ever as it channeled the folk singer, the sneering post punk and the country storyteller. In a venue that sounded sublime and with music bursting with cultural importance and memories, this was a very special performance. Chris Familton

TY RECITAL HALL. E HAWLEY

game antagonist/internet meme Slender Man.

Carroll were probably the more enjoyable act on the night.

Matt Stewart from five-piece outfit Hattie Carroll has beautiful, soul-tinged vocals brimming with emotion. The band were vibrant and groovy, a mix of Pearl Jam and a little bit of jazz. The addition of organ really bulked up the texture and although their set wasn’t seamless, their rocking cover of Eve’s Let Me Blow Ya Mind more than made up for it. Special mention goes to the gyrating bassist Matt Horgan whose rock star lunges stole the show.

Lorin Reid

After Hattie Carroll, headliners Brother Speed were more familiar, with almost more predictable grungy, distortion rock. The crowd

MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS @ METRO THEATRE PIC: PETER SHARP

BROTHER SPEED, HATTIE CARROLL, PARTICLES Spectrum 16 Aug As if the launch of Brother Speed’s first single Let Me Be wasn’t an exciting enough event in itself, it was also the psychedelic rockers’ first gig. Ever. Spectrum was fairly empty for the opening act Particle, though they deserved more of a crowd. From a bit of screamo to soft rock ballads, the four-piece band covered all bases, including a memorable track dedicated to the freaky

MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS, KIRIN J CALLINAN, FASCINATOR

Brother Speed will start killing the live scene with a few more singles and shows under their belt but supporters Hattie

Acknowledging the crowd of new and older fans that had been waiting for a new album for so long, the band treated them to some classics including Shadows, Road To Recovery from first album, Dystopia, which got everyone up and moving. More tracks from new album, Uncanny Valley, were well received for their first public outing, including

Metro Theatre 16 Aug

Psychedelic side project of Children Collide’s Johnny Mackay, Fascinator, was nothing short of eccentric as he took to the stage at The Metro. Dressed in what appeared to

MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS @ METRO THEATRE PIC: PETER SHARP

built to a reasonable number and moved in close for a dance as the quartet launched into an extended instrumental intro that epitomized them to a tee. Though his melodies were pretty standard, lead vocalist Darius Navidzadeh is equipped with a dominant and confident set of pipes. The single of the night, Let Me Be is a great upbeat song featuring a dissonant melodic line and great repeated guitar motif a little reminiscent of The Beatles. They offered up a brand new song written over the weekend that had a catchy cymbal-based beat that the audience enjoyed and the breakdown jam session that closed the set was hypnotic.

the venue, cheered as ethereal white lights welcomed Midnight Juggernauts to the stage, looking like hipster wizards with long flowing shirts, scruffy hair and huge grins at being back on stage for their latest tour. The gradually building instrumental intro from new track, Melodiya, started off the set, singer Vincent Vendetta captivating the crowd with his expressive moves and theatrical voice.

MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS @ METRO THEATRE PIC: PETER SHARP

be a glittery dressing gown, flanked by three stoic characters with tinsel covering their eyes and baseball caps with spooky eyeballs attached, Mackay pumped through his experimental electro numbers whilst the three sat in utter silence before jumping up to unleash their dance moves for the final track. In stark contrast, cool cat Kirin J Callinan, also flanked by two silent partners, this time dressed head to toe in black with matching headsets and sunglasses, looked quite the ‘80s new romantic in a long shirt and sunglasses, with dramatic movements to match. Callinan’s showmanship and booming voice reigned supreme as he rocked out through the dark, crashing sounds of Embracism, Come On USA and Stretch It Out. The mixed-ages crowd, disappointingly only half filling

Memorium and Deep Blue Lines, before a slightly drawn-out outfit change (“I feel like Lady Gaga!” said Vendetta) into old Russian military outfits, saw them return for new hit single, Ballad Of The War Machine. A few technical issues plagued the latter half of the set, but hit, Into The Galaxy, made everyone forget about that, until Vendetta missed his cue twice for finisher, Vital Signs, although nobody seemed to mind as he laughed it off. Another brief outfit change back to the original look for the encore and the Juggernauts finished off with bass-heavy new track, Streets Of Babylon, before classic, 45 and Rising, ended things with an epic drum crashing finish. Great to see the guys back in form and so excited to be back on stage. Helen Lear THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 51

arts reviews

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD Theatre

Sydney Theatre to 14 Sep Shakespeare’s Hamlet meets Beckett’s Waiting For Godot in Simon Phillip’s production of Tom Stoppard’s tragicomedy Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead. Stage and screen actor Toby Schmitz plays the tormented Guildenstern, spouting lengthy tonguetwisting discourse as he stalks the stage in a perpetual existential funk, while singersongwriter and comedian Tim Minchin is endearing as his requisite simpleminded counterpart, Rosencrantz. Both characters oscillate between philosophical musing and witty ripostes while striking comic poses in Gabriela Tylesova’s detailed leather costumes. With such an experienced cast there

of players. The exploits of one of the players, Alfred (George Kemp, in his debut performance for STC) successfully captures both amusement and sympathy throughout the show. Bethany Cannan

52 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

performance. Twomey is the only character that the audience can grasp onto and believe in some way, owing largely to Hayes’ charismatic performance.

Sam Hilton

STORM BOY

DELECTABLE SHELTER

FRIDAY

Seymour Centre (finished)

Old Fitzroy Theatre to 31 Aug

Delectable Shelter begins at the end of the world. Just as humanity enters its darkest hour, a wealthy family is bundled into a shelter deep below the surface of the earth. It will be their job to keep breeding, their descendants to repopulate the earth in 350 years’ time. The fact is, though, they were chosen for their wealth, not their intelligence. The family is joined by one of designers of shelter project, Tor ( Jolyon James). Tor is the strongest character, a buffoon in his own right but with more

Daniela Giorgi’s Friday tries for too much of a good thing. Everyone likes a good bit of political satire but it only sticks when it is sharp and focused. Giorgi never quite achieves such, rather creating a mess of indistinguishable white noise. Friday is overloaded with characters, each with their own point to make and each almost talking over each to make it. Everything gets lost as both the audience struggles to lock onto something and the actors struggle to make themselves noticed in the crowd.

Theatre

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD

are a number of impressive supporting roles. Ewen Leslie in particular is fantastic as The Player, while Heather Mitchell and John Gaden enthusiastically embrace the roles of Gertrude and Polonius respectively. The fast and often confusing dialogue will leave you in awe, especially of Schmitz and Leslie’s masterful deliveries and exceptional comedic timing. Noteworthy too is the imposing set design: vertigo inducing platform mechanics allow the stage to be raised to a sharp angle to form the bow of a ship, while bulky archways on either side of the stage provide entry and exit most frequently for the band

box that strikes a fine line of being ordinary and hellish at the same time by way of hideously bland wallpaper and matching furniture. The darkness of the play feels right at home in such a space.

sinister motivations than in the others. He sees himself as the designer of the postapocalyptic society and he will take any means to achieve them. As a satirical comedy, the play – written and directed by The Hayloft Project’s Benedict Hardie – doesn’t quite work. Despite a handful of moments that produce genuine laughter, it never really achieves a confident, comical stride. The satire of the privileged Western society’s mid crisis of confidence is well observed but never really cutting. The coup de grace of the production is the remarkable set by Claude Marcus. A single claustrophobic

Sam Hilton

Theatre

STC, Wharf One to 8 Sep

Theatre

Michael Scott-Mitchell’s set looks as though it could have washed up on stage – artful driftwood, a small wooden boat. The dunes of the Coorong, so crucial to the topos of Colin Thiele’s story, are wonderfully realised in a structure that looks part shack, part whale’s rib cage. The hybrid nature of the home works – a well-meaning but taciturn Hideaway Tom (Peter O’Brien) and his son Storm Boy (Rory Potter) practically live in the water the way the storm rolls in here (Damien Cooper’s lighting and Kingsley Reeve’s sound bringing the force of the gale). Trevor Jamieson’s Fingerbone Bill joins the fray

DELECTABLE SHELTER

At the heart of the play is Bill Twomey (Peter Hayes), the transport minister of a fictional province who has made and continues to make bad decisions. Twomey is surrounded by his chief of staff, the opposition leader, the woman who gives tours of parliament, the ghost of his long dead best friend, the cleaning lady and it goes on and on like this. While the noise is overwhelming, it is worth noting that director Julie Baz has done an admirable job in staging all those voices. The play moves seamlessly despite the number of characters entering, saying what they have to say, and exiting. Hayes offers the standout

as a wise fool, a protector of the animals in the neighbouring sanctuary; constantly cracking jokes, Jamieson’s balance between humour and humanity evident even in just his physical performance, where clowning skills are on display alongside traditional dance. When three orphaned pelicans enter their world (puppeteered with a real sense of life by Shaka Cook and Michael Smith) each man’s brooding existence is forced into flight. Mr Percival provides for them perspective on what it means to care for another, on our roles in the world, and on what it’s like to leave the nest. Dave Drayton

arts reviews

STORM BOY

ELYSIUM Film

In cinemas The latest dystopian sci-fi to hit our cinemas is District 9 director Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium, a film that continues his fixations with the disenfranchised and explosive CGI. Set in 2154 Los Angeles, Matt Damon plays Max Da Costa,

a factory worker trying to leave his dubious car-jacking past behind him. After a work accident sees him suffering a near fatal dose of radiation, his only means of averting death is finding a way to get from ravaged, overpopulated Earth to the much-coveted space station Elysium for treatment. The asylum seekers analogy reveals itself here, as Elysium is populated by the rich few and its air space is

ELYSIUM

fiercely guarded to prevent uninvited spacecrafts entering. Aesthetically, even though this future earth is a hellhole, it’s been beautifully shot, particularly the opening panoramas. In terms of performances, Damon’s softly spoken Max may be hard to swallow as an ex-con, but his physicality gets him over the line (once again). Jodie Foster’s performance as the Machiavellian Secretary

Delacourt is surprisingly wooden, but the supporting cast is great, with Wagner Moura’s charismatic Spider the standout. Elysium merges frenetic live action with special effects in a very taut, thrilling way. Not as emotionally charged as District 9, the film still succeeds in gripping the viewer firmly, in what is ultimately a fun, tension-filled ride. Glenn Waller

THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 53

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NEWS

THE NANCY WILSON NIGHTHAWK STANDARD Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson has long been a fan of one of Gibson’s more powerful “modern alternatives” and in recognition of the union of artist and instrument, Gibson USA has introduced the Nancy Wilson Nighthawk Standard, an elegant variation on a contemporary classic, featuring a figured Grade AAA maple top dressed in a high-gloss nitrocellulose Fireburst finish with Cherry back and neck, and a commemorative “Fanatic” truss-rod cover. The guitar retains all the distinctive ingredients that made the Nighthawk stand out initially, including the 25½” scale length for firm lows and chiming highs, the comfortable body contours, through-body stringing and unique Nighthawk bridge, and the superb versatility of the pairing of Nighthawk mini-humbucker and Nighthawk lead humbucker, with five-way switching for a range of humbucking and single-coil combinations.

YAMAHA LIVE CUSTOM KITS The Live Custom series of drum kits from Yamaha has been designed with a greater focus on their playability in the live context. The kit uses 1.2mm oak plies that are ten per cent thicker than those used on Yamaha’s Oak Custom drums. Bass drum shells are comprised of eightply designs while the rack tom, floor tom and snare shells are constructed with six. The Live Custom therefore delivers a sound with greater strength and depth, providing rich expressive power that the manufacturer hopes “exceeds your imagination”. 54 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

IN THE STUDIO: GOSSLING/OH MERCY Stepping out of their respective musical comfort zones, Helen Croome aka Gossling and Alexander Gow of Oh Mercy took on the challenge of recording in French for a remarkable Australian compilation album. They talk to Michael Smith about flying to Paris to film a music video.

ustralian label Inertia had the idea that it might be fun to invite some of Australia’s most interesting contemporary artists to reinterpret some of the most famous of French pop songs, in French. The opening and first song lifted from the album, Mélodie Française, as a single was La Minute De Silence, written by one Salvadore Poe and interpreted here by Helen Croome aka Gossling and Oh Mercy’s Alexander Gow. “The producer of the track was Pip Norman, though he goes under the name Countbounce,” Croome begins. “He’s a hip hop dude,” Gow adds, “so they’re allowed to have pseudonyms!” “So it was at his studio in Preston in Melbourne.” That’s Bounce County Studios, and Norman is a founding member of the electrohip hop outfit TZU. Recording with Logic Pro 9, his favourite piece of gear is his much-prized RCA Dx77 vintage ribbon mic. “It’s impossible to know where something is going to go,” Gow continues. “Helen and I had discussed a few options, but to be fair to Helen, I probably got a little overexcited and probably was working on a bit of a different level to Helen, and kind of went ahead and followed my whim, and luckily it turned out great, ‘cause if it didn’t… I would have been to blame,” he laughs. “I know Pip’s studio really well. We didn’t have a ton of time to do it. We did it all in, maybe, six hours or something

like that, from scratch. So his understanding of his studio and being able to make things happen really quickly… As I said, I was kind of going at a hundred miles an hour and he was able to keep up with that, so in that he was particularly useful, doing the analogue synth you can hear on the track, which is one of my favourite parts.” “When we recorded the song, I only had a basic understanding of the lyrics,” Croome admits. As it happens, those artists that felt they needed a little help in their performances in French had the opportunity to with French tutors both in the studio and via Skype. The bonus for Croome and Gow in being the first cab off the album was the opportunity to go to Paris to film the promotional video for their song, thanks to French web-based music streaming

“IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHERE SOMETHING IS GOING TO GO,” service, Deezer. Croome and Gow even launched the track in a performance at Deezer’s Paris office, while the production crew were given unprecedented permission to film in and around the legendary Moulin Rouge. The filmmakers based the black and white clip’s storyboard on old French films. “We probably did two ten-hour days, if not more, to film the clip. It was kind of a sightseeing adventure – you’re not going to send a couple of Australians to Paris and put them in a studio somewhere with green screen, so we got to walk around. I’d never been there before – Helen had once. We had some French camera people, but Lucy [Perrett], from the label, and her partner Jim [Yeomans] directed the clip.” Yeomans is a director at ampbox.tv, a London-based company, and specialises in fly on the wall, on the move footage. Shooting on the road for Kasabian, he has mastered the art. Due to the limited time available in Paris and the desire to shoot in as many locations as possible, he shot with two Canon 5Ds – one with shoulder rig – and a Canon 7D with a monopod and a bag of lenses. “There was a crew of four,” he explains. “We knew certain locations we wanted but also knew we would see stuff on the fly, so being able to run around town and not get tired was important. It was a case of walking, cabs and trains.” “It isn’t hard work,” Croome chuckles, “spending four days walking around Paris pretending that you like someone!” Mélodie Française is released by Inertia 16 Aug.

muso

STUDIO CREDITS ENGINEER: Brendan Williams & Phil Bulleyment

ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING: Andrew Proudfoot & Rob Kelledy

PRODUCER: Brendan Williams

RECORDING STUDIOS: Giant Wafer, Wales; Edwin Street Recording Studio, Bury, UK; Dutch Uncles Rehearsal/Recording Space, Manchester

ARTWORK: Dr Me

IN THE STUDIO: DUTCH UNCLES Prog pop five-piece Dutch Uncles headed into deepest, darkest Wales to record their latest album. Michael Smith investigates.

euniting with producer Brendan Williams, who worked with them on their previous album, 2011’s Cadenza, Dutch Uncles headed to fully residential recording studio, Giant Wafer in mid-Wales, late last year to record their next album, Out Of Touch In The Wild. “Brendan was involved in the writing process as well,” bass player and the band’s principal composer, Robin Richards explains. “It was good having that sixth ear that we trusted. I tend to write music first on piano or on a guitar and then print it out as sheet music, so there’s a form of a song before we’ve even played it and I suppose that’s quite an unusual way to work, but then as a group we sort of mould it into the song that it can be. Not everything was finished when we went in to record, but we had a direction and it was more a case of filling in the gaps when we got there, I think.” Giant Wafer is based around a Speck Electronics Lilo 24-channel console going into ProTools HD, with the recording chain flowing through 24 channels of classic Neve and API preamps complementing the studio’s collection of industry standard microphones. For the analogue purists they have a beautiful fully refurbished 3M M23 1” eighttrack tape machine built in 1966. “We used the studio as more of another instrument. With Cadenza, the recording process was so fragmented; this time we knew the time that we had allocated there and we researched the studio that we thought had all the right instruments and if not, then we rented. There’s lots of studio composition, lots of times where we sat around and just broke things apart and put things back together again, and just used what was there and so in that sense, the

56 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

studio has a kind of character on the record. It wasn’t so much consolebased – we weren’t doing any mixing there or anything. It was mainly kind of DAW-based and everything was kind of ‘done in the box’ until we were there. They just had a lot of great preamps – API and Neve stuff – and great stuff for vocals as well, like Pultec EQs and really good compression stuff. So there wasn’t that much done on the desk – the desk was more just for monitoring really. It was more the environment of the control room that allowed us to all fit in there and contribute when we were working. The instrumentation dictated the way it was going to go. Whatever felt natural for each piece, whether it be a marimba and a vibraphone, or strings or more synths, we’d just place that in and then

“WE HAD A DIRECTION AND IT WAS MORE A CASE OF FILLING IN THE GAPS WHEN WE GOT THERE.” worked around that. We knew from the start we wanted to have strings, tuned percussion. That instantly gave it more of a distinct sound than the previous album had. We did about 90 per cent of the music and about 50 or 60 per cent of the vocals there, all the important bits that needed a bit of ambience. We had two good rooms in there, one that was a bit lively and one that was completely dead. But it did take us another five months after leaving the studio to finish the rest of the album.” The rest of the recording period was spent in their own recording/ rehearsal studio in Manchester with the final mixing and mastering done at Edwin Street Recording Studio, which is run by Phil Bulleyment, who co-produced, mixed and mastered the album. “He’s basically mixed everything that we’ve ever done,” Richards points out. The high spec recording studio, which also features a production suite for postproduction and learning, includes a Toft ATB24 24 Channel console, and industry standard ProTools 9 MOTU 24 i/o Core System. “He’s also our live engineer as well – it’s pretty good to have the guy who mixed the album mixing our live sound as well, getting it as close as possible to the studio sound.” Reproducing those sounds live, Dutch Uncles are sampling some parts of the album using an Akai MPC1000 Sampling Production Station, as well as an electric marimba from the US, a MalletKat from Alternate Mode – “a really fancy MIDI controller” as Richards describes it, “but it’s quite aesthetically pleasing as well.” Out Of Touch In The Wild by Dutch Uncles is out now through Memphis Industries/Breakaway Recordings.

THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 57

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COLE CLARK ANGEL GUITAR

The “Angel” is the company’s latest addition, with a piezo pickup on the bridge, a face sensor and a mic inside the pre-amp box, which gives the option of all three or any one in combination. The Angel is full-scale length – with a smaller and more compact body than their Fat Lady range. Solid bunya wood is used for the soundboard, while the neck is Queensland maple.

There are three new “Mini” versions of the iconic Dunlop Fuzz Face available that all contain the original circuitry from those classic pedals, but in a much smaller format to fit comfortably on your pedal board. I had a chance to check out the bright, bold, aggressive tones of the little blue version, which is based on the original circuitry of a prized 1970 Fuzz Face fitted with silicon BC108 transistors. As always the simple two-knob format is perfect for instantly dialling in a killer tone, and a diverse array of sounds are achieved by plugging in different guitars with different pickups and manipulating your volume knob and pick attack. New features include reversed ins and outs, a bright blue LED, AC power jack and convenient new 9V battery door, making this design much friendlier to use alongside other on-stage pedals.

Steve Flack

Reza Nasseri

The Cole Clark story, in a nutshell, is that Cole and Clark, who met working at Maton, together had a vision of a different design style, one of a steel string guitar that has the integral neck and Spanish heel of a nylon string guitar but amplifying these guitars with multiple pickups in various places on the body rather than just on the bridge or in the sound hole of the guitar.

GREG BENNETT GD ACOUSTIC GUITARS

58 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

DUNLOP SILICON FUZZ FACE MINI DISTORTION

MXR SUPER BADASS DISTORTION

Greg Bennett is the man responsible for pouring quality back into what was once a “budget” brand, putting more thought into design and sourcing quality materials from around the world while still keeping costs low for the working man. His new GD series of acoustics retains the same philosophy and provides acoustic musicians with incredible value for money across the whole range. The Greg Bennett GD acoustics all feature a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, multi-ply bindings, die-cast tuners and their own ‘Thunderflex’ bracing system, which was designed to give the guitars a richer, louder sound. At the top of the range, the GD 100-S has a beautifully balanced voice that’s nice and even, with a crisp zing when chords are strummed out, and a delicate brilliance for fingerstyle playing.

The new MXR Super Badass Distortion is easily one of the most versatile distortion pedals out at the moment. What happens if you have found the perfect amp that sounds amazing clean but gets muddy when you crank the drive or switch channels? Or what if your amp sounds amazing when it’s distorted but terrible when clean? Do you need two separate rigs to achieve tonal perfection? Hell no! Throw your stack in the bin, get a killer little combo amp and throw a Super Badass in front of it. This pedal is a 100% full-spectrum analogue distortion that goes from a mild breakup to allout liquid saturation, with a beautifully notched three-band EQ to shape your tone. A word of warning though – there’s a lot of output with this pedal, so it can make a combo sound a lot bigger than it looks.

Reza Nasseri

MADCDs cos Cos we g ive a sh it

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classies EMPLOYMENT

LEGAL / ACCOUNTING

ADMINISTRATION

WOOHOO IT’S TAX TIME!

2nd guitarist to complete lineup For Sydney metal band BLACK TRILLIUM. Gigs booked. Influences are doom/death/gothic/black metal. find us on facebook and listen to the ep on bandcamp then show us your riffs! Send all questions and enquires to blacktrilliumband@gmail.com

iFlogID: 22749

PHOTOGRAPHY MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER

All levels and most styles including: Fingerstyle guitar, open tunings, slide guitar, flat picking, improvisation, rock, country, blues guitar (acoustic and electric), folk, celtic styles, music theory, arranging, ear training, singing, bluegrass and folk style banjo and mandolin. www.acousticfingerpicking.com PHONE JOHN: 0431953178

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BANJO TUITION

POSTERS

Up-Picking (Pete Seeger Style) and 3 Finger Picking (Scruggs Style). tel. John 0431953178

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FILM PRODUCTION Music Clips, Live Performances, Promos, Showreels. Let us help you to promote your work or shoot your next gig. $50 per hour for filming and editing. For DVD and online delivery. We also do websites and blogs. A Edit Website Design Film or Make-up www.aeditwebsitedesignfilmor make-up.com.au wendynhislop@bigpond.com Phone: 0421 302 045

Detax will maximise your tax refund or minimise your tax liability by applying years of Entertainment & Arts industry tax knowledge. Individual Tax Returns from only $99. www.detax.com.au

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GUITARIST WANTED!! Drummer looking to form rock band,- infl Iron maid, AC/DC, Diamond head,RATM, etc... if interested pls call or txt Dave on 0415225250.

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EDUCATION & TRAINING MUSIC AND SOUND PRODUCTION STUDY WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND STATE OF ART RECORDING STUDIO ACCESS. ENQUIRE NOW FOR 2014 CERT IV INTAKE. creativeartsnorth@tastafe.tas.edu.au

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FOR SALE

FULL COLOUR BAND POSTERS

OTHER

THE SQUARE (Live Music Venue) wishes to run more nights per week at our Sydney Central Venue. So if you can stop whingeing long enough about there being “No Venues Anymore” and want to promote a night or just get your band on the bill, Contact us ASAP: jacksongigs@gmail. com www.facebook.com/thesquaresydney

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SOCIAL MEDIA SERVICES iFlogID: 22893

RECORDING STUDIO FOR SALE Recording Facility for Sale.. $50K gear, $20K fittings, $10K Website + Facebook, $20K goodwill – all for $52K.. urgent sale.. Long lease, several recording rooms, 2 control rooms, immediate income. This is a professional facility, not a project studio, which would ideally suit a person or team interested in creating serious professional recordings suitable for commercial release, take over for less than 1 years turnover ALL GEAR INCLUDED.. call 02 9153-9988

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MUSIC SERVICES DUPLICATION/MASTERING CD / DVD DUPLICATION Short run Duplication. Artwork layouts. Audio/Video Editing, Format Transfers. Call Brett at SoundEdit Services 0418 232 797.

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CREATIVE GUITAR TUITION

ATTENTION BANDS AND PROMOTERS

100 A4 Gloss only = $40 100 A3 / SRA3 Gloss only = $80 250 SRA3 Gloss only = $150 100 A3 Matt only = $50 MANY more options www.blackstar.com.au call 9264 4776 BlackStar Design 104 Bathurst Street Sydney

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Interested in Facebook Likes, YouTube Views, Twitter Followers Visit: http://fatcatmedia.webs.com email: kobecorman@hotmail.com

BUSINESSES

AAA EXPERT GUITAR TUITION

BEST PRICE IN SYDNEY Perfect For Posters, Album Covers, Flyers. Pro Gear, Pro Lighting With a Profesional Attitude. Live, Studio or Location. For More Info Call Gus: 0415617346 guspo1@netspace.net.au www.gusmunozphotography.com

BOOKER WANTED for Original New Music Venue in the heart of Sydney. Some Experience, Strong Industry Ties and Extensive Contact List is essential. Also need skills to Co-Ordinate Publicity and Advertising. Please Email Expressions of Interest to: newmusicclubsydney@gmail.com

TUITION

PA / AUDIO / ENGINEERING

RECORDING STUDIOS PRODUCER/ENGINEER - SEAN CAREY

Petersham/ Sydney. Real guitar for committed students in a fully equipped music studio. Learn Jazz, Rock, Blues, Contemporary , Funk, Latin , Gypsy, Folk, Country and other popular styles. Learn at a pace and in a direction you want to go. Beginners to advanced, all aspects of guitar are supported. Comprehensive digital recording available. Special introductory offer and gift vouchers. Contact Craig Corcoran: 0430344334 creative-guitar@hotmail.com www. creativeguitar.com.au

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PA HIRE SYDNEY - ALL TOP GEAR

16 chan A&H Mixwizard DR4800 4 x 15” + horn monitors on 4 sends (2400w) 2 x dbl 15” + horn full range cabs (2600w) 2 x 18” front loaded subs (1200w) FX: LexIcon PCM80, TC M1 Comps: DBX 160x x 2, Drawmer DL241 EQs: DBX2231s Mics: SM57s, 58s, Beta58 wireless, Beta52s, Rode NT5s, AT AE6100s, AT AE5400 vox condenser Tama mic stands Radial DI’s Amps: Quest QA3004s, QSC PLX1804s 12 x Chauvet par 64 LED can light show Light Emotion DMX controller Side of stage stereo mix Very experienced easy going and reliable operator Chris 0431 017 035 From $400 Sydney metro

iFlogID: 22819

GUITAR TUITION Guitar Tuition by qualified experienced teacher B MUS Hons Dip Ed, teaching contemporary guitar, theory, technique, improvisation, HSC preparation. Limited places available. Inner West, in your own home or my studio 0405 627 330

iFlogID: 21045

LEARN HOW TO SING Get the most out of your songs! Work with Producer/Engineer Sean Carey (ex Thirsty Merc guitarist) a multi-platinum ARIA selling artist with 10+ years recording experience. Work in a postive, creative atmosphere in a classic recording studio - Trackdown Studios at Camperdown. A blend of the best new gear and vintage mics, amps and guitars and Piano for a perfect sound. Sean can Produce, arrange, record, mix and perform on your songs and help you get them to the right places. Very competitive rate. info@seancarey.com.au, 0424923888. www.seancarey.com.au

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SOUND GUY WANTED

PROFESSIONAL VOCAL COACHING Private lessons from a qualiﬁed and experienced singing teacher that start as simple as discovering your vocal range, style and abilities right up to developing professional live performance skills and healthy vocal practices. HURRY! Limited spots available! Call Christina on 0466 832 587 for more information.

EXPERIENCE AND GOOD ATTITUDE FOR WEEKEND WORK IN CITY AND/OR NORTHERN BEACHES. EMAIL BRIEF C.V TO - jacksongigs@ gmail.com

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REHEARSAL ROOMS REHEARSAL STUDIOS IN PENRITH 3 large rooms, pa, monitors, flat load, open 7 days Ph 0247225055

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Are you interested in learning how to sing? Becoming the next x factor winner, or just singing for the pure love of it? Well its now your time to shine. How do I do this you may ask? Just pick up the phone and book your lesson with me... I am Hayley Milano, I have been performing professionally and teaching for over 10 years. I have toured Australia and have a lot of contacts in the industry from people to gigs to inside the studio. I enjoy nothing more then sharing my love and passion for singing with others. I’m looking for dedicate hard working students who are committed to reaching there goals and want to grow in the music industry. I have students ranging from 8 years old to 65 years. Its is very important for me to have a connection with my student so I can unlock the performer within..0422963373

iFlogID: 22210

MITCH FARMER DRUM TUITION

Professional all round live/session drummer 30 years experience in the music industry. Covering all styles and topics, teaching from my home studio. Please call Mitch on 0418267827 for rates and times available.

iFlogID: 22795

VOCAL TUITION Do you have pitch problems? Are you experiencing damage due to incorrect support, placement and breathing? Phone John for some quick and easy remedial attention tel. 0431953178

iFlogID: 22764

60 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

classies WWW.KALEIDOSCOPETUITION.COM.AU Learn to play the kaleidoscope way unique colour coded method made simple download your books and stickers and you will learn in no time www.kaleidoscopetuition.com.au have heaps of fun as well.

free e-copy of my book ‘On Becoming a Singer. A Guide To How’ email me on sostrow@bigpond.net.au. Lessons include the entire scope of singing...voice production, musicianship, interpretation, performance skills etc. I look forward to hearing from you.

iFlogID: 22903

iFlogID: 21907

PIANO LESSONS

Inner Sydney. www.donhopkinsmusic.com Blues & Roots, Rock & Pop. Learn piano from a professional musician & piano teacher with more than 25 years experience. Individual sessions designed around your musical requirements. Techniques and impro for BLUES, JAZZ, SOUL, FOLK, COUNTRY, ROCK & POP... Don came 2nd place at the International Blues Challenge in 2012, Memphis. Performers and songwriters get your songs to the next level. Sheet music provided. Recordings can be made. Beginners to advanced. 0425 201 870 donhopkins@me.com

iFlogID: 22696

SINGING LESSONS

VIDEO / PRODUCTION

GUITARIST/SINGER FOR ROCK TRIO Sydney based 3 piece covers show require a new guitarist/singer. Must be proficient in lead and backing vocals as well as being able to cut a wide variety of tunes on guitar. We are agency backed and offer some great work to the right person. If you believe you can fill this gap, give me a call and let`s go.

iFlogID: 22846

PUNK GUITARIST/ SINGER WANTED

Everyone Needs a Music video, and with our 50m/sq. Green Screen Cyc, full Lighting setup and Editing Suite, we are capable of producing High Quality Videos at Competitive Rates. Like and Share us on Facebook for a 5% Discount. Bronze Package From $1500 Silver Package - From $2750 Gold Package - From $5000 0488-802-828 www.greenkeystudio.com

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ONE TWO THREE FOUR!!!! Old punks never die, they just form new bands. Guitarist/singer wanted to join bass and drummer,byo songs, rehearses inner Sydney. Ph: Mark Headcase - 9982 7428 (after 5pm) Rick Vomit in your cereal - 0409 225 489 (before 5pm)

DRUMMER DRUMMER NEEDED. Drummer needed for a metal based band in Sydney. Influences: Sepultura, FNM, Melvins, Ghost, Neurosis, Black Sabbath, Killing Joke, Wolfs in the throne room, Burning Witch, Slayer, et cetera. Some challenging material included. Mark 0416 551 339

Thrash metal / heavy metal band Black Reign require a lead guitarist. Rehearse in Wollongong. www.blackreignmetal.com. 0418 291 465.

PRODUCTION

iFlogID: 22285

Bass player needed for black keys style band. About to shoot film clip. PR campaign starting. Already getting radio play nationally. Central coast area preferred. Just finished successful tour wanting to tour again. Contact kurt: newregulars@live.com

Full colour posters done same day. Visit www.blackstar. com.au and check out our prices.

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LIVE SOUND COURSE, 2 DAYS

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DRUMMER

SINGER

DRUMMER FOR ROCK COVERS BAND Mature drummer wanted 30+, Cover Led Zep, Deep Purple, RJD, Thin Lizzy, ACDC, Queen, GNR, 70’s thru to current Rock songs. Rehearsals in Marrickville. Not working atm. Bassist, Guitarist and singer been working together for 14 months. Doing this for fun, Look to doing the odd gig, 1 or 2 a month. For audition call Phil: 0405381936

iFlogID: 22882

DRUMMER NEEDED

Think nirvana, pixies,kings of Leon* 1st three albums ONLY , walkman,These are the drummers I love but fuck knows what I/we sound like. https://www.facebook.com/theDistants#

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DRUMMER WANTED All styles both acoustic and electric from Blind Willie Johnson and Son House to Eric Clapton and Duane Allman. tel. John 0431953178

DRUMMER WANTED for original, Sydney based folk punk band. Songs written. Influences: Redgum, Dropkick Murphys, Billy Bragg, The Pogues, The Bushwackers, The Dubliners. 0400467043

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TEACHER TO THE STARS!

AUDIO PRODUCTION COURSE, $660

Run over 6 weekends this is a course for people who want to know how to use their home recording setup or how to use our mix rooms to mix their band’s recording once they have put down the tracks. The course is software neutral; we teach the concepts of recording and the students then apply this knowledge to the software of their choice. 02 9550 3977

BASS PLAYER

SLIDE GUITAR TUITION

TUITION

iFlogID: 22722

BASS PLAYER NEEDED

iFlogID: 22790

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EVERY BAND NEEDS A STAR

MUSICIANS WANTED

Singing lessons in a positive environment with a highly experienced and professional singer/songwriter. Lessons tailored to suit individual needs. Also beginners guitar. www. realvoice.net.au for more details. Inner West, Rosanna 0431 157 622.

Full Colour Posters 100 A4 Gloss only = $40 100 A3 / SRA3 Gloss only = $80 250 SRA3 Gloss only = $150 100 A3 Matt only = $50 MANY more options www.blackstar. com.au call 9264 4776 BLACKSTAR DESIGN 104 Bathurst Street Sydney

iFlogID: 22865

iFlogID: 22834

MUSICIANS AVAILABLE

BAND POSTERS

DRUMMER WANTED Sydney band “Jefferson” are looking for a professional drummer to complete their line up. Signed to USA label, management in Aus and USA, new album released, currently touring Aus. www.thejeffersonband.com jake@thejeffersonband.com

LEAD VOCALIST WANTED Sydney based progressive rock band looking for male lead vocalist. We are looking for a professional, creative and motivated individual who has a strong voice, is a dynamic melody-writer and connects well with the music. To hear current demos: www.reverbnation.com/borahorza Email us: borahorzaband@hotmail.com Feel free to call- Tom: 0411288190 Rich: 0414997996

iFlogID: 22905

SINGER WANTED FOR ROCK COVERS Mature singer wanted 30+, to join Rock Covers Band, Led Zep, Deep Purple, RJD, Lizzy, ACDC, Queen, GNR, 70’s thru current Rock songs. Rehearsals in Marrickville. Not working atm. Bassist, Guitarist and Drummer been together for 14 months. Doing this for fun. 1 or 2 gigs a month. For audition email Louie: riff@hotmail.com.au

iFlogID: 22880

SERVICES

A comprehensive 2 day course that covers basic audio principles, the progression of technology, common audio components, terninology, signal flow, soldering 101, microphone and speaker placement, EQing and more. Handty reference booklet supplied. Optional third days training at a live music venue available. www.zenstudios.com.au 02-9950-3977

iFlogID: 22279

TUITION BASS, GUITAR, DRUMS

GRAPHIC DESIGN

iFlogID: 22889

GUITARIST Get that great gig by learning how to sing. Learn to harmonize and take the occasional lead with voice lessons from Rosanna Mendez. Mic technique, harmonies, voice technique, theory etc. More at www. realvoice.net.au. Inner West. 0431 157 622.

iFlogID: 22792 Steve Ostrow, New York voice teacher and vocal coach who discovered and nurtured the careers of Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Peter Allen, Stevie Wonder and countless others now Sydney City based and welcoming students on all levels; beginners, advanced and performers; Rock, Pop, Classical etc. For availability call on 0408461868. For a

GUITARIST TO START BAND Guitarist or bass player to start writing music with. indie, alternative Eastern Suburbs

Advertise your gigs the right way! Get professional and creative posters that people will remember. email: nreece.design@gmail.com

iFlogID: 22843

iFlogID: 22787

The School of Rock offers tuition in singing, bass guitar, electric guitar, drums and song writing techniques. Our instructors have years of experience showing young musicians how to play and take that talent onto the stage. For more information visit our website at www.schoolofrockinnerwest.com.au or www.zenstudios.com.au. Ph: 9550 3977

iFlogID: 22281

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the guide lifestyle

eat

culture Answered By: Lyall Moloney How long have you been performing? Since I was 16. I also have been through Europe twice singing tenor in a tux laden choir – I think that helped develop a strong harmonic layering technique which I now incorporate into vocal looping. Would you rather be a busted broke-butrevered Hank Williams f igure or some kind of Metallica monster? Metallica’s Some Kind Of Monster was a sad exhibition of backward values; they’re pathetic teenagers really. But if you got your heart sorted you can keep yourself grounded.

travel

What part do you think Sydney plays in the music you make? A huge part. I kill the warehouse and underground scene in Sydney – it’s a huge part of what is great about Sydney.

sport

Is your music responsible for more makeouts or break-ups? Sweaty sexy dub beats, tongue-in-cheek dirty talk, half-naked hairy men, a gorgeous Columbian drummer girl – whether it was intentional or not these tunes are goin’ to get very brother laid. What’s in the pipeline for you musically in the short term? I’ll be in the studio producing the new Bootleg Rascal single, and I’ll also be playing at The Standard on Friday night with Bootleg Rascal. Then I have an EP release tour over the end of the year. A couple of hip hop EPs I have produced should be floating about soon also, and I’m looking at having a new EP ready for the new year. Website link for more info? lyallmoloney.com

LYALL MOLONEY

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FRONTLASH

LIVE THIS WEEK

FEEDBACK

Thanks to everyone for the great feedback and constructive criticism about the new look mags. Every little bit helps us make an even better mag.

AUSSIE INDIE CHART ATTACK Rüfüs and Dead Letter Circus take the top two slots on the ARIA album charts, with Cloud Control coming in at #9.

COMMUNITY CUP Back in Sydney this weekend. Go you Sailors.

BACKLASH

BASTARD SWAMP DOGS

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Melbourne surf/rockabilly ‘60s revivalists La Bastard will be joining Juke Baritone and the Swamp Dogs this week. Friday night, they stop in at the Front Gallery & Café in Canberra before heading over to Sydney on Saturday at the Vanguard.

The Trouble With Templeton are heading to Goodgod this Friday. Sydney indie-rockers Battleships will be getting on board before they jump on tour with Boy & Bear.

HIP HOP ALLIANCE

HARDCORE FEELING

This Saturday at the Annandale, an assortment of hip-hop artists from all over Australia will be getting together for the Alliance Tour. The lineup includes Maundz, Fluent Form, Dialect & Despair, One Sixth and Mikoen.

The reformed Fattura Della Morte are back with their original lineup and a new LP. As such, they’ll be joining hardcore outfit Civil War, Hostile Objects, Mood Swing, and Sumeru this Saturday at the Gladstone Feeling.

GIANT APES

DIY OR DIE

Continuing on from their success during the year past, Perth’s Stillwater Giants are joining Stonefield and Apes both Friday at the Small Ballroom in Newcastle and Saturday at the Oxford Art Factory.

DIY underground collective Lioness are venturing out from their usual choice of venue and making a brief trip to the overground in Goodgod’s Danceteria this Friday. Australia’s own Inkswell will be joined by Recloose.

CASS & BLUES

BLACK, BLUE & BALD

Johnny Cass became a good pal to Mr. Black & Blues after meeting in the former artist’s hometown of Melbourne. The pair will be reuniting for a double launch at Rock Lily on Thursday and the Old Manly Boatshed on Friday.

Delta blues/Southern rock outfit Wiseman’s Circus are heading out on a tour to support their newly released EP, which kicks off this Friday at the Bald Faced Stag with The Letter Tellers, Sugar Sun, Little Big Wolf and Jetson Manic.

NEGATIVE ELECTION CAMPAIGNING

After the first week of “vote for us” campaigns, last week saw the emergence of “don’t vote for the others” campaigns in all their narky glory.

#F**K CENSORSHIP The Preatures’ Isabella Manfredi apparently has t-shirt censored in image that went out with the news of her win in the Vanda & Young songwriting competition. Apparently we can’t diss Tony Abbott now.

KISS Is there anything this band won’t put their name to? Latest instalment is an Arena Football League team inAmerica.

THIS WEEK’S RELEASES… CROCODILES Crimes Of Passion Permanent/Shock FRANZ FERDINAND Right Thoughts Right Word Right Action Domino/EMI AVENGED SEVENFOLD Hail To The King Warner ZOLA JESUS Versions Sacred Bones/Inertia

64 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

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LIVE THIS WEEK

WATERWORKS

MAPEL SYRUP

The Blackwater Fever are back on the road again to support the release of their second single Won’t Cry Over You. Friday sees the grimey rock ‘n’ rollers stop in at Spectrum before heading over to the Lass O’Gowrie in Newcastle on Saturday.

The AU Review has just turned five years old. To celebrate this milestone, indie-pop trio Cogel will be joining former Dead Letter Circus member Mapels, The Guppies and Messrs at the Oxford Art Factory on Thursday.

EP FOCUS

THE WISEMANS CIRCUS Answered by: Ben Chakravorty

PROCRASTINATION TECHNIQUES JASMINE RAE When things aren’t working what do you do to avoid recording? I use a few different techniques, but mostly I’ll go out to eat, drink or shop. I usually hate shopping for clothes, but when it’s in another country, it seems much more fun. Jasmine Rae’s new album If I Want To is out now.

Sun-soaked Sydney four-piece The Mountains are heading back to the Bedlam Bar in Glebe for the second time this month on Thursday. The Australiana outfit are in the midst of touring in support of their debut EP.

AMY FINDLAY FROM STONEFIELD

Triple j’s house party is making a foray from the airways to the club scene with Nina Las Vegas, Flight Facilities and Wave Racer. The Sydney leg of the tour spans over an entire Saturday at the Metro.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have a new album on the cards. This Thursday, they’re launching the single 30 Past Seven and previewing the album at Goodgod.

Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? Throughout my life I have listened to great blues guitar players from the Mississippi Delta; I guess you automatically get influenced by them and it starts to flow out in your own playing and compositions.

We’ll like this EP if we like... Soul-searching lyrics, fuzzed-up slide guitar techniques, ‘60s style Hammond organ playing, and dirty-delta New Orleans style heavy blues sound.

RIDER MUST HAVE LIZARD KING

How many releases do you have now? Magic Mama (single), Talking To Me (single), Blackhound EP.

What’s your favourite song on it? Being heavily influenced by Duane Allman, from The Allman Brothers, it has to be Magic Mama that I would pick.

MOUNTAIN MEN

IN FLIGHT

EP title: Blackhound

What’s the first item on your rider for this tour? Maltesers.

When and where is your launch/next gig? EP launch, 23 Aug, Bald Faced Stag. 20 Sep and 11 Oct, Abattoir Blues Cafe. 4 Oct, Lazy Bones Lounge. Website link for more info? facebook.com/...WisemansCircus/198216936934566

Stonefield are touring. Check The Guide for dates.

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SINGLE FOCUS

LIVE THIS WEEK

FUN MACHINE Answered by: Chris Endrey Single title: Naked Body What’s the song about? Ignoring everybody and getting happy by being naked. Often. How long did it take to write/record? Twenty seconds to get the yelly idea and then a couple months to fine tune the roaring stuff. Is this track from a forthcoming release/existing release? Yes! We like albums, so we made one. It’s aptly named Bodies On and will be out this summer.

FAVOURITE CITY JEREMY KELSHAW FROM CLOUD CONTROL What’s your favourite city to tour and why? Amsterdam and NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU THINK, haha. But my favourite venue in the world, The Paradiso is there. The Dutch love us, too. Cloud Control touring now. Check The Guide for dates.

What was inspiring you during the song’s writing and recording? I’d just walked through a shit-eating shopping centre and seen a million ads telling women to look all weird. My work pants also had a massive hole showing off my undies, which can’t be discounted. 30 Aug at World Bar

We’ll like this song if we like... A good mandarin. Bare skin in the sun. Voyeurism. Do you play it differently live? Sure. Way more percussion jamming, way less Formula One car samples. Also we have a thrusting dance to go with it. Obviously. When and where is your launch/next gig? 30 Aug at World Bar Website link for more info? funmachineband.tumblr.com

FIRST ALBUM Harry Angus: Michael Jackson, Dangerous. On cassette. I was a late bloomer. Felix Riebl: The first one I can remember was Michael Jackson Bad, and Money For Nothing by Dire Straits. The Cat Empire touring nationaly from September check The Guide for dates

HUNGRY, HUNGARY KIDS Brisbane’s Hungry Kids Of Hungary have been subjected to a year of constant touring. This Friday, they’re at the Oxford Art Factory before heading to Newcastle on Saturday to perform at the Small Ballroom.

PEDAL POWER

DANDY UNION

One-man pedal band Lyall Moloney has been road-testing material from his forthcoming EP The Architect over the last month-and-a-bit. This Friday, he’ll be putting an end to the tour. You can catch the final hurrah at The Standard.

The Immigrant Union have just released a new single and will be supporting its release this Thursday at Frankie’s Pizza, Friday at the Lass in Newcastle and finally the Union Hotel in Newtown.

ONE COLOURED FESTIVAL

HERDING IN

Putting a unique twist on Australian blues and jazz fusion, the JHD Revival Band are down at The Vanguard this Friday. The Blues Explosion is happening with Lil’Fi and Ali Penney & The Money Makers along for the ride to raise your spirits.

The Herd will be at the Beach Road Hotel this Wednesday. The eight strong collective will be numbered up by support from SOSUEME DJ’s, and fleshed out by a solid lineup from artists Dutch, Tai Daniels, Devola, and Bernie Dingo.

SODA SALAD

OBEY THE GRAVE

Songwriter and fingerpicker Tom West wrote his first song at the age of fifteen after his high school sweetheart gave him the flick. He’ll showcase his heartache on Wednesday as he performs at the Soda Factory.

Thursday at Hot Damn, Encounters will be performing alongside Canadian metalcore heavyweights Obey The Brave. The following day, Obey The Brave are in Sutherland at Studio Six.

GHOST MANTRA

POLICE

With the support of Grey Ghost and Mantra, acclaimed Aussie hip-hop artist Seth Sentry is heading to Waves in Wollongong this Saturday to continue his hefty 27-date single launch for his recently released single Vacation.

Old school rockers Dragon will be celebrating the catalogue of The Police in a small handful of special shows. Dragon will perform both music from their own back catalogue as well as favourites from The Police this Saturday at the Basement.

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LIVE THIS WEEK FACE OFF

CLOSURE IN MARLOW

Kinsky released their debut album Sunset On The Good Fight a couple of months ago. Following its release, the duo have been supporting the album at various venues around the country, which they’ll continue to do on Wednesday at The Vanguard.

Following their new EP, Marlow (who have previously toured with the likes of Closure In Moscow and Sleepmakeswaves) are in the midst of a lengthy string of launch shows. This Friday, the band will be taking the launch to the Basement in Canberra.

PERSONAL BEST RECORDS

INTERIOR DECORATION STEWART HILL FROM DEAD LETTER CIRCUS

VAN GOGH The new single from Catherine Traicos and the Starry Night sees them take a step back from their alt-country sound of yore, trying their hand at a psychier sound. This Thursday at the Union Hotel, they’ll be launching the single and road-testing their new sound before heading overseas.

SHOW US YOUR GUNS

SMALL SHOWS

Hey Geronimo have toured the country once this year already and are back for a third helping with Pluto Jonze. They’ll be bringing the heavy weaponry for their new single ‘Lazer Gun Show’ down at the Goodgod Small Club this Saturday.

Earlier in the year, Josh Pyke hosted a successful series of ‘Fans First’ gigs. This weekend, he’ll be expanding on these shows, at the Small Ballroom in Newcastle on Thursday, the Enmore Theatre on Friday and Wollongong’s UniBar on Saturday.

Do you hang anything on the walls to inspire you when recording? Not really... but we’re big on inspirational desktop wall papers. Justin Bieber, David Hasselhoff, Susan Boyle, Michael Jackson. It really depends on what emotion you’re trying to tap into at the time: Angry, sexy, hungry... Dead Letter Circus’ new album The Catalyst Fire out now.

First record you bought? My dad paid for most of the records in our house, so I never really had to buy anything. Even the stuff I wanted! The first LP I every bought myself was Friendly’s Akimbo.

Record you put on when you bring someone home? Late Nights With Jeremih or Levins’ last Love Kings mix. So sexy.

LENKA

Slacker-pop five-piece Dirt Farmer have been making their own brand of summer-tinged rock ‘n’ roll since 2010. They’re heading to Brighton Up Bar this Thursday in support.

Best record you stole from your folks’ collection? The Whole Story compilation album by Kate Bush.

Record you put on when you’re really miserable? Lately I’ve been re-listening to SBTRKT’s debut Hold On when I need a up-vibe.

INTERIOR DECORATION

DIRTY POP

NINA LAS VEGAS

Most surprising record in your collection? James Bond: The World Is Not Enough soundtrack. What the? Website link for more info? facebook.com/ninalasvegas

Do you hang anything on the walls to inspire you when recording? No. I go inward for the inspiration I guess. It is nice to have a bit of ambience and vibe though. Often I record in producer’s home studios. Lenka’s new album Shadows out now.

FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 67

opinion

OG FLAVAS

THE HEAVY SHIT

WAKE THE DEAD

URBAN AND R&B NEWS WITH CYCLONE

METAL AND HARD ROCK WITH CHRIS MARIC

HARDCORE AND PUNK WITH SARAH PETCHELL

Horrorshow’s comeback, King Amongst Many, has debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA charts. Today Australian hip hop is huge, but there are no high-profile female MCs. This makes the ascent of expat Iggy Azalea (AKA Amethyst Kelly) so remarkable. In 2006 a teen Kelly, obsessed with 2Pac, left NSW’s coastal Mullumbimby for the US, determined to become a superstar rapper. After songs like Pu$$y went viral, she signed to TI’s Grand Hustle Records. Kelly was selected for XXL’s 2012 ‘Top 10 Freshman’ edition, infuriating Azealia Banks. Now the Work femcee, meant to replace Angel Haze at the ill-fated Movement Festival, will support Beyoncé in Oz. Oddly, her adults-only lyrics caused ‘issues’ when she toured with Rita Ora. Azaleans supposedly should expect the rapper’s album, The New Classic, next month via Island Def Jam – almost a year on from her timely, Diplo-blessed mixtape TrapGold. Kelly, indebted to Ke$ha as much as to Nicki Minaj, is no Missy Elliott-style suffragette, her image a parody of pornographic femininity. The rapper, who’s dated A$AP Rocky, might be Coco “Mrs Ice-T” Austin’s minime. Besides, her music is less hip hop than EDM. Kelly appears blithely ignorant of an ancient taboo in skip hop: thou shalt not fake an American accent. Happily, Aussie hip hop has two new ‘queens’ to join Elefant Traks’ Sky’High. Chelsea Jane will be the lone femcee at Sprung Festival, while Adelaide’s Kimence recently dropped her Butterthief debut, One View – the song The Quest is about conquering a man’s world.

IGGY AZALEA 68 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

The incident that was on everyone’s lips last week was Ampgate – aka who the hell is moronic enough to steal an amp from a venue that a band is playing at and basically hold it for ransom.

MEGADETH

One of the big stories of the week has been that Metallica’s 22 year-old ‘Black’ outsold Megadeth’s brand new one called Super Collider in over the counter sales in the US last week. It was 1,737 to 1,713, putting Super Collider one spot behind ‘Black’. Now the Black album is pretty much the Dark Side Of The Moon, in that it never really goes away. The album consistently sells over a thousand copies in the US each and every week, and there’s a few that do, like Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite For Destruction and Prince and The Revolutions’ Purple Rain, for example. It’s enough to buy Lars a new tennis racquet or two every year, and Axl can replace the windows he smashes. The controversy this news brings up though is twofold. Is it because the new Megadeth album sucks that it’s selling such low numbers? (well it does suck, especially when you compare it to 2009’s absolutely brilliant Endgame) or is it that new releases are well and truly dead at a retail level, and back catalogue’s only sell because people are either replacing old and wrecked discs, or they are in the eight dollar bargain bin and on the shelf at the servo or supermarket?

the ARIA charts with sales of around 3,000 units – those are really shit numbers in a country of 22 million. Yes, there are other things that demand attention these days compared to the CDs heyday when all it competed with was other CDs. These days there are bargain basement DVDs (that, in my opinion, cheapen the value of things, when you can buy three DVDs for the price of a new release, people just shop with their wallet, and they forget that a CD is that price because it’s brand new and didn’t make its money at the box office, and is thus already paid for) console games, mobiles and the barrage of touring bands also compete for attention. In its ‘Fight For Survival’ the CD loses out to modern convenience. Even I tell bands to ‘just dropbox me the tracks,’ so I can check out their stuff instead online instead of waiting three days for the disc to arrive in the post. But there is still something to be said for holdig that damn thing in your hand, knowing you paid good money for it, and that it’s going to enhance your collection… somehow.

‘The Black Album’ has wormed its way into mainstream culture so well that it’s just there, right next to the Shania Twain and Elvis CDs, and part of everyday music store life. Everyone knows it, and everyone’s heard it, so compared to a new Megadeth album, it’s still way more visible.

I’m also far from finished on this subject, but fast running out of room, so I might return to it every couple of weeks and add to it. No, this isn’t some grumpy mid ‘30s ageing metal head telling the young kids to buy CDs (even if it sounds like it, haha).

I don’t think my argument is yet another Metallica vs Megadeth debate though, I think this applies to new music in general. You may remember the uproar a few years ago when Bring Me The Horizon scored a #1 on

Maybe it is a case of bands and (some) labels who are signing way too many average bands, instead of paying more attention to their craft and producing better music that people want to actually buy. You listening, Dave?

The victim was Wil Wagner, singer of The Smith Street Band, who had a brand new amp stolen from a show the band played at the Old Bar in Melbourne two weekends ago. The guy picked it up, and walked straight out (he was also wearing some questionable headgear, but that’s an entirely different crime). But my question is this: what on earth would possess someone to do that? Is it just a crime of opportunity? Was it a prank? I don’t know, and I guess I never will. But what does come out of this is the hilarious and sensitive way that Wil Wagner dealt with the situation in the days following. He just wanted to the amp back, and what followed was the social media campaign known as Ampgate. Wagner used the band’s social media accounts to reveal information as it came to light. We know what the guy looks like – if you know him, come forward. And someone did dob a mate in and facilitated a comedy of errors, that we can look back on and laugh at now but I’m sure was frustrating at the time. If you’re in a band, jump on The Smith Street Band Facebook page and read it. There are a few lessons in there on how to deal with jerks who steal amps, or just jerks in general. It is also an excellent lesson in how effective a tool social media can be in getting word out and driving people to action. wakethedead@themusic.com.au

THE SMITH STREET BAND

opinion

YOUNG AND RESTLESS ALL AGES WITH DAVE DRAYTON

TAVI GEVINSON

I’m going to be honest with you – this new look Young & Restless (you’ll note: shorter column, no gig listings) has me feeling a little excited and a little scared. It also got me thinking: what are youth issues? Who talks about them? And where? I remembered Vibewire, a notfor-profit youth organisation I did a yearlong stint at. They’re still facilitating the next generation of entrepreneurs and change makers, and hosting a discussion of this change online via their website, and with regular events. I recalled Express Media, the Melbourne-based organisation that tirelessly supports the development and distribution of young writers and media makers in Australia. I found it difficult to avoid Tavi Gevinson, the 17-year-old publishing powerhouse currently blowing minds while in the country, proving that age is no barrier when it comes to being heard. You don’t need a gig listing any more. It’s online, alongside just about everything else you could desire. But there is still a place and need for discussion. Sure, sometimes that discussion may be about a gig, but it won’t be limited to that. Alexander The Great led a kingdom at age 20. I’m not saying we need to assassinate our fathers or wage war against Byzantium – just that it’s possible for the voice of the young to be heard, for it to have impact.

MODERERATELY HIGHBROW

GET IT TOGETHER

VISUAL ART WANK AND THEATRE FOYERS WITH DAVE DRAYTON

HIP HOP WITH JAMES D’APICE

If you’re watching toast cook, it’s always coming out too soon. You keep popping up your slowly burning bread to check its progress and eventually it’s been toasted enough. When you consciously wait, you settle. Now when I cook toast, I drop the bread in and play piano until it pops up; I make good toast with patience and distraction. I don’t interrupt its browning; my toasting is a fine art. While I’m making toast, Toby Schmitz and Tim Minchin play at being Rosencrantz and Guildenstern down by the Wharf in the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of those two being dead. The Guardian gave it four stars, as did the Herald; The Australian said the performances from Minchin and Schmitz are “brilliantly intense”; even Shit On Your Play enjoyed it. Heather Mitchell was so taken she presented the cast with a framed piece of toast as an opening night present; it puts my ‘toasting as a fine art’ claim to shame. I’m still waiting to see the play (level up Dad Jokes). Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead is a sprawling, absurd piece of theatre in line with Samuel Beckett’s game-changing Waiting For Godot, in which Vladimir and Estragon haplessly await the arrival of this man they know only by reputation, Godot. The weight of expectation, or the weight of waiting, has long been explored in art. In Maurice Maeterlinck’s 1890 play Les aveugles (The Blind), a group of blind people accompanied by a priest on an island outing await his return when, silently, he dies mere metres from them. In Abbas Tyrewala’s Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (Whether You Know... Or Not), an Indian rom-com,

an aging extra holds a placard that reads Mr Godot as he waits outside an airport. A couple of lost causes even made Waiting For Woody Allen, in which two argumentative Hasidic men wax philosophical on a Central Park bench, awaiting the arrival of Woody and his wisdom. Chinese writer Gao Xingjian is perhaps best known for Soul Mountain, a novel completed while self-exiled in France that earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2000 (he was the first Chinese recipient of the award). Gao also casts an absurd eye to the act of waiting in his 1983 play Bus Stop. Eight characters wait for a bus – to take them to an exam, a chess match, a date, the laundry – that never arrives. In the midst of their passive expectation one character, Silent Person, sets off walking instead of waiting and eventually the other characters muse on his wordless departure. “Waiting’s not so bad,” a master carpenter later counters all this argument for action, “people wait because they have hope.” Waiting in this manner is an admirable resolve; but perhaps a resolve that will resolve very little. At the end of the play, the characters decide to set off on foot, and having done so cause us to reconsider the uncertain wisdom expressed by the student earlier: “Maybe our waiting for a lifetime here, until old age and death, has been determined by fate. Why don’t people create their own future?” We’re not privy to what happens following this development, their commencement of a journey, but the potential in their actions seems more hopeful than waiting could ever be; they create their own futures, they are proving motion by walking.

If you have issues, there are no tissues – but there is a contact below. youngandrestless@ themusic.com.au

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN

THE HERD

One of the first times I was paid to write about music, I was sent to review a show by The Herd. This was 2006. It was at the Enmore Theatre and, if memory serves, it was a sell-out. Enthusiasm was driven by the then recently released The Sun Never Sets. In those days The Herd stood tall alongside Hilltop Hoods as one of the two big Australian rap acts. They were the pride of Sydney: a delicate balance of political awareness, pop sensibilities and rap. It was a heady combination. Shortly The Herd will be playing a show at the Beach Road Hotel, a venue whose capacity is dwarfed by The Enmore. It’s sobering to compare 2006 to 2013 and reflect on what’s different. First, and most obvious, The Herd are nowhere near as prolific as they once were. Future Shade was released in 2011. Since then, we’ve barely heard a peep. Second, many members of The Herd have demands placed on their time by their own solo work; most obviously Ozi Batla, Unkle Ho and Urthboy. Third, the landscape The Herd once dominated has changed and continues to change. The Herd were once the sole voice of reason in Australian rap. They are no longer alone. They themselves have revealed the truth, in part through artists pushed through The Herd’s own Elefant Traks stable. What more is there to achieve, then? Have The Herd served their purpose? Alternatively: The Herd is dead? Nah. Long live The Herd! THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 69

opinion Lucy Maunder as Rizzo and Stephen Mahy as Kenickie.

CULTURAL CRINGE ART NEWS WITH JAMELLE WELLS Playwright and actor Jada Alberts (This Heaven) has won the 2013 Balnaves Foundation Indigenous Playwright’s Award. It was presented at Belvoir St Theatre by Neil Balnaves, Director of The Balnaves Foundation and judge Wesley Enoch, Artistic Director of the Queensland Theatre Company. The $20,000 award includes a $12,500 commission to write a new play and a $7,500 cash prize. Alberts will be commissioned to write a play called Me & Jungali, which is based on the relationship between her father and his partner. Bondi Vet television series star Chris Brown recently collapsed near the end of the City2Surf run. A record-equalling 85,000 competitors entered the race from the Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach. Brown collapsed two kilometres from the finish line and was unable to complete the race. He said he had a respiratory virus. Julian Knights has joined the Biennale Of Sydney Board.

Knights has previously been Chair of the Major Performing Arts Panel of the Australia Council and the former Chairman of the Sydney Dance Company. Sydney Festival organisers have revealed their main show for 2014: a majestic re-imagining of one of the world’s great romantic tragedies, Dido & Aeneas. Berlin choreographer Sasha Waltz’s version will open in an underwater tank where submerged dancers will glide around a glass aquarium that fills the stage. The rest of the Festival program will be revealed by October. Theatre producer John Frost and Universal Music are releasing a cast album of Grease featuring the new Australian cast. The multimillion dollar Australian production stars Rob Mills as Danny and Gretel Scarlett as Sandy, alongside Bert Newton as disc jockey Vince Fontaine, Todd McKenney as Teen Angel, Anthony Callea as Johnny Casino, Val Lehman as Miss Lynch,

THE LOOKING GLASS A JOURNEY THROUGH ARTS WITH HELEN STRINGER Like so many, I was desperately hoping I’d be able to get through the month without having to think about the federal election at all. I was hoping to wake up to the news that because Rudd and Abbott had become the same person both parties had decided to have them surgically attached, making Australia the first country on Earth to have a two-headed, four-armed leader of the nation, thereby negating the need for me to vote at all. No such luck. We’re being asked to choose, as always, between two arseholes. We can only choose which arsehole we

dislike less. I’m well aware, for the politically pedantic, that officially you vote for a party not a Prime Minister. I’m also aware this little bit of pedantry is bullshit and we actually vote for the PM not the party. You can make this choice on many criteria. Policy, yes; but that’s a bit dull. It would be far more effective if we openly voted according to arbitrary, superficial judgment. How about sartorial superiority: K-Rudd, for instance, was wearing a purple tie during a press conference and I liked it. That’s Kruddy-1, Tony-0. Or perhaps intensity of gaze:

KRUDD/ABBOTT 70 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

Australian artist Ralph Heimans told the media he is shocked that his Diamond Jubilee portrait of the Queen was vandalised by a protester only weeks after it went on display at Westminster Abbey. He said the face wasn’t destroyed and the painting is being restored. The 41-year-old protester was charged with criminal damage. The ABC and BBC Worldwide have joined forces to celebrate 50 years of Doctor Who with a free exhibition at the ABC Ultimo Centre open to the public until January 2013. It includes Kylie Minogue’s costume from Voyage Of The Damned. Also on display is an Ood head, Cybermat, Tom Baker’s scarf, an original Dalek and an iconic Tardis in which fans can have their photo taken. According to an Australia Council survey of the country’s 28 major performing arts companies 2012 was a record year for opera attendances in Australia. Opera had a 34% increase in audience numbers which was more than theatre, dance, orchestral or chamber music.

during the wank-fest they call the Leader’s Debate Tony undressed the public with his eyes. On several occasions he actually slightly raised one eyebrow and pouted with his head on a slight angle, Zoolander-style. So that’s Kruddy-1, Tony-1. You get the idea. I’m so sold on superficial decision-making I propose we extend the method to policymaking. Let’s ban politicians from law-making altogether and relegate them to purely ceremonial status, requiring them only to walk around in excellent, four-armed suits, staring intensely into cameras. Australians should adopt a system whereby we formulate personal policy that suits our individual ideologies. There are those of us, for example, who believe it’s seriously fucked to base policy-making on who can deny the most legally enshrined human rights to the largest number of people. Under the ‘personal policy’ policy we could implement schemes to restore such rights. Policy is always quid pro quo, so to uphold democratic traditions we would have to make a personal sacrifice

RALPH HEIMANS

The 40th Anniversary Concert at the Opera House in October will culminate in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in the presence of Denmark’s Crown Prince couple Frederik and Mary, as well as the family of Opera House architect Jørn Utzon. The Sydney Symphony will step out of the Concert Hall, where the original 1973 concert took place, to recreate the performance for an audience of 4,000 on the Forecourt, assisted by Opera Australia soloists and the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

to implement whatever greater good we’re aspiring to. We could, for instance, swap pets for boat people. I’m not suggesting that the value of an animal’s life is at all comparable to a human being’s. But based on the wider public’s xenophobia (which I see verified nightly on that bastion of journalistic integrity, A Current Affair) I’m guessing asking for larger sacrifices is futile. So, I’ll take one refugee family in exchange for the cat I love slightly less; that slightly less loved cat could then be entombed in a refugee camp for the rest of its days, the refugees coming to live with me. How about a matrimonial donation scheme? I don’t give a shit about marriage but do I believe in equal rights, including the right for absolutely everybody to become as ambivalent and disillusioned as me. So as a heterosexual able to respect the institution of marriage I am happy to give same-sex couples my right to marriage. In return I’ll take on the pain of being refused something everybody else can do, for no better reason than that a bunch of people are unbelievably stupid.

the guide nsw.gigguide@themusic.com.au Angelene: Bar 100, The Rocks

THE MUSIC PRESENTS Josh Pyke: Aug 22 Small Ballroom Newcastle; 23 Enmore Theatre; 24 UniBar Wollongong

Canberra; 19 UniBar Wollongong; 20 Cambridge Hotel; 21 Metro Theatre

Asta: Sep 21 Goodgod Small Club

Pluto Jonze: Aug 23 Yours & Owls Wollongong; 24 Goodgod Small Club; 31 Small Ballroom Newcastle Hungry Kids Of Hungary: Aug 23 Oxford Art Factory; 24 Small Ballroom Newcastle Cloud Control: Aug 28 ANU Bar Canberra; Sep 10 Wollongong Uni Bar; 11 Bar On The Hill Newcastle; 12 Metro Theatre

World Music Wednesdays ft Kooyeh: Sep 25 The Basement The Drones: Sep 26 Zierholz @ UC; 28 Metro Theatre; Nov 22 Cambridge Hotel Foals: Sep 28, 29 Enmore Theatre

The Real McKenzies, The Go Set: Sep 4 ANU Bar Canberra; 5 Manning Bar World Music Wednesdays ft Dereb The Ambassador: Sep 4, Oct 2, Nov 6 The Basement Dead Letter Circus: Sep 4 Zierholz @ UC; 5 Metro Theatre; 6 Waves Wollongong; 7 Cambridge Hotel The Gangsters’ Ball: Sep 7 Metro Theatre

Ngaiire: Sep 12 Oxford Art Factory; 19 Transit Bar Canberra; 27 Small Ballroom; 28 Heritage Hotel Bulli Twelve Foot Ninja: Sep 12 Zierholz @ UC; 13 Waves Wollongong; 14 Manning Bar; 19 Small Ballroom Newcastle; 20 Entrance Leagues Club; 21 Mona Vale Hotel Illy: Sep 14 Metro Theatre

World Music Wednesdays ft Declan Kelly & The Rising Sun: Sep 18 The Basement

Dirt Farmer + Guests: Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst

Falcona DJs: Beach Road Hotel (Valley), Bondi Beach

Tom West: The Soda Factory, Surry Hills

Phil Simmons: Campbelltown Catholic Club (Caf Samba), Campbelltown

Nancy Vandal: Oct 10 Cambridge Hotel; 19 Dicey Rileys Wollongong

The Herd + Sosueme DJs + Dutch + DJ Tai Daniels + more: Beach Road Hotel (Rex Room), Bondi Beach

La Femme Boheme: The Spice Cellar, Sydney

Andy Mammers: Cronulla RSL, Cronulla

World Music Wednesdays ft Peña Flamenca: Oct 16 The Basement

DJ Dan de Caires: Beach Road Hotel (Public Bar), Bondi Beach

Kinsky + Project Collective Ska: The Vanguard, Newtown

Greg Byrne: Dee Why Hotel, Dee Why

World Music Wednesdays ft Watussi: Oct 23 The Basement

Jorja Carroll: Brass Monkey, Cronulla

Boy & Bear: Oct 24 ANU Bar Canberra; 25 Enmore Theatre; Nov 15 Waves Wollongong Fat As Butter: Oct 26 The Foreshore Newcastle The Breeders: Oct 28 Enmore Theatre World Music Wednesdays ft Kriola Collective: Oct 30 The Basement World Music Wednesdays ft The Hi Tops Brass Band: Nov 13 The Basement

Peace: Sep 17 Zierholz @ UC; 18 Beach Road Hotel; 19 Newcastle University; 20 Wollongong University; 21 Oxford Art Factory

Mark Wilkinson + Little Bighorn: Brass Monkey, Cronulla

Songs On Stage feat. Helmut Uhlmann + Lucas Hakewill + Master Tiger + Guests: The Loft, UTS, Broadway

The Cribs: Oct 23 Small Ballroom Newcastle; 24 Upstairs Beresford

World Music Wednesdays ft Cumbia Muffin: Sep 11 The Basement

WED 21

Ray Beadle & The Silver Dollars: 505, Surry Hills

The Darling Downs + Special Guests: The Annandale, Annandale

Rick Price: Blue Beat, Double Bay

Songs On Stage feat. Greg Sita + Gabriella Brown + Brad Myers + White Sparrow: Avalon Beach RSL, Avalon Beach

The Jungle Giants: Oct 10 Transit Bar Canberra; 11 Cambridge Hotel; 12 Metro Theatre

Japandroids: Aug 31 Manning Bar

GIG OF THE WEEK THE TROUBLE WITH TEMPLETON: 22 AUG TRANSIT BAR CANBERRA; 23 GOODGOD SMALL CLUB

World Music Wednesday feat. The Liberators: The Basement, Circular Quay

World Music Wednesdays ft Keyim Ba: Oct 9 The Basement

Big Scary: Aug 30 Factory Theatre; 31 Zierholz @ UC

John Vella: Bexley North Hotel, Bexley North

Peter Lanzon: Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly

Xavier Rudd: Oct 4 Big Top Luna Park

The Paper Kites: Aug 30 Small Ballroom Newcastle; 31 Metro Theatre

Jinja Safari: Sep 18 ANU

The Mountains: Bedlam Bar, Glebe

Horrorshow: Sep 19 ANU Bar Canberra; 20 Metro Theatre

The Trouble With Templeton: Aug 22 Transit Bar Canberra; 23 Goodgod Small Club

Rudimental: Sep 18 UC Refectory Canberra; 24, 25 Enmore Theatre

The Upskirts + The Ruminaters + Stone Monks: Beach Road Hotel (Rex Room), Bondi Beach

Mullum Music Festival: Nov 21 – 24 Mullumbimby World Music Wednesdays ft Bobby Alu: Nov 27 The Basement Festival Of The Sun: Dec 13 – 14 Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park, Port Macquarie

Seth Sentry: Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle West Come Out Swinging 2 + Ray Beadle + Monica Trapaga: Camelot Lounge, Marrickville

Louis London: Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle West Red Alert: Ettalong Beach Club, Ettalong Beach FBi Social Lunchbreak feat. Bears With Guns: Kings Cross Hotel (1pm) , Kings Cross Live & Local feat. Chantal & Cesar + CJ Raggat Trio + Aimee Francis + Icarus & Me: Lizottes Sydney, Dee Why Andy Mammers Duo: Maloneys Hotel, Sydney Judenn Lassiter: Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta Josh McIvor: Mean Fiddler Hotel (Sub Bar), Rouse Hill Steve Tonge Duo: O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross Carl Fidler: Observer Hotel, The Rocks Spencer Ray Duo: Orient Hotel, Sydney Darren Heinrich Trio: Play Bar, Surry Hills Hearts.beats.mind.: Rock Lily, Pyrmont

JOSH PYKE: 22 AUG SMALL BALLROOM NEWCASTLE; 23 ENMORE THEATRE; 24 UNIBAR WOLLONGONG Lionel Cole: The White Horse Hotel, Surry Hills Ultra Series Band Competition: Valve Bar & Venue, Tempe Fanny Lumsden & the Thrillseekers: Yours & Owls, Wollongong

THU 22

Wildcatz: 3 Wise Monkeys, Sydney

Bob Moses + Mike Nock + Cameron Undy: 505, Surry Hills Boy Outside: Arcadia Liquors, Redfern Lounge Sounds: Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly

Chris Stretton: Stamford Grand North Ryde, North Ryde

Starfuckers + Nelly: Australian Hotel & Brewery (Cool Room), Rouse Hill

Alex Hopkins: Summer Hill Hotel, Summer Hill

Andy Mammers: Australian Hotel & Brewery, Rouse Hill

Jimmy Barnes + Mahalia Barnes + Evil J & Sail Cecilia: Enmore Theatre, Enmore Beasts Of Bourbon + Bruce!: Factory Theatre (Original Line Up) , Marrickville Songs On Stage feat. Peach Montgomery + Bonnie Kay + Guests: Forest Lodge Hotel, Forest Lodge Immigrant Union: Frankies Pizza, Sydney King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard + Guests: Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Ashleigh Mannix: Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Peter Head: Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks Gary Johns: Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill Little Bastard: Hotel Steyne, Manly Alex Gibson + Taj Ralph: Lizottes Sydney, Dee Why

JINJA SAFARI

1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 71

the guide nsw.gigguide@themusic.com.au Slumberhaze: Low 302, Darlinghurst

The Familiars: Yours & Owls, Wollongong

Jonny Rock: Novotel - Brewery Bar, Sydney Olympic Park

Dave White Duo: Maloneys Hotel, Sydney

Guttermouth + Special Guests: Zierholz @ UC, Canberra

Natalie Carboni: Novotel Darling Harbour, Pyrmont

Angelene: Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale Toby Martin + Sam Shinazzi: Marlborough Hotel, Newtown Jamie Lindsay: Marrickville Ritz Hotel, Marrickville

FRI 23

Ziggy: Newport Arms Hotel, Newport

Allon: Absolute Thai, Charlestown

The Lewis Bros: Orient Hotel, Sydney

Otto Marr & Nigel Hearn: Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly

AU Review 5th Birthday Party feat. Sydney Jam Session + Messrs + The Guppies + Maples + Cogel + more: Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst

The Rewbies: Avoca Beach Hotel, Avoca Beach

Songs On Stage feat. Chris Raicevich + Paul McGowan + Ryan Thomas + Guests: Ruby L’Otel, Rozelle Elevate: Scruffy Murphy’s, Sydney Hot Damn! feat. Obey The Brave + Boris The Blade + The Storm Picturesque + Encounters: Spectrum, Darlinghurst Kriola Collective + Tango Bar + Belen Tango + Victor Valdes: The Basement, Circular Quay

The Wisemans Circus + The Letter Tellers + Sugar Sun + Little Big Wolf + Jetson Manic: Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt Gelato: Bar 100, The Rocks Hazaduz + 612 + Kidd Sham + more: Beach Road Hotel (Rex Room), Bondi Beach The Midnight Drifters: Belmont 16’s, Belmont Come Out Swinging Round 2 + Ray Beadle + Monica Trapaga: Brass Monkey, Cronulla

Tim Conlon: Dee Why Hotel, Dee Why The Dirty Earth: Dicey Riley’s Hotel, Wollongong Happy Hippies: East Hills Hotel, East Hills The Scam: Engadine Tavern, Engadine Josh Pyke + Patrick James + Olympia: Enmore Theatre, Enmore

Dream Tambourine feat. Mark Wells: Lakeside Village Tavern, Raymond Terrace Immigrant Union: Lass O’Gowrie, Wickham The Idea of North: Lizottes Newcastle, New Lambton Harbour Master + Chris Martin: Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale

The Lonely Boys: Marlborough Hotel, Newtown

Mad Season: Bull & Bush, Baulkham Hills

Beasts Of Bourbon + Mother & Son: Factory Theatre (Low Road Line Up), Marrickville

G-Wizard + Luciana: Marquee, Pyrmont

Vince Jones: Camelot Lounge, Marrickville

In Cahoots with Righteous Voodoo: The Local Taphouse, Darlinghurst

Steve Clisby: Clarendon Hotel, Surry Hills 4 Bars of Funk: Club Cronulla, Cronulla Tim Finn + Special Guests: Club Forster, Forster Pete Gelzinnis: Club Singleton, Singleton Pete Hunt: Cock’n Bull, Bondi Junction Craig Freeman: Coffs Harbour Hotel, Coffs Harbour

Band Competition Final: Uni Bar, Wollongong

Ted Nash Duo: Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee

Catherine Traicos & The Starry Night + Calamity & The Outlaw + James Thompson: Union Hotel, Newtown

Liana Rose Duo: Coogee Diggers, Coogee

Ivory + The Wildbloods + Raw Idiocy + Lil Smoke: Valve Bar & Venue, Tempe

Renae Stone: Customs House Bar, Circular Quay

Paul Watters: Ettalong Beach Club, Ettalong Beach

Big Chocolate + LDRU + Paces + Linken + more: Chinese Laundry, Sydney

The Trouble With Templeton + Battleships: Transit Bar, Canberra

Outlier + Michael Votano: Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest

Hornsby Hotshots feat. Prhymel + 10 Mile Stereo + Class 1C + Tyrant + Jack Man Friday + Vinyl Edge + more: Ku-RingGai PCYC Performing Arts Centre, Waitara

MTNS: Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst

Ashleigh Mannix: The Junkyard, Maitland

Simon Meli & The Widowbirds: The Vanguard, Newtown

Macka: Crown Hotel, Sydney

Guttermouth + Beaver + Topnovil + Nerdlinger: Manning Bar, Camperdown

Pat O’Grady: Chatswood RSL, Chatswood

Jake Meadows: The Spice Cellar, Sydney

IMMIGRANT UNION: 22 AUG FRANKIE’S PIZZA; 23 THE LASS NEWCASTLE; 24 UNION HOTEL

Seth Sentry: Entrance Leagues, Bateau Bay

I Know Leopard + Timberwolf + Danielle Deckard: The Bucket List, Bondi Beach

Josh Pyke: The Small Ballroom, Newcastle

Mashed Fridays feat. DJ Alter Ego: Oatley Hotel, Oatley

Sonido: 505, Surry Hills Cavan Te: 99 On York (Zabou Bar), Sydney

Sean Tyrrell + Aine Tyrrell: Roxbury Hotel, Glebe

Mattt: Oasis on Beamish Hotel, Campsie

DJ Fooey: 5 Sawyers, Newcastle

PJ Neverland: Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta

The Johnny Cass Band + Mr Black n Blues: Rock Lily, Pyrmont

Geoff Rana: O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross

Bin Juice + Rivet City + Chad & The Culprits: Corrimal Hotel, Corrimal Black Rose: Courthouse Hotel, Darlinghurst

The Johnny Cass Band + Mr Black n Blues: Old Manly Boatshed, Manly Reckless + Jonathan Jones: Orient Hotel, Sydney Hungry Kids Of Hungary + Little Scout + Evan & The Brave: Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Tom T Duo: Parramatta Leagues (The Firehouse), Parramatta Heath Burdell: Parramatta RSL, Parramatta Three Rams: Penrith Gaels, Kingswood Lawrence Baker: Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill Jazz Nouveau: Revesby Workers (Infinity Lounge), Revesby Duelin’ Pianos + Flux: Rock Lily, Pyrmont Invisible Sun + Max Smidt & The Refined Rogues + Angel Awake + Acid: Roxbury Hotel, Glebe

Dennis Val: Figtree Hotel, Wollongong

Busking On Mars feat. Kenya Williams: Mars Hill Cafe (by the front window), Parramatta

Krishna Jones: General Gordon Hotel, Sydenham

Pep Romanelli: Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta

The Trouble With Templeton + Battleships: Goodgod Small Club, Sydney

Keith Armitage: Massey Park Golf Club, Concord

The White Brothers: Seven Hills/Toongabbie RSL, Seven Hills

The Other Guys: Matraville Hotel, Matraville

The Blackwater Fever: Spectrum, Darlinghurst

Harlequin Trio: Mean Fiddler Hotel (Fiddler Bar), Rouse Hill

Obey The Brave: Sphere Nightclub (Licensed All Ages) , Sutherland

Recloose + Inkswel + more + Edseven + Henry Compton + Fred Tectonic: Goodgod Small Club (Danceteria / 11pm) , Sydney Fiona Leigh Jones Duo: Harbord Beach Hotel, Freshwater Sophie Raymond & The Reddy Set + The Sweet Little Army + Dan Allpass: Harold Park Hotel, Glebe Victoria Avenue: Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill OMG! Duo: Hotel Jesmond, Jesmond FBi Social feat. Sister Jane + Miners Of Pala + Borneo + more: Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross JJ Duo: Kingswood Sports Club, Kingswood

John Field Duo + David McMaster: Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale

Matt Jones: Scruffy Murphy’s, Sydney

Craig Thommo: St Leonards Tavern, St Leonards

John Hill: Monkey Bar, Balmain

Mandi Jarry: Stacks Taverna, Sydney

Terry Batu: Mortdale Hotel, Mortdale

Obey The Brave + more: Studio 6, Sutherland

Rolling Stone Live Lodge: Name This Bar, Darlinghurst

Backyard BBQ: Tattersalls Hotel, Penrith

Dueling Pistols: Nelson Bay Diggers Club, Nelson Bay

Mark Wilkinson + Little Bighorn: The Abbey, Nicholls

Rhonda Burchmore: Nelson Bay Diggers Club (Showroom), Nelson Bay

Marlow: The Basement, Belconnen

Rapture: North Sydney Leagues, Cammeray

Tuka + Ellesquire + The Basement Big Band: The Basement, Circular Quay

Rob Henry: Northies (Sports Bar), Cronulla

Incognito Band: The Exchange Hotel, Hamilton

1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU 72 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

Luke Robinson + Carl Fidler: Observer Hotel, The Rocks

TUE

27 AUG

RUBY TUESDAYS!

7PM

A BRAND NEW ACOUSTIC SHOW EVERY TUESDAY

12 JUGS OF RUBY TUESDAY INTERESTED IN PERFORMING AMBER ALE ANYONE ON THE TUESDAY NIGHT, PLEASE CONTACT

NICK FROST AT NICHOLASWYATTFROST@GMAIL.COM

SUN

25 AUG

SYDNEY BLUES SOCIETY FEAT. CHRISTINA CROFTS

THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 73

the guide nsw.gigguide@themusic.com.au Stirred, Not Shaken feat. Rufino & The Coconuts + The Handlebars: The Green Room, Enmore The Mavericks + Adam Eckersley Band: The Hi-Fi, Moore Park Viagro: The Kent Hotel, Hamilton

Dog Trumpet + Bernie Hayes: The Vanguard, Newtown The Sphinxes: The Vineyard Hotel, Vineyard Gian: The Windsor Castle Hotel, Newcastle Ben Finn Duo: Toongabbie Hotel, Toongabbie The Wrong Keys + The Pharaohs of The Far Out: Town And Country Hotel, St Peters Greg Agar: Town Hall Hotel, Balmain Bang Shang A Lang: Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain Jordan Millar + Little Fox + Jake Rollins + DJ S.Kobar: Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills Schlam + Burnside + Stellar Addiction + Burnside + Adam Gorecki: Valve Bar & Venue, Tempe Moonlight Drive: Warners at the Bay, Warners Bay Alex Hopkins + DJ Marty: Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville Big Way Out: Windsor Leagues Club, South Windsor Candice McLeod: Woolpack Hotel, Redfern Rick Fensom: Woolpack Hotel, Parramatta Pluto Jonze: Yours & Owls, Wollongong

SAT 24

Panorama: 3 Wise Monkeys, Sydney Kriola Collective: 505, Surry Hills

Riz Hallowes: Abbotts Hotel, Waterloo Little Black Book: Absolute Thai, Charlestown

Global Battle Of The Bands: Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle

Steve Clisby: Milton Theatre, Milton

Josh McIvor: Harbord Beach Hotel, Freshwater

Stonefield + Stillwater Giants + Apes: The Small Ballroom, Newcastle

Lyall Moloney + Bootleg Rascal: The Standard, Surry Hills

House Party 2013 feat. Nina Las Vegas + Flight Facilities (DJ Set) + Cassian + Tyler Touche + Wave Racer: Metro Theatre, Sydney

Peter Hunt: Greystanes Inn, Greystanes

Two Good Reasons: The Mark Hotel, Lambton

Soft & Slow feat. Andee Frost: The Spice Cellar, Sydney

Civil War + Deathcage + Fattura Della Morte + Hostile Objects + Sumeru + Mood Swing + Chroma + Resistance: Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale

David Agius: Helensburgh Workers, Helensburgh

STONEFIELD: 23 AUG SMALL BALLROOM NEWCASTLE; 24 OXFORD ART FACTORY Zoltan: Adria Bar & Restaurant, Sydney

Heath Burdell: Castle Hill RSL (Terrace Bar), Castle Hill

Luke Escombe: Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly

Angie Dean: Castle Hill RSL (Piano Lounge), Castle Hill

Jonny Rock: Australian Hotel & Brewery, Rouse Hill

Spank: Castle Hill RSL (Cocktail Lounge), Castle Hill

Obliterate Sydney feat. Killrazer + HAZMAT + Metreya + Exekute + Gutter Tactic + War of Attrition + Head In A Jar + Hangman: Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt

Hybrid + A-Tonez + Ember + Katie Valentine + more: Chinese Laundry, Sydney

Gian: Bar Petite, Newcastle Lime Cordiale + Tokyo Denmark Sweden: Beach Road Hotel (Rex Room), Bondi Beach Andy Benke: Beach Road Hotel (Public Bar), Bondi Beach Isbjorn + DJ Richie Ryan: Beach Road Hotel (Valley), Bondi Beach

The Johnny Cass Band + Mr Black n Blues: Commercial Hotel, Milton Harbour Master: Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee Form One Planet: Corrimal Hotel, Corrimal Rock Solid Duo: Courthouse Hotel, Darlinghurst Jonny Gretsch’s Wasted Ones: Crown Hotel, Sydney

Victoria Avenue: Dee Why Hotel, Dee Why

Brien McVernon: Beauford Hotel, Mayfield

Moving Pictures + Mental As Anything: Dee Why RSL, Dee Why

Lemon Squeezin’ Daddies: Belmont 16’s, Belmont

FBi Social feat. Decypher Us + Sleepwalkers + more: Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross Alex Hopkins: Kirribilli Hotel, Milsons Point

Rolling Stone Live Lodge feat. Various DJs: Name This Bar, Darlinghurst Angelene: Narrabeen RSL, North Narrabeen Dan Romeo: Newport Arms Hotel, Newport Macson: North Sydney Leagues, Cammeray

The Foxy Morons: Lakeside Village Tavern, Raymond Terrace

Natalie Carboni: Northies (Beach Bar), Cronulla

The Blackwater Fever: Lass O’Gowrie, Wickham

Greg Agar Trio: Northies (Sports Bar), Cronulla

Mason Rack Band: Lizottes Sydney, Dee Why

Wonderbrass: Oatley Hotel, Oatley

Back to Back Duo + Kristy Garrett: Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale

Geoff Rana + Rob Henry + Shane Flew: Observer Hotel, The Rocks

Bang Shang A Lang: Marlborough Hotel, Newtown

Steve Edmonds Band: Orana Hotel, Blacksmiths

Hook N Sling: Marquee, Pyrmont

Endless Summer Beach Party + Dave Mason Cox: Orient Hotel, Sydney

Busking On Mars feat. Joe Knott: Mars Hill Cafe (by the front window), Parramatta

Jus Gordon: Duke of Wellington Hotel, New Lambton

Cath & Him: Overlander Hotel, Cambridge Gardens

HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY: 23 AUG OXFORD ART FACTORY; 24 SMALL BALLROOM NEWCASTLE

Sun Hill Drive: Belmore Hotel, Maitland

Blues Brothers Down Under: Eastern Suburbs Legion Club, Waverley

Johnny B: Blackbird Cafe, Sydney

Nathan Cole + Will Teague: Engadine Tavern, Engadine

Aleyce Simmonds + Lachlan Bryan + Mark Wilkinson + Little Bighorn: Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta

Dog Trumpet + Agnes Kain: Brass Monkey, Cronulla

Celebrity Theatresports: Enmore Theatre, Enmore

Leon Fallon: Mean Fiddler Hotel (Courtyard), Rouse Hill

Craig Thommo: Parramatta Leagues (The Firehouse), Parramatta

Dan Lawrence: Brewhouse, Kings Park

The Business: Ettalong Beach Club, Ettalong Beach

Ben Finn Duo: Mean Fiddler Hotel (Fiddler Bar), Rouse Hill

Venus 2: Penrith Gaels, Kingswood

Terry Batu: Bulldogs Club, Belmore

Beasts Of Bourbon + River of Snakes + Greta Mob: Factory Theatre (Current Line Up), Marrickville

John Field & The Epics: Mean Fiddler Hotel (Woolshed), Rouse Hill

Thunderstruck AC/DC Show + Shadowboxer - The Angels Show: Penrith Hotel, Penrith

The Lonely Boys: Mercantile Hotel, The Rocks

Matt Jones Duo: Penrith Panthers (Terrace Bar), Penrith

House Party 2013 feat. Nina Las Vegas + Flight Facilities (DJ Set) + Cassian + Tyler Touche + Wave Racer: Metro Theatre (Under 18’s/Afternoon), Sydney

Di Bird + Red Hot & Blue: Penrith RSL (Castle Lounge / Afternoon), Penrith

King Tide: Camelot Lounge, Marrickville Peter McWhirter Band: Campbelltown Catholic Club (Club Lounge), Campbelltown Rock Pulse: Carousel Inn, Rooty Hill

Songs Of The South feat. Matthew Hickey Trio + The Snakemen + Michigan Water + more: Forest Lodge Hotel, Forest Lodge

1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU 74 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

VIP + DJ Shayne Alsop: Mounties (Terrace Bar), Mt Pritchard

BNO Rockshow: Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest

Guttermouth + Special Guests: Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley

Rhonda Burchmore: Belmont 16’s (Showroom), Belmont

Spenceray: Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill

BNO Rockshow: Moorebank Sports Club, Hammondville

Stonefield + Stillwater Giants + Apes: Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst

The Shuffle: Penrith RSL (Castle Lounge), Penrith

the guide nsw.gigguide@themusic.com.au Andy Mammers: PJ Gallaghers, Moore Park

The Bend: The Kent Hotel, Hamilton

Alison Wonderland: Plantation Hotel, Coffs Harbour

Dan Beazley: The Mark Hotel, Lambton

Peppermint Jam: Revesby Workers (Infinity Lounge), Revesby

The Hello Morning: The Phoenix, Civic

Iron Lion: RG McGees, Richmond

Hungry Kids Of Hungary + Little Scout + Evan & The Brave: The Small Ballroom, Newcastle

Tabitha & The Clique: Rock Lily, Pyrmont

Gabby & Matt Weir: The Spice Cellar (Late), Sydney

Shot In Chicago + Magnus + Psyrens: Roxbury Hotel, Glebe

Service Bells + I Know Leopard + New Brutalists + Black Lakes: The Standard, Surry Hills

Pickin’ Keys: Royal Federal Hotel, Branxton Joan Baez: Royal Theatre, Canberra Jane Eliz: Ruby L’Otel, Rozelle Vanity: Scruffy Murphy’s, Sydney Something Special: Seven Hills/Toongabbie RSL, Seven Hills SIMA feat. Hannah James: Seymour Centre (Sound Lounge) , Chippendale

Cybridian + Futureman + Serpents Of The She: Valve Bar & Venue (Afternoon), Tempe

Double Barrel: Tattersalls Hotel, Penrith Maundz + Fluent Form + Dialect & Despair + One Sixth + Mata & Must + Social Change + P.Smurf + Mikoen: The Annandale, Annandale Professor Groove & The Booty Affair: The Basement (Late Show/11.00pm), Circular Quay Dragon Celebrates The Police: The Basement (Early Show/6.30pm) , Circular Quay Muddy Feet: The Belvedere Hotel, Sydney Vertigo - The U2 Experience: The Bradford Hotel, Rutherford Hornet: The Exchange Hotel, Hamilton Game + Special Guests: The Grand Hotel, Wollongong The Vinyl Schminyl!: The Green Room, Enmore Pacha feat. The Disco Fries + Dave Winnel + Baby Gee + John Glover + more: The Ivy, Sydney

Greg Lines: Western Suburbs Leagues Club, Leumeah

Greg Byrne Duo: Northies (Sports Bar), Cronulla

Andy Mammers Duo: Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel, Woolloomooloo

Three Wise Men + Rob Henry: Observer Hotel, The Rocks

Sharon Bowman: Collingwood Hotel (Afternoon), Liverpool

Pat Drummond: Ettamogah Hotel, Kellyville Ridge Angelene + Michael Anderson: Gladstone Hotel, Dulwich Hill

Brien McVernon: Orana Hotel, Blacksmiths The White Bros + Lonesome Train: Orient Hotel, Sydney Black Rose: Overlander Hotel, Cambridge Gardens McCauleys Raiders: Penrith RSL (Castle Lounge / Afternoon), Penrith Songs On Stage feat.+Andrew Denniston + Steve Clark + Guests: Red Lion Hotel, Rozelle

Immigrant Union: Union Hotel, Newtown

Rick Fensom: Sir Joseph Banks Hotel, Botany

Ryan Thomas: Surfies, Cronulla

Marty Simpson: Northies (Beach Bar), Cronulla

Dave Mcmaster: Campbelltown Catholic Club (Caf Samba/ Afternoon), Campbelltown

The Manhattan Transfer: Enmore Theatre, Enmore

Josh Pyke: Uni Bar, Wollongong

Craig Thommo: Wallacia Hotel, Wallacia

Acoustic Session with Split: Oatley Hotel (Afternoon), Oatley

Juke Baritone & The Swamp Dogs + La Bastard + Takadimi: The Vanguard, Newtown Seth Sentry: Towradgi Beach Hotel (Waves), Towradgi

Mick Jones: Nelson Bay Diggers Club, Nelson Bay

Big Rich: Campbelltown Catholic Club (Club Lounge), Campbelltown

Cath & Him: Crossroads Hotel, Casula

Polar Nation + Dumb Blondes + Conics: Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills

Marty Stewart: St Johns Park Bowling Club, St Johns Park

Fay Sussman & The Perogi Klezmer Band: Camelot Lounge, Marrickville

Ed Colman & The Twins: The Station, Jindabyne

Bryen & The Bayou Boogie Boys: Shady Pines Saloon, Darlinghurst

Being As An Ocean + Sierra: Spectrum, Darlinghurst

Guttermouth + Special Guests : Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle West

The Radiators + SuperPhonic: Warragamba Workers & Sporting Club, Warragamba Beatle Magic + DJ Marty + JJ Duo: Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville Ego: Woodport Inn, Erina

SUN 25

Matt Jones: 3 Wise Monkeys, Sydney DJ Jonathan: 5 Sawyers, Newcastle Klay: Ambervale Tavern, Ambervale

Mark Hopper: Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly Being As An Ocean + Sierra + Guests: Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt HP Duo: Bar Petite, Newcastle Andy Benke: Beach Road Hotel (Public Bar), Bondi Beach Phillip Crawshaw: Belmont 16’s, Belmont Sydney Blues Society feat. Christina Crofts Band: Botany View Hotel, Newtown Don’t Hit Ron + Jorja Carroll: Brass Monkey, Cronulla

MON 26

Alice Terry: 505, Surry Hills Tribute to Mitropanos: Factory Theatre, Marrickville The Pigs + Chris Gillespie + The Time Being: Katoomba RSL, Katoomba Songs On Stage feat. Helmut Uhlmann + Chris Brookes + Massimo Presti: Kellys on King, Newtown Sunday Sessions: Oatley Hotel (Terrace), Oatley Steve Tonge: Observer Hotel, The Rocks Mariachi Monday with Victor Valdes + Friends: The Basement, Circular Quay The Fox Hole Sessions: The Fox Hole Small Bar, Sydney The Jaded Vanities: The Vanguard, Newtown Being As An Ocean + Sierra: Yours & Owls, Wollongong

OBEY THE BRAVE: 21 AUG SOHIER PARK HALL OURIMBAH; 22 HOT DAMN; 23 STUDIO SIX SUTHERLAND Helpful Kitchen Gods + White Knuckle Fever + Ashes + Curb: Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale The Morrisons + Matt Gollan: Grandmas Bar (Afternoon), Sydney

Zoltan: Revesby Workers (Infinity Lounge / Afternoon), Revesby Suite Az: Rock Lily, Pyrmont Dave Tice & Mark Evans: Ruby L’Otel, Rozelle

Stormcellar: Gulgong RSL, Gulgong

Paul Phillips: Ruby L’Otel (1pm), Rozelle

Alex Roussos: Gwandalan Bowling Club, Gwandalan

SIMA: A Benefit For Bernie McGann + Various: Seymour Centre (Sound Lounge), Chippendale

Jamie Lindsay: Harbord Beach Hotel, Freshwater Peter Head Band: Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks Moving Pictures + The Childs: Heathcote Hotel (Afternoon), Heathcote David Agius: Horse & Jockey Hotel, Homebush The Strides: Hotel Steyne, Manly The Road Runners: Marrickville Bowling Club (Afternoon), Marrickville SSA Songwriting Workshop: Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta Alex Hopkins: Mean Fiddler Hotel (Courtyard), Rouse Hill Greg Agar: Mill Hill Hotel, Bondi Junction

Screaming Sundays + Various: The Annandale (12pm), Annandale Leeroy & The Rats: The Kent Hotel, Hamilton The Covers Show: The King Street Brewhouse, Sydney Hornet: The Mark Hotel, Lambton The Jaded Vanities: The Vanguard, Newtown L.i.D: Town And Country Hotel, St Peters The Johnny Cass Band: Towradgi Beach Hotel (Waves), Towradgi

TUE 27

Jess Green’s Bright Sparks + Survival Of The Fiddes: 107 Projects, Redfern Old School Funk & Groove Night: 505, Surry Hills Open Mic Night: Avoca Beach Hotel, Avoca Beach Enmore Comedy Club feat. Dom Irrera: Enmore Theatre, Enmore Kieren Glasgow: Ettalong Beach Club, Ettalong Beach Simon Kennedy: Harold Park Hotel, Glebe Game + Special Guests: Metro Theatre, Sydney Rolling Stone Live Lodge feat. Glass Towers + Melody Pool: Name This Bar, Darlinghurst Rob Henry: Observer Hotel, The Rocks Nick Kingswell: Orient Hotel, Sydney The Basement Big Band: The Basement, Circular Quay Tuesday Night Live: The Kent Hotel, Hamilton Stephanie Grace: The Local Taphouse, Darlinghurst

All Star Afternoon Tea Acoustic Band + Various: Trinity Bar, Surry Hills

1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 75

eat/drink

POLE POSITION Dylan Stewart debunks European myths to experience some new flavours that have long been bringing people together. Pic by Holly Engelhardt.

do my shopping at the market. Given the hordes at the Queen Victoria and Preston markets in Melbourne, and Paddy’s and the Parramatta Farmers Market in Sydney, I’m not the only one. The meat section brims with glory, the fish section has a fresh appeal and the general mayhem of the fruit area is enough to drive anyone to spend $20 on blueberries in the middle of winter. But without fail, the best place in any market is the deli. Offering meats, pickles, cheeses and strange, mysterious delights, it’s a place where foreign tin cans line the counters, offering wondrous preserves and unique flavour experiences to those who dare sample from their contents. And it’s as good a place as any to discover European cuisine. As little as five years ago, to hear a restaurant labelled as ‘European’ would mean Italian influences, some Greek and French smatterings offered, and perhaps tapas or a schnitzel. Nowadays, the proliferation of European restaurants is, like the cuisine itself, subtle but satisfying. With the Cold and Balkan Wars ending in the past 25 years and the subsequent tensions settling in the time since, emigrants (and their offspring) in Australia are now focusing on life enjoyment rather than pure survival. A generation of chefs are drawing inspiration from their ancestors to bring their traditional dishes to an Australian public on the lookout for a wholesome, friendly dining experience. One such purveyor is Daniel Dobra, head chef of Melbourne’s soon-to-be-open Brutale. Having grown up in a proud Croatian household in Esperance, Western Australia, Dobra has spent most of his life working in hospitality in WA and Victoria. “My goal through Brutale is to break down the stereotypes related to European food,” Dobra said. “I want to educate the people of Australia [on] the true beauty that lies hidden within Eastern and Central Europe’s food, drink and culture.” With 20-plus countries, a population of over 400 million, and a fractured, still-developing history, this might seem a large task, but it’s one that he’s up for.

76 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

TOP EUROPEAN DISHES

PIEROGI Dumplings first boiled then baked or fried, usually in butter with onions. They are normally stuffed with sauerkraut, ground meat or cheese.

“I think due to the nature and trends of Australia, a majority of people these days want a high quality meal at an affordable price with not too much fuss and hassle when they go out for dinner. People want to eat food that they can share with their friends and family. The days of single entree, main course and dessert are not over, but people want simple pleasures they can relate to. European food is extremely simple, can be made at low cost and can be shared and enjoyed by one and all.” After speaking to Dobra, I decide to test his theory, and after visiting Babcia (grandmother) at Preston Market’s Slovonia Deli and Peter Langtry’s Polish Deli at the Queen Vic Market I arrive home with a Slovenian salami, Polish wedding sausage, Baltic pickled herring, pierogis and the ingredients for ćevapi, börek, borscht beef and fritule. With the borscht beef – beetroots, diced beef, shredded cabbage and onions – slow-cooking for five hours, it’s not difficult to recruit some friends to give their opinions on my European smorgasbord. Ćevapi, hand-rolled pork and beef mince sausages cooked tenderly on the barbecue, whets their appetites as the spicy beef börek is pulled from the oven. The borscht beef is the perfect meal for a cold winter’s day, warming the insides of everyone at the table as it’s washed down with wine. Finally, the fritule, or Croatian donuts, are the piece de resistance. Kneaded dough with raisins, lemon zest and brandy, the spoonfuls of mixture sizzle temptingly in an oil-filled pan, before they are drizzled with extra brandy, dusted with icing sugar and served hot. Sure, the ingredients in European food are not groundbreaking. They do, however, have the ability to draw friends and family together and warm the soul. Goulash, rakija (fermented fruit-based liquor), and anything cooked in a peka (a cast-iron dish in which meat is cooked in a wood-fired oven) have had Europeans loving and laughing around the dinner table for centuries. For Daniel Dobra, the goal is simple: “I just want to share the true beauty of Eastern European food.” It shouldn’t be too difficult.

POLISH SAUSAGE WITH PICKLES This is an arvo dish best eaten with vodka.

BORSCHT The worst soup to eat if you’re wearing a white top. Served hot or cold, Borscht is a beetroot based soup.

eat/drink

HOT SPOT

MEXICO FOOD AND LIQUOR, 17 RANDLE ST, SURRY HILLS

FOOD TRIPPIN’ EATING AROUND THE USA WITH SOFIE MUCENIEKAS AND LLOYD HONEYBROOK

PORTLAND

We waited for 90 mins to get into the famous Screen Door for this. Chicken and mother flippin’ waffles. Three-tiered mouthwatering chicken on a thick Belgian waffle with organic maple, a side of candied praline bacon (whaaaat?!) and a Bloody Mary (smoked paprika rim bitche$!) w @lloydhoneybrook #whywecamehere #doubledate — with Lloyd James Honeybrook.

THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 77

sport

5 SPORTS YOU DON’T KNOW YET Scott Fitzsimons discovers five sports he might actually excel in. in

re you starting to realise that you’re never going to make it to the Olympics? You’ll never get to party in the athletes’ village and never earn the right to get the Olympic rings tattooed on your arm. It’s a depressing fact that most of us have to come to terms with… but there’s a cure. We’ve had a look through the margins of the organised sport canon and found there are at least five less-than-mainstream but still incredibly prestigious sports you can earn that arm tatt in.

CHESSBOXING Pretty self-explanatory: you start with a chess game and then jump in the boxing ring, take a minute’s rest and then do it over again. Bout ends when someone loses either the chess game or the fight, with each getting more difficult to concentrate on over the course of 11 rounds (six chess, five boxing). Mainly played by Germans and Russians, it’s yet to really take off in Australia, which gives us a unique opportunity to get in early and organise a ‘National Championship’ before a real governing body notices. Not to be confused with the traditional Australian ‘pub chess’, where if you lose the game you belt the bloke opposite you with what’s left of your schooner.

VIGORO Mainly played by women, Vigoro is a cricket hybrid, with paddles instead of bats and two ‘bowlers’ (chucking is encouraged) at a time from the one end of a pitch. Most popular in New South Wales, it tends to confuse the hell out of people when played after the morning kids’ cricket divisions finish up. The sport enjoyed a hint of popularity earlier this century, but has since found itself overshadowed by traditional cricket given that the national women’s team is doing so much better than the men’s. There is a real chance that you could walk into the Australian squad now.

RIDE-ON LAWN MOWER RACING This is probably the greatest human pursuit of all time. Born during a lunch session in an English 78 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

pub by a group of blokes who wanted a cheap motorsport alternative, it involves taking the blades out of your ride-on mower and modifying the engine, according to stringent technical regulations, so that it becomes a triumph of engineering and speed. Sir Stirling Moss and Derek Bell (Formula 1 and Le Mans legends respectively) took part in the first ever 12-hour lawn mower enduro in the late ‘70s (they only bloody won), setting the tone for one of the most illustrious events on the international sporting calendar. There is a local association, so get off your arse and we’ll see you at the Deni Ute Muster meeting.

COMBAT JUGGLING

Juggling in an arena where, as well as throwing your batons up in the air and catching them again, you’re using one of said batons to whack your opponent’s. Fast-paced and sometimes brutal, Major League Contact promotes game variations such as ‘Kill The King’, ‘Sumo’ and ‘Zombie’. There is, however, a feeling that it is made up of all the kids who not only couldn’t make the cross country team, but were overlooked for the school tunnel ball squad as well. It looks pretty bloody hard, but so is cutting off your own thumb with a butter knife or ‘drifting’ in motorsports – a lot of dedication, will power and practice goes in, but at the end of the day you still look like a moron.

TASMANIAN APPLE & SALMON RACE

Let’s be honest, any reason to go to Tassie (and we mean any reason) is a good reason. If you need to spend an afternoon standing by a river with a Boag’s Draught in hand and one eye on an apple floating down the stream then count us the fuck in. The Huon Apple and Salmon race is an annual fundraiser for the local Rotary club, and while postponed for this year (local power struggle, we reckon) that just gives us more time to perfect our release technique and ability to identify the fastest rips. You may think that dropping an apple or fake salmon in a river may be all about luck, but that’s what separates the champions from the pretenders.

FACT:

The 12-hour lawn mower race in West Sussex is the pinnacle of human endurance.

FACT:

Everything should always be played to raise money for Tasmanian Rotary Clubs.

FACT:

We could not confirm that anyone who plays Combat Juggling has ever been laid.

lifestyle

TWEETRATURE? Usingg twitter in the wayy one might g write a haiku, haiku, Nigeriang American writer Teju j Cole has been creating a new kind of literature, literature as Oliver Coleman discovers.

eju Cole, the Nigerian-American author, began writing on twitter as an exercise in form. Initially, he was responding to the work of Félix Fénéon, a Parisian writer who worked during the early 20th century. Fénéon wrote fait divers, a type of short newspaper article that was usually grim, darkly humorous and with Fénéon’s touch, pointedly ironic: A dishwasher from Nancy, Vital Frérotte, who had just come back from Lourdes cured forever of tuberculosis, died Sunday by mistake. Cole appropriated the form of the fait divers as a homage to Fénéon and titled his own work, Small Fates. He began the project while researching an upcoming nonfiction work about daily life in contemporary Lagos, the Nigerian metropolis where he grew up. His mission was

to show the complexities of Lagos, a place so often thought about in the “broad and meaningless category of Africa”. Cole wanted “to show that what happens in the rest of the world happens in Nigeria too, with a little craziness all our own mixed in.” He discovered that the fait divers was the perfect fit for the 140 character limitations of twitter: Pastor Ogbeke, preaching fervently during a storm in Obrura, received fire from heaven, in the form of lightning, and died. Or,“Nobody shot anybody,” the Abuja police spokesman confirmed, after the driver Stephen, 35, shot by Abuja police, almost died. Cole articulates the delight of crafting the perfectly balanced small fate; he worked each tweet through around 12 drafts. “Somehow, some of them were so odd and so shocking that people started to pay attention.” Cole’s following began to increase and he now has over 100,000 followers. Part of the attraction of twitter for Cole was the “eruptive” potential of a conscientiously

composed tweet that could strike through an otherwise unremarkable twitter feed. “I knew that each day, as I was writing, that timelines are filled with other kinds of narratives or information and so there was a sense of, not a wish to shock, but a wish to arrive in people’s timelines; in a sense to arrive in their consciousness with something different.” There are the obvious obstructions when writing on twitter: it’s fragmented and ephemeral. Cole points out that while writing a book is “a marathon”, writing on twitter is more of a “long jump”. Twitter does however enable direct and immediate contact between writer and audience. The foremost attraction for the artist working on twitter is it solves the problem of distribution. While writing itself is not prohibitively expensive, the actual costs of publishing are. “Twitter is kind of a wonderful, peculiar solution to that problem. Let’s say you have 200 followers. That’s 200 people you can send out a thought to in an unmediated way. If you happen to have 10,000 followers, or one-hundred thousand, or one million, then the scale of the thing is actually quite staggering.” After Cole had written several thousand Small Fates the project came to a natural conclusion as he began to work on other projects. A recent work that extended its life beyond twitter was Seven Short Stories About Drones. Cole took the opening lines of famous works of literature that introduced their famed characters and interrupted their narratives with targeted strikes by military drones. He questions how the United States government has assassinated upwards of 5000 people in its drone war. “The reason a crime of that scale could just happen was because these people... were not treated as if they were real human beings. There was an empathy gap; a failure of compassion somewhere in there.” Cole sought to bridge that gap by replacing the nameless, faceless targets of the assassinations with characters with whom we hold ongoing and deeply empathetic relationships. “You can’t do that to Mrs Dalloway. You can’t kill her off just like that. But this is what the US was and is doing to actual real life human beings whom we do not know.” THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 79

travel

SONGS FOR SWAZILAND Two Australian volunteers with two completely different skill sets have joined forces in Swaziland to boost the pride and identity of rural Swazi women through song. Myles Mumford and Isabel Ross talk about their experience.

CURRENT ASSIGNMENTS ON AUSTRALIAN VOLUNTEERS INTERNATIONAL Forestry Management Trainer – The United Republic of Tanzania Auto Electrics Technical Instructor – The United Republic of Tanzania Midwifery Tutor – Ethiopia Surgeon – The United Republic of Tanzania Physiotherapist – Namibia Accountant – Papua New Guinea Vocational Education Mentor – Solomon Islands Medical Supplies Support Officer – Solomon Islands

waziland is one of the last remaining absolute monarchies in the world. To visitors, it appears like an idyllic kingdom that escapes the conflict and poverty of other African countries. However, to those that live there, Swaziland paints a very different picture. With just one million people in a country half the size of Tasmania, Swaziland suffers the highest rates of HIV in the world, and the lowest life expectancy. Around one-third of women are sexually abused by the time they turn 18 and, until recently, women were considered minors under the legal guardianship of their husbands. This juxtaposition leaves volunteers like Myles Mumford and Isabel Ross constantly reframing their views and expectations. “One day I’m Skyping my family in Australia, then the next day I’ll be talking to a teenage girl who is forced to sell her body just so that she can eat,” says Mumford. One thing that Swaziland does enjoy, though, is a love of music. Thanks to radio, music such as reggae, gospel and house can be heard blaring everywhere you go, especially in restaurants and on public transport. Radio reigns supreme, forming the main means of mass communication in the country because it’s free and easily accessible by all. Despite the musical obsession, the local music scene in Swaziland is very small. Musical equipment including instruments are very expensive; recording and production costs are very high and often poor quality; plus, there is no copyright control or royalties in the country. As a result, musicians there make very little money except through the occasional live performance or sponsorship deals, and many try to develop their careers in South Africa, leaving a massive brain drain. Myles Mumford is a recording engineer with Lusweti Institute for Health Development 80 • THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013

Communication. During his time in Swaziland, Mumford has been able to build a recording studio with a grant from the Australian High Commission. Using this, he has produced local radio content and created a number of musical projects around positive social behavioral change. Meanwhile, Isabel Ross works as a Health Program Advisor with Gone Rural boMake (‘women’), a community development organisation that works with 800 women artisans and their communities on health, education, water, sanitation and women’s empowerment initiatives. Seeing the joy that singing gives to women in Swaziland, Ross and Mumford decided to team up and record six groups of Gone Rural artisans singing their choice of traditional songs. Seventyone women donned traditional dress and walked miles to be a part of the recordings, which despite the sometimes heartbreaking lyrics, they sang with great gusto and joy. Many commented that they came because they wanted to use their talents to spread their message to the world through song. “We chose these songs because they have meaning in our lives as women. Life can be hard in Swaziland, but as women we are powerful, and we know that we have the strength to face these challenges,” said Nokuthula from Lavumisa. “Singing is a great way for us to come together and celebrate as women.” The songs have been compiled into an album that is being sold through Gone Rural stores and online to raise funds for Gone Rural boMake’s projects. In addition to this, Mumford has recorded an album of Lubombo musicians to raise funds for Swaziland’s first community radio station.

Researcher/ Campaign Officer – Lebanon Audiologist – Namibia To hear the music, and to support these projects, please go to: gonerural. bandcamp.com or lubombocomm unityradio. bandcamp.com For more info on becoming a volunteer head to: australian volunteers.com

culture One photograph. Every day for a year. Plus a quote – an overheard statement, a song lyric, a passage from a book – Anything, as long as it was text. What followed became a strange, unwieldy, funny, silly and occasionally strangely profound portrait of 365 days featuring the people I loved and the curious things I photograph for money in the independent theatre industry. People started getting competitive about being quoted. It all got joyously out of hand. And it gave me a year’s worth of memories to clutch onto. sarahwalkerphotos. com

CLUTCH

A 365 day project by photographer Sarah Walker.

THE MUSIC • 21ST AUGUST 2013 • 81

the end

NON-PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS POT

CHEMICAL MAKEUP Grass clippings from the MCG, SCG and the Gabba.

KNOWN FOR? Helping you believe that you can reach the top.

LIKELY USER University Games team.

PROS? Great team-building exercise.

CONS? Funds allocated for training equipment diverted into extra-cheesy Doritos storage.

KROKODIL CHEMICAL MAKEUP

Extreme morphine laced with white line fever.

KNOWN FOR? Being Russia’s most devastating drug/playing mind games with the other teams.

LIKELY USER Team Russia.

PROS? Scaly skin makes it easy to identify other teammates.

CONS? You’re usually dead within a month, so teams will likely offer you match payments over a three-year-contract.

HEROIN

CHEMICAL MAKEUP The tears of your enemies.

KNOWN FOR? An effective painkiller to smash through the barrier of that snapped Achilles.

LIKELY USER Wooden spooners.

PROS? The feeling of winning, all the time, every time.

CONS? Hard to take a top-up mid-game.

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