Issue 1402

33,560 OCTOBER 2012 MARCH 2013 - AUSTRALIA’S HIGHEST CIRCULATING STREET PRESS

DE LA SOUL

LEE FIELDS

STICKY FINGERS

MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA

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NEWSDESK

LOCAL NEWS

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GLOBAL NEWS

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

GOD BLESS THE FUCKIN’ LOT OF US IN 2014 X-Press Magazine extends its warmest 2014 wishes to all our readers, clients, friends, lovers, rivals, penpals, co-conspirators and Facebook friends. Thank you for being you so that we can keep being us. Happy New Year!

LATEST BUZZ

ANTARCTIC MONKEYS BENNY B GOODE Are you a loud and angsty youth? Melbourne punk rock outfit The Bennies will be heading down to Perth as part of their Knights Forever tour. Fresh from the Asia, the group will be chilling out over Christmas before kicking it off again in the New Year.

The quartet coming straight from playing Melbourne Soundwave to perform at YaYa’s on Thursday, March 6, before hitting up Bunbury at the Prince of Wales Hotel on Friday. Tickets available at the door.

Sheffield rockers and geographically misplaced simians, Arctic Monkeys have just released a special extended edition of their 2013 hit album AM on iTunes, featuring live tracks of the Arctic Monkeys playing the iTunes Festival this year. Of course, if you want to see the ballsy Brits yourself, they’ll be heading down to the land girt by sea (we’re just absolutely girt by it) next year at the Perth Arena on Tuesday, May 13. Tickets are on sale now from Ticketek, but be swift, for the Adelaide tickets have already sold out.

The Fly By Night’s Fly Trap will hit the new year running, with Fremantle electro-swing outfit, Ensemble Formidable’s tour homecoming and EP launch on Sunday, January 12; The Crimson ProjecKCT featuring members of King Crimson performing the band’s music the following Tuesday; Canadian alt-rock quartet Half Moon Run hitting the Perth leg of their tour on Thursday, and a night dedicated to disco, featuring entertainment by DJ Barry Simpson on Saturday, January 18. Tickets are on sale at the door or through the flybynight.org.

Ensemble Formidable

BEACH BIRDS Didn’t get to see Birds Of Tokyo this year? They’ll becoming back on Saturday, February 8, to headline the final day of the Summerset Arts Festival at the Scarborough Beach Amphitheatre. Their quadrupleplatinum-winning song Lanterns has become staple listening for the nation since its release as a single this year, so if you fancy seeing it played alongside the rest of their back-catalogue with the band’s engaging live charisma, then make sure you head down to Scarborough Beach. The event starts at 7pm, and, oh, did we mention it’s a free gig?

Birds Of Tokyo

Arctic Monkeys

The Bennies

CLANCY’S CARAVAN

FADE TO BLACKTOWN MUSCLE-SEE MOVIE Luna Outdoor Cinemas is holding a screening of Muscle Shoals. A documentary about the tiny Alabama town that provided the birthplace of ‘60s funk and soul, it includes interviews with a cohort of musos, including Bobby Womack, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Picket and Keith Richards. Opening night starts at 7pm on Saturday, January 11, and the screening continues until the following Wednesday.

The event will feature wine, pizza and Little Creatures Ale. Tickets are just over $17 and available from the Luna Cinemas website, so if you’ve ever wondered where the music from those old Scorsese flicks came from, head on down.

Playing the Claremont Showgrounds on Sunday, February 2, Blacktown-hailing metalcore band Northlane will be completing a run of shows with the Big Day Out before heading on a world-wide tour, kicking off with a North American tour with Bring Me The Horizon. Reaching international acclaim this year for their breakthrough album Singularity, the band has been touring pretty much non-stop. Tickets are on sale now for next year’s festival from the Big Day Out website, starting at $185. So if you like metalcore and pale, long-haired men standing around looking serious, pick up your tickets now.

KISSING CONTEST

Clancy’s Fish Pub will be holding an acoustic double bill of Fremantle ex-pat, Carus Thompson and local folker, Prita on Australia Day, Saturday, January 25.

Thompson will be promoting his newly-released albums, Caravan and Acoustic At The Norfolk Vol II, while Prita will be busting out tunes from her own recently-released, soul-inspired album, Fairytales.

Tickets are available from Heatseeker and Oztix, and doors open 8pm, so spend your balmy night in style and head down!

Buffalo-based, female-fronted folk act Lemuria will be gearing up for their first Australian tour, with a show at The Rosemount Hotel on Wednesday, January 29, promoting the band’s recently-released third studio album, The Distance Is So Big; full of bright, twangy guitar and catchy lyrical hooks. Lemuria will be dropping the tunes sans support act Kissing Booth, because, let’s face it, Perth is really, really far away from everything (but it’s so close to us). Doors open 8pm; tickets are available now from Oztix for just under $30.

Carus Thompson

Lemuria

Northlane

Bobby Womack

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

THE BAR THAT ROCKED

In the inevitable conjoining of rock music and a bunch of actual rocks, Eskimo Joe, The Waifs and John Williamson are set to play the 2014 Airnorth Kimberley Moon Experience at the Jim Hughes Amphitheatre in Kununurra on Saturday, May 24. The outdoor event is part of the overall Argyle Diamonds Ord Valley Muster festival, and a perfect opportunity to have a picnic under the stars while listening to some bands that are as Australian as dualistic cultural identities and Clive Palmer’s crazy-ass conspiracy theories. Tickets are available from Ticketek.

For those of you born in the wrong decade, RTRFM will be celebrating 30 years of its specialist program Woodstock Rock with their own mini Woodstock at Mojos Bar on Friday, January 17. Starting from 8pm, the show will feature psych-rockers and members of Deep River Collective, Shallow Creek; local garage supergroup, Thee Children of Nuggets; folk musicians, Kevin Chenell and Sam Blight, and the Woodstock Rock DJs. Tickets available from the RTRFM website, or at the door for $15.

Eskimo Joe

Deep River Collective

ROLL IN THE NEW It’s the time of year for tradition and one of the best ones is the Rosemount Hotel’s New Year’s Eve Fiesta.

And so it goes that on Tuesday, December 31, the goodness that is Abbe May, The Kill Devil Hills, Split Seconds, Simone & Girlfunkle, Huge Magnet, The Floors, Patient Little Sister and DJ Shannon Fox will sprinkle down on those wishing to rock’n’roll in the New Year. Tickets available now from 78 Records, Mills Records, Planet Video and the venue. For more details head to rosemounthotel.com.au.

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N E W S L E T T E R - S I G N U P AT W W W. X P R E S S M AG . C O M . A U F O R E XC L U S I V E C O M P S

PRINT AND DIGITAL EDITIONS PUBLISHER/MANAGER Joe Cipriani

EDITORIAL - 9213 2888 MANAGING EDITOR Bob Gordon: editor@xpressmag.com.au DANCE MUSIC & FEATURES EDITOR Rachel Davison: danceeditor@xpressmag.com.au LOCAL MUSIC & ARTS EDITOR Travis Johnson: localmusicarts@xpressmag.com.au GIG & EVENT GUIDES CO-ORDINATOR guide@xpressmag.com.au COMPETITIONS win@xpressmag.com.au For band gigs and launches - plugyourgig@xpressmag.com.au

BONJAH

PHOTOGRAPHY Rachael Barrett, Stefan Caramia, Guang-Hui Chuan, Daniel Craig, Brandon D’Silva, Max Fairclough, Daniel Grant, Sammy Granville, Matt Jelonek, Emma Mackenzie, Callum Ponton, Denis Radacic, Bohdan Warchomij, Michael Wylie

Melbourne Blues/rock four-piece, Bonjah are heading out on a summer tour to promote their new single, Blue Tone Black Heart. It follows on from Evolution earlier this year, and is packed full of riffs, rhythms and melodic hooks. Support comes from Jack Stirling, previously of the Joe Kings. Catch them on Thursday, January 9 at the Prince Of Wales, Bunbury; on Friday, January 10 at Redcliffe On The Murray, Pinjarra; Saturday, January 11 at Mojos and Sunday, January 12 at Indi Bar. Get your tickets from bonjahmusic.com and/or to win a double pass to the Indi Bar or Mojos show, email: win@xpressmag.com.au.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Leah Blankendaal, Nina Bertok, Lucas Bowers, Aaron Bryans, Joe Cassidy, Hayley Davis, Chris Gibbs, Alfred Gorman, Shaun Cowe, Predrag Delibasich, Jayde Ferguson, George Green, Alex Griffin, James Hanlon, Chris Havercroft, Joshua Hayes, Brendan Holben, Coral Huckstep, Ellie Hutchinson, Rezo Kezerashvili, Tom Kitson, Clayton Lin, Charlie Lewis, Daisy Lythe, Andrew Nelson, David O’Connell, Shane Pinnegar, Nick Sweepah, Jessica Willoughby

Bonjah

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PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT - 9213 2854 CONTENT COORDINATOR Anthony Jackson - production@xpressmag.com.au ART DIRECTOR Dwight O’Neil DESIGN + PRODUCTION Andy Quilty, Anthony Jackson, Kasia Mazurkiewicz

THE RAILWAY MAN Based on Eric Lomax’s memoir, The Railway Man is an inspiring true story of heroism, humanity and the redeeming power of love - starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. The story goes something like this: On his return from war, Eric is tormented by his memories and trapped by a code of silence that will destroy him, until the determination of the woman he loves gives him the strength to face and survive the battlefield of his mind. Read a review and interview with the director in this week’s Eye4. It opens in cinemas on Boxing Day and to win one of ten double passes valid for the season: email: win@ xpressmag.com.au.

STICKY FINGERS

Colin Firth in The Railway Man

Sydney garage-pop four-piece, Sticky Fingers are bringing their antics back to Perth next Tuesday, December 31 for a New Years Eve show at Capitol, following their infamous appearance at Rottofest early in the year.

But shenanigans aside, it’ll be a party with support from local lads Stillwater Giants, NSW’s Lyall Moloney, plus Death Disco DJs and Micah. Get your tickets from Ticketbooth and Oztix or if you’re lucky you might just walk away with one of two double passes by emailing: win@xpressmag.com.au.

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Sticky Fingers

EDITORIAL DEADLINES General: Friday 5pm, Eye4 Arts: Thursday 10am, WIN: Friday 5pm, Salt Clubs: Monday 5pm , Local Scene: Monday Noon, Gig Guide: Monday 5pm ADVERTISING DEADLINES Cancellations: Monday 5pm, Ads to be set: Monday Noon Supplied Bookings / Copy: Tuesday 12 Noon, Classifieds: Monday 4pm Published by: Columbia Press Pty.Ltd. A.C.N. 066 570 803 Registered by Australia Post. Publication No PP600110.00006 Suite 55/102 Railway Street, City West Business Centre, West Perth, WA 6005 Locked Bag 31, West Perth, WA 6872 Phone: (08) 9213 2888 Fax: (08) 9213 2882 Website: http://www.xpressmag.com.au WARRANTY AND INDEMNITY Advertisers and/or their agents by lodging an advertisment shall indemnify the publisher, and its agents, against all liability claims or proceedings whatsoever arising from the publication. Advertisers and/or their representatives indemnify the publisher in relation to defamation, slander, breach of copyright, infringement of trademarks of name of publication titles, unfair competition or trade practices, royalties or violation of rights or privacy and warrant that the material complies with revelant laws and regulations and that its publication will not give rise to any rights against or liabilities in the publisher, its servants or agents. Any material supplied to X-Press is at the contributor’s risk.

33,560 OCTOBER 2012 MARCH 2013 - AUSTRALIA’S HIGHEST CIRCULATING STREET PRESS

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ROOFTOP MOVIES

BAMBOO OUTDOOR CINEMA

Rooftop Movies, the pop-up venue on top of the Roe Street car park, Northbridge has kicked off its season, which runs until April 2014. The venue is open nightly from 6pm (excluding Mondays) and there’s something for everyone including old gems, blockbusters and cult and art house movies. Head to rooftopmovies.com.au to check out the program and buy tickets, or enter now by emailing: win@xpressmag.com.au and you might win yourself a double pass, valid until January 23.

bamBOO is Perth’s newest outdoor cinema and a teaming up of Luna Palace Cinemas and Luxe Bar. It’s situated just behind Luxe in Highgate and features a tropical, amphitheatre style seating and film’s that are a mix of contemporary favourites, cult classics and some premieres including Her, The Great Beauty and Dallas Buyers Club. You can BYO food (or order from Ace Pizza next door) with doors opening at 6pm and the films starting at 8pm. To win one of five double in-season passes valid until February 2 - email: win@xpressmag.com.au.

Photo by John Leonard

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STEREOSONIC FESTIVAL ANTHEMS If you’re already pining for the EDM festivities just gone, you might want to relive the weekend by getting your hands on a copy of Stereosonic Festival Anthems 2013 - a two disc continuous DJ mix overflowing with the biggest names from the event including David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Armin Van Buuren, Axwell, Empire Of The Sun, Afrojack, Alesso, Zedd, Sebastian Ingrosso, Tommy Trash, The Bloody Beetroots, Porter Robinson, Bingo Players, Hot Natured, Nero, Will Sparks, ShockOne, Clockwork and more. To win one of five copies, email: win@ xpressmag.com.au and in just a few words, tell us what the highlight of Stereosonic was for you.

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FLESH

NEWS - INTERVIEWS - REVIEWS - CONTENTS

BASTILLE STORMING THROUGH British electronic rock quartet and symbol of monarchic oppression in revolutionary France, Bastille will be returning to Australia next year to play the Challenge Stadium of Wednesday, June 18. Returning after this year’s epic tour, supporting their breakthrough album, Bad Blood, the band will be performing alongside anthemic electro songstress, Foxes and rockin’ hip-hop DJ, Alice In Wonderland. Tickets on sale now from Ticketek starting at just over $70.

Bastille

SAMBA CELEBRATION If outdoor entertainment is more your thing, hit up Carnivàle at The Garden this New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31. Modelled on the grand street party of Brazil, the vibe is extravagant dress, luxurious canapés and prolific partying; with a fire show, sexy samba dancers and a giant bird on stilts. Celebrations start at 7pm and go until 2am, so bring in the New Year in style – getting drunk with Big Bird. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketbooth, or at the door for $75.

STICKY FINGERS

songs and next thing it was 20 past 12 and we were a bit like ‘oh shit, happy new years!’ This time it might be an idea to have a big clock or something.

Sydney dub-funsters Sticky Fingers play Capitol on New Years Eve with support from Stillwater Giants, Lyall Moloney, Micah and the Death Disco DJs. TRAVIS JOHNSON had a quick word with bass player, Paddy Cornwall.

How was 2013 for you guys?

2013 has been by bloody tip top. Two soldout Aussie national tours and our first Euro trip. We packed out joints in Amsterdam, London and Paris to crowds of fans we didn’t even know existed. On top of that we dropped our debut album, ranked #61 in the Hottest 100, and had a shitload of fun. To cap it all off we’ve spent the last three weeks recording album number two and it’s sounding hot. We’re really stepping it up and it feels like we’re onto something a little special. The whole year has been a high point.

The only low being the hangovers and the occasional blue between the lads. We’re brothers in arms though so it’s all dust in the wind with that crap.

So, first let’s address the elephant in the room: what’s the fallout from the Rottnest incident? Any chance this NYE gig coincides with a court date?

A great weekend that was over in WA. And yeah, it was a bit of a mess with Dizza’s (Dylan Frost, vocalist) arrest. His next court case isn’t ‘til February next year, but a gig coinciding is a tip top idea. Cheers for the light bulb. We usually spend New Years on the other side of Oz so it will be nice to mix it up a bit.

There’s a pretty strong and rowdy Sticky following over in Perth. We have a really memorable time every time we come, despite the few hiccups that happen here and there.

What’s 2014 hold in store for you?

Sticky Fingers is pretty much the hardest working band in Australia and 2014 is showing no sign of slowing up. Road warriors we are and will remain. The band’ll be around Australia and Europe a couple times with single releases off the sophomore album before dropping the full record at the brink of summer. We love making video clips so there’ll be a bunch more of those coming your way too. It also looks like we’ll be touring New Zealand for the first time. Dizza is especially excited about this, being a lad from Auckland, and not having returned home since moving to Sydney back in 2006.

With that in mind, does this mean we’ll be getting a more subdued Sticky Fingers show this time around?

Subdued? Forget about it! It’s New Year’s Eve at the Capitol. The show will be a firecracker. I hope we nail the count down this year. We did the countdown at Woodford up in Queensland once and messed it up a little. Don’t get me wrong, the show was a corker. The band was just really into playing the

Anything else we need to know?

If you’re a Sticky fan just get as excited as we are about the new album coming next year. Dann Hume is once again producing the thing, sitting in the studio up in Byron as we speak and it’s all coming to together beautifully. The first single is dropping with a video clip in February. Have a happy holidays and be good to your people. Lots of love from all the lads!

They Fought The Law

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News Win Flesh Music Grizzly Bear / Bombino / Emma Louise New Noise - Top 10 Albums of 2013 The Ultimate Guide To The New Year Lee Fields & The Expressions Melbourne Ska Orchestra De La Soul Eye4 Cover: The Railway Man The Hobbit / The Gilded Cage Year In Review Arts Listings Salt Cover: Anna Lunnoe News / Producer’s Cut / Salt Nights Out Yolanda Be Cool / Hedflux / Soul Clap Club Manual Rewind: Guti Scene The Best Of Live 2013 The Weapon Is Sound Local Scene Tour Eugene Hideaway Bridges Tour Trails Gig Guide Volume

FRONT COVER: London Grammar makes

their debut appearance at Southbound, playing the Share Stage on Saturday, January 4 at Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton.

SALT COVER: Anna Lunoe headlines the Coconut

Club at Southbound on Friday, January 3.

UNDER THE SUN Perth-based electro-indie duo, Sun City, will be launching into the new year with an Australian summer tour, finishing off at Amplifier on Saturday, February 1. Having supported British dance artist, Example this year, as well as releasing two singles, All We See and Colour Blind, the band is ready to rock out and play some live shows. Tickets are yet to be announced, but will be available from the Amplifier website, so make sure you keep an eye out.

Sun City

LEEDY BIKINI If you’re heading down to The Leederville this New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31, prepare yourself for the sight of scantily-clad men and women enjoying the sand and sprinklers of the Leederville Hotel’s Beach Party New Year’s Eve. The celebrations will feature 80 tonnes of sand, bikini and board shorts competitions, and entertainment from DJ Reuben and a mystery guest. Tickets are on sale from Ticketbooth, or at the door for $35.

LONDON GRAMMAR The Song Remains The Same Dot Major, appropriately, is in London.

It’s a rare moment at home for the London Grammar multi-instrumentalist as the band’s debut LP, If You Wait, has beguiled music lovers the world over and the trio have been travelling to accommodate demand. BOB GORDON reports.

If You Wait was released in September, only months after the appetising EP, Metal & Dust EP. “I think the album has a lot of things that the EP was heading towards,” Major says. “Wasting My Young Years was on the EP as well and is more in line with the classic pop songwriting on the album.

The album also has that Hey Now vibe, with that kind of production. So there was more extremes on the album, which made it more exiting for us.”

The moodiness of Hey Now does well to encapsulate an overall quality in London Grammar.

Vocalist Hannah Reid’s distinctive voice lending a hard-to-pin hue to the intimacy of the hit single.

“I think Hey Now was a great way of introducing the band to the world,” Major says. “The aesthetic and the sound of it is just so perfect for us.

It really hit a nerve, that track.

“I think the way that the EP runs and the way it was produced and then received made it quite impossible to leave some of those tracks off the album. So that’s why there’s Hey Now, Metal And Dust and Wasting My Young Years all on the album, but that’s only a fraction of it. There’s lots to it.”

If You Wait was recorded over a period of 18 months. Even so, there are songs that pre-date when recording commenced.

“There’s songs written before we had the idea that we might even be able to make an album,” Major says. “Hannah wrote the song, If You Wait, a long time ago and there’s Flickers, which the three of us wrote a couple of years ago as well. We just didn’t know we’d be making an album at that time.

It’s important for us to keep those songs as remnant of where it began. Flickers is mainly guitar and vocals and that’s come from how we used to sound. It’s important to keep that as part of the whole fabric of the album.”

Over that 18 months Major noticed a change in the band, as the trio became more confident in their own songwriting abilities as well being as the studio itself.

“Definitely. I think the way we write together has stayed the same but the aesthetic really

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is very different. As an example Hey Now was written in the mid-to-late period of the album and that became more of a sonic blueprint for how we wanted other stuff to sound so we went back reproduce stuff like Wasting My Young Years, so it was more in line with stuff like Hey Now. So the songs would remain the same but the production on them would change to fit more with our changing sound.

“What happened more and more as a band was that the later it went on, the more similar the songs became from when we’d written them to when they were recorded by the band. We knew more of what we wanted and the producers, Tim Bran and Roy Kerr, were giving us more of our own space.

“The more it went on the more we just left our songs the same; when we first started out we were all new to it and excited by the possibilities we had the chance of utilising. Songs would change from their original form and end up becoming too big or just having too much stuff on them. We kind of had a crisis and realised that all we needed was some space and we could strip them back again.”

“The more it went on the more we just left our songs the same; when we first started out we were all new to it and excited by the possibilities we had the chance of utilising. Songs would change from their original form and end up becoming too big or just having too much stuff on them. We kind of had a crisis and realised that all we needed was some space and we could strip them back again.”

With all that reflection going on into their music it’s important that amongst the three there’s mix of perfection and imperfection.

“We’re on a scale with that, I think,” Major says. “We could go on forever with songs; Hannah’s definitely a perfectionist, as am I in some ways. But Hannah would go on forever; it just drives her insane.

She doesn’t sleep at night with the thought of one synth sound being slightly wrong. I get annoyed if the sounds of things aren’t quite right.

“Dan (Rothman, guitar) is more of an imperfectionist; he believes that often the way things are originally are the best. Sometimes the discrepancies on a record are what makes it, it’s what gives it the character. So we have both sides - if we had just Hannah’s way of thinking, or just Dan’s way of thinking, it wouldn’t be right.”

One gets the feeling that releasing If You Wait was a watershed moment for London Grammar.

It’s refreshing to not that before or beyond success, the music created is the most important thing of all.

“Just that thought of having written the album and being able to release it... whatever happens from here it’s already just been an amazing thing to be able to do.”

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MUSIC

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INTERVIEWS

GRIZZLY BEAR The Art Of Letting Go Grizzly Bear will perform at Southbound, happening Friday-Saturday, January 3-4, at Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton. NATALIE AMAT reports.

Grizzly Bear’s sound has always been as much about the spaces between the elements of their songs as the notes themselves.

Take Alligator (Choir Version) from 2007’s Friend EP – it is a sweeping and expansive take on the 2004 original and one of singer/guitarist Daniel Rossen’s favourite reworkings.

“Once we became a four-piece we started playing things in a totally different way, kind of to make it work live, and it was interesting because we just sounded so different as a band to what that record

sounded like. “So that Alligator version was an attempt to merge the original song with this strange, droney live incarnation and the new style of recording we had developed as a process.”

When it came time to make their most recent album, Shields, the distances between the notes and even between the band members gave the record a new level of maturity.

“Sometimes the stories are too personal or we just like to leave it up to interpretation,” Rossen explains, “but certainly negotiating a distance between

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STORIES

us – literally, that process of making the record was kind of that, on a musical level. There was a lot of processing through – and growing into – being full adults, and figuring out what it meant to be a functioning musician and also being a functional adult at the same time.”

In that way, the record became as much about personal development as musical. “I think we were honestly trying to figure that out all in our own way,” says Rossen. “It’s a strange thing to grow into your 30s as a person in a band, and a lot of Shields came out of that, because we had the experience of wanting to change and wanting to move on – but not really knowing how to keep the spirit alive and keep that same feeling of camaraderie and everything that you have when you’re so young, when you’re in a band and it’s all so exciting and you don’t think about anything you’re doing. But the older you get the more you have to consider your movements.”

For Rossen, working in a maturing band has great benefits for the creative process, which by necessity is constantly shifting. “I think I’m very fortunate to work with three other guys that are

extremely creative and have strong opinions and we challenge each other to try stuff outside of our comfort zone – I think over the years we’ve all loosened up a lot and definitely allowed for that.

“Writing songs when I was younger, I was really obsessed with detailing every arrangement and every harmony and every little bit and piece, and when we were recording Yellow House (2006), that was often a difficult part of the process because I couldn’t let go of how I initially wanted something to sound. But over the years it just got easier and easier to let go of that, because the more we tried to keep it fresh and be more collaborative, it ended up sounding better.”

However, sometimes the spontaneity of creation can get stifled by the realities of touring.

“The unfortunate thing is, as the productions get larger and the tours get more streamlined, we get into this situation where we’re playing the same set all the time and it kind of doesn’t change. But there’s always ways to remedy that. I’m actually gonna do some shows by myself in the (US) spring, try out any material I can – play things that are loose, play things that are not even totally finished, just to see what it feels like; just this kind of antidote to our usual style of very well-produced, structured sets”.

Leaving their comfort zone is starting to become a habit for Grizzly Bear, after working with Australian director, Kris Moyes, on the visually arresting video for Shields’ single, Gun-Shy. “It was interesting, Kris is definitely a pretty wild mind,” says Rossen. “He had this whole concept about, ‘Could you physically show what it’s like to extract creative spirit out of a living person?’ We tried it to Gun-Shy and it just worked perfectly.

“I think it’s really visually stunning and kind of bizarre at times, and I don’t know if that idea exactly translates but it certainly makes for a really fascinating, wild video.“ Grizzly Bear are headed to Australia for the Falls and Southbound festivals, with a one-off show at the Sydney Opera House to wrap things up. “I think we’re just gonna stretch out and really embrace the fact that we can play our more arranged, slower moving songs. We’re gonna do a lot of our usual set material as well, but I think playing a beautiful venue like that is obviously an honour and we just want to do a really good job and play the most complete set we can.

“Australia’s going to be the last shows for this album, so the Sydney Opera House will be a nice little grand tour – it’s gonna be great.”

And what will Rossen get up to in the time between touring cycles?

“I’ve been living in upstate New York for the last couple of years and I keep myself pretty busy, essentially learning about taking care of a piece of land and gardening. It’s been kind of an amazing process, ’cause I’ve never been able to do that in my life”.

BOMBINO Desert Blues African musician Omara Moctar is bringing his band Bombino to Southbound.

ALASDAIR DUNCAN reports.

Omara Moctar has led an eventful life to say the least. The guitarist was born in Niger, but spent many years in exile from the war-torn country – his family fled in the early 1990s, fearing for their safety following the Tuareg rebellion.

It was during this time, living in Algeria, that the teenage Moctar heard the music of Jimi Hendrix and Dire Straits for the first time. The sense of freedom he felt listening to their music was the key appeal. “Especially with Jimi,” he says.

“His guitar seemed like an extension of his body to me and he was so free in his music. I was a poor refugee without anything, so this sense of freedom pulled me in.” Moctar had also studied traditional Tuareg guitar – a style he describes as the music of the desert, or the soundtrack of the Sahara – and the two influences combined. By the time he returned to Niger in 1997, the teenage Moctar was an accomplished musician, playing with his band, Group Bombino.

“For musicians in Niger, really the only way to earn your living is to play at weddings, at baby naming ceremonies, Muslim holidays and other events like this,” he says of his day-to-day life there. “These are the only times that people will spend their money on entertainment. Otherwise the population does not have the means to support artists. But there is this exception, mostly of marriages, where people will do everything they can to pay for musicians to come and perform.”

Political turmoil forced Moctar to flee Niger again in 2007, but while he was living in exile in Burkina Faso, he was approached by filmmaker Ron Wyman, who had heard rough cassette recordings 12

of Group Bombino playing at weddings. Wyman convinced Moctar that he should formally record his music, resulting in the wildly successful 2011 album, Agadez.

Moctar has now returned to Niger again, and he hopes this time he will be able to stay there for good. “Mostly things are calm and safe here,” he says. “Every now and then there is a problem with terrorists kidnapping someone or other bad things like that, but the population is now peaceful amongst each other and it is not a violent place. God willing, the peace will last for a long time.”

Niger’s political turmoil has made a deep impression on Moctar and his music, though he insists he never writes directly about his own experiences.

“My lyrics are usually talking about general ideas, lessons, stories. I am never talking about myself in my songs. Sometimes I will talk about my wife or my friends but never about myself, just the lessons I have learned in my life that I think are important to share with everyone.”

Moctar will be bringing his live show to Southbound, and for the uninitiated, I ask what exactly we can expect. “You can expect that you will have a lot of fun,” he says. “We play a desert rock’n’roll style that is probably unlike anything you have heard live in Australia before. So it will be something new but also familiar.”

As for the future, Moctar says he is working on new songs all the time, and plans to release another album next year. “I hope to record the album in Africa, more precisely in Burkina Faso where there is a big Tuareg community. For me, that would be the best place to record the next album.”

EMMA LOUISE Know Your Product Emma Louise returns to WA in the New Year to perform at Southbound. KRISSI WEISS checks in.

Emma Louise Lobb combines grace with a sprinkling of gawk, charm with an edge of nervousness and maturity with lashings of youthful exuberance. Her musical talent is counterbalanced by nothing more than even more musical talent – but as for the rest of what makes up the singer-songwriter, she is contradictory enough to remind us she is indeed human.

Emma Louise’s debut album, Vs Head Vs Heart, arrived after a massive two years of anticipation that grew from the very first moment our ears were blessed with the melodic charm of Jungle.

While the hit single and album have remained firm favourites for most of the year, she put them to bed (in a way) recently with a theatre tour – her final for 2013.

The past few years have been massive for Lobb and while many may have drowned under the weight of expectation, she seems to be surviving well. Although it might look like the young Lobb has had an enviable adolescence, she has in a sense grown up in the indie spotlight. Success came swiftly and at a time when most people are still attempting to get to know themselves – let alone sell that person to a global audience.

“I’m always really grateful for what I get to do – but I wasn’t at the beginning,” she admits. “In the beginning it scared me. You know, I went from just being at home every day and just… I used to make money by busking and pretty much the rest of the

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time I was just smoking and enjoying all this free time.

So in the beginning when it all started to happen it was a bit like, ‘What the fuck is happening?’ But then I stopped smoking and started realising, ‘I’m so lucky to be doing this’.”

Since being the ‘it’ girl at Brisbane’s Bigsound conference in 2011, Emma Louise grew very accustomed to the showcase lifestyle. Her theatre tour saw Emma Louise playing some of the country’s most illustrious venues, they were still ultimately quite intimate. “I accept the music industry; I know what it is and how it works. I’ve had a lot of gigs where there are the business people and I’m the product and in my mind I try to keep it very separate. I guess really though I’m just lucky that there are people there anyway; while ever there are people there I’m stoked … I definitely like the more intimate gigs, though, because you notice the small details, I feel like I can really wrap around everyone in the room.”

Reconciling the music industry’s needs with her own has been and will continue to be the key to Lobb’s success – that and her impeccable songwriting. “To me, if a song feels really personal to write, that’s good and it helps me to work things out. If it becomes a product that’s fine because I’m pretty lucky, really, that I can have a way to deal with my emotions and have that be a job. I’m very aware of who I work with and I surround myself with people who know what music means to me. I feel like I’m on my own journey and not being pushed around.”

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15

MUSIC

VIEWS

|

INTERVIEWS

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STORIES

VIOLENT FEMMES New Times The Violent Femmes will perform at Southbound, happening Friday-Saturday, January 3-4, at Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton. BOB GORDON reports.

Violent Femmes bassist, Brian Ritchie, in his office. But it’s not just any office. It’s inside the remarkable MONA Gallery in Hobart, possibly the most creative and inspired working environment in the country.

“I love it,” he says. “I leave my office and walk through this amazing gallery full of crazy stuff and meet with the people. It’s a really great environment to work in and be in.”

Richie and his family moved to Tasmania a few years ago and have embraced the Apple Isle. And vice versa, with Ritchie’s appointment at MONA (Museum Of Old And New Art) as a festival curator. The seachange in his life certainly kicked off a new era of creative avenues.

“It’s been very creative,” he notes. “I haven’t really slowed down playing music. In fact I probably play as much as I ever did, but it’s a much wider diversity.

“For example, this year I started out with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, then The Break, then Rodriguez, then the Femmes.

I’m shortly off to China to play with a band called Typhoon - an unfortunate name right now. It’s myself and Michael Kieran Harvey the Australian classical pianist and two Chinese musicians. So there’s an incredible amount of musical activity, plus working here at MONA and having a festival - a couple of them, really - and all the music we do on site.

“It seems kind of weird to move from New York to a place like Tasmania and say that everything expanded, but it really has expanded for me.”

And it’s done so in unexpected ways, as Ritchie explains.

“I didn’t know what to expect when we moved to Australia. We kind of did it as a leap of faith and certainly what has happened is not what I expected. I didn’t know what to expect!

It’s nothing that could have been anticipated.

“I have been around museums before because my wife is a scientist; she was at the American Museum Of Natural History and The Smithsonian. I didn’t even know there was going to be an art museum here in Tasmania, so that was all news.

“Then I started to play in The Break with the guys from Midnight Oil and Hunters & Collectors, some of the top musicians in the world, I didn’t plan that either! I was planning not to be in a rock band and then I ended up in a rock band.

These things happen (laughs).”

“I didn’t know what to expect when we moved to Australia.

We kind of did it as a leap of faith and certainly what has happened is not what I expected. I didn’t know what to expect! It’s nothing that could have been anticipated.

After a few years apart due to some internal litigation, the Violent Femmes got back together in early 2013. It was a surprise for many, but not for Ritchie.

“I wasn’t surprised,” he says. “I thought it would be inevitable because the music is good.

To be able to make that music and do it together is important. Not everybody gets into a musical situation that’s that unique. When Gordon (Gano, vocals/guitar) and I get together and play it’s the Femmes sound; it’s nothing like what we play as individuals or anybody else.

“I was expecting it. I know Gordon thought it was over, but I never said it was over and I never said I wouldn’t do it again. I expected to do it again.”

Original drummer, Victor DeLorenzo, however, has not returned. But life goes on...

“Victor came into the situation with some tension and it wasn’t resolved,” Ritchie says.

“We just had to get Brian (Viglione) to play drums and that’s working out really well.

“He’s a fantastic drummer; he’s an acolyte of the band and was in the Dresden Dolls when they supported us on tour. It was a pretty natural thing to get him because we knew he could do it and it’s working out very well. It would have been nice to keep the original line-up but it wasn’t possible under the circumstances.”

In the last year the Femmes have played at Coachella, Milwaukee Summer Fest and Bottle Rock festivals, as well as headlining dates in New York City and Chicago.

“All the shows have been really good,” Ritchie says. “We pretty much spanned the coast of the US without hardly trying. We haven’t played in Australia since the Big Day Out in 2007. It’s gonna be a nice return, the audiences are always great for us here.”

There’s no plans as yet for another Violent Femmes album, but on tour the band finds itself playing its songs to the generation they were written for and to other generations that the iconic tunes have also been passed down to.

“Sometimes we’ll have three generations,” Ritchie says. “Like we’ll have the grandmother, the mother and the daughter. In fact at the last gig we did in New York someone came up and said, ‘I was born to your music’. That means that their parents liked our music enough to play it in the delivery room, which I think is crazy (laughs) but that’s what this girl told me.

“I thought it was kind of a heavy responsibility to be the first sound in someone’s ear. But there she was at the concert and she enjoyed it. So it must not have been too bad.”

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NEW NOISE

For more album reviews head to xpressmag.com.au

TOP

ALBUMS OF 2013

CHRIS HAVERCROFT

ANDREW NELSON

1. Superchunk - I Hate Music When Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance are handling the impressive roster at their Merge Record label, they are the driving force behind Superchunk. I Hate Music is the second Superchunk full-length after a sizeable hiatus. With searing guitars, a healthy dose of melody and energy to burn, I Hate Music is killer from start to finish.

1. Function – Incubation Two decades is a long time to wait for a debut album from Dave Sumner (a member of Sandwell District) but the result is quite simply the best techno album of the year. From the pumping groove of Modifier to the ambient Counterpoint the release sits excellently as a whole. Intelligent techno indeed.

2. The Avett Brothers - Magpie And The Dandelion 3. Ghost BC – Infestissumam 4. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy 5. Mark Kozelek & Jimmy Lavalle - Perils From The Sea 6. Dick Diver - Calendar Days 7. Haim - Days Are Gone 8. The Ocean Party - Split 9. Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold 10. My Bloody Valentine - MBV

2. Blondes – Swisher 3. Jon Hopkins – Immunity 4. Bonobo – The North Borders 5. Sasha – Involver 3 6. Congo Natty – Jungle Revolution 7. Stellar Om Source – Joy One Mile 8. A Sagittariun – Dream Ritual 9. Floorplan – Paradise 10. Jeff Mills – The Jungle Planet

LEAH BLANKENDAAL

SHAUN COWE

JOSHUA HAYES

TRAVIS JOHNSON

1. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories The exceptional production on Random Access Memories is rumoured to have cost Daft Punk and Sony over a million dollars. This investment has paid off, with guest collaborators coming out of the wazoo, and an incredibly infectious, retro sound.

Synth pop is making a huge comeback at the moment and no one does it better than these guys.

1. Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio 2 Sequels are rarely as good as the original, but Black Radio 2 gives its classic predecessor a run for its money. Intelligent, smooth hip hop backed by Glasper’s expansive melodies and thick neo-soul approach to songwriting. This album makes you hate all your friends who haven’t listened to it yet, just a little bit.

1. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away The gothic grasshopper never disappoints. If Nick Cave puts out an album in any given year, it’s going to wind up in my Top 10. A sense of reinvigoration and recommitment, coupled with songs like Higgs Boson Blues make up for Mick Harvey’s absence and push it to the top of the 2013 list.

2. Arctic Monkeys - AM 3. The Chemist - Ballet In The Badlands 4. Paul Kelly, James Ledger, Genevieve Lacey Conversations With Ghosts 5. Lorde - Pure Heroine 6. Big Scary - Not Art 7. Haim - Days Are Gone 8. Foals - Holy Fire 9. Fuck Buttons - Slow Focus 10. James Blake - Overgrown

2. Abbey/Foster/Falle - Brotherhood 3. Damu The FudgeMunk - Spare Overtime Reinspired 4. Thundercat - Apocalypse 5. Asheru - Sleepless In Soweto 6. Bonobo - The North Borders 7. The National - Trouble Will Find Me 8. John Legend - Love In The Future 9. Fat Freddy’s Drop - Blackbird 10. British Sea Power - Machineries Of Joy

1. Danny Brown – Old On Old, Detroit rapper Danny Brown unflinchingly documents his traumatic upbringing, the drugs and sex he indulges in to escape his demons, his physical and spiritual hangovers – and growing up enough to leave them all behind. It’s also 2013’s best front-to-back listen; gaining momentum as the first half’s murky hip hop gives way to filthy electronica. It’s a thrilling experience.

2. Thundercat – Apocalypse 3. Chance The Rapper – Acid Rap 4. Kanye West - Yeezus 5. Bombino – Nomad 6. Killer Mike & El-P – Run The Jewels 7. Omar Souleyman – Wenu Wenu 8. Horrorshow – Kings Amongst Many 9. The Uncluded – Hokey Fright 10. The Heliocentrics – 13 Degrees Of Reality

2. The Drones - I See Seaweed 3. Mark Lanegan - Imitations 4. Various - Crucible - The Songs Of Hunters And Collectors 5. David Bowie - The Next Day 6. The Love Junkies - Maybelene 7. Adalita - All Day Venus 8. Queens Of The Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork 9. Boys Boys Boys! - We Are Excited About Everything 10. Gogol Bordello - Pure Vida Conspiracy

CORAL HUCKSTEP

ELLIE HUTCHINSON

AARON BRYANS

JESSICA WILLOUGHBY

1. Haim - Days Are Gone Californian sister act Haim cemented their place as my top band of the year from the moment I heard the seriously infectious Don’t Save Me. Haim have landed with much hype and they’ve had a lot of commercial airplay of late but no matter how many times I hear their music the appeal doesn’t fade. Honest and sultry, Haim know who they are and where they’re going; they make producing a stunning debut look effortless.

1. Meg Myers - Daughter In The Choir For a relative unknown, Meg Myers has had a big year – she released her debut EP this April and joined the legendary Pixies on tour shortly afterwards. While her sound could best be described as alt pop, her banshee-like howl betrays the rock and roll soul within. Raw, visceral and utterly inimitable, she’s the most exciting solo artist I’ve come across in a long time.

1. Bring Me The Horizon – Sempiternal It’s been a huge year of innovative and experimental music, pushing technical and genre boarders. However, for myself, Sempiternal stood out above the rest. Bring Me the Horizon managed 11 incredible tracks, ranging from the pumping opener, Can You Feel My Heart to the stripped back The Snakes Start To Sing; the album completely changed my view on the band, turning me into a massive fan.

2. Northlane - Singularity 3. Silverstein - This Is How The Wind Shifts 4. The Red Paintings - The Revolution Is Never Coming 5. Mogwai - Les Revenants (soundtrack) 6. Tesseract - Altered State 7. Amorphis - Circle 8. Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks 9. Dead Letter Circus - The Catalyst Fire 10. Deafheaven - Sunbather

Letlive – The Blackest Beautiful Biffy Clyro – Opposites Young Lions – Burn Balance and Composure – The Things We Think We’re Missing 6. Hands Like Houses – Unimagine 7. A Day To Remember – Common Courtesy 8. The Story So Far – What You Don’t See 9. Tonight Alive – The Other Side 10. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires Of The City

1. Chelsea Wolfe – Pain Is Beauty Chelsea Wolfe is emotionally exhausting – in a good way. While 2011’s Apokalypsis and 2012’s stark Unknown Rooms inched Wolfe closer to her melodic potential, they could only hint at the power of this superseding LP. Now, on Pain Is Beauty, we get a better sense of her spirit. The slower her metamorphosis on each track, the more this album engulfs you. Sure, the songs require more patience than any of her pervious material. But the reward is hefty. Definitely one for the introverts.

2. Chvrches - The Bones Of What You Believe 3. London Grammar - If You Wait 4. Cub Scouts (now Cub Sport) - Paradise 5. Arcade Fire - Reflektor 6. Ms Mr - Secondhand Rapture 7. The Love Junkies - Maybelene 8. The Trouble With Templeton - Rookie 9. Abbe May - Kiss My Apocalypse 10. Daughter - If You Leave 18

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2. The Haxan Cloak – Excavation 3. Hope Drone – Hope Drone 4. Deafheaven – Sunbather 5. Youth Code – Keep Falling Apart 7” 6. Belgrado – Siglo xxi 7. Ensemble Pearl – Ensemble Pearl 8. The Body – Christ, Redeemers 9. Blixa Bargeld & Teho Teardo – Still Smiling 10. Zola Jesus/Jim Thirlwell – Versions

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NEW NOISE

For more album reviews head to xpressmag.com.au

CHARLIE LEWIS

PREDRAG DELIBASICH

1. Arctic Monkeys – AM Smoulder and smoke in place of the fire and spark of their early work, substitutes longing for love, and just sexy as all hell, it’s their most cohesive, complete album yet. It has I liked plenty in 2013.

AM I loved.

1. Popecitelji - Sijalica This great instrumental band delivered another bunch of amazingly played punk-folk-funk. Their unpronounceable name should not stop anyone from checking this mind-blowing Serbian threepiece’s third album.

Drake – Nothing Was The Same The Roots & Elvis Costello – Wise Up Ghost.

Queens Of The Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork Mazzy Star – Seasons Of Your Day The National – Trouble Will Find Me J. Cole – Born Sinner Neko Case – The Worse Things Get The Harder I Fight The Harder I Fight The More I Love You 9. Hanni El Khatib - Head In The Dirt.

10. Kanye West – Yeezus

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The Leap Year - The Narrowing Craig McElhinney - Complainer Orientation Lower Spectrum - Little Appeal Standish/Carlyon - Deleted Scenes Ooga Boogas - Ooga Boogas Taco Leg - Taco Leg Sarry - Shiva The Prophet Hens - Popular People Do Popular People 10. Jastreb - Mother Europe

NICK SWEEPAH

RACHEL DAVISON

1. Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels This duo is like a rap nerd’s fantasy football team.

A combination hinted at on El and Mike’s previous albums, which became a frighteningly powerful yet really quite accessible - bundle of thematically connected hard rap songs, that stand equally strong on their own.

1. The Haxan Cloak - Excavation Your favourite album isn’t necessarily what you spin the most, but the one you listen to occasionally, late at night, when you dare. This second album by London-based producer, Bobby Krlic is a pretty grim and spooky journey into an imaginary afterlife, but sometimes you just need to explore the unknown.

2. Jon Hopkins - Immunity 3. Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze 4. Barn Owl - V 5. The National - Trouble Will Find Me 6. The Flaming Lips - The Terror 7. Russian Circles - Memorial 8. Darkside - Psychic 9. Deafheaven - Sunbather 10. Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace & Magic

2. Kanye West - Yeezus 3. Oneohtrix Point Never - R Plus Seven 4. Barn Owl - V 5. Marijuana Deathsquads - Oh My Sexy Lord 6. James Blake - Overgrown 7. Men In Burka - Techno Allah 8. Deafheaven - Sunbather 9. Earl Sweatshirt - Doris 10. Cash Krzma - Excessive & Disgusting Degrees

BOB GORDON

ALEX GRIFFIN

1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away Mesmerising. Utterly.

1. Tim Hecker- Virgins Where do you start with something that wants to kill you?

2. The Chemist - Ballet In The Badlands 3. The Drones - I See Seaweed 4. Queens Of The Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork 5. David Bowie - The Next Day 6. Deerhunter - Monomania 7. The Bamboos - Fever In The Road 8. Pond - Hobo Rocket 9. Abbe May - Kiss My Apocalypse 10. Gossling - Harvest Of Gold

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2. Pharmakon - Abandon 3. KES Band - Duets 4. Zomby - With Love 5. Kanye West - Yeezus 6. Blanche Blanche Blanche - Wooden Ball 7. Wolf Eyes - No Answer: Lower Floors 8. The Stevens - A History Of Hygiene 9. Loud City Song - Julia Holter 10. James Ferraro - NYC, Hell, 3am

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YOUR GUIDE TO THE

NEW YEAR

LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS Soul Purpose It’s a good time to be a soul singer. There is certainly a revival of groove, soul and funk about. But for the North Carolina bred legend Mr Lee Fields, the time for soul has always been now. HAYLEY DAVIS chats to Fields in the lead up to his shows on Sunday, December 29, at Clancy’s Dunsborough; Tuesday, December 31, at Rooftop Movies’ Sky High NYE party and Wednesday, January 1, at the Fremantle Arts Centre.

“Soul music is soothing for the spirit,” Lee Fields says in his thick southern American accent down the other end of the phone. He believes there’s good reason people are getting into soul and funk again.

“I think the world is in such an unstable state. People are searching for something. Soul searching. The tangible world has changed so drastically. Modern technology has made things possible that never were before. People are trying to figure out things about the spirit now.”

Last year Fields released Faithful Man as Lee Fields & The Expressions. His raspy, James Brown-esque voice soars across strings, horns and some seriously sexy sax and guitar, reminiscent of the good ol’ days of funk. But Fields is a legend in his own right, gracing stages since the beginning of his career in 1967.

“It’s a very welcome return,” he says of the resurgence of soul. “The interest that people have in the scene, that’s a beautiful thing. I am so thankful to all those involved in the music and the making of this record - Leon Michels and Jeff Silverman and everybody else involved. Words cannot describe how blessed I feel to be travelling to so many beautiful places and meeting so many beautiful people.”

It’s these declarations of gratitude that confirm Fields has soul running through his veins. He embodies everything the genre represents, not just in his music, but in the way he lives his life. The big, bellies full of laughter he exhibits and induces are part of what he believes to be his purpose. His soul 22

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purpose, if you will.

“I would like people to feel love of the highest degree,” he says about what he wants to give to the people of Perth on New Years Eve. “I want people to feel euphoria, to forget all the things that are troubling them. If I can make people feel joy, make them feel completely happy, even if it’s just for a minute, then my dreams would have come true.”

Growing up, Fields remembered his weekends spent observing antics at speakeasies his parents would stage to keep their family afloat. “Prior to my daddy and my mother buying land (which was hard in those days, especially for people of colour) my parents would turn the house into a speakeasy every weekend, starting on Fridays. They’d serve BBQ sandwiches and beer. I don’t think it was in line with what the law said we should do, but I was raised in such a good way.”

The irony of attending speakeasies on Saturday nights and church on Sunday wasn’t lost on Fields either. “It was always funny to see them doing these sensual dances on Friday and Saturday and then be in church on Sunday raising their hands to the sky.

I always tried to see what they were looking at up there. I’d see the pastor put his hands to their head and then they’d fall out on the floor. I had nothing but reverence in my heart for the pastor. But I thought, ‘please don’t come and do that to me’.”

This was where he learnt the power of music to move people. Between soulful lyrics singing about worldly matters of love, lust, loss and that of the gospel singers speaking of what is to come and the Lord, he learnt to distinguish the two and which was his calling. “I sing for living and I pray that God accepts what I’m trying to do,” he explains. “I’m trying to conform to his rules but sing about the natural world. I sing for the moment. There is a close tie between gospel and soul. But I’m a soul singer. I sing about love and happiness. People don’t have to look too far to find unhappy things. I try to be optimistic in my music.”

The veteran has a thorough appreciation of modern contributors to the scene as well, being a fan of Rihanna and the late Amy Winehouse. Perhaps surprisingly, Fields, who would never “cut a record that my family had to be careful about listening to, or with words bleeped out,” is an admirer of rapper Eminem. “Oh yes! I like his ability to take the language and put so many statements into a beat. He has a great deal of talent and the things he raps about make a lot of sense. But that’s his vehicle and the way he expresses himself. I’m still very tied to my upbringing.”

Lee Fields & The Expressions have been credited with putting on top notch live performances and are sure to deliver Perth’s punters into 2014 on a smooth, groove train. Fields is unlikely to whip out one of his favourite silk suits for the occasion, however. “I’m very excited to come to your beautiful country. I’m in the process of choosing something summery to wear,” he says.

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YOUR GUIDE TO THE NEW YEAR A NYE TRIP Leon Osborn, KLA, Eddie Electric, Cowboys and indie kids 31 Amplifier SOUL CLAP & WOLF + LAMB 31 The Bakery

PLAY

CHRISTMAS EVE PARTY

CITY OF PERTH NEW YEARS EVE

Tue Dec 24, 2013 Come and celebrate Northbridge’s best Christmas eve party at The Brass Monkey. Student priced drinks, $19 Christmas Turkey and live bands from 8pm. Free entry!

Tue Dec 31, 2013 New Years Eve Northbridge Tuesday 31 December, 6pm - midnight The Perth City Festival of Christmas finale has all-ages entertainment across two stages in one massive free outdoor event. James St and nearby roads will close for extended alfresco dining, roving performance and favourite WA bands The High Learys, Johnny Law & the Pistol Packin’ Daddies, MC Magnus D Magnus and more, ahead of a spectacular midnight countdown. Full program at www.visitperthcity.com

BRASS MONKEY

BEAT NIGHTCLUB Tue Dec 31, 2013 Described as the biggest, the last and the best party ever, a unique night you won’t forget. PLAY @ Beat Nightclub featuring DJ Rasta & Black Beat mixing R&B and Hip Hop. General admission is $15 with a ladies discount before 12am. For more info check out www.playparty.com.au

NORTHBRIDGE

NEW YEARS EVE

CANNINGTON GREYHOUNDS Tue Dec 31, 2013 If the hurly burly of the city centre doesn’t appeal to you, then the greyhounds might be a good option.

Cheap entry, drinks at reasonable prices and no queues, plus the chance that you are going to win squillions by backing the fastest dishlicker, make this one a pretty good night out.

They’ve also got a fireworks display, so you’ll know the perfect time to grab the person next to you for a New Year’s smooch – always a plus. Cannington Greyhounds. Gates open 5:30pm.

NEW YEARS EVE PARTY BOGAN BASH 31 Brooklands Tavern NEW YEARS EVE MASQUERADE PARTY 31 The Breakwater

STICKY FINGERS CAPITOL

Tue Dec 31, 2013 At Capitol this year, Sticky Fingers are back, and billed with great local band Stillwater Giants. Plus Perth’s premier club party DJ’s in the Death Disco DJs and Micah, and you have everything you could want for a NYE party. Next door at Amplifier, it’s A NYE Trip featuring Akouo, Leon Osborne, K La, Eddie Electric, and Cowboys & Indie Kids. Doors open 9:00pm.

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Don’t come The Court this New Year’s Eve….instead let’s go to IBIZA! It’s The Court like you’ve never seen it before with three separate areas to party the night away in: THE BEACH - Dig your feet deep into the sand of the outdoor dance floor, ride the wild surfboard or take a break and have a spiked slushie at our outdoor beach bar.

THE POOL - It’s a water filled playground with pools, sprinklers, table tennis, games and more.

THE CLUB - Come inside The Court as we darken things down and heat things up, it’s inside but not as you’ve ever seen before. We pay homage to the great clubs of Ibiza with special light shows, throbbing music and that sexy Ibiza feel.

Plus for all your Instagram and Facebook posers out there don’t miss our Ibiza photosets! Pose away with our huge and fun props for an image of the night that you’ll never forget. Professional photographers will be on site to help you out or take your own snap to post.

General release tickets are $25 available through http://courtibiza-fb.eventbrite. com.au/

LITTLE CREATURES’ CARNIVALE 31 Little Creatures

NEW YEAR’S EVE CROWN

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Grab your friends and head to Crown for an unforgettable New Year’s Eve! With Hollywood inspired entertainment, multiple bars and restaurants, it’s the biggest New Year’s Eve party in Perth. Visit crownperth.com.au for more.

THE END IS THE BEGINNING IS THE END...

HELLENIC CLUB

Tue Dec 31, 2013 The team that brought you The Gathering: Winter Dance, are back with plans for a crowdfunded Goth / 80’s / EBM New Year’s Eve party.

Come and dance with us like there’s no tomorrow! The DJs DJ MIKKAEL, DJ TOBY, DJ BOXER & DJ PRUDISH. Dress to impress in your Dark Alternative Best (no theme though). Party starts at 9pm. The Hellenic Club, 75 Stirling St, Northbridge -- it’s right behind The Court nightclub. Help us make this NYE a party to remember!

“CREATURES OF THE NIGHT” MASQUERADE BALL LLAMA BAR

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Inject a bit of class into your New Year’s Eve by heading down to the Llama Bar for their Creatures Of The Night Masquerade Ball. Treat yourself and go VIP for $75 (all laid on!) or $28 general entry (includes drink on arrival). Party in a mask! This one’s got our pick for the best event in Subi.

Grab your tickets at heatseeker.com.au by calling the venue on 9388 0222.

JEBEDIAH 31 Dunsborough Tavern

EVE’S GLITZ & GLAM PARTY EVE NIGHTCLUB

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Party like a star at Eve’s Glitz & Glam party this New Year’s Eve. Dance the night away as Perth’s hottest DJs spin the latest tracks into the early hours of 2014.

Grab your tickets at the door from 9pm.

Find Eve Club on Facebook for details.

Tue Dec 31, 2013 The Clink is throwing a Full Moon, beach party this New Years Eve. Come down and receive free entry (before 10:30pm).

With free UV face painting plus door prizes and giveaways, ring in the new year at the best party in Fremantle.

NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY MINQ

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Bring in the new year with style at MINQ’s exclusive New Year’s Eve party.

Dress to impress and enjoy the latest music spun by DJ Migi. Purchase tickets before the day and receive a complimentary glass of sparkling wine.

Visit crownperth.com.au for details.

METRO CITY NEW YEARS EVE METRO CITY

Tue Dec 31, 2013 In true Metro City style, we do it bigger and better than ever this year with a mammoth EDM line-up to bring you into 2014! Hot off the success from our “EDM Saturdays” and “EDM Prime” events, we bring you TWO huge music arenas featuring Perth’s best DJs, lighting and sound system.

Main Stage - Ummet Ozcan, MaRLo, Organ Donors & Illuminor.

Sky Bar - Massive roof top outdoor arena featuring your favourite Top40/ Commercial/Progressive tunes – DJ’s Makka, Matty S, Jason Creek & Stevie M! Doors Open: 9pm. Tickets: $50+ BF

NEW YEARS EVE HOEDOWN 31 Miss Kitty’s Saloon

NEW YEARS EVE 2014 DJ James Ess, Wastlenad 31 Empire Bar

THE CLINK

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Tue Dec 31, 2013 Are you ready for a Zombie Attack?

The Zombies will rise for one of Perth’s Best 2013 Zombie Parties! Live music provided by Paula P & Ceelay fronting Box Party from 8.30. Prizes for best dressed zombies. $10 on the door or tickets available through website.

IBIZA NYE

FULL MOON BEACH PARTY

SWING INTO THE NEW YEAR WITH DAVID CAMPBELL 31 Crown Theatre

INDIAN OCEAN BREWING COMPANY

NYE BEACH PARTY DJ Reuben 31 Leederville hotel

THE COURT

THE GREAT GATSBY NYE PARTY 31 Brighton Hotel

NEW YEAR’S EVE ZOMBIE PARTY

GONG ON (THE ROOF) 31 Dave’s Cans, Myre Rooftop RUMBA ON THE ROCK Latin Salsa NYE Party 31 Hotel Rottnest

CARIBBEAN NEW YEARS PARTY INDI BAR

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Indi Bar is going Caribbean with an outside cocktail bar serving Coconut cocktails for $12. Perhaps you’d prefer 4 Corona’s served in a bucket for $25.

Best dressed competitions and prizes for those who come “dressed with a free spirit!” Enjoy live music all night provided by Zarm and Morgan Bain.

WHITE ON WHITE NYE 2013 DJ Femme, Rueben, Wastleand, Twilight Djs 31 Ginger Nightclub

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GARDEN OF EDEN PARTY LOST SOCIETY

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Celebrate the beginning of 2014 at Lost Society Bar’s Garden of Eden party. The theme of the night is “epically biblical” with Lost Society’s chic bar transformed into a garden paradise. Never has there been a better excuse to drink forbidden fruit cocktails while giving everyone your best Adam (or Eve) impression.

Doors open at 8pm. Tickets and VIP packages available from ticketbooth.

NYE UV PAINT PARTY METRO FREO

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Back by popular demand, the party to end all parties- The Metropolis Fremantle UV Party! The sell-out NYE party is back and its bigger, wetter and more jam packed with UV paint then before! But this time there’s more then just the paint to look forward to! East coast party animals- Sosueme DJs will be headlining NYE UV Party 2013. Plus Death Disco, Darren Tucker, DR Wazz and DJ Shane Hewson will all be there to start 2014 off the right way! It’s the messiest NYE in town and the very first UV party of the season!

PARKER NEW YEARS EVE 31 Parker Nightclub

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN POOLSIDE PARTY MINDARIE MARINA

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Walk the Plank poolside with Captain Kai and his mates and have a swashbuckling New Year’s Eve. Free Rum punch and canapés on arrival.

Enjoy a feast from the live cooking station; Captain Kai is playing all the cool sounds, fabulous fire twirling show plus lots of games and prizes.

Gates open from 7.30pm. This is an adult’s only event. $65 per ticket.

Bookings: functions@mindariemarina. com.au or 9305 9305.

BACK TO THE 80’S

NEW YEARS EVE

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Back to the 80’s Prom Night, PS3 + Guitar Hero to the best dressed on the night, but don’t have a cow if you miss out we have some more gnarly prizes and promos all night long! Get on down to the Salvo’s and find some puffy shoulder pads and some cheezy stonewashed jeans for a choice night! Totally!!

Hitting the stage early are Atomic Stagecoach - where two completely unique eras collide with an explosion of tackiness, hair grease, coolness and fashion disasters to create this interesting and fun band, now ready for your listening pleasure.

Then the moment we’ve been waiting for, Milhouse belt out a kick-ass 80’s set to get you started, pure 80’s bombdigity tunes! With DJ James MacArthur on the decks till late. Free entry all night!

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Party kicks off at 7PM and runs right through until 1AM. Party tunes from DJ Jon EE, plus live music from Desert Bells. Everyone receives a coconut cocktail on arrival. Gourmet Canapes are available plus bar card prizes. Tickets are $50 and available for purchase at the bar. Come dressed to impress!

MUSTANG BAR

OCEAN ONE BAR

Tue Dec 31, 2013 2014 is upon us and to celebrate let us all indulge in the plethora of extravagant artistic explorations our humble home calls it’s own. Mojos Bar, Fremantle plays host to 10 of 2013’s greatest sonic saboteurs on the last night of the year, bringing together family and friends alike for super awesome party vibes! Bringing in the new year across two stages: FOAM, Red Engine Caves, Hideous Sun Demon, Mt. Mountain, SpaceManAntics, Flower Drums, Moana, Childsaint, Whails and Solar Barge. Doors @ 7pm.

Tickets $15 Pre-sale, $20 at the door, or at oztix.com.au.

NEW YEARS EVE MY PLACE

Tue Dec 31, 2013 This NYE $120 package includes everything! 4 hours of drinks from 9pm – 1am, finger food served throughout the night, plus you can add a 3 course dinner for $40. DJ spinning the tunes all night long. Great value – bound to be a great party, and an awesome way to bring in the new year. Purchase tickets through craig@my-place.com. au – numbers are limited!

WTF NYE PARTY NEWPORT

NAUTICAL NYE MULLALOO BEACH HOTEL

Tue Dec 31, 2013 All aboard the SS OSB to salute the New Year in style, and cruise into a beachy 2014. Tickets $20 per person which includes a pint of Millers or jungle juice bucket on arrival Kenny L & crew won’t stop the party until 2am. Visit their Facebook page facebook.com/ mullaloobeachhotel to find out the prizes on offer for the best dressed sailors.

Tue Dec 31, 2013 To celebrate the end of a great year and the beginning of an even better one, The Newport is throwing a WTF? NYE PARTY. Come dressed in an outfit that makes people go WTF?. Tickets are now available in The Newport Bottle Shop for $10, and includes entry and a WTF? Cocktail on arrival. There will be WTF? drink specials and WTF? eats available all night. Rock N Roll Cover band Gravity will be headlining the night with Newport Resident DJs. Entry will be $10 on the door for those who have not purchased a ticket.

THE BOAT

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Huge Jamaican celebration, mon. DJ Flex from 8.30pm to busta rasta tunes, mon. “We gonna have a shakedown party tonight…” Free Entry and enjoy drink specials all night mon. Prizes for best dressed Jamaican, mon.

Tue Dec 31, 2013 The Pirates have arrived at The Paddington this New Years Eve! The Paddo will be hijacked and boarded by 500+ Party Pirates. Aaarrrrrhhhhhh!!!!

Caribbean born Captain Morgan will be sailing through the evening with $7 spiced cocktails, $6 Tiger Stubs and $7 Cruisers. The Captain will also be handing out great prizes for the evilest Pirate and complimentary drinks upon boarding The Paddington. Tall tales and legends will be sung by Cheeky Monkeys on the port side at 10pm with Admiral DJ Rikki scratching from 7pm.

This is an adventure not to be missed.

Tuesday 31st December 2013. Doors open 7pm. For more enquiries, seek paddo.com.au or https://www.facebook. com/PaddingtonAleHouse

Tue Dec 31, 2013 The Rosemount Hotel is excited to announce this year’s lineup for the annual New Years Eve Fiesta!

Featuring Abbe May, The Kill Devil Hills, Split Seconds, Simone And Girlfunkle, Huge Magnet, The Floors & Patient Little Sister in the main room. Plus DJ Shannon Fox in the beer garden. Tickets (for either the whole venue OR beer garden only) are on sale now from rosemounthotel.com. au, oztix.com.au, 78 Records, Mills Records and Planet Video.

SAIL AND ANCHOR

Tue Dec 31, 2013 As part of Geeks vs Nerds NYE 2013 we invite you to truly Geek out and dress as your favorite sci-fi, video game or anime character for a chance to win a brand spanking new XboxOne valued at $600.Spot prizes will also be offered for those who go all out. Guests are invited to arrive from 7pm and the 4 finalists will be gathered at 11pm to announce the winner. Free entry from 7pm!

EUGENE ‘HIDEAWAY’ BRIDGES

PERTH BLUES CLUB Tue Dec 31, 2013 The Perth Blues Club will be holding a very special event for lovers of the blues featuring one of the most popular overseas acts to grace Perth’s stages. Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges and guests will perform for you from his vast catelogue of blues and soul, with support from Len & Janette Whittle. Enjoy a full 3-course dinner for just $100 per person. Doors open at 6.30pm. Tickets are available from PBC shop and The Charles Hotel. If you just want to see the show (no dinner), they are available through Ticketmaster or at the door after 9pm.

SOUTHBOUND FESTIVAL UNDER THE STARS NYE PARTY The Amani Consort, Dilip n the Daves, The Crux, Ngati, Jkash, DJ Iron Palm, Empress Corby, DJ Screetch 31 Railway Hotel SKY HIGH NYE 2014 Lee Fields & The Expressions 31 Rooftop Movies

GEEKS VS NERDS NYE 2013

WILD WILD WEST SWALLOW BAR

Tue Dec 31, 2013 Hold your horses honey! We’re going back to the Wild Wild West for the night of nights! Dress up is essential! Think rugged cowboys and racy showgirls!

Ticket price is $60 and includes; a choice of beer/wine/sparkling/house spirits (1 x per person), a small plate of delicious Swallow fare (special NYE wild west bar menu), plus all night DJ T King, and DJ Karaman providing the tunes all night.

Kicks off 7pm with a 2am close.

SETTLERS NEW YEARS EVE 43 Cambridge, The Mike Goodwin Band 31 Settlers Tavern

SIR STEWART BOVELL PARK, BUSSELTON

Fri Jan 3 - Sat Jan 4 2014 Even though it’s not technically over New Year’s, this one is too big to leave off the list. Southbound is WA’s largest music and camping festival and they’re celebrating their 10th birthday in 2014! There’s nothing better than spending your new year in beautiful Busselton with your friends, the sun and good tunes. See the likes of Vampire Weekend, Bonobo, The Roots, Wave Racer and many more! Head to www.southboundfestival.com.au for more info. Southbound Festival - Friday, 3rd and Saturday, 4th January 2014.

Tickets on sale via Moshtix.

ROGUES & MAIDENS NYE 31 The Generous Squire

TROPICAL NYE PARTY THE CAUSEWAY

Tue Dec 31, 2013 The Causeway presents... “NYE Tropical Party feat. L D R U, Yahtzel & TKST (The Kite String Tangle DJ set). There will be a silent disco with three DJs spinning everything from hip hop, to sing-alongs, to trap to Heaviness. This will be in our back island room with lasers & very little visibility. The venue will be transformed into a tropical paradise. Dress up in tropical clothing and receive a present at the door (WP token). Supporting acts will be local Perth producer Sable who is making big moves & Party DJ Jeremy Smith. Drink specials available including Tropical Punch will be available from coconut cups. Tickets are $45 at http://events. ticketbooth.com.au/event/3789420/ or $50 at the door (If available!)

EPIC NYE PARTY YAYA’S

Tue Dec 31, 2013 It’s a New Yaya’s Eve, with Yaya’s Epic NYE Party! A huge night of good tunes and partying - What else do you need? Doors: 8pm $10 entry with DJ entertainment from DJ Millie, DJ Pup, DJ Double Dee.

CLUB PARADISO ft. Bag Raiders & Yacht Club DJs 1 Salt On The Beach WONDERLAND ft. Sampology, Indian Summer, The Kite String Tangle & more 1 Myre Rooftop

MOTOWN LEGENDS NYE 31 Universal Bar VENN NEW YEARS EVE 2013 31 Venn NEW YEARS EVE 2013 with Blue Shaddy, Nathan Gaunt, Carus Thompson 31 Yallingup Caves house

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ORIGIN Wiz Khalifa, A$AP Rocky, Flux Pavilion, Kill the Noise, TC and Jakes, Julio Bashmore, Dusky, Rustie,Tokimonsta, Jacques Green, Kode9, Kito and Reija Lee, Floating Points, Camo & Krooked, High Contrast, Danny ByrDE LA SOUL/DJ YODAd, Metrik, Dynamite MC, Loadstar + more 31 OZONE Reserve SIXTH ANNUAL NEW YEAR’S DAY CONCERT Melbourne Ska Orchestra Lee Fields & The Expressions, Sunshine Brothers, Grace Barbe, Blind Tiger Blues Box 1 Fremantle Arts Centre

ROSEMOUNT

PADDINGTON ALE HOUSE

MOJOS

NEW YEARS EVE ON THE ROCKS Brow Horn Orchestra, Danny Martin 31 Quarry Amphitheatre

JAMAICA PARTY TIME

NEW YEARS EVE FIESTA

PIRATES OF THE PADDINGTON SWEETDOG SOIREE: NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY!

A PROHIBITION NEW YEARS EVE Brow Horn Orchestra, DJ Stacie Todd, DJ Rex and DJ Zel. 31 Print Hall

DE LA SOUL/DJ YODA 1 Cuban Club (Flying Squadron Yacht Club, The Esplanade, Dalkeith) FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE NEW YEARS DAY CONCERT AFTER PARTY Bustamento 1 Fremantle Arts Centre

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YOUR GUIDE TO THE NEW YEAR MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA Spirit Music The Melbourne Ska Orchestra head up the New Year’s Day Concert with Lee Fields & The Expressions, Sunshine Brothers, Grace Barbe Afro Kreol and Blind Tiger Blues Box at the Fremantle Arts Centre on Wednesday, January 1. ADAM NORRIS checks in with bandleader, Nicky Bomba.

From humble beginnings (a ramshackle crew attempting to break the world record for the number of musicians performing the skank – a number which no-one actually remembered to count at the time), the Melbourne Ska Orchestra has developed into one of the most unexpected and engaging acts of 2013.

Now with two ARIA Award nominations, including one for ‘Best Blues & Roots Album’, and a national tour underway, frontman Nicky Bomba says the ska is here to stay.

“The energy of any performance is doubled simply by connecting, or even just by trying to connect with an audience,” he states. “It’s something that not every band does, but I do know that it’s something that the MSO does well. That’s certainly part of the appeal. It’s not just people looking for any excuse to dance, it’s people really engaging with the sound.”

That sound is ska, which by Bomba’s own admission is a genre that many audiences – even his own – aren’t entirely familiar with. Born in Jamaica in the late ’50s, ska rose to prominence in 1964 with Millie Small’s worldwide hit, My Boy Lollipop. Reggae, Two Tone and rocksteady were all movements that drew from ska, and evidence of the genre remains everywhere today. Given Bomba describes it as his “spirit music”, he is thrilled though unsurprised.

“I’ve always thought it was one of the more universal forms of music. I think the combination of the joy you get from the music itself and the activity that happens onstage – having 30 people performing is its own wonderful, uncontrollable mayhem – is quite a spectacle. I’d always believed that when people hear good music they’re instantly converted, but I didn’t quite realise just how quickly it would spread.”

You get the impression that kind of engagement comes quite readily to Bomba – his enthusiasm for different projects, for other ways to showcase new sounds, is evidenced in almost all aspects of his life.

“For me, a consummate musician is one who is constantly roaming, always looking to do better, to learn and improve,” he says.”

Between the ARIA nominations and a slew of sell-out gigs, the MSO is gaining a lot of ground.

Seeing the band live is an experience in controlled chaos, where 30 musicians somehow manage to conduct an entire audience to its feet while clearly having the time of their lives. One of the most entertaining things about the MSO is the sense of narrative it presents. Each song sounds like a chapter or vignette, and when it’s put to Bomba that catching the orchestra is somehow akin to being told a story, he says this was exactly the intention.

“I went to a Salvador Dali exhibition,” he explains, “and saw how he would paint 12 pictures on a theme. For me, they were like 12 songs. Each picture was related to the theme, but with its own uniqueness. That’s what I wanted with the album,

DE LA SOUL Keepin’ The Faith De La Soul bring it in at Countdown To NYE at Salt On The Beach, on Tuesday, December 31, with the Funk Club House Band, N’fa, Junkadelic and Neil Viney.

DAVID JAMES YOUNG reports.

that each song would be unique but have that line of ska, or some hybrid, connecting them. Having the Orchestra there gives you so many elements to play with, so you can really focus on giving each song its own character.”

Given the success the MSO is now experiencing, coupled with his own achievements with Bustamento and the John Butler Trio, I wrap up by asking Bomba if he feels as though he has at last found his own voice; if he has found the style that will carry him into the future. He’s quiet for a moment.

“I think there has to be humility in what you do, but there still, always, has to be that belief in yourself. It’s for when you think, ‘I’m never going

to achieve this’, and you can look back on your work over a span of months or years and see a growing maturity; can see that you’re writing better lyrics, making a better sound. What I realised was that it’s really just about the art. All you’re doing is making art, and the best you should hope for is to be able to do that and have it be your day job. You know, I’m writing my own songs, I’m playing in wonderful places where I’m invited back, and I’m able to maintain this lifestyle.

“That’s what makes me happy. If I wasn’t able to adapt, I wouldn’t be here. Things change, you adapt. But the essence of your writing – your songs – it has to endure.”

There are some international acts – from Gomez to Lyrics Born and back – that you just can’t keep out of Australia for too long. The love is too great, the incentive to return too strong to ignore. De La Soul are definitely one of the finer examples, having performed to countless sold-out crowds and packed-out festivals here for over two decades.

It’s a relationship that is very much understood and appreciated by De La Soul themselves, who are returning yet again for some end-of-year club shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. For Kelvin ‘Posdnuos’ Mercer, one of the group’s two MCs, it’s a matter of mutual appreciation.

“We’ve been coming out to Australia since the late ’80s, all the way back when we had our first record out,” he says. “Australia responded to us immediately. We’ve always loved coming back, too, because the three of us really love to travel. Even though it’s so far away, and we could have easily travelled four or five hours instead to play somewhere on the (US) mainland, or even six hours over to somewhere in Europe, Australia has always made the choice to do those longer flights worth it. They make you feel like you’re at home even though you’re about as far away as you can possibly be.”

The last time Mercer, Dave Jolicoeur (AKA Trugoy the Dove) and Vincent ‘Maseo’ Mason embarked on one of these long hauls our way, they came twice within the space of a year. Not only did they perform as the opening act for Gorillaz’ first and only headline tour of Australia in 2010, they also did a run of their own headlining dates a matter of months later to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of their classic second album, De La Soul Is Dead. Despite its legendary status in the world of hip hop – an honour also bestowed to their 1989 debut, 3 Feet High And Rising – Mercer insists that never in their wildest dreams could they have anticipated the reactions people have had to their music over the years.

“It really is nothing short of surreal,” he says, reflecting on the impact those anniversary shows

had on him and his bandmates. “When I think back to certain songs, we were just going through the motions.

Obviously, we were having a good time with it and everything, but when we’re performing songs like Me Myself And I or Say No Go I’ll start to realise just how much effort we really put into this music. There is a lot more to it than I had led myself to initially believe.

“The craziest thing about performing these songs for so long is people coming out to the shows and singing along to them years later, and then different people doing the same years after that.

People that you can tell obviously weren’t even born when we first released these songs – they know the words! It’s just amazing. It makes you think back to when we first made those songs… you just have no idea where that process is going to lead.”

As somewhat of a heritage act in the realm of hip hop, De La Soul face a potential double-edged sword. Their classic 3 Feet High and De La Soul Is Dead albums have forever cemented their legacy in the annals of musical history. But it would certainly appear that there are some fans who live and die by those records, and who have received with scepticism any material that has come since. Thankfully, Mercer feels it’s a minority issue amongst the De La Soul audience.

“We see people before and during the show that will call out certain albums, or hold them up in the air – even a certain single might come up. I think we’ve mastered knowing where to take our performances, direction-wise. We’ll see or hear that one person is really here for one thing, and then see that this person is there for that, y’know? That’s the way that we’ve been doing it for years. In turn, we’ll also have people coming up to us and saying that they didn’t even know about The Grind Date (2004); or they’ll be like, ‘You guys did an album with Nike? Let me get it!’ That’s where we’re at. We have a lot of fun with the crowd – even if they’re waiting for their moment, we still give them plenty of fun along the way. We include everyone that comes to our shows.”

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J O N AT H A N Based on the wartime experiences of Eric Lomax as a POW building the Thai-Burma railway, The Railway Man tells an inspirational tale of human survival. We had a chance recently to talk to its director, Jonathan Teplitzky.

Wishing to do justice to the amazing real life story, the production was very interested in getting the cooperation and contribution of the Lomax family. “The Lomaxes were very forthcoming, very open. When you get to know people over a period of time, you build up a degree of trust.” states Teplitzky.

“When you try an make a film about real people’s lives, that’s a big part of it. The responsibility of honouring their story and putting it onto film is a big one. They read each draft of the script, and we talked a great deal to them.”

“It’s sort of a portrait of the very best and very worst

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of human nature. In a sense it has these big themes. If you were to ask anyone a question ‘what is it to be human?’ In a way watching The Railway Man highlights two of the things I think define us as a human being, and that is what we are capable of, both very bad and very good, in terms of how we behave and how we respond to other human beings.”

At times harrowing, The Railway Man doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the treatment, nor does it linger on the blows, instead showing their effects. “It was very important for the dark elements of the story to be told as that defines and contextualises the reconciliation that takes place. Where Eric gets to is so remarkable, that it would be devalued not to understand where he came from and what he survived. To imagine anyone would have survived what he survived is remarkable in some way.”

Filmed across three continents, The Railway Man used many of the actual locations, both in Scotland and on the Thai-Burma railway. “To actually be able to stand and walk up the Burma railway, to feel the history that has gone on there. It’s

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an incredibly humbling experience to go through that. You can’t help but be touched and affected by the degree of suffering, the degree of brutality, It’s such an inhospitable place. To survive that with so little to eat, so little water, basically having to work as a slave, is a testament to the survival instincts of mankind really” “Jeremy Irvine and Sam Reid (young Eric and Finlay) spent a day with a local gang, clearing jungle and bamboo out of one of the cuttings they’re trying to reclaim from the jungle.

It was great, it really informed them what it was to do that, but they came back totally knackered. It gave them a little taste of what it was like to do that, but with an end not in sight. Certainly not with a nice comfortable hotel bed and a cold beer to come home to.”

As for what the future holds. Having been so busy with The Railway Man and Burning Man back to back, he has only started to write another screenplay, but hopefully one of the other projects he is developing will see fruition next year.

DAVID O’CONNELL

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FILM

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG Dragon It Out Directed by Peter Jackson Starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage There is little doubt that this movie series is suffering from the initial decision to take three hundred odd pages of novel and draw it out into an epic similar to the previous Lord Of The Rings films. What should be a tight tale of rollicking adventure instead seems bloated and somewhat self indulgent. However, if you can put that to the side of your plate of second breakfast, then there is a rather good adventure film here. It may not be a return to form for Peter Jackson, but it is a vast improvement and an encouraging sign for the third and final movie.

This instalment sees Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), his band of not so merry dwarves and their well-mannered burglar, Bilbo (Martin Freeman), continue on their quest to reach the Lonely Mountain. Through spider-filled forests, elven dungeons and icebound towns they roam, constantly pursued by relentless orcs. Yet even when reaching

their destination, the party’s greatest challenge awaits, with the Dwarven Homelands being guarded by the dragon Smaug. Meanwhile, the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) confronts a rising new evil, and instead encounters an old foe.

This fifth voyage to the land of Middle Earth is full of all the richness of location that we have come to expect of Peter Jackson and Weta. The production design is exquisite and really manages to flesh out this fantasy realm, bringing it to life with incredible attention to detail. Once again the audience is treated to jaw dropping vistas and spectacular special effects.

In fact the marked increase of CG for this series can be a two-edged sword. Whereas there is no doubt that Smaug rising out of his mountain of gold is everything any fantasy enthusiast could want, the flip side is that some of the fights lack a visceral punch, instead looking like someone button mashing on Tekken.

Freeman continues to be a delight as Bilbo, bringing a remarkable sense of believability to a four foot tall, hairy-footed fantasy creature that lives in a hole in the ground. His portrayal is thoughtful, courageous, cunning and polite. There is a genuine sense of growth portrayed over his character arc.

McKellan once again returns as Gandalf, a role that he made entirely his own with the initial trilogy and continues to dominate in. Armitage is appropriately sullen, grim and determined as the wannabe KingUnder-The-Mountain, Thorin. We also see a return of fan favourite Legolas (Orlando Bloom), in a love triangle with female elf, Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) and the dwarf, Kili (Aidan Turner).

An enjoyable romp, but nowhere near as steady paced as it needs to be. Perhaps when all three are out it can be enjoyed more leisurely as part of a richly crafted whole.

DAVID O’CONNELL

FILM

THE GILDED CAGE Home Is Where the Heart Is Directed by Ruben Alves Starring Rita Blanco, Joaquim de Almeida, Roland Giraud Hard working Portuguese immigrants Maria (Rita Blanco) and Jose Ribeiro (Joaquim de Almeida) have made a home for themselves and their family in Paris. Dedicated, efficient and kind-hearted to a fault, they are often exploited by those around them.

The death of Jose’s estranged brother proves an unexpected windfall for the family, providing them with land and a comfortable income in Portugal.

As they prepare to leave, those that have taken advantage of Maria and Jose realise how good they had it and conspire to stop their trip.

First time director Ruben Alves creates a charming lightweight comedy, with just a hint of something more. This is not challenging or ambitious cinema, but it is entertaining (so entertaining in fact that The Gilded Cage won the People’s Choice Award at this year’s European Film Awards). The audience is provided a great deal of mirth in watching the extraordinary measures taken to entrap Maria and Jose in their former life and the inevitable revenge the couple take when they discover the plan.

Yet The Gilded Cage also touches upon ideas of identity, nationality and cultural stereotypes.

Drawing from his own childhood experience, writerdirector Alves examines the experiences of first and second generation immigrants. Maria and Jose carry a deep longing for their homeland, prefer traditional food, and are often bemused by displays of French decadence. By contrast their children view themselves more as Parisian, are more urbane and are occasionally embarrassed by how their parents stand out. Alves plays into these cultural stereotypes of both France and Portugal to good effect, subverting them by displaying positive values and motivations.

This perhaps works better for European audiences who would have more familiarity with the subject mater, but there is enough here that Australian audiences can get the gist.

Although richly supported by a host of colourful characters, it is really Maria and Jose that are the heart and soul of this film. It is a pleasure to see Joaquim de Almeida (Desperado, Fast Five) as something other than a villain (a role he seems most commonly cast in by Hollywood). Here he is warm, gregarious, strong, hard working and tough - a perfect father figure only let down by being a bit of a soft touch. Rita Blanco (Amour – again playing the role of a concierge here) plays Maria with a controlled deference to her employers, but warmly passionate with friends and family.

This is an entertaining clash of cultures and classes with plenty of laugh out loud moments, but with just a trace of depth and a fair amount of warmth to it. There is little doubt that The Gilded Cage is pure crowd-pleasing cinema, but its goal is achieved with a certain flourish and skill that makes it remarkably enjoyable.

DAVID O’CONNELL WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU

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Odyssey, Steven Dickie’s newest work explores the limits of conventional knowledge through a series of video and installation works that look at our inability to express and explain thoughts. It runs until January 19. Go to fac.org.au for more.

2013 Bankwest Art Prize: Bankwest Place The exhibition of all the finalist pieces for this prestigious annual award, including works by Rachel Coad, Penny Bovell, Susanna Castleden, Thea Constantino, Penny Coss, Jo Darbyshire and more, runs until March 3. Go to bankwest.com.au for more.

Against The Grain: Alcoa Mandurah Art Gallery An exhibition encompassing the four decade career of Australian multimedia artist and provocateur Tim Burns. It includes over 350 images and a number of video installations. It runs until January 11. Go to manpac.com.au for more information.

Grace Barbe

VISUAL ARTS Glass Eclectica: The York Mill Boiler Room Gallery A free exhibition of glass pieces in all shapes, sizes and colours from leading Perth glass sculptor, Greg Ash. On display until December 29. Head to theyorkmill. com.au for further information.

Being Eurasian: Fremantle Arts Centre Abdul Abdullah and Dr Leslie Morgan examine identity, history and ancestry in contemporary Australia. Abdullah’s paintings explore the ways in which people of mixed Asian and European heritage define themselves, while Morgan’s work looks at the entry of Anglo-Indians into the country in the time of the White Australia Policy. The exhibition runs until January 19. Go to fac.org.au for more details.

140 ART: 140 Nationally recognised artists and local emerging talent both contribute to this temporary gallery project that runs until January 31. Andy Quilty, Phibs, Amok, Anya Brock, Pip McManus and more will use shopfronts and walls along Wellington, William and Murray Street as a canvas for an ambitious urban art project. Head to 140.com.au for further information.

The Problems Of Explaining A Thunk: Fremantle Arts Centre Set in an installation reminiscent of 2001: A Space

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The Langue Verte - Art Of Transformation: Buratti Fine Art This exhibition draws together a range of Australian and international contemporary artists who reinterpret the concept of transformation across the media of film, sound, painting, drawing, printmaking and installation. Features works from Barry William Hale, Harvey Bialy, Masonik, Harry Smith and more. Head to buratti.com.au for further details.

A Private View - Modern Masters From The Kerry Stokes Collection: The Art Galley Of Western Australia 26 paintings drawn from one of the most significant private art collections in Australia, representing the major art movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It runs until March 3. Go to artgallery.wa.gov. au for further information.

Within These Walls: Wanneroo Library And Cultural Centre Gallery A free combined exhibition collated by the Wanneroo Museum and Art Collections, this innovative and quirky exhibition will showcase rarely seen artefacts from the Museum’s collection, juxtaposed and harmonised with art works from the city’s art collection. It runs until February 2.

Visit wanneroo.wa.gov.au for more.

2016: Linton and Kay Galleries, Perth The upcoming 400th anniversary of Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog’s WA landfall has inspired this exhibition by the collaborative photography group Ninety Degrees Five. The culmination of a three year endeavour to capture the sea- and landscape, it runs until December 31. Head to lintonandkay.com.au for more info.

The Illusionists

THEATRE/DANCE/ PERFORMANCE

FESTIVALS

Cavalia: The White Big Top This magnificent equestrian event combines spectacle and acrobatic skill reminiscent of Cirque Du Soleil with jaw-dropping displays of horsemanship and derringdo. Until January 4. Head for cavalia.net for more.

Fringeworld More than 450 shows across over 60 venues, encompassing traditional entertainment forms and the most outré, avant-garde live acts. It runs from January 24 until February 23. Go to fringeworld.com.au for the full programme and ticketing.

The Illusionists @ Crown Theatre Seven of the best magicians in the world have come together to craft a stage show unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. For one week only from January 18 - 26. Go to crownperth.com.au for more.

Perth International Arts Festival Perth’s biggest celebration of art, film, music, theatre, dance and culture runs from February 7 - March 1. Head to 2014.perthfestival.com.au for the full program.

Summer Nights @ The Blue Room Theatre Presented as part of Fringe World 2013, this incredible program of theatre and dance runs from January 24 - February 22. 32 different shows will be presented, including Squidboy, She Was Probably Not A Robot, Gym & Tonic, Run Girl Run and more. Plus, there’ll be encore seasons of the great puppet show, Bruce, and the incredible allegorical play, Great White. Head to blueroom.org.au for further information.

BOXOUT To have your performance, exhibition or cultural event listed, get in touch via localmusicarts@ xpressmag.com.au.

MUSIC Grace Barbe And Afro Kreol: Fremantle Arts Centre Performance on Wednesday, January 1. Go to fac.org. au for more information.

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To have your performance, exhibition or cultural event listed, get in touch via

localmusicarts@xpressmag.com.au For more Art strories head to

xpressmag.com.au

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Growing up between her parent’s houses, one on the coast and one in rural New South Wales, Anna was a far sight from the lights of LA. But growing up in a house full of boys, she learned to hold her own when they’d think she wasn’t cool enough to know the music they liked. In fact, she turned around and made a career out of it. She began hosting a dance music radio show on Sydney station FBi Radio, and as a result was listed as one of Sydney’s 100 most influential people and a “one to watch” in Harper’s Bazaar.

“There are definitely some things you need to do,” she says, “I desperately love making music.” Clocking up an enormous performing schedule of over 300 DJ sets this year, it’s a wonder Lunoe is still standing. “There have been so many highlights that I almost can’t remember them. Like I played in Panama, Dominican Republic, Mexico - I played with Bag Raiders on the beach and there were people skinny-dipping. It was awesome!”

That mental schedule has also forced some life lessons on the young artist. “I announced publicly that I didn’t have a great set,” she says of her appearance at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival. “I play on a laptop and the sun was in my eyes so I couldn’t see anything. But it happens. I wouldn’t have got very far in the music industry if I’d slit my wrists every time I had a bad gig. Fact is; I don’t have time to wallow. I need to go home and start preparing for the next night’s set.”

Sydney-bred DJ/singer/producer Anna Lunoe has been kickin’ in LA for a year-and-a-half now with near 24/7 pedal to the metal. She caught up with HAYLEY DAVIS on a car ride home before she returns to WA to headline the Coconut Club at Southbound on January 3 at Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton.

“You’ll never believe this,” a warm, bubbly voice says down the line. “My battery is really low. I’m about 20 minutes away from home, so if it cuts out, I’ll call you back.” Such is the down-to-earth nature of one Ms. Anna Lunoe. Making it big in LA hasn’t gone to this woman’s head. It probably hasn’t had time to.

“It has been busier than ever. I’ve been away for three to four weeks at a time with a week at home before heading out again.

I’ve found it much harder to keep a sense of balance and organisation. But it has been such an amazing year.”

Coninued on page 34.

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Continued From Cover.

She does admit that she is tired all the time, but it is clear making music is a near addiction for the artist whose penchant for fluro when younger, contributed to her first DJ name, Annafluro. “This year I’ve played at Radio City Music Hall where legends like Nirvana and Madonna played. There were signed photos of all the legends. There was a real sense of history.

To trace the same stages was very inspiring and made me really want to do more and work harder.”

Though collaborating with the likes of Flume and Touch Sensitive as well as playing regularly alongside industry heavyweights, Lunoe is adamant she is only beginning. “I have access to so many resources, mixers, producers that I never would have had access to before.

I’ve been growing and learning, really focusing on things like my workflow and production finding out what synths I like; the kind of drum sound I want. This year I’ve been focusing more on my songwriting. I’m only just beginning and discovering my production style.”

Lunoe signed with major record label Ultra Music earlier in the year. Trepidation has made way for trust as she discovered the label is keen to support her creativity and direction rather than sway her down a more commercial route. “They’ve been a fantastic support and have been really open-minded. I’ve been making music for a long time and so often it can feel very solo - just you up against it every day. It’s nice to know that you’ve got people behind you.”

Having traversed DJ and production across the genres of indie, hip hop, jungle and electro, Lunoe has some serious sensibilities and will strengthen her offerings as she develops her songwriting, which is as honest as her conversation. “I want my music to be heartfelt and meaningful to me. On the new album we’ve been working on, I’ve written about a lot of issues that are quite raw and really upset me.

Extreme love, extreme hate, stress; they’re my little therapy sessions.”

She doesn’t give too much away as to what’s in store, though she has ideas about who she’d like to work with at some point. “I’ve been working with a bunch of different people. I wish I could tell you who, but I can’t at this time.

There are a few people I really want to work with - Jagwar Ma, Basement Jaxx. I’d love to work with Yoko Ono - she’s got an album out at the moment and it’s just wild. It’s pure expression.”

MALAY STYLEZ The rather large extravaganza that is Future Music Festival is branching out into Asia - specifically to Mines Wonderland in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. There’s a colossal list of big names, some similar to the Perth lineup, but sounding all the more exciting in KL with Deadmau5, Paul Van Dyk, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon of Wu Tang Clan, Baauer, Eric Prydz and Armin Van Buuren’s legendary, A State of Trance 650: New Horizons, plus more. It’s all happening on 13-15 March, 2014. If you fancy a holiday, head to: futuremusicfestival.asia.

Ghostface Killah

Amine Edge & Dance

ISRAELI ‘GORESTEP’

Anna Lunoe

YOLANDA BE COOL

Israeli DJ/Producer, Asaf Borger, better known as Borgore is heading to Perth for an Inhibit party at Villa on Saturday, February 8. Borgore either ruined dubstep or saved it, depending on how your view it. Before becoming one of the world’s biggest dubstep DJs, he was the drummer for Shabira - a hardcore metal band from Tel Aviv, but after stumbling across the sounds of Skream and Benga et al. he never looked back. These days he’s one of those DJs transforming the sound from the underground to arenas. Support on the night comes from Killafoe, Get More, Pimp Scrub and DNGRFLD. Tickets on sale via Moshtix.

UK breakbeat icon, Adam Freeland is heading back to P-Town on Friday, February 7 at Villa. Owner of the renowned Marine Parade label, Freeland has over 17 years of global touring history behind him. You might remember the Brighton-living, Grammy-nominated DJ/producer’s famous 1996 release, Coastal Breaks, but what propelled him to the big time was the smash hit, We Want Your Soul. Get your tickets form Moshtix.

Borgore

Adam Freeland

PRODUCER’S CUT

Big House Dynamic duo Yolanda Be Cool skyrocketed to notoriety following the release of their 2011 single, We No Speak Americano, topping charts in over 16 countries. But after unleashing the 2012 album Ladies & Mentalmen unto the world, the duo have broken out of their mould. HAYLEY DAVIS checked in with them before the Bedroom To Big House DJ Competition launch at Metropolis Fremantle on Friday, December 27 and on Saturday, December 28 at Amplifier.

In October 2012, Andrew ‘Sylvester’ Stanley and Matt ‘Johnson’ Handley - the characters that make up Yolanda Be Cool - issued an international product recall for all digital and hard copy versions of We No Speak Americano, claiming that the beats “are no longer fresh.”

The song has been both a blessing and a curse for the boys and the recall was a request for attention to be focused squarely on the music they’re now releasing rather than their past successes.

“On the one hand, we wouldn’t have seen all the amazing things we have seen,” Handley says, “But on the other it can be quite difficult to expect that people won’t pigeon hole you after you have a song that takes on a life of its own. We don’t hate it; we just don’t play it anymore.”

It’s true they have much more to offer than a one hit wonder, as their long awaited, 2012 debut album demonstrated. The crisp, eccentric and dance inducing Ladies & Mentalmen was a refreshing mix of tracks, reviving more ‘90s electro sounds. The release also saw them work with Geoffrey ‘Gurrumul’ Yunipingu on track A Baru In New York.

“It was an absolute pleasure,” Handley says of working with the former Yothu Yindi member.

Gurrumul had previously turned down collaborations with a number of high profile artists, so it was much to Yolanda’s surprise that he agreed to work with them. “It was a massive highlight to have him come and sing with us to a packed Mix Up Tent (at Splendour In The Grass).

We told him it would be a pretty rowdy crowd compared to what he was used to and afterwards he said with a smile that we were right: ‘It was no Opera House.’”

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G HOUSE French DJ/producer duo, Amine Edge & Dance is heading to Perth for a show at Parker on Friday, February 7. They’ll be dishing up the G House aka ‘gangster house’ a fusion of hip hop and house music; the boys known for the explosive DJ sets and edits including Going To Heaven With The Goodie Goodies, Bitches In The Project and Half Way Crooks. Local supports on the night include Jake & Kane Winter, Aarin Fraser and Dan McNab. Get your tickets for this one from Moshtix.

NAIK What kind of music do you make? Music that lives somewhere between the worlds of electronic and acoustic music. I like to think of it as fairly unique, but if I had to draw comparisons it would be with artists from the LA beat scene such as The Gaslamp Killer and Free The Robots.

Latest release? An EP/mini album called Mutating Machines which was a collection of tracks and sketches I developed on the musical journey towards my second full length album, out in 2014. It’s available for free from naik.bandcamp.com.

Tools of your trade? Laptop and Audacity. I’m an avid collector of musical equipment as I find having tactile instruments encourage me to find unique sounds. I have a pretty decent array of old synths, guitars, recording equipment and exotic instruments that I use. In a live situation I use Ableton

BEHIND THE DECKS

The pair has not been without other unexpected highlights. On their way to perform in Morocco in 2012, Handley and Stanley were preparing for a crowd of around 9000 people. They arrived as guests of the king who put on a free festival for the country, and found themselves performing to a 90,000 strong crowd stretching as far as the eye could see. “It was pretty crazy,” Handley remembers.

Having spent much time living abroad in the last few years in Ibiza and Berlin, the Sydney-siders have been conscious of their influences and the sounds they want to lean into. “Berlin can definitely be a dangerous place for producers because there is a whole sound that exists there, that pretty much doesn’t exist anywhere else. People call it the ‘Berlin Bubble’ and it’s definitely something we tried to avoid.”

Yolanda Be Cool will be assisting a judging panel of Perth’s Death Disco DJs (Andrei and Anton Maz) to give up-and-coming DJs the chance to showcase their talent on stage at Metropolis Fremantle. For those entering the competition, Handley advises: “Play what you love, make what you love, and it will show.”

WEST COAST BREAKS

Live and a bunch of controllers to manipulate the sounds, as well as a Fender Jazzmaster guitar which is routed through Ableton Live and looped and manipulated via the controllers on the fly.

When are you at your most creative?

When my ears and mind are fresh and not too much has happened in the day to distract me. I find the early morning light streaming into the studio puts me in a good space to be creative. Lately I’ve been going in for a couple of hours before work and I’ve been getting a lot done, although I’ve wound up being late to work a couple of times when I’ve got carried away.

Producers you’re digging? I’ve been digging Trentemoller’s Lost a lot. Also been getting into a few guys with more of a pop sensibility like Max Frost and I’m usually a fan of most things Danger Mouse produces.

New Years resolution? Be less precious about music.

Try and take the J Dilla ‘don’t fall in love’ approach a little more. I think I’ve been guilty in the past of just reworking things until they lose what was initially so great about them.

Naik plays Sky High NYE 2014 @ Rooftop Movies, Tuesday, December 31.

Tools of your trade? Traktor, Traktor S2, Traktor Kontrol F1.

Most exciting moment behind the decks? It would have to be when I was playing at Avenue in New York and Leonardo DiCaprio asked to come into the DJ booth.

STACIE TODD Quick overview of your year? My year has been crazy! I’ve been playing all over the USA, Caribbean and South America. I would travel to a different location around four times a week.

If you HAD to choose between modelling and DJing, which would you choose? I’ll always have a deep love for modelling. I love being on the runway and in front of the camera but if I really HAD to choose, I would choose DJing. I get goose bumps when I drop a track and the crowd goes wild. Even if it’s a small crowd, I find that one person who is really feeling what I’m playing and I play for them.

Best track to open and close a set with? To open: Justin Timberlake’s Like I Love You (Motez Edit). To close: it would be my own remix of Tiesto’s Take Me.

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Strangest thing that’s happened whilst DJing? One of the clients who bought the table in the DJ booth whispered to me he’s going to make it rain, me having no idea what he meant just smiled and kept playing. All of a sudden it started raining money all over me and the DJ equipment.

Raddest DJ trick? In the Dominican Republic I grabbed the microphone and the big Co2 gas gun, stood up on the DJ booth and sprayed the crowd whilst screaming “WHAT’S UP DOMINCAN REPUBLIC?” I have never seen a crowd go so crazy.

Anything else? I’m really excited to be playing in my home town Perth in front of family and friends and having an Australian New Year’s.

Stacie Todd plays A Prohibition New Years Eve @ Print Hall, Tuesday, December 31.

HEDFLUX Deep Into Beats Music has always been his first love. And for a man who started making mixes and pretending he was a DJ since he was a kid, Hedflux aka Steve Young is definitely in his element right now. RK talks to a circumspect Young ahead of his appearance at Breakfest at Belvoir Amphitheatre on Thursday, December 26.

Given the resurgence in the popularity of UK bass music, Young’s twist on a breaks inspired sound has seen his popularity begin to rise.

“Music was something that came to me when I was about 13,” reflects a pretty chuffed Young. “It was something that I was doing in my spare time. I actually studied mathematics and physics at university and did a PhD and persisted with the corporate world there for a while.”

After completing his studies, he obtained a rather well paying job in the Information Technology world, but it started grating on him after awhile. “In around 2010 I quit my job after saving up about six months worth of salary. In the move to music, I really thought about giving it everything I’ve got. I basically set myself up to make sure I wouldn’t fail; I believed in it and while I did a few other bits and bobs, my biggest focus became Hedflux.”

The conversation digresses and he wonders whether like him, there are any DJs who are also doctors, and he answers his own question: “I was in Italy once and got picked up at the airport by two DJs who just happened to be doctors, but they had no jobs!”

Back on track, he explains how he got into breaks around 2002. “I started going to parties put on by Meat Katie and Rennie Pilgrem. That

simple breakbeat groove really became imprinted on my soul.” He explains that he started to find the scene becoming somewhat stagnant and he began really enjoying techno and trance. Torn, he began considering how to reconcile these noises and fuse them into a single, dancefloor rhythm.

“I wanted to make it an experience - that was my goal,” he explains “and as I evolved, I felt I created a more defined and mature sound. I was really trying to break out of the mould and push things a bit further. For example, I recently found myself doing some psychedelic, progressive breaks tracks to see how they would turn out.”

This in turn inspired him to pursue visions of grandeur in an LP too. “I really wanted to do an album last year actually,” he chimes. “It ended up being a four-track EP though and I put it out as a ‘pay what you like’ release and managed to build up a bit of a studio with the money.”

So his next focus is an album, but it will take some time. “I’m not one of these people that can churn out tunes on a weekly basis. I’m just going to take my time and get an album out next year. I want to try to push my own boundaries a bit rather than follow a tried and tested methodology. You’re always learning in music.”

SOUL CLAP House Wears Many Hats Soul Clap, along with their record labelcome-artist collective, Wolf + Lamb are touring together and bringing their feel good beats to The Bakery this New Year’s Eve Tuesday, December 31. NAOMI FAYE checks in with Soul Clap to see what’s in store.

Soul Clap’s ‘house wears many hats’ mantra is a piece of wisdom they learnt over a decade ago from the owner of Vinyl Connection records, Caril Mitro.

The now closed-down record store was once their “vinyl temple” in Boston, and the beginning of their journey through house music.

“This was her way of telling us to be diverse in our selection and taste”, says Cnyce aka Chaz Shabaz, one half of the Soul Clap duo. This sentiment encapsulates what Soul Clap is all about; house music shouldn’t be held captive to one particular vibe, it should be inspired by different sounds.

Although Mitro’s advice seems simple enough, it has motivated Soul Clap into mastering the many elements of being skilled DJ’s - knowledge, mixing, programming, performance and experience.”

This has formed their creative vision, allowing them to DJ at the hottest dance events around the world.

Both from Boston, Cynce and Elyte aka E-Heavy The Bamboozla grew as DJs through the notorious parties held by Wolf + Lamb at Brooklyn’s Marcy Hotel. With their hip hop and R&B-infused house, they’re often described as bringing emotion back to the dance floor. “When remixing we look for emotion in elements that you can sink your teeth into… different tempos, feelings, songs with vocals and live instruments, or sometimes just drum machine hypnosis. What we don’t do is play that boring shit!”

In 2011 Soul Clap teamed up with Wolf + Lamb to release their 27-track mix for DJ-Kicks,

securing their penchant for soulful house tunes.

In 2012 the duo released their 90’s inspired debut album, EFUNK - a mix filled with R&B classics and disco remixes. This year they dug up the archives of Nice ‘N’ Ripe, developing a nostalgic compilation of the record label’s admired garage house.

Through their record label, Soul Clap Records and their artist collective, Crew Love (together with Wolf + Lamb and Double Standard Records) the duo is now spreading their house ethos further, developing an inspired music community.

“Soul Clap Records came about after years of touring when we started encountering artists that we loved. We wanted to be the ones that introduced them to the rest of the world.”

Perth is luckily enough to have the four guys from Soul Clap and Wolf + Lamb bringing in the new year at The Bakery for NYFeels. Their ongoing collaboration producing the type of energy needed for the ultimate New Years Eve party. “When we’re all together we really bring the party vibe, which often overflows into the DJ booth. Musically it’s sort of like adding special ingredients into a slow cooker.”

But don’t be tempted to have any preconceptions about their performance, as they like to keep things completely improvised. Now incorporating post-punk, African and Arab beats into their hip hop repertoire, a crazy night’s guaranteed. “It’s NYE, so I’m sure we’ll all be fighting to tweak that mixer! WE COMING DOWN UNDAAAAAH! Australia git READY!” WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU

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THURSDAY 26/12 AMBAR Breakfest After Party BELVOIR AMPHITHEATRE Breakfest ft. Stanton Warriors, LTJ Bukem, Plump DJs & more THE BRIGHTON Squinty C5 METRO FREO Fresco Flow Fridays Surge, Davewave, Cristian, Vic, Nano THE CAUSEWAY Xport Thursdays CONNECTIONS Bingay THE COURT Boxing Day Foam Party ft. Shapeshifters EVE NIGHTCLUB Retro Thursdays ft.

EVE DJ Team GROOVE BAR (CROWN) DJ Ray KALAMUNDA Grizzly LEISURE INN DJ Peta MALT Collective NEWPORT HOTEL Tiki Bar Open Mic Night SHAPE Family Feud ft. BMB vs Peter Payne, ST1 vs Elayche & more FRIDAY 27/12 AIR NIGHTCLUB VIP Platinum Fridays AMPLIFIER Fridays Are Back ft. Kla THE AVIARY Paradise Paul / NDORSE / TFord THE AVENUE DJ Lokie Shaw THE BAYSWATER Mario Zuji THE BEAT (DOWNSTAIRS) PLAY THE BIRD {Move} Selector {Rhythmatism} b2b2b Djs, Ben T, Ben M, Rok Riley, Marcus , Nik Ridik, Declan, Fahmi, Cal & Wil 4:20, Bilsby, Viv G, Diger

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Rokwell, hax0rw4ng, Miranda, Sleepyhead, Hayden Brown, Herman, Andrew Sinclair, Jack Doepel, Modesty Blaze, Jack Faulkner, Dave Clark THE BRASS MONKEY Vicktor & Greene George THE BRIGHTON DJ Peta CAPITOL Capitol Fridays DJ Roger Smart CAPITOL (UPSTAIRS) I Love 80’s & 90’s THE CARINE Az-T THE CAUSEWAY Acoustic Sundowner THE COMO Funky Bottoms THE CRAFTSMAN Britty DAILY PLANET Sundowner Sessions THE DEEN Student Night EMPIRE BAR Howie Morgan, DJ Wasteland, Jordan EVE NIGHTCLUB Recharge Fridays FLAWLESS Monarch Fridays THE GENEROUS SQUIRE Jay Lee Lloyd GINGER NIGHTCLUB Mondos “Feel Good” Dance Party GOLD BAR Friday Vanity THE GEORGE NDORSE THE GRAND Jay Mackay GROOVE BAR (CROWN) DJ Crazy Craig THE HIGHWAY HOTEL Crackers LAKERS TAVERN Grizzly LIBRARY Dorcia MUSTANG BAR Swing DJ/ DJ James

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OCEAN ONE BAR

MALT

METRO FREO

WEDS 25/12 GROOVE BAR (CROWN) DJ Crazy Craig

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De La Soul - Tuesday, Dec 31 @ Salt On The Beach & Wednesday, Jan 1 @ Cuban Club, The Flying Squadron Yacht Club

MacArthur METRO FREO Bedroom To Big House DJ Competition Yolanda be Cool, Death Disco MY PLACE Karaoke PARKER Cake Wordlife, Genga, Drifter, Get More, Beyond Tha Noize PLAYERS BAR Hooch THE QUEENS Reuben ROCKET ROOM Howlers ft. DJ Frank N Bean SOVEREIGN ARMS Ang3l THE SAINT Garrison THE WHALE & ALE DJ Spinback YAYA’S ACE ft DJ Pup SATURDAY 28/12 AMBAR Japan 4 Miss Demeanour, Tee EL, Philly Blunt, MR.eD, Mo’Fly AMPLIFIER Yolanda Be Cool, Kla, Eddie Electric THE AVIARY Zel, Troy Division, Paradise Paul THE BALMORAL Back To The 80’s BAR 120 Jordan Scott

BEAT NIGHTCLUB (UPSTAIRS) CANVAS BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) Big Kidz THE BIRD Kucka, Mei Saraswati, wa$abi peA$ BRASS MONKEY DJ Peta & Jordan Scott THE BRIGHTON Misschief C5 METRO FREO I Love 80s + 90s Darren Tucker, Dr Wazz CAPITOL Death Disco ft.

Death Disco DJs CAPITOL (UPSTAIRS) Cream of the 80s ft.

DJ Roger Smart CLUB RED SEA Fresh Saturdays THE CAUSEWAY House Party THE COMO Jay Lee Lloyd EAST END BAR Home EMPIRE BAR DJ James Shipstone, Miggy FLAWLESS LQ Saturdays GEISHA BAR Audiojack GOLD BAR Saturday Pure Gold THE GENEROUS SQUIRE Defauntly

Plump DJs - Thursday, Dec 26 @ Breakfest, Belvoir Amphitheatre

THE GOOD SHEPHERD Chocolate Jesus THE GRAND Jay Mackay GROOVE BAR (CROWN) DJ Dan LEEDERVILLE HOTEL (DOWNSTAIRS) Under The Arena Party THE LIBRARY DJ Victor / DJ Riki LOST SOCIETY Chalk METRO FREO Metropolis Saturdays Darren Tucker, Dr Wazz, Ben Carter, Shane Hewson NEWPORT HOTEL Gravity Tahli Jade PARKER FMF Warm Up Micah, Axen, Jackness, ACEBASIK, Chiari PARAMOUNT Felix/ DJ John/ Jordan PLAYERS BAR LUXE THE QUEENS Kenny L THE SAINT Crackers SHAPE BAR Big Ape THE SHED Huge / DJ Andy SOVEREIGN ARMS River Milnes THE WHALE & ALE DJ Spinback THE WEMBLEY HOTEL Jon Ee YAYA’S Arcadia All Nighter SUNDAY 29/12 THE AVIARY Rooftop Sessions Paradise Paul, Troy Division, NDORSE THE BIRD In The City Lovefingers / Suzanne Kraft THE BRIGHTON Squinty THE CAPTAIN STIRLING Lokie Shaw EMPIRE BAR DJ Victor, Riki GROOVE BAR (CROWN) DJ Ray LAKERS TAVERN River Milnes

Yacht Club DJs - Wednesday, Jan 1 @ Club Paradiso, Salt On The Beach

MUSTANG BAR DJ Rockin’ Rhys NEWPORT DJ Tom Drummond THE PEEL ALE HOUSE Hages ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Get Down THE SAINT DJ Jon Ee & Az-T THE QUEENS Fiveo & Sam Spencer MONDAY 30/12 MUSTANG BAR Triple Shots THE ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Bada Bingo!

TUESDAY 31/12 AMBAR Marten Hørger AMPLIFIER A NYE Trip Akouo, Leon Osborn, KLA, Eddie Electric, Cowboys and indie kids CAPITOL Sticky Fingers NYE Stillwater Giants, Lyall Moloney, Death Disco, Micah BRASS MONKEY DJ Peta & Jordan Scott THE BAKERY Soul Clap & Wolf + Lamb THE BRIGHTON Miss Chief THE BREAKWATER New Years Eve Masquerade Party THE CARINE Grizzly THE CAUSEWAY Tropical NYE Party LDRU, Yahtzel, TKST, Sable THE CRAFTSMAN Dazman DAVES CANS (MYRE ROOFTOP) Gong On (The Roof) NYE 2013 Wooshie, Diger Rokwell & more THE DEEN New Years Eve Party

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GEISHA DJ T GENEROUS SQUIRE Defanutly GOSNELLS Sonny HYDE PARK HOTEL Hages METRO FREO New Years Eve UV Paint Party Sosueme Dj’s, Death Disco, Dj Darren T, Dr Wazz, Dj Shane Hewson / Ben C SOVEREIGN ARMS Jinx Project METRO CITY Metro City New Years Eve Ummet Ozcan, MaRLo and Organ Donors LEEDERVILLE HOTEL NYE Beach Party LOST SOCIETY Garden Of Eden NYE DJ Reuben THE LEFTBANK Fiveo and Crackers THE LIBRARY Librarians & Barbarians NYE Party PARKER Parkers New Years Eve PRINT HALL A Prohibition New Years Eve Brow Horn Orchestra, DJ Stacie Todd, DJ Rex and DJ Zel THE QUEENS Sam Spencer & 3mmanuel THE SAINT Az-T & Jon Ee TIGER LIL’S New Years Eve 2014 DJ Adam Kelly, Cee, Kid Deepb VILLA I Was There tyDi THE WEMBLEY Lokie Shaw

A$AP Rocky

Origin NYE TUESDAY, DEC 31 @ OZONE RESERVE

WEDS 01/12 THE BRASS MONKEY Lokie Shaw & Jon Ee AMPLIFIER/CAPITOL Harlem Wednesdays DAVES CANS (MYRE ROOFTOP) WONDERLAND ft. Sampology, Indian Summer, The Kite String Tangle & more THURSDAY 02/01 KALAMUNDA Grizzly LEISURE INN DJ Peta FRIDAY 03/01 AMPLIFIER Fridays Are Back Edwardo Norton THE AVENUE DJ Lokie Shaw THE BAYSWATER Mario Zuji THE BAKERY Eprom & Chaos In The CBD THE BRASS MONKEY Vicktor & James Ess THE BRIGHTON DJ Peta C5 METRO FREO Fresco Flow Fridays Surge, Davewave, Cristian, Vic, Nano CAPITOL Capitol Fridays DJ Roger Smart CAPITOL

(UPSTAIRS) I Love 80’s & 90’s Darren Tucker THE COMO Funky Bottoms THE CARINE Az-T THE CRAFTSMAN Britty METRO FREO Frat house Fridays Death Disco Dj’s THE HIGHWAY HOTEL Crackers LAKERS TAVERN Grizzly PARKER Ian Carey THE QUEENS Reuben SOVEREIGN ARMS Ang3l THE SAINT Garrison THE WHALE & ALE DJ Spinback

Darren Tucker, Dr Wazz CAPITOL Death Disco Death Disco Djs THE COMO Jinx Project THE CORNERSTONE Sonny METRO FREO Metropolis Saturdays Darren Tucker, Dr Wazz, Ben Carter, Shane Hewson THE QUEENS Kenny L THE SAINT Crackers SOVEREIGN ARMS Byron O’Neil THE WEMBLEY HOTEL Ang3l

SATURDAY 04/01 AMPLIFIER Pure Pop Eddie Electric AVENUE Lokie Shaw BRASS MONKEY DJ Peta & Jordan Scott THE BAKERY Cyril Hahn THE BRIGHTON Misschief C5 METRO FREO I Love 80s + 90s

LAKERS TAVERN River Milnes THE BRIGHTON Squinty THE CAPTAIN STIRLING Lokie Shaw THE PEEL ALE HOUSE Hages THE SAINT Mikeee & Az-T THE QUEENS Fiveo & Sam Spencer

SUNDAY 05/01

Deadline Monday 5pm. The Club Manual is a service to advertisers listing all DJs & Dance Music. All inclusions are at the discretion of X-Press. Email guide@xpressmag.com.au

CAPITOL

MULLALOO BEACH HOTEL

DECEMBER FAMILY FEUD ft. BMB vs Peter Payne, ST1 vs Elayche & more 26 Shape Bar BREAKFEST ft. Stanton Warriors, LTJ Bukem, Plump DJs & more 26 Belvoir Amphitheatre BREAKFEST AFTER PARTY 26 Ambar BOXING DAY FOAM PARTY ft.

Shapeshifters (UK) 26 The Court ICICLE 27 Shape Bar CAKE ft. Wordlife, Genga, Drifter, Get More, Beyond Tha Noize 27 Parker BEDROOM TO BIG HOUSE DJ COMP ft.

Yolanda Be Cool 27 Metropolis Fremantle THE WEAPON IS SOUND 28 The Bakery AUDIOJACK 28 Geisha KUCKA 28 The Bird ORIGIN SIDESHOW ft. Bicep 30 The Bakery I WAS THERE ft. tyDi 31 Villa GONG ON (THE ROOF) NYE 2013 ft. Wooshie, Diger Rokwell & more 31 Dave’s Cans, Myre Rooftop MARTEN HØRGER 31 Ambar SALT ON THE BEACH ft. De La Soul 31 North Fremantle Beach STICKY FINGERS NYE ft. Stillwater Giants, Lyall Moloney, Death Disco DJs & Micah 31 Capitol

ORIGIN ft. Wiz Khalifa, A$AP Rocky & more 31 Ozone Reserve SOUL CLAP & WOLF + LAMB 31 The Bakery PARKERS NEW YEARS EVE 31 Parker DJ T 31 Geisha NEW YEARS EVE 2014 DJ Adam Kelly, Cee, Kid Deep 31 Tiger Lil’s METRO CITY NEW YEARS EVE Ummet Ozcan, MaRLo and Organ Donors 31 Metro City A NYE TRIP Akouo, Leon Osborn, KLA, Eddie Electric, Cowboys and indie kids 31 Amplifier NYE BEACH PARTY DJ Reuben 31 Leederville Hotel NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY 31 The Deen LIBRARIANS & BARBARIANS NYE PARTY 31 The Library NEW YEARS EVE MASQUERADE PARTY 31 The Breakwater GARDEN OF EDEN NYE 31 Lost Society A PROHIBITION NEW YEARS EVE Brow Horn Orchestra, DJ Stacie Todd, DJ Rex and DJ Zel 31 Print Hall TROPICAL NYE PARTY LDRU, Yahtzel, TKST, Sable 31 The Causeway THE GATHERING NYE: THE END IS THE BEGINNING IS THE END 31 The Hellenic Club

LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS 31 Rooftop Movies 1 Fremantle Arts Centre

JUAN ATKINS 19 The Court DANNY DAZE 23 The Collective @ Malt

NEW YEARS EVE UV PAINT PARTY 31 Metro Freo

HEAVYWEIGHT SOUNDZ ft. London Elektricity, Memtrix, MC Wrec 24 Metro City

JANUARY CUBAN CLUB ft. De La Soul, DJ Yoda 1 The Flying Squadron Yacht Club CLUB PARADISO ft. Bag Raiders & Yacht Club DJs 1 Salt On The Beach WONDERLAND ft. Sampology, Indian Summer, The Kite String Tangle & more 1 Myre Rooftop

MAX VANGELI 24 Villa MARK KNIGHT 25 The Deen LAIDBACK LUKE & HELENA 26 Salt On The Beach MOBILEE SESSION ft.

Pan-Pot 27 Next Generation Kings Park Rooftop

LADI6 & HOME BREW 13 Chevron Festival Gardens MIAMI HORROR 15 Amplifier DJ SHADOW 15 Chevron Festival Gardens EBONY BONES 16 Chevron Festival Gardens SONNY FODERA 16 Habitat Rooftop Party (venue TBC) AUSTRA 17 Chevron Festival Gardens

AVICII 27 Perth Arena

DJ FOOD, DJ CHEEBA, DJ MONEYSHOT 18 Chevron Festival Gardens

IAN CAREY 3 Parker

HANNAH WANTS 31 Parker

THE ASTON SHUFFLE 23 Secret Show

EPROM & CHAOS IN THE CBD 3 The Bakery

FEBRUARY

ORIGIN SIDESHOW ft. Jack Beats 3 Shape Bar SOUTHBOUND ft. Bonobo, Horrorshow, Solange, MGMT, Anna Lunoe & more 4-5 Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton CYRIL HAHN 4 The Bakery BENI 10 Metropolis Fremantle 11 Amplifier EGO & LUKE MILLION 11 Amplifier ELITE FORCE & FELGUK 17 Parker KOLOMBO 17 Geisha SUNDOWN SESSIONS ft. Fat Freddy’s Drop 18 Scarborough Beach PHETSA FAREWELL 18 Villa

DILLON FRANCIS 1 Shape Bar

ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT ft. Roy Ayers 27 Chevron Festival Gardens

ALICE RUSSELL 6 & 7 Chevron Festival Gardens

PUBLIC ENEMY 28 Chevron Festival Gardens

ADAM FREELAND 7 Villa

MARCH

AMINE EDGE & DANCE 7 Parker ST JEROME’S LANEWAY FESTIVAL ft. Cashmere Cat, Earl Sweatshirt, Four Tet, Jamie XX 8 Esplanade Park & West End, Fremantle #TOGETHER ft.

Ta-ku, Zeke, Kit Pop, Cosmo Gets, Sable 8 Chevron Festival Gardens BORGORE, TREI, TALI 8 Villa DVS1 9 The Court 100 MILLION NIGHTS 11 Chevron Festival Gardens

AMPLIFIER

KERSER w/ DJ Dazastah, Bitter Belief, Complete & Omac 1 Metro City FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL ft. Deadmau5, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Phoenix, Hardwell & more 2 Arena Joondalup GOOD LIFE ft. Deadmau5, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Hardwell & more 3 Arena Joondalup ILLY 21 Capitol BATHS 23 The Bakery JURASSIC 5 28 Metro City

Guti. Photo by Brandon D’Silva

GUTI In The House The Collective @ Malt Supper Club Thursday December 19, 2013 Known for his wide range of musical interests and influences stemming from a lifetime surrounded by music, Argentinean DJ and producer, Guti hit Malt with an array of Latin and jazz-infused house tunes.

From start to finish he had the dance floor and even a few inspired staff members moving to his beat, eagerly anticipating each twist and turn in his hypnotically pumping set. The turnout was strong for a South American-flavoured Thursday night performance, the energy and enthusiasm impacting positively on Guti’s own mood and on-stage demeanour.

Originally a self-taught jazz pianist and then acting as one fifth of South American stadium rock band, Jovenes Pordioseros, he gained live performance experience before he ever thought of being producer, as well as a wealth of musical knowledge which comes through strongly in his live set.

Signed to Loco Dice’s Desolat label and discovered soon after his first attempts at house music production, Guti has since relocated to Germany to focus on a specifically dance music career. He has released tunes on other labels including Crosstown Rebels, Wolf + Lamb and Supplement Facts, also featuring on Fabric Live mixes and the Sven Vath founded Cocoon label. He released his debut album,

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Patio de Juegos - which means ‘playground’ - on Desolat in 2011 and has a new full-length in the works for 2014.

His production techniques predominantly focus on a house and techno based drum pattern and bass line, adding jazz house piano, occasional vocal sampling and Latin American-styled toms and crash symbols. It’s the kind of music you can’t help moving to, but its subtle variations can go unnoticed - after an hour the crowd was thinning as Guti continued to loop similar piano riffs and kick in the bass in a repetitive manner. He did mix up the timing of his drops, generally building his tracks for minutes and then smoothly bringing in the low end when he saw fit.

The set may have benefited from a sound system designed to better represent the full aspects of the track - it was most melodically pleasing when Guti cut out the bass and you could appreciate his trained, jazz-infused composition adding that Latin American feel to the music and changing up the mood. He remained inside similar beats-per-minute ratios all night, only providing the odd snippet of a chord progression to let you know the song had changed.

It seems unusual for a trained musician to be inspired more by a type of music that is typically simpler and easier to learn to produce, but what Guti really brings to the table is a mixture of influences picked up throughout a musically-inclined life, as well as a joy and love for it that he can’t get enough of.

Guti’s Facebook page states he makes “emotional house music with broken hearts” and he is influenced by “trying to be happy,” revealing a sensitivity and a love for music, especially tracks that don’t always require lyrics to have meaning.

TOM KITSON

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LOCAL NEWS

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INTERVIEWS

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REVIEWS

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Q & A

THE BEST OF LIVE 2013

Kiss @ Perth Arena Pic: Michael Wylie

The Stone Roses @ Future Music Festival Pic: Daniel Craig

BOB GORDON

ALFRED GORMAN

1. Kiss @ Perth Arena, Thursday, February 28 I felt 13 again. My 13 year-old son sat next to me. We got the best.

1. The Stone Roses – Future Music Festival @ Joondalup Arena, Sunday, March 3 This was the one. The second coming. What the world was waiting for. The reformation of The Stone Roses in 2011 was something even diehard fans had all but given up hope for and never thought would actually happen. But it did, and they finally made it back to Perth, and were better than anyone could have imagined – probably better than they actually ever were in the ‘90s. The Madchester kings came and conquered, reminding us why they are regarded as one of the greatest bands of all time, and it was fookin glorious man.

If you were there, you know what I mean.

2. You Am I @ the Astor Theatre, Saturday, July 13 3. The Chemist @ State Of The Art, Perth Concert Hall, Sunday, June 2 4. Pond @ St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, PICA Stage, Saturday, February 9 5. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds @ Red Hill Auditorium, Wednesday, March 6

2.You Am I @ Astor Theatre, Saturday, July 13 3.Leonard Cohen @ Perth Arena, Wednesday, November 13 4.The XX @ Metro City, Tuesday, April 2 5.Tallest Man On Earth @ Perth Festival Gardens, Friday, March 1

Leonard Cohen @ Perth Arena Pic: Bohdan Warchomij Muse @ Perth Arena Pic: Rachael Barrett

The Chemist @ State Of The Art Pic: Michael Wylie

TRAVIS JOHNSON

Nick Cave @ Red Hill Auditorium Pic: J-F-Foto

1. Leonard Cohen @ Perth Arena, Wednesday, November 13 Three hours from a septuagenarian genius with more grace, charisma and humility than any dozen contemporary artists you care to name. The best show of the year by a considerable margin.

SHAUN COWE 1. Antibalas plus The Herbaliser @ Chevron Festival Gardens, Saturday, March 2.

A great gig transcends just the band playing. You need a good atmosphere, a good sound, a good crowd and a good venue… oh, and cheap booze. And while all these gigs had that to some extent, the infectious afrobeat grooves and vibrant atmosphere made Antibalas the standout gig of 2013.

2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds @ Red Hill Auditorium, Wednesday, March 6 3. Regurgitator @ The Rosemount Hotel, Saturday, October 19 4. Neil Young And Crazy Horse @ Perth Arena, Saturday, March 2 5. Killing Joke @ the Rosemount Hotel, Sunday, June 9

2. Bob Hurst (NYC) @ The Ellington Jazz Club, Wednesday, June 5 3. Beaufort Street Festival, Saturday, November 16 4. A Persian Dream @ Kulcha, Friday, June 14 5. Muse/Birds Of Tokyo @ Perth Arena, Saturday, November 30

Pond @ St Jerome’s Laneway Festival Pic: Callum Ponton

Flaming Lips @ Southbound Pic: Michael Wylie

RACHEL DAVISON

CHRIS HAVERCROFT

1. The Flaming Lips @ Southbound, Friday, January 4 ‘Beam Me Up, Scotty’. Memories from January, 2013, are now a little hazy... but so was this show I recall, a sensory overload in prelude to the release of their 13th studio album, The Terror. There were hundreds of multi-coloured balls, copious amounts of streamers and confetti and Wayne Coyne’s theatrics, which included rolling across the audience in a giant inflatable ball. And then of course, the giant laser hands that made headlines around the world when they were stolen after the show.

1. Neutral Milk Hotel/Superchunk/M Ward @ The Forum, Saturday, November 16 Having the opportunity to see Neutral Milk Hotel live is the musical equivalent of sighting the Loch Ness Monster. So rare is a public appearance by Jeff Magnum, that it is unlikely he even does his own shopping. After years of wondering if the band reputation was based on them not crapping on their own memory by checking out after In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, the former Elephant 6’s proved to be beyond extraordinary. Adding Superchunk’s first visit in 17 years and the always impressive M Ward was a gig that wouldn’t be topped.

2. Metz @ Slanted & Enchanted, Astor Theatre, Saturday, December 7 3. Jon Hopkins @ Slanted & Enchanted, The Bakery, Saturday, December 7 4. A Place To Bury Strangers @ The Rosemount, Friday, January 18 5. Godspeed You! Black Emperor @ Chevron Festivals Gardens, Monday, February 11

2. Taylor Swift @ NiB Stadium, Wednesday, December 11 3. Bruce Springsteen @ Hanging Rock, Sunday, March 31 4. The Polyphonic Spree @ Melbourne Festival Hub, Monday, October 21 5. Father John Misty @ Chevron Festival Gardens, Friday, February 15 WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU

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LOCAL NEWS

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INTERVIEWS

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LIVE REVIEWS

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Q & A

MISS HAWAIIAN TROPICS 2013 GRAND FINAL The Clink Friday, December 13, 2013 A capacity crowd hit The Clink to see the Miss Hawaiian Tropics Grand Final, keen to see who would join the eight national and one international winners who have sprung from the Fremantle institution. This year’s winner is Kellie Germain.

Photos by Dan Cross

ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Rosemount Hotel’s annual New Years Eve Fiesta is almost here and tickets are selling fast. Tuesday, December 31, catch Abbe May, The Kill Devil Hills, Split Seconds, Simone And Girlfunkle, Huge Magnet, The Floors, and DJ Shannon Fox. Tickets are available for either the whole venue or just the beer garden from rosemounthotel.com.au, oztix.com. au, heatseeker.com.au, 78 Records, Mills Records and Planet Video.

RAILWAY HOTEL

Abbe May

Tuesday December 31, The Fremantle Groove Club presents Under The Stars: NYE 2013 A Fremantle Space Odyssey, a two stage event using the Railway Hotel’s beer garden and main room. Catch The Amani Consort, Dilip N The Davs, The Crux, Ngati, Jkash, DJ Iron Palm, Empress Corby and DJ Screech plus fire performers and heaps more. Doors open 6.30pm and tickets are available from ticketbooth.com.au.

The Amani Consort

MUSTANG BAR The Mustang Bar will be closed Christmas Day which falls on their Wild Wednesday, so they’re moving it to Thursday 26th December 2013 - just like their original Wednesday nights, only on a Thursday! Get in early to grab their famous $5 fest from 6pm. For a mere $5 you get yourself an Aussie BBQ plate with all the goodies, drink inclusive and a ticket to win $100. Free pool competition from 8.30pm and Perth’s hottest cover bands on stage from 9.30pm, with DJ Giles on the decks till late.

THE BIRD Friday, December 27, in celebration of the music of 2013 {MOVE} have invited their extended family and friends to choose their top three selections from the past year for their annual selector event! Featuring Ben T, Ben M, Rok Riley, Marcus, Nik Ridik, Declan, Fahmi, Cal & Wil 4:20, Bilsby, Viv G, Diger Rokwell, hax0rw4ng, Miranda, Sleepyhead, Hayden Brown, Herman, Andrew Sinclair, Jack Doepel, Modesty Blaze, Jack Faulkner and Dave Clark. Free entry from 8pm.

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MOJOS Sunday, December 29, Earthless and The Shrine both headline Mojos Bar. California’s finest are returning to Australia for a third time and to mark such a glorious occasion, they’re bringing The Shrine with them.

Hailing from San Diego, Earthless have been spreading their psychic trans love energy all over the world since 2001, sharing stages with the likes of Dinosaur Jr, Baroness, Dead Meadow, and Wooden Shjips, just to name a few. If you’re unaware of Earthless, they’re essentially a high-energy rock ‘n’ roll band with their influences heavily planted in the golden age of ‘60s and ‘70s heavy psych and kraut rock. Locals Mt Mountain support. Presales are $35 plus booking fee, $40 at the door from 6pm.

Earthless

Put the word to the herd about upcoming album, EP, single or video releases by dropping us a line at plugyourgig@xpressmag.com.au

The Weapon Is Sound

THE WEAPON IS SOUND Big, bold dub sensation The Weapon Is Sound will reveal to the world the first instalment of their dual EP project, Direct Dub, on Saturday, December 28, at The Bakery, with support from Mathas, Diger Rokwell, Doctopus, Mudlark, Sibalance, The Boost Hero Man and Wisdom2th. We caught up with bassist Dominic Pearce.

You’ve quickly established a strong presence in the Perth music scene.

Were you surprised by the audience response in general, and to Praxis Dub in particular?

Definitely. Weapon seems to be a pretty universal beast - we’re warmly received with big outdoor roots crowds as we are in dark rooms alongside psych rock bands or electronic audiences, which we think is pretty cool, and we’re very grateful for. Weapon was really formed out of wanting to go see more heavy live dub sounds, so we’re glad people were seemingly seeking the same thing.

As for Praxis Dub, to be honest we’re still kind of finding out how people are responding to it. So far, though, the response seems good and we’d really like its message to resonate with listeners. The song initially started out as a joke regarding the concept of labelling stuff ‘slacktivism’’ the idea people are only engaging in political activism via the internet because it’s easy. We didn’t agree, we think it’s great people are getting riled up and expressing it. These days you do have to rise up against something - there is a lot of really stupid shit going on at the moment by those elected to power.

Explain the concept behind Direct/Indirect for us.

When we first recorded these songs, we entered the studio in the midst of a ridiculous gig schedule during the summer of last year. We were playing back to back nearly every weekend, so we were jamming a lot on stage, and songs were mutating pretty regularly. When we entered the studio, we decided recording exactly how we’d been playing was going to be the most natural way to get our sound down. We ditched the metronome and, in stark contrast to our first EP, just did all of the main instrumentation in massive live runs and smashed out 12 or so songs.

Recording our live set at the time, coupled with three or four new tracks, resulted in a really wide variety of songs. Some were much more dubby, some made much bigger use of the band’s non-reggae influences. We thought splitting the EP to match would be a fitting way to explore the sounds, and will be reflected in the artwork. Direct is more straight up dub reggae, while Indirect features some new stranger dubs, and a few big tracks that were really born out of live gigging. We’re already working on material for the next record, so expect things to mutate again anyway.

How do you think people used to your live shows will respond to the recorded work? How does it differ?

I think the EPs will be great for those who discovered us during our time with regular horns. While the band is always morphing the music we wrote during that period was great, and we really wanted them documented and out there for people to hear. The EPs really capture the live sound of the time, but it’s great because they can then come to shows and get a different, more lucid experience.

What does 2014 hold in store for you?

New Year’s we’re getting to support Lee Fields & The Expressions, which is a great way to kick off 2014. We’ve still got Indirect Dub to drop, which will happen end of January on The Community Records, then after that Weapon will be heading over east to do some shows and tour both EPs. We’d like to see what the rest of Australia thinks of the sound. We’re throwing another car park festival as well.

GET YOUR BOX ON GRIM’S GRIMMEST

BUILDING A BUZZ

Friday, December 27, Amplifier Bar is gonna go off with a killer lineup of local talent taking to the stage. Catch Grim Fandango, Sail On! Sail On!, Spilt Cities, Burning Fiction and Chilling Winston from 8pm. entry is $10.

Freo four piece Buzz Kill Vamps will be making YaYa’s their own on Saturday, December 28, when they tear up the stage with help of fellow heavy hitters Brutus and Hyte. Doors open at 8pm, so get down early.

The Velvet Lounge is a good a place as any to start your post-Christmas party. Thursday, December 26, get down for Bare Tentacle Boxing Day, which sees Dux And Downtown, Hayley Beth, Like Junk, The Reptilians, Aborted Tortoise, Dust, Cavalier, Noah Skape And The Teenage Wasteland, Health Legend and Uvees get together for a blisteringly good evening of noise. Doors open at 4pm, entry is free.

Grim Fandango

Buzz Kill Vamps

Hayley Beth

LO C A L & L AU NC H I NG 26/12

APACHE Creature Video Launch @ Mojos

28/12

BUZZ KILL VAMPS Isolation Sickness EP Launch @ YaYa’s

28/12

THE WEAPON IS SOUND The Direct Dub EP Launch @ The Bakery

09/01

LIONIZER The Same Way Single Launch @ Mustang Bar

10/01

THE DISAPPOINTED I Disagree With Myself Single Launch @ Amplifier

17/01

THE DEVIL RIDES OUT Empty Sky Video Launch @ The Rosemount

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TOUR TRAILS

WATAIN, JANUARY 9 THIS WEEK BREAKFEST 2013 26 Belvoir Amphitheatre EARTHLESS & THE SHRINE 28 Rosemount Hotel 29 Mojos Bar DE LA SOUL 31 Salt On The Beach EUGENE BRIDGES 31 Charles Hotel NEW YEARS EVE FIESTA Abbe May, The Kill Devil Hills, Split Seconds, Simone and Girlfunkle, Huge Magnet, The Floors, Patient Little Sister & DJ Shannon Fox 31 Rosemount Hotel JEBEDIAH 31 Dunsborough Tavern STICKY FINGERS 31 Capitol DAVID CAMPBELL 31 Crown Theatre ORIGIN Wiz Khalifa/ A$AP Rocky & more 31 Ozone Reserve SOUL CLAP & WOLF + LAMB 31 The Bakery LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS 31 Rooftop Movies MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS 1 Fremantle Arts Centre DE LA SOUL/DJ YODA 1 Cuban Club (Flying Squadron Yacht Club, The Esplanade, Dalkeith) CLUB PARADISO Bag Raiders, Yacht Club DJs 1 Salt On The Beach WONDERLAND Sampology, Indian Summer, The Kite String Tangle 1 Myre Rooftop SOUTHBOUND !!!, Bonobo, Crystal Fighters, Grizzly Bear, Horrorshow, Johnny Marr, London Grammar, MGMT, Neil Finn, The Roots, Vampire Weekend and more!

3 - 4 Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton JANUARY WATAIN 9 Amplifier Bar BONJAH 9 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 10 Redcliffe On The Murray 11 Mojos Bar 12 Indi Bar EGO & LUKE MILLION 10 Metro Freo 11 Amplifier Bar DEAFHEAVEN 11 Rosemount Hotel I DECLARE WAR 12 YMCA HQ 15 Amplifier Bar DAUGHTERS 14 Amplifier Bar THE CRIMSON PROJEKCT 14 Fly By Night EYEHATEGOD 16 Rosemount Hotel PARAMORE 16 Perth Arena HALF MOON RUN 16 Fly By Night Club

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TOURS LIVE

HUSKY, FEBRUARY 14 SUNDOWN SESSIONS Fat Freddy’s Drop Mat McHugh 18 Scarborough Beach Amphitheatre BOYS OF SUMMER TOUR BlessThisFall, Like Moths To Flames 18 Amplifier Bar 19 YMCA HQ MISFITS 19 Amplifier Bar SETS ON THE BEACH #13 19 Scarborough Beach THE AUDREYS 19 Mojos Bar COLIN STETSON 20 Mojos Bar 21 Hellenic Club KARNIVOOL & DEAD LETTER CIRCUS 23 Red Hill Auditorium CELTIC WOMAN 24 Riverside Theatre GREY GHOST 24 Amplifier Bar 25 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 26 Mojos Bar CARUS THOMPSON & PRITA 25 Clancy’s Fremantle PETE MURRAY 25 Leeuwin Estate Winery ESKIMO JOE 25 Wintersun Hotel BORN OF OSIRIS & AFTER THE BURIAL 25 Rosemount Hotel 26 YMCA HQ THE WOLFE TONES 25 Riverside Theatre WE ARE SCIENTISTS 26 Amplifier Bar AVICII 27 Perth Arena LEMURIA 29 Rosemount Hotel OKA 30 Mojos Bar 31 Indi Bar FEBRUARY OKA 1 Settlers Tavern SELENA GOMEZ 1 Perth Arena (CANCELLED) SUN CITY 1 Amplifier BIG DAY OUT Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire, Blur, Snoop Lion, Major Lazer, Tame Impala, Flume, Northlane & more!

2 Claremont Showgrounds CAT POWER 4 Fly By Night Club BRUCE STRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND 5,7,8 Perth Arena ASH GRUNWALD 5 Indi Bar 6 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 7 Settlers Taver, Margaret River 8 Fly By Night 9 Ravenswood Hotel, ED KOWALCZYK 5 Metro City ALICE RUSSELL & BOOKER T JONES 6 & 7 Chevron Festival Gardens EDDIE VEDDER 7 Riverside Theatre #TOGETHER ft. Ta-Ku, Zeke, Kit Pop, Cosmo Gets, Sable 8 Chevron Festival Gardens

D AT SEA 8 Amplifier Bar 9 YMCA HQ LANEWAY FESTIVAL 8 Fremantle SUMMERSET ARTS FESTIVAL Birds Of Tokyo 8 Scarborough Beach Amphitheatre THE BASICS 9 Chevron Festival Gardens THE LOCUST 10 Amplifier Bar JULIA HOLTER 10 Chevron Festival Gardens 100 MILLION NIGHTS 11 Chevron Festival Gardens BOYUP BROOK COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL Sara Storer, McAlister Kemp, Mike Carr, Buddy Goode, The Borderers, Graham Roger, Rohan Powell, Rob Black & the Kelly Gang, Eric Erdman, Courtney Conway, Connie Kis Andersen 12 – 16 Boyup Brook Country Music Club IALARU 12 Chevron Festival Gardens LADI6 & HOME BREW 13 Chevron Festival Gardens SOFT SOFT LOUD 13 Fremantle Art Centre Courtyard HUSKY 14 Chevron Festival Gardens DJ SHADOW 15 Chevron Festival Gardens THE NATIONAL 14 Belvoir Amphitheatre MIAMI HORROR 15 Amplifier Bar PETE MURRAY 16 Astor Theatre EBONY BONES 16 Chevron Festival Gardens AUSTRA 17 Chevron Festival Gardens DJ FOOD, DJ CHEEBA, DJ MONEYSHOT 18 Chevron Festival Gardens OKKERVIL RIVER 19 Chevron Festival Gardens OLAFUR ARNALDS & KEATON HENSON 20 Chevron Festival Gardens STU LARSEN 20 Mojos Bar DON WALKER 21 Clancy’s Fremantle 22 Civic Hotel 23 Fremantle Arts Centre DAUGHN GIBSON & OWL EYES 21 Chevron Festival Gardens POND, AAA AARDVARK GETDOWN SERVICES, FELICITY GROOM, THE SILENTS, DJ LADY CARLA 22 Chevron Festival Gardens ALTAN 23 Chevron Festival Gardens SETS ON THE BEACH #14 23 Scarborough Beach

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MARCH 11 WIRE 24 Chevron Festival Gardens CHARLES BRADLEY 25 Chevron Festival Gardens MADELEINE PEYROUX 26 Chevron Festival Gardens ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT 27 Chevron Festival Gardens DOLLY PARTON 27 Perth Arena NEKO CASE 27 Fly By Night Club PUBLIC ENEMY 28 Chevron Festival Gardens BRUNO MARS 28 Perth Arena MARCH MIKHAEL PASKALEV 1 Chevron Festival Gardens KERSER 1 Metro City FUTURE MUSIC Deadmau5, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Phoenix, Hardwell, Knife Party, Eric Prydz, Rudimental, Tinie Tempah, Chase & Status 2 Arena Joondalup LIONEL RICHIE & JOHN FARNHAM 2 Sandalford Winery Swan Valley THE WONDER STUFF 2 Rosemount Hotel SOUNDWAVE Green Day, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains, Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Placebo and more!

3 Claremont Showgrounds GOODLIFE FESTIVAL Deadmau5, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Hardwell, Rudimental, Knife Party, Kaskade, Porter Robinson 3 Arena Joondalup THE BENNIES 6 YaYa’s DAN SULTAN 6 Art Bar BRIAN MCKNIGHT 7 Riverside Theatre GURRUMUL 8 Kings Park BILLY BRAGG 8 Perth Concert Hall GOLD PANDA 9 The Bakery QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE & NINE INCH NAILS 11 Perth Arena JOSH PYKE 12 Quarry Amphitheatre THE ANGELS, DIESEL & MI-SEX 14 Graham Bricknell Music Shell, Bunbury SONGS IN THE KEY OF MOTOWN 14 Astor Theatre NEIL FINN 16 Perth Concert Hall THE ROLLING STONES 19 Perth Arena ABSU & PORTAL 20 Amplifier Bar THE SMITH STREET BAND & THE MENZINGERS 20 YMCA HQ 21 Rosemount Hotel ILLY 21 Capitol

KATE MILLER-HEIDKE 21 - 22 Quarry Amphitheatre SEBADOH 25 Rosemount Hotel DARK TRANQUILLITY & ORPHEUS OMEGA 25 Capitol 30 SECONDS TO MARS 25 Challenge Stadium JOHN BUTLER TRIO 27 Fremantle Arts Centre 28 Belvoir Amphitheatre 29 Old Broadwater Farm, Busselton JURASSIC 5 28 Metro City HUNTER & COLLECTORS 29 (sold-out) & 30 Kings Park & Botanical Garden KRIS KRISTOFFERSON 30 Red Hill Auditorium APRIL PACOPENA 2 Perth Concert Hall SUZANNE VEGA 11 Astor Theatre WEST COAST BLUES N ROOTS Matt Corby, Michael Franti, John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, Doobie Brothers, Boy & Bear 13 Fremantle Park BOZ SCAGGS 14 Crown Theatre 3 INCHES OF BLOOD 16 Amplifier Bar TOXIC HOLOCAUST & SKELETONWITCH 20 Rosemount Hotel SKID ROW & UGLY KID JOE 23 Metro Fremantle MICHAEL BUBLE 26 & 27 Perth Arena AARON NEVILLE DR JOHN & THE NITETRIPPERS 26 Riverside Theatre MAY LEE KERNAGHAN 6 Princess Royal Theatre Albany 9 Crown Theatre JASON DERULO 10 Perth Arena ARCTIC MONKEYS 13 Perth Arena PETULA CLARK 17 Perth Concert Hall SEPTICFLESH & FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE 18 Amplifier Bar THE ENGLISH BEAT 23 Rosemount Hotel 2014 AIRNORTH KIMBERLEY MOON EXPERIENCE Eskimo Joe, The Waifs, John Williamson 24 Jim Hughes Amphitheatre Kununurra ELLIE GOULDING 28 Challenge Stadium JUNE YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE! 7 Riverside Theatre JAMES BLUNT 13 Riverside Theatre BASTILLE 18 Challenge Stadium KEITH URBAN 29 Perth Arena

TO U R TA L E S

EUGENE HIDEAWAY BRIDGES A Bridge To The Past Eugene Hideaway Bridges will perform for the Perth Blues Club at the Charles Hotel on New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31. SHAUN COWE reports.

Wandering troubadour, man of faith, and owner of an extensive array of badass cowboy hats, the pentagenarian Eugene Hideaway Bridges has spent his long-lived career spreading blues and soul music across the world.

Now preparing for a two-month stint of gigs all across Australia, the vagabond bluesman ponders blues, belief and the outback from down the ‘line in Bangkok.

“The music is about life and reality,” he says. “It’s not about things what’s about me. It’s not about things that are made up, and when you can sing about things when you actually know about them and talk about them, people can relate to them. You sing to the people and not just at the people.”

Bridges is preparing for a gig later tonight, and speaks pensively about his experiences as a musician. Having spent his entire life around music, growing up in Louisiana, the son of blues guitarist Hideaway Slim, and singing with his brothers in a gospel group; he has just passed his 50th birthday, and still retains the youthful passion for music of his formative years.

“After 50 years of this, this is what I’m going to do. There’s no second-guessing of what I do.”

One firm belief of Bridges’s is that cultural boundaries are only superficial. “In different communities, different places around the world, they go through the same things, and if you sing about that and observe it you can actually sing to the people,” he says.

Meanwhile, he believes that there are often too many arbitrary distinctions in blues music,

and takes the opportunity to fire back at some critics.

“The last album that just come out, I got criticised by the ‘blues police’ for not being black enough. I’m black, white, Cherokee, Navaho, it’s not just picking the one thing and the one thing only.”

Another thing he is adamant about is music is merely a vector for the thoughts and emotions he experiences, and that it is through his faith that he finds fulfilment and support. “The issues that I deal with every day, with life – everyday life situations – has nothing to do with music; it’s all about pride and faith. My religion and my faith passes through me.”

He continues, adding that he believes it’s a necessary part of connecting to people in a positive way. “Music helps me tell a story and helps me express that there is a way that I observe what is going on but if a person does not pride, does not have faith, no matter how many songs they sing about uplifting spirits – if you don’t have faith and you don’t exercise

“Music helps me tell a story and helps me express that there is a way that I observe what is going on but if a person does not pride, does not have faith, no matter how many songs they sing about uplifting spirits – if you don’t have faith and you don’t exercise faith in everyday life, there’s nothing I can sing that’s going to change the situation you is going through. Without religion nothing can live, that’s my view.”

faith in everyday life, there’s nothing I can sing that’s going to change the situation you is going through.

Without religion nothing can live, that’s my view.”

But for Bridges, Australia is a land full of vibrant spirituality, respect and music.

“This will be my 31st trip to Australia, and when I got to Australia – even before I got to Australia – I’d been hearing a lot about Australian music and Australian people. And Australian people have shown a lot of respect for music from different nationalities and different parts of the world. So I’m exactly already preaching to the choir, because Australia is a land already filled with joy and wonder of music.”

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GIG GUIDE

CATBRUSH/YAYAS/THURSDAY 26 WEDNESDAY 25/12 GROOVE BAR (CROWN) 5 Shots RENDEZVOUS SCARBOROUGH Karin Page 2che THURSDAY 26/12 AMANI WINE BAR Live Jazz Night BALMORAL Retriofit BAR ORIENT Open Mic Night BRASS MONKEY Rhythm Bound Karaoke BRIGHTON Open Mic Night Rob Walker THE BOAT Jen De Ness THE BROOK Open Mic Night Chris Gibbs BROOKLANDS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke THE CAUSEWAY BAR Xport Thursdays DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Open Mic Night Kris Buckle THE GATE Greg Carter GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Dr Bogus INDI BAR Bex Open Mic Night LUCKY SHAG James Wilson MOJOS BAR Apache Runner Tired Lion SpaceManAntics Moana We Move Walls Celebrator MUSTANG BAR Kickstart DJ James MacArthur NEWPORT HOTEL Easy Tigers SETTLERS TAVERN The Acitones YAYA’S Catbrush Aborted Tortoise Rag n’ Bone The Eerie Serpents Mining Tax Red Mexico Clitfitz

FRIDAY 27/12 THE ALBION Jen De Ness Trio AMPLIFIER Grim Fandango Sail On! Sail On! Split Cities Burning Fiction Chilling Winston BALMORAL Mike Nayar BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) PLAY BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ Roger Roger Feisty Burlesque BELMONT TAVERN The Mojos BOAB TAVERN Frenzy THE BOAT Ben Merito THE BIRD Rhythmatism BRASS MONKEY Jamie Powers THE BRIGHTON Rob Walker THE BROOKLANDS TAVERN Vendetta THE CARINE Velvet CHASE BAR & BISTRO James Wilson CIVIC BACKROOM Tuxedo Pig Just Numbers Fuzzbucket Goat CLANCYS CITY BEACH Russell Holmes Trio THE CORNERSTONE Madam Montage CURRAMBINE BAR & BISTRO Grant Hart CRUISING YACHT CLUB After Hours EAST 150 BAR Adrian Wilson ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Penny King and Libby Hammer EMPIRE BAR Howie Morgan FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE John Butler Trio The Stray Sisters Emma Louise THE GATE Dirty Scoundrels GOSNELLS HOTEL Chris Gibbs Trio Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts

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GUNNS/MOJOS BAR/FRIDAY 27

THE VOLCANICS/MOJOS BAR/ SATURDAY 28

THE GREENWOOD Greg Carter GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Tod Johnston & Peace Love HYDE PARK HOTEL Ricky Green Justin Burford INDI BAR Vdelli KALAMUNDA HOTEL Easy Tigers LANEWAY LOUNGE Hans Fiance Just For The Night LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Natalia Duo M ON THE POINT Retriofit MAHOGANY INN Leah Craft MOJOS BAR Perth Gunns Shiny Joe Ryan Michael Tyrie MUSTANG Adam Hall & The Velvet Playboys Swing DJ Cheeky Monkeys DJ James MacArthur OCEAN ONE BAR Mad Agents PIER HOTEL ESPERANCE Sweet Surrender PORT KENNEDY TAVERN One Trick Phonies THE PRINCIPAL Jonny Dempsey ROSIE O’GRADYS FREMANTLE Pump ROSEMOUNT HOTEL King Onion Bayou Darkenium Weapons SAIL AND ANCHOR Light Street SETTLERS TAVERN Fingers Mitchell Cullens SOUTH ST ALEHOUSE Robbie King Karaoke SPRINGS TAVERN Die Hard Karaoke SEWAN HOTEL (LOUNGE) Bruno Sweetdog Acoustic Sessions UNIVERSAL Nightmoves THE VIC Nathan Gaunt WINSTERSUN HOTEL Warwick Trant

PORT KENNEDY TAVERN Stu Mackay QUARIE BAR & BISTRO Little Ebony ROSEMOUNT -HOTEL Earthless The Shrine Mt Mountain ROSIE O’GRADY’S FREMANTLE Flava SAIL & ANCHOR Better Days SETTLERS TAVERN The Amani Consort THE SHED Huge SOUTH ST ALE HOUSE Robbie King Karaoke SWALLOW BAR DJ T King SWAN HOTEL (LOUNGE) Manifested Chords Ibis Elm Step Reckoner Cyclone Tess SWAN HOTEL (BASEMENT) Beltane Fire Social Madness Silence to the Left Tamika UNIVERSAL Soul Corporation THE WOODVALE Timeout YAYA’S Buzz Kill Vamps Brutus Hyte

LOCAL GIG

APACHE

APACHE Runner, Tired Lion SpaceManAntics, Moana We Move Walls, Celebrator Thursday, December 26, Mojos Bar

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THE WOODVALE Gunshy Romeos YALLINGYUP CAVES HOUSE Jonny Taylor YAYA’S Tourist Special Guests SATURDAY 28/12 AMPLIFIER BAR Yolanda Be Cool K La Electric Eddie THE BAKERY Weapon Is Sound Mathas Diger Rokwell Mudlark Doctopus THE BALMORAL Retriofit BEAT NIGHTCLUB (UPSTAIRS) CANVAS BELGIAN BEER CAFE Mike Nayar BIRD End Of World Party Kucka Mei Saraswati Wa$abi peA$ BENTLEY HOTEL Chriss Gibbs Band BOAB TAVERN Light Street CLANCYS CITY BEACH Muchos Mariachis THE CLAREMONT HOTEL ANTICS Scenic Childs Play Lukas Wimmler EAST 150 BAR Jonny Dempsey ELEPHANT AND WHEELBARROW Gunshy Romeos ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Booty Jooce Allira Wilson THE GATE Greg Carter GREENWOOD Baby Piranhas GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Decoy Switch INDI BAR Blue Shaddy INDIAN OCEAN BREWING CO Shawne & Luc LAKERS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke MOJOS BAR The Volcanics Datura The New Invincibles Elli Schoen MERRIWA TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke M ON THE POINT Rhythm 22 MUSTANG Bang Bang Betty & The H-Bombs Flash Nat & The Action Men DJ Holly Doll DJ James MacArthur NEWPORT HOTEL Gravity Tahli Jade PADDY MAGUIRES Jetpack PARAMOUNT NIGHTCLUB Felix PIER HOTEL ESPERANCE Sweet Surrender PEEL ALE HOUSE Acoustic Nights OCEAN ONE BAR Desert Bells

SUNDAY 29/12 BALMORAL Andrew Winton Electrophobia BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ Big Al & The Deacons BELMONT TAVERN Dove BIRD Lovefingers Suzanne Kraft Good Company DJs THE BRIGHTON Justin Burford BROOKLANDS TAVERN Gerry Azor THE CAUSEWAY Accoustic Sunday THE CARINE Acoustic Aly CIVIC HOTEL Frank G COMO HOTEL Ansell & Fretall CLANCYS FREMANTLE The Zydecats CLANCYS DUNSBOROUGH Super Soul Sunday Lee Fields & The Expressions DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Kris Buckle ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Nicky Pereira Joni in the Moon THE FLY TRAP (FLY

BY NIGHT) Stage Fright Open Mic Night FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE Grace Barbe Afro Kreol THE GATE Greg Carter HYDE PARK HOTEL Mike Nayar INDI BAR Jules Lutero Trio

INDIAN OCEAN BREW CO Retriofit KALAMUNDA HOTEL Alitia Martin LAKERS TAVERN Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts LAST DROP TAVERN Grant Hart M ON THE POINT Velvet MOJOS BAR Earthless Shrine Mt Mountain MUSTANG DJ James Mac DJ Holly Doll NEWPORT HOTEL Tracksuit Matt Gresham The Crooked Cats Timothy Nelson OCEAN ONE BAR Tahnee OCEAN VIEW TAVERN Peter Ashton QUARIE BAR & BISTRO Better Days THE SAINT Howie Morgan Project SEAVIEW TAVERN Dean Anderson SETTLERS TAVERN Justin Walshe Duo SOUTH ST ALEHOUSE Jonny Dempsey SWALLOW BAR Bresdom Smith SWANBROOK WINERY HENLEY BROOK Steve Hensby Mercia Wise Matt Waring SWINGING PIG The Hitman Ricky Green UNIVERSAL Retrofit WANNEROO TAVERN Adam James WHISTLING KITE James Wilson THE WOODVALE Jim Moore MONDAY 30/12 THE BAKERY Origin Sideshow Bicep THE BIRD We’re Open!

BRASS MONKEY Wire Birds XBOX Mondays ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Daniel Susnjar Ben Vanderwal GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Justin & Mike MOJOS BAR Wide Open Mic MUSTANG BAR Triple Shots THE SAINT Celebration Karaoke YAYA’S Big Tommo’s Open Mic Night TUESDAY 31/12 THE ALBION Howie Morgan Duo THE ALEXANDER Choppa & Ryan AMPLIFIER BAR Akouo Leon Osborne K La Eddie Electric Cowboys & Indie Kids

Deadline Monday 5pm. The Gig-Guide is a service to advertisers listing all LIVE MUSIC. All inclusions are at the discretion of X-Press. Email guide@xpressmag.com.au

BELTANE FIRE/SWAN BASEMENT/ SATURDAY 28

THE LEAP YEAR/THE ROSEMOUNT HOTEL/SATURDAY 28

FOAM/MOJOS BAR/ TUESDAY 31

THE BAKERY Soul Clap & Wolf + Lamb THE BALMORAL Afterglo BELGIAN BEER CAFE Sophie Jane & The Chili Bin Boys BELMONT TAVERN Roger Roger THE BLUEWATER GRILL Groove Classix THE BRIGHTON Felcity Jazz Duo BROOKLANDS TAVERN RockIt CAPITOL Sticky Fingers Stillwater Giants Lyall Moloney Death Disco Djs Micah THE CARINE Astrobat CAVES HOUSE Carus Thompson Band Justin Burford COMO HOTEL Shameem THE CORNERSTONE 5th Avenue THE COURT Open Mic Night DUNSBOROUGH HOTEL Jebediah Dallas Royal EAST 150 BAR Jonny Dempsey ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Swinging NYE James Flynn NYE Late Show THE GATE Greg Carter GOSNELLS HOTEL Bananas The Clown Drippy The Dragon GREENWOOD Barry Gee & The Gee Whiz Band GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Retriofit GREYHOUNDS WA Huge HIGHWAY HOTEL Almost Famous HOTEL ROTTNEST Orquesta Yambeque INDI BAR Zarm Morgan Bain INDIAN TEA HOUSE Full Flava INGELWOOD HOTEL Kickstart KALAMUNDA HOTEL Chris Gibbs Band LAKERS TAVERN Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts LANEWAY LOUNGE Allira Wilson Band Astrid Repepi LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Why Georgia?

LUCKY SHAG James Wilson MERRIWA TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke MOJOS BAR Sweetdog Soiree Foam Red Engine Caves Hideous Sun Demon Mt Mountain Spaceman Antics The Flower Drums Moana Childsaint Whails Solar Barge M ON THE POINT Rhythm 22 MERRYWELL (CROWN) Decoy MULLBERRY ON SWAN The Yeomen MUSTANG BAR Atomic Stagecoach Milhouse DJ James MacArthur

THE GATE Greg Carter INDI BAR MattyTWall LANEWAY LOUNGE Charisma Brothers LUCKY SHAG Acoustic Aly MUSTANG BAR 8 Ball Aiken Jason Ayres DJ James MacArthur NEWPORT HOTEL Ross Wilson PRINCE OF WALES Shaun Kirk ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Potato Stars The Fortunados d’IX Dan Durack SETTLERS TAVERN Jonny Taylor

Lyall Moloney MUSTANG BAR Peta Lee & The Deacons DJ Holly Doll Flash Nat & The Action Men DJ James MacArthur PORT KENNEDY TAVERN The Hitman QUARIE BAR & BISTRO Back2back ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Leap Year O! Runner The Tigers SAIL AND ANCHOR Better Days THE SAINT Mike Nayar SETTLERS TAVERN Zarm THE SHED Huge SWINGING PIG Big Steve Spouse Band WHITE STAR HOTEL Shaun Kirk YAYA’S Branson Tramps The Reptilians The Shakeys Creature

THE OLD BREWERY The Project PARKERVILLE TAVERN Murder Mouse Blues Band PADDY MAGUIRES Madam Montage PARAMOUNT Felix PEEL ALE HOUSE The Hitman PIER HOTEL ESPERANCE Sweet Surrender QUARRY BAR & BISTRO DJ Eugene RENDEZVOUS RESORT Easy Tigers ROSIE O’GRADY’S FREMANTLE Flava ROSE & CROWN Kevin Curran DJ Shaun ROSEMOUNT HOTEL New Years Eve Fiesta Abbe May The Kill Devil Hills Split Seconds Simone and Girlfunkle Huge Magnet The Floors Patient Little Sister DJ Shannon ROYAL PALMS RESORT Jetpack SAIL & ANCHOR Better days Childs Play SWINGING PIG Tandem THE VIC Funksta WHALE AND ALE Joi Ride THE WOODVALE Our Generation YAYA’S Epic New Years Eve Party WEDNESDAY 01/01 THE BRIGHTON Jen De Ness DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Travis Caudle GROOVE BAR (CROWN) 5 Shots Howie Morgan Project LUCKY SHAG Adrian Wilson MUSTANG BAR Envy DJ Giles OCEAN ONE BAR Turin Robinson Silky Digits Bodegas FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE Melbourne Ska Orchestra Lee Fields & The Expressions Sunshine Brothers Grace Barbe Blind Tiger Blues Box YAYA’S Lady Velvet Cabaret THURSDAY 02/01 THE BOAT Jen De Ness THE BRIGHTON Open Mic Night Rob Walker THE BROOK Open Mic Night Chris Gibbs BROOKLANDS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke

FRIDAY 03/01 AMPLIFIER BAR Reapers Riddle Chainsaw Hookers THE BALMORAL Mike Nayar THE BAKERY Chaos In The Cbd BELGIAN BEER CAFE The Crux THE BELMONT Electrophobia BEST DROP TAVERN After Hours BOAB TAVERN Easy Tigers THE BRIGHTON Rob Walker THE BROOK The Hitman BROOKLANDS TAVERN Vendetta THE CARINE Velvet CHASE BAR & BISTRO James Wilson CLANCYS FREMANTLE 8 Ball Aitken COMO HOTEL Fiona Lawe Davis CRUISING YACHT CLUB Rockin Ronnie DEVILLES PAD The Elvisonics ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Graeme Blevins Grant Windsor EMPIRE BAR Howie Morgan THE GATE Choppa & Ryan GOSNELLS HOTEL Chris Gibbs Trio THE GREENWOOD Greg Carter HOTEL ROTTNEST DJ Misschief HYDE PARK HOTEL Ricky Green INDIAN OCEAN BREW CO Ben Merito LANEWAY LOUNGE Just For the Night Hans Fiance MAHOGANY INN Justin Cortorillo MOJOS BAR D Rakkas Earthlink Sound DJ Sorted Tutomath M ON THE POINT Retriofit MUSTANG BAR Adam Hall & the Velvet Playboys Swing DJ Cheeky Monkeys DJ James MacArthur PEEL ALE HOUSE Ali Hill PORT KENNEDY TAVERN One Trick Phonies

THE PRINCIPAL B.O.B. QUARIE BAR & BISTRO Blackbirds THE SAINT Airbag SETTLERS TAVERN Shaun Kirk SOUTH ST ALEHOUSE Robbie King Karaoke ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Right Way Up At The Space Jam The Devil In Miss Jones The Mondays Foreign Architects YAYA’S The Empty Cup SATURDAY 04/01 AMPLIFER BAR Broken Royale The Arsonist These Winter Nights Bedouin Sea Silver Foxes THE BALMORAL Retriofit BELGIAN BEER CAFE Mike Nayar BOAB TAVERN James Wilson THE BROOK One Trick Phonies BROOKLANDS TAVERN The Hitman CLAREMONT HOTEL ANTICS Timothy Nelson & The Infidels We Move Walls Lukas Wimmler DEVILLES PAD Ben Taaffe DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Short & Curly ELMARS IN THE VALLEY Chris Gibbs THE GATE Greg Carter GOSNELLS HOTEL After Hours THE GREENWOOD Cargo Beats HOTEL ROTTNEST Nathan Gaunt Duo INDI BAR Matt Gresham INDIAN OCEAN BEW CO Shawne & Luc LAKERS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke LANEWAY LOUNGE Kat Kinley M ON THE POINT Rhythm 22 MOJOS BAR Blue Shaddy Old Blood

SUNDAY 05/01 THE BALMORAL Electrophobia BELGIAN BEER CAFE Monte Christos THE BELMONT Acoustic Aly THE BRIGHTON Ross Lowe BROKEN HILL HOTEL Nathan Gaunt THE BROOK Adam James BROOKLANDS TAVERN Gerry Azor CAPTAIN STIRLING Open Mic Night Josh Terlick THE CARINE Mike Nayar CIVIC HOTEL Frank G COMO HOTEL Ansell & Fretall DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Kris Kingwell ELMARS IN THE VALLEY Chris Gibbs THE GATE Ryan Webb GOSNELLS HOTEL Steve Hepple HYDE PARK HOTEL Justin Cortorillo

INDIAN OCEAN BREW CO Retriofit LAKERS TAVERN Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts MOJOS BAR Squarehead Sean O’Neill Methyl Ethel Sam Maher MUSTANG BAR DJ James Mac DJ Holly Doll PEEL ALE HOUSE Sophie Jane PORT KENNEDY TAVERN Greg Carter QUARIE BAR & BISTRO Better Days REDCLIFFE ON THE MURRAY Lyall Molony SAIL AND ANCHOR Childs Play THE SAINT Howie Maorgan Project SEAVIEW TAVERN Jonny Dempsey SOUTH ST ALEHOUSE Joppy SWAN HOTEL (LOUNGE) Ben Elliot and friends SWINGING PIG Aiden Varro UNIVERSAL BARBARIANS Retriofit WANNEROO TAVERN Adrian Wilson YAYA’S Yambeque MONDAY 06/01 BRASS MONKEY Wire Birds MUSTANG BAR Triple Shots MOJOS BAR Wide Open Mic TUESDAY 07/01 BRASS MONKEY Open Mic Night Josh Terlick LUCKY SHAG Ben Merito MOJOS BAR Goat MUSTANG BAR Danza Loca Salsa Night YAYA’S Rum Punch Mai Barnes The Limbs Mercia Wise

LOCAL GIG

JOHN BUTLER TRIO

JOHN BUTLER TRIO The Stray Sisters Emma Louise Friday, December 27, Fremantle Arts Centre

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MUSIC GEAR & TECHNOLOGY

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ELECTRONIC A-MUSE-MENTS Giving a nice Christmas gift to Aussie Muse fans, Ubisoft have released the Muse DLC pack Rocksmith 2014 Edition on Steam for Mac and PC and Xbox Live for Xbox 360, with a release on the Playstation Network earmarked for January 9. Priced at $17.95, the pack includes Hysteria, Time Is Running Out, Supermassive Black Hole, Stockholm Syndrome and Muscle Museum. Other DLC packs include Disturbed, The Who, Radiohead, Green Day, Alice In Chains, Iron Maiden and Smashing Pumpkins.

Muse

Monster DNA Pro Over-Ear Headphones

Monster DNA Laser Blue

HAVE A MONSTROUS CHRISTMAS Monster have announced the launch of several new limited edition products for Christmas and Boxing Day this year, including Monster DNA Pro Over-Ear Headphones and DNA On-Ear Headphones in three new styles.

Monster DNA Pro Headphones are sleek and stylish and come in matte black and tuxedo, while the new Laser and Neon colours for the DNA range are distinctive and stylish and are sure to make any gift recipient very happy. These strictly limited editions are both available from JB Hi-Fi.

TRY THIS FOR SIZE JBL have announced their first portable speaker dock for iOS devices, the JBL OnBeat Mini.

The dock comes with a Lightning connector specifically designed for newer Apple products and, while small and sleek, does not sacrifice acoustic complexity or volume.

With up to five hours of power with rechargeable batteries, it’s good to go where you need to, plus it also functions as a charger for oyur devices. It’s available from JB Hi-Fi for $179 RRP. OnBeat Mini

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