Issue 1430

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THERE THERE AND EVERYWHERE ARIA Award-winning singer/songwriter, Megan Washington, is set to release her new album, There There, on Friday, September 12. In the lead-up to the release, Washington will embark on a five-date national tour, which will stop in at the Fly By Night on Friday, August 22. Tickets are available at flybynight.org.

Washington has recently opened up about her life-long struggle with a debilitating stutter, something she has overcome with the help of speech therapy and no small amount of hard work. She appeared in Monday night’s episode of Australian Story, talking about she overcame her stutter to become one of Australia’s leading singer/songwriters.

Check it out at www.abc.net.au/austory.

LOCAL NEWS

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GLOBAL NEWS

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

NATURAL SELECTION

LA BALLET

THE BOYS IN THE BUSH

The Selecter are back for a massive 35th anniversary tour in celebration of their classic 1980 album, Too Much Pressure. The historic 2-Tone icons will be playing the historic album in full along with numerous other fan favourites across Australia and New Zealand in October, including a Perth date at the Rosemount Hotel on Tuesday, October 14. Tickets are available for $55 (plus booking fee) at metropolistouring.com.

Internationally acclaimed choreographer Marc Ribaud, is bringing the ballet classic, La Fille Mal Gardèe, to His Majesty’s Theatre from Friday, September 5, to Saturday, September 20. Full of love and drama; the show brings designers Richard Roberts and Lexi George and conductor Myron Romanul to lead the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Bookings are available by calling 1300 795 012 or visiting Ticketek or waballet.com.au.

The annual Red Dirt festival is back as part of the Kalgoorlie Boulder Race Round. Australian rockers Noiseworks will join forces with songwriter Mark Seymour for a huge outback show at the Kalgoorlie Boulder Racing Club on Thursday, September 18, to coincide with the Boulder Cup on Sunday, September 14, and the XXXX Gold Kalgoorlie Cup on Saturday, September 20. Ticket packages are available on Monday, July 14 through ticketmaster.com.au.

The Selecter

La Fille Mal Gardèe

Noiseworks, Red Dirt

Megan Washington

RTRFM RADIOTHON 2014 The 10-day fundraising event that is RTRFM’s Radiothon is back next month, kicking off at 6am on Friday, August 16, on the Breakfast With Barr show.

Later that day The Bird will host Rok Riley’s Full COVERED IN COLOUR Frequency show and Jas Hughes’ edition of Drivetime Tickets for the annual Swisse Color Run are officially before the Radiothon opening party takes over The on sale. Full of colour, laughs, fun and fitness, this Bakery, The Bird, Ya Ya’s and Flyrite with huge local year’s event will take place on Sunday, November 2, music line-ups from 7pm. at Langley Park. Tickets are $55.50 per person for RTRFM’s phone room will be staffed nongroups of four with individual prices increasing to stop during Radiothon, ready for subscribers and $60.50. Kids aged 6-12 can get tickets for $48.50 donations as special guests and daily mega prizes take whilst children aged five and under are free. For more over the airwaves. Subscriptions are available through information visit thecolorrun.com. rtrfm.com.au or by calling 9260 9210.

Swiss Color Run

Rok Riley, RTRFM Radiothon

FLYING FROM THE FLOCK Rob Snarski, former singer of the Blackeyed Susans, is set to release his self-produced, debut solo album, Wounded Bird, on Saturday, July 19, following up with a national tour in July/August. The tour will see Snarksi play two WA shows at the Astor Lounge on Saturday, August 16, and Mojos Bar on Sunday, August 17. Ticket information is available at RobSnarksi.com.

Rob Snarski Pic: Andrew Watson

ALL SET TO GO With a sixth studio album soon to drop, Melbourne’s The Go Set have hit WA as part of their Chase The Rum tour. The Perth visit sees them reunite with former bassist, Tom Fisher, who these days fronts The Layabouts.

“I have been in several bands over the years but few that have had such an impact live,” Fisher says of The Go Set. “The combination of the bagpipes and folk instruments and the crazy punk energy would create a tribal like atmosphere at our shows.

In my time in the band we played everywhere from Brisbane to the Czech republic from punk festivals to folk festivals, all with great success.

“It’s the kind of band you see once and will never forget. You will go home drunk, drenched with sweat, with a huge smile on your face.”

Catch The Go Set this Thursday, July 11, at the Rosemount Hotel; Friday, July 11, at the Indi Bar; Saturday, July 12, at Mojo’s and Sunday, July 13, at Clancy’s Fish Pub in Dunsborough.

The Go Set

HIDING ALL THE WAY Fremantle continues to celebrate its decorated musical culture this month with the Hidden Treasures winter music series spread across four venues every Thursday. The Fremantle Workers Club, The Navy Club, The Buffalo Club and the PS Art Space come alive with performances including super group Midfield Legends on July 17 and Gutterville Splendour Six on July 24 alongside the band poster exhibition, Placement (see page 15).

This Thursday, July 10, features Little Lord Street Band and Jeff’s Dead at The Buffalo Club; Louis & The Honkytonk and Mambo Chic at The Navy Club; a celebration of electronic dance music in Perth, Play Something We Can Dance To will take over PS Art Space for a panel discussion and performance by DJ Micah and Paul Gamblin, hosted by Aarom Wilson.

An inclusive community jam session, Jam Nation, will take over Fremantle Workers Club, followed by a performance by Jordan McRobbie.

For more information on venues and artists see facebook.com/hiddentreasuresfremantle.

Micah, Hidden Treasures

BURN IT TO THE GROUND Miami metal four-piece, Torche, are headed down under for a thunderous national tour in October. With a fourth album on the horizon the roaring quartet are bringing their melodic brutality to the Rosemount Hotel on Friday, October 17. Ticket information is available through lifeisnoise.com, Oztix.com.au or at the venue.

Torche

HINES’ TIME TO SHINE

Irish troubadour, Declan O’Rourke, is retuning to Australia for the first time in over five years to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his acclaimed album, Since Kyabram. The tour will see the Dublin songwriter play five shows across Australia ending with a Saturday, August 30, show at The Fly By Night alongside Fiona Rea. For more information visit troubadour-music.com.

Marcia Hines has released the music video for her brand new single Remedy o f f h e r 1 8 th a l b u m , Amazing, which features guest vocalist, Russell Crowe, who also acts in and directs the clip. The single coincides with Hines’ return to touring alongside her six-piece band with a Perth date at the Astor Theatre booked for Friday, August 29. For ticket information visit showticketing.com.au.

D eclan O’Rourke

Marcia Hines

O’ROURKE ROLLS

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

PRINT AND DIGITAL EDITIONS PUBLISHER/MANAGER Joe Cipriani

EDITORIAL - 9213 2888

LISTEN OUT Y’ALL CAUSE THIS IS IT Listen Out, the new boutique festival from Parklife promoters Fuzzy, are still offering VIP double passes to X-Press readers. More than a few Facebook feeds are blowing up with the lineup, which is absolutely massive: Chet Faker, Zhu, Ta-Ku, YG, Schoolboy Q, Four Tet, a Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs DJ set, and Flume’s only Australian gigs this year. You can find tickets at listen-out. com.au and get yourself down to Ozone Reserve on Sunday, September 28, or you could be one of our lucky winners - hit us up with your name, address and birthdate at win@xpressmag.com.au.

Not only have first and second release tickets for the Perth show sold out, we’re some of the few people left you can snag a VIP pass from - they’ll grants you complimentary drinks, express entry, access to a swish bar, and the opportunity to see Listen Out artists tear up a ping pong tournament.

MANAGING EDITOR Bob Gordon: editor@xpressmag.com.au FEATURES & DANCE MUSIC EDITOR Zoe Kilbourn: featuresed@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

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NEW DAWN Maybe he’s just getting typecast, but Andy Serkis has a thing for playing apes in movies. The motion capture auteur, who has appeared as Gollum and Captain Haddock, was not only King Kong in Peter Jackson’s eponymous remake, but he’s now appeared in two Planet Of The Apes reboots. Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is the latest film in the franchise and sequel to 2011’s feature, starring James Franco as a biotech researcher who finds himself hopelessly bound up in the bold escape of the chimps he’s using for research. Taking a bold aesthetic step away from some of the clunkier ‘70s Apes movies, Rise garnered crazy-good reviews from critics and holds a solid 82% fresh rating on RottenTomatoes.

To celebrate the sequel’s release, we’ve got double passes to the movie on offer, as well as Dawn torches, watches, and iPhone cases. Hit us up at win@xpressmag.com.au to snag yourself a prize.

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.

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LA FEMME FATALE Luc Besson writes and directs big Hollywood action thrillers with cool Gallic visual restraint. The results: La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element, Leon The Professional, and his latest, Lucy. After getting mixed up with some dodgy dealers, Scarlett Johansson transforms into the kind of ruthless warrior Tarantino could get behind. With Morgan Freeman thrown in for good measure, Lucy is one seductive package. It’s out on July 31, and you can score yourself a double pass by emailing win@xpressmag.com.au.

CONFESSIONS, PART II

CALVARY The McDonagh brothers have a knack for brutal black comedy, especially if Brendan Gleeson’s on board: under Martin’s direction, Gleeson was heartbreakingly fragile in In Bruges, horrifyingly abrasive under John Michael in The Guard. Once again working under John Michael McDonagh, Gleeson plays an old-school, tough-as-nails priest in Calvary. He’s received an anonymous death threat for abuse he didn’t commit, and he’s got until Sunday to track down the killer, out of a supporting cast which includes The IT Crowd’s Chris O’Dowd and Black Book’s Dylan Moran. If you’re keen for a double pass, hit us up at win@xpressmag.com.au.

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For someone whose work is mired in mental illness, sexual trauma, and the occasional apocalyptic disaster, Lars Von Trier can be a lot of fun. Nymphomaniac, his five-hour double feature, is one of the most bizarre and bizarrely enjoyable films of 2014 - it’s full-frontal, wildly self-indulgent, and crazy-good. Check out Part II, now on DVD, for very literal applications of Talking Heads’ Burning Down The House, an overuse of the word “lubricated”, and Billy Elliot all grown up.

Satisfy your curiosity and email win@xpressmag.com. au for a copy.

THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES Coinciding with the Scandinavian film festival, we’ve got passes to see Danish thriller The Keeper Of Lost Causes on July 31. Based on the bestselling thriller

by Jussi Adler-Olsen, it’s a foray into the police department dealing with cold cases, Department Q (I want to believe!). Supposed to be working through routine filing, grief-stricken a Chief Detective decides to track down the truth behind a politician’s disappearance, written off as suicide.

It’s tense, tight, and beautifully shot, and if you’d like a pass hit us up at win@xpressmag.com.au.

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FLESH

NEWS - INTERVIEWS - REVIEWS - CONTENTS

THE BROWN STUDY BAND A Studied Response They’ve been plying their trade for a fair few years now, but only now have The Brown Study Band put together a full-length LP, Imaginations, which launches at the Rosemount Hotel this Saturday, July 12, with support from Hailmary and Triangle Fight.

TRAVIS JOHNSON catches up with bassist Paul ‘Bonson’ Johnson to find out why.

It is, let’s face it, an odd name. “’Brown study’ is a term used to refer to a person who is daydreaming and lost in serious thoughts,” explains bass player, Paul Johnson. “The word brown implies that the nature of thoughts may be often unhappy or gloomy, while study refers to a mental state.

The use of the expression brown study dates back to the 16th century and since then the meaning has undergone changes to indicate its use today as an idiom meaning a state of deep thought, or some pretentious shite like that.”

Fair enough. Describing the sound The Brown Study Band makes, though, is a more difficult task, with Johnson - or Bonson, as he sometimes styles himself - citing influences as diverse as Frank Zappa, Hans Zimmer, Mr Bungle and Tool, although he maintains that the group’s chief inspiration is noted chef Antonio Carluccio.

“Our sound is very dramatic, but our content is quite absurd. Just good fun, really.”

It is hard to get a straight answer out of

Johnson. Asked why the upcoming album took so long - the band formed in 2006 and their last release was the 2010 EP What Came First? - he says, “We made a solemn promise to the world we would not release an album until St Kilda was at the bottom of the ladder again. During that time we kept ourselves amused by making two EPs, plus personal commitments like making families, etc.

“Imaginations took two years to make.

There’s no point in rushing these things. Some things can’t be rushed. There’s no such thing as rushed goals, just rushed behinds!”

As for the album itself, “It’s about a guy that flits forward and back in time at least but no more than six weeks either way. He runs away with his own imagination, with his ego in close pursuit. He slaps people several times in a row, he leaves phone messages that no one responds to, he organises parties in the desert and he also stands up to some mean ghosts.

Eventually he resettles in Vanuatu.

“It contains 11 tracks and the running time is exactly one hour, 11 minutes and 11 seconds. The album tells a story best enjoyed start to finish. Kinda like watching a film but without the visual.”

The Brown Study Band | Pic: The Heart Temple

BROTHERS ON THE RUN As part of the Newport Hotel’s Record Club, Paul McCartney & Wings’ 1973 album, Band On The Run, will be performed to within an inch of its life by The Murphy Brothers and friends, this Thursday, July 10.

“For The Murphy Brothers, choosing Band On The Run for The Newport Record Club was almost a no-brainer,” says Kieran Murphy. Kenji Kitahara, who joins us as guest guitarist, had already selected The Beatles Abbey Road so the decision was a pretty quick one! The album is one of those formative touchpoints for us musically, as important to us now as it was growing up and learning to play. Some of the parts are quite complicated and it’s been challenging for all of us.

“For all the joy of playing tracks like Jet and Let Me Roll It, there is also the sheer terror of making our way through Picasso’s Last Words unscathed!”

Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are $10 (plus booking fee) from Oztix.com.au or at the door.

The Murphy Brothers

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Newsdesk Win Flesh Music Sheppard Bo Ningen, Rise Against First Aid Kit, High On Fire, The Arsonist New Noise Eye4 Cover: Placement Jersey Boys The Lunchbox, Mow Swoz The Hit List, Fashion, Arts Listings ETC Education & Training Feature Scene Cover: Andy Bull News, Producer’s Cut +1 Live: Lorde, Husband, Beckon Local Scene: The Autumn Isles X-Press Guide Social Pics, Volume

FRONT COVER: The 1975 hit Capitol on Thursday, July 24.

SCENE COVER: Andy Bull’s second LP, Sea Of Approval, is released this Friday, July 11. He plays at The Bakery on Friday, September 19, and Rottofest on Saturday, September 20.

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CHALK ONE UP E ve r y t h i rd We d n e s d ay, Chalk t a ke s ove r the Four5Nine bar at the Rosemount H o te l fo r a n i g h t o f e n te r t a i n i n g t re at s .

Next Wednesday, July 16, will star Kris Nelson (Minute 36), Lewis Walsh (The Love Junkies), Evan Walsh and comedy from Sam Cribb, with featured photographic delights by Rachael Barrett.

Entry is $10, doors open at 7pm.

Sam Cribb

LONGRIDERS It’s a healthy serve of original music this Thursday, July 10, at the Mustang Bar when Matt Angell and Chris Gibbs bring their current albums (Are You Ready and Big Appetite, respectively) to life with full band backing. Expect an hour’s worth from each of these well-seasoned artists. Free entry, 8.30pm kickstart.

Matt Angell

THE 1975 Living In The Seventies Manchester quartet The 1975 will headline a Splendour In The Grass sideshow at Capitol on Thursday, July 24. BOB GORDON checks in with vocalist/guitarist, Matthew Healy.

It’s all going on for The 1975, but rest assured they aren’t partying like it’s 1999.

There simply isn’t the time. As vocalist/ guitarist, Matthew Healy, picks up the phone in Atlanta, Georgia, in the middle of the band’s US tour, he’s pondering the fact that the following day they’re flying to Glasgow for 24 hours, then returning Stateside to resume their tour.

“It is unusual,” he says, “but we’re kind of used to it now because we’re so busy. And the reason that we’re busy is obviously testament to the relationships we’ve had with certain people and how popular we’ve become, which is mainly with our fans.

“The show in Glasgow we’re going back for is a Radio 1 show (Big Weekend), anybody from the UK knows that Radio 1 is such a massive institution. The country’s so small that Radio 1 is it. If you’re championed

by Radio 1, that’s kind of the way it goes. For example, with this festival you can see how much people are willing to honour their relationships with Radio 1 because this festival is the most insane line-up I’ve ever heard. All of the acts are pretty much on tour at the moment - there’s us; One Direction are opening the stage on Saturday; Kings Of Leon are opening our stage on Sunday; then there’s Coldplay, Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry... it’s a fucking huge show. It’s testament that in the UK the BBC is a massive deal, and we respect and care about it.

“We have done that before, flown home to do a show. But it’s only a flight, you know what I mean? I’ve only got to go and play the guitar. It’s not like I’ve got to go and sit and do some hard work or something.”

Indeed. However it’s indicative of how, since The 1975 issued their self-titled debut late last year following four EP releases, how the cards are falling their way. Still, there’s challenges along the way, and the iconic Coachella festival was one of them.

“Coachella was alright, to be honest, we were pretty shit,” Healy says openly. “We weren’t very good, and it was hard work. It was so hot, I mean you’re from Australia, so you’re only going to sympathise to a certain extent (laughs), but it’s desert heat. I think it was just loads of other things, we’d just played the Royal Albert Hall, which was poetic with what it stood for and was beautiful and was just the best show ever. We had our huge production. We’re very much fans of our black and white aesthetic. We don’t have any coloured lights or anything, it’s a very dark show, very kind of Nine Inch Nails-esque, and that gets totally stripped away when you’re on at 12 o’clock in the afternoon.

“Coachella was good for our band; we needed it. It was a weird way to start off our tour, though. I can’t believe that I had a life before this tour. It’s been two months now and I think it’s like 50 shows. It’s insane, I can’t believe how many shows we’ve done and how big they’ve been. Like we played to 5,000 people in Columbus, Ohio. It’s just fucking weird; I don’t know how any of that shit happens. It’s quite perplexing, but very humbling.”

Unlike many of the Britpop bands that exploded in the UK and struggled in the US back in the day, The 1975 are finding that in the States their profile is beginning to equate what it is at home.

“It is to a certain extent,” Healy notes. “That’s the thing, it wasn’t at all when we left. Like our vision of

the gap in the size of the band, the polarity in how big we were, was massive when we got to the US. But then we realised that we were actually playing fucking big shows that were selling out. All of these things are just a testament to the power of the internet aren’t they?

This kind of homogenised teenage world now where everything is accessible.

“We’ve never done a show in America that hasn’t been sold out. How fucking mental is that, for just a band? It’s so crazy how the internet just dictates people’s careers now. It’s amazing.”

Yet while the internet and social media, especially, means that many potentially successful modern bands have to suffer the ignominy of growing up very much in public, with a decade as unknown Manchester youngsters behind them, The 1975 have dodged that bullet.

“It’s mental, the idea of exposure. It’s weird with us, you can break down our band in lots of different ways. You can look at the fact that when we came out we’d already been a band for 10 years. We’d gotten it wrong a million times. We’d been the band that wasn’t good enough to get signed. We’d been the band without good enough songs and we’d been the band willing to compromise anything to further our lives, working in call centres and that kind of thing.

“When we made the decision to sign to our manager’s label, a label that was set up just for us to sign a small record deal, we were gonna do it ourselves, because we were so focussed. What you were saying, the idea of growing up in public, for us we weren’t the band that got signed at 18, with one single. It took ages for people to get involved. It was a very controlled thing, we had everything ready. We had the album there, our aesthetic was there, we did it properly. And I think that because we came out like that, we didn’t have a lot of the growing pains that a lot of bands have because we didn’t have to wait. We could release four EPs then a debut album. It wasn’t a problem.

“And I think we’ve just kind of embraced the fact that with the internet it’s all about accessibility.

It’s paramount. If you have a world that is dictated by accessibility, you should have things that are accessible, and it shouldn’t be your personalities. Record companies get concerned that people aren’t investing in their bands and it’s because they’ve got one song and you want to put every band member on Twitter, telling them where they are, trying to have some personal relationship.

“What they’ve got to remember is that kids want rock stars. Kids think that they wanna know all these people, but if you put somebody on Twitter telling you they’re at the fucking chip shop, they’re not as much of a pantheon are they? Like Michael Jackson was, or Robert Plant back in the times.”

While Healy certainly sounds confident, he also comes across as someone who’s pursuing life in a popular rock band with a good stream of common sense. The 1975 are singular and forever on message.

“We’re like a line-up, four boys in a guitarbased band,” he says, plainly. “It’s quite digestible, and it makes sense for now.

“For our egos, we don’t want to be rock stars, but for our fans? We certainly fucking do.”

PAT CHOW Big Splash Heat #5 Winner Answered by Jamie Gallacher (drums).

How did you feel about your set on Tuesday night?

Well we feel pretty good now, but on the night it was kinda strange. Probably just nerves, and the fact that we were following some very talented and diverse acts. After the first couple of songs I think we all started to feel a bit more comfortable.

NAIDOC WEEK The 2014 Chevron NAIDOC Perth Ball is the jewel in the crown of Western Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander calendar. Celebrating this year’s National NAIDOC theme, Serving Country, Centenary & Beyond, the night includes performances from ARIA Award-winner Troy Cassar-Daley, DJ Zeke, The Merindas (featuring The Dolcitones) and Jonathan Ford & The Baldja Boys. It’s all happening this Friday, July 11, from 6.30pm at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre Head to premier.ticketek.com.au for bookings. To check out what’s on for the rest of NAIDOC Week head to naidocperth.org.

The Merindas, Chevron NAIDOC Perth Ball

What acts caught your ear/eye?

To be honest, they all did for different reasons. Chances Tribe had such a polished sound, and solid musicianship. FINDERS were very engaging, they really grabbed the crowd by the short and curlies.

Last but not least, Ice Age Sugar had some very catchy rhythms and melodies.

Who else in the Big Splash heats are you keen to get a look at?

I’ve been trying to catch an Old Blood set for a while now, but have always been double booked. So that’ll be fun. I’m also a big PUCK fan so will definitely head along to their semi final.

What are your plans, at this stage, for the rest of 2014?

Our calendar’s looking pretty full at the

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moment gig-wise. Aside from that we are hoping to record and release our first full-length album. Ben (Protasiewicz, voclas/guitar) is constantly writing new material so I’m very keen to lay some of it down and get it out there.

The Big Splash continues with Heat #7 on Tuesday, July 15, at The Odd Fellow, featuring Bears & Dolls, Girl Heroin, Hideous Sun Demon and Mind Canary. Tickets are $5 at the door from 8pm.

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MUSIC

VIEWS

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INTERVIEWS

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STORIES

“It’s still just the three of us that record, George, Jay and myself. Sometimes we’ll bring in Dean (Gordon) for the drums but we’re the three songwriters and we’re very picky with how we want it to sound and we want it to be very experimental.

We’ve been recording this album for over three years now and we’ve really put a lot of thought into it; changing things and experimenting with things."

SHEPPARD And Away They Go From the acquisition of band members to reaching #1 on the Australian singles charts, Amy Sheppard chats with AARON BRYANS about Sheppard’s sudden rise to national glory ahead of the release of their debut album, Bombs Away, this Friday, July 11.

It’s been a huge three years for Brisbanebased siblings Amy and George Sheppard, who expanded their musical duo to a trio in April, 2011, with the addition of Jay Bovino and worked non-stop towards their debut album.

The indie pop trio, known as Sheppard, have well-and-truly arrived with their latest single Geronimo from their debut album, Bombs Away, knocking Pharrell Williams off the number #1 position on the Australian charts.

“It was an honour,” Amy explains. “We were so excited. We’re still not over it. That day we were all jumping around; obviously we hard it on the radio that the second number song was Pharrell’s Happy, we were dancing around. We felt a little bit bad because we prevented giving him some record, but oh well.”

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The trio haven’t completed the journey alone, however, acquiring three other members - Michael Butler, Dean Gordon and sister, Emma Sheppard - along the way to solidify their live sound.

“It was really funny because George and I recorded a few songs and then we met Jay, who’s the third songwriter, and he changed our sound completely. As soon as you add that third dynamic it’s not the same as it was. We wrote about 30 to 40 tracks together and recorded them all and then once we started touring we realised we needed a band so that changed our sound again. Having live drums and a synth sound, I think we have a more full sound live then what we’ve recorded.

“It’s still just the three of us that record, George, Jay and myself. Sometimes we’ll bring in

Dean for the drums but we’re the three songwriters and we’re very picky with how we want it to sound and we want it to be very experimental. We’ve been recording this album for over three years now and we’ve really put a lot of thought into it; changing things and experimenting with things.

Our producer, Stuart Stuart, almost becomes our seventh band member; he really helps us out and lets us try ideas. We’ve had previous producers that have explained why the idea wouldn’t work and it’s taken longer to explain it rather then trying it.”

Sheppard recently set off supporting Keith Urban on the Australian leg of his Light The Fuse national tour, finishing in Perth.

“It’s been insane,” Amy chuckles. “We just had our last show in Perth over the weekend.

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It was pretty special. The last show he invited us on stage and it was a bit of a shock to wing it for half an hour with Keith Urban and 15,000 people. It was really exciting for us and the whole tour was a luxury to have roadies and sound guys it was a first for us. This is the biggest support we’ve done so far so its very exciting for us. And it’s the first national tour we’ve done. We’ve done one-off shows but we’ve never really followed a team around like this.”

The tour, along with other supporting shows, gave the trio time to finalise the album's sound and consolidate what has been years of hard work.

“I think that’s why it’s taken us so long.

Being our debut album we’ve had a bit more time to play them live, giving us the opportunity to develop the songs further; adding little vocal hooks or little drum fills that Dean has added. All of that helps especially when you’ve had the opportunity to tour whilst being at the studio the same time. We really can’t wait to get it out, it’s been a long time coming.”

The release will form part of Sheppard’s biggest year yet, sending the six-piece off for numerous national and international promotional, festival and headlining appearances.

“We’re in the recording studio currently just finishing off some bonus tracks and editing some of the older tracks we’ve done," Amy says. "After that we’ve got an album launch tour in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Straight from there we’re going to the UK and Europe and doing V festival there and Wilderness festival and after that we’ll go to Europe and do some radio. After that we’ll head off to the US in September and then a headline show in Australia.

"We’re not going to stop until Christmas. It’s full on, but it’s so fun and we’re so lucky to be able to do this as a full-time job.”

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BO NINGEN III To Get Ready Japanese acid punk outfit Bo Ningen’s new album, III, sees the band looking to make a few changes to their trademark bombastic sound. JESSICA WILLOUGHBY chats to guitarist, Yuki Tsujii, about the decision to venture into more ‘universal’ territory.

Getting typecast into a particular genre is a fear many musicians express.

But when you’re a Japanese psychedelic acid punk outfit based in London like Bo Ningen, you wouldn’t think this concern would be shared in the same context. Yet this was the dilemma faced by this rising four-piece on their latest LP, III. Aptly titled, as this full-length also falls on the band’s third release, this album sees the band building more on their ‘wall of sound’ approach through an exploration of the boundaries of pop and melody.

Adding broader brush strokes to an already bustling palette, Bo Ningen even decided to sing partially in English for the first time in their career. Convincing vocalist, Taigen Kawabe, to venture into new territory was no easy feat, according to guitarist Yuki Tsujii.

“It took quite a long time to convince Taigen actually,” Tsujii tells X-Press. “He didn’t want to do it at first because changing to English is like changing an instrument for him. Melodies in Japanese and in English are very different – both in dynamics and frequencies. I thought it would be good to have some more range and variety in the vocals. It was quite a big challenge for him and for us as well. It has definitely opened a new door for us as well, though.”

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Sticking with London-based producer Max Heyes, who worked with the quartet on their previous offering, Tsujii notes the whole team was into the idea of taking a very different approach to writing and recording this album. “It’s still quite live; still very solid in sound,” he says. “But, in a way, we wanted it to be more pop. We didn’t want to be pigeonholed as just this heavy, psychedelic Japanese band. I mean that’s a good thing, but we kinda wanted to push it to the next level. We wanted to be a bit brighter.

“Max wanted to make something different on this release too – take a different approach.

Especially with the vocals, we wanted them to be like nothing we had done before. Taigen’s vocals were upfront on this record, instead of being in the back or just echoes. And this album has the best sound we’ve found, by far.”

They also decided to add more collaborations, asking Jehnny Beth from Savages back again for more fun in the studio – with Roger Robinson from King Midas Sound stepping up to the microphone with the band for the first time. “With Jehnny, we’ve been friends for a long time,” Tsujii explains. “We first met when we were both playing at a show in North England years ago and we got a long really well. Then she got together with Savages and they became quite big. She’s quite busy these days.

We did our first collaboration on the last album and we found we had a mutual understanding, musically.

We just asked if she wanted to come on-board again.

She popped in and did a quick take and it turned out brilliant.”

“We went and saw King Midas Sound live a few times in London and Roger’s voice and how he sings really punched us. His style is really aggressive and we thought it would be a really great idea to get him singing on Bo Ningen. It was just an idea, so we asked him to come down to the studio to jam to see if it worked. He’s a cool down-to-earth guy who loves experimenting, too. We came up with such an unusual sound, but in a good way.”

RISE AGAINST Market Forces Bassist Joe Principe speaks with AARON BRYANS about the personal journey and alternative approach behind the release of Rise Against’s new album, The Black Market.

With six studio albums in the bank and countless hit singles, Chicago’s Rise Against have been unstoppable, taking their political punk-rock anthems from city to city; however, following their Endgame world tour the band were burnt out and needed a break.

“We took some time off with our families and it was kind of the first time we spent time apart from one another,” bass player, Joe Principe reveals.

“We’re all very close friends, but it was time to not think about music and to really hang out and get to know our home life and to stay off the road for a little bit. It was definitely enough time and we’re ready to get back at it. We’re really excited to start playing live again, it’s something I really miss.”

The burn-out took its toll the most on vocalist, Tim McIlrath, who decided to take some time away from political writing to generate some of Rise Against’s most personal lyrics to date on their new LP, The Black Market.

“I think first and foremost that this was the place Tim was at while we were writing the record. He’s always written all of the lyrics and I think with this record he was feeling the need to get out a more personal record, this introspective record and it’s great.

“The black market kind of represents the place Tim has usually gone to when writing these lyrics and by place I mean mentally,” Principe explains. “It’s a very dark place to write about the spoils of war and what’s going on in the world in general… all the shitty things. And it was hard for him to get in that frame of mind with this record and he kind of felt like he wanted to address that.

“The song, The Black Market, kind of talks about how he feels like if he forced this political

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record, it would be like he was just doing it for the sake of selling Rise Against records. He felt the need to explain that to our audience. At least for me that’s what this record is about.”

Whilst the change in concept may be a big one at first glance; Principe believes fans will see the evolution and growth in the band whilst still maintaining their hardcore punk sound.

“I personally feel that if fans sit down with this record and give it some time they will realise this record has so much energy that comes from our punk roots. This record has this vibe and I feel like our fans will pick up on that if they give it a chance. It’s something that I’m proud of, that in 2014 this is what Rise Against sounds like. As a songwriter there’s going to be growth; that’s just the natural part of growing up and expanding our influences. If we wrote the exact same record every time it would be boring.”

Whilst the new record features a more personal orientation, the band won’t stop their activism, with Principe focussed on a modern social issue.

“What drives me crazy and where a real problem lies is people being apathetic and people thinking, ‘what’s the point of trying?’ because problems are too big to change or solve and that mentality just drives me crazy. It’s like them trying to reform health care in the US. You have all the conservatives freaking out with Obamacare because they won’t make money off the system that was already in place and it’s so greedy.

“That just drives me crazy that people are scared of change. People need to have an open mind when there are new things being put in place.”

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FIRST AID KIT Golden Years Swedish folkduo First Aid Kit recently released their third album, Stay Gold. RHYS MCRAE speaks with Klara Söderberg.

If you were asked about your ideas on Sweden’s folk music scene you’d probably conjure images of some guy in tiny green overalls blasting notes through a giant horn.

Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg, who make up First Aid Kit, defy this idea with bittersweet, Americana-tinged folk that could easily have come out of the dustbowl of Oklahoma.

Since 2008 they’ve been riding the wave that brought folk music back to the attention of the masses and are currently in the midst of touring their new album, Stay Gold.

Talking on the phone from Arizona, Klara is philosophical about the rise of folk in recent years but argues that the genre never really went away.

“A lot of the music that’s now popular is stuff like house music. It’s music that doesn’t really have anything to do with the human voice,” Söderberg says in her adopted American twang. “It’s music to move your feet, not your heart, really. I think people long for something more simple. It’s a longing for the human voice. It’s also just the kind of music that’s always around because it’s so simple; it’s a timeless genre. People just sing about their lives and what they’re going through.”

If you’ve been listening to the radio recently, chances are pretty high you’ve run into First Aid Kit’s song, My Silver Lining. Its introductory violin line makes it instantly recognisable, and as the opener for their third album, immediately sets the scene for the yearning tone that carries through the release. In the first verse Klara sings of wanting to be taken to a place where there’s music and laughter to forget her search for the answers to life’s big questions.

“Take me to some place where I don’t have to think and just sort of be, which is such a hard thing to do, to just kind of enjoy,” she says. “That’s a thing that’s also been a theme with Stay Gold – how you can’t really appreciate everything that’s going on. You sort of look back at things and think, ‘I was happy then’.

It’s a strange thing.”

The booming popularity of My Silver Lining probably has much to do with these universal themes.

“I was sitting in Johanna’s apartment last year,” Söderberg explains. “I was just sitting there in the living room and just started playing that first verse, and I started singing those first lyrics to the song and just

FIRST AID KIT | PIC: NEIL KRUG

kept going for a long time. I was wise enough to record it on my phone. We had to pick out lyrics from there and that’s how it started.”

This month will be the third time the sisters have come to Australia, with the last tour in 2012 taking in the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Forum Theatre. Sadly, Perth is not on the itinerary.

Söderberg is humble about the band’s popularity in such a distant land, and she isn’t shy about admitting her thrill at selling out shows here.

“The 2012 shows were amazing, they were incredible. Right now the one thing I’m thinking of is that we got to hang out with some kangaroos. That was cool, but also playing the shows. We always felt like we’ve got a lot of love from Australia, which is amazing.

“I remember when we played our first shows in Australia, they were these huge, sold-out shows; it was crazy. We’d never been there before and it’s very, very far away. And there’s people that want to come to our show, it’s a cool thing. It’s a cool thing that anyone wants to come to our shows, ever.”

“When you’re playing an intimate song and singing lyrics that mean a lot to you, or are emotional, you can see someone in the audience and they’re singing along too. Looking into someone’s eyes is a really powerful thing. When you’re in a bigger room and you can’t see anyone it’s a different feeling. You can’t really have a connection in that same way.”

Aside from performing at the 2014 edition of Splendour In The Grass, the sisters will be playing at somewhat smaller venues this time. Folk and country are intimate types of music that are best enjoyed in smaller rooms where the singer doesn’t need to scream their stories.

“We’re probably going to come back later on and perhaps do something bigger,” says Söderberg, “but it’s also because we really enjoy playing smaller venues. We like the intimate feel, and you can look at everyone in the audience.

“It’s just when you’re playing an intimate song and singing lyrics that mean a lot to you, or are emotional, you can see someone in the audience and they’re singing along too. Looking into someone’s eyes is a really powerful thing. When you’re in a bigger room and you can’t see anyone it’s a different feeling. You can’t really have a connection in that same way.”

THE ARSONIST Burn For You

HIGH ON FIRE Clarity Of Mind

Following on from their well received Disguises EP, which came out back in 2012, Sludge metal pioneers, High On Fire, kick off their first national headline tour across Perth electro-pop quartet, The Arsonist, Australia next week. Frontman Matt Pike chats with JESSICA WILLOUGHBY ahead launch their new EP, Echo, at Amplifier this of their show at the Rosemount Hotel on Friday, July 18, with The Devil Rides Out Friday, July 11, with support from I, Said and Scalphunter.

The Sparrow, Casino Sunrise and Graphic Sobriety is a fickle creature. Getting clean after years and how you grow as a person. I just judge my music Characters. TRAVIS JOHNSON had a word of alcohol abuse can do wonders for the body, but the on whether I can put my heart into my fret board. You mind plays by its own rules. High On Fire frontman, can hear what someone if going through in their life if with bassist/synth player Tim Collins.

Matt Pike, is no stranger to this game.

Insecurity, anxiety, panic attacks – all are stresses that feature in the life of a former alcoholic.

Pike has experienced them all, and more, as he explores the highs-and-lows of his new lifestyle choice. After heading to rehab in 2012, he emerged a stronger musician as a whole – but dealing with the rollercoaster of his own mental state is a daily battle.

“The whole writing process is different now,” Pike says. “I’m realising when I wrote a lot of my older material, you know, I was always high, medicated or drunk. With clarity now, it’s a little hard sometimes to judge whether something’s good or bad. There’s a lot of anxiety that goes along with being sober – just the comfort level in social environments. I’m learning how to do things this way still. But I really think my guitar playing has gotten a lot better, so it’s definitely a positive change.

“I’ve never really doubted myself. There was never a thing where I doubted whether I was talented because I was drunk or not – or high or not. I never faulted with that but, then again, I am not an egotist.

I have flaws. I think it’s just part of the evolution of life 12

they do that, for sure.”

Now, instead of turning to the bottle or other pharmaceutical means to find comfort – Pike finds inspiration in new things. Most recently, a trip to Peru got the creative juices flowing for High on Fire’s upcoming seventh album.

“After a tour not that long ago, me and my fiancée went to Peru and I really got inspired from being there and going to all these ancient monoliths and all this weird alien stuff,” Pike explains. “It really got me thinking, lyrically. I’ve been working with that and writing sci-fi also – along with the riffs. It’s coming along, as all records do. We’ll be recording in September or October – so it should be out next year, if it all goes well. I don’t like to rush it or force it, it’ll just happen.”

This yet-to-be-named LP builds on the Slave The Hive 7” released last year, according to Pike.

“It’s all sorts of stuff; faster songs and slower songs. We try to make each album so it’s got a nice rollercoaster feel to it – it gets all the different moods, tempos and emotions. It’s hard to describe something until it’s really finished, but I definitely know this one’s going to be good, though.”

It’s a pedigree any band would be proud of. The four members of The Arsonist have served their time in such lauded bands Crysis, The Meaning Of and, of course, Karnivool. Coming together, though, they produce a sound completely distinct from their other outfits, as evidenced by their new release, Echo.

“Most of it was born from Louis (Rendle) and Nic (Di Lena) writing a progression and vocal together and the songs then grew in rehearsals and on stage,” says of the EP’s inception. “All parts seem to be pretty loose ideas of what we are aiming for until we get into the studio and tighten up the sounds. I think we all need the pressure of a song being tracked for it to really find it’s feet. We have an open approach to song writing, but most of our best ideas are parts that can be developed alone in a more relaxed environment.

“Echo is like the feeling you get when you have been out all day in the pissing rain and you get home and turn the key in your front door,” Collins says of the release. “If your house mates haven’t changed the locks, then life is pretty sweet. Wait, maybe it’s more like the feeling you get when your lady smiles at

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you when you just fucked up. Actually, it’s the feeling you get when you haven’t done something you love for a few years and something sparks the motivation to give it another crack, and the overwhelming pride of achievement mixes with the self-hatred for taking so long about it. It’s a collection of songs to make you feel something, whatever that may be.”

Comparing it to Disguises, he notes that “Echo is slightly more warm and homely. Some of the songs we have been playing live for a while and they hadn’t made the last EP for a mix of reasons, the main one being an abundance of tunes that we were trying to find a cohesion between. It is a more balanced EP than Disguises, but more diverse. As in, the extremities are greater but the centre is more grounded. A Witness A Passer By explores the use of electric guitar more than we have in the past, and hits with a slightly heavier groove. I’m excited about the way Echo will be received.”

Once again, they boys worked with Dave Parkin, mixing and tracking at Blackbird after having recorded much of the material at home first. “Dave’s approach always makes the project come to life. He has a way of bringing out the best in you, and makes everyday more entertaining than the last.”

The oft-hinted at upcoming album, however, may be a while off yet. “We are not in a rush to get an album out,” he says. “We want to make sure the next year is about the music, not the business. It’s very easy to get caught in the madness that is the music industry, and try to hit targets with timing and marketing and publicity. It is incredibly tiring and disheartening when shit doesn’t work out, and you forget why you make music at all. So it will be about songwriting, not about trying to book shows in an increasingly difficult local live scene.”

NEW NOISE

For more album reviews head to xpressmag.com.au

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DANIEL RAY

THE BRITANNICAS

The Balance Independent

High Tea JAM Records

On the Batman villain spectrum of music appreciation, Australian hip hop scores a Two Face. Sometimes it’s great, sometimes it’s pretty cringe-worthy. Thankfully, for local hip hop artist, Daniel Ray, The Balance is largely the former. Teaming up with friend, composer and musical wingman, Andrew Wright, the album sees Ray’s vocal spit and narrative lyricism injected into some pretty grand rock ballads.

There’s a real sense of intelligence behind the collaborator picks in this one; some of the standout moments come from the female backing vocalists, Sumie Botha and Hollie Morris, whose powerful and distinctive vocal styles add a lot of texture to an album that follows a pretty rigid pattern of songwriting. In fact, there’s a few moments where Ray is eclipsed by the performance of his fellow musicians.

As for the main man himself, Ray hits his peak early with Move On, which has the best combination of his songwriting, vocal timing and emotional conviction, though later tracks, such as Grey Clouds, see him hit that high watermark again. There are moments when he stumbles, such as the shaky flow of Tired Of Fighting and the posturing chorus of Never Get it Back, but The Balance ultimately ranks up as an emotionally honest, deeply musical sample of local hip hop.

Joe Algeri has formed a live outfit and is more prominent on local stages than he has been for many years, and to celebrate he has retreated to the studio to make the sophomore album with his intercontinental pop project The Britannicas. Joining the original trio on High Tea is another of Algeri’s Swedish friends, Stefan Johansson, on drums.

Nerk Twins’ Herb Eimerman is said to be the soul of the band, but he is also a man who is studiously versed in the history of power pop. His opening salvo, Got A Hold On Me, could be an instant classic as it captures everything that is good about the genre from The Raspberries to Matthew Sweet and all that comes in between.

Algeri is the team captain and also the more experimental mind of the collective.

The Moment Passed moves from abrasive guitars to toned down sweetness and hits some other touchstones on the way to keep the listener honest.

To ensure that his pop prowess can’t be questioned, Algeri effortlessly offers up I Work At The Post Office to take home the chocolates. Karlsson rounds out the group as the resident heartbreaker with his softer, yet no less melodic, tunes like Sign Out. High Tea is another step forward for The Britannicas who benefit greatly from the three different voices and personalities without having to sacrifice talent. On High Tea, the whole is certainly greater than the sum of its parts.

SHAUN COWE

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CHRIS HAVERCROFT

2.5 OUT OF 5

THE ANTLERS Familiars POD/Inertia There’s potential bad news for devout fans of The Antlers’ 2009 LP, Hospice: Familiars represents a maturing in the Antlers’ sound. Gone are the melodramatic outbursts of the past. In their place lies lush, low-tempo dream-pop and a reliance on evocative horn lines.

This is a good thing overall. Past albums had moments of catharsis. Familiars relies on its consistency and sustained atmosphere, which doesn’t allow for much variety, but makes it incredibly relaxing. The mood is so steady that it takes a while for the album to click – listeners might wait for a change in tempo to occur, but it never happens. This might be the reason for placing all the highlights later in the album – it lets the listener get used to the proceedings, before flooring them with the breathtaking arrangements of Director and Revisited.

If there’s a star here, apart from the everpresent horns, it’s Peter Silberman and his improved vocal ability. His melodies twist and turn in ways you don’t see coming, but always help elevate the songs to new heights.

Because of its laidback sound, it’s unlikely that people will care for this record as much as the emotionally draining Hospice. But for the same reason, there’s a good chance that this one will be played more.

D-JEONG Beatz ‘N Pieces EP Independent D-JEONG, a Perth-based maker of beats and electrolocutions, just released his EP, Beatz ‘N Pieces, five tracks, arranged with no particular organising principle in mind, the soundtrack to the everyday routine of a cyberpunk metropolis. There’s repetitive percussion, ambient synth padding and clicks building up to relaxed, slow-tempo hip-hop tracks that are good for chilling, or as background music to daily business.

On a technical level, it’s a fine piece of work. On an artistic level, it’s not particularly remarkable or interesting. As it stands, it’s the definition of standard, in a positive way. Not to be dismissive - it does the job, and D-JEONG is a person who no doubt has a passion for making electronica.

Here’s to the next cool thing that emerges from his mind and fingers.

CLAYTON LIN

4.5 OUT OF 5

LEONARDO SILVESTRINI

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THE ZEBRAS Siesta Lost & Lonesome Recording Co

Sea Of Approval is Andy Bull’s first solo release since his 2010 EP, Phantom Pains, and is a definite departure from his earlier and friendlier folky lean on alt-pop.

Andy Bull fans, prepare yourselves for distorted vocals and gurgling synths. As expected, Bull doesn’t fail to produce some beat-driven and highly contagious hits (Talk Too Much, Keep On Running).

But Sea Of Approval is both self-absorbed and selfdeprecating (‘Baby I’m once in a lifetime, baby I am nobody now’). Things go awry when Bull decides to throw in Something, I Guess, a song which, very possibly, will only satisfy those who like their vocal echoes increased to hymnal levels.

The singer/songwriter, in a move towards a more modern sound, takes a slight R&B detour on The Hill, with jolts that are sure to induce some hip-flicking.

Nothing Is Wrong is an easy album standout: it boasts Bull’s vocal versatility and effortlessly combines an all-consuming chorus with synth reveries and smooth piano build-ups and fillers.

Sea Of Approval sees Andy Bull flirt with a more galactic variant of pop, but what remains timeless is his unfaltering and unique voice.

In the six years since their last album, The Zebras have moved cities and had a significant change in membership. In spite of all of this change, the tales on Siesta hark back to Jeremy Cole’s formative years in Cairns as the five-piece draw on the lazy vibes of misspent youth.

The Zebras are as breezy as ever on this outing with their guitar jangle and bouncy melodies sure to get the most stubborn wallflower tapping their toes. There is a hint of their long deserted shoegaze roots during moments like Chase, but for the most part the band peddle the musical equivalent of sunshine that would’ve been well at home during C86.

Bassist Edwina Ewins’ vocals are more confident than before as she becomes one of The Zebras’ main weapons. She is at the forefront of first single, Try, as she croons through a hyper-smooth chorus that won’t subside and is wrapped up in a bouncy baseline and playful synth. Penned by new member Lachlan Franklin (formerly of The Smallgoods) High Art is the first song from The Zebras that doesn’t have Cole’s hands all over it and yet its cheery sheen fits the band like a glove.

The Zebras leave no pop stone unturned as they gather help from Architecture In Helsinki’s Gus Franklin to mix all the tracks. There are few things as difficult as writing the simple pop song. Siesta shows The Zebras are masters of the craft.

KATIE DAVERN

CHRIS HAVERCROFT

ANDY BULL Sea Of Approval Universal

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Running at PS Art Space from July 24 - August 9, Placement is an exhibition of works culled from Nikolai Graham’s carefully curated collection of music, gig and tour posters. It’s presented as part of Hidden Treasures. We caught up with the avid collector to glean some insight into the world of music poster art.

Nikolai Graham is a music fan’s music fan. He still has his first LP - Sing The Hit Songs Of Sesame Street - and fondly recalls his first gig, which happened when he helped organise The Stems to play his high school one lunch period (they narrowly beat out V Capri for the slot, which speaks volumes). Still, his passion most obviously manifests itself in his collection of music posters, which he will sharing with the public for a brief window of time.

“Early high school was when it first started,” he says of his obsession. “But as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been a mad collector and this was when it really became more focused. It was around this same time that I was exposed to the rich history of the poster medium as well, the ‘60s psychedelic stuff was very much an eye opener but going back even further to Lautrec’s Moulin Rouge work and Mucha’s beauties. I loved how it was very much a unique reflection of a certain place in time and culture, quickly realising that this expressive art form was actually happening in my own backyard. I Never left a show without a poster but also discovered I’d go well out of my way to snap up anything and everything I could, for events I never actually attended, nor had any real interest in but was purely enamored with the design.”

Graham is acutely aware of the gig poster’s place in both history and culture, as his allusions to Lautrec Mucha show. “Gig posters have always merely been an advertising tool but over the years, they’ve developed into a unique and passionate art form. The coolest thing about the poster medium was that it is actually advertising and always stuck the proverbial two fingers at the art world wowsers, ignoring whatever’s in vogue, happily doing their own thing with all being fair game. As with music, though, styles and fashion are constantly changing but boobs, skulls and devils have always been a constant crowd pleaser.”

The pieces on display represent just a small fraction of Graham’s hoard and he admits that choosing what the include was no easy task. The final result, however, has a very Perth-centric flavour. “It’s been extremely hard trying to scale down and present the collection in some way but working with the fine folk at Hidden Treasures and PSAS, we very much wanted to go with a more local flavour. We’re fuzzing the line somewhat by also including and trying to incorporate it on a more national level as well, very much celebrating and showcasing Australian musicians, artists and designers, venues and tours, reflecting the diversity of our music scene.”

TRAVIS JOHNSON NIKOLAI GRAHAM - PHOTO BY BEN GREEN

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The Adventures Of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer

RETURN TO THE SEA

NAIDOC NEWS

The perennially popular family play, The Adventures Of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer, is coming to the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre for one show only.

Tim Watts' one man show follows the exploits of the eponymous diver as he searches for his lost love in the fathomless depths. Presented by Perth Theatre Company and Weeping Spoon, it's on at 11am on Wednesday, July 23. Go to manpac.com.au for tickets.

Opening this Wednesday, July 19 in celebration of NAIDOC Week, Bush Babies: Honouring Our Elders is an exhibition of portraits of 16 Noongar Elders from across the Wheatbelt. The exhibition is housed in the Western Australian Museum’s Community Access Gallery until October 19. Entry is free.

THE MASTER OF DISASTER

Nerves In Pattern On A Screen is a series of video and audio works by Devon Ward. A research student in the UWA SymbioticA program, Ward’s work explores the tension between the technological and social environment. According to Ward, “The video works are about translating something that happens at a microscopic level. Taking things really foreign to our daily lives and bringing that to a macro level.” The exhibition runs at Paper Mountain from July 12 - 27.

Go to papermountain.org.au for more details.

Greg Sestero was never supposed to appear in The Room, but wound up taking the second male lead after gonzo auteur Tommy Wiseau fired the original actor. Now inextricably linked with what has become known as "the Citizen Kane of bad movies," Sestero or "Sestosterone" as he is known to The Room's legion of fans - has chronicled his experiences in the book, Disaster Artist. In a special one-off event, Sestero will be discussing his experiences with noted The Room aficionado Tristan Fidler at Luna Leederville this Monday, July 14, followed by an autograph session. For tickets and info, head to lunapalace.com.au.

YOU’VE GOT SOME NERVE

VIC PARK NEEDS ART The Victoria Park Centre For The Arts has put out the call for artists in any medium to help transform Albany Highway - both indoor and outdoor spaces into memorable venues for the Ignite The Park Music And Arts Festival in August and September.

Register your interest by emailing Jennifer Sheps at vicparkarts@westnet.com.au or Rhyll Wilson at directorvicparkarts@westnet.com.au. The deadline is July 17.

Nerves In Pattern On A Screen

JERSEY BOYS The Falsettos Directed by Clint Eastwood Starring John Lloyd Young, Vincent Piazza What the heck went wrong? An obviously talented director (Eastwood has even starred in a hit musical Paint Your Wagon), an award-winning stage musical, original cast members combined with an impressive Hollywood cast, and a soundtrack of many baby boomers' lives - yet Jersey Boys is a musical that is strangely lacking in spark.

Jersey Boys follows the ups and downs of The Four Seasons and their lead man, Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young). We see their formation as Frankie, Tommy (Vincent Piazza) and Nick (Michael Lomenda) grow up together in the old neighbourhood, and their connections with criminal identities there (most notably the godfather like figure of Gyp DeCarlo - a marvellously understated Christopher Walken). With the introduction of outside songwriter Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen) we see the final piece of the group come into place and they slowly start to make their way to a record career and a string of hits. However the pressures of the work and lifestyle take their toll as Tommy's management leaves them in debt with the mob, and the band begins to fragment in spectacular fashion.

This film is often at odds with itself, unsure as to what it wants to be (musical, biopic, a slice of criminal life), the elements all play against each other never granting it a harmonious whole. The saturated colour look of the film lends it more realism, being reminiscent of home film of the time, yet drain it of the magic and zest so vital for the musical genre. The mob elements hearken back to so many other American crime films that you wouldn't be surprised to find a young Joe Pesci in there. Drawing cues from these films, much of the behaviour seems darker and occasionally downright psychotic than was perhaps intended. The various asides from the characters are abrupt and often signalling a transition of time or location, but they are so naturalistic in their delivery that they can be missed, making the resulting jump jarring. The end result leaves Jersey Boys a jumbled mess tonally.

Yet, for its cavalcade of faults, the one thing this jukebox musical does do right is its music. With a string of number ones to chose from there are enough good songs here to have you tapping your feet. It may take a good chunk of the film to reach that point but this is where Jersey Boys still manages to shine, almost in spite of itself. John Lloyd Young's experience from the original stage musical shows here and he hits the high notes with gusto.

A rare misfire from a brilliant director. The strength of the playlist alone may be enough for some to enjoy this drab musical, but its hardly “an offer you can't refuse”.

DAVID O'CONNELL

EIGHT GIGABYTES OF HARDCORE PORNOGRAPHY The State Theatre Centre Wednesday, July 2, 2014 The opening of the play with the provocative name drew a fine crowd of eager theatre goers last week.

Photos by Hannah Sorrell

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Paul, Ben, Andrew, Grant

Amy, Rachael

Megan, Sarah

Taryn, Jacinta, Ian

Shaun, Kim

Megan, Libby, Josh

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THE LUNCHBOX Directed by Ritesh Batra Starring Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Nakul Vaid Anyone expecting the spectacle and noise of a Bollywood film is in for a surprise when viewing The Lunchbox. Flying in face of our cultural expectations regarding Indian cinema, writer and director Ritesh Batra has served up a subtle and understated romance.

When we first meet Saajan (Irrfan Khan - The Life Of Pi) we aren’t even privy to his first name. To his colleagues - he has no friends - he is Mr Fernandes, a curmudgeonly, obtuse, widowed accountant, nearing retirement and charged with training his own replacement, Shaikh (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). His hermetically sealed existence sustains the smallest of cracks, however, when he is delivered the wrong lunch by mistake.

Instead of his regular fare, he receives a meal that Ila (Nimrat Kaur), a young wife and mother, has prepared for her distant and aloof husband. This is almost unheard of - Mumbai’s dabbawala lunch delivery service is absurdly fast and accurate - but the unlikely mix-up creates a tenuous, precious bond, and the two begin corresponding via food.

Canny filmgoers will recognise the DNA of 1940’s The Shop Around The Corner, or at least

the Hanks/Ryan rom com You’ve Got Mail, but while The Lunchbox is an enjoyable enough film, it doesn’t lean too heavily on either its romantic or comedic elements. The pleasures it offers are subtler, hinging more on slow but steady character developments and hesitant intricacies than big brash gestures or mugging for the camera. This is a story about people seemingly stuck in untenable or unpleasant situations learning that they are not as bogged down as they may think, nor are they doomed to loneliness.

So it’s not the most original of premises, but strong performances and Batra’s assured direction carry the day. Khan in particular gives an impressive if unshowy turn as he shows us but not, to be sure, anyone around him - how the stuffy Saajan slowly thaws, thanks not only to his pen-pal situation with Ila but also a growing avuncular friendship with young Shaikh who, it turns out, is an orphan who has bluffed his way into his job and is in serious need of a mentor.

The film is also refreshingly unsentimental, which should come as a relief to those grown weary of the overblown emoting of Hollywood romantic fare. For all that, there are real emotions at stake here, and it’s impossible not to become invested in our protagonists’ burgeoning relationship.

There was quite a bit of controversy when The Lunchbox was not selected as India’s official Oscar entry (The Good Road got the nod instead) and it’s easy to see why. Astute and well-observed while still being warm and open, it’s a gem of a film.

TRAVIS JOHNSON

MOW SKWOZ Visceral Visuals Perth artist Mow Skwoz’s new exhibition, The Wire Mother, opens at The Bird this Monday, July 14. We spoke to Skwoz about her repulsive but fascinating work, which combines Cronenbergian body horror with a keen eye for composition and colour.

From an early age, Mow Skwoz was drawn to the macabre and unsettling - a trait she inherited from her father. “I was always drawing when I was a kid and in high school. My dad drew a lot of creepy weird drawings so I used to copy him when I was little.”

Her interest in art took her to TAFE, but formal study was a poor fit. Finding tattooing suited her more, she apprenticed to the needle for a time - “I learned a lot about design from fellow tattooists.” before turning to painting some three years ago.

Since then, she’s had two solo shows - The Wire Mother is her third - and has participated in a number of group exhibitions, including Public at Form Gallery earlier this year. If you’ve seen her work, all flesh tones and viscera, you would remember it.

“It’s always hard for me to describe my work for some reason!” Skwoz tells us. “Um, I guess creepy, unsettling a little surreal. I love painting trauma and discomfort, as well as a little gore here and there. I take influences from many things. Art wise, a lot of illustrators and graphic artists such as Charles Burns, Robert Crumb, Art Spiegelman, those kinda weirdos, as well as painters. I really love the work Charlie Immer right now and also a lot of realism too, like Jeremy Geddes.”

Music also plays a big part in Skwoz’s personal microculture. “I’ve been enjoying a lot of Throbbing Gristle, Swans, Butthole Surfers, The Fall, all who are great at making one feel uncomfortable and a bit sick. I’d like to get to that point some day. Also, a lot of my friends are great artists and musicians, so they are ever so inspiring! It makes me want to keep up!”

On the subject of this particular exhibition, Skwoz says “I wanted to try something a bit different and make myself paint out of my comfort zone.

I’ve used a lot of pastels and bright colours for the backgrounds, and I’ve tried to manipulate the figures, blending them with geometric shapes and grotesque objects. There will be a bunch of new paintings available at the show, as well as some framed biro drawings that I like to do now and then. Also, as a kind of last minute fun activity, I decided to put out

a 10” one sided vinyl single, with some companions of mine (Void Manes and Kevin Rutmanis) as sort of a soundtrack to the paintings in the show. They had be messing about making weird electronic and organic sounds and stuff and then I added some stuff and Kevin sort of just put it all together. All the covers are handmade, and featuring prints of some of my work. So its like a print and a weird ambient noisy mess!”

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A R T S & C U LT U R E

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FILM

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NEWS

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FAS H I O N

The Wire Mother: The Bird An exhibition of new works by Mow Skwoz.

Overtly visceral, at times disturbing but never less than fascinating, Skwoz’s works are unsettling and attractive in equal measure. A limited edition lathe-cut 10” vinyl single, featuring music by Skwoz, Void Manes and Kevin Rutmanis, will be on sale during the exhibition, which opens on July 14.

Every week we bring you the best in fashion, food, shopping and lifestyle.

Placement: PS Art Space Long time local music supporter and poster art collector Nikolai Graham will be exhibiting some of his favourite poster designers. The opening night of this fascinating look at music history features performances from Craig Hallsworth and The Gutterville Splendour Six, hosted by Ross Chisholm. It runs from July 24 - August 9.

THEATRE/DANCE/ PERFORMANCE EAT AT: BABY MAMMOTH Casual dining on William St with a touch of soul. Baby Mammoth offers a menu inspired by a wide variety of cultures. Try the South African Goat Buuny Chow (curry served in a hollowed-out bread loaf).

Baby Mammoth

Giving Up The Ghosts: The Blue Room Theatre This new work by Perth theatre tearaway Joe Lui tells the story of Steve and Ruth, two lost souls who find each other, with tragic consequences.

It runs until July 12. Shoot over to blueoom.org. au for more details.

Stay Safe

VISUAL ARTS Stay Safe: Ruck Rover General Store Curated by Kate-Anna St Valentine, this is a charity exhibition to raise money for SAFE, an organisation dedicated to saving animals from euthanasia. Featured artists include Kyle HughesOdgers, Sean Morris, Mel Stringer, Rose Skinner, Maddy Young, Jessica Horrocks, Chiara Hunwick, Elizabeth Murraffo, Matt Moore and Leonei Brialey. It runs until July 31. Go to ruckrover.com. au for more info.

DRINK AT: THE OFFICE ON HARROWGATE Bringing a much-needed small bar sensibility to West Leederville, The Office On Harrowgate is a real all ‘rounder, with breakfast, lunch and dinner options sidling a subtle and cheery atmosphere for a quiet drink or two.

The $10 special nights for Shanks (Wednesdays) and Chilli Mussels (Thursdays) are particularly tempting.

The Office On Harrowgate

Dinosaur Discovery - Lost Creatures Of The Cretaceous: WA Museum Combining life-size moving models and 3D augmented reality technology, this world-class exhibition brings the unfathomably distant past to life. There will also be fossils and specimens on display, interactive activities and more. It runs until August 3. Go to museum.wa.gov.au for more information.

Fremantle Realists: Fremantle Arts Centre An exhibition of works by Ray Beattie, Marcus Beilby and Ken Waldrop, three artists who, working from a shared studio space in Fremantle’s High Street in the 1970s, looking at WA through the lens of photorealism. It runs until July 17. Go to fac.org.au for further information.

Nyoongar Stories: Mossenson Galleries An exhibition of works by Shane Pickett, Sandra Hill and Ben Pushman, Nyoongar Stories is held in celebration of NAIDOC Week’s 21st birthday.

It runs until July 28. Go to mossensongalleries. com.au for more.

Eight Gigabytes Of Hardcore Pornography: State Theatre Centre Written be Declan Greene, Eight Gigabytes is a funny, dirty, frequently cringe-worthy (in the best possible way) look at love, sex, loneliness and relationships. Starring Andrea Gibbs and Steve Rogers and featuring music by the acclaimed Rachael Dease, it runs until July 12. Go to perthhteatre.com.au for tickets and session times.

2014 Perth International Burlesque Festival More than 60 national, international and local performers will be strutting their stuff until July 13, including Germany’s Lada Redstar, US star Coco Lectric, Italy’s Cleo Viper and Australia’s own Bella De Jac and Raven. Go to perthburlesquefestival.com for full details, show times and ticketing.

Revelation Film Festival Until July 13, treat yourself to some of the best in edgy, underground and outré films from across the country and around the globe. For full info, go to revelationfilmfest.org.

The Scandinavian Film Festival T h e f i r s t eve r S ca nd i na v ia n F i l m Fe s t i va l brings together the best cinema from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland. It runs at Cinema Paradiso from July 24 - 30. Go to scandinavianfilmfestival.com or lunapalace.com.au for details.

Jasper Jones: State Theatre Centre Barking Gecko Theatre Company presents a stage adaptation of Craig Silvey’s acclaimed novel, written for the stage by Kate Mulvany and directed by John Sheedy. It runs from July 17 - August 9. Go to barkinggecko.com.au for more information.

Henry V: State Theatre Centre Bell Shakespeare views the classic tale of courage, military valour and political intrigue through the lens of war-wracked 1941 Britain. It runs from July 23 - 26. Book through Ticketek Patyegarang: State Theatre Centre This new production from Bangarra Dance Theatre tells the story of the eponymous Aboriginal woman who taught her language to Lieutenant William Dawes of the Colonial Fleet. It runs from July 30 - August 2 for five performances only. Tickets are available via Ticketek.

SHOP AT: TU

tú

IGGY AZALEA AND CLUELESS It's Hip To Be Cher

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2014 Perth Winter Arts Season This seasonal celebration of art and culture is back once again, showcasing a dazzling array of performance, visual arts, film, literature, fashion, food and more. It runs until August 31. Go to perthwinterarts.com.au to start planning your winter.

Relative Values: Melville Theatre Directed by Tarryn Harris, this production of Noel Coward’s comedy of manners and culture clash runs from July 11 - 26. Go to meltheco.com. au for session times and tickets.

Combining a chic boutique, the intimate exhibition space that is the Stairwell Gallery and the cosy, tucked away cafe that is Tea For Tú, this Northbridge landmark has something for everyone.

2014 has been a rapturously successful year for Iggy Azalea, the Australian born rapper joining the ranks of the Beatles as one of only two acts to hold number one and number two on the Billboard singles chart with their first two releases. Fancy featuring Charli GO TO: GOOD FOOD & XCX is the number one hit in question, and is this year’s ubiquitous earworm. Undeniably, part of the WINE SHOW Get down to the Perth Convention And Exhibition success of the song has been the American high Centre from July 11 - 13 for a whole weekend of cooking school vibe Azalea has created to sell it (see cutesy demonstrations, kitchen gadgets, celebrity chefs and, of ‘prom’ themed live performances), and particularly course, fine foods and terrific wines. the way Azalea has embraced the 90's revival. LUCY The Good Food & Wine Show BALLANTYNE investigates.

FESTIVALS

To say ‘90s revival is having a moment would be the understatement of the new millennium.

Jelly sandals, crop tops, dungarees, microskirts and dark lips: the ASOS generation just can’t get enough.

This cultural moment is all about Gen Y reliving what we wore and what we wish we had been wearing in primary school playgrounds. Pop stars have taken note, with both Katy Perry and Lady Gaga staking claims on a “‘90s House" sound (and failing pretty dismally), but few have pulled off the style with aplomb. When our children’s children look back on the year 2014, after sweeping their way through piles of velvet and scrunchies, there’s really only one name that will come to their lips. Who that, who that? I-G-G-Y.

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Relative Values

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

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

xpressmag.com.au

One look at a comments section on an Iggy-centred article is enough to find that people can truly loathe Azalea, and justifiably so. Her comments about Indigenous Australians have been truly heinous, and her status as the world’s biggest female rapper/ white girl from Mullumbimby has gotten noses well and truly out of joint. But in the same breath, even the most irate of critics will exclaim: this video is rad.

Charli XCX, who sings Fancy’s chorus and appears in the Clueless remake, is the girl who screams ‘I’m a ‘90s bitch’ in Icona Pop’s I Love It. The video for Fancy has been viewed on YouTube close to 132 million times, and is a startlingly accurate homage to the 1995 teen film Clueless.

Clueless is beloved for a range of reasons, not least for its genuinely excellent comedy and dreamy idealist college-boy love interest Paul Rudd, but particularly for its quintessentially ‘90s aesthetic.

Beautiful clothes are a huge part of the film’s humour, its iconography and its emotional pathos – think Cher’s enviable revolving wardrobe, and her scream “But this is an Alaia!” on being held at gunpoint. The fashion of Clueless spawned generations of copycats and articulated perfectly the visuals of its moment.

For the 90’s fashion convert, it’s the Holy Grail.

In Fancy's behind the scenes video, music video director du jour Director X explained that Azalea and her contemporaries grew up on Clueless "in a way that’s really personal". Given Azalea’s decidedly daggy fangirl response to Alicia Silverstone’s twitter approval of the video, this seems to be true. Iggy’s homage to possibly the most iconic film of the 1990s seems to come from a place of genuine affection. Born in 1990 (yeah, seriously), Azalea isn’t exempt from the zeitgeist obsession with all things ‘90s that continues to make her a success.

That illustrious yellow plaid ensemble is the real ‘new classic’ in this scenario.

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E D U C AT I O N , T R A I N I N G & C A R E E R S

CATALYST Curtin University Open Day: Sunday, August 3, 10am-4pm It's only fitting for a university with its roots deep in technology and development to call their open day Catalyst. The home of Curtinnovation and students with ecologically efficient light bulbs for heads, Curtin University is all about exploration, expansive dreams, and experiment.

You'll often hear WA students talk about universities as villages, but Curtin's more like a small town: thirty thousand students, hypermodern architecture, the best university

ECU OPEN DAY Joondalup: Sunday, July 20, 10am-3pm Mount Lawley and WAAPA: Sunday, August 10, 10am-3pm

tav burgers anywhere this side of the country, and a thriving facebook Confessions page affirm Curtin as one of the most active and energetic campuses in Australia.

Catalyst will be held on Sunday, August 3, and it's a really good opportunity to head down to Bentley and check out the cutting-edge business, resources, engineering, humanities and science faculties. There's a website - openday. curtin.edu.au - a smartphone app, and, of course, an instagram feed.

Curtin offers some of the best education resources in the world for health sciences, minerals and energy, sustainability and information/communication technology, and it's thanks to the creative spirit and ethical awareness of staff and researchers. For example, a new 2015 unit, the first of its kind in the state, will combine education and health science faculties to finally discuss teaching sex ed. This will go far beyond the banana-condom talks

you got, if you were lucky - researchers and sexologists at Curtin have been developing programs to discuss communication, healthy relationship dynamics, and 21st century sex.

Curtin began life as an institute of technology, but as it's grown and expanded into the humanities, tit also offer areas of liberal arts study overlooked by older and stuffier universities - juicy stuff like events management, interior architecture, and performance studies.

Fashion is just one of the many fields Curtin students can sink their teeth into, and if you're interested in seeing the couture emerging from Curtin right now, get yourself down to Catalyst's parade. While you're there, media buffs can also check out the Curtin FM radio labs and film studios.

Curtin Business School is the proud host of the only university stock market trading room in the state, with 16 Bloomberg computers and real-time stock boards. As an Open Dayer, you'll

be able to check out the set-up, as well as the WA School of Mines metal detector super pit simulation and health sciences anotamage tables.

There's also the intimidatingly named Hive, an immersive visualisation facility complete with 3D glasses. It's a space driven by high-powered computing systems for design, data analysis and interdisciplinary work. It's stereoscopic, all-encompassing, and a little bit cyberpunk.

Of course, if you're thinking about university, you'll probably want to chat to advisors, lecturers, and students about getting in and getting through. There are many pathways to university, so even if you haven't had the most typical academic journey, it's worth coming down and talking to people about your interests and aspirations.

Edith Cowan University covers so much academic ground, they’re split into two campuses. If you’re after biology and environmental sciences, engineering, exercise and health science, aviation, law and justice, psychology, nursing, midwifery, or medical sciences, you’re after the Joondalup campus. If it’s communications, arts, security, IT, or WAAPA, Mount Lawley’s your bag. Business and education students are spoiled for choice, as those courses are offered at both campuses.

And if for some reason neither floats your boat, ECU is one of Australia’s leading universities vis a vis online education.

Wo r l d c l a s s n u r s i n g a n d av i at i o n facilities aside, the reason you want to be at Joondalup’s July 20 Open Day is the Giant Floating Goonbag. The sculpture - officially named Bulk Carrier, by ECU artist Norton Flavel

- garnered the biggest reactions and the most love of all the sculptures at Cottesloe’s 2014 Sculptures By The Sea. It’s the most adorable inflatable artwork since Skywhale, and its return tour starts and ends on ECU Joondalup’s oncampus lake.

If you’re heading down to ECU Mount Lawley on August 10, you’ll be able to tour ECU’s state-of-the-art fashion, printmaking, painting and design facilities, see what goes down behindthe-scenes at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts, and take part in a bunch of weird and fun interactive activities. We’re talking green screens, live glass sculpture demonstrations, criminology detective simulations, and fictional financial windfalls in the business school.

Other fun stuff going down on both campuses include animal farms, market stalls,

Nova and Channel Nine appearances, the Perth Wildcats, and a career path mindreader. You can also expect a laser skirmish and bungee trampoline up at Joondalup, and a bucking bull at Mount Lawley. It’s really the perfect preparation for all the bizarre and fun stuff that goes down during your bachelor’s degree.

If you’re heading down and trying to squeeze in all the faculties you’re tempted by and all the crazy in-between activities, head over to the Open Day planner at ecuopendayplanner. com.au. You can also see a nifty infographic explaining how to get to campus, what to expect from your university experience, and where to get course information if you miss an event at ecu.edu.au/future-students/open-day.

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MURDOCH OPEN DAY Sunday, August 24 Murdoch University's South Street campus has more than a few tricks up its sleeves. At 227 hectares, it's the largest university campus in Australia, which affords it more than a few Hogwartian nooks and crannies - a supercomputer, a faux-Japanese garden, a small population of marsupials called quendas.

It's a mysterious blend of back-to-bush Australiana (Bush Court, on-campus veterinary hospital, quendas) and the hyper-modern (Genomics research, the Nexus theatre, a former WA Chief Scientist).

Murdoch offers courses law, engineering, health, management, international affairs, and a whole host of sciences and arts fields. They've also got special facilities for chiropractic students, sports science, veterinary science, nursing, and genome researchers (that supercomputer!), and offer cutting-edge degrees in subjects from conservation science to game design to sound.

Open Day 2014 is on August 24, and there'll be a host of course Hot Spots so prospective students can get a taste of faculty life. Campus will be littered with students, lecturers and advisors offering demonstrations in everything from robotics to chemistry to marketing, with a tram service to shuttle you across the campus we've pretty much established is Hogwarts.

There's also an extensive course advisory team, so whether you're looking for postgrad, undergrad, or alternative university entry pathways, there'll be extensive information available (as well as a Murdoch course personality test, should you be unsure where you're headed). Of course, the Murdoch Open Day team haven't neglected any of the fun stuff you're looking for on Open Days - expect giant tea cup rides, enormously oversized board games, baby animals, and what Murdoch calls a "not just a bouncy castle".

Murdoch also offers student accommodation, so hop on a tram to check it out. While you're on your cross-campus tour, make sure you get a taste of field research with Murdoch's wetlands safari.

If you're curious about how to plan your day, getting there, and what courses Murdoch offers, you should take a look at the Open Day webpage: openday.murdoch.edu.au.

UWA OPEN DAY Sunday, August 10, 10am-4pm For all the course change-ups its undergone in the last five years, the University of Western Australia is still grounded in the prevailing university tradition it was opened under in 1913: weird art student stuff that probably shouldn’t be allowed, but is.

Prosh, the comedy-charity newspaper underwent an enormous revival this year, its 83rd in the game. Peafowl roam and squawk freely in the arts courtyard (RIP Sir Eddy, who went gentle into that good night this year). The Society For Creative Anachronism have the state’s only university charter here, and host round dances and sword fights on the Oak Lawn every week.

UWA’s smaller than WA’s other public universities, but it still manages to cover a lot of geographical ground - from the music department to the new Business School, there’s a huge stretch of Crawley campus immediately across from Matilda Bay. It also has an incredible social life, especially with newer clubs like the Electronic Music Appreciation Society spreading to Curtin charters and teaming up with dedicated party clubs to throw dedicated parties. The Guild has an extensive clubs list, and is constantly throwing whimsical Oak Lawn events - if there’s a uni most likely to have a ball pit, enormous snow dome, or petting zoo, it’s probably UWA. One of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight universities, UWA has an impressive history of education and research, with Nobel laureate and hardcore risktaker Barry Marshall on staff (he swallowed live ulcer-causing bacteria to prove he’d developed a cure). UWA now offers five major areas of undergraduate study, with incredible flexibility between subject areas: students in Design, Commerce, Arts, Science and Philosophy can move freely between interdisciplinary studies. UWA also offers postgrad qualifications in law, medicine, and engineering.

If you want a dosage of that UWA whimsicality (and grab some pointers about your degree along the way), UWA’s Open Day will be held on Wednesday, July 9. Course advisors, lecturers and students will be busy from 10 till 4 giving demonstrations, serenades, pointers, and advice on how best to gain the peacocks’ trust. There’ll also be a ton of food vendors, live music, interactive stalls and public lectures. UWA’s Open Day page goes live on Wednesday, July 9, and you can check out the entire gamut of activities on offer at openday.uwa.edu.au.

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E D U C AT I O N , T R A I N I N G & C A R E E R S

GEEK DOWN Make The Most Of Your Stay Bowling For Soup were stretching the truth. High school does end, especially for geeks. Here’s how to get the most out of HECS-funded computer labs, fellow freaky time-wasters and societies for creative anachronism.

One-time UWA geek Tim Minchin

For many students fresh out of high school or the workplace, tertiary education can be a godsend: you get to meet and work with people who are genuinely interested in the stuff you’re interested in.

Whatever you’re into, you’re bound to find people in your niche - whether it’s diabolos (UWA Juggling Club, CirTin), pantomime (Pantosoc), or anime (these guys are everywhere).

A t u n i v e r s i t y, y o u g e t a cce s s t o supercomputers, math labs, engineering software, and people with oddly specific skillsets. You also get access to spaces where people are free to express themselves - engineering clubs, maths societies and comic enthusiasts can throw pretty rad parties when they get together and are respectful of each other’s needs.

Alice McCullough is graduating from Computer Science at UWA. She’s served time on councils for the Women’s Department and the University Science Fiction Association, writing for the student magazine, creeping ‘round the back of the University Computer Lab and working long hours in the university computer science labs (which, she can confirm, smell like armpits).

It’s tough being one of five women in her cohort, but it turns out it’s pretty much hard for any newcomer.

“I think a lot of nerd spaces are like, they’ve been bullied all the way through high school, they’ve always been on the outside, so as soon as they get their own space, they immediately turn that around, so anyone who’s not part of their subculture is the enemy,” she says.

Even so, club cultures are always in flux, and some are clique-ier than others. “This year, we had more girl freshers than boy freshers in UniSFA, which is a really big step - usually it’s like 70 per cent dudes and 30 per cent girls.”

If you’re not on a club council, however, McCullough’s advice is to hold your ground.

“I think it’s particularly telling when people are judgemental in computer science, because it’s such a broad field. There’s someone who understands a word processing program, because they wrote it. There’s someone who understands how you program a mouse, so the cursor moves. There’s someone who understands the hardware and circuitry inside the machine.

But no one can be excellent across the board.”

“I think it’s particularly telling when people are judgemental in computer science, because it’s such a broad field. There’s someone who understands a word processing program, because they wrote it. There’s someone who understands how you program a mouse, so the cursor moves. There’s someone who understands the hardware and circuitry inside the machine. But no one can be excellent across the board.”

Humour can smooth entry to niche fields - but McCullough warns, “Self-deprecating humour can be disadvantageous. Sometimes people will bring stuff up repeatedly, and it’s difficult to backtrack, because it’s permissive.

Hold your own.”

That, and talking to everyone you can: nerd societies, as spaces safe for people who have spent far too much time torrenting Naruto, can be an excellent entry to building friendship networks and getting through three or four years of an intense bachelor’s.

“One of the things about being a girl in a male-dominated field is that if you meet another girl, you’ve immediately got someone you’ve got a lot in common with,” she says.

“Bam, you’ve got a study buddy, you’ve got a groupwork partner, you’ve got someone to share notes with. First port of call, is go make girlfriends. Actually, just talk to people. That’s my one piece of solid advice.”

But that’s the thing about geek clubs they’re an opportunity for people who may shy away from the faculty-focussed, muscle-flexing major clubs. McCullough explains that they’re some of the most accepting, fiercely loyal and open-minded clubs on campus, especially where neuroatypical and queer issues are in play.

Where communication is in play and other people’s boundaries are respected, geek clubs are an excellent way to find like-minded people, to do incredible extracurricular projects, and to get the most out of the uni experience - an experience only the lucky few nerds have access to.

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Andy Bull’s second LP, Sea Of Approval, is released this Friday, July 11. He’ll hit the road in spring, stopping by The Bakery on Friday, September 19, and headlining Rottofest on Saturday, September 20. BOB GORDON reports.

Andy Bull has been left to his own devices for some time now, but things are about to change.

His second album, Sea Of Approval, is released this Friday and it marks a moment when Bull is released from his creative bubble, with his new songs in tow, to share them with the world. There’s lots to talk about and all of it for the first time.

“It feels... like so many things,” he says. “It’s definitely nice to be finished with the record, in terms of making it. I finished it about a month ago, the relief has worn off and now it’s me figuring out how to craft succinct answers to people’s questions, rather than just ramble on and on.

“When I was working on the record there was a lot of internal conversation, so now I have to work out how to string sentences around it... how to externalise some of those thoughts (laughs).”

In the effusive, eloquent album bio penned by former triple j breakfast host and comedian, Tom Ballard, it’s stated that Bull could have made any number of albums, however Sea Of Approval was the album that was made. How that result is determined is an interesting part of the process, but it can’t be allowed to stall the process itself.

“In the middle of it I was just thinking about just generating stuff and finishing it,” Bull explains. “Then, occasionally, you check in and go, ‘where am I going with this? If I was to stop now, what would I have?’ I remember thinking that a couple of times. That’s when it gives you pause to think about those things, like consistency and coherency and that kind of thing. But that certainly can’t be your motivator, I would consider that part of the editing process, culling things and making those decisions. Maybe it’s in the back of your mind but it certainly can’t be the main driver, because that’s the secondary step.

That’s the editing.

Continued on p.26.

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DEATH GRIPS US ALL

Continued from cover...

“I think you just have to generate so much material before you can start making those sort of judgements. So it’s a momentary thing when you check in. It can give rise to encouraging feelings or panicky feelings as to whether it is or isn’t working as a body of work. You have to, to a degree, be naive of those things at times.”

Songs such as Baby I Am Nobody Now, Keep On Running and Talk Too Much, have already received wide airplay and connected with an ever-building audience. That connection is important, as the songs are not based around a protagonist as such, but what Bull refers to as ‘The Actor’, who assumes the roles required in each of the songs.

“It seems that there maybe is, in the mind of people who perform, certainly for a number of us, there’s a sense of being pretend, or being a phoney or a fake or something like that,” he offers. “But you’ve got to move beyond those sorts of doubts in order to tell your story. The actor is really more a concept for me that for the audience, I suppose. It’s something I’ve invented just so I can do it; not necessarily so that other people can understand it.”

Accordingly, if not appropriately, it would appear that The Actor is suiting up for this very interview.

“This is not normal,” Bull states. “Being the centre of attention, or performing in front of groups of people or talking on the phone about it... I mean, none of this is normal. It’s not normal stuff, it’s not something you would normally do in your every day kind of existence, so I feel like I’ve had to find a way to justify why I deserve to do these things. Or how I can do these things.

“If in my mind I can change hats and be The Actor, then it allows me to tell a story and use the symbols and write the songs and perform and not feel ashamed. It allows me to do it confidently, I think. The birth of the actor kind of came out of that. Wanting to do something, but feeling a bit conflicted about it.

“In terms of the music, everything is symbolic. Words are symbolic; sounds are symbolic; everything is symbolic. You’re putting together a kind of world and there’s no escaping it. It doesn’t matter what kind of music you play, if it’s folk music or folk or dance music or pop or rock, you are participating in this symbolic vernacular. So I felt that at the centre of that there needed to be a character who was a symbol as well.”

Bull points out that taking such an approach is more about method than any kind of moral choice.

“At all stages in life everyone is kind of playing a role,” he notes. “Depending on where you are, you may be a husband, or a son, or a colleague,

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Avant-garde hip hop crew Death Grips threw in the napkin (heh) this week, when they announced their conscious uncoupling via a facebook photo upload.

In the mould of thousands of poets, novelists and musicians who just can’t wait till they leave the restaurant to get their ideas down, the group wrote an all-caps message on a napkin announcing that they were “now at their best and so Death Grips is over”. Made up of MC Ride, drummer Zach Hill, and producer Andy Morin, these guys were always elevating performance art over petty stuff like contractual obligations, so it’s not wholly a surprise.

You can download several Death Grips albums from their website for free, and they have promised an upcoming album (The Powers That B).

Tomás Ford

ONE MAN’S TRASH, ANOTHER MAN’S POSTIRONY or a boss, or a tyrant or the victim, or the lover or the scorned. You’re always playing a role; at all levels of society, even if you’re just driving your car, there’s no escaping it. There’s no sin in playing a role, but damage can be done when you don’t acknowledge that you’re playing it.

“And as you go through life you have to change roles. You go from being someone’s child to being an adult, then being the boss of other people, or working for them. Or if you have a family or a relationship, all these roles keep changing and it’s kind of hard to keep up.”

While an actor is separate from the role, Bull feels that precious little separates the music from the musician. Interestingly, he is now at the stage, with a national tour in the offing, where he is now sharing The Actor’s roles with other musicians and therefore again with his audience.

“You have to strip away some little details and then exaggerate other things,” he says of the studio-to-stage process. “It kind of changes again; it becomes a different sort of beast when you involve other people. I’ve got a really good live band. They’re friends of mine whom I’ve been playing with for a while now and there’s a really good chemistry around that and the sounds we use and the spontaneity of playing live.

“It’s a little bit different every night and very exciting for us as well because it morphs onstage every night. It’s pretty electric. I get goosebumps listening to the other guys onstage.”

The last time Tomás Ford’s Crap Music Rave Party reared its ugly neon head, punters were treated to stage-diving birthday boys, butcher’s paper song requests, and a fifteen-minute extended mix of The Venga Boys’ We Like To Party. Ford has just announced a second run at rave before he takes his cabaret show to Edinburgh Fringe. It’s like a party in your bedroom at the Bakery, and it’s on July 19. Let’s be honest, it’s very tempting - there’s a reason you never deleted that “accidental” Danni Minogue download.

HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC JET The Prodigy have promised a forthcoming album off the back of their appearances at Europe’s Sonisphere fesival. It’ll be their first since 2009’s Invaders Must Die, and it definitely won’t be called How To Steal A Fighter Jet, the name they’d announced in 2012.

Unsurprisingly, producer Liam Howlett described their upcoming record as “violent-sounding”.

KOAN Sound

VILLA NUOVA Up this week at Villa this Saturday is KOAN Sound, funk-glitch Bristol Buddhists. These guys make phat beats and ponder the nature of the Buddha (their answer: three pounds of flax). If you’re less into trance states and more into trance, Metros is hosting the Pure Trance festival, featuring Solarstone, Giuseppe Ottaviani and Sneijder. Also worth keeping an eye out at Villa in the next few weeks: Friday 25 will be Jersey-trap-hip hop club night Father’s first foray out of Flyrite. Saturday 26 is Disclosure’s Tropic Thunder party, where costumes are mandatory. We don’t recommend you arrive as Robert Downey, Jr.

COME ON DOWN Following two sold out gigs in Melbourne and Adelaide last weekend, Perth surf boys and electropoppers Crooked Colours are back in town for an Amplifier gig this Saturday. They’re a big part of a wave of fuzzedup, chilled-out electronic artists gaining traction in internet circles as (no joke) an “Australian Movement”, and given the amount of love Come Down is getting on Triple J, they’ll be worth catching. Appearing almost simultaneously at Capitol, boychild producer Just A Gentleman will also be playing a Saturday set. If you survived Lorde-induced tall poppy syndrome and don’t suffer flashbacks to your failed high school projects while 17-year-olds rock packed venues, check him out.

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D-JEONG In the midst of an intense gigging schedule, Perth Producer D-JEONG takes us through the records that have shaped his latest EP. It doesn’t get much more 2010s than Daniel Symons’ musical journey. It wasn’t an old hand-me-down guitar that got him started - it was GarageBand, the free Apple looping program and bane of IT teachers across the state. “I started to play in melodies and bass-lines over a beat loop, and after hours and hours, he had created his first track. It was simple but special.”

Complementary MacBook software brought him to Logic, Ableton, and a BMus in composition and music technology. From there, Symons has thrown himself into performance and production, leading to a place in 2013’s Kiss My WAMI compilation album and the Beatz N’ Pieces EP. “Anything from ambience, to broken beat, chill out, beats is what this ep is about,” he says. “I didn’t want to aim it towards a certain target audience. Just for anyone who is a music lover. Hence the name.”

There’s no overarching theme to the EP - rather, it was determined according to audience response. “I’ve been performing these tracks well before the EP was launched,” Symons explains. “I’ve had lots of positive response from the crowd so then I decided, these are the ones. Someother tracks were going to go on it but I thought they’d weigh it down. It should sound like one of my sets - light and fresh.”

The album’s squarely grounded in hip hop territory, and each track is grounded with crackling trap snare rolls and chilled synths. Hermitude’s Hyperparadise was the road into hip hop production. “After hearing the album in a friend’s car, I was absolutely mind blown,” he says. “The heavy basslines, the phat beats, synth leads,

samples are what inspired me to begin producing beats. Engage is like a musical explosion.”

Trentemoller’s The Last Resort has been on high rotation. “I get the feeling of being stuck in a misty European forest.” It’s the genre cross-pollination that gets Symons on board here. “Trentemoller melds influences from deep house, dub, down tempo, down beat - this album really helped me hone in on my ambient side.”

Finally, Symons has to chuck in a good word for Pink Floyd. “The Dark Side Of The Moon’s one of those albums that requires your full attention. You can see that blend of prog, psychedelica, even some electronica.”

+1 Doubleplusgood Josip Peran is +1, a Rough Love regular who drops Deep House and techno mixes at Geisha Bar and Factory every other week. He’ll be playing alongside MOT3K and The Shadow Brothers for an oldschool basement party at The Factory, July 26. We catch up with +1 just before his first mixtape launches.

How did you get into production and professional music making? How would you characterise musical Perth?

I first got into producing back around 201011. Basically I was DJing quite a lot back then around Perth and I remember quite often being at Geisha before my set and hearing the guy before me play the same tracks I was going to play and thinking to myself, ‘the only way I’m going to have music nobody else has is to make it myself!’ So I went out and got Ableton Live and it just sat there on my laptop never being used for a good six months or so.

Then I went to Europe in the summer of 2011. I travelled across various places, but one city and one moment to this day stays with me and is what really inspires me and drives me to constantly be pushing and making as much music as my ears can handle - Berlin.

My first trip to Berghain still, to this day, stands as one of the greatest days of my life... if not the greatest. I spent 12 hours on my own in there and I did not come out the same (laughs).

How did you get involved with the Rough Love crew, and how did this mixtape release come about?

The Rough Love guys are actually good friends of mine I’ve known for years. Funnily enough, the first time I ever DJ’d was with Vedran, who handles the music side of Rough Love. We both had just started and we were at a party and he had like four CDs on him which we just played off for like five hours or something, good times!

As for the mix, the guys approached me a few months ago to do it for the upcoming gig, since I will be playing. So as I was trying to think of what tracks I was going to use, the idea came to me to just do an all-original mix to show people what I’m about and to show my friends what I’ve been doing these last eight or nine months when I was MIA from all the parties and after-parties (laughs).

What’s this mixtape about? How long have you been working on these tracks?

This mixtape is pretty much my life in the last eight months. I have gone through different phases and different things personally in my life and it’s all very reflective in this mix. I find I usually make three or four tracks that are very similar before then being inspired by something totally different and moving into a new direction with the music. You can’t force creativity, it just happens naturally and that’s how these tracks came out. Esta Noche Bailamos is the oldest track on the mix, I made it over a year ago now.

Your soundcloud handle is Plus Eins, and you’ve got tracks on this mixtape called Freitag, Traum, de Fabrik - are you interested in German language or culture, and how does that crop up in your work? Any other particularly European influences on your work?

My biggest influence comes from my time in Berlin. Countless hours spent at Berghain/Panorama Bar, Club de Visionaire, Watergate and Weekend Bar all influence me heavily. I keep a special folder in my computer that has images from all these places which I sometimes sit and flick through for inspiration.

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LORDE

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Safia

Lorde - Photo by Cole Maguire

Challenge Stadium Saturday, July 5, 2014 Lorde’s fans are a fervent lot but have also had to practice patience, as this tour that was originally scheduled for April/May had to be postponed due

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to a ‘nasty chest infection.’ There was nobody happier to be in the stadium that the artist herself, if her gushing praise of the crowd was to be believed.

Before the latest antipodean superstar could show her wares, Safia took to the stage.

The beat-driven band were enjoying the sizeable

crowd as the bass could be heard rattling the seats in the venue while those on the floor practiced their moves for the headliner. Ben Woolner has a strong vibrato and the audience showed appreciation when the familiar Listen To Soul, Listen To Blues was let out towards the end of the set.

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Wi t h t h e s t ag e d r a p e d i n a b l ac k curtain, Lorde confidently strode out to the middle of the stage before a spotlight bathed her during Glory And Gore. As she showed off urban dance moves to a dense backing track, this intense opener was to be somewhat of a calm before the storm. The curtains dropped to reveal the two band members behind drums and keyboards who clearly have a savant-like understanding of samples as they made their way through Biting Down - one of the few moments that would act as filler for an act that is limited to the one record to her name.

If there was any doubt that the capacity crowd were 100 per cent behind the artist, she sealed the deal with a faultless delivery of Tennis Court. Lorde may be composed well beyond her years, but a few tunes later she had to stop Buzzcut Season halfway through stating that she was feeling sick and had to leave the stage briefly. As an eerie hush was followed by nervous chatter in the crowd, thoughts went to whether the previous cancellations were due to more sinister concerns, a stage manager who clearly didn’t get the memo declared that the ‘technical difficulties’ were being addressed and Lorde would resume soon.

When you have the aftertaste of vomit in your mouth, there are few bands that would be more appropriate than The Replacements. Clearly Lorde agrees as she returned to deliver a spacious rendition of Swinging Party. 400 Lux kept the refined vibe going and showed that less can be more, whereas Easy and Bravado were forgettable.

Lorde looked to be getting more colour back in her cheeks as she owned the stage more for Ribs, which gave the first set of monster beats for the night. The New Zealand teenager can now afford all the things she sings about in Royals yet still delivers the hit with such authenticity that it is impossible not to be engaged. The punters with the sea of mobile phones set to record couldn’t agree more. The celebration continued as the crowd danced as one to Team and confetti was sprayed into the crowd.

There is no doubt that Lorde is a talent who is going places in a hurry. As she matures you can only imagine how her shows will likely evolve to include backing by orchestras and choirs and will be nothing short of spectacular.

Until then, there are no shortage of punters who are happy to settle for a show that may not be the most dynamic going around but is still of a high standard.

CHRIS HAVERCROFT

NEWS

HUSBAND David Craft / The Lammas Tide The Oddfellow Friday, July 4, 2014 The Norfolk Hotel’s downstairs bar has undergone some renovations in the last two months. Aside from a couple of weird postmodern touches (a mannequin hung spread-eagle from the ceiling, an obligatory disco ball), it’s the perfect setting for Husband and their friends’ Blood Meridian aesthetic. Dim lighting, craggy limestone, a wall of backlit whiskey, stained glass street-level windows, and a lot of gratuitous rope make for the sort of venue the Soggy Bottom Boys could rock.

Tonight, Husband are missing a second guitarist, and although the thinned-out texture shifts the sound firmly back into a grunge-alternative plane, the performance doesn’t suffer at all. Husband’s tightness is particularly impressive, given that two songs in, lead singer-songwriter Michael Paolino apologises for taking a quick break to sound check, not being able to hear the band behind him (“And those were my two favourite songs!”).

Any Australian attracted to the crossroads and whiskey of Southern Gothic has to deal with the spectre of Nick Cave. On record, Caught oozes sinister Caveness, sounding a lot like Missy Higgins’ Peachy pushed below the pre-War Mason-Dixie. In concert, with reverb stripped back and keys featured prominently, it becomes clear that Husband’s brand

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of Americana is closer to Springsteen. He’s about the kind of guarded optimism you’d expect to find on the last train out of Detroit, and it’s particularly present in songs like Caroline, a brother-joined-the-army-tobe-with-his-lover, capital-b Ballad, in the traditional broadside sense.

“Grungy” appears in a lot of Husband bios, and their Americana nostalgia extends to 90’s alternative rock. Gently arcing key lines, ornamental guitar feedback and middle-tempo, tom-heavy drums affirm a grunge-lite influence on songs like Come Home and Invitation, as does Paolino’s substantial fringe and loose tee. All up, Husband deliver a generous set received by a generous crowd.

If anyone’s embraced the Mercy Seat wholeheartedly, it’s support act David Craft, who makes ample songwriting use of Nick Cave neuroses - directed at the girls who call him a fake, who make him wanna pinch himself, and who pour their drinks like waterfalls. It all culminates in his howled rendition of Sam Cook’s A Change Is Gonna Come, which runs the whole gamut of Howling Wolf “moaning”, from bitter seething to subregister growls. Even his baritone’s backstory, given by bassist Andrew while Craft is retuning, is pretty dark - apparently, a huntsman’s leg got caught in his vocal chords while he was sleeping. The Perth hills, hey.

The David Craft band work some incredible arrangements, with generous guitar solos (sometimes played above the fretboard) and rollicking, double-kick drumming. Equally aurally plush, folk-psychedelica band The Lammas Tide opened the evening with their distinctive blend of vocal reverb, Bush Band violin, and rockabilly guitar.

ZOE KILBOURN

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Beckon - Photo by Jakub Dammer

BECKON Wisdom2th/Strangelove/Bax Davis Four5Nine Bar Friday, July 4, 2014 Four5Nine Bar was packed to capacity for the launch of The Mindstate EP, the debut release of increasingly prolific local MC Beckon. The man named Beckon has been cutting his teeth in the Perth dance music scene as a dubstep and D ‘n’ B hype man for a few years now, but with the local scene and some banging production behind him, this talented microphone controller now has his star in focus.

Opening this grizzly evening was the quirky Bax Davis. Like a growing number of Perth hip hop artists, Bax has a style that walks a subtle line between the traditional and new school hip hop elements. While he may have been dressed like a Viking George Harrison, there was no pillaging or gentle weeping, just solid hip hop.

Strangelove wasted no time in taking his place on the stage to keep the fire burning with his larger than life presence. At one point, a whiteboard was sent through the audience for punters to write word suggestions on, which were used as jump-off points for a seriously impressive freestyle which brought the crowd right in and sent hands flailing.

Proving that he’s not adverse to some party music, a big bass trap beat towards the end of the set provided an awesome framework for some up tempo lyrics.

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Things started to get seriously fiery as the man Wisdom2th took his place on stage. Mr 2th was in particularly fantastic form for this event and his warm energy and dynamic stage presence bounced the people into a beautiful frenzy. Some loose, new school beats and fun chip tune melodies, combined with masterful lyrical delivery, cement Wisdom2th as an ever evolving corner stone of Perth’s premier hip hop talent group.

Without hesitation, the man of the hour took his place on the stage. Beckon has moved all sorts of crowds with his humble yet confident demeanour, and on this night the heaving crowd were at his beck and call. Beckon has a way of incorporating his philosophies and observations into his lyrics without distracting from his laser-like rhythmic precision and well honed use of poetic device. His choice of instrumentals reflects his more traditional approach to hip hop and his flow locks to each snare and piano note like they were playing right there next to him.

A huge mention to DJ Silence who, still hot off the release of his In The Shadows EP, expertly provided the beats and cuts for all the artists of the evening. Except when Wisdom2th brought in his robots. There is no lack of diverse and immaculate hip hop talent in the city of Perth, as can be witnessed from the steady rise of all the performers on show. The Perth crowd can be unforgiving, but Beckon has proved that with a love for the music, a whole gang of sweat and spilt beer, people will always be drawn to bold an exciting talent. This is surely just the beginning.

JAMES HANLON

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THE NOCTURNAL BALL 2014 Metro City Monday, July 7, 2014 The nightclub and entertainment industry came together once again to celebrate this thing of ours under the banner “It Used To Be Cool.”

Photos by Matt Jelonek

MUSIC AT MOJOS WITH MOANA THE DEVIL YOU KNOW Legendary - and legendarily gloomy - outfit The Kill Devil Hills are coming to The Rosemount Hotel this Friday, July 11, to serenade us with songs of whiskey, doomed love and violence. Joining them will be Maurice Flavel’s Intensive Care and Los Porcheros. Doors open at 8pm, entry is $15 through oztix.com.au, $20 on the door.

Exactly what it says on the tin. This Sunday, July 13, get down to Mojos from 5pm to catch Moana, Dan Peters, Lone Tyger, Golden Slums and The Bonekickers. Entry is $10.

Moana

Ben, Cam, Lee, Cassie

The Kill Devil Hills Alex, Michaela

KEEP CALM AND OIL THE KUILLOTINES This Friday, July 11, Four5Nine Bar will rock to the awesome sounds of The Kuillotines, with support from The Shakeys, Creature, Dirtwater Bloom and The Strychnine Cowboys. Doors open at 8pm, entry is $10.

The Kuillotines

THE TORTOISE AND THE DEVIL

STAY RUSTY

Continuing their recent run of great local live music, Devilles Pad plays host to indie rock darlings Aborted Tortoise this Friday, July 11. Also on the roster are DJs Coaster T and Mr. Kavebeat, plus Les Sataniques Go-Go Dancers! Doors open at 6pm.

Executioner Promotions is presenting Rust In Perth 2014 at The Civic Hotel this Saturday, July 12. From 1pm, two stages of homegrown metal madness deliver all the decibels you can handle, with the lineup including Maleficar, Sanzu, Darkenium, Silent Knight, Red Descending, Nails Of Imposition, Cold Fate, Grotesque, Deathfuckingcunt, Advent Sorrow, Indonesian guests Rezume and Malignant Monster. Entry is $20.

Aborted Tortoise - Photo by Alistair Walsh

REEFER MADNESS The Art For Reef Dr Sketchy’s Launch Party goes off at The Bakery this Saturday, July 12. Art For Reef is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of the threats that industry and mining pose towards the Great Barrier Reef. The night features live models for sketching, environmental speaks and live performances from Rooster Police, Reptilluminati and The Pissedcolas. Doors open at 7.30pm, tickets are $10 through nowbaking.com.au, $15 on the door subject to availability.

Beth, Adam

Ali, Mercedes

Malignant Monster

PIMPIN’ PARTY D ‘n’ B duo Pimps Of Sound are turning three, and to celebrate they’re throwing a blow-out party at The Odd Fellow this Saturday, July 12. Also along for the ride are The Brow, Ensemble Formidable, Gorilla Tactics and Gracie. Doors open at 8pm, entry is $15.

Pimps Of Sound

Bree, Mark

Anna, Jamien

MOJOS BAR YAYA’S Friday, July 11, sees local alt rockers Shock Octopus, once described as “Nirvana meets Rocky Horror,” release their debut full-length album, A Crisis! with the help of Heytesburg, Stu Orchard and Ben Elliott. On Saturday it’s the return of the SASS – F#&K DRY JULY party, featuring DJs Jordan and Pup playing back to back all night long, coupled with drink specials and Perth’s best party atmosphere! As always don’t forget to hang around after the gig on Friday for ACE, where resident DJ Cookie spins your favourite party starters to help you dance the night away!

Shock Octopus

ROSEMOUNT HOTEL This Wednesday, July 9, sees The Pissedcolas, The Wheelers, Dennis Cometti and Jeremy Segal hitting the stage for Something On The Side, while Thursday catch Melbourne folk-punk heroes The Go Set with support from King Of The Travellers and The Wilds. Saturday The Brown Study Band launch their album with help from their friends in Hailmary and Los Porcheros, and on Tuesday Bex and Turin's open mic night continues.

Thursday, July 10, it’s Spartak’s Five Points launch.

Canberra/Sydney outfit Spartak hit the road this winter to launch their brand new record, Five Points, out now on the esteemed Sydney label, Feral Media. Three years in the making, Five Points highlights the stylistic shift in Spartak’s music making approach, embracing song-form and new collaborations amongst their electronic meets indie rock experiments. In support is the jazz noise of Ron Pollard Quintet (featuring members of Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving), multi-layered textures and explosive bass laden rhythms from Lower Spectrum and the sedate ambience of Gilded. Entry is $10 presale or at the door from 8pm.

Spartak

RAILWAY HOTEL This Saturday, July 12, catch Melbourne’s Lone Tyger with local blues exponents The Bonekickers and Golden Slums. Doors open 8pm and entry is $10. Next weekend catch The KBI Sound System on Saturday for the Teachings In Dub night, and Sunday it’s the massive Sub-Zero Winter Festival using the main room and beer garden from 11am!

11/07

SHOCK OCTOPUS Self Titled Album Launch @ YaYa’s

12/07

THE AUTUMN ISLES Harvest In The Night Single Launch @ The Bird

12/07

THE BROWN STUDY BAND Imaginations Album Launch @ The Rosemount

LOCA L & LAUNCHING

19/07

LIKE JUNK No Silence EP Launch @ Bar Four5Nine

24/07

DRY DRY RIVER Who Single Launch @ YaYa’s

26/07

KAT WILSON Sea Legs EP Launch @ The Astor Lounge

26/07

PAPER PLAINS Anaestalgia Album Launch @ The Beat

01/08

TIMOTHY NELSON AND THE INFIDELS Terror Terror, Hide It Hide It Album Launch @ The Rosemount

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The Autumn Isles

A QUICKIE WITH...

THE AUTUMN ISLES Indie outfit The Autumn Isles have gone for a more sombre tone with their upcoming second album, A Bird Called Cognition, if the single, Harvest In The Night, is anything to go by. The single gets launched at The Bird this Saturday, July 12, with support from Davey Craddock And The Spectacles, John Martyr's Ghost and Dan Durack. We caught up with singer Alex Arpino.

Tell us about Harvest In The Night.

The song set the theme for the new album in a lot of ways, tone wise and lyrically. Harvest In The Night explores thoughts, or more specifically the cycle of thought, action and consequence. I was reading books on cognitive behaviour and meditation at the time. I'm fascinated by the way mental habits determine our outcomes, impacting everything from health, self worth and the general progress we make as people.

The song (and others on the album) acknowledges the passing of your father.

Has that been cathartic for you, to invest the emotion of that into your music?

The death of a parent is something everyone faces at some point, some sooner than others. For whatever reason I took quite a while to come to terms with it; for me it came through while I was writing this album. While it's not expressed literally, the themes and tones have an air of grief and resolution about them. It really was cathartic. It's a rewarding process, to be able to find that release and use it constructively. It certainly was unexpected.

Is it difficult to then share?

I stand by the material, we are all proud of our efforts. For me getting the songs out there is part of the process, the release, a sense of closure. I believe all good art comes from an honest place. The ability to use the human condition and create something out of the turmoil is the age old task of an artist. It's a beautiful thing.

What will the album reveal of the Autumn Isles' development since the last album Kaleidoscopes?

We certainly are stepping into new territory and experimenting more. I think there is more depth lyrically and instrumentally, we also play with more dynamics and songs sprawl out more. There are some darker moments which we haven't really explored before. Over all I think the album displays our creativity and maturity while showcasing our ability as musicians.

The album is released on August 15, what are the plans from there?

We will be launching our new album A Bird Called Cognition at the Bakery on August 30th. From there we will be heading down south for a regional tour and more local shows.

We recently self produced a video for the single Waking Dreams, which was a lot of fun so we intend to make more videos. We have plans for another single release, then looking at some Eastern States shows later in the year.

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X- P R E S S G U I D E

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BODYJAR 15 Capitol RTRFM RADIOTHON 2014 HEIDKE THIS WEEK 15 - 24 1 Astor Theatre BJÖRN AGAIN JAMES MULLER TRIO DAN SULTAN 16 Crown Theatre 9 Ellington Jazz Club 1 Settlers Tavern, SEEKAE THE GO SET Margaret River 16 The Villa 11 The Rosemount 2 Astor Theatre ROB SNARSKI Hotel 16 Roebuck Hotel, 17 Mojos Bar PURE TRANCE Broome LADY GAGA ft. GIUSEPPE MIDYEAR MAYHEM 20 Perth Arena OTTAVIANI, TOUR ft. BURIED KIDS IN GLASS SOLARSTONE AND IN VERONA, HOUSES SNEIJDER ANTAGONIST AD, 21 Villa Nightclub 11 Metro City STORIES THE DANDY SPARTAK 1 Prince of Wales, WARHOLS 11 The Bird Bunbury 21 & 22 Astor DEATH DISCO ft.

2 Amplifier Theatre JUST A GENT 3 YMCA HQ KINGSWOOD 12 Capitol BURIED IN VERONA, 21 Prince of Wales, ANTAGONIST AD, Bunbury JULY STORIES 22 Capitol 2 Amplifier HIGH ON FIRE TIM FREEDMAN 3 YMCA HQ 18 Rosemount Hotel 22 Ellington Jazz THE ANGELS ft.

GARETH EMERY Club Dave Gleeson 19 Metro City ULTRAGLOW 2 Charles Hotel METRONOMY 22 Metro City 3 The Ravenswood 23 Astor NORTHWEST Hotel HUSKY PILBARA 24 Rosemount Hotel KASABIAN WEEKENDER 5 Metro City 25 Mojos Bar 22 – 24 Port NEUROSIS THE 1975 Hedland Turf Club 6 Capitol 24 Capitol QUEEN + ADAM I AM GIANT DECADE OF VIPER LAMBERT 7 Amplifier Bar ft.

22 Perth Arena PAUL GRABOWSKY Matrix & THE KITE STRING 7, 8, 9 Ellington Jazz Futurebound, TANGLE Club Brookes Brothers, 22 Amplifier Bar ROY ORBISON & The Prototypes THE APE ft. TEX DEL SHANNON & Rockwell + MC PERKINS TRIBUTE Delon 22 Astor Lounge 7 Albany 25 Metro City 23 Mojos Bar THE WHITE ALBUM Entertainment JAMES REYNE Centre CONCERT TOUR 23 Astor Theatre ft. Chris Cheney, Phil 9 Crown Theatre SLEEPMAKESWAVES THE ASTON Jameson, SHUFFLE 8 Amplifier Bar Josh Pyke & Tim 23 Amplifier Bar THE TELEVISION Rogers RUSSELL MORRIS 26 Riverside Theatre ADDICTS 23 Regal Theatre 9 Rosemount Hotel CORROSION OF MELODY POOL COURTNEY LOVE CONFORMITY, 23 X-Wray Café 13 Metro City WEEDEATER & LO! 24 Settlers Tavern, BOB DYLAN (CANCELLED) Margaret River 13, 14 Riverside 26 Rosemount Hotel 26 Ellington Jazz Theatre WINTER BLUES Club KATY STEELE FEST ft Dve Hole, KID INK 13 & 17 Ellington Rick Steele, Vdelli 25 Villa 27 Northshore Tavern Jazz Club MAN IN BLACK: BONJAH PELICAN THE JOHNNY CASH 27 Rosemount Hotel 14 Northshore STORY Tavern THE ANGELS 26-31 Regal Theatre 15 Indi Bar 31 Newport Hotel KING BUZZO 16 Amplifier 26 Astor Lounge 17 Dunsborough GEORGE GARZONE AUGUST Tavern 28, 29, 30 Ellington WILLOW BEATS HANSON Jazz Club 1 Mondo @ Ginger 15 Metropolis GEORGE GARZONE Nightclub Fremantle 28.29,30 Ellington THE ANGELS SPIDERBAIT Jazz Club 1 Wintersun Hotel, 15 Astor Theatre THE AMITY Geraldton TINA ARENA AFFLICTION KATE MILLER15 Crown Theatre 29 Red Hill Auditorium KAV TEMPERLEY FEATURED GIG 23 Settlers Tavern, Margaret River POP WILL EAT ITSELF 31 Rosemount Hotel THE OWLS 31 Indi Bar LA COKA NOSTRA 31 Villa Nightclub

TOURS

THE GO SET THE ROSEMOUNT HOTEL FRIDAY, JULY 11

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SEPTEMBER DIEGO ELCIGALA 1 Regal Theatre ANBERLIN & THE GETAWAY PLAN 3 Metropolis Fremantle

KANYE WEST 5 Perth Arena KAV TEMPERLEY 5 Players Bar, Mandurah 6 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 7 Rumours, Albany 12 Divers Tavern, Broome MARINA PRIOR 5 Albany Entertainment Centre 6 Astor Theatre 7 Mandurah Performing Arts Centre HOWLING BELLS 6 Amplifier Bar THE WONDER YEARS 7 Amplifier SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS 8 & 9 Astor Theatre CANNIBAL CORPSE 9 Capitol PROTEST THE HERO 10 Amplifier Bar DOUG ANTHONY ALL STARS 10 & 11 Regal Theatre ROBBIE WILLIAMS 11 Perth Arena BIFFY CLYRO 12 Metro City CASEY DONOVAN 12 & 13 Ellington Jazz Club ONE DAY 13 Capitol UNCLE JED 13 YaYa’s 14 The Indi Bar GRACE KNIGHT 19 & 20 Ellington Jazz Club 360 19 Metro City (18+) 20 Astor Theatre Perth (Licensed all ages) JOE BONAMASSA 19 Perth Concert Hall STICKY FINGERS 19 Settlers Tavern, Margaret River GABRIEL IGLESIAS 23 Riverside Theatre ANDREA BOCELLI 24 Perth Arena INGRID MICHAELSON 24 Fly By Night Club BOY & BEAR 25 Albany Entertainment Centre 26 Bunbury Entertainment Centre 28 Fremantle Arts Centre THE CAT EMPIRE 26 Fremantle Arts Centre 27 Metro City WAVE ROCK WEEKENDER 27-28 Wave Rock Caravan Park VERUCA SALT 28 Rosemount Hotel RISE OF BROTALITY TOUR ft. I Killed The Prom Queen, The Ghost Inside, In Hearts Wake 27 YMCA HQ 28 Capitol LISTEN OUT

ft. Flume, Chet Faker, ZHU and more 28 Ozone Reserve OCTOBER THE HIGH KINGS 1 Crown Theatre VERUCA SALT 4 Rosemount Hotel RICK SPRINGFIELD 7 Crown Theatre JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 8 Perth Arena SLAVES 8 Amplifier Bar CHRISTINE ANU 17 & 18 Ellington Jazz Club MILEY CYRUS 23 Perth Arena BALL PARK MUSIC 24 Astor 25 Settlers Tavern, Margaret River THE ROLLING STONES 29 Perth Arena NOVEMBER THE ROLLING STONES 1 Perth Arena KATY PERRY 7 & 8 Perth Arena JOE SATRIANI 11 Astor Theatre YES Crown Theatre KRISIUM 12 Amplifier TOXIC HOLOCAUST & IRON REAGAN 13 Rosemount Hotel NICK CAVE SOLO TOUR 27 & 28 Fremantle Arts Centre BEN FOLDS & WASO 28 & 29 Perth Concert Hall DECEMBER UB40 & BLUE KING BROWN 5 Red Hill Auditorium THY ART IS MURDER 17 YMCA HQ 18 Capitol JANUARY 2015 SUZIE QUATRO 28 Regal Theatre FEBRUARY 2015 PASSENGER 7 Red Hill Auditorium ROXETTE 14 Perth Arena THE EAGLES 18 Perth Arena ONE DIRECTION 20 Pattersons Stadium PAUL SIMON & STING 21 Sir James Mitchell Park MARCH 2015 KYLIE MINOGUE 14 Perth Arena

GIUSEPPI OTTAVANI, JULY 11

HIGH ON FIRE, JULY 18

WEEKLY WEDNESDAY 09/07

THE ALBION HOTEL Quiz Night AMPLIFIER BAR Ratking Mindless Idle Eyes Protest THE BAKERY Sight/Unseen Lee Ranaldo & Leah Singer THE BIRD Hamjam x Stephen Bellaire BRASS MONKEY DJ Vicktor CAPITOL Harlem Wednesdays CAPTAIN STIRLING Lokie Shaw THE CARINE Open Mic Night Shaun Street CHARLES HOTEL Funky Bunch Trivia CITRO BAR Seasons Of Perth Ben Merito CLANCY’S CANNING Tim Gordon Riley Pearce CLUB RED SEA Cheek CONSERVATORY ROOFTOP BAR Horseplay THE COURT Wicked Wednesdays ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB James Muller Trio FLYRITE Northbridge Nightly Now GOLD BAR Famous THE GOOD SHEPHERD Thinkfar GROOVE BAR (CROWN) 5 Shots HULA BULA BAR Island Nite INDI BAR Joe Simich The NBC Matt Foti LLAMA BAR Akuna Club LANEWAY LOUNGE James Flynn Trio THE LUCKY SHAG Howie Morgan METRO FREO C5 Next Gen MOJOS BAR Nathan Kaye Jordan McRobbie THE MOON CAFE

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Going Solo ft.

Tim Gordon Todd Pickett MUSTANG BAR Wild Wednesday DJ Giles Kickstart NEWPORT HOTEL Newport Wednesdays Student Night OCEAN ONE BAR Brazil Night ft.

Xoxote THE ODD FELLOW Hussy Hicks Morgan Bain 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Hunt For Dallas Crossbars Black River Ransom Dee Muru ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Something On The Side Pissedcolas The Wheelers Dennis Cometti Jeremy Segal ROSIE O’GRADY’S NORTHBRIDGE Laugh Resort Comedy SOVEREIGN ARMS FIVE0 THE SWINGING PIG Open Mic Night Greg Carter UNIVERSAL BAR Virtual Insanity VILLAGE BAR Village People Wednesdays YAYA’S HaHas @ YaYa’s Marty Laquidara Jacques Barrett Darren Matthews THURSDAY 10/07

BAR ORIENT Acoustic Night THE BIRD Hip Hop Kara”Yo”ke THE BUFFALO CLUB The Little Lord Street Band Jeff’s Dead BRASS MONKEY Rhythm Bound Karaoke BRIGHTON Siren Song Enterprises BROOKLANDS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke CAPTAIN STIRLING Trivia Night

THE CAUSEWAY BAR Xport Thursdays CHARLES HOTEL Comedy Lounge CIVIC HOTEL Pipeline Little Teardrop Band Billy Narrier Band THE CLAREMONT HOTEL Institution Thursdays CLUB RED SEA Thursday Night Revolution CONNECTIONS NIGHTCLUB Bingay Hosted by Hannah Conda CRAFTSMAN FIVE0 DEVILLES PAD Rock n’ Roll Karaoke Magnus Danger Magnus DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Open Mic Night Kris Buckle ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB De Ness Jazz Kabaret Jen de Ness Septet FLYRITE @Peace & The Plutonian Noise Symphony Mathas Mei Saraswati FREMANTLE WORKERS CLUB Jam Nation Jordan McRobbie THE GATE Greg Carter GOLD BAR OG Thursdays GRAND CENTRAL PARK Jeanie Proude GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Hi-NRG HULA BULA BAR Hi-Fi Lounge INDI BAR Open Mic Night LANEWAY LOUNGE Libby Hammer Trio LEISURE INN DJ Miss Chief LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Jack & Jill LOST SOCIETY The Collective LUCKY SHAG James Wilson MARKET CITY TAVERN Karla Mare Vita

HUSKY, JULY 24 - 25

Robby Beecroft Rob and Luke Nathan Mayers Jully Kane Dodd MOJOS BAR Spartak Ron Pollard Quintet MUSTANG BAR Matt Angell Chris Gibbs Band THE NAVY CLUB Louis And The Honkytonk Mambo Chic NEWPORT HOTEL The Newport Record Club OCEAN ONE BAR Turin’s Open Mic Night ODD FELLOW Rag N’ Bone Mitch McDonald PEEL ALE HOUSE Open Mic PS ART SPACE Play Something We Can Dance To DJ Paul Gamblin DJ Micah 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Ships in the Night Sam Carmody Jeremy Balius Khin Myint Anna Minska Sheridan Coleman Shevaun Cooley Hayley Beth Bluff Knoll Tomas Ford ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Go Set King Of The Travellers The Wilds RUBIX BAR Chris Gibbs SETTLERS TAVERN (MARGARET RIVER) Open Mic Night ft.

Claire Warnock THE SHED Booty Jooce UNIVERSAL BAR Off The Record VERANDAH BAR Let’s Get Quizical YAYA’S Edie Green Kar/lo Why Georgia?

Kallan Phillips FRIDAY 11/07

AMPLIFIER BAR The Arsonist I, Said The Sparrow Casino Sunrise Graphic CharactersFridays Are Back THE AVIARY

Paradise Paul Ben Sebastian THE BAKERY Hyper Mega Nori Roll Fait Bamodi Ducks on a String Yarkhob THE BALMORAL The Mojos THE BAYSWATER Mario Zuli BEAT NIGHTCLUB (UPSTAIRS) STEREO Spilt Cities Burning Fiction Branch Circus Suburban & Coke DJ Spandex BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) Play BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ Mike Nayar THE BELMONT Light Street BEST DROP TAVERN Passionworks THE BIRD Spartak Erasers Lanark THE BRASS MONKEY James Ess George Green THE BRIGHTON DJ Miss Chief CAPITOL (UPSTAIRS) I Love ‘80s & ‘90s THE CARINE J!mmy Beats CHASE BAR & BISTRO James Wilson CITRO BAR Seasons Of Perth Bernardine CIVIC HOTEL Lone Tyger The Bonekickers Golden Slums CLANCY’S CANNING DJ Boogie CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Stielgutz THE COMO Philly Blunt CRAFTSMAN Dazman CRUISING YACHT CLUB Barry Gee DEVILLE’S PAD Go Go Fridays Mr Kavebeat Coaster T DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Cuddles

Deadline Monday 5pm. X-Press Guide is a service to advertisers listing all entertainment events.

All inclusions are at the discretion of X-Press. Email guide@xpressmag.com.au

TOURS • LIVE • DANCE

LLUPA, JULY 11

EAST 150 BAR Adam James EDZ SPORTZ BAR One Trick Phonies ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Spirituals to Soul Sam and Jo present FORT KNOX EMPIRE BAR Howie Morgan EVE NIGHTCLUB Recharge Fridays FLAWLESS Monarch Fridays FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE Grace Barbe Odette Mercy THE GATE Chris Gibbs GEISHA BAR Reid Speed Killafoe Casuel Naysu De.Bug Edgen GINGER NIGHTCLUB Mondo Dance Party GOLD BAR Vanity THE GRAND Jay Mckay THE GREENWOOD Ryan Webb GREYHOUNDS (MANDURAH) Frankie G HERDSMAN Jamie Powers Duo HULA BULA BAR Shakin’ It HYDE PARK HOTEL (COURTYARD) Justin Cortorillo INDI BAR The Go Set King Of Travellers Tom Fisher INDIAN OCEAN BREW CO. Ben Merito KALAMUNDA HOTEL

LOUIS AND THE HONKTONK, JULY 10

Chill Divine LAKERS TAVERN Koopz LANEWAY LOUNGE Just For The Night LANGFORD ALE HOUSE Indiana LIBRARY Dorcia LEISURE INN DJ Peta MALT Nu Disco Hip Hop M ON THE POINT Retriofit MAHOGANY INN Tom Mantle MATCHES Soul Express THE MANOR Clunk Sleepyhead Leon Osborn Genga x Benny P Raaghe x Camborghini Jack Doepel x James Ireland METRO CITY Pure Trance ft.

Giuseppe Ottaviani Solarstone Sneijder METRO FREO Clique Angry Buda DJ Mr Phat Whytehype Brothers METRO FREO C5 Trap’d Olithagod Midsole The D’Vauz MINT Club Retro MOJOS BAR @Peace Koi Child Joshua Charles DJ Flex Webster MULLALOO BEACH HOTEL Flaunt Fridays MUSTANG BAR

FEATURED GIG

SPARTAK THE BIRD FRIDAY, JULY 11

Flat Nash & The Action Men The Gunslingers Swing DJ DJ James MacArthur MY PLACE Karaoke NEWPORT HOTEL Karaoke Classic @ The Two Sparrows Bar NORTHBRIDGE YOGA Holly Norman Helen Shanahan Jessica Morhall NORTHSHORE TAVERN Justin Burford Chalk N Cheese Fridays THE ODD FELLOW Odd Blood PARAMOUNT Paramount Party Crew PIRATE BAR Adrian Wilson PLAYERS BAR DJ Cookie PORT KENNEDY TAVERN Two Tenors THE PRINCIPAL Blackbirds THE QUEENS Jon Ee DJ Reuben ROSE & CROWN HOTEL Joppy 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Kuillotines The Shakeys Strychnine Cowboys Dirtwater Bloom Creature ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Kill Devil Hills Maurice Flavel’s Intensive Care Los Porcheros SAIL AND ANCHOR Howie Morgan Duo THE SAINT Britty SETTLER’S TAVERN (MARGARET RIVER) Sam Perry Sarah Pellicano THE SHED Crush DJ Glen SOUTH ST. ALEHOUSE Robbie King Karaoke SOVEREIGN ARMS Lokie Shaw SWINGING PIG Greg Carter UNIVERSAL BAR

REID SPEED, JULY 11

Nightmoves VELVET LOUNGE Llupa Roxright Underbeat Trust Phase Animator Angry Buda Dead Easy NVS VERNON ARMS TAVERN Greg Carter THE VIC Nathan Gaunt WHALE & ALE Henton WINTERSUN HOTEL Shane Dickson WOODVALE TAVERN Hi-NRG YAYA’S Shock Octopus Heytesburg Stu Orchard Ben Elliott ACE @ YAYAS DJ Pup SATURDAY 12/07

AMPLIFIER BAR Crooked Colours Deja Lilt AUSTRIA CLUB The Mustangs THE AVIARY Zel Paradise Paul THE BAKERY Art for Reef Exhibition Launch Rooster Police Reptilumiati The PissedColas BAILEY’S BAR Ni-NRG THE BALMORAL Wire Birds BAR ORIENT The Reggae Club BEAT NIGHTCLUB (UPSTAIRS) Canvas BEAT NIGHTCLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) House Party THE BIRD The Autumn Isles Davey Craddock and The Spectacles John Martyr’s Ghost Dan Durack BOAB TAVERN Chris Gibbs Duo THE BRIGHTON Squinty THE BROOK Acoustic Nights CAPITOL (UPSTAIRS) Death Disco ft.

Just A Gent Cream Of The 80’s THE CARINE

SPILT CITIES, JULY 11

Adam James CIVIC HOTEL Rust In Perth Festival 2014 Malignant Monster Rezume Advent Sorrow DFC Tensions Arise Cold Fate Nails of Imposition Red Descending Silent Knight Darkenium Sanzu Maleficar CLANCY’S CANNING Steve Parkin THE CLAREMONT HOTEL Antics Grrl Pal DJs CRUISING YACHT CLUB In The Groove DEVILLES PAD Le French Deville’ lution Geraldine Et Les Yes Yes JO19 Carl Blackburdy DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Sophie Jane Duo EAST END BAR Home ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Penny King Quintet Abbey Foster Susnjar FLAWLESS LQ Saturdays THE GATE Greg Carter GEISHA BAR Dekski Henton Vicktor Ben Renna Houshed Darren Bouthier THE GENEROUS SQUIRE FIVE0 GOLD BAR Pure Gold THE GOOD SHEPHERD Chocolate Jesus GOSNELLS HOTEL Third Gear GREENWOOD Supanova HULA BULA BAR Sailor Saturdays HYDE PARK HOTEL Wesley Goodlet Jamoree Scouts INDI BAR Matt Gresham KALAMUNDA HOTEL

Celebrations Karaoke LAKERS TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke LANEWAY LOUNGE Fleer Ultra Miama LANGFORD ALE HOUSE Frisco Country Music Club LIBRARY MKT LOST SOCIETY Chalk M ON THE POINT Rhythm 22 MERRIWA TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke METRO CITY Metro Saturdays Darren T Benny C METRO FREO Metropolis Saturdays DJ DTuck DJ Wazz Ben Carter METRO FREO C5 I Love ‘80s & ‘90s MUSTANG BAR Shot Down From Sugartown Milhouse DJ Holly Doll DJ James MacArthur MOJOS BAR The Go Set King Of The Travellers Tom Fisher NEWPORT HOTEL Karaoke Classic @ The Two Sparrows Bar Gravity Tahli Jade NORTHSHORE TAVERN Howie Morgan Project THE ODD FELLOW Pimps Of Sound The Brow Ensemble Formidable Gorilla Tactics MC Amani PORT KENNEDY TAVERN Stu McKay QUARRIE BAR & BISTRO Tripwire THE QUEENS Jon Ee 3manual RAILWAY HOTEL Lone Tyger Bonekickers Golden Slums ROSEMOUNT HOTEL

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THE LITTLE LORD STREET BAND, JULY 10

The Brown Study Band Hailmary Triangle Fight SAIL AND ANCHOR The Gypsy Minions THE SAINT Crackers SETTLERS TAVERN (MARGARET RIVER) Zarm THE SHED HUGE DJ Andyy SOVEREIGN ARMS DJ Atlus SPRINGS TAVERN Adrian Wilson THE SWINGING PIG Frenzy UNIVERSAL BAR Soul Corporation YAYA’S SASS @ YAYAS DJ Cookie SUNDAY 13/07

THE ALEXANDER Karaoke THE AVIARY Micah Troy Division Ben Sebastian THE BALMORAL Troy Nababan Duo THE BELMONT Acoustic Aly BROKEN HILL HOTEL Kizzy THE BROOK Joppy BROOKLANDS TAVERN Glen Davies THE CARINE Chris Gibbs THE CAUSEWAY Acoustic Sunday CHASE BAR & BISTRO Stackjammer Duo CITRO BAR Adrian Wilson CIVIC HOTEL Adam James CLANCYS CITY BEACH Sunday Brekky Sesh The Limelights Jazz Trio CLAREMONT HOTEL Sunday Driver COMO HOTEL Two Frets Down DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN Kris Buckle ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Random Act FLINDERZ HILLARYS Trevor Jalla

THE GATE Mike Nayar THE GREENWOOD Justin Cortorillo HULA BULA BAR Tiki Time Sundays INDI BAR Nathan Kaye & special Guests INDIAN OCEAN BREW CO Retriofit KALAMUNDA HOTEL The Mojos LAKERS TAVERN Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts LANEWAY LOUNGE Sarah Ramsey Quartet LANGFORD ALE HOUSE Gerry Azor LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Thierryno LUCKY SHAG Hans Fiance MOJOS BAR Moana Dan Peters & the Volatiles Lone Tyger Golden Slums The Bonekickers M ON THE POINT James Wilson MULLALOO BEACH HOTEL Sunday Sesh NORTHSHORE TAVERN Endless Summer Sessions PORT KENNEDY TAVERN Greg Carter QUARIE BAR & BISTRO The Gypsy Minions THE QUEENS Anaru Sam Spencer THE ROSE & CROWN HOTEL Blackbirds 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Clambe ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) The Get Down ft.

Charlie Bucket Klean Kicks Nick Sheppard THE SAINT Howie Morgan Project SEAVIEW TAVERN Christian Thompson SETTLERS TAVERN (MARGARET RIVER) Zarm THE SHED

@PEACE & THE PLUTONIAN NOISE SYMPHONY, JUL 10

The Healys Renogade STABLES BAR Habitat Rooftop Party My Digital Enemy SOUTH ST. ALEHOUSE Open Mic Night SWALLOW BAR Sunday Sessions SWANBROOK WINERY Little Skye Pippie Lemon Tim Gordon SWINGING PIG Siren & Assassin UNIVERSAL BAR Retriofit VERNON ARMS TAVERN Kevin Curran WANNEROO TAVERN Bernardine THE WINDSOR Ryan Webb MONDAY 14/07

THE BIRD Mow Skwoz Exhibition Launch Ash Pederick Gavin Needham BRASS MONKEY Monkey Madness Student & Industry Night ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Song Lounge Unearthed MOJOS BAR Wide Open Mic YAYA’S Big Tommo’s Open Mic Variety Night TUESDAY 15/07

THE BIRD Open Mic ft.

Eloise Ashton BRASS MONKEY Open Mic Night

Shaun Street THE CHARLES HOTEL Perth Blues Club The Lovebites Darren Adair CONSERVATORY ROOFTOP BAR Rooftop Comedy ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Steve Barry GROOVE BAR (CROWN) Jack & Jill LANEWAY LOUNGE Open Mic Night Josh Terlick LOBBY LOUNGE (CROWN) Hans Fiance LUCKY SHAG Ben Merito MERRIWA TAVERN Celebrations Karaoke MUSTANG BAR Danzaloca Danzaloca Salsa OCEAN ONE BAR Overgrowth Open Mic Night ODD FELLOW Bears & Dolls Girl Heroin Hideous Sun Demon Mind Canary THE PADDO Quiz Meisters THE ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Bex & Turin’s Wide Open Mic SWINGING PIG Siren Song Enterprises YAYA’S Gravity Punch Tell The Shaman Brufield Battle of the Planets

FEATURED GIG

MALIGNANT MONSTER THE CIVIC HOTEL SATURDAY, JULY 12

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NEWS

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INTERVIEWS

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REVIEWS

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LIVE

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EVENTS

I LOVE 80’S & 90’S @ CAPTIOL

THE SHED

AMPLIFIER

DELICIOUS @ ROCKET ROOM

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MUSIC GEAR & TECHNOLOGY

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CLASSIFIEDS

THE WASTELANDS Not Your Average Joe Joel Quartermain of Eskimo Joe presides over The Wastelands recording studio in O’Connor. BOB GORDON checks in to find out what lies within.

What were the original intentions and ambitions for The Wastelands? How have those evolved since the beginning?

The Wastelands was originally built to be a high spec recording studio/headquarters for Eskimo Joe, with a view to open it up for other artists to use also. It has evolved into an open recording studio where I’ve made records with a bunch of talented artists from Perth and around the country. It’s also open for other producers/engineers to hire for their projects.

There’s a big difference between being a musician with a home recording studio and something like The Wastelands. Has recording and production always been a special passion for you?

Recording and production has always been the end goal for me. Making records with the Eskies DJ SERVICES

D J WA N T E D S e e k i n g D J 1 8 y r s & ove r with exp and some equipment.Contact www.dancefloordjs.com.au 0416171883 EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING

DO YOU KNOW WHAT A ROADIE IS? Have you got any background in AUDIO, LIGHTING or BACKLINE? Are you looking for CASUAL work in the entertainment industry? If that sounds like you contact Events Personnel Aust. On 08 9361 5005.

JOB OPPORTUNITY FOR ENTHUSIASTIC PERSON to book bands and music into the Swan Hotel. Contact Mark Neal for more info mark@dayfordiscovery.com or 0417971690 FOR SALE

HEADPHONES all brands & styles. 23 Harrogate Street, West Leederville. Contact Headphonic 08 93886333 headphones.com.au MUSOS WANTED

MUSICIANS WANTED for the Next Big Thing!

Singer,Guitarist, Bass, Keys. Voice to Build a big band behind. No age barrier. Is this you? Get off your bum and live the dream. Ph 0412231126 34

OPEN MIC NIGHT every Thursday night at Indi Bar. Email Trojan John at trojan_johnmusic@ yahoo.com.au for spot Laneway Lounge Open Mic every Tuesday Night. If you’re keen for a spot text Josh on 0430313577 OPEN MIC NITE BAR ORIENT High St, Fremantle. Thurs 7.30pm - 12.00pm.

Golden pic contest now running $500 cash prize. For bookings Joel 0414 239 319 or shadeyrock@live.com.au ROCHELLE O’REILLY & THE FEEL GOODS seek new Guitarist for Orig/Cover Band. Must have exp & R&B Flow. 0438345354 Rochelle PRODUCTION SERVICES

C D & DV D M A N U FAC T U R E C h e c k o u t our latest CD & DVD specials online at www.procopy.com.au 9375 3902 M AT R I X P R O D U C T I O N S A U S T R A L I A Lighting, staging, sound systems, smoke machines, night club FX, intelligent lighting, strobes & mirror balls, crowd barriers, video projectors. 9371 1551 RECORDING STUDIOS

ALAN DAWSON’S WITZEND RECORDING STUDIO Prof quality albums or demos,

large live room, experienced engineer, analog to digital transfers, mastering..

Alan 0407 989 128 or Jeremy 0430638178 www.witzendstudios.com ANALOG MASTERING VINTAGE TAPE, TUBES & TRANSFORMERS with the latest state of the art digital converters. Clients include: Melody’s Echo Chamber, Pond, Gossling, Knife Party, Felicity Groom, The Floors, Jeff Martin & The Panics. World class facility, World class results.

Www.poonshead.com. 9339 4791 ANDY’S STUDIO International multi award winning songwriter / producer. No band required. Broadcast quality. A songwriter’s paradise. Ph 9364 3178 GOLDDUST PRODUCTION Mixing, recording and composition. Leederville $80 p/h.

0408 097 407 RECORDING MIXING MASTERING PRODUCING Fremantle location. Call Pete Kitchen Cooked Records. Ph 0407 363 764 / 9336 3764 REVOLVER SOUND STUDIO Ph 9272 7505. www. revolverstudio.com.au SONGWRITERS - BANDS! G R E AT P RO D U C T I O N S ! Lo n d o n P ro d u ce r, awesome studio. Call Jerry on 0405 653 338 www.jerichomusic.com.au

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over the years with many world class producers (Gil Norton, Nick Launay, Burke Reid, Matt Lovell and more) as well as producing some of our own records (Black Fingernails Red Wine, A Song Is A City) gave me a great education and insight into producing records.

Along the way, I’ve been able to work with a bunch of great artists to develop my own production style.

What kinds of services does The Wastelands offer?

Wastelands offers full record pre-production and production facilities. The studio is fully equipped with amazing recording gear, great sounding live rooms and enough guitars, amps, keyboards and pianos to make any kind of record work. We got John Sayers on board to design the studio to fit our space and make sure that the rooms sound amazing.

Who have been some of the bands who have come into record at the studio?

Eskimo Joe, The Chemist, Pond, Timothy Nelson & The Infidels, Meg Mac, Morgan Bain, Kathryn Rollins and many more.

What are your future plans for the studio?

Future plans are to make many more great records at Wastelands. Feel free to come down and check it out!

REHEARSAL STUDIOS

AAA VHS REHEARSAL ROOMS Great facilities, great vibe & great price!!! Unit 5 /16 Peel Road, O’Connor. Phone 9418 5815 or 0413 732 885 BIGBEAT SOUND STUDIO Clean rooms, all new PA systems, air-con and good parking .

Willetton Ph: 0425 698 117.

PLATINUM SOUND ROOMS Professional rehearsal rooms, airconditioned, quality PAs mob 0418 944 722 STREAM STUDIO’S 89 Stirling St, Perth.

Mobile: 0403 152 009 info@streamrehearsal.com.au TUITION

***GUITAR LESSONS*** The Guitar Institute.

New Studio New Times Avail. Online bookings.

Beg to prof, all styles. Tutors WWC clearance.

Cliff Lynton Guitar Institute. Mt Lawley 9342 3484/ www.clifflynton.com BA S S G U I TA R L E S S O N S AVA I L A B L E by WAAPA tutor. A practicle approach to learning. .All styles.Years of experience. Tony Gibbs 9470 6131

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