ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
EDUCATION, TRAINING & CAREERS FEATURE
TOP FIVE
BRITISH INDIA
RODRIGO Y GABRIELLA
CATLIPS
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LOCAL NEWS
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GLOBAL NEWS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
FRINGE FEELS
THIRD PINES ANNOUNCEMENT
THE FLYING CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN
RTRFM have announced the third and final round of acts performing at In The Pines 2015. Add to your list Thee Gold Blooms, Eduardo Cossio Quartet, Felicity Groom, SpaceManAntics, Grim Fandango and The Rosemary Beads (newly reformed!). They’ll join Abbe May, Aborted Tortoise, Fait, Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse, Hideous Sun Demon, Husband, Lanark, Maurice Flavel’s Intensive Care, Methyl Ethel, Rachael Dease, The Rainyard, Shit Narnia, Statues and The Wilds at UWA’s Somerville Auditorium on Sunday, April 19, from 11am-10pm. Pre-sale tickets are $20 RTRFM subscribers, $25 general public from rtrfm.com.au, 78 Records, Mills Records and Noise Pollution Records. Door sales (limited) available on the day, $25 RTRFM subscribers, $30 general public. So much yay right there.
It’s time to be amazed, enchanted, mystified and touched (in a good way). The folks at Rough Love are set to debut the global party brand Flying Circus in Perth. Starring Audiofly (Flying Circus, Supernature, Get Physical), Martin Buttrich (#9414, Planet E, Cocoon Recordings) and BLOND:ISH (Get Physical, Kompakt), the event will feature local support from Allstate, Deej & J, plus a Treehouse side-stage with Fungle Club, DAWS, Amber Akilla, Bunj, Turnip, Parakord, Pussymittens, Genga, Benny P, Kovaxx and AC Souljah. It rolls out on Easter Saturday, April 5, at McCallum Park, South Perth Foreshore. Tickets and full details at roughlove.com.au.
Missing Fringe World? Wish you could go to a night-time event that incorporates food stalls, circus, burlesque and live music all in one? Well never fear, the Rosemount Hotel may have the answer to your troubles with its Carnivale Spectacular. In conjunction with the North Perth Night Markets, Carnivale Spectacular is an event that will extend throughout the entire venue. Outdoor Night Markets will feature stalls selling food, fashion, collectibles and jewellery to name a few. The Four5Nine bar will host comedy, circus and live bands including acts such as Sam Cribb, Rishi Rawlins, Sexy Robot and The Gizzards. And in the Main Room even more music and burlesque will be on show, from the garage boogie blues of Huge Magnet to the retro dancing of The Beehives Go-Go Dancers. Free entertainment can be found in the Rosemount’s backyard with music from DJ Razor Jack and Voudou Zazou. This all goes down Friday, March 20. Tickets for the Main Room event can be found at oztix.com.au and Fringe World 2015 artist pass holders can get in for free by presenting their pass at the door. Otherwise tickets can be bought at the door for both The Main Room and Four5Nine.
Audiofly
SAN CISCO IN #2 CHART DEBUT Currently on tour in the US, San Cisco awoke to the news that their just-released second album, Gracetown, has debuted in the #2 spot on the Australian charts (Madonna’s Rebel Hearts pipped them for #1). The band played a sold-out show at Los Angeles club, The Troubador last week as well as a set at Mexico’s Viva Latino Festival. They head to New York next week before embarking on a twoweek tour of Europe. San Cisco will return home for shows at the Fremantle Arts Centre on Thursday, April 23, (18+) and Friday, April 24, (all-ages), before joining the national Groovin The Moo roadshow in Adelaide. GTM hits Bunbury on Sunday, April 26. San Cisco
Tim Underwood, The Rosemary Beads Pic: Alfred Gorman
ALONG COMES A SPIDER LURCH & BREATHE
Has it really been that long? Karnivool’s defining album, Themata, is now a decade old and to mark the occasion, the Perth rockers have announced a string of shows where they’ll be playing the album in its entirety. Starting at Wollongong University on Thursday, April 30, and will wind its way around the nation landing finally in Perth at Metro City on Friday, May 22. Book tickets ASAP via karnivool.com.
Melbourne stoner pysch rock band Lurch & Chief have announced an extensive national tour to promote their sophomore EP, Breathe. After selling out two East Coast tours last year, Lurch & Chief are making their way to our side of the country to play four shows. They will be playing two free shows in the South West, at the Prince of Wales in Bunbury, on Thursday, June 4, and Settlers Tavern in Margaret River on Friday, June 5. You can also catch them at Mojo’s on Saturday, June 6, and Four5Nine at the Rosemount Hotel Sunday, June 7. Tickets can be bought at oztix.com.au.
Karnivool Pic: Kane Hibberd
Lurch & Chief
THEMATOUR
Oh yeah! You wanted the best Spider Stage in the world, well you got the best Spider Stage in the world. Kiss are coming back to Australia in October, bringing their massive Spider Stage that’s legged its way around the world as the band celebrates 40 years on the planet. Seriously, we can’t use the term ‘Spider Stage’ enough, it’s moved by 38 computer controlled winches, featuring 220 automated lights, weighing in at 43,000 kg, incorporating 900 pieces of pyrotechnics and powered by 400,000 watts of sound. Spider! Kiss kick off their Australian tour at Perth Arena on Saturday, October 3. Tickets go on sale on Thursday, March 26, at 2pm from ticketek.com.au (132 849). VIP packages, including opportunities to meet the band, are available from Ticketek. Spider Stage! Kiss Pic: Ross Halfin
ALLDAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT South Australian hip hop artist Allday is heading out on a self-explanatory national tour entitled I Should Be Working On My Album But I’m Doing A Tour. As the tour title suggests, Allday is in the midst of working his second album, after his first album Startup Cult debuted at number three on the ARIA charts last year. Coming along with him on the tour is Tasmanian singer Asta, whose latest single Dynamite features Allday, and R&B artist Gill Bates. Tickets for Allday’s last tour sold out in 48 hours so to get in ahead of the crowd sign up to be a part of a special fan pre-sale at startupcult2014.com. Otherwise general tickets will be on sale Monday, March 23, at allday.oztix.com.au. The WA leg of the tour happens at Metropolis in Fremantle, an all-ages show Saturday, May 30 and an 18+ show Sunday, May 31. Allday
MINI RIGGS JEBEDIAH = 20 Jebediah are celebrating their 20th Anniversary with a national tour and a new compilation release, appropriately titled Twenty. Old friends Front End Loader, Fur, Red Jezabel and Screamfeeder will support them Jebs on their East Coast dates, with Turnstyle teaming up - just like old times - for the Perth show at the Astor Theatre on Friday, June 26. Jebediah’s set will be it two halves - hits and surprises first, then their 1997 debut album, Slightly Odway, in its entirety. Tickets are available from Tickets from jebediah.net and astortheatreperth.com.
Melbourne psych-rock four piece The Delta Riggs have only just finished a tour of Australian stadiums with The Foo Fighters but are showing no signs of stopping with the announcement of a mini-album. Dipz From The Zong will be a collection of exclusive remixes, alternate versions of singles and unreleased songs that didn’t make it onto their previous album Dipz Zebazios and will only be available via limited press 12”. The album will be released Friday, April 24. The Delta Riggs are also playing at Groovin The Moo in Bunbury on Sunday, April 26. Tickets from 2015. gtm.net.au.
Jebediah Pic: Matt Saville
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TECHNO FAN
JESSIE J-ILL
Dubbed one of the most important figures in electronic music, Phil Kieran is bringing his world-renowned DJ set to Australia. The Irish producer and DJ has worked with an incredible range of world famous musicians and DJs including Peter Hook and Gary Numan and has worked on film scores as well as releasing three albums in his chosen genre of techno dance. Catch Kieran with support from Aarin F Vs James A, Clint W and Henry Gillett at Geisha Bar, Sunday, March 29. Tickets can be bought via geishabar.com.au.
British singer Jessie J has been forced to cancel her shows in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth due to illness. The pop star posted a message to her fans via her Facebook page saying “If I could magic myself better and be there I would.” Those who bought tickets with a credit card will automatically be refunded over the next week. For a refund for tickets bought at a Ticketek outlet, present the tickets and ID at Ticketek Head Office Agency at the Crown Complex before Tuesday, April 7.
Phil Kieran
Jessie J
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WIN
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
HECTOR & THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS Hector & The Search For Happiness stars Simon Pegg as Hector, a cranky psychiatrist disillusioned with his life and with his patients who never seem to get any happier. Leaving behind his girlfriend Clara (Rosamund Pike) he embarks on a journey around the globe in a search for the formula for happiness. Also starring Toni Collete and Christopher Plummer, Hector & The Search For Happiness comes out on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital this week, just in time for the United Nations International Day of Happiness. We have five DVD copies to give away via the X-Press App. Hector & The Search For Happiness
HALO: NIGHTFALL Set between the events of Microsoft’s hit game Halo 4 and the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians, Halo: Nightfall tells the story of manhunter and Naval Intelligence Officer, Jameson Locke, and his team as they are caught in a horrific biological attack while investigating terrorist activity on the distant colony world, Sedra. As they unravel a plot that draws them to an ancient artefact, they will be forced to fight for their survival, question everything and ultimately choose between their loyalty and their lives. The game also includes over 35 minutes of exclusive never-before-seen footage. We have five copies of Halo: Nightfall to give away, download the X-Press App now! Halo: Nightfall
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD CINDERELLA Disney’s latest fantasy epic is the traditional fairytale Cinderella. Cinderella is Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Ella welcomes her new stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home, but when Ella’s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family, until hope comes in the form of an open invitation for all maidens to attend a ball at the Royal Palace. Also starring Richard Madden as Kit and Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy God-Mother, Cinderella is a big, fantastical extravaganza as only a Disney film can be. We have 10 passes to give away via the X-Press App. Cinderella
Michael Franti & Spearhead will be joined by Donavon Frankenreiter, Blue King Brown and Tijuana Cartel for what could possibly be the feel good show of the year, at Red Hill Auditorium on Saturday, April 18. We have one double meet-and-greet pass plus 20 double passes to see the show to give away via the X-Press App. Michael Franti
PRINT AND DIGITAL EDITIONS PUBLISHER/MANAGER Joe Cipriani
EDITORIAL - 9213 2888 MANAGING EDITOR Bob Gordon: editor@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
ADVERTISING - 9213 2888 LIFESTYLE STRATEGY MANAGER – AGENCY / DIRECT Tim Milroy - entertainment@xpressmag.com.au Jennifer Groves - advertising@xpressmag.com.au ENTERTAINMENT ACCOUNT MANAGER ENTERTAINMENT / VENUES / LIVE AND DANCE MUSIC PROMOTERS / RECORD LABLES Tim Milroy - entertainment@xpressmag.com.au CLASSIFIEDS LINAGE classifieds@xpressmag.com.au
DIVERGENT Insurgent is the next gripping action-adventure in the blockbuster Divergent franchise. The stakes are raised for Tris (Shailene Woodley) as she searches for allies and answers in the dystopian ruins of a futuristic Chicago. Also starring Theo James, Kate Winslet and Octavia Spencer, Insurgent is based on author Veronica Roth’s New York Times best-seller of the same name. Thanks to eOne Films and Summit Entertainment we have five merchandise packs to give away that include a dog tag, an aluminium water bottle and a shoulder bag, along with an in-season pass to see The Divergent Series: Insurgent in cinemas Thursday, March 19. Enter via the X-Press App. Insurgent
PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT - 9213 2854 CONTENT COORDINATOR Anthony Jackson - production@xpressmag.com.au ART DIRECTOR Dwight O’Neil DESIGN + PRODUCTION Andy Quilty, Anthony Jackson, Rachel Del Borrello PRINTING Rural Press Printing Mandurah DISTRIBUTION - 9213 2853 - distribution@xpressmag.com.au ADMIN / ACCOUNTS - 9213 2888 Lillian Buckley accounts@xpressmag.com.au EDITORIAL DEADLINES General: Friday 5pm, Eye4 Arts: Thursday 10am, WIN: Friday 5pm, Salt Clubs: Monday 5pm , Local Scene: Monday Noon, Gig Guide: Monday 5pm ADVERTISING DEADLINES Cancellations: Monday 5pm, Ads to be set: Monday Noon Supplied Bookings / Copy: Tuesday 12 Noon, Classifieds: Monday 4pm
CAMELOT OUTDOOR CINEMA Enjoy the delicious on-site wood-fired pizzas, jazz nights, Fairbridge Festival Tasters and Funk Club Nights as well as the films themselves at the Camelot Outdoor Cinema. The highlights from this year’s programme include the Academy Award-winning The Imitation Game and discover a young Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. In addition don’t miss out on preview screenings; Big Eyes, a true story about one of the most epic art frauds in history, Noah Baumbach’s While We’re Young and Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman in A Little Chaos. For more information, head to lunapalace.com.au. We have five double passes to give away, valid for any film on the programme up until Saturday, April 18. Camelot Outdoor Cinema 6
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33,560 OCTOBER 2012 MARCH 2013 - AUSTRALIA’S HIGHEST CIRCULATING STREET PRESS
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FLESH
NEWS - INTERVIEWS - REVIEWS - CONTENTS
WAM SONG OF THE YEAR They Write The Songs The WAM Song Of The Year celebrates its 25th anniversary with nominees in 16 genre categories and over $40,000 worth in prizes. BOB GORDON ponders the ins and outs of songwriting with some of the nominees in the lead up to the Awards Party this Saturday, March 21, at the B-Shed in Fremantle.
Tired Lion
TIRED LION
Better Days began with a tinkle on a pianola. The pianola part of the instrument doesn’t work anymore... but they keys have a special bell-type tone to them. I wrote the lyrics later. The lyrics are an unabashed... no holds barred, love celebration. I don’t write these kinds of songs often, but you know, you may as well celebrate the good things in life if they’re happening. There’s so much other stuff that celebrates the wrong things. As time goes on do you know more about songwriting or simply learn more about it? I am constantly learning... all the time. Every song. At the moment I am doing a Noisemaker Academy class, learning how to use a device called ‘push’ which is enabling new approaches to structure and sounds in songwriting. Every song is its own little planet in a universe and considering there’s multiple universes there’s a lot to learn about. Do you have ways of awakening the muse, or do you await inspiration? Writing on different instruments often helps. The different sounds of things gives way to new ideas. I used to wait for the muse a bit more than I do now. When you have a child you have less time to while away the day waiting for the muse to come have a drink with you. It’s better to just start the brewing process on your own... and if you make a good drink then the muse will have a cup for sure. How’s the rest of 2015 look from here? I’m off on tour in April. April 11 at Mojos, April 15 in Sydney, April 16 in Melbourne, April 17 in Brisbane. That’s the near future. Then there’s the rest of the year... which will be writing album number three.
I usually start with the guitar line or a hook that’s been in my head then I come up with a melody. Then come the lyrics. The subject of a song is something I’m always thinking about. I like to write about my life experiences that are relatable to other people. I think a great song is one that has meaning to more people than just me. A hit song hits a chord with most people. As time goes on do you know more about songwriting or simply learn more about it? You can have a collection of amazing parts that make up a song but unless they are arranged well together it fails. I’m learning more about this every time I write a song. Sometimes it’s adding parts but usually it means removing unnecessary elements and keeping it simple. I find that if a song falls out of you instantly it’s often a winner. Once you start to labour over a song it can get over complicated. Music is always mysterious. Do you have ways of awakening the muse, or do you await inspiration? Heartache is always a good muse. And travel. Anything that removes you from routine and opens your eyes. With the album out how’s the rest of 2015 look from here? 2015 is looking positive. We have a new album entitled The Anatomy Of Mister And Sunbird in which contains the two nominated songs and comes in a hardcover book with 15 of my own illustrations. It’s a project that took three years to complete and were very excited to get it out there and heard. It easily the best album we’ve made. This year we hope to get to Japan after some East Coast shows.
Matt Tanner, lead guitar How does it feel as songwriters to be nominated in the WAM Songwriting Contest? It feels great, we’ve been making music together since we were fresh out of high school and always just played what we enjoy. It’s nice that other people enjoy what we’re making. Describe the writing process for I Don’t Think You Like Me, the song for which you have been nominated? The song organically came about during a jam one night. Everyone was on each other’s instruments mucking around. Eventually a little section of the riff came about and from there we jumped back on our own instruments and expanded upon it. Usually songs for us take a bit of tweaking to get them exactly how we like it. I think with this song it was like a week or something before we were happy to start playing it live. As time goes on do you know more about songwriting or simply learn more about it? I don’t think we’ll ever know fully about songwriting but definitely learn more as we go. When a really good part comes out of us it will usually begin with someone saying, ‘Hey, let me try something that will probably be fucked’, then it turns out to be a pretty good part. As time goes on I guess we learn there’s so much inside people that is waiting for an event or inspiration to draw it out. Do you have ways of awakening the muse, or do you await inspiration? Generally it’s life’s events that give us inspiration. As soon as something happens that makes us extremely happy, pissed off, sad or whatever you can guarantee we’ll be in our rooms demoing heaps of ideas on our iPhones. It’s very hard to write when we’re content so sometimes we’ll try to rock the boat in our personal lives to get some ideas out. Once we’ve got the basis down and it comes time to all sit down and work on the idea - it sounds lame but - it’s kinda just inspiring to be jamming with your mates and just enjoy what we’re doing. How’s the rest of 2015 look from here? 2015 is looking amazing, we’re over in Melbourne at the moment touring with Luca Brasi and Gnarwolves. Then we’ll be back again in a few months with British India and then our own shows. We’ve teamed up with some awesome people behind the scenes who’ve been hinting some big things for us too, so very, very excited to see what happens/let people know what we’ve got up our sleeves.
The Decline
THE DECLINE Pat Decline (guitar/vocals) How does it feel as songwriters to be nominated in the WAM Songwriting Contest? I have to say I am pretty stoked. It’s a very cool feeling that a song I wrote could be up for any kind of award. Describe the writing process for Cool Kids Can’t Die, the song for which you have been nominated? With this one, like a lot of our songs, I already had everything pieced together before I took it to the band. I write songs as a whole piece; the music, the melody and the words, and then the band help me build on it, add new parts, rearrange things a little. That’s how we usually make a song. As time goes on do you know more about songwriting or simply learn more about it? I think you learn what works for you, you find your sound and the way you structure things and you kind of work your new songs around that framework, and it gets easier. That being said, I think songs always need to retain that sense of mystery. I don’t like the idea of finding a formula and sticking to it too much - I like to challenge my songs. When I write something new, I want it to be in the same vein as the old stuff, but I want to show that growth. It should be better, and if it can’t be better, it should at least be different. My friend Noah Skape from Total Waste and formerly Faim once said to me, ‘There’s no rules, just do what sounds right’. Do you have ways of awakening the muse, or do you await inspiration? A bit of both, I never sit with a guitar in my hand and try to write a song, but I don’t really await inspiration either. I say that because I never stop thinking about songs and where to go next - I’m always churning ideas in my head. Songs usually focus on a topic I’ve been thinking about a lot, and they usually come out when I’m doing something like driving. I get a line of lyrics and a melody, and I slowly build it from that in my head. By the time I get a guitar in my hands I usually already know how it goes. How’s the rest of 2015 look from here? It’s looking pretty exciting. We’ve already announced that we are heading to Europe to play some festivals mid-year and that we have a new album coming in the next few months. We’ll be doing a bunch of Australian tours like usual, and going to some new places as well. All will be revealed soon!
Felicity Groom
FELICITY GROOM How does it feel as songwriters to be nominated in the WAM Songwriting Contest? This town has some incredible songs in it. I am a massive fan of Kučka and Methyl Ethel to name a couple of musical guns writing said songs. To be nominated is a winning feeling. A nod of recognition for your work, though the work keeps going and the songwriters keep creating and, as WAM would agree, there’s hundreds more songs out there today in this state alone that could have made it into the competition too. Describe the writing process for Better Days, the song for which you have been nominated? 8
Mister and Sunbird
MISTER AND SUNBIRD How does it feels as a songwriter to be nominated in the WAM Songwriting Contest? I’m proud to be nominated and especially proud to have two nominations. I also play drums on three other nominations, so very excited indeed. It’s stiff competition this year as well. Describe the writing process for the songs for which you have been nominated, 7 Years Bad Luck and My Baby Must Be Blind?
Chaos Divine
CHAOS DIVINE Ryan Felton (guitar) How does it feels as songwriters to be nominated in the WAM Songwriting Contest? It’s great recognition of the work we have put in, and a privilege to be considered among some of WA’s biggest names in music. Describe the writing process for Soldiers, the song for which you have been nominated? We work hard on our songwriting and we spend a lot of time getting it to level we are happy with. Like the rest of our new album material, Soldiers was no different. It typically involves myself and Simon (Mitchell, guitar) sitting around with a few beers just coming up with riffs and parts and getting them recorded as demos, and then we all come together as a band and turn those ideas into songs. For Soldiers, we wanted to write a song that was aggressive, big and heavy without being obvious about it, and to keep up the energy level throughout the whole song. The theme of the lyrics are confronting in nature, as is the video clip, so we wanted that reflected in the songwriting from the get-go. As time goes on do you know more about songwriting or simply learn more about it? I think over time we have all learn what works and what doesn’t. We will always strive to write something a little different each time and we are never quite sure what the result will be when we set out to write a song, but that’s part of the fun! Do you have ways of awakening the muse, or do you await inspiration? Writing music is like anything else - if you don’t put in the effort it will show. Sometime it comes really easy - you have a flash of inspiration and a song more or less writes itself, while others really need a lot more work and effort to get going. I find that listening to as many different types of music as possible helps with getting inspiration. You might just hear a little line or riff that gives you an idea that you wouldn’t have otherwise thought of, often in genres of music you would least expect. What did you want to convey on your new album, Colliding Skies? Lyrically there are a few different themes on the album around political activism, environmental degradation and personal struggle all linked by the common theme of internal and external conflict. Musically we wanted to push ourselves into new territories with Colliding Skies, with more melody but equally more power and energy than anything we have done before. With the album out how’s the rest of 2015 look from here? We have some really exciting things in the works both in Australia and overseas so from here it’s all about playing more shows and getting our name out there! Chaos Divine launch Colliding Skies this Friday, March 20, at Amplifier with Förstöra, OPIA & Carthasy.
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Ruby Boots
RUBY BOOTS Bex Chilcott How does it feel as a songwriter to be nominated in the WAM Songwriting Contest? It feels phenomenal! It’s songwriting that I spend most of my time crafting as far as creative outlets go so it’s really exciting when the songs make an impact and get a good response. That’s the golden ticket to feeling great about it right there! Describe the writing process for the songs for which you have been nominated, Wrap Me In A Fever and Ruby Blue? To be honest Wrap Me In A Fever was written a couple of years ago so it’s hard to revisit that place of which it was birthed again, but I do remember it was in my favourite cheap hotel room in Newtown, Sydney whilst on the road that it was written. I was pretty miserable and broken hearted that day and was really happy to have had the day off to go off and write it, it was one of those ‘release/therapy’ songs, the kind that help you resolve something in order to move on. Ruby Blue was a chorus that had been kicking around for about a year before I re-visited it when I was staying in Utah with Vikki Thorn (The Waifs) writing songs, it was such a great process because I’d never been able to place what it was about, we used it as a metaphor for what creativity and the love of music can be, that unrequited love that you can’t turn your back on, what it gives to you and how it nourishes your soul. As time goes on do you know more about songwriting or simply learn more about it? The best bit about songwriting is the mystery, it’s the endless well of possibilities, of course the more you fine tune it the more you learn, but it’s the combination of the emotion and the craft that can go any which way. It’s not like riding a bike, once you know how to ride you’re all set. Songwriting keeps on giving, listening to Dylan records or Jackson Browne makes that point pretty well. Do you have ways of awakening the muse, or do you await inspiration? You mean like royally screwing things up in your life and making huge mistakes, sabotaging close relationships to reach heights of emotion to write from? (laughs) I think there is a point where some songwriters become self-destructive to write, I have definitely been through it, and sometimes unfortunately still do, though it’s not my go to place anymore. Now I try to let other people’s lives, views and approaches be the muse. How’s the rest of 2015 look from here? Pretty busy... I’ve just been around the country with Shovels And Rope and Shakey Graves and head back out next week with Tony Joe White. My debut album comes out in April so I’ve been busy rolling all that out, I’ll be touring the full band nationally in May to support the release, it’s really exciting! The Americana Festival in September is something I am looking forward to playing again this year also!
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Newsdesk Win Flesh: WAM Song Of The Year Music Alison Wonderland, British India, Charles Bradley Jimmy Cliff New Noise
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Culture Hub Cover: From The Rubble Lifestyle, Hitlist Stations Of The Cross That Sugar Film, Top Five, The Mafia Kills Only In Summer, Hip Hop-eration Arts Listings Feature: ETC Education & Training
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Scene Cover: Catlips Ghostpoet, Red Jezebel, Donovan Frankenreiter Local Scene: Emperors Live: 65daysofstatic, RTRFM Raw Power, DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist Winterbourne
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X-Press Guide Social Pics/Volume
Front Cover: Alison Wonderland releases her debut album, Run, this Friday, March 20, and she will appear at an album launch party at 329 Charles St, North Perth, on Saturday, March 21. Scene Cover: Catlips, AKA Katie Campbell, launches a new EP, Casual, with a pool party at Ascot Quay this Friday, March 20.
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MUSIC
VIEWS
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INTERVIEWS
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ALISON WONDERLAND Let’s Be Honest In the wake of 2014’s stellar Calm Down EP, Sydney DJ/producer Alison Wonderland has been tearing up dancefloors, airwaves and studios. Run, her debut album, is released this Friday, March 20, and she will appear at an album launch party at 329 Charles St, North Perth, on Saturday, March 21, (show proof of album purchase at the door and you’re in). ZOE KILBOURN reports. Honesty is enormously important for Alison Wonderland. Maybe it’s down to the level of personal involvement in each and every one of her tracks she’s a bassist, a cellist, and now most prominently a vocalist. Maybe it’s related to the perfectionism and humility that underpins the way she speaks about her work. “I definitely think a lot of there’s a lot of variation in Run, but hopefully it ties together,” she says. “It’s an honest record. I wrote it in about six months, and it really just defines a pocket in my life last year. I put everything into it, and hopefully that communicates and people like it - but even if they don’t, I’m kind of okay with that, because, again, I put everything into it and I know it came from somewhere real. I’m nervous about it, I’m really fucking nervous.” S h e d o e s n ’ t n e e d to b e . A l i s o n ’s skyrocketed from Stereosonic ‘14 to Coachella ’15; she plays consistently sold-out shows across the country; her debut EP cracked #37 on the triple j Hottest 100. She’s widely recognised as one of the most gifted producers of the new ‘Australian sound’ by an enormously devoted fanbase, Diplo’s Mad Decent label, and, most recently, The Flaming Lips’
“I don’t ever really wanna think about being worried about how I present myself, or even think about how I present myself. I think that’s the worst thing I could ever do. It’d drive me crazy. So I just try to be myself. I am myself.”
Wayne Coyne. Coyne provided the chorus for Run’s first single, U Don’t Know. “All the rest of my record was made with friends, with people I love and have creatively meshed with in the past, so to have that happen was super surreal,” Alison says. “I really like when two artists from different genres collaborate, and also, like, it’s kinda cool because he gave me a chance, and he probably had no idea who I was. The fact that he wanted to do that was also crazy. “I used to produce - bedroom produce - under the name Whytefang. I actually did an EP where I did these versions of songs with Patience from The Grates singing over them. I didn’t know her personally - they actually asked me if I wanted to do an EP with them. Again, another crossed genre. And it’s all been serendipitous - I’m really, really bad at networking. I’m terrible at it. If people see what you’re doing, the right people might come to you - and by ‘right people’ I don’t mean big people, I mean people that will get what you’re doing and you’ll get what they’re doing. I think it should always be that way. It should be organic. Even though the Wayne Coyne thing wasn’t as organic (the collaboration was arranged at Alison’s suggestion by EMI) I’d still written the song and he heard it. There was no one forcing him to do that. 10
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The ‘Baby, I don’t know’ hook? He actually added that in! The rest of it was me, though, but that was cool.” Run also features collaborative work with SAFIA, beats pin-up boy Lido, and Perth trap lords Slumberjack, with whom she traded music years ago. “I think even if we weren’t doing music we’d be really good friends - we say that to each other a lot,” she says. “I love those boys. I think there’s big things coming for them. I played a show with them once like years ago, and, like, far out, they were amazing. I really hate when people don’t take the time to listen to people who send them music. I think that’s a big mistake. There’s another kid called Tasker who emailed me I think when he was 16, and I actually opened one of my triple j mixes with one of his tracks, and he’s just a kid from a regional town in New South Wales. And he’s amazing. “There’s incredible stuff everywhere, and I hate when people don’t give other artists that are just starting the time of day. It’s super important.” Australian trap exploded at the pinnacle of viral marketing, and the scene, dominated by web-savvy, young, bedroom-studio graduates, is bound up in internet memes, tumblr ‘aesthetic’, and post-ironic nostalgia. Alison’s a prolific social media user, but unlike a lot of her contemporaries, she doesn’t buy into strategic posting. “I don’t ever really wanna think about being worried about how I present myself, or even think about how I present myself,” she says. “I think that’s the worst thing I could ever do. It’d drive me crazy. So I just try to be myself. I am myself. I dunno, I’m really honest - if you read my Twitter or my Facebook updates, it’s just me being a dork, writing exactly what I’m thinking. I think the more people think about what they wanna be, the worse they’ll be - I don’t think that communicates. People smell bullshit. I mean, I’m someone who’s a fan of other people, who appreciates other artists, I can tell when someone’s not being themselves. “I enjoy social media. I don’t think of it as marketing. It’s a good way to vent, especially on Twitter. I never really thought about it until people started asking me about it recently. I just hate the word ‘marketing’ - it’s so synthetic. I dunno, I’m just doing my thing - and in saying that, I love interacting with people online, so if people tweet at me or write to me I’ll read it and respond. I read every email I get sent. It’s cool.” That transparency and accessibility is a large part of what makes Alison the artist she is. She’s opened her DJ sets and originals tracks all kinds of influences, and she’s earned herself a following who recognise that mutual respect. “I guess the one thing I’m trying to do is show people you don’t need all the kitschy things around you to be able to communicate your message,” Alison says. “I’ve never taken advantage of the fact I’m a woman to do anything. In my live shows, there’s never crazy LCD screens, it’s all lasers and I have behind me a projection of a GoPro that’s over my hands so people can see what I’m doing. In terms of music, I don’t sit there and go, ‘I’m a singer! I’m this, I’m that’ - it’s just, ‘Here’s some music’. Letting your art speak for you is probably the best thing you can do.”
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JIMMY CLIFF More Rivers To Cross Reggae icon Jimmy Cliff returns to Western Australia this month as part of West Coast Blues N’ Roots at Fremantle Park on Sunday, March 29. MUMMA TREES checks in with the man himself. ‘Living legend’ is a term often bandied about and rarely fully deserved. Jimmy Cliff is a musician who has earned the title. From a career starting in the ‘60s, acting credits, collaborations and receiving Jamaica’s highest honour (The Order of Merit - the only living musician to hold this honour), he truly is a legendary figure in Jamaican culture and music. Well known for his acting role and music soundtrack on the classic 1972 Jamaican film, The Harder They Come, Cliff is clearly a man of many talents. Coming from the country as a boy into the big smoke of Kingston, he always had dreams of both acting and singing. Producer, Leslie Kong (Beverly’s Records), was the first to spot his raw talent (or perhaps give way to his persistence), recording his first tunes. “Leslie Kong had an establishment that was a restaurant/ice cream parlour/record shop and cosmetic place, and I pushed myself into the establishment one night when it was closing, sang my song a capella to him, and the rest of it was history.” Hurricane Hattie came out of those early recording sessions for Beverly’s and became a hit on the island. “That was my first big hit, and I wrote that song because there was a big hurricane in Belize South America, and I wrote the song about it, like I was writing about a girl. Leslie Kong is very missed, even today (he suffered a heart attack and died in 1971) he was a producer who had the biggest international hits, with artists like Desmond Decker, Derrick Morgan, and I even introduced Bob Marley to Leslie Kong.” Like so many Jamaican singers in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Cliff moved to England to further his career, where he was picked up by Island Records. While recording the song, You Can Get It If You Really Want, movie director Perry Henzell heard the session, and asked Cliff if he would be able to write the music for The Harder They Come. “I said to this bearded Caucasian man, ‘what do you mean would I be able to do that? I can do anything!’ Then he saw some of my photographs, where I had these different looks… you know, I could look mean and I could look like an innocent!” The Harder They Come is credited as introducing the world to reggae music. The film was hugely successful in Jamaica and has been described as the most influential film to ever come from the Caribbean. Cliff, despite no previous acting experience or training, gained the lead role of Rhygin. “That movie propelled me to another level in the music and film industry. It had such a big impact. It brought Jamaican culture and music complete to the world.” While he gained a few other acting credits in later years, including Club Paradise with Peter O’Toole and Robin Williams, and a cameo in Marked For Death with Steven Seagal, Cliff is best known and loved for his musical career. He has penned hits such as Wonderful World, The Harder They Come, Sitting In Limbo, You Can Get It If You Really Want and Many Rivers To Cross. He also had mainstream success with his covers of Cat Stevens’ Wild World, and Johnny Nash’s I Can See Clearly Now. His 1969 song, Vietnam, was described by Bob Dylan as the best protest song he has ever heard. 2011 saw Cliff team up with Tim Armstrong (Rancid), on the Sacred Fire EP and full-length album, Rebirth. Featured on the album is a reworking of the classic Clash song, Guns Of Brixton. “We started out with that song,” Cliff notes, “because we didn’t know that we were going to make an album.” In the late ‘70s in England, punk and reggae went in hand in hand as rebel music, with both genres being played often at the same gigs. “Reggae music was very influential to punk music and I knew about Tim through Joe Strummer. Joe Strummer and I did a song together on the album, Fantastic Plastic People, called Over The Border.” Last time Cliff appeared at the West Coast Blues N’ Roots festival in 2013, he had in his backing band young up and coming reggae musicians Unga Notis on drums, Stephen Maxwell (who now tours with Katchafire), and Dan ‘Zuggu’ Patterson (who is featured on Nattali Rize’s new release, Rebel Love) amongst others. With a new backing band touring with him this year, Cliff is one who strives to develop and nurture new talent. “I am the kind of person who likes to open doors for people, so I open the door for a whole lot of Jamaican musicians”. At 67 he shows no signs of slowing down, maintaining an energy that belies his years. Jimmy Cliff live in concert is always a dynamic experience. “I have not become the artist I believe I am,” he says. “I’m not done at all.”
“I have not become the artist I believe I am. I’m not done at all.”
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For more album reviews head to xpressmag.com.au
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BRITISH INDIA
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OUT OF 5
OUT OF 5
From Stones To Studios British India have released a new album, Nothing Touches Me, and will head out on a national tour which brings them to the Dunsborough Tavern on Friday, May 15; Capitol on Saturday, May 16, and the Newport Hotel on Sunday, May 17. AARON BRYANS reports. British India’s rise across Australia has been that of hard work and persistence, stemming from their 2004 formation to their just-released fifth album, Nothing Touches Me. Despite having 11 years of musical experience together, the Melbourne quartet have stuck to their guns throughout their journey, finding their sound and sticking to it, writing and performing what comes naturally to them and not what others have told them to. “You cannot get into this industry if you are not ready to completely ignore critics,” guitarist, Nic Wilson, claims. “You get criticised with every stage of the process from writing to performing; pretty early on you have to grow a second skin to that sort of stuff. If you listen to too much of it, it gets into your head. You don’t pick what songs you write, they sort of pick you; that’s how it works for us. Whatever our sound is at the moment that’s simply because how it is, it wasn’t calculated.” Leaving behind jam-rooms, the group decided to embrace a different environment to their creative atmosphere creating a band studio in Melbourne to aid the production and development process. “It completely has evolved our sound,” Wilson reveals. “I don’t think we would have been able to put this album together the way it is without it. We used to write songs and that was it until it was time to consider songs for the album and then develop them in the studio; but this way we are able to develop them as they go and as a result it’s made the process a lot faster. There were probably 50 or 60 songs that came in this writing period between Controller and Nothing
“I very vividly remember sitting in an empty arena watching the Rolling Stones soundcheck. It was mental, you feel like you’re part of an elite fraternity...” Touches Me which is a lot more than average for us so it’s definitely sped up the process and made the songs a lot more thought out. “That’s been the biggest influence on the sound, being able to give ourselves the time to explore sound. Before it used to be just four guys with guitars and drums in a room but now we’re able to lay things down and think them out and work on backing vocals and keyboards. It’s given it more texture but the writing process is the same.” On top of their newly developed studio a support slot for The Rolling Stones in late 2014 was the icing on the cake in the ever-growing career of British India. “It was completely surreal moment,” Wilson retells. “Our own show that we played that day is a total blur to me now, I can’t recall if we were any good or what happened. I very vividly remember sitting in an empty arena watching the Rolling Stones soundcheck. It was mental, you feel like you’re part of an elite fraternity who are able to say they have done that so we were over the moon to be able to do that show.” Now with their LP ready for release, the group have announced an extensive 18-date national tour in support of Nothing Touches Me. “It’s just one giant party,” Wilson says. “The chaos or the hard work that you do, the writing and recording and stuff is so you can go out and play shows because shows are fun. It’s hopefully as fun for us as it is for the audience and we get to do it night after night.” “The body doesn’t respond like it did at 21 but it’s still a heck of a party and it’s always a lot of fun so we’re luck to be doing it.”
CHARLES BRADLEY Hard Knocks And High Hopes Charles Bradley returns to WA to perform at West Coast Blues N’ Roots on Sunday, March 29, at Fremantle Park. AUGUSTUS WELBY reports. While we’ve been lapping up the generous summer sun, much of the Northern Hemisphere has been reeling at the hands of a savage winter. The US East Coast was struck by a lengthy stretch of frightfully low temperatures and stultifying blizzards, causing climate experts to underline impending devastation, while self-styled commentators pronounced it the roughest winter since time began. New York local and funk-soul renaissance man Charles Bradley was there, living through this bitterly cold season. But at 66 years old, Bradley’s a fighter, who’s not prone to fits of despair. “They tell you on the news, ‘If you don’t have to go out, don’t go out’,” he says. “But you know, I have too many chores that I have to do, cold or no cold. I can’t control nature. That is just how it is, and this planet don’t have to do what I want it to do. I just got to learn how to deal with it and live with it. It could be worse.” Fortitude has long been Bradley’s greatest ally. The good-natured soul man endured a long road of struggle and setbacks before his otherworldly voice finally showed up on an album. As depicted in the 2012 documentary Soul Of America, Bradley was born in Florida and had an unstable childhood, moving around the US to live with various family members, before leaving home at 14 to fend for himself. “I think back to the days that I was living in the streets – living out in the snow and going all through the changes – and I survived all of that,” he says. “I think that the snow that we having nowadays is nothing compared to back in the ’60s. I remember when the snow used to be right up to my waist. You got to learn to survive in the snow and how to get through. And that’s what I learned about life; I learned how to survive.” It’s been a hard-knock journey alright, but Bradley’s love of music has always been secure. However, it was several decades before his undeniable vocal talent began reaping concrete benefits. Things started to take shape in the late ’90s, when Bradley scored a regular gig impersonating James Brown (a role he pulls off with preeminent ease). Then in the early years of this millennium, he made himself known to Gabriel Roth at Daptone Records, who soon offered him a contract. “It always has been my dream,” Bradley says. “I just never closed my dreams. I always prayed and asked God for a chance. Now that I’m out here and I’m meeting a lot of people, it’s making me open 12
SEASICK STEVE
LED ZEPPELIN Physical Graffiti 40th Anniversary Edition Atlantic/Warner
Sonic Soul Surfer Caroline
Physical Graffiti arrived smack-bang in the middle of Led Zeppelin’s heyday. With their legacy cemented on account of their now-iconic initial four-album run, the band allowed themselves to boldly venture into new territory and realise the full potential of what the four of them could collectively achieve. It’s for this reason that many consider the album to be the highest point in the Zeppelin canon – sure, there’s no instant classic in the ways of Immigrant Song or Black Dog, but there’s an exhilarating In My Time Of Dying and the spaced-out In the Light; as well as Kashmir, which may well be the single greatest song the band ever wrote. These, along with the rest of the tracklisting, sparkle and shine through the thorough remastering job done for this reissue. It’s particularly enticing for the headphones listener, who will pick up on all kinds of studio trickery and hidden wonders for it. Additional materials, including ‘rough’ original mixes and early demos, sadly don’t offer a great deal of insight; but they’re perfect for the completists and diehards. Besides, it’s all about revisiting a truly classic rock record.
He may look like an ornery ole bandicoot, but Seasick Steve has long left his hobo days behind, being embraced instead by the blues and roots crowd over the past decade and turning in a nice living travelling around the world’s festivals with his homemade cigar box and acoustic guitars. Paired with drummer Dan Margusson, Steve’s music is sparse but full of the warmth of the blues, and on Sonic Soul Surfer he stretches out from his earlier, rootsier albums with some harder rock n’ roll that never fails to connect. There’s still plenty of rootsy blues on offer: Dog Gonna Play channels the risqué blues of decades past; Summertime Boy rocks’n’rolls along playfully; Swamp Dog shows off his minimalist blues slide playing to great effect and the title track is like a ‘50s Status Quo on speed. It all adds up to one mighty fine record that is bound to win over new fans, giving Seasick Steve plenty more opportunity to jump the next passing train and visit even more places near and far with his down-to-earth, everyman boogies.
DAVID JAMES YOUNG
SHANE PINNEGAR
4.5
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DICK DIVER
SAN CISCO
Melbourne, Florida Chapter Music
Gracetown Island City Records San Cisco’s first EPs and their self-titled debut album of 2012 depicted a band with a unique ability to make the most of their opportunities and turn them into real success by good old-fashioned hard work and canny management (other than the odd shotgun injury to the foot, of course). And while there is still a very young feel and sound about the band, their second LP, Gracetown, shows that they have furthered themselves down the pop road, growing in sophistication with every step. Essentially, the themes are the same as we have previously witnessed - love longed for and lost. The first single and album opener, RUN, indicated that while the exuberance of previous singles such as Awkward remain, the sensibilities have moved on, so that songs such as Too Much Time Away, Super Slow and About You evoke a more weathered approach lyrically, with some intricate work under the surface in terms of percussion and backing vocals. Jordi Davieson and Scarlett Stevens are in excellent vocal form, whimsical yet often philosophical, with The Preatures’ Isabella Manfredi guesting in most effectively on the trip hoppy Jealousy. Gracetown shows a band capitalising on their pop strengths yet opening up their stylistic range all at once. The icing on the cake is where they could go from here.
The band made being on the dole cool, return with their third album Melbourne, Florida - a title that was inspired by one of the band member’s friends getting on the wrong plane and finding themselves in the opposite hemisphere. It is a story that is typical of the tales told in song by the indie underdogs, Dick Diver. Being a poet is unlikely to see you on the top earners list, so it is no surprise that Dick Diver would collaborate with such a kindred spirit in Australian poet, Michael Farrell, who had a hand in the lyrics of Waste The Alphabet. It is likely to be the most polished and radio friendly of their bright guitar pop tunes. Sharing songwriting and vocal duties has been a blessing for Dick Diver who are able to swing from the bright chorus of Tearing The Posters Down to the bare piano tune, View From A Shaky Ladder with melodic ease. Steph Hughes is rock solid behind the drum kit as always, but is a welcome voice on Leftovers as the band dabble with brass for the first time. Percentage Points finds the quartet in ballad territory with its tipping of the hat to the grandiose acts of the ‘80s. Dick Diver have always been masters of no frills cool with their understated indie style. Melbourne, Florida adds some new elements as they dig further into their bag of tricks for their most diverse and classy record to date. CHRIS HAVERCROFT
BOB GORDON
3.5
4
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OUT OF 5
BRITISH INDIA “I just never closed my dreams. I always prayed and asked God for a chance.”
up to people. I’d closed up; I’d been through so much I just didn’t trust nobody.” Once he’d recognised the magnitude of Bradley’s talent, Roth introduced the singer to guitarist and producer Tom Brenneck (The Budos Band, The Menahan Street Band). Over the course of the noughties, Bradley and Brenneck cooked up a series of singles, which culminated in the release of Bradley’s debut album, No Time For Dreaming in 2011. Bradley’s union with Brenneck remains strong. In fact, they’re currently at work on album number three. This time around, Bradley is looking to push his artistic capacity further than before. “I want to create my own style,” he says. “I’m getting it now, don’t get me wrong; I’m getting some of the things that I want. But my dynamics – I want a bass that can rock my soul, I want a lead that can steal me totally. I want you to be able to get into it too.” CHARLES BRADLEY | PIC: DARREN BASTECKY
Nothing Touches Me Liberation Music
NADIA REID Listen To Formation, Look For The Signs Spunk
British India are part of a rare breed of bands that have refused to succumb to mainstream pressures and critical doubters, sticking to their sound while perfecting its layers. It’s clear on their fifth album, Nothing Touches Me, that the band have hit a point of wonder, with each song blending the right amount of hooks, harmonies and riffs. Aside from the incredible catchy lead single, Wrong Direction, the album has a variety of gems that fans new and old will love. Kicking off with the delicate Spider Chords, which builds from a slow and ever-changing lead riff into smashing drum fills, vocalist Declan Melia is unstoppable with impactful lyrical deliveries. British India love telling stories within their tracks, especially in the love song, Angela, which features a brilliant drum track, well placed rhythm guitar and a smooth guitar solo. The timing and placement of each layer within the tracks highlights the progression of the Melbourne four-piece, with each instrument well thought out and never over-used or clustered together. Ending strongly with the unpredictable Departure Lounge, British India have cemented yet another strong release and continued their ever-growing legacy.
Long has New Zealand been the land of jangly pop and anything resembling the Flying Nun sound, but of late there is a young breed who have their feet firmly in the folk and country realms. Nadia Reid follows from the likes of Aldous Harding, Tiny Ruins and Marlon Williams with her acoustic driven debut Listen To Formation, Look For The Signs. Reid has often taken a minimalistic approach to her music, which has given her voice plenty of space to shine. For Listen To Formation, Look For Signs she has gathered a band around her, but they don’t change the mood or delivery of the songs dramatically. Reid is a great purveyor of the slow burn with Track Of The Time building at a snail’s pace. Reaching Through has some rare distortion to offer a point of difference to the lowkey melancholia and is the most danceable moment from Reid. Holy Low and Holy Loud are companion pieces with the former being a treacle slow march and the latter being a juiced up rocking companion. Nadia Reid has a voice that is clearly honed at the folk clubs of Dunedin and is rich beyond its years. Listen To Formation, Look For The Signs is an accomplished debut for those with a sturdy heart.
AARON BRYANS
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
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PHOTO BY JON GREEN
Inspired by the works of Walkley Award-winning journalist Sophie McNeill, Perth Theatre Company’s new production, From The Rubble, examines the experiences of civilians stuck in conflict zones and how our experience of their lives is mediated via modern modes of journalism. We speak to musician turned actor Mei Saraswati about her role in the piece. Speaking of From The Rubble, Mei Saraswati says, “I think it’s an emotional response to news stories and journalism, and it’s an extension of journalism. So it really delves into the more personal side of news stories and the universal human emotions - feelings the needs of people that are experiencing conflict. The play is also about how we view news and how we view those stories that come out of war zones and conflict zones. How we might be removed from
how we view it and how we feel about it, so it’s an investigation into that as well.” Saraswati is well known in the Perth music scene, but this is her first endeavour in the realm of live theatre. Oddly, she seemed fated to get involved in the project. “I was just talking to a friend about how I’d love to get involved in theatre or dance,” she explains. “Making music for that instead of just doing gigs and she was like, ‘You should definitely do that,’ but I didn’t know how to go about it - I didn’t know anybody in theatre or dance. And the next day I got an email from Ian Sinclair, who’s the artist in residence at Perth Theatre Company and just a gorgeous man, and he asked if I would be interested in meeting Mel Cantwell, the director of PTC, and just maybe discussing working on a few shows or one show in particular. So that’s how I got involved. “It’s very strange because I kind of put that thought out into the universe and Ian telepathically got that or something (laughs) and they contacted me out of the blue, by chance. But it’s awesome to think that you can have an intention and send it out into the world and someone else picks up on it.”
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The thing is, Saraswati is not just providing some music for the show - “I’m kind of composing a few things,” she explains. “But Joe Lui, who’s an amazing composer, he’s doing 90 per cent of the music and sound for the show.” - she is making her acting debut as well, which presents its own set of challenges and creative opportunities. “All of the performers in the piece have had a hand in developing their characters,” she says. “I started doing improv on the first day with the girls, the other two girls, Mikala Westall and Tina Torabi, who are amazing. So I was learning from them, pretty much - I’d never acted or done anything like that before. Then I just started becoming involved in the development of the piece as a performer.” TRAVIS JOHNSON
From The Rubble runs at the PICA Performance space until Saturday, March 28. Go to perththeatre.org.au for information and tickets.
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THAT ‘70S HAZE Retro Is Back EAT AT: THAT LITTLE MEXICAN PLACE
As fashion continues its ongoing love affair with ‘70s-inspired styling, one has to wonder if the decade really was that smooth. Are we seeing the fashion of bygone days through rose-tinted glasses?
The iconic North Perth eatery is changing it up of Every week my inbox is full of press releases and email late, with a different two or three course set dinner newsletters about the ‘70s comeback. Girls with long wavy hair smile at me from fields and festivals, floating menu every week. through the frames in flowing cotton frocks. Scrolling That Little Mexican Place offers flashes of leather, fur (or fake fur), fedoras, platforms, and a lot of flared legwear. Knee high boots and suede satchels swing across the screen. ‘70s chic is so hot right now, and the consensus amongst fashion bloggers and magazines is
DRINK AT: 399 BAR The grand old dame of the Perth small bar scene is still doing what it does best, only now it has a completely refurbed courtyard for you to do it in. 399 Courtyard
Marijke Loosjes - Photo by Adriana Spadaccini
MARIJKE LOOSJES Breaking Into Burlesque Performer Marijke Loosjes describes burlesque as a dance style and a form of entertainment art that was a variety of theatre in the late 19th century, a parody on culture that evolved into the American ‘bump and grind’ style of the 1940s and ‘50s.
that 2015’s version is even cleaner than 2014’s. But every now and again, looking at a runway image of yet another fashion incarnation supposedly channelling the era, I have to ask, were the ‘70s ever really this kind of chic? “Of course ‘70s outfits are gorgeous. Haven’t you seen The Virgin Suicides?” is one response I got to the question. Worrying, because The Virgin Suicides is a late ‘90s film set in the ‘70s, making the fashion onscreen a slightly nostalgic take. Yet the movie is often cited as an iconic example of the period, as if it’s a documentary shot in the ‘70s on Super 8. Almost Famous is another cinematic outing considered by many to be replete with gorgeous examples of ‘70s fashion, but Kate Hudson’s version of Penny Lane was made for 2000 release - decades after the actual era - and the onscreen ‘70s wardrobe was filtered to appeal to a post-grunge audience. “It faded away until the 1990s revival that focused on the striptease as an empowered movement by women, to embrace their sexuality and femininity with confidence. Current burlesque, whilst using the element of striptease, has produced a variety of enthralling, beautifully classic, and tongue in cheek performances.” Loosjes says she discovered burlesque about seven years ago, when it began to gain notoriety in Perth. After attending early Sugar Blue Burlesque shows, Noir Boudoir, Twisted Vaudeville Circus, and photographing/ documenting the performers, she realised she was actually doing research to become a performer. “It took a mid 20s life crisis of what am I doing? What are my true passions? Where am I going? To push myself to take risk with a something I really loved and admired.” Kelly Witham-Cook, director of Twisted Vaudeville Circus, was in the audience for Loosjes’ solo showcase. “She loved my act and I was asked to perform with her and Twisted Vaudeville Circus in their monthly shows and in Fringe World just gone this year.” The Perth burlesque scene is growing, according to Loosjes. “There are usually two or three burlesque events each month which is really great for Perth being so small. During the months of Fringe World it is heaven for us burly folk, with two or more performances weekly!” Loosjes’ performer name, Essie Foxglove, reflects the classic style and elegance of her burlesque persona. Essie was popular in the 1900s, bringing a vintage element, while also being the name of the actress who stars in one of Loosjes’ favourite shows, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Foxglove came from her love of the fox and Loosjes’ favourite artwork, an illustration
Truth is, the bulk of ‘70s wear wasn’t always easy on the eye. Sure, stunning editorial of Angelica Houston or Iman are one thing, but ask friends and family for photos from days gone by and you’ll see some scary street snaps of disco gone clashingly wrong, or hippy wear translating to dirty, crusty threads. For the average suburban person, memories of ‘70s fashion comes with a bit of a cringe factor. Not forgetting the everyday badly fitting and unflattering ensembles made from less than stellar fabrics. Think outfits that look like they were pulled from the costuming department of Carrie, a ‘70s film actually made in the ‘70s. Frankly, that movie did not strive to romanticise fashion of the day. On the cosmetic front, a lot of the ‘70s saw heavy makeup trends (glossy red lips, blue eye shadow, thick foundations, fake lashes) that have somehow slipped from memory, if current-day makeup tutorials offering to help you perfect sheer fresh-faced ‘70s beauty are anything to go by. Likewise, there’s the determined misconception that everyone wore healthy, wavy, free-flowing hair. What happened to the terrible frizz, the out-of-control perms, the heavy-handed hairspray habits, and badly applied home bleaches gone wrong? The minimalist clean looks being pitched today as seventies classics, once again, seem more reminiscent of the nineties (think Kate Moss for Calvin Klein) than the height of ‘70s glamour. “Modern ‘70s” is the new label you’ll find popping up on in the internet to describe today’s style trends. To be completely honest, it feels like consumers are getting a pared down, reimagined take on ‘70s fashion that is actually sourced from the ‘70s revival of the ‘90s and new millennium. We’re quite a way down the line now from the original material, and I think it shows. GILLIAN O’MEAGER
by Perth artist Celene Bridge which combines fox faces with the foxglove flower. When choreographing an act, Loosjes keeps in mind the style, the feel and mood she wants to portray, rehearsing in front of a mirror and often videoing herself to make sure the choreography flows organically. “There needs to be a balance kept between dancing and the allure of the striptease.” Her costumes start with a vision first, a theme, or a concept. She then researches and plans out the time period, then the style. “I always put a lot of emphasis on aesthetics as I want my costume as well as my act to be powerful. I take a lot of inspiration from the art world, music, film, literature, to be honest everything in my life. If I cannot create the whole costume myself I seek out designers to work with. I then embellish these pieces to my vision.” Future plans include continuing to perform with Twisted Vaudeville Circus, and competing in Miss Burlesque Australia this year. She’s started feather fan dancing, and wants to explore incorporating fire into her performances. Loosjes describes performing live as a thrill, and a rush. “I absolutely love it! I was nervous when I started, but with each rehearsal, each performance, I become more confident and learnt more about my audiences and how to interact with them. I love performing for a burly crowd, they know what’s going on and the applause is always deafening! It is always humorous performing for ‘burlesque virgins’, you can pick ‘em by their wide unblinking eyes and open mouths!” GILLIAN O’MEAGHER
site. Some sites require a small fee to enter, others are free. This tour can be done at your own pace and is a great way to see some of Boston’s famous attractions and the beautiful city as you go. Fenway Park Fenway Park is home to the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball (MLB) team and well known for the ‘green monster’ - the giant green scoreboard that stands its ground at leftfield.
SHOP AT: TEMPLE OF THE MUSE POP UP GALLERY The poster art emporium has a new temporary home at 312A William street, Northbridge - the old Kurb Gallery (RIP). Swing by and snag some sexy rock ‘n’ roll art for your walls.
TD Garden TD Garden is home to the Boston Celtics National Basketball Association (NBA) team and the Boston Bruins National Hockey League (NHL) team. I’d recommend catching a game of either while you are in the city, depending on the season.
The Temple Of The Muse
BOSTON Hey, Beantown! Famous largely for the locals’ distinctive accents, Boston is the largest city in New England and is located on the East Coast of the United States in the state of Massachusetts.
GO TO: LADIES COMIC BOOK CLUB
Boston is a beautiful city with so much to offer all year round. Whether you like history, sport or If you’re a lady who likes comics, this is a bit of a no- nightlife, Boston has it all. brainer. Their next meet up is on March 29, where they’ll be discussing Brian K. Vaughan’s and Fiona Where to Stay Staples’ Saga Vol. 1. Hit them up on Facebook for Back Bay is a popular neighbourhood in Boston, more details. particularly for those who appreciate some retail therapy. The Prudential Centre and Copley Place Saga 14
malls offer a connecting bridge to ensure you and your purchases stay sheltered from the elements, a fantastic idea during winter. The Westin Hotel is also connected to the malls so in winter you can make your way through the shopping malls without having to brave the cold harsh weather conditions. Downtown Boston is also an area close to many attractions and would be an ideal location to stay. Things To Do And See The Freedom Trail The Freedom Trail is an approximately four kilometre historic walking tour to significant historical sites in Boston. The tour follows a red brick line through the streets of Boston to each
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Quincy Markets The Quincy Market is a historic market in downtown Boston and a location on the Freedom Trail. The market was built between 1824-1826 by the then Major, Josiah Quincy. The markets have a great range of food, beverages and knickknack items including souvenirs. Cheers The original location of the bar featured in the famous sitcom can be found on Beacon Street, with the replica at Faneuil Hall. Harvard University Harvard University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Harvard is a research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and established in 1636. The university was also where social networking giant, Facebook, was created and first used. JESSICA PASCO
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KEY DATES FOR PRIDE 2015 ANNOUNCED
Dogs In Space
WE’RE LIVING ON DOG FOOD
To mark the 25th anniversary of Pride WA, the 2015 Pridefest will be bigger and better than ever, encompassing events throughout Northbridge and across the state and showcasing a multitude of media, including music, theatre, visual art, dance, film and comedy. Pridefest will run from Friday, November 6, until Sunday, November 22, for a total of 16 days, with the iconic Pride Parade taking place on Saturday, November 21. For full details, go to pridewa.com.au
Revelation Film Festival’s monthly program of important Australian cinema continues with this slice of anarchic punk energy, Dogs In Space. Directed by Richard Lowenstein and starring Michael Hutchence, the film tells the shambolic, comedic, occasionally tragic stories of a loose collective of musicians, activists, students and junkies in the Melbourne punk scene, circa 1978. It screens at The Backlot Perth on Monday, March 30, along with the WA short, Green With Envy: The Ballad Of Frank And Mary Sue, and a special introduction by film critic and X-Press arts editor Travis Johnson. Go to revelationfilmfest.org for more details.
LINEUP MUSIC VIDEO FESTIVAL CALLS FOR ENTRIES Rising from the ashes of the Nano Film Festival comes the Lineup Music Video Festival, which aims to screen video clips from young and emerging WA musicians and bands on the Northbridge Piazza screen on Friday, April 17, from 6pm. To that end, they’re open for entries from outfits with the majority of their members under 26. You can submit your clip via foodchainperth.com/ lineup/ - and remember to keep it PG.
DAHLING WITCHES Barking Gecko Theatre Company is mounting a production of Griffin Theatre Company’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s novel, The Witches, these school holidays. Transformed into a fast paced one man show performed by Scott Sheridan, the play sees a young boy and his grandmother take on a coven of evil witches who have gathered at a luxury hotel. It runs from Tuesday, March 31, to Sunday, April 12, at the Subiaco Arts Centre. Book through Ticketek.
Mathas, performing at offBeat Festival
VISUAL ARTS Escape Artist
ESCAPE TO HEATHCOTE Escape Artist is an autobiographical photo exhibition opening at Heathcote Museum And Gallery. Shot in rural Spain by the multitalented Pablo Hughes, the show is a travelogue, a reflection and a mediation on the beauty of imperfection. According to Hughes, the decaying urban landscapes his images depict a fictional, non-existent feature film. “Through the use of comedy, parody, mystery and repetition I aim to alert and question the role played by mainstream cinema including its subject matter, its ‘recreations’, its promises and its role as an escape mechanism,” he explains. The exhibition runs from Friday, April 17, to Sunday, May 24. For more information, go to melville.wa.gov.au/heathcote.
Rebirth: The Art Gallery Of Western Australia Japanese artist Mariko Mori has created Rebirth, an immersive experience comprised of installations, LED sculptures, photographs, drawings and videos. It’s on display until June 29. For more information, go to artgallery.wa.gov.au The Visitors: John Curtin Gallery Celebrated Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson presents his ambitious nine channel music video installation to Perth as part of the Perth International Arts Festival. It runs until Sunday, May 16. Go to johncurtingallery.curtin.edu.au for more information. An Internal Difficulty: Perth Institute Of Contemporary Arts Curated by Andrew Nichols, this group exhibition sees seven prominent Western Australian artists Thea Constantino, Susan Flavell, Tarryn Gill, Travis Kelleher, Pilar Mata Dupont, Nalda Searles and Nichols himself - reconsider the figure of seminal psychiatric researcher Sigmund Freud in a domestic context. It runs until Sunday, April 12. Go to pica. org.au for full details. Kaleidoscope: Perth Institute Of Contemporary Arts Contemporary artist Tracey Moffatt’s first major solo exhibition in Perth since 2004 features her new video work, Art Calls, plus an installation of works taken from her Spirit Landscapes series. It runs until Sunday, April 12. Head to pica.org.au for more information.
THEATRE/DANCE/ PERFORMANCE
Christ Falls For The Third Time, Michael Doherty
STATIONS OF THE CROSS Michael Doherty Now in its sixth year, the annual Stations Of The Cross Exhibition takes place at the Wesley Uniting Church In The City from Saturday, March 28, until Monday, April 6. We speak to one of the exhibiting artists, Michael Doherty, about his contribution. It’s one of the central stories of the Christian faith: The Stations Of The Cross, depicting the condemnation, torture and execution of Jesus Christ, has been a subject of countless works of art over the past two millennia. For the past six years it’s been the theme of a yearly exhibition put on by Wesley Uniting Church, which invites 15 contemporary artists to each contribute their interpretation of one of the stations.
A professional painter for some 35 years - he studied at Claremont Art School - Michael Doherty is a veteran of 15 solo shows and has two upcoming international exhibitions he is preparing for - a group show in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and a solo show in New York City. He says he was quite honoured to be approached to participate. “I got approached about a year ago to paint one for it,” he explains. “It’s a big honour to be in it and it’s a fantastic show for painters, because it forces you to go quite deeply into your own sense of mortality and makes you really think about that.” Doherty’s own experience with religion informed his creative choices, but so did his understanding of the legacy of the Stations. “I was brought up Roman Catholic - Irish parents so in childhood I went to church and I understood the stations of the cross, but I approached it by researching the lineage of artists who have done the Stations Of The Cross, like the Flemish painters and the Italian Renaissance. I looked for something a little different.” His take on his assigned station, Christ Falls For The Third Time, puts a very modern, almost surrealist spin on the subject t hand, juxtaposing ancient statuary with computer imagery in a churchlike space. “I found an old stone head of what Christ might have looked like. I wanted to give it a sense of weight, like a stone head falling in a room. I’ve also tried to put it into a more contemporary context,” he tells us. TRAVIS JOHNSON
From The Rubble: Perth Institute Of Contemporary Arts A multi-platform piece inspired by the work of Walkley Award-winning Australian journalist Sophie McNeill, From The Rubble turns the performance space in to a portal into a world of conflict thanks to the efforts of a number of Perth creative luminaries, including Melissa Cantwell, Mei Saraswati, Joe Lui and Mikala Westall. It runs until Saturday, March 28. Go to perththeatre.com. au for ticketing and session information. Werewolf Priest! The Lamentable Ballad Of Father Hank Grimby: Nexus Theatre The acclaimed horror/comedy/musical returns for another season until Sunday, March 21. Tickets via trybooking.com.
Old Love: The Blue Room Theatre The creative dynamo that is theatre collective The Last Great Hunt bring us a May December romance that is sure to bush the boundaries. It runs from Tuesday, April 14, until Saturday, May 2. Head to blueroom.org.au for more information. Armour: The Blue Room Theatre Writer and director Tom Jeffcote brings us a story of damaged masculinity in this drama, which sees four men on a weekend retreat confront both each other and their own tortured emotions. It runs from Tuesday, April 21, until Saturday, May 9. Go to blueroom.org.au for tickets and session times. An Evening with Noel Fielding: Perth Convention And Exhibition Centre Rock star comedian Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh fame comes to Perth for one night only on Friday, April 24. Book via Ticketek. Cosentino - Twisted Reality Tour: Regal Theatre Known as Australia’s greatest magician, Cosentino brings his unique brand of large-scale illusion to Perth for two shows only on Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2. Tickets are available via livenation.com.au.
FESTIVALS Eat Drink Perth Running from Wednesday, March 18, until Friday, April 24, this citywide festival of food holds a thousand temptations for gourmands of all stripes. Head over to visitperthcity.com for more info. Alliance Francais French Film Festival 2015 Once again, Luna Palace Cinemas plays host to the best and freshest films that France has to offer, featuring new works from the likes of Benoit Jacquot, Francois Ozon, Mathieu Amalric, and Anne Fontaine. It runs from Thursday, March 19, to Tuesday, April 7. for information and tickets, go to lunapalace.com.au. offBeat Festival Over three days from Friday, March 20, until Sunday, March 22, celebrate percussion and rhythm-centered music with performances from WAAPA’s percussion ensemble, Defying Gravity, playing John Luther Adams’ Inuksuit; Mathas, Rokwell & Groom, Joni In The Moon and Catlips playing with percussion group The Wheel Turns; and the Daniel Susnjar Afro-Peruvian Jazz Group. Go to fac.org.au for more details. Fremantle Street Arts Festival Over the Easter weekend (April 4 - 6) the streets of Fremantle will throng with some of the best al fresco entertainers from around the globe. Buskers, clowns, acrobats, magicians and more will perform across 10 stages scattered throughout Freo. For more information, go to fremantle.wa.gov.au/festivals.
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THE MAFIA KILLS ONLY IN SUMMER Lies Your Godfather Told You Directed by Pif Starring Pif, Cristiana Capotondi The Mafia have always effected Arto’s (Pif) life, even at his very conception (as a gun battle below his parents’ honeymoon suite allows one sperm to triumph while the others flee for cover). Growing up in Palermo during the ‘70s, ‘80s and 90s, Arto starts to notice some strange differences about his town. If the Mafia is all just an exaggeration by the press (as every adult insists it is), then it seems very odd that crusading detectives die in shoot outs with pastries, or that a judge’s car trouble involves TNT. As Arto grows up two things start to become more important to him. The first is his long time love for his classmate Flora (Cristiana Capotondi), the second is uncovering the truth about what is going on around him. Writer, director and satirist Pif brings us a black comedy with a message. There is no doubt The Mafia Kills Only In Summer is a very curious film. There is a naivety about the first half of the film, following the young Arto’s quest to get Flora to notice him, as life in Palermo continues around him. There is a humour about that is at times almost childish, at others bitterly black. Then about halfway through things begin to change
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and this becomes a remarkably different film, closely examining the history and the sacrifice of the anti-Mafia crusaders. It is as if that early part of the film mimics Arto’s childlike innocence and confusion of the subject, even as he notices the differences in Sicily (for example, that only the more diligent police get shot in “disputes over a woman”). As these blinkers are slowly removed from Arto’s eyes and his understanding grows, the film becomes more engaged with the historical aspects of this attempt to stamp out the Cosa Nostra’s dominance. An ambitious concept, but does it work? Not entirely. The bolting on of this quirky personal story (complete with romantic subplot) to this important part of Italian history produces a somewhat confusing chimera. The personal aspect just isn’t strong enough, with the love story suddenly finding a predictable solution and some of the comedy falling a little flat. Ultimately, though, it is the other arc, the history of this political and social shift against the Mafia, that is the more powerfully fascinating and really what the movie is about. This run down of decades of criminal, political and social history is fairly dense. Atro’s Forrest Gumplike trip through these times would definitely be aided by a familiarity with this history, but Pif provides enough information for the average filmgoer to work their way through it without getting too lost. The pay-off for this is significant, made all the more moving by the inclusion of images of the real-life victims, hammering home the genuine cost of this time. Despite its flaws, a brave and affecting work. DAVID O’CONNELL
The Mafia Kills Only In Summer screens at Somerville, UWA from Monday, March 23, until Sunday, March 29, and ECU Joondalup Pines from Tuesday, March 31, until Sunday, April 5, as part of Lotterywest Festival Films. For tickets and session times, go to perthfestival.com.au.
FILM
TOP FIVE Rigorous Honesty Directed by Chris Rock Starring Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union
to disassociate themselves from. Each shows the downside of fame, and the price on the other side of the velvet rope. Where Top Five differs is in the nature of the principal character, the lighter, more comedic approach, the significance of his relationship with the press (specifically Chelsea Brown- allowing for some great chemistry between Rock and Dawson) and, of course, the issue of race. Rock’s comedic prowess is used to great effect here. In general it is downplayed, rarely hitting the manic heights of some of his previous efforts, but Top Five is for the better. Instead he is often more reflective and even self-deprecating, allowing others to take the big laughs. The result feels much more genuine and insightful. Rock as a scriptwriter is definitely sticking to that old adage of writing what you know, and it allows for a wide range of comedic styles and talent to be showcased, be it from an amazing African American cast or some rather surprising (and glorious) cameos from comedic icons. Even the two incidents of gross-out humour on display here are used to further the understanding of character rather than just cheap laughs. They not only presenting a wonderfully cathartic moment for the audience, but also demonstrating low points in the character’s lives. Mostly Top Five is interested in keeping its humour pitched towards the wry end of the spectrum, allowing the dramatic and the comedic to mix in a harmonious fashion. Thoughtful, honest, and amusing, Top Five really knows how to work a room.
For his third outing as a director, comedian Chris Rock presents a funny and touching look at the price of fame that borders on the autobiographical in Top Five. Comedic actor Andre Allen (Chris Rock) is struggling with his life. Since gaining sobriety he is wondering if he is relevant in Hollywood any more, or even funny. His latest movie is bordering on critical and commercial failure, his love life is completely subsumed by his fiancee’s reality TV show, and the public only recognises him for his previous film role as Hammy the Bear (a wise-cracking gun-toting cop in a bear costume). In an attempt to arrest his career’s free-fall , Allen agrees to allow a journalist, Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson), to spend the day with him, despite her publication’s film reviewer being Allen’s harshest critic. What eventuates is a series of revelations from both sides as they find connections in their work, their family life, their personal life, and the 12 step program. The obvious recent comparison point is Birdman and it is neither unwarranted or unflattering. Both cover similar thematic ground; an actor struggling with his own relevancy and sobriety, both haunted by a past success that they wish DAVID O’CONNELL
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DAMON GAMEAU Who’s Your Sugar Daddy? For his documentary, That Sugar Film, Damon Gameau subjected his body to a diet of 40 teaspoons of sugar a day (the average amount in a teenager’s diet) for 60 days. These sugars were not in junk foods, but hidden in foods often thought of as a healthy alternative. The result (besides a fatty liver) was an extraordinary film that is guaranteed to promote conversation. We had a chance to speak to Gameau about That Sugar Film, and why he would do that to himself.
The initial concept required a leap of faith, as he was unsure of what the results would be. “I read quite a few studies and it is very ambiguous. It’s hard to know what the truth is especially as (you see in the film) the sugar industry has played a role in this confusion in the public stakes. So the only way I am going to find the truth is to do something for myself, and it kind of went from there. “We started the film not knowing if we would get any result, especially as I was eating healthy food (well perceived as healthy) and it just escalated as each day something happened. We all know if you have too many Snickers and Fanta you’re going to get sick. Not everyone knows about these foods which are marketed in a healthy way. They are often full of sugar. Given how fast obesity is growing in this country and all over the world, I’m just trying to get people to be aware of what they are putting in their bodies. We’re having 3040 teaspoons a day, and WHO is saying we should only have 6-9. “That Sugar Film is not just a doom and gloom fear-bait thing. It has to appeal to kids, families, and be an experience everyone can watch together so they can learn from it. I’m just encouraging people to look at the label a bit better. It’s not saying you can’t have Tim-Tams at the end of the day, but maybe don’t have the apple juice during the day. Just get a bit smarter with what you actually have.” The worst day of this experience involved Gameau eating his daily allocation in as direct a manner as possible, as either cubes or teaspoons of sugar. “Part of me knew I had to do it, but my body was going ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?’ By the end of the day I did throw up for about 10 minutes. The things we do for art. It has an impact, that is the scene people are talking about.”
“I still say to Zoe (Tuckwell-Smith, Gameau’s partner) ‘How did I have this idea and ended up writing a book about sugar? How did that happen?’ I had no interest in nutrition before. I had kind of cut out most sugars to impress her when we first met. I had started eating healthier and noticed I started feeling better. Then I noticed these articles coming out in the press, and these two camps. One used words such as ‘poison’ and ‘toxic’, the other used ‘great for energy.’” When asked what he planned to do next by his production company, Gameau thought what if he did a film about sugar? “It would lend itself to colours, neon and Willy Wonka aesthetics.” DAVID O’CONNELL
HIP HOPERATION There’s No Skool Like... Directed By Bryan Evans Starring Billie Jordan, Maynie Thompson, Kara Nelson Hip hop is not the first dance form that springs to mind when thinking about elderly recreation. Yet for one troupe of New Zealand pensioners, this style may take them all the way to the World Hip Hop Championships in Las Vegas. Under the tutelage of the rather enthusiastic Billie, the group Hip Op-eration (so named due to the prevalence of artificial joints in the troupe), must confront medical and funding issues before this diverse collection of pensioners can have their chance to strut the world stage. Sometimes a story is so engaging and entertaining that a documentary maker can just step back, and let the events proceed. Here Director Bryan Evans has the good sense to be as unobtrusive as possible. The simplistic presentation doesn’t get in the way at all and places the focus squarely on the story and characters. For this he is amply rewarded, for they are a fascinating bunch. Divas, activists, a perpetually optimistic organiser and a gun-toting nonagenarian are all on display here. At its heart, Hip Hop-eration is a story of acceptance from both sides of the age gap; a coming together of the young and the old in an appreciation of each other. Hip Operation may not be the greatest fans of the music they pop ‘n lock to, but they are
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willing to give it a try. Competitive New Zealand dance troupes DZIAH or KRASH may be far more vigorous than Hip Op-eration, but they will cheer their fellow countrymen till they are hoarse. It is heartening to see these expected barriers crumble as both sides communicate and share with each other through the medium of dance. This is undoubtedly a feel good documentary, there is little effort to explore any of the nuances behind the characters, nor look at how or why they have been swept along in their organiser Billie’s mad dream to take senior citizens to a world hip hop competition. We do learn a little about these people, but besides a few pointed questions obviously designed to provoke an emotional response, it is generally just scratching the surface. Billie herself remains an amusing enigma. We are given a few tantalising glimpses at her motivation, enough to work out some of the basics, but those dots are never joined up. That we never get a clear insight is strange, especially when you consider that this is a woman who’s idea of “maintaining a poker face” consists of rolling around the floor laughing uncontrollably. In the end, these gaps in knowledge don’t really matter. What we are shown is the power of involvement and community. We may be left with the sense that these senior citizens may not really understand (or even really like) the music that they dance to, but that sense of belonging and the joy of dance are things that are capable of going far beyond a set of tunes. DAVID O’CONNELL
Hip Hop-eration screens at ECU Joondalup Pines until Sunday, March 22, as part of Lotterywest Festival Films. For tickets and session times, go to perthfestival.com.au.
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Christian receives award from Fiona Parsons – Specifications Manager, Austaron Surfaces
Kokoro Stand
CHRISTIAN MAKES A STAND It’s that time of year again; where Central Institute Of Technology and Billy Blue design students prove that they are design industry leaders. This year, Christian Oshiro won the coveted National Samsung Staron Design Award in the concept category (edition 2) for his Kokoro Stand. The Staron Design Awards is open to any designer, architect, developer or student that has created a project using Staron Solid Surfaces. The awards are designed to create exposure for designers that use Staron in outstanding applications. As winner of the concept category, Christian created a unique product design using Staron. He designed a mid-floor shoe display in the shape of a heart for shoe boutique, Melissa. Melissa is a Brazilian company, which prides itself on customer care, a value, which translates into heartfelt, pure, honest products.
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Christian with Central’s Design portfolio staff
Kokoro in Japanese means heart, the feelings, spirit or essence of an individual. Christian used this concept to inspire his design to represent the culture and values of Melissa. Adding to the sentiment of the project, Christian dedicated his heart-shaped design to his mother, who recently passed away. The design, that could be created in one continuous surface with no joins using Staron, has received high praise from the judges. ”This design extracts the essence of the Melissa brand – it’s geometric shapes and colours – merges it with an abstracted heart shape and infuses it with emotion and meaning, while understanding the potential of the Staron product to create such a sculptural solution,” said Stephen Varady of Stephen Varady Associates. For information on Billy Blue design courses at Central head to central.wa.edu.au/billyblue/ Display image care of Samsung Staron Solid Surfaces
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SAE Perth Production Suite
SAE PERTH OPEN DAY SAE Perth will hold its first Open Day for 2015 on Saturday, May 23, from 11am3pm at Level 1, 3 Bennett St, East Perth allowing intrigued wonderers the chance to experience life on campus. The day will include entertainment, showcases, information from academic and campus staff and the chance test out the world-class facilities and equipment on campus. Music lovers will enter a real studio and experience the recording and post-production process. Gamers will have the chance to experience another world with the virtual reality headset, Oculus Rift, while budding filmmakers create slow motion movements on camera.
There’ll be entertainment from current students as well as student work on show including animation, audio design, film and games. Plus, the chance to hear first-hand from students and graduates what it’s like studying at SAE Perth. Thinking about a career in Animation, Audio, Design, Film or Games? SAE Creative Media Institute turns thinkers into doers. Their Open Day is the place to start.
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Catlips, AKA Katie Campbell, launches a new EP, Casual, with a pool party at Ascot Quay this Friday, March 20. BOB GORDON dives in. Katie Campbell, the name behind the name Catlips, may be at an early stage in her musical career, but has already created a body of work characterised by depth and diversity. While studying for a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Composition and Technology at WAAPA, Campbell released her first EP, Tacas, last year and has just delivered the fresh follow-up, Casual. “My aim is to basically keep exploring with different sounds and producing techniques and to continue into a dance realm,” Campbell says. “Casual is definitely the first release I have put out which is starting to get to that point, definitely not beyond. The sound is starting to become a little more refined, but the tracks are still fairly varied and eclectic.” For Campbell the composition process, environment and mindset is very much domestic. They variables all lie within the music itself. “All my tunes are recorded, produced and mixed in my home studio,” she says. “Every track usually begins from a different point, but mainly either a beat or a synth line. I then layer sounds and try different structures whilst incorporating live recordings, digital and analogue tones and field recordings, most of my live samples go through digital processing. “I tend to be pretty relaxed whilst making music and I find I work best early in the morning or late at night.”
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Campbell has perhaps become more widely known in recent times as part of acclaimed and revered Perth outfit, Kučka, but she also is one half of the more elusive Wa$abi pea$. Collaboration is a big deal and rightly so. “Collaborating with loads of my friends who are incredible musicians is hugely beneficial as I am always learning new things to improve my production and performance skills,” Campbell notes. “This can be through DJing together or online collaborating, as well as performing together, especially when I play in Kučka.”
“Casual is definitely the first release I have put out which is starting to get to that point, definitely not beyond. The sound is starting to become a little more refined, but the tracks are still fairly varied and eclectic.”
With another EP released, it simply means there’s more to do. Plans are indeed afoot. “First up is the pool party EP Launch on Friday at Ascot Quay Apartments, then my plans are to head over East to play a few shows. After that my focus will be to keep producing tonnes more music and go see more live shows that continue to motivate me.”
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DONAVON FRANKENREITER Waves Rock Donavon Frankenreiter will join Michael Franti & Spearhead, Blue King Brown and Tijuana Cartel at Red Hill Auditorium on Saturday, April 18. TOM CLIFT reports. California native, Donavon Frankenreiter, divides his time between two great loves. The first is his music, be it live or laid down in the studio. Since the release of his self-titled debut album just over a decade ago, the famously moustachioed singer/songwriter has earned himself plenty of fans with his folksy, easy-going tunes, embarking on several international tours, including multiple sojourns to Australia. His second great passion is one he’s had since he was a child, growing up near the beach in Downey, just south of Los Angeles. “I remember at the age of 10, when I got my very first surfboard,” Frankenreiter reminisces. “I just remember how fast I went. I’ll never forget the sensation of going down the face of a wave, fast, and knowing that this piece of equipment was exactly what I’d been looking for. The moment I stood up, I was addicted.” From then on, the young Frankenreiter was barely away from the water. After competing in some amateur junior surfing contests, he officially went pro at the age of 16, aided by a sponsorship deal courtesy of Aussie surfwear company, Billabong. It was around that same time that Frankenreiter picked up his first guitar, and soon thereafter discovered his second great passion. After some time spent jumping between bands, he decided to pursue a solo career. His first album was released through Brushfire Records, owned by friend and fellow surfer-turnedmusician Jack Johnson. The record was a success, and Frankenreiter has been splitting his time between the surf and the studio ever since. “To me, they both enhance each other,” he says. “There have been some times when music’s come to me while surfing. There have also been times on music tours when I haven’t been expecting to get any good waves, and it ends up being the best day ever. They both definitely enhance each other, because I love doing both so much that when I’m surfing a lot, while I’m in such a great mood and I love it, I can’t wait to get back to playing music. And also the same thing, when I’m on tour playing music, I can’t wait to get back in the water. I think it’s great to put one down for a little bit and then you go back to it with a fresh approach.” Interestingly, it seems the same thing that attracted Frankenreiter to surfing is also what attracts him to music – particularly live performance. “It’s the magical feeling of knowing you can never surf out and get that exact wave again,” he explains. “There’s this elusiveness. I think that’s why I became addicted to it, because there’s that element of wanting to get good, and then there’s the element of wanting to find the best waves you can. It’s not always perfect, and it’s forever changing. I think that’s what every surfer loves. They fall in love with not knowing if they’re going to get the best barrel of their life tomorrow or if they’re going to wait 10 more years to find that day where it all comes together. “I had the same exact feeling when I 22
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“I remember at the age of 10, when I got my very first surfboard. I just remember how fast I went. I’ll never forget the sensation of going down the face of a wave, fast, and knowing that this piece of equipment was exactly what I’d been looking for. The moment I stood up, I was addicted.”
picked up the guitar for the first time,” Frankenreiter continues. “It’s never ever the same. I don’t know if it’s the way I think, but things happen in a split second when you play live, and I just love that feeling of not knowing. I love that sensation of playing live… every night I go onstage, and whether we play the same songs or not, they’re always a little bit different. There’s always that element of, ‘Am I going to break a string? Is it going to be in tune? What’s this crowd going to be like? What’s this PA sound like?’ And I love that.” Frankenreiter’s latest tour will bring him back to Australia, where he’ll play 18 locations in less than four weeks, including multiple sets at Bluesfest in Byron Bay and here in WA at Red Hill Auditorium. Unsurprisingly, his travels will take him past several major surfing hotspots, where he’s hoping he’ll get the chance to catch some waves. “Australia’s always been that place, especially in the surfing world, where every surfer has always wanted to get to,” says Frankenreiter. “It’s one of the meccas, being able to catch some of the waves that break in Australia. “I think the first time I went down I was 13 or 14, for a big huge world juniors amateur surfing contest. So then when I started to go back to play music, I felt comfortable there because I’d been there with the surfing.” “One of the things I’ll be looking at every day will be where I’m going to be tomorrow, and who I know in that town with an extra board,” he says with a laugh. “Maybe I’ll trade a board for a ticket – that always works out good.” While the surfing keeps him entertained, Frankenreiter says the biggest downside to the touring is being away from his wife and two sons. “It’s the most difficult thing in my life,” he says. “I try to bring them as much as I possibly can, but when I’m away it’s heartbreaking. It’s just one of those things that I’ve never really been able to figure out, how to make it make sense and how to make it work. They’re always intertwined in everything that I sing about – you’ve got to take the good with the bad.”
RED JEZEBEL Joyful Probabilities After eight years of nothing much at all, Red Jezebel have hit 2015 with gusto. CHRIS HAVERCROFT spoke to singer, songwriter and all round good chap, Paul Wood, about the band’s new (and somewhat unexpected) album Coup De Grâce and plans for taking this beast on the road. Red Jezebel went from being the scene’s underdogs to everyone’s favourite band with the release of their debut album, Revelations. Major labels came knocking but after a brief dalliance, the quartet returned to releasing their own music in the form of How I Learnt to Stop Worrying. The band continued to be a going concern but operated mostly under the radar. “I have no idea how that happened,” concedes singer/guitarist, Paul Wood, of the dramatic success of the band’s debut. On the making of this new record he responds, “Eight years didn’t seem that long for us because we were constantly working on the album, being in the studio a couple of nights a week. Members moved around Australia from time to time, but there was always at least a couple of us in the studio pulling our hair out.” There are some tight and punchy moments on Coup De Grâce that bring up thoughts of the band Spoon. Wood is a fan of that band, and
in particular the way that they build their sound. It is a method that he describes as throwing the kitchen sink at the songs, but then using those efforts sparingly instead of constantly through the song. It is the advantage of having a studio wizard like Dave Parkin as a member of the band that has allowed the layering of sounds that Red Jezebel have become known for. “If we didn’t have Parko we probably would have finished the album quicker, but we wouldn’t have had anywhere near the result that is for certain. I guess when we all get together we don’t like to settle for something that is just ‘good’. We tracked 40-odd songs for this album and scrapped a lot of them. The songs on Coup De Grace span as far back as 10 years or so, too.” Eight years is a long time in any business and certainly a lot has changed in the music industry in that time. Coup De Grâce was featured by double j last week, a station that didn’t even exist when the band started tracking the record. Wood admits to knowing nothing about the state of the industry outside of the cocoon he resides in as part of Red Jezebel and his other band The Ghost Hotel, but says he doesn’t need to as he is in good hands with the band’s manager, Luke Rinaldi who is their ‘knight in flannel armour’.
“We thought the record would come out and people would say ‘who?’.”
“We thought the record would come out and people would say ‘who?’. It was more of a selfish album as we weren’t too interested in what other people would think, we just wanted to get it out there so as we could all listen to it and see it on vinyl. It’s great that it is a double vinyl too. It looks impressive.” Live shows have been as rare as rocking horse shit for Red Jezebel over the past few years but after opening for Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks at the Chevron Gardens they have a few more things pencilled on their dance card. There is a show at The Bakery on Saturday, April 11, for locals to enjoy, before they tear off to Adelaide to open for good mates, Jebediah. After that point, things haven’t been mapped out. “We’ll probably enjoy the spoils of this one for a few months, but then we’ll get antsy and head back into the studio in a couple of months. That tends to be the way that it works for Red Jezebel. Hopefully it won’t be another eight years before we have something else out.”
“I feel like I’m a Marmite – or Vegemite – artist. You either like me or you don’t.”
Ghostpoet, AKA Obaro Ejimiwe Pic: Sophia Spring
GHOSTPOET Skin Deep It’s hard to pin down the style of music that London’s Obaro Ejimiwe releases under the Ghostpoet moniker. Is it rap? Trip hop? Grime? Spoken word? Urban folk? Or a hybrid of all of the above? It’s a conundrum made all the more difficult by Ghostpoet’s new LP, Shedding Skin. AUGUSTUS WELBY reports. For this, his third album, Obaro Ejimiwe steers away from the murky electronics that dominated 2011’s Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam and 2013’s Some Say I So I Say Light. Instead, on Shedding Skin, Ghostpoet’s plainspoken storytelling is backed by live instrumentation. So while the title Shedding Skin is taken from the record’s fourth track, it also has a strong symbolic resonance. “In some ways I feel like I’m starting again,” Ejimiwe says. “I’ve decided to take another path, and in this world I’ve got to prove myself. But
at the same time, I don’t feel like that. I feel like I’m enjoying making music and this is what I’ve chosen to make.” When you observe a few key factors, the rerouting of Ghostpoet’s stylistic journey isn’t as radical as it first appears. Firstly, Ejimiwe had already flirted with a guitar-driven sound on tracks such as Plastic Bag Brain from Some Say I. Secondly, the musicians who appear on Shedding Skin – guitarist Joe Newman, drummer John Blease and bassist/coproducer John Calvert – have been a central feature of the Ghostpoet live show for the past couple of years. “I’ve always played with a band,” says Ejimiwe. “But I never was in a situation where I could work with a full set of musicians over a period of time. I hadn’t really built up a relationship with anyone to that level. So the timing was just right, more than anything else. “I’ve always loved guitar music,” he adds. “For a while, all I was doing was listening to guitar music and that was influencing my thinking.” In spite of his deadpan spoken delivery, a key distinction of Ghostpoet’s body of work is his knack for penning memorable, almost mantra-like chorus refrains. Once again, the majority of Shedding Skin’s tracks are likely to stick in your head, yet none of them come across as overtly engineered singles. To attain this quality, Ejimiwe looked towards some dependable guides. “I was listening to a lot of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, a lot of Interpol, Massive Attack, TV On The Radio,” he says. “I was listening to their music and thinking, ‘What is it about their stuff that they have commercial appeal?’ It’s the balance – it’s still creative, but it appeals to a mass audience. I connect with those kinds of artists. So for me, that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to reach that world, I’m not trying to reach a glossy pop world.” Although Ejimiwe is very open about his influences, Shedding Skin doesn’t get lost in referencing past artists. Conversely, even with the restyled backdrop, the record affirms Ghostpoet’s distinct creative personality “I feel like I’m a Marmite – or Vegemite – artist. You either like me or you don’t, and that’s fine. I think it’s good that art can divide opinions and evoke discussion. I’m at a point now, with it being the third record, where I’ve established my name enough for people to realise that I kind of just make what I want. But at the same time, it’s always going to be a level of quality and that’s what’s important. I’m trying to make music that potentially will last in people’s existences for a long period of time.” WWW. XP RE SS MAG.COM. AU
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ADDICTED TO LOVE In between appearances at SXSW in the USA and Canadian Music Week, Perth’s The Love Junkies are squeezing in a national tour. After releasing their second album Blowing On The Devil’s Strumpet and supporting Gyroscope on their tour last year, the grunge rock band are now headlining their own tour, with fellow local band Red Jezabel appearing as special guests for their Perth shows. The tour kicks off at The Prince of Wales in Bunbury Thursday, April 2, with their other Perth show at The Bakery Saturday, April 11. Tickets are available from oztix.com.au. The Love Junkies
BANGING ON ON BEAUFORT STREET This week’s instalment of the ongoing Beaufort St Songwriter’s Club sees Defectors Bar being graced by the presence of Davey Craddock, Noah Skape, Ben Macri, Ricky Green and Ben Catley. It’s all happening on Thursday, March 19 - entry is $5 from 8pm. Davey Craddock
ISLAND VIBES
THEY WANT OUR BLOOD
Evoking the peace and positive vibes of a tropical island getaway is Island Breeze, a new single by up and coming reggae artist Cera Kymarni. Hailing from the native Maori people of New Zealand, Kymarni now calls Australia home. Her vocals show gospel influences from reggae harmony groups such as The Heptones and hints if R&B singers like Mariah Carey. Island Breeze debuts on reggae compilation album iDrop Riddim from Rootstime Productions and also features artists such as Luciano and Freddie McGregor.
Perth hard punkers Chainsaw Hookers have announced a national tour for their latest album We Want Your Blood. The WAMi award winning band have been support act of choice for international hardcore bands with the likes of Misfits, Dropkick Murphys and Dead Kennedys taking them along on their Australian tours. The We Want Your Blood tour INDI ROCK kicks off and concludes at Amplifier Bar, Friday, April 10, and Thursday, April 30. Tickets available at tickets. Things get loud at the Indi Bar this Fraiday, March 20, when the legendary ladies of Legs Electric take to oztix.com.au. the stage with support from The Tommyhawks and Maverick. Doors open at 8pm, entry is $10. Chainsaw Hookers
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CHAOS DIVINE Colliding Skies Album Launch @ Amplifier AJ WIGWAMS Self Titled EP Launch @ The Bird THE GOVERNMENT YARD Self Titled EP Launch @ The Velvet Lounge TIMOTHY NELSON & THE INFIDELS My Luck Single Launch @ Bamboo EMORTUUS Reinheriting The Mantle EP Launch @ The Railway FOAM The Feeling Is Mutual EP Launch @ The Bakery GIRL YORK Perception Is Reality EP Launch @ The Rosemount THE LUNETTES Self Titled EP Launch @ Four5Nine PAT CHOW Pleasure Unit Single Launch @ Four5Nine WILL STOKER AND THE EMBERS Young Bloods Single Launch @ The Bird DAN PETERS & THE VOLATYLES Love Me Now I’m Dead Single Launch @ Mojos EDUARDO COSSIO The Work Of Days EP Launch @ Four5Nine FILTHY APES Indigovidual EP Launch @ Mojos CHAINSAW HOOKERS We Want Your Blood Album Launch @ Amplifier OH WHITE MARE All Right Single Launch @ Jimmy’s Den SANZU Painless EP Launch @ The Rosemount GRRL PAL Paradise EP Launch @ The Bird DARKYRA BLACK Fool Album Launch @ The Astor CELERY Self Titled Album Launch @ The Velvet Lounge
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EMPERORS Frost No More Emperors have just released their second album, Chupacabra, but with the departure of lead vocalist, Adam Livingstone, have gone into an indefinite hiatus. BOB GORDON chats with Greg Sanders. Following on from your debut album, 2012’s Stay Frosty, where did the band want to evolve to on this release? We didn’t have any ambition to evolve stylistically too much, we know what we’re good at and were always going to stick to it. We just wanted to make sure the songs were better, which I definitely got very analytical about. We identified what we thought were weak points on Stay Frosty and our headspace was really different. Instead of approaching it with a fresh perspective and no real expectations, we were more, ‘okay, let’s do this again but make sure we do it better’. What was the creative process like for this album? Were you all on the same page? Yeah Adam and I have always been on the same page, we tend to filter out each other’s songwriting weaknesses. If something I’ve written is too ‘missionary position’ he’ll tell me. If something he has written sounds too much like a fucking Alanis Morissette song, I’ll tell him. We’ve always been very open about telling each other when we’re shit and when we’re good. What songs best evoke where the band are nowadays? Everything was written when the band was in good shape, but now it’s hard to look back at the songs and not find new meaning in the lyrics. Everything sounds like it’s about the band breaking up. Automatic
Sigh was written as a narrative about a kid and his robot, but now it has a subtext for me that is about coping with loss and giving up on childish pursuits, like trying to be in a successful indie rock band. The same goes with songs like Deleted Scenes and Seeing Ghosts, it’s really quite eerie, like we knew subconsciously where the band was headed. I mean, the very last line of the album is, ‘Let’s get wasted, let’s get sober, lets not look until it’s all over’, and that kind of sums up the last six years for me. We couldn’t have summed it up better if we tried. What was the last show you played? What are the memories? It was phenomenal, one of our most fun shows ever and certainly one of the most memorable. We played at The Brighton Up Bar in Sydney in August and there were probably about 30 people there, basically just playing to our mates, as you do. The support bands were Maids from Newcastle and Horror My Friend from Adelaide and we asked them to do a ‘wall of death’ during one of our songs. They obliged and it got really messy... we were all pretty fucked up. The bar has this weird layout where it’s on the second floor and there’s basically a five-metre sheer drop in the middle of the room where the stairs are. Tom from Horror My Friend came desperately close to falling down there during some pretty inspired crowd surfing - he told me afterwards he thought he was going to die! What are the plans ahead now that the album is out? Can you plan? You can in the sense that you just have to kind of move on with your life, you know? Plan what to do next. We’re extremely proud of the record we’ve made and I’m looking forward to reading the reviews and seeing if people like it or not. Aside from that, we’ve pretty much gone our separate ways musically and it would be nothing short of a miracle if we ever played live again. I’m sad about the band ending and I will be for a while, but I think we left on a high note and I’m excited about working on some new musical projects with some new people.
WANDERLUST EP LAUNCH The Astor Lounge Friday, March 12, 2015 Indie folk duo Wanderlust unveiled their new EP, Dark House Days, on Friday, and our camera was there to capture the action. Photos by Rachael Barrett
Andrew, Matt
Amy, Sam
Eisha, Jordan
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RAW POWER RTR FM FUNDRAISER right boxes in Perth of late. From the South West of our state, this five-piece certainly put their money where their mouth is when it comes to ‘power’. The raw energy of these lads really drew a crowd, but they are slow-burners. Building consistently throughout their set, they let their doom-laden roots take hold and let them ride – with the pit feeling the intensity as they worked up to fever pitch. Emu Xperts have gained an air of notoriety about them. Known for giving absolutely no-fucks, they work this tag to the hilt – fronted by the always-entertaining Blake Hate. Tonight was no different. Obviously with a few too many under their belts, songs like You Wouldn’t Like Me When I Am Sober and Conjugal Wars certainly made their mark – especially when spliced beside covers such as Cosmic Psycho’s Nice Day To Go To The Pub and Zeke’s Mystery Train. And, of course, Blake got mostly naked – using his Adidas shorts to make a ‘thong’. Many won’t be forgetting that sight anytime soon. Skullcave offered something completely different from the usual punk ties. Reveling in a wall of sound, there was nothing better to do than to close you eyes and let this trio take you. Travelling the lines between stoner, shoegaze, noise, grunge and something much darker – each note played served a purpose. Getting lost in the experience was easy with Liam Young’s vocals serving as the only guide. Taking tracks from their recently released self-titled EP, their set was a fitting end to a diverse stream of bands who had come together to celebrate their affection for the local radio station.
Gimp masks, bare skin, sweat, a pair of homemade Adidas snap-pant bikini bottoms and beer, beer, beer - just a few of the factors that saw punters head to Amplifier last Saturday in the name of punk rock. RTR FM, Perth’s much loved home of local and alternative sounds, got together some of WA’s best new and established acts for an evening of short, fast frivolity in the name of raising funds for the community radio station. Now, Rubber Daddy is definitely a band with an interesting hook. What else can you say about a bunch of dudes that don fetish masks and preach ‘the message of our rubber family’ to the masses? Formed by a large collective of musicians from acts such as Shit Narnia, Mt Mountain and Kitchen People, they use a revolving live line-up to bring this concept to life. And they are nothing short of fucking captivating. Playing their demo, Flexible Healing, from cover-to-cover – their songs of latex-inspired titillation certainly did bring a wide grin, much the same way as bands like GG Allin or Cosmic Psychos do. Visceral punk rock with just the right amount of sleaze. The Shakeys just get better and better. It was easy to see these garage punk-infused gals were loving having bassist Jess back in the band, after she took a little breather, seamlessly rolling through their set with the ‘snarl’ they have become known for. Taking a nod to the ‘70s genre classics, the punk’n’roll vibe of their sound is what hits you – solid tunes with no-nonsense lyrics that you feel in your gut. Blackwitch have been ticking all the JESSICA WILLOUGHBY
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65DAYSOFSTATIC
The Shakeys Pic: Damien Crocker
Amplifier Saturday, March 14, 2015
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65daysofstatic d f i - Photo h b by Denis i Radacic d i
Tangled Thoughts of Leaving Amplifier Bar Friday, March 13, 2015
picking, no self-indulgent build-ups and no delay pedal worship; instead, this was about energy – the kinetic fervour of EDM and the vitality of a fucking tight rock band delivered with the military precision of worldclass musicians. Considering 65daysofstatic have a sound so steeped in synth tones and atmospherics, they did a remarkable job of recreating those crisp tones in a live setting. Though guitarist/keyboardist Joe Shrewsbery doesn’t sing a word, he comfortably slipped into the role of de facto band leader, oozing charisma as he gently silenced a belligerent punter at the front of the stage yelling “One more song!” 15 minutes in, which was about as endearing as that asshole you know who still thinks yelling “Free Bird” makes him the funniest guy in the room. Shrewsbery’s patience thinned as they persisted, and his polite request morphed into a demand the comedian shut the fuck up before he get kicked out. The 90-minute set leaned heavily on 65’s most recent record, Wild Light, and rightly so; from the killer bass groove on Sleepwalk City to the frenetic beats of Prism and the uplifting, celestial tones of Safe Passage, the songs from that record were overflowing with vitality in the flesh. After over an hour, the quartet retired for two minutes before the agitator from earlier in the evening got his wish, as the crowd erupted in a chant of “One more song!” We got two – seamless renditions of This Cat Is A Landmine and AOD, both from the band’s 2004 debut, The Fall Of Math. There’s a sample at the start the band’s first single, Retreat! Retreat!, where a voice utters, “We will not retreat. This band is unstoppable.” I don’t think anyone who witnessed Friday night’s performance could disagree.
Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving opened with the subtlety of an artillery cannon, a sudden crash of noise jolting the meandering bodies in Amplifier’s band room to life. And so they should; with an extensive back catalogue, an average song length of around eight minutes and a 40 minute support slot to fill, there’s no time for pussyfooting. The best thing about watching this band is they’re unpredictable; even if you’ve listened to their records and seen them live dozens of times in the decade they’ve been gigging around town, there’s an undeniable joy in watching the foursome weave complex sonic threads that flow in and out of sync over the course of a ten-minute movement, before coalescing into a beautiful, punishing crescendo. Better yet, behind the complexity, the shifting time signatures and the frenetic melodies lies an undeniable emotionality – a captivating quality that’s not easy to achieve given the quartet’s nuanced mix of post-metal, doom and experimental aesthetics. And maybe it was just the humidity in the air thanks to the impending cyclone, but this was a thoroughly exhausting, literally breathtaking performance to behold; the air actually felt thinner during each flurry of volume. It’s rare that a support act sets the bar so high, even when that band is as venerable as this one. There’s little doubt that the few in the crowd who may have been seeing Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving for the first time left as total converts. When the opening notes of Heat Death Infinity Splitter sounded out like sonic beams from the heavens, it was clear this wasn’t going to be your typical post-rock show: there would be no tremolo MATTHEW TOMICH
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DJ SHADOW AND CUT CHEMIST
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WINTERBOURNE Freo Feels
Charlie Bucket Metro City Saturday, March 14, 2015 In what was a wet dream for turntablists, record collectors, musicologists and hip hop heads alike, the Renegades Of Rhythm tour hit Metro City on Saturday night. Featuring pioneering, turntable adventurers DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist, this was a special, once in a lifetime tour that saw the duo taking Afrika Bambaataa’s legendary record collection on the road for a musical history lesson, armed with six turntables and two mixers. South Bronx native Bambaataa is regarded as the Godfather of hip hop, and visionary pioneer of electro-funk and breakbeat, and the two West Coast sampladelic DJ geniuses were granted full access to his 40,000 strong collection - the famed source of so many classic samples, which was recently donated to Cornell University in upstate New York. Perth’s own sample-based, hip hop champion of all things funky, breaky and exotic Charlie Bucket started the night off. While only the bottom floor of Metros was open, it was an amped and packed crowd that warmly greeted the dynamic duo. DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist, sporting ‘SURE’ and ‘SHOT’ T-shirts respectively, took their positions behind the decks, flanked by packed crates. Grabbing a mic, Shadow offered a little introduction about exactly what they were doing for the uninitiated. Kicking off in the ‘60s with some funky wah-wah guitar, the battle was on. Fittingly they dropped Drumbeat by Jim Ingram, featuring that classic sample, “It began in Africa” and from then on it was a whirlwind tour through music evolution, historically and geographically. Moving rapidly through James Brown funk, salsa swing, Cuban horns, Latin flavours, the big screen behind them was illuminated with a slide show of the actual records - some sporting hand-written notes like “Property of Afrika Bambaataa” or “funky Calypso music”, while other tattered old jackets had their titles hidden with a strip of black tape.
DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist - Photo by Derick Dailey
Scratching a percussive bongo record, Cut Chemist deftly played it like a drum, tapping the record with both hands. The two DJs are virtuosos on their instruments and put on a display of showmanship, whilst remaining respectful of the seminal records. “I guarantee this isn’t happening at Kylie’s show!” said Shadow. Moving through a ‘70s disco section there were so many familiar sounds - a break here, a synth there, a bassline - the secret ingredients to so many recipes over the years. They would sometimes play the original record, alongside the more popular ones that sampled them, such as Groove Is In The Heart and Rappers Delight. The sheer range of Bam’s collection is amazing, it’s not just funk and hip hop - there was music spanning decades and genres – with familiar sleeves flashing up from Cat Stevens, The Beatles, Gary Newman, Steve Miller Band, Kraftwerk. A particularly impressive moment was where the two engaged in a synchronised beatjuggle - the last time they would ever do that, Chemist said. As J5 fans would know, Chemist loves his toys, and tonight he showed off an extremely rare 1967 “box percussion thing.” Familiar beats continued to fly by with Grandmaster Flash, Yes, Beastie Boys, that classic Apache riff, before a final section featuring Bambaataa’s own fusions of electro and hip hop including the classic Planet Rock with Soul Sonic Force. A truly special evening and an incredible journey through the historical archives that formed a blueprint for hip hop and electronic music, with two of your finest curators, who were having the time of their lives. ALFRED GORMAN
The 2015 Fremantle Street Arts Festival takes place around Freo over the Easter Long Weekend, Saturday-Monday, April 4-6. Central Coast folk duo, Winterbourne, will be making their presence felt. BOB GORDON reports. Recently seen in WA at the Nannup Festival, James Draper and Jordan Brady from Winterbourne have a musical camaraderie between that is long and evolved. “We met in high school in Year 8 and became really close friends,” recalls Draper. “I think because we’re just mates who happen to make music, rather than individual musicians, that hopefully comes through in our music and performances. We’ve always had identical taste in music, and a lot of other things, so that helps!” Central to their growth was a long time spent busking along the East Coast. Brady feels this was central in their development as artists and performers. “Busking has had a huge impact on the way we play,” he states. “Three years of trying to grab people’s attention and playing to decent-sized crowds has given us a lot of confidence in our live show. We feel quite comfortable on stage because we’ve been in front of people every day of every week at some points in our busking career. It makes it really nice
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when people have actually paid to come and listen to you.” While the pair sold EPs when they were busking, their 2014 EP, All But The Sun, was more of an official release. “I think we wanted to make our first professionally made EP to be a true representation of where we were musically at the time,” says Draper, “but also have some sounds we hadn’t played with yet. I like to think we achieved that! We’re really proud of the EP and the songs on it.” All But The Sun has picked up the game for Winterbourne, who are currently on their first national headline tour. “It’s crazy!” Brady says. “To think that so many people have bought tickets to come to our shows, it’s such a nice feeling. We’re really keen to play for people and finally get a headline tour under our belts.” “I think once we’ve finished the tour we’ll head back into the studio,” says Draper of what’s around the corner. “We have some songs that we are very excited to record and we would love to get them out by the end of the year.” “Three years of trying to grab people’s attention and playing to decent-sized crowds has given us a lot of confidence in our live show.” For full details about the Fremantle Street Arts Festival head to fremantlestory.com.au.
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ROD STEWART, MARCH 21
ED SHEERAN, APRIL 4 & 5
SCIENCE 9 Astor Theatre FAIRBRIDGE FESTIVAL DAVID LIEBE THIS WEEK 10 – 12 HART (TIM & RUSSELL PETERS Fairbridge ERIC) 19 Perth Arena Village, Pinjarra 27 Mojos VANCE JOY AMPLIFY AUGIE MARCH 19 & 20 Astor FESTIVAL 28 Astor Theatre Theatre 12 Perth Arena WEST COAST JESSIE J THE GIPSY BLUES & ROOTS 20 Crown KINGS 2015 ft. JOHN Theatre 13 Perth BUTLER TRIO, CANCELLED Convention & PAOLO NUTINI, CHAOS DIVINE Exhibition Centre DAVID GRAY, 20 Amplifier THE BLACK JURASSIC 5, OFFBEAT KEYS RODRIGO Y FESTIVAL 14 Red Hill GABRIELA, 20 – 22 Auditorium XAVIER RUDD Fremantle Arts HORRORSHOW & THE UNITED Centre 14 The Bakery NATIONS and ROD STEWART THE MURLOCS more! 21 Perth Arena 18 Four5Nine Bar 29 Fremantle FIESTA MICHAEL Park CONCERT ft. FRANTI & THIRSTY MERC, HYPERFEST SPEARHEAD, 2015 ft. ILLY, THE JUNGLE SLUMBERJACK, with DONOVAN GIANTS + FRANKEN MONTAIGNE MAKE THEM REITER, BLUE 21 Sir James SUFFER, KING BROWN Mitchell Park JAPANESE & TIJUANA SETS ON THE WALLPAPER, CARTEL BEACH – END THE BENNIES, 18 Red Hill OF SUMMER COIN BACKS & Auditorium PARTY ft. ECCA VANDAL THE ASTON 29 Midland Oval NANA MOUSKOURI SHUFFLE, SWITCHFOOT 19 Perth Concert BASENJI, with LIKE A Hall GRMM, HELE, THIEF IN THE PINES KILTER, THIEF, 30 The Lakes 2015 WORDLIFE & Theatre 19 Somerville more Auditorium 22 Port Beach APRIL 2015 DEMI LOVATO KASEY 21 HBF Stadium ED SHEERAN CHAMBERS & SAN CISCO 4 & 5 Perth BAND 23 & 24 22 Quindanning Arena JOHN FARNHAM Fremantle Arts Inne Centre & OLIVIA THE SCRIPT NEWTON JOHN MARCH 2015 with LABRINTH 4 Sandalford THE 24 Perth Arena Winery WATERBOYS GUTTERMOUTH PASAJE 25 Astor Theatre 4 Fremantle Arts 24 Leisure Inn BEN HOWARD 25 Rosemount Centre 26 Fremantle Hotel NEPATHYA Arts Centre 26 Margaret 4 HBF Stadium KINGSWOOD River Football OPHIDIAN 26 Prince of Club 5 Swan River Wales JERICCO COUNTING 27 Capitol 26 Rosemount CROWS 28 Dunsborough 7 Perth Concert Hotel Tavern SPYGLASS Hall 29 Newport GYPSIES PINK FLOYD Hotel 26 Ellington Jazz EXPERIENCE THE HARRY Club 7 Crown Theatre HEART GROOVIN THE ARCHITECTS CHRYSALIS MOO 26 Defectors Bar 9 Capitol 26 Hay Park, ROBIN INCE: 27 Rosemount Bunbury Hotel HAPPINESS HUMAN 29 Hyperfest THROUGH NATURE 28 Perth FEATURED GIG Convention & Exhibition Centre YOU ME AT SIX 28 Capitol 360 29 Rosemount Hotel 30 Prince of Wales
TOURS
MAY 2015
VANCE JOY
ASTOR THEATRE, MARCH 19 & 20 28
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COSENTINO 1 & 2 Regal Theatre
KARNIVOOL, MAY 22
360 1 Players Bar 2 Dunsborough Tavern COURTNEY BARNETT 2 The Bakery APIA GOOD TIMES TOUR ft. KATE CEBERANO, BRIAN CADD, JOE CAMILLERI & GLENN SHORROCK 2 HBF Stadium SAM SMITH 4 HBF Stadium RED FANG 7 Rosemount Hotel RICKY MARTIN 8 Perth Arena MICHAEL SPIBY & THE BADLOVES 8 Centurion Hotel 9 Charles Hotel 10 The Ravenswood AMERICA with SHARON CORR 9 Red Hill Auditorium JOE AVATI 9 Fremantle Town Hall ANASTACIA 10 Perth Concert Hall ALT-J 15 HBF Stadium BACKSTREET BOYS 15 Perth Arena THE ANGELS 16 Charles Hotel PALOMA FAITH 16 Perth Concert Hall SPANDAU BALLET 22 Perth Arena KARNIVOOL 22 Metro City SHE WHO ROCKS ft. BABY ANIMALS & THE SUPERJESUS 22-23 Charles Hotel COLIN HAY 23 Regal Theatre 24 Colonial Brewery, Margaret River MOTLEY CRUE 23 Perth Arena NICKELBACK 26 Perth Arena DEFEATER 28 YMCA HQ 29 Rosemount Hotel PANOS KIAMOS 29 HBF Stadium DARYL BRAITHWAITE 29 Charles Hotel ALLDAY 30-31 Metropolis Fremantle
JUNE 2015
BORIS 1 Rosemount Hotel JOYCE MANOR 4 Rosemount Hotel LURCH & CHIEF 4 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury 5 Settlers Tavern, Margaret River 6 Mojo’s VOYAGER with KLONE 5 Amplifier KARISE EDEN 10 Albany Entertainment Centre THE GETAWAY PLAN 12 Rosemount Hotel THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER 18 Capitol JEBEDIAH 26 Astor Theatre 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER 29 Perth Arena MACHINE HEAD 29 Astor Theatre JULY 2015
YELLOWCARD 4 Metro City AUSTRALIAN ROCK WITH ANGRY ANDERSON 4 Charles Hotel ADAM HARVEY 22 Albany Entertainment Centre AUGUST 2015
THE AUSTRALIAN BEE GEES SHOW 15 Regal Theatre 16 Albany Entertainment Centre PEACE TRAIN: THE CAT STEVENS STORY 21 Astor Theatre 22 Albany Entertainment Centre THE BEATLES FOREVER 27 Albany Entertainment Centre ELVIS MEETS THE BEATLES 28 HBF Stadium SEPTEMBER 2015
JULIA MORRIS 11 Regal Theatre OCTOBER 2015
KISS 3 Perth Arena NOVEMBER 2015
NEIL DIAMOND 14 Sandalford Estate
FOR ALL WEEKLY EVENTS DOWNLOAD OUR FREE MAGAZINE APP AVAILABLE FROM DOWNLOAD OUR FREE EVENTS GUIDE APP 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
CATLIPS, MARCH 21
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WEEKLY WEDNESDAY 18/03 AMPLIFIER Harlem Wednesdays THE BAKERY Big Sandy Johnny Law & the Pistol Packin’ Daddies The Sugartown Two THE BEAT Street Wednesdays THE BIRD Guilty Pleasure Vol II ft. Christo Di Ferro Sleepyhead Will Bockman DJ NSFW vs HW Sims CLANCYS CANNING BRIDGE Songwriters Night ft. Leah Miche Matt Cal ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB PJS Big Band Allira Wilson Night Cap Sessions FLYRITE Northbridge Nightly Now THE GOOD SHEPHERD Herd Launch Party ft. White Avenue Bi-Polarbear Tarp on the Shed Floor The Worst Big Mother Love DJ Tim Gordon HERDSMAN Playoff Semi-Final 2 ft. Legs Electric Brufield The Milkmen The Silent Deeds September Sun INDI BAR Club Acoustica MOJOS Old Blood The Galloping Foxleys The Bonekickers THE MOON CAFÉ Going Solo ft. Rachael Dease Joni In The Moon NEWPORT HOTEL Newport Wednesdays NICHE BAR Karma Wednesday ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Hailmary The Brown Study Band Still Frame Mind Beyond Stone Rising ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) Student Night ft. DJ Anton Maz SETTLERS TAVERN Open Mic Night ft. Claire Warnock THE VELVET LOUNGE DJ Boxer DJ Kill THURSDAY 19/03 AMPLIFIER Last Night THE BAKERY French Film Festival After Party THE BIRD The Spunloves Dougal’s Casino Mitch Midi DEFECTORS BAR Davey Craddock Ben Macri Noah Skape Ricky Green Ben Catley DEVILLES PAD Rock n Roll Karaoke ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Pretzel Logic Night Cap Sessions HULA BULA BAR Rhum Club INDI BAR Open Mic METRO CITY Honey Cocaine MOJOS Tom Fisher & The Layabouts Jeff’s Dead Michael Triscari
459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Rich King Matthews In The Pink Darling Blake Skinner Tahlia Darling ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Sciatika Magnolia Jones The Crossbars Treestump Almighty SETTLERS TAV Nate Lansdell FRIDAY 20/03 AMBAR Break-A-Holics Anonymous ft. Ben Mac Micah Mono Lisa Oli Philly Blunt Tone Wish AMPLIFIER Chaos Divine Forstora OPIA Carthasy THE BAKERY The Factory 1st Birthday ft. Guti (live) THE BIRD AJ Wigwams (EP Launch) Damien Crosbie Jacob Diamond John Martyr’s Ghost CAPITOL Straight Outta Compton (DJ Yella) The Alkaholics Spice 1 Baby Easy-E3 Curtis Young CAPITOL (UPSTAIRS) I Love ‘80s & ‘90s CIVIC HOTEL Freedom vs. Everybody ft. Cortext Knowledge Bones MV Team Roxy Chef OS DJ Jamu DJ L-Street CLANCYS CANNING BRIDGE Boullibass DJ Boogie CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Café Sundowner Sessions ft. The Limelights Jazz CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Dynomite DJ Jiminy Kickit & Friends Princess May Night Market ft. Ian Simpson Jim Fisher Bluegrass COTTESLOE BEACH HOTEL Beach Beats ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Elise Lynelle MIAMI presents “The Best of Both Worlds” EVE NIGHTCLUB Candy Fridays FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE OffBeat Festival ft. Defying Gravity performing John Luther Adams’ Inuksuit THE GAME The Animal House: Golf Pros & Tennis Hoes GEISHA BAR Habitat ft. M.A.N.D.Y GINGER NIGHTCLUB Mondo Fridays GOLD BAR Gold Relaunch Party
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KINGSWOOD CAPITOL FRIDAY, MARCH 27
THE GOOD SHEPHERD Throwback HERDSMAN LAKE TAVERN Kyle Bonser Band The Daniel Firkin Trio Empty Pocket Three Hands One Hoof HULA BULA Friday Frendzee JIMMY’S DEN Heartbreak Ball ft. Boom! Bap! Pow! The Caballeros Flyball Gov’nor Turin Robinson LIBRARY Dorcia METRO CITY Amon Vision WHITE PARTY MINT Club Retro MOJOS BAR Morgan Bain The Go Set Jack & The Cowboys NEWPORT HOTEL Friday Fiesta NICHE BAR Funk’N Soul Fridays PARKER Majesty ft. Phetsta RAILWAY HOTEL Cross Sections ft. Who Is Albert Ross Stuart Orchard Band Los Ducks The Silent Deeds Pokkets of Resistance 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The North Perth Night Market Carnivale Spectacular ft. Sam Cribb Rishi Rrawlins Ash McCole Colin Worth Sexy Robot The Gizzards ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The North Perth Night Market Carnivale Spectacular ft. The Sea of Tunes Datura Huge Magnet Sugar Blue Burlesque Beehives Go-Go Dancers ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) DJ Holly Doll DJ Razor Jack Zazou SETTLERS TAVERN Tracksuit SWAN BASEMENT Foreign Architects (Single Launch) Rum Punch Jaks Johannah Grace VELVET LOUNGE Government Yard (EP Launch) Night Signals Hussy The Limbs VILLA Syndicate ft. Ookay Must Die Apache Command Q Pimp Scrub Peter Payne SATURDAY 21/03 AMBAR Japan 4 AMPLIFIER Luca Brasi Gnarwolves Tired Lion ASTOR LOUNGE Mattersville (EP Launch + Final Show!) Hostile Little Face The Light, The Dark Lakesider THE BAKERY Sugar Blue Burlesque BARRACK ST JETTY Local Produce Boat Party ft. Kaotic & Dazastah Cymatics Witless Vagabond BEAT NIGHTCLUB (UPSTAIRS) CANVAS THE BIRD Lo-Fi 1st Birthday ft. Andras Fox Cosmo Gets {MOVE} Good Company DJs CAPITOL (UPSTAIRS) Cream Of The ‘80s CARNAC ISLAND Shiptease Paradise Party ft. Paul Scott Baux Josh Ryan QC
SEA OF TUNES, MARCH 20 Ace Basik Pussy Mittens Kovaxx CLANCY’S CANNING BRIDGE Hugh Jennings CLANCY’S CITY BEACH The Rogue Gypsies CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Motown at Clancy’s CLAREMONT HOTEL Mix Tape Saturdays COTTESLOE BEACH HOTEL Beach Beats DEVILLES PAD Hell Freezes Over ft. The Sea of Tunes The Isolites Special Brew Feminem & Her Femme Fatales Les Sataniques Go-Go Girls DUNSBOROUGH TAV Kid Mac Dallas Royal EAST END BAR & LOUNGE Temptation ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Gospel Extravaganza Band Ms Paula presents Box Party FLYRITE Father FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE OffBeat Festival ft. Mathas Rokwell & Groom Joni in the Moon Catlips Josh Hogan on live percussion GEISHA BAR MAiKO GOLD BAR Pure Gold THE GOOD SHEPHERD Chocolate Jesus HOTEL ROTTNEST The Wire Birds HULA BULA Sailor Saturdays LLAMA BAR Laundry METRO CITY KUSH Lounge HYFR #7 METRO FREO C5 I Love ‘80s & ‘90s METROPOLIS FREMANTLE Metropolis Saturdays MINT Pop Life MOJOS BAR Old Mates II ft. Kashikoi Mugwump Silver Hills Apollo’s Son Golden Slums Slick Monks NICHE BAR Surrender Saturdays PARKER Menagerie Nights RAILWAY HOTEL Emortuus (EP Launch) Suffer in Rot Mhorgi My Final Form 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Brainhorn Flyball Gov’ner Discordians ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Whalehammer ALZABO Barnodi Tsvoim Craig McElhinney ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) Turin Robinson SHAPE HUSH SIR JAMES MITCHELL PARK Fiesta Concert ft. Thirsty Merc The Jungle Giants Montaigne VILLA Bonobo DJ SUNDAY 22/03 CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Salt Shaker Sundays ft. DJ Boogie Salt Shaker Selectors CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Decks on the Decks ft. DJ Jiminy Kickit The Brow CLAREMONT HOTEL Sunset Terrace Summer Sundays ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB PULMAC (Perth’s Underground Live Music Appreciation Club) FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE OffBeat Festival ft. Daniel Susnjar AfroPeruvian Jazz Group HULA BULA BAR Tropical Sundaze
HYDE PARK BOTANICAL GARDENS Summer Concerts – Caribbean Party ft. Grace Barbe & the Crucial Rockers The Isolites DJ Razor Jack & Count D DJ Papa George MOJOS BAR Hideous Sun Demon Hunting Huxley The Pissedcolas Nectar Laurel Fixation MUSTANG BAR The Detonators Shot Down From Sugar Town DJ Holly Doll PORT BEACH Sets on the Beach – End of Summer Party ft. The Aston Shuffle Basenji Cyril Hahn GRMM Kele Okereke Kilter Roland Tings Thief Wordlife RAILWAY HOTEL The Rifle Club presents ‘Double Header’ ft. Scalphunter Jake Grigg (Something with Numbers) Kid Macc Red Engine Caves King Cactus The Wheelers of Oz Boston Switch Dallas Royal Ray Finkle Rob Delirious Ricky Green Chu Fastlve Golden Slums Elli Schoenberg Black Habits Jimmy Curry 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Against (QLD) Losing Grip Worst Possible Outcome Bounty Hunter Sweet Leaf Beer Fridge Cursed Earth Vanity Idle Eyes ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Fleetwood Rack ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) Get Down ft. Aslan Klean Kicks Pawel Good Company DJs Sleepyhead Beni Chill Jo Lettenmaier Tim King SETTLERS TAVERN Sunday Session ft. Jay Hoad SWANBROOK WINERY Luke Dux Chris David Paul McCarthy MONDAY 23/03 THE BAKERY Cormega Tha Alkaholiks THE BIRD Surface/Tension Exhibition Launch BRASS MONKEY Monday Madness Student & Industry Night CLANCY’S CANNING BRIDGE Scotty’s Quiz Night ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Song Lounge ft. David Hyams China Doll Matt Waring Tahlia Jaye MOJOS BAR Wide Open Mic ft. Cassis PARKER Manic Mondays ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Comedy Trivia TUESDAY 24/03 CIVIC HOTEL David Ellefson Silent Knight ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Oehlers/O’Halloran/ Susnjar LLAMA BAR Ruby Tuesdays MOJOS BAR Apollo Million In The Pink Rich King Matthews Hunt For Dallas Tom Mantle THE PADDO Quiz Meisters 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Rock Scholars ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Bex & Turin’s Open Mic Night
FOAM, MARCH 27 WEDNESDAY 25/03 AMPLIFIER Harlem Wednesdays THE BAKERY An Evening with Sun Kil Moon THE BEAT Street Wednesdays CIVIC HOTEL Uncle Jeffrey Cloning the Mammoth and friends CLANCYS CANNING BRIDGE Darryn Foote Simon Fasolo ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Gabriella’s Quintet Night Cap Sessions FLYRITE Northbridge Nightly Now THE GOOD SHEPHERD HERD ft. Furniture Hip Priest Fine Court They’re There Della Fern DJ Matt Tanner INDI BAR Club Acoustica MOJOS BAR Maurice Flavel’s Intensive Care Night Signals Koma Huckleberrie THE MOON CAFÉ Going Solo ft. Lewis Inglis Ali Flintoff NEWPORT HOTEL Newport Wednesdays NICHE BAR Karma Wednesday 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Steve Poltz ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Velveteen Oakland James Atles ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) Student Night ft. DJ Anton Maz SETTLERS TAVERN Open Mic Night ft. Claire Warnock THE VELVET LOUNGE Electric Funeral Club DJ Kill The Black Captain Shake-a-Sonic THURSDAY 26/03 AMPLIFIER Last Night THE BAKERY Brothers & Sisters THE BIRD Cracked Actor (Album Launch) Usurper of Modern Medicine Erasers CIVIC HOTEL The Abmusic Club DEFECTORS BAR Michael Savage Rachel Charles Harry Heart Michael D. Lane Danny Bau ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Night Cap Sessions THE GOOD SHEPHERD Rich King Matthews Iceage Sugar Little Skye The Mondays Raksha HULA BULA BAR Rhum Club INDI BAR Open Mic JIMMY’S DEN 13 Circles September Sun Windows to the World Dry Dry River MOJOS BAR Steve Poltz THE MOON CAFÉ Shontay Snow Quartet Huckleberrie 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Slaughterhouse 5 Blood Grove & more
WILL STOKER & THE EMBERS, MARCH 28 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL AJ Wigwams Golden String Sam Aitken Xanthea FRIDAY 27/03 AMPLIFIER Claim The Throne Silent Knight The Furor Septillion THE BAKERY Hideous Sun Demon Super Best Friends Shit Narnia Skullcave Childsaint DJs CAPITOL Kingswood & special guests CAPITOL (UPSTAIRS) I Love ‘80s & ‘90s CLANCYS CANNING BRIDGE Boullibass DJ Boogie CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Café Sundowner Sessions ft. The Limelights Jazz CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Dynomite DJ Jiminy Kickit & Friends Princess May Night Market ft. The Crooked Fiddle Band COTTESLOE BEACH HOTEL Beach Beats ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Natalie Gillespie Marcio Mendes presents Backyard Samba EVE NIGHTCLUB Candy Fridays FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE WAAPA Direct GEISHA BAR Andre Crom GILKISON DANCE STUDIO Methods of Movement presents Terekke (USA) LIBRARY Sneaky METROPOLIS FREMANTLE Clique 026 – Clique First Birthday MINT Club Retro MOJOS BAR David Liebe Hart The Galloping Foxleys Justin Walshe Folk Machine & more NEWPORT HOTEL Friday Fiesta NICHE BAR Funk’N Soul Fridays 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Lunettes Flyball Gov’nor Damian Crosbie Erbium ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Girl York The Disappointed Ray Finkle Harry Heart SWAN BASEMENT Kansas City Killers & guests SWAN LOUNGE The Convicts
THE BIRD Will Stoker & the Embers Aborted Tortoise The Darling Rangers BEAT NIGHTCLUB (UPSTAIRS) CANVAS CAPITOL Dugong Jr. Death Disco CAPITOL (UPSTAIRS) Cream Of The ‘8 0s CIVIC HOTEL Strezz’s Birthday Bash ft. Coerce Suburban Diversity Poet Laureate Switchblade Reality Dismay Korzah Mayhem Skulka Ethan Wren Call Me Jake Adoks CLANCY’S CANNING BRIDGE Hugh Jennings CLANCY’S CITY BEACH The Rogue Gypsies CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Ensemble Formidable Elli Schoen CLAREMONT HOTEL Mix Tape Saturdays COTTESLOE BEACH HOTEL Beach Beats EAST END BAR & LOUNGE Temptation ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Jessie Gordon Quartet The Music of Steve Wonder FLYRITE Father GEISHA BAR Phil Kieran GOLD BAR Pure Gold THE GOOD SHEPHERD Chocolate Jesus HULA BULA Sailor Saturdays JIMMY’S DEN Troy Samuela Maxx Mortimer LLAMA BAR Laundry METRO CITY KUSH Lounge METRO FREO C5 I Love ‘80s & ‘90s METROPOLIS FREMANTLE Metropolis Saturdays MINT Pop Life MOJOS BAR Childs Play Corduroy Club Henry Kissinger Bad Apple Beats Tape Vol. 1 Lowbrow DJs NICHE BAR Surrender Saturdays PARKER Menagerie Nights REQUIEM STUDIO CRUXX ft. Empath Sub Ordnance Resident DJs & VJs 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL
LYTS, MARCH 28
Pat Chow Super Best Friends Long Lost Brothers Race To Your Face ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Rage Against the Machine Tribute Show ft. Sharon ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) Turin Robinson VILLA LTJ Bukem YMCA HQ Uncle Jeffrey SUNDAY 29/03 THE BAKERY Charlie’s Big Birthday Burlesque Variety Bash ft. Zelia Rose THE BIRD Perth LCBC’s second meet-up CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Salt Shaker Sundays ft. DJ Boogie Salt Shaker Selectors CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Decks on the Decks ft. DJ Jiminy Kickit The Brow CLAREMONT HOTEL Sunset Terrace Summer Sundays ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Music Rocks The Ellington HULA BULA BAR Tropical Sundaze MIDLAND OVAL Hyperfest 2015 ft. Illy Slumberjack Make Them Suffer Japanese Wallpaper The Bennies Coin Banks Ecca Vandal Super Best Friends Finders Puck Roswell Odlaw Being Beta Girl York Daybreak Rag ‘N Bone Calm Collected Sanctions & more MOJOS BAR Dan Peters & the Volatyles Apache Dream Rimmy Apollo’s Son Sharon The Limbs The Georgians The Bait THE MOON CAFÉ Tara John Tristen Parr RAILWAY HOTEL FASTLVE Ready To Fire Stone Empire Sneaky Jackal Severity One Childlike Empress The Dirty Feels Figure 23 2ndgraderenegade
Sciatika Super Monkey Zero Brufield Longshore The Midnight Mules Sesalvan Mike Nayar Meredith Crisis Mr. Swagger Nat Pearson & more! 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Falloway Ego Lunar Inverse ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Breaking Punk ft. 88 To Yesterday Alex The Kid At The Space Jam The Bob Gordons Last Week’s Heroes Lowlight them SHARKS ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) Get Down ft. Aslan Klean Kicks Pawel Good Company DJs Sleepyhead Beni Chill Jo Lettenmaier Tim King ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (CAR PARK) The Golden Days Vintage Markets MONDAY 30/03 BRASS MONKEY Monday Madness Student & Industry Night CLANCY’S CANNING BRIDGE Scotty’s Quiz Night ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Chamber Jam ft. Duncan Gardiner Mimi Duo Perth Quitar Quintet MOJOS BAR Wide Open Mic PARKER Manic Mondays ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Comedy Trivia TUESDAY 31/03 ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB The Cam Buma Project LLAMA BAR Ruby Tuesdays MOJOS BAR Collections ft. Triangle Night Segue Safari REEF and the Riff RAFF Bi-Polarbear Tim Gordon THE PADDO Quiz Meisters ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Bex & Turin’s Open Mic Night
SATURDAY 28/03 AMBAR Japan 4 ft. JFB (UK) AMPLIFIER The Bennies & special guests THE BAKERY Wizbah Redux Datura LYTS Oh White Mare DJ Laith Tierney DJ Nick Sheppard
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MIDLAND OVAL SUNDAY, MARCH 29
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MUSIC GEAR & TECHNOLOGY
RODRIGO Y GABRIELA Flex Those Fingers Mexican acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela will perform at West Coast Blues N’ Roots at Fremantle Park on Sunday, March 29. SHANE PINNEGAR reports. To see Rodrigo y Gabriela live is to be swept up in the former lovers’ mesmerising musical connection. They also summon an electrical charge unlike any acoustic duo you’re likely to have seen before, but the sheer physicality of their performance can take its toll, with Gabriela Quintero needing some time off in 2012 after suffering muscle damage from her percussive playing. “I don’t think she changed the way she played afterwards,” recalls Rodrigo Sanchez, “but she changed the way she takes care of her body.
MUSOS WANTED OPEN MIC NIGHT every Thursday night at Indi Bar. Email 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 NIGHT/ARVO South St Alehouse, Hilton. Original songs, solo/duo, sorry no bands. Come on down for a play on a Sunday to round off the weekend..TEXT..Gus 0409 101 688 PRODUCTION SERVICES CD & DVD MANUFACTURE Check out our latest CD & DVD specials online at www.procopy.com. au 9375 3902 MATRIX PRODUCTIONS AUSTRALIA 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 www. witzendstudios.com 30
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We both ice our arms when we finish the show and all that, it’s part of that. But she didn’t do that until this happened. “It happened to me before in a different way, in one finger, and then I started a therapy which I still do every night after the show, but she didn’t do that. She didn’t warm up properly and she didn’t cool down after the show. And after this happened the therapist told her to do that. Now she’s taking much more care about her for her own sake.” The intense performance of the duo means that the damage was very much like a sports injury. “It is, in fact,” Sanchez concurs. “In fact, the therapist that we normally see, is a sports therapist. I mean, it’s pretty intense work. We are both into exercising ourselves and we try to keep that going. On top of that, we are pretty much exposed. I mean, we don’t share any responsibilities on stage with another two, or another three musicians. We have to be there and try to make two guitars sound as a full band. And, yeah, it’s quite a job I guess.” It’s quite a job indeed. The duo’s most recent studio album – their fifth – is titled 9 Dead Alive, and features eight tracks dedicated to late men and women whom the duo admire for their humanitarian work, and one song in honour of animals and nature. It’s rather more academic than we’d expect from the likes of Snoop Dog or Taylor Swift.
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“Well, you know what?” Sanchez says with a humble laugh, “We thought it was like, we don’t sing and we don’t share - apart from music - we don’t share anything else. In the first album, we share some kind of personal experiences and in the second we dedicated 11 tracks to 11 musicians that we admire. And as well, we introduced these musicians to people that probably didn’t know about them. “A lot of people have told me, ‘you know, I didn’t know about this person, or about the other one’. And that’s why we didn’t want to take the usual names you know, because you’re supposed to know much about Gandhi or Martin Luther King, or
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whatever. We all are supposed to know about them. We wanted to introduce different personalities so people would actually look for it and understand it and get, hopefully, inspired by it.” The duo draw on their early days playing in heavy metal bands for their intricate and authentic covers of songs by the likes of Led Zeppelin and Metallica. Sanchez says he still likes to plug in and crank up the volume from time to time. “Absolutely, yeah, I have a lot of electric guitars that great people, friends of mine have given me, and I have a great studio, so I do that. Yeah, I like doing that - it’s great.”
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