Issue 1504

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WAVE HIM IN

NO FAKIN’ Chet Faker and Disconnect festival are sad to announce that he will not be able to play this weekend due to a foot injury. The celebrated crooner did some serious damage to his foot a while back and due to major complications in surgery, if he were to perform at the anticipated weekender he would risk some serious permanent damage – shattering his foot. Thankfully, Touch Sensitive has stepped in at the last minute to keep the party vibes going right into the Sunday night.

Disconnect are offering refunds for Sunday single day ticket holders or alternatively will swap them to Saturday tickets. Patrons can do so by contacting ticketbooth via support@ticketbooth.com.au.

Check out our Disconnect artist interviews with Mercury Rev, Neon Indian, Bully and Father John Misty from page 10.

Praised by Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore as the inventor of the lo-fi sounds which defined indie rock in the ‘90s, Lou Barlow of Dinosaur Jr and Sebadoh fame has announced an Australian tour in support of his acclaimed album, Brace The Wave.

Playing at Mojo’s in Fremantle on Saturday, January 30, Barlow will be playing a career spanning show which is not to be missed. Head to mojosbar.oztix.com.au for more details and tickets.

Lou Barlow | Pic: Rachel Enneking

SWEAR IT Following the release of his new single Swear Jar, Illy is set to hit the road in February and March of next year for The Swear Jar national tour with support from Citizen Kay. Also, in conjunction with Beyondblue, who aim to improve the lives of individuals, families and communities affected by depression, anxiety, suicide and cyber bullying, Illy has also created his own virtual swear jar, inviting friends and fans to donate money each time they swear. Illy will be playing at Capitol on Saturday, February 13. For tickets hit up illyal.com.

Illy

Chet Faker

BACK IN BUSINESS Seminal Irish indie heroes Ash have announced their return to Australian shores for a headline tour this March in support of their latest album Kablammo after a whopping eight years from their Twilight Of The Innocents album which the group vowed to be their last. Returning more in form than ever and show no signs of slowing down with this latest album. Infamous for their raucous live shows, Ash are a band you don’t want to miss. Save the date - Rosemount Hotel on Saturday, March 19.

Ash

THE KIDS ARE COMING US indie band Cold War Kids have announced national headline shows to accompany their March Bluesfest visit to Australia. The band are no strangers to Australian shores touring here numerous times over the years including appearances at Falls, Southbound and Splendour In The Grass festivals. Witness their huge and impressive raw live sound at Metropolis Fremantle on Sunday, February 20. To get those sweet, sweet tix head to xiiitouring.com.

Cold War Kids

CONTENTS

HOLY HOLY ANNOUNCE NATIONAL TOUR BEARDS BID FAREWELL Beloved Aussie ‘beard-rock’ band The Beards have declared mission accomplished and are hanging up their beards with their farewell tour next year.

The band famous for only ever performing songs about the one hairy topic will perform hits from their impressive five album catalogue at The Bar Indigo, Rockingham on Friday, March 11; the Rosemount Hotel on Saturday, March 12; The Wintersun Hotel, Geraldton on Sunday, March 13; The Pier Hotel, Esperance, Wednesday, April 20; The White Star on Thursday, April 21; The Dunsborough Tavern, Friday, April 22; and finally the Prince of Wales in Bunbury on Saturday, April 23.

For tickets head to thebeards.com.au/tour The Beards

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Dream poppers Holy Holy have announced their A Heroine national tour, for January of next year. And as an added bonus, the band will be giving away a free new track with every ticket purchase, an album, or a merch item between now and the beginning of the tour. The song is called The Constitution and was an original contender for the When The Storms Would Come album.

Holy Holy will be playing at The Rosemount on Thursday, January 21. Head to oztix.com.au or holyholymusic.com for tickets and details.

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Newsdesk Win Flesh Music Mercury Rev, Neon Indian, BROODS, Jose Gonzalez Bully, Father John Misty, Saxon, Human Buoy New Noise

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Culture Hub Cover: The Crow’s Egg The Hitlist, Lifestyle, Paul Kelly & Kasey Chambers The Crow’s Egg, In The Heart Of The Sea, Truth Feature: What’s On

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Scene Cover: San Cisco @ The J-SHed Local: Diger Rokwell Volume Live: Amplifier (Not So) Sweet 16th, Mono, Unknown Mortal Orchestra

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X-Press Guide

Front Cover: Father John Misty heads to the Disconnect festival at Fairbridge Village from FridaySunday, December 11-13.

Scene Cover: San Cisco are set for the launch of their Fremantle’s newest venue, J-Shed.

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THE BELIER FAMILY

YOUTH Two old friends, Fred and Mick, are on vacation in an elegant hotel at the foot of the Alps. Fred, is a retired composer/conductor, and Mick a film director. The pair look with curiosity and tenderness on their children’s confused lives.

Mick scrambles to finish the screenplay for what he imagines will be his last relevant and important film whilst Fred, who vowed to have no intention to return to music again, is persuaded by someone who wants, at all costs, to hear him conduct again. This beautiful and groundbreaking film starring Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel is not to be missed, and we have 10 double passes to give away.

THE DIABOLICAL Available on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital from Wednesday, December 30, The Diabolic stars Ali Larter (Final Destination, Heroes) as a single mother with two young children who are tormented by an increasingly strange and malevolent presence in their home. If you’re a horror junkie, we can you help you get ya fix!

We’ve got five DVD copies of The Diabolical to give away.

In the Belier family everyone is dear, except for the dutiful 16 year-old Paula (played by newcomer Louane Emera) who acts as an indispensible interpreter for her parents and her younger brother, especially in running the family dairy farm.

As Paula’s adolescent desires and attentions run elsewhere, the family begins to fray under Paula’s independence. We have 10 double passes up for grabs.

PRINT & DIGITAL EDITIONS Publisher/Manager Joe Cipriani EDITORIAL - 9213 2888 MANAGING EDITOR Bob Gordon: editor@xpressmag.com.au GIG & EVENT GUIDES CO-ORDINATOR guide@xpressmag.com.au COMPETITIONS win@xpressmag.com.au For band gigs & launches: plugyourgig@xpressmag.com.au ADVERTISING - 9213 2888 LIFESTYLE STRATEGY MANAGER – AGENCY / DIRECT Jennifer Groves: advertising@xpressmag.com.au ENTERTAINMENT STRATEGY MANAGER ENTERTAINMENT / VENUES / LIVE AND DANCE MUSIC PROMOTERS / RECORD LABELS Zac Nichols: entertainment@xpressmag.com.au CLASSIFIEDS LINAGE classifieds@xpressmag.com.au PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT - 9213 2854 ART & CONTENT COORDINATOR Anthony Jackson: art@xpressmag.com.au DESIGN & PRODUCTION Anthony Jackson, Andy Quilty 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

PRETTY LIGHTS Pretty Lights is the musical vision of the ultraversatile Colorado-based producer, Derek Vincent Smith. Pretty Lights offers electro organic and cutting-edge party rocking beats that fill venues with energy and emotion and send dance floors into frenzies. Pretty Lights is easily one of the most talked about and talented electronic artists today. We have a double pass to give away to his show at Villa on Monday, January 25.

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ADVERTISING DEADLINES Cancellations: Monday 5pm, Ads to be set: Monday Noon Supplied Bookings / Copy: Tuesday 12 Noon, Classifieds: Monday 4pm Published by: Columbia Press Pty.Ltd. A.C.N. 066 570 803 Registered by Australia Post. Publication No PP600110.00006 Suite 55/102 Railway Street, City West Business Centre, West Perth, WA 6005 Locked Bag 31, West Perth, WA 6872 Phone: (08) 9213 2888 Fax: (08) 9213 2882 Website: http://www.xpressmag.com.au WARRANTY AND INDEMNITY Advertisers and/or their agents by lodging an advertisment shall indemnify the publisher, and its agents, against all liability claims or proceedings whatsoever arising from the publication.

Advertisers and/or their representatives indemnify the publisher in relation to defamation, slander, breach of copyright, infringement of trademarks of name of publication titles, unfair competition or trade practices, royalties or violation of rights or privacy and warrant that the material complies with revelant laws and regulations and that its publication will not give rise to any rights against or liabilities in the publisher, its servants or agents. Any material supplied to X-Press is at the contributor’s risk.

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

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ED SHEERAN NIB Stadium Wednesday, December 2, 2015 He is not, by any means an oil-painting or a charismatic leader of the people. Ed Sheeran though, is the everyman who writes songs that speak to, well, almost everyone. This man with a band in his hands (and feet) cut a lone figure onstage, but The Lone Ranga drew 32,000 people to what is the biggest show ever held at NIB Stadium.

Those people all came to hear (and sing) the hits. And Sheeran - supported by no less than major three acts in Foy Vance, Passenger and Rudimental - came armed with more hits than Motown. From opening With I’m A Mess and Lego House and soon imbuing Take It Back with segues into Steve Wonder’s Superstition and Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine, Sheeran owned the stadium.

He did so with dextrous playing, (so)soulful vocals and incredible use of a loop station to layer rhythms, harmonies and various instrumental parts, leading into crescendos and easing into satisfying breakdowns. Sheeran made a point of explaining his loop station, recalling that in Winnipeg, Canada, a married couple had

furiously demanded refunds because they believed he sang to backing tracks. Not so, and it would certainly be an injustice to make that mistake. The stage production around his lone-piloting of said loop station, was impressive to say the least.

A lot of it was easy to listen to and lovely and all, but the highlights were songs such as the moody drama of Bloodstream, which saw a sea of raised hands not unlike Queen’s Radio Gaga filmclip of yore; another

ON HOME SOIL After the launch of her successful Beats1 radio show, globally respected DJ, producer and vocalist Anna Lunoe has announced her return to home shores to ring in 2016 for a string of both headline and festival dates including Perth’s huge NYE celebration Origin Festival at Claremont Showgrounds, where she will be performing alongside massive names such as Yung Lean, RL Grime, Sable, Mac Miller, Pusha T and many more. For tickets hit up theorigin.com.au.

Ed Sheeran | Pic: Cole Maguire

Anna Lunoe

Stevie Wonder cover of I Was Made To Love Her that was simply hot on the box and Don’t, whereupon rain came falling down on an audience too smitten with the music and the man to care.

By the time Sheeran ended off with You Need Me I Don’t Need You and The A Team, he’d been preaching to the converted for over two hours. Chances are when he decides to return he’ll be doing two NIB Stadium shows instead of just the one.

BUSK AWAY!

FUNKED UP

The City Of Subiaco is currently searching for people interested in showcasing their talents in the Subiaco town centre by way of busking. Busking is great way to develop your confidence and skills in performance while earning yourself some extra cash, and can be provided in various forms such as dancing, singing, miming, puppetry, playing an instrument or reciting in a public place.

Your busking hours can be as flexible as you please, allowing a balance of your existing work or study commitments, and while there is no cost for an application to busk within the City of Subiaco, all street entertainers must apply for a permit and make sure to remain within the guidelines. If you are aged 14 years or older and want to get involved, the City Of Subiaco would like to hear from you! Head to subiaco.wa.gov.au.

New Zealand native Opiuo has announced his Australian and New Zealand summer tour across the reminder of this year and the beginning of next year. Praised for his ‘funkedelic bass music’ style his live shows are a feast for the ears, eyes, and your dancing thighs. Joined by a five-piece band, this new live set is sure to be a good time and a huge party. Opiuo and friends will be playing at Villa Nightclub with Pretty Lights on Monday, January 25. For more details and tickets head to opiuo.com

MY DISCO AWAITS

BEAT WILLOW

Australian trio My Disco are gearing up to release Severe, their first fulllength record in almost five years. More than just a mere title, Severe is said to push ‘My Disco’s subtle, intensely focussed, minimalist sound to its most terrifying extreme. It is bleak, occasionally uncomfortable, and unpredictably profound’. Sounds like you then? Catch My Disco at the Rosemount Hotel this Friday, December 11, and Mojos on Saturday, December 12.

Having released the excellent Alchemy EP and this year’s single, Blue, Willow Beats area heading back our way this weekend. Catch them at the Rosemount Hotel this Saturday, December 12, with support from Leon Osborn (live), DJ Spresso Martinéz, newcomer Jamyang and a mystery special guest.

BOB GORDON

Willow Beats

My Disco

THE FIRST TIME Grammy nominated pop sensation Jhene Aiko will make her long-awaited Australian debut in 2016, taking her electrifying live show across the country in February and March. Her unique R&B interpretations have landed her much hype and following her 2014 album, Souled Out, has cemented herself as an undeniable force in the pop landscape. Catch Aiko’s genre-blending sound at Metro City on Saturday, March 5. 2016. For tickets head to jhenoaiko. com.

Jhene Aiko

GET YOUR SESH ON The Aviary Rooftop Bar is pleased to announce the 19th instalment of their Rooftop Sessions. Playing this Sunday, December 13, will be Hau on his No End Theory Tour, with support from Marksman Lloyd, Alex Ford and DJ Endorse. With 20 years of performing and writing experience under his belt he is no stranger to the airwaves - Hau has provided vocals for acts such as The Hilltop Hoods, Hermitude, Rodney P and Oddisee, and his new single Kill.I.Am is out now. Head to tickets.myguestlist.com.au to RSVP. Hau

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MERCURY REV Tough Stuff From their rehearsal studio and an autumn heatwave, Mercury Rev founding member Grasshopper calls in to discuss their new album, the legacy of Deserter’s Songs with CHRIS FAMILTON in the lead up to the Disconnect festival at Fairbridge Village from FridaySunday, December 11-13.

Grasshopper and singer, Jonathan Donahue, have been at the core of Mercury Rev from the very beginning, enduring multiple line-up changes and a constant refinement of their expansive sound.

Their new album, The Light In You, comes out of particularly turbulent recent times for both musicians.

“The arc of the album is the story of a person in a desperate or lonely kind of way and then by the end of the record, with the song, Rainy Day Record, it’s the redemption or illumination that comes from slapping on a vinyl record and falling in love with the music you grew up with all over again.

“That was kind of what the two of us were going through and the music got us through that. The tough stuff was that Jonathan lost his house and pretty much everything he owned in Hurricane Irene and with me

BROODS Growing Up Taking time between rehearsals for the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards, BROODS’ own Georgia Nott chats to JAI CHOUHAN ahead of their appearance at Wonderland on Saturday, December 19, at Langley Park.

Being in your early 20s and having an international touring schedule aren’t usually things that go hand in hand.

But for the brothersister duo that is Caleb and Georgia Nott it’s become the norm. After a whirlwind 2014, BROODS have amassed fans all around the globe and are gearing up for another huge year in 2016.

Although musical from a young age, the siblings from Nelson, New Zealand, never collaborated together until the end of high school. Entering the spotlight through RockQuest (a major springboard for artists in the country that’s produced the likes of Kimbra and Evermore), BROODS caught the attention of Joel Little, the influential producer who’s also responsible for one of New Zealand’s other major musical exports, Lorde.

“I think the industry itself has so many strong parts to it. The reason that we got discovered was through RockQuest and that’s such a massive stepping-stone for musicians in high school because you have to 10

after Snowflake Midnight (2008), my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and so she’s been living with my wife and I and she’s got worse and worse with her memory.”

1998’s Deserter’s Songs was a landmark album for Mercury Rev that took them from underground status to heroes of some cosmic Americana, seemingly in the blink of an eye.

“It was really special to us.

With Everlasting Arm on See You On The Other Side we thought we had a top 10 hit and we listen to it now and think ‘What the fuck were we thinking?’ When you’re in the middle of it you don’t really know. When we started Deserter’s Songs we didn’t have a label and halfway through we signed to V2 Records

Mercury Rev

and then we had a deadline to finish it. We did it and thought we’d just have to wait and see what happens. We listened to it and were both elated and scared and then it took off and had a life of its own which was strange.

“Six months later we’re in England and hearing it in cabs, on the radio and in Sainsbury’s. It was surreal and unexpected.

It’s hard to know what’s going to connect with people. A lot of it is timing I guess, it hits a part of people’s lives or it hits the zeitgeist of the time.”

write and perform your own music. It’s good for people with drive and sifts out all the people who aren’t serious about it. It really shows in original music who’s an artist and who’s a performer.

“Joel was actually a judge at RockQuest when we were going through.

To have him to be such a massive part of finding out who we are as BROODS and being a massive mentor as our producer, you can’t really put a price on his part in our lives. He’s like a big brother to us.”

Being 21 and 23 respectively, Georgia and Caleb have done extremely well adjusting to the hectic lifestyle that accompanies being a major-label artist.

Touching on the subject, Georgia admits their family and friends play a big part.

Broods

“The people that we surround ourselves with are a massive influence on us as human beings, rather than musicians.

We’ve got our music circle but our family and friends are basically just keeping us ourselves.

It’s good to be around people who are a constant reminder of what you wanted to be when you began and I think it’s a massive thing that we have each other to keep one another in check.”

NEON INDIAN Take Your Time It’s just after nightfall in Brooklyn as Alan Palomo from Neon Indian talks to ROSHAN CLERKE about classic cinema and overcoming self-doubt. He’ll be at the Disconnect festival on Friday, November 11, at Fairbridge Village.

He’s running some last minute errands before leaving for a tour of China the next day, walking in and out of stores as the bustling city sounds bleed into the background of their conversation.

While living in Brooklyn for the last five years has informed his latest album to a degree, Alan Palomo is quick to explain that Neon Indian’s third album, VEGA INTL. Night School, is more inspired by the various cinematic representations of the island than the metropolis itself.

“New York in particular is a city that’s been exotified by quite a few filmmakers in the past, so it only made sense for me to observe it from that standpoint.

I tried to imagine movies like Last Days Of Disco, Fear City, King Of New York, and even some of the weirder and obscure Scorsese movies like After Hours and King Of Comedy, and see how they distorted the city through their lens. “

JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ It’s About Time José González has been a stranger to our shores for quite some time, but will return for a show at the PIAF’s Chevron Festival Gardens on Friday, February 12. SAMUEL J. FELL reports.

For a little over a decade, José González — the son of Argentinean parents but born in Gothenburg in Sweden — has held captive a growing audience worldwide with his quiet and powerful music.

Whether solo, with a backing band or with side project, Junip, González has cemented himself as a player and writer of the highest calibre. His three solo albums to date — Veneer (2003), In Our Nature (2007) and Vestiges & Claws, released earlier this year — stand as solid monuments to said skill, three records that link together, but which display a careful evolution. He’s not one to merely tread sonic water.

González will soon return to Australia, his first run over here in some time.

Most recently he was here with Junip (the band he started with Elias Araya and Tobias Winterkorn in 1998, well before his solo career took off), but it’s been a while since Australian audiences have had the pleasure of his solo work. He’s playing a variety of venues too.

“What I’ve mainly been doing this year is 1000-capacity venues,” he says, “and

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It would be tempting to then consider the album as being about paying homage or tribute to the past, but Palomo also clarifies that he’s not interested in revivalism. “...There’s all these iconic ‘80s pop records that it would be redundant to try and make something like that, if that was your aesthetic modus operandi. I mean I’m aware of those things, and they definitely are ingredients which go into the pot as far as what I’m ultimately trying to synthesise. But it’s not so much to put it in those gestures, Alan Palomo, Neon Indian

as much as it is to create a collage; to be able to feel like compartments of the record were happening throughout the span of some fictional band’s career. It took different studios to record in, and different musicians to work with.”

Despite the grandiosity and pure opulence of these classic records, Palomo says he’s never felt intimidated by setting his goals high. “You’re trying to make something paramount on a comparatively shoestring budget, but I think at the end of the day it’s just really about locking the hours in. If you feel intimidated by some creative endeavour, you’ve got to just accept that it’s going to take a good chunk of your life to put it out there.”

so whenever we do something different, it really stands out.

In the US recently, we played in a barn - that was pretty fun - out in the woods in the mountains. So I’m looking forward to playing different places.”

González plans to showcase a good deal of material from his latest release, Vestiges & Claws, as well as a selection from his first two solo records, the albums that essentially introduced him to the world.

But he’s not just appearing as a solo player.

“We’re a five-piece band touring, so we’re able to do lots of harmonies, percussion, another guitarist,” he explains.

“We’re able to play songs, tracks from the new album, that I couldn’t play on my own.

I do enjoy both (solo and band), but it is nice when you’re touring to be around more people. And when you’re on stage, you’re able to relax into the rhythms.”

José González | Pic: Malin Johansson

Vestiges & Claws comes seven years after his last solo LP, which he puts down to “wanting to spend six more months trying to figure out how to play some of the songs on my own, comfortably. It was more important to get good songs, and continue having that acoustic intimacy. I’m older, and that time means a bit more.”

SAXON Still Going Hard After 21 albums most artists mellow and lean closer to the middle of the road. Not so British metal progenitors Saxon, whose latest release, Battering Ram, is one of their heaviest albums yet.

SHANE PINNEGAR speaks with frontman, Biff Byford.

Not only is Battering Ram refusing to mellow out in any way, it continues the evolution of the Saxon’s sound that started with the return-to-form Lionheart in 2004.

Biff Byford credits producer Andy Sneap with helping to keep the last couple of albums sounding fresh.

“Yeah, I refuse to go mellow,” the singer chuckles. “On this album, obviously Andy had a bit to do with the sound. It’s a great mixture of cutting edge and being sort of quite retro still, so we’re quite happy where we are at the moment in that area. Being a legacy act, and a relevant rock act.”

After damned-near 40 years fronting the band he formed in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, in 1976, Byford is mostly proud of all he has achieved at the helm.

“Have Saxon achieved everything I initially dreamed the band could? More or less. There were certainly countries we probably could have been bigger in. Australia’s one of them, places like that. I don’t think our management at that time really thought we’d ever be anything more than a British band,

you know what I mean? I don’t think their vision included the world.

“But I think we’ve achieved most everything, really,” he reflects. “You know, we’re still making great albums, so I suppose that’s something.”

Byford’s lyrics are a key factor in Saxon’s success, and the new album features some epic and entertaining stories in song form. He is quick to cite his personal favourites.

“There’s some quite good stand-out tracks, though I think maybe Queen Of Hearts (about the climactic chess game in Alice In Wonderland) and maybe The Devil’s Footprints (a Hammer Horror-styled story) are for me the stand-out tracks. Obviously, Kingdom Of Saxon

HUMAN BUOY

stylistic ideas and a mixing/bastardising of genres and concepts. I’ve finished about an album’s worth of songs and I think the only unifying aspect between all the tunes is how they were recorded.

Smoothie Operator

It’s gotten a great reception, how’s that felt?

It’s really encouraging. I’ve been writing songs for years now and to finally release them under my own ‘thing’ is a great feeling. It’s made me appreciate and respect all the other artists that do it even more. I

Ben McDonald has been making quality noise around Perth for a few years now, but has met with recent acclaim for his debut ‘solo’ single as Human Buoy, titled Oxygen. Expect some shows soon. Meanwhile, BOB GORDON chats with the singer/songwriter/ noodler.

Tell us a bit about the single, Oxygen?

I think it’s a supremely silly song.

I wrote it whilst walking up Walcott St, Mt Lawley, on a violently hot day with the specific goal of purchasing an avocado to make an icy cold avo-smoothie. I really felt that’s all I needed to enhance my afternoon and show the heat I could deal with its unpleasant presence.

I recorded it in my room when I got back from the shops and eventually got some buddies to play drums, add a few Spanish inflections and to double my falsetto parts so the silliness wasn’t all on me.

The Cross (which recounts the horror of World War One’s trench warfare in parallel with a story about The Crusades) is quite epic. You’ve Is it indicative of what you’ve been working got to push the envelope a little bit, put on on in recent times? some different things.”

Yes and no. I’m certainly influenced and inspired by everyone I’ve played - and play - with, but Human Buoy songs are more about me experimenting with different

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Ben McDonald, Human Buoy Pic: Lena Ures

discovered Mark Ronson earlier this year and saw that it’s okay to get your buddies to sing/ play on your tune. At the end of the day it’s about the song, and it’s a good feeling to know that people like it, or think it’s funny, or ridiculous or whatever... I don’t really mind.

I’m just glad they can put it on if they choose.

What are the plans for forthcoming releases?

I’d like to maybe put out one more song in the next month and then release my album early next year. It’s all done except for mixing of a few tracks. It’s going to be called Animation Station and should play out the length of a car trip from Perth to Freo. That, to me, counts as an LP!

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BULLY This Is How It Feels Bully hit up Disconnect festival at Fairbridge Village on Sunday, December 13. ANTHONY CAREW speaks to singer/ guitarist, Alicia Bognanno.

‘I remember the way your sheets smelt!’ hollers Alicia Bognanno, Bully’s frontwoman, in the band’s single, I Remember.

Over 108 seconds of boisterous, blown-out indie-rock, Bognanno lets loose with a litany of lyrical memories. This is Bully in a nutshell: the Nashville-based band delivering songs that are fast, fuzzy, and fun, and blessed with Bognanno’s candour.

Across the quartet’s debut album, Feels Like, Bognanno digs into plenty of memories.

The childhood that Bognanno often references in her songs came in the nondescript suburbs of Minneapolis, in Rosemount, Minnesota. No one else in her family played music, or was even into it. Yet, some of Bognanno’s earliest memories are of making up songs, and by her adolescence she had a serious rock’n’roll obsession. “I was a huge Replacements fan; growing up in Minnesota, they really mean something,” she recalls. “I loved Silkworm, The Breeders, The Pixies, Sonic Youth.

“Those basic college-rock bands you get into. You know, loving New Order, lying on your floor, listening to Age Of Consent.”

But Bognanno didn’t know anyone who played in a band. Her way ‘in’ was

FATHER JOHN MISTY The Spark Of Consciousness Since re-birthing himself as Father John Misty a lot’s gone right in the world of Josh Tillman, who tells STEVE BELL of the inherent contradiction in harbouring dark impulses to bring joy to others. He performs at the Disconnect festival on Sunday, December 13.

Father John Misty isn’t an actual person, it’s an artificial entity hobbled together to shield an actual person from the world.

The person hiding behind the alter-ego is New Orleans-based artist Josh Tillman, a somewhat unique individual who’s been plying his trade in the musical realm for over a decade now with varying degrees of success. He began concocting roughshod and mostly downtrodden singe/songwriter fare under the moniker J Tillman, releasing eight album-length collections between 2003-2010, then found himself via a random string of occurrences drumming for burgeoning Seattle indie wunderkinds, Fleet Foxes (he counts himself to this day as “the funny one”).

Following a period of purportedly drug-fuelled introspection, Tillman returned to releasing his own music, only this time as hedonistic shaman figure Father John Misty.

His first album under this new guise was 2012’s acclaimed Fear Fun, which dumped the sad sack shtick to embrace his inner smart 12

“But, in saying that,” Bognanno laughs, “the only people that are going to come up to you are the ones who want to say: ‘Oh my God, that song totally feels like it’s about me! I totally relate!’ I don’t think I’ll ever hear the other end of it.

No one’s going to come up to you and be

through an audio-engineering class at a nearby school, and when time came to go to college, Bognanno enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University, 30 minutes outside of Nashville, with plans to become an audio engineer. It was there that she first picked up an electric guitar, which proved a formative songwriting experience.

“It felt a lot more fun, because it opened up the world of pedals,” Bognanno says, “and I still write songs, with Bully, by layering on ideas through a loop pedal.” She sang in a power-pop combo called King Arthur, in which Stewart Copeland - Bognanno’s boyfriend, and Bully’s future drummer — played guitar. In her final year, Bognanno went and interned at the legendary Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, which is owned and operated by Steve Albini and Bob Weston of Shellac.

“Learning about the history of the rock music scene in Chicago was really cool, and when Kim Deal was there that was a personal highlight,” Bognanno recalls. “But obviously I learnt so much more there. The engineers who work there are some of the smartest people I’ve ever met in my life, and they’ve built this studio in a very particular way. There’s a reason that everything is where it is, and if you ask, they’ll give you a really well informed, thoughtful answer explaining why.”

Bully started playing in Nashville in early 2014, and eight months later

things would swiftly change. Bognanno — functioning as the band’s leader, manager, tour manager, and sound engineer — booked a tour with alt-rockers Drowners that would lead up to the CMJ Music Conference, and repressed a new version of that self-titled, self-recorded, self-released EP to coincide.

Bully’s songs were suddenly being bandied about online, they were one of CMJ’s buzz bands, and, quickly, unexpectedly, they’d sign to an imprint of Columbia.

While the band’s fuzzed guitars and big choruses catch the ear, what’s earned Bully their growing fanbase is listeners’ connections to Bognanno’s lyrics. At every show, there’ll be someone coming up to the songwriter, telling her just that.

like: ‘Yeah, whatever, I don’t really relate to that’.

“So all you get, as songwriter, is the good news. But every time someone says something like that to me, it’s a huge compliment. To write a song that other people relate to that strongly, that’s the reason you even want to be in a band.”

ass, and suddenly Tillman found himself with masses of fervent new followers embracing this irreverent approach and worldview.

But, typically for Tillman’s nebulous universe, there was soon another stylistic shift in the offing. He met and quickly fell in love with his now-wife Emma, and the resultant euphoria and contentment was crystallised on the second Father John Misty album, I Love You, Honeybear. It’s a laidback emotional rollercoaster, swinging between heartfelt declarations of love and dollops of bitter irony and wry humour.

The album paints Tillman (accurately) as a man revelling in his relationship, no longer licking his wounds, nor a brazen lothario, but it’s a knack for emotive wordplay that really drives the connection between artist and audience.

“I write a lot of really shitty lyrics too that never really see the light of day,” Tillman chuckles.

“There’s a lot of material that I wrote after I’d written Fear Fun which was a lot of that kinda the same thing, like, (half sings), “I’m going out and I’m getting fucked up and having a crisis about it,” and it was just really boring.

It wasn’t until I met Emma - this person who was like incredibly disruptive to what I had going on at the time - that I started writing material that I thought had vitality.

“Like writing Honeybear and being, like, ‘Ok, this is touching on a lot of nerve

endings that I think had been numbed both literally and figuratively.’ So I think a lot of [the album’s lyrical dexterity] has to do with the fact that a lot of it’s in my conversational voice, but the hard part and the hard work is in remaining engaged with life, and insisting on peeling away layers and finding the things that have vitality and truth.”

that you know is really good and playing that for people for the first time,” he continues.

“That’s always really thrilling, just to see the spark of consciousness in people’s faces as opposed to slack-jawed apathy, which is something I experienced 10 years of making this atonal music. That’s really exciting.

With the creative process, if I could write

Bully | Pic: Pooneh Ghana

Father John Misty

something every day that I thought was Tillman admits to loving his good, I would take that - I would definitely newfound persona and notoriety precisely take that - but it just can’t be that way.” because people are connecting with it, and that this manifests more in the live realm than during the creative process itself.

“There are few things that beat the sensation of having a tune ready to go

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NEW NOISE

½

ADELE

TROYE SIVAN

TAM VANTAGE

OLLY MURS

25 XL/Remote Control

Blue Neighbourhood EMI

Life In High Definition The Lost & Lonesome Recording Company

Never Been Better - Special Edition Sony Music

Ah, Adele, the soundtrack to the heartbreaks you thought you’d never get over. While there’s nothing like a great big ballad (Hello, Love In the Dark), she does some great old school diva channelling. Water Under The Bridge takes on a distinct Whitney track, while Send My Love (To Your New Lover) shows revenge is best served with a bit of a groove. Million Years Ago is gorgeous in its vocal delivery and understatement, as is All I Ask, with the latter jumping around with a melodic hook that Elton John at his best would swoon over.

A genuine cult figure among a legion of teenage fans, Troye Sivan is nothing if not an overachiever.

So is Blue Neighbourhood actually any good? And considering the assembling masses, does it even matter? The palette is certainly nothing new — some gated snares here a-la T Swift (an unabashed Sivan fan), a breathy melody there like some nu-Bieber, some ‘us against the world’ sentiment WhatsApp’d care of Lorde and a touch of cred inspired by Chet Faker.

Unlike some of his contemporaries though, Sivan doesn’t suffer from these comparisons; he thrives within them. Tracks like Wild and Ease prove Sivan has an impressive eye for detail and a deft lyrical touch.

Tam Vantage , aka Melbourne musician Tam Matlakowski spent time in cardigan-wearing jangle pop outfit The Stevens as well as having fronted Pop Singles on their only album. Life In High Definition is the debut LP for Tam who has previously pieced together a swag of EPs of bedroom-recorded lo-fi. He plays intelligent pop with the kind of melodic dexterity shown by The Go Betweens without that band’s latter day polish. Tunes like Do You Remember and The Only One have the understated charm of a band who know both their strength and limitations. Life In High Definition is a strong debut that borrows the aesthetic of some of Australia’s most loved but criminally undersold bands. Tam hits the right notes without selling his soul.

With over 100 personnel including featured artists, session performers, producers and engineers it’s no surprise Olly Murs is has re-released a ‘Special Edition’ of his fourth album in four years. That being said, having so many creative minds working on one project has produced some upbeat, fun pophits with strategic instrumental placements and smooth harmonies however once you get past radio singles Wrapped Up, Seasons, Up and Never Been Better there isn’t much spark or memorability left. Opener, Did You Miss Me? is a groovy disco blended with a boppy horns section. Olly Murs continues to refine his sound on Never Been Better with his radio plays and mainstream sales rapidly rising.

LIZ GIUFFRE

CHRIS HAYDEN

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CHRIS HAVERCROFT

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AARON BRYANS

THE CROW’S EGG Slice Of Life Directed by M Manikandan Starring Ramesh, J Vignesh, Ishwarya Rajesh Chinna (Ramesh) and Periya (J Vingesh) are living in a slum in Chennai with their mother and grandmother. With their father in prison, the family no longer has the means to send them to school and the

young children make a living scavenging coal from the train tracks. Colloquially known as Little and Big Crow’s Egg (due to their habit of foraging crow’s eggs – much to their mother’s chagrin) the boys become fascinated with the foreign delicacy of pizza, when a new store is built on what was previously their playground. Obsessed with

the food, they set about a way to obtain it, even when a single pizza would cost them a month’s wages.

This is a simple premise that has been used to launch a hundred Brady Bunch episodes. A child sees something they want in a shop, ask for it but are rebuffed by the parent, save up for it, encounter and

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overcome unexpected obstacles learning a valuable life lesson along the way. Here it turns into something else, given a richness of meaning by the setting. Hence The Crow’s Egg turns into something much greater than its premise.

Continued on page 18...

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE Unsure about what to buy your favourite people for Christmas?

Why not try quirking it up this festive season?

NEON LIGHT CACTUS If a cactus is your go-to housewarming gift, consider a follow-up large Neon Light Cactus for Christmas. At least you know the gift will match the decor—and you can make a ‘light up my life’ joke in the card. $69.95 from Pigeonhole, Perth.

FLOWER POWER Crowning Glories Head to any festival, event or wedding, or even flick through the latest fashion magazine, and you’re almost always guaranteed to see someone sporting a flower crown. This ongoing trend might be due to the resurgence of ‘60s fashion, but, as expert Rebecca Const from Fox And Rabbit tells PENNY LANE, it could just be the fact that a band full of flowers is just so much fun to wear.

How have you seen the popularity of flower crowns change over time?

I have been making flower crowns for as long as I can remember. The first one I made was back in 2010 for a photo shoot.

I’ve seen them appeal to every kind of person – young and old. They’ve been hugely

popular for weddings and events, probably most popular in 2013.

and are also cheaper! But you just can’t beat a fresh crown for a special occasion.

How did you learn how to make these festival favourites?

I’m self-taught so I just made it up on the fly and have refined my approach as the years go on. The first few that I made were very... unconventional!

What would we find on your ultimate floral crown?

I love berries, nuts and different textural flowers like thistles. Roses always hold up well.

Any tips for people looking to DIY? Be aware that Why do you think flower crowns take they have become so quite a long time popular? to make. Usually Flower I’ll bang one out in crowns are super 30-minutes-to-anfun. They are still Fox And Rabbit Flower Crown Pic: Amelia Claire Fine Art Photography hour depending on very in for events how big and intricate like birthdays, hens’ it is... and that’s with lots of practise at it! parties, baby showers and big night events – think NYE and Melbourne Cup. Giant, You do floral crown workshops… oversized crowns for fashion parades and We sure do! You can learn all about shoots are always super popular. how to make a crown, as well as where to buy flowers and all supplies needed to make many Stupid question, but what do you prefer – more. Our next class is on Saturday, February fake or real flower crowns?

6, at Bud Burst in Mt Hawthorn.

I’m a flower snob so of course For all the details and to purchase I’m going to say fresh is always best. But obviously fake flower crowns last much longer tickets, head to foxandrabbit.com.au/shop.

STUART MACLEOD NAMED RTRFM’S NEW GENERAL MANAGER DEATH WISH COFFEE These are the beans you’re looking for: say hello to the world’s strongest coffee.

Death Wish Coffee Co. contains up to 200 per cent more caffeine than the average cup of joe. Expect a hint of cherry and chocolate notes. $35 at 50 States American Foodmart, Perth.

TIME AFTER TIME Appreciators of vintage fashion will have fun with Time After Time by Minna Gilligan: a colorful explosion of tips and thoughts on finding that flair. $34.95, available from leading bookstores and theguide.website/time-after-time.

With Jason Cleary stepping down from RTRFM, Perth legend and Eskimo Joe guitarist Stuart MacLeod has been announced as the station’s new General manager.

CHRISTMAS PARTYWEAR It’s Christmas party season, and PENNY LANE is here to help you be naughty or nice.

Made in Germany, the Nuuna Oh Yeah Graphic Notebook (L) uses Swedish Munken paper and has a copper silk-screen printed cover created from eco-friendly recycled smooth bonded leather. Perfect for design connoisseurs. $45 from Arrival Hall, East Perth.

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X-Press wishes all the best to both these fine gentlemen.

Stuart MacLeod

No stranger to the radio scene, the once 96FM presenter’s relationship with the station began in the late ‘90s, when RTRFM was the first station to play his band’s tunes.

“In a big way, RTRFM was responsible for that paradigm shift in my thinking that I can do this,” MacLeod said.

“This station has provided so many new and emerging artists with not only a platform to present their art, but also the confidence to back themselves. It’s really important to have that support when you’re starting out.”

The Where For When

NUUNA OH YEAH GRAPHIC NOTEBOOK

Cleary steps down to take up an exciting business opportunity outside the music industry and focus on his young family.

Whether you’re dressing to impress, or looking to embrace your inner joker, this Christmas style guide will give you some ideas.

Red For Santa Wanna get that ‘dayyyammmmm’ response from your co-workers/guy in accounts you have a crush on? A sexy red getup will do the trick. Bardot’s Bandit Midi Dress shows off all the right curves and will have you turning heads left right and centre. Just don’t sit on Santa’s lap, he might get a butt bit handsy...

Get The Sweats

Ah, the Christmas sweater. What would Nan do all year without knitting one of these bad boys? Lucky for us the weather is just too damn hot for her little hands to bother. If you’re looking for dress up funs, grab a classic Rudolph jumper and team it with reindeer ears and your cheesiest grin.

Suit Up! It wouldn’t be an office Xmas party without men dressed in suits. Add a little festive cheer to your pin stripes with a bright red tie, Christmas cufflinks, and some sneaky festive socks.

Ode To Stereo Spent all your money on your Stereosonic ticket? Yeah, dem feels… Good news though, you’ve got a killer idea for a Christmas costume - the Stereosonic gym junkie. Just head to Target and pick up a Santa-faced pair of boxers, chuck on some fake tan, and draw on that six-pack.

Zero Festive Cheer Christmas not your thing? Daria would agree.

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Chanel her thoughts with a print tee featuring the gloomy teen and her bestie, Jane. @ Cheep clothing.

Jump For Joy Looking to dance the night away, and then some?

Need to maintain your composure just in case your manager decides to hang around for the ride? A jumpsuit will keep you looking chic, but will give you the option to tweak at the click of a finger.

Bardot Midi Dress Daria & Jane Tee

PAUL KELLY & KASEY CHAMBERS Role Models And Rollin’ Memories A Day On The Green is bringing some country-tinged music to some prime locales, and Paul Kelly and Kasey Chambers tell STEVE BELL that there’s some serious history to this line-up, which performs at Kings Park & Botanic Garden on Sunday, December 13.

For anyone with even a passing interest in country-influenced singer-songwriter fare the impending A Day On The Green bill of Paul Kelly, Lucinda Williams, Kasey Chambers and rising star Marlon Williams should have you absolutely salivating with anticipation.

Nominal headliner Kelly is still touring on the back of his excellent project Paul Kelly Presents The Merri Soul Sessions which found him taking a vocal back seat whilst showcasing the skills of bandmates such as Vika & Linda Bull, Dan Sultan, Clairy Browne and Kira Puru - and he’s just as excited about reuniting this crew after a lengthy sojourn as he is joining his accomplished tour mates.

“I’m looking forward to it very much,” he smiles. “Firstly it will be good to get back with the Merri Soul gang again, because the first couple of times around went really well and it’s such a fun show to do. A Day On The Green is like a mini-festival really - like a day-long festival - and the Merri

Chambers for her part seems even more thrilled, primarily because she’s rejoining two of her biggest inspirations on the road.

“I’m so keen for this tour, I’m so excited!” she gushes. “I would have paid to be on this tour, the fact that I get paid for it is just wild. Lucinda Williams and Paul Kelly seriously are my two favourite artists of all time - Lucinda’s always been my biggest role model in music, and Paul Kelly’s always been my biggest Australian influence in music, so I’m pretty stoked. I’m like a little kid waiting for Christmas!

Given the nature of their respective music - especially Chambers and Kelly who have spent the bulk of their careers circumnavigating Australia plying their wares - it’s no surprise that they’ve crossed paths many times already.

“We got to tour a little bit really early on back when he did the Uncle Bill record (1999’s Smoke), his first bluegrass album, it was awesome,” Chambers chuckles.

“I got to open up some shows for him all around Australia, then we sang a bit together on a few things as well - I was just blown away, a bit star struck. I’ve been lucky Kasey Chambers

enough to get to know him a bit over the years as well, so the star struck thing goes away to a certain extent, but every now and then I might be hanging out with him or something and I’ll just go, ‘Holy shit! That’s Paul Kelly!’ Then I’ll be, like, ‘Just don’t think about it! Don’t think about it!’ but he also makes you forget that you’re in a room Paul Kelly Presents The Merrri Soul Sessions with Paul Kelly too because he’s such a normal guy, just such an easy guy to be around.”

And both Kelly and Chambers are pumped to reacquaint with Lucinda Williams, whom they justifiably hold in high esteem.

“I spent a bit of time with her a couple of years ago when I was in LA Soul show works really well as a festival show; doing the A To Z shows, she came along to a couple of nights and we went out to dinner we’ve only done it a couple of times at a festival, at Byron Bay (Bluesfest), so that’ll be afterwards,” Kelly tells. “We know each other good. Apart from that the line-up of Lucinda, and I’m looking forward to catching up with her again. She’s such a fine songwriter.”

Kasey and Marlon Williams is a really good one too - it’s a really strong bill, with lots of great women singers and songwriters on the bill too. I think it’s fantastic.

“It’s diverse musically but some of the songs on the Merri Soul record are what I’d call ‘country soul’, and Marlon’s got a lot of that too, so it all ties in. We’re going to try and work out a song that we can all do together to finish the night off.”

VISUAL ARTS Titanic The Exhibition: Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre Titanic The Exhibition, which tells the most recognisable story of maritime accomplishment and disaster, arrives for the first time ever in Australia at the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre on Saturday, December 12. Open for a limited engagement through to February 2016, the story of Titanic’s first and final voyage is told through dramatic room re-creations and 100-year-old artefacts. Tickets from ticketek.com.au.

2016. Her latest album, Eleven, garnered widespread critical acclaim and proves she is as relevant now as she was on her debut in 1988. Eleven is a collection of eclectic influences, ranging from EDM to jazz – and is tinged with ethereal elusiveness.

Mary Black - The Last Call: Astor Theatre Irish folk singer Mary Black has announced her next Australian tour will be her last.

The tour will begin at the Astor Theatre on Sunday, March 6, 2016. Black has remained a prolific artist for over 25 years, with 11 of her studio albums becoming platinum hits.

She’s shared the stage with some of the most revered performers of all time, and has been credited for an ever growing global Treasure Ships - Art In The Age Of Spices: appreciation for Irish music. .

The Art Gallery Of Western Australia For more information, check out: A collaboration between AGWA and theticketgroup.com.au the Art Gallery Of South Australia, this exhibition features the spectacular and Tommy Tiernan exotic art produced for Tom Tiernan - Out Of The global markets from the Whirlwind: 1500s to the early 1800s.

Riverside Theatre Included are a selection Irish comedian of artifacts retrieved from Tommy Tiernan the wrecks of the Batavia has announced and the Gilt Dragon. The his Out Of The exhibition runs until Sunday, Whirlwind tour, January 31, 2016. Go to coming to Australia, artgallery.wa.gov.au for full April 2016. Tiernan details. rounds out the visit at Riverside Hoonin’ Time: Heathcote Museum & Gallery Theatre on Monday, April 25. The satirist A collection of works by artist Andy Quilty remains as edgy, seductively malevolent, runs until Sunday, December 20, and breathlessly funny as his debut in 1992, at Heathcote Museum & Gallery. Titled Hoon being praised for bringing “his vision to (yes, referencing burnouts), the exhibition life with empathic comic power.” For more is part of the Tilt program, which supports details, check out tommytiernan.com. local artists and their interpretation/ response to the Heathcote heritage site.

Don McLean - American Troubadour Tour: “Consider the notion of hooning Riverside Theatre in the context of European settlement and Don Mclean the man responsible for the the post-colonial Australian experience,” 1971 hit, American Pie, and whose voice Quilty notes. “What better personification of Roy Orbison described as ‘one of the great the allegorical kinship between the Angloinstruments of Don McLean Australian mindset and that of the ‘hoon’ 20th century than the act of the burnout - a marking of America’ will territory made with aggressive disregard be stopping to the area’s occupants, altering both the by in Perth on physical and psychological landscape of the Wednesday, environment in which the act is committed.”

March 30, For further details go to as part of melvillecity.com.au. his American Troubadour Tour. The THEATRE/DANCE/ celebrated PERFORMANCE artist has had over 40 gold and platinum records worldwide as well as being inducted into the Nicole Lloyd - SoundBirth Workshops: Yoga Grammy Hall of Fame with ‘American Pie’.

Hub For further information and ticketing head A Perth musician, Nicole Lloyd, is leading to Ticketek.com.au. the way in using sound therapy during childbirth. Her SoundBirth workshops teach the scientific theory behind using sound FESTIVALS to support the body’s ability to manage the pain and exhaustion of childbirth.

For more information head to one of the Gimme Some Truth: Luna Outdoor workshops, Sunday, January 17, at Yogahub RTRFM’s music documentary festival, Mt Hawthorn or info sessions on Sunday, Gimme Some Truth, has its closing night on December 13, from 11.30am–12.30pm also Wednesday, December 9, with a wonderful at the Yogahub Mt Hawthorn. insight into former RTRFM breakfast presenter Peter Barr’s life away from the mic in Barr None: The Tina Arena - One Peter Barr Story. Also screening Night Only Tour: is rock photography doco, Her Perth Concert Aim Is True. Stick around for Hall a Q&A afterwards featuring Barr None: The Peter Barr Story, Australian icon the directors Chris Butler and RTRFM’s Gimme Some Truth Festival and ARIA Hall Kal J Englishby, Peter Barr of Famer Tina Arena, has announced a one himself, X-Press editor Bob Gordon, Perth night only tour in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne photographer Dan Grant and RTRFM’s Paul and the Gold Coast. The tour will hit the Van Lieshout Hunt.

Perth Concert Hall on Friday, February 26,

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Continued from cover...

It becomes about globalisation, extreme poverty, widening disparities of wealth, westernisation/ homogenisation of culture, corruption, pride, respect and class. In truth it is stunning how much ground this small story covers, and it is a work of genius that it manages to do this without losing the lightness of its tone.

For although it would be so easy for The Crow’s Egg to play this setting for pity, it rarely does.

Instead it brings out the humour and resilience of the inhabitants.

A lot of the credit for this must go to the boys’ performances, as they carry the film. There is something natural and charismatic about both of them. Ramesh is open-faced and trusting as Little Crow Egg, through him we can see what is best about their life as he still has the wonder of childhood. Vignesh’s Big Crow’s Egg still maintains that wonder, but it is tempered, with anger, stubbornness and pride. He realises that if you want something, then sometimes you have to connive to get it. Whether that is just by having an extreme entrepreneurial spirit to work out how a drunk and a child’s cart can equal a taxi service, other times it is using a

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big stick to knock mobile phones out of passing train passenger’s hands. Vingnesh’s determination is definitely the drive for this, and he grows as a consequence.

At times there are cultural elements in play where The Crow’s Egg may hit an emotional beat harder than its Western The Crow’s Egg

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA Whale Tale Directed by Ron Howard Starring Chris Hemsworth, Ben Wishall, Benjamin Walker

counterpart would, but on the whole this is an easy to digest cinematic experience.

Funny, light-hearted but extremely poignant, this work of Tamil cinema takes a simple story and enriches it in the telling. The result is both heart-warming and eye opening cinema.

DAVID O’CONNELL

feels like a missed opportunity. Below decks it adds to the sense of claustrophobia, but on the open water this design choice looses the perspective of agoraphobia. That overwhelming

Chris Hemsworth, In The Heart Of The Sea

Obsessed by the story, writer Herman Melville (Ben Wishall) pays the last survivor of the Essex to give his recollection of the last trip of the Nantucket Whaler. The tale he tells is one of conflict between an experienced first mate, Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth), and the newly minted scion of an old nautical family (Benjamin Walker) as they sail to unexplored territories in search of whale oil. Upon finding an elusive heard, the ship is attacked by the largest whale any of these sailors has ever seen.

The result is a detailed film that certainly hits every point you could want from a nautical adventure; the dangerous elements, a disgruntled crew, class divide, leadership battles, a mysterious sea monster – In The Heart Of The Sea ticks every box with the due diligence of a Quartermaster. Director, Ron Howard, turns this into something that is part historical object, part boy’s own adventure, and part battle for survival.

Howard tucks the camera in close for In The Heart Of The Sea. For inanimate objects this gives a greater appreciation of texture, adding to the sense of historical detail projected in this film. When it comes to characters, this

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sense of space that would only add to this struggle against the elements.

Hemsworth puts in a solid performance, and is really in his element when it comes to the more action-oriented scenes on the boats. Unfortunately when the crew is stranded on the open ocean, he lacks the light and shade to push a solid emotional performance into something greater. On the other hand the framing device, with Ben Wishall as Melville, Brendan Gleeson as a survivor of the Essex and Michelle Fairley as his wife, is just dripping in sorrow and depth. It really seems the emotional heart of the film is after the events instead of the experience.

The end result is a competent adventure story of men against the ocean, that may have inspired a literary classic. At times beautiful and with sequences that beggar belief, it is just incapable of holding that level for the majority of the run. A solid film, but at this stage of Howard’s career, with the obvious effort and money that have been placed into this production, you can’t help but wish for something grander.

TRUTH Burying The Lead Directed by James Vanderbilt Starring Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford, Dennis Quaid Although we heard of the fiercely contested election campaign of 2004, and the claims made about both candidates’ military service, the impact of Rathergate and the entanglement of beloved veteran news anchor Dan Rather didn’t dominate news coverage here as it did in the US. As such the events in Truth may come as a surprise to some, based as they are on the book by Mary Mapes (Truth And Duty: The Press, The President And The Privilege Of Power) one of the key players in the controversy.

As the Bush versus Kerry election divides a nation, Mary Mapes (Cate Blanchett) may be sitting on a story that is politically explosive. Digging into issues surrounding the president’s time in the national guard, her team of investigative reporters turn up a set of photocopied memo’s from George W. Bush’s commanding officer that put his service in doubt. After rushing to air the story, certain doubts are raised about the document’s authenticity, causing Mapes and respected anchorman Dan Rather (Robert Redford) to come under attack in the press.

Despite the title, this is a movie that does play a little hard and fast with the truth. When it comes down to it, the Killian documents, the central piece of contested evidence in this film, are likely to be a forgery.

Certainly they are unsupported by a single

expert, and even those experts shown in the movie only support very specific aspects of the documents (such as the signature) rather than the documents as a whole. Truth, by downplaying this fact, veers into becoming a polemic, with many of the character acting as blatant mouthpieces for Vanderbilt’s views.

It certainly creates martyrs out of what may have been sloppy journalism (as excusable as that may be by the pressures on hand), despite these documents being only one part in a raft of evidence presented.

Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford star in Truth

Which is frustrating, as Truth does so much right. It gives audiences a great insight into the political and corporate pressures affecting the 24-hour news cycle.

Demonstrating how, over the last few decades, news has become a commercial concern tied into ratings, rather than necessarily being about impartiality and truth, It’s a rather depressing message, but one the film tempers with hope, as characters continue demonstrating strong journalistic ethics.

Truth is an emotionally evocative movie about the downfall of a news great. It is political and inspiring, but must be taken with a pinch of salt.

DAVID O’CONNELL

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TPFF SWIM + RESORT SERIES Sex On The Beach Perth’s best-dressed guys and gals soaked up the first spoils of summer at Bathers Beach House last week, as the sexy new bar laid host to our hottest beachside fashion event to date. PENNY LANE reports.

The Telstra Perth Fashion Festival’s Swim + Resort Series went off with a bang, no thanks to its creatively sandy runway that overlooked the glistening waters of Bathers Beach.

Filing into the event were The Bachelor Perthonalities Blake Garvey and Louise Pillidge; A Bikini A Day’s Natasha Oakley; and a whole host of West Australian designer royalty.

As the sun glared down, the crowd sat down, and the show began.

The Independent Designer Runway was the first of this two-part event, starting with a showcase of clothing by Natalie Rolt. With the mother of all summer soundtracks beating in the background, the models, dressed in gorgeous Greek-style maxi dresses, made it down the sand. The materials were light, and dresses sexy – think dark red cut outs and high leg splits – contrasting the stark white bathers varying in style and coverage.

Amore & Sorvete were next, with their signature cheeky bottoms. The g-string style togs accentuated just enough to let the imagination run wild. It wasn’t all about the butt though, with the brand bringing out some full coverage bottoms in Aztec prints, bra-type bikini tops, and a bold one-piece.

The large frills of Nu Swimwear’s Pajaro Romance one piece caught the audience’s attention, followed by printed numbers that evokes a tropical, Caribbean feel mixed with Tartan. Toning down the colour splash were simple yet bold separates, dressed up with feathers and props including a giant dream catcher.

Rue Stiic was all about the detail, featuring one piece and two-piece swimsuits with stringy, highly detailed backs and a neoprene scuba-esque range made for steamy diving trips away. The designers also presented a play on light and dark/night and day, with bathers that feature white on one side, and a black and white print on the other.

Super vibrant and often striking block colours were the focus of Bernice Sara, who offered up some of the more flattering but by no means less spectacular ranges of swimwear. Teamed with elegant floral headpieces, the range featured triangle and halter-style two pieces, edgy backless and deep cut one pieces. One silk dress in tropical blues, purples, yellows and green dazzled amongst the collection.

Bringing a bit of spice to the now sizzling runway was PALM, with their hot red high-waisted swimsuit with mesh detailing.

The company is renowned for their use of mesh, and showcased this through mesh-lined low back one-pieces, high neck tankinis with mesh sides, and cheeky bottoms. Sensual mulberry seems to be the colour trend of the season, with PALM’s range full of it. The crowd loved the Solor bodysuit, which from the front has a high neck and clinches in at

the waist, and from the back cuts away like a low falling tank top, with revealing mesh to the left and right hip.

Women weren’t the only ones to get summer stylin’, with Fremantle and Rottnestinspired board short designs

by Ocean Zone’s Reif Myers gracing the stage. A handful of ridiculously chiselled men sported elastic-waisted boardies with prints reminiscent of our coastal towns. There was the familiar sight of Cottesloe Beach, aerial views of Parker Point, and a highly distinguishable ode to the Dingo Flour factory.

Models donning Gypsea soon replaced the boys, at the dismay of the female-dominant crowd. Gypsea opted for kaleidoscope patterns in blue, red, yellow and orange, in a number of cuts including

bralettes, string crop tops and a cap should top with elastic shoulder detail.

The all-white finale moment for TPFF Independent Designer Runway Pic: Stefan Gossatti

along with the final credits.

A short intermission was had, before everyone returned for Camilla’s My Wandering Heart show. As always, Camilla delivered, with her signature tribal patterns across maxis, flowing dresses, kaftans, bikinis and men’s’ pants. Inspired by Camilla’s recent pilgrimage to Spain, Portugal and Turkey, each piece dazzled with hand embellishments and striking headgear. For the finale, all of the models came together on the runway like a giant tribe, headed by a couple of models and their children, also dressed in Camilla.

As the tribe of models left the stage, so did Perth’s fashion tribe, who filtered into Bather’s Beach House for some much-needed hydration and after-party fun.

As the last of the models made their way off the runway, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, wear sunscreen’ blared over the speakers, before a video styled by Teagan Sewell rolled

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OH, CRAP

China Doll

ONE LAST APPEARANCE Wednesday, December 16, sees quirky folk act China Doll supporting Prita Grealy at the Ellington Jazz Club stage for their final Perth show of the year, having spent the last 18 months touring the country. With honest, intelligent songwriting combined with catchy hooks, the duo will be bringing as much fun as they can muster to the venue as they get ready to embark on their next musical adventure - taking their rootsy/folk sounds over to the East Coast and then to Europe and the UK.

Drapht

He may host the crappiest DJ parties the world has ever seen, but hey, crap music is universal, and we can’t get enough - Tomas Ford is hosting yet another of his infamous Crap Music Rave Parties, where he plays nothing but the worst songs the crowd can think of and everybody loses their mind.

Think Justin Bieber, white-boy reggae, ‘80s movie themes, and Eurovision nightmares.

Having started from humble beginnings at the

FEELIN’ DIRTY Dirtybird artists Worthy and Ardalan will be heading to Australia this coming December for five club shows. The handful of shows includes an appearance at the Conservatory Rooftop Bar on Sunday, December 13. The duo blends their unique mix of energetic bass funk and grimmer, less euphoric sounds. They have a versatility that stretches to appealing

Tomas Ford Worthy

BRING IN THE DRAPHT

PICA Bar, the event is now selling out shows right around the world. It all goes down Saturday, December 26 at the Astor Theatre.

SUMMER LOVIN’

Perth born hip hop artist Drapht will be headlining for Funk Club’s NYE beach party.

The seven time ARIA nominated artist will be performing tunes from his new album 7 Mirrors, and we’re sure to hear some classics.

More acts are to be announced soon, but in the meantime, save the date - December 31, from 6 pm – 2 am at Salt On The Beach, North Fremantle. Keep up to date with all the latest info from funkclubtix.com.au.

Sunset Events has a huge Kate Miller-Heidke summer program lined up with the announcement of Museum since mid-November, this week is FINAL DAYS its intimate summer concert your last chance to experience the maritime Portals: past present future series Summer Sounds, journeys from ports of departure and is a thought provoking which will be taking place arrival through bodies of work including exhibition by local Western at the J-Shed, Fremantle’s sculptures, ceramics, paintings and Australian artists that newest performance and multimedia. The exhibition closes this evokes the imagination art space. As well as a Sunday, December 13, so get in quick! of maritime exploration. range of acts from local to Having been open at the international acclaim taking Western Australian Maritime to the stage, there will also JBT SUMMER RUN be strong variety f food and The John Butler Trio has spent 2015 drink from some of WA’s touring their socks off (and knocking finest vendors. Missy Higgins people’s socks off) in support of their BACK IN (Friday, February 26), Kate current album, Flesh + Blood, to fans around the BUSINESS Miller-Heidke (Friday, March world. Rounding off the road for this album, the 4) and San Cisco (Saturday, March 12) are In February 2016, acclaimed frontman – and band have announced their last shows for WA just some of the names scheduled in for key songwriter for Matchbox Twenty – Rob fans before heading back into the studio later performances so far, with plenty more acts Thomas, will begin his Australian tour in in 2016. waiting in the wings. For more info, head to support of his first solo album in more than On Friday, January 22, 2016, JBT kick jshed.com.au. six years, The Great Unknown. The stops by off their WA concert series with special guests for A Day On The Koi Child at Belvoir Amphitheatre. On Rob Thomas Green appearance Saturday, January 23, they’ll be joined at Kings Park &

by Jarrah Records labelmates, The BREAKFEST IS BACK Botanic Gardens on Waifs, for the annual Leeuwin Estate In case you forgot, Perth’s locally produced Wednesday, March 2, Family Concert (The Waifs will also and internationally acclaimed event, Breakfest, 2016. headline at the Fremantle Arts Centre is bringing a killer lineup to town, Boxing Thomas on Sunday, January 24, supported by Day, Saturday, December 26. The event, delivered his first solo Davey Craddock and The Spectacles). hosted at Belvoir Amphitheatre, includes album in 2005, and The John Butler Trio will round locals D-Funk, Beatslappaz, Childish Antics, has achieved platinum of the triumvirate of dates at the Dngrfld & Parakord, Gracie & Sistym, Invoker status with each Quindanning Tavern on Sunday, & Meet Mark, Junglebuss, Miss Demeanour & successive solo release January 24, with The Dave Mann since. For event and Collective opening proceedings.

Stanton Warriors ticketing information Tickets for all shows are on sale now through venues and ticketmaster.

PRINT com.au.

the underground basement dwellers and those dancing away on the most opulent of dancefloors.

Journey’s End I, inkjet digital print on canvas, by Lorraine Spencer Pichette

HYPERFEST 2016 Alcohol-and-drug-free youth event, HyperFest, has produced a lineup well worthy of getting hyped about — Sydney metalcore royalty Northlane, along with Brissy indie pop outfit Ball Park Music and dance-punk duo DZ Deathrays.

Set to take over Midland Oval on Saturday, February 20, you can also catch The Hunting Birds, Surroundings, Young Robin, Dropbears, Jamboo, Ratking, Dan Cribb & The Isolated, Iceage Sugar, Solution, Small Town Heroes, Ready To Fire and The Keeblers among gourmet food vans, a dunk tank, a foam dance pit, a photo booth, rides and a live graph wall.

Local DJs Branxy, Teflon, Madzz, Boston Switch, Valour, Willco, Crumbd n Ball Park Music

HALL NYE

Jordan Scott, Pussymittens & Mo’fly, Rivers & Wolv, Tee El & Bezwun, joining the Tiny Club (featuring Bad Habits, Bambi, Bandicoot, JP Beecroft Lemon Lime & Biddiss and Not So Hot) and internationals Stanton Warriors, Danny Byrd, DJ Marky and more. Tickets via ticketmaster.com.au.

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New Yyears Eve at the Print Hall will feature ticketed events in both the Print Hall Bar (James Bond Theme) and Bob’s Bar (Austin Powers Theme) from 7pm–2am, with the doors to be opened at midnight for guests to mingle between the two venues.

Print Hall Bar - an elegant night of Bond-themed celebrations with DJ, Print Hall gambling tables, projections, and photo booth to capture the evening. Entry to include a drink on arrival and canapés throughout the evening for $80 p/p.

Bob’s Bar - spend your night under the stars getting groovy, baby. $15 cocktails, $10 pints, DJ, photo booth and entry to include a drink on arrival and canapés throughout the evening for $70 p/p.

For full details head to printhall. com.au.

XSCAPE WHILE YOU CAN Xscape at the City, Australia’s first pop-up waterpark, is now open in Belmont Park!

Commuters driving along Graham Farmer Freeway in Burswood will be able to see scaffolding on the Belmont Park site of what is the main attraction – a 23m high, dual lane inflatable race called The Drop, which is 14 flights of stairs tall. Other attractions include a four lane slide called The Waterfall, a dual lane called The Cliff, a 25m x 25m pool and a dinosaur themed water play pool, comprising of six individual slides. The privately funded park utilises a world class water filtration system that will recycle and reuse water to minimise wastage. For more information on the coming attraction, check out xscapeatthecity.com.au

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Seasond, Gambol, Mat Frankland, DJ Didier, Mikonic, Six Sense and RJ Rich will be spinning tracks at the silent disco beach party, too. Book now via Ticketbooth.com.au.

Ibeyi

and reading real sheet music. It happens from Friday-Sunday, February 26-28, at the Liddelow Pavilion, Cannnington Showgrounds. Registration is now open at understandingmusicseminar.com.au.

DUO DEBUTS Twins Lisa-Kainde and Naomi Diaz, who make up French-Cuban duo Ibeyi, will be making their Australian debut in March, 2016. The duo’s self-titled debut has been acclaimed for its unique fusion of genres, combining ritual chants with synths and samplers, and jazz vocals Turnstyle reminiscent of Björk and Fever Ray. If that sounds like your jam, feel free to head down to their Perth show, which actually kicks off their A NOT SO SILENT NIGHT national tour, and takes place on Friday, March 2016 4, as part of the Perth International Arts Festival A Not So Silent Night, the Rosemount Hotel’s at the Chevron Festival Gardens. annual Christmas party, is returning this year on Saturday, December 19, taking over the UNDERSTANDING OF Main Room and the Four5Nine Bar. This is the umpteenth edition of the venue’s festive MUSIC SEMINAR season shindig (they lost count), and there’s Have you always wanted to play music but an eclectic ensemble of great acts covering never had the time? Have you tried before different generations and shades of rock n’ and given up in frustration? Are you a selfroll but all with one thing in common – they taught musician with big “gaps” in your make noise! musical understanding? Forget online courses, It stars The Love Junkies, Turnstyle videos or DIY books, the Understanding of (album launch), Ben Ely (Regurgitator), Pat Music Seminar is on of the fastest, easiest and Chow, Puck, Rag N’ Bone, The Long Lost simplest ways to learn music ever created. In Brothers, Burgers Of Beef, Segue Safari, just three days and with only 10 minutes a day The Drools, Gold Suns and Benny Mayhem. after that, you can be playing notes, chords, Tickets on sale via rosemounthotel.com.au. scales, improvising jazz and blues

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SAN CISCO

Rockin’ The J-Shed Fresh off the completion of their latest Australian tour, Fremantle’s own San Cisco are set for the launch of their hometown’s newest venue, J-Shed. Guitarist Josh Biondillo speaks with AARON BRYANS about the group’s next steps.

With their second LP Gracetown peaking at #2 on the ARIA charts earlier this year,

San Cisco have hit the ground running, performing non-stop in a multitude of states and countries as music continues to take over their lives.

“The response has been good,” guitarist, Josh Biondillo explains. “It’s been out since March and it’s sent us to the US, the UK and Europe and a couple of Australian tours and a few festivals. It’s done good things for us and people seem to like the songs, so it’s good.

“The US is different. The last time we did it on a bus, which was something we’d never done before. We didn’t really have a hotel to go home to - we just slept on the bus. It was good because we could play the show, hang out after the show, crawl into bed and wake up in the next city.”

The group are headed back to their hometown of Fremantle to launch WA’s newest venue J-Shed on Saturday, March 19, located behind Fremantle Roadhouse.

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Pic: Rachael Barrett

“It’s really good,” Biondillo states.

“I grew up in that area, I’ve walked past the J-Shed when I was a kid with my parents.

It’s cool to see the West End of Fremantle starting to become something very cool.

“There’s some great venues around but there isn’t many of that size.

It’s always good to have new places to go at night.”

Continued on page 26...

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Continued from cover...

of vibe, maybe not so much electronic but our interpretation of dance. We’ll see what happens when we get into the studio.

“We are having a bit of time off,” Biondillo “It’s always good for us when the reveals. “We’ve got a few shows here and crowd is extremely excited and as a result there but at the moment we’re relaxing.

“We will be writing; at the moment we get excited and as a result we get excited so it’d be great to write some music that Jordi (Davieson, vocals/guitar) and I are pushes that more.” moving out and then we have to set up a With their recent tour behind studio space and start plugging away. them and a big schedule ahead including “We’ve managed to make music performances at Southbound and Ozfest, San our only job so it’s cool like that. We spend all day working on music and figure out what Cisco have taken the time to re-group and it ends up becoming, San Cisco be that San Cisco or something else.”

With a home studio in the works, the local four-piece are set for a clean slate when writing their next work, however Biondillo is open to exploring and pushing the dance element within their sound.

“I don’t think we’ve ever been downed by relax back at home before jumping back on exploring,” Biondillo furthers. “The thing board again. with our music is there are elements that “I grew up in that area, I’ve walked make it sound a little bit like San Cisco like past the J-Shed when I was a kid with my Jordi’s voice, Scarlett’s (Stevens drums) parents. It’s cool to see the West End of voice and our guitar/drum sound which are Fremantle starting to become something characteristic of our style. Whenever we very cool. approach a song it will become San-Cisco-ey “There’s some great venues around one way or another. but there isn’t many of that size. It’s always “The music we’ve always made good to have new places to go at night.” has been quite dance-y and I wouldn’t mind pushing further into the dance kind

DISTANT MURMURS Cool Perth Nights, RTRFM and the Rosemount Hotel are excited to announced the return of the multi-stage local music festival Distant Murmurs returning to the Rosie with yet another killer line-up. The all-dayer will feature appearances from local heavyweights Ah Trees, Alzabo, Atripat, Bahasa Malay, Diger Rokwell, Erasers, Filthy Apes, Hamjam, Kitchen People, Makee, Mining Tax, Original Past Life, Phil Stroud, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Pool Boy, Regular Boys, Salary, Shy Panther, Segue Safari, Shy Panther and DJs Andrew Sinclair, Craig Hollywood & The Whipcracker.

Distant Murmurs will happen on Saturday, January 16, from 2pm ‘til late with tickets being sold via rtrfm.com.au and Oztix. com.au. Head on down and catch the cream of the crop of Perth’s thriving local scene.

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Pic: J’aime Fazackerley

The Volcanics

BASSO FRIDAYS Basso Fridays continue into December and they’re saving their best for the end of the season. This Friday, December 11, catch Perth rock heroes The Volcanics and Legs Electric joined by The New Invincibles and Thee Loose Hounds, entry just $10. The following Friday, December 18, sees the legendary Kim Salmon hitting the Bassendean Hotel stage along with special guests The Painkillers (in full extended four-piece mode) and Cigars Of The Pharaoh.

Tickets available from oztix.com.au.

Tickets are also on sale for the Popgun NYE party on December 31 featuring DM3, The Jangle Band, High Horse (featuring Timothy Nelson) and The Surf Mist.

FIGUREHEAD KEEPING BUSY Perth based indie songstress Toby is currently playing shows all over the place, including gigs in regional WA. A prolific performer, Toby has played around the world, mainly in Australia, Europe and Canada, and released Toby five albums, two live DVDs, and several LPs. She’ll play her last show for 2015 at City Beach’s Quarry Amphitheatre on Saturday, December 12.

Head to tobymusic.com. au for more info.

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It’s been a solid year for up-and-comers Figurehead, who fared well in The Big Splash (Enchantment Award-winners) and appeared at the WAM and Beaufort Street festivals. They recently launched their debut EP with a big gig at YMCA HQ and will round off a smashing 2015 as part of The Love Junkies all-ages show at The Garage, Osborne Park, along with Sly Withers and Fuzz Toads on Friday, December 18, from 5-9pm. Tickets via thelovejunkies. oztix.com.au.

Figurehead’s self-titled EP is available to download from iTunes, Spotify or Figureheadmusic.com.

Figurehead

DIGER ROKWELL Reap What You Sow Ahead of its launch at The Bird on Friday, December 11, with Leafy Suburbs and The Boost Hero Man, Ash Hosken AKA Diger Rokwell speaks to JAI CHOUHAN about his new EP, Sprouts.

A multiple WAM Award winner, Ashley Hosken’s discography is peppered with some of the best experimental production on the West Coast.

His new EP, Sprouts serves as the third installment in a series of releases culminating in an album next year. A beattape at heart, Sprouts is yet another example of the Perth producer’s craftsmanship and dedication to artistic vision.

“Narratives have always bound my musical releases, as it provides a framework for the music and a common thread that runs through the music,” Hosken says. “The four EP releases is also a platform for me to experiment with my sound and push it

into unknown regions, constantly taking risks and learning new things. I feel that stories are important in expressing identity.

“I want my sound to be universal, not confirmed by genre or scene. I want to be creative in any way I can. I want the music I make to express my diversity and uniqueness as an artist. All of the music I create represents a period of time in my life and my creative impression of it. In the end, the album that I release from these four releases will be a very diverse listen indeed, which is what I want to achieve, to produce an electronic album that transcends genre and contains 10-12 individual tracks that stand on their own.”

From a production standpoint, Sprouts isn’t a far cry from some of his prior instrumental releases, but Hosken is able to build on his previous works thanks to his adventurous nature in the studio.

“The music on Sprouts is intentionally rough and ready, it is music that has not been tainted by process or over thinking. It is music that has stayed true to the original concept, which I feel beat tapes are all about. It is beat tape in nature as it is beat-oriented and it has hip-hop elements. I wanted to hark back to Digstrumental and the beat tourism series whilst using all the processes and techniques that I have learned through the more instrument-based releases. It is a combination of Beat Tourism and Innersense/Sprouts instrumentally. It uses some sampling but still a lot of played instruments especially a variety of synths, used a drum machine as my bass and home-recorded percussion of a variety worldly shakers, plus a lot of pencil snaps, claps, snaps and paper bag crunch and scrunch. I mixed it myself and my partner did the artwork, so it really feels reflective of the creative space that we dwell in.”

11/12

Diger Rokwell Sprouts EP Launch @ The Bird

11/12

Sanzu H.O.T.H. Album Launch @ Amplifier

11/12

Enemy Minds Nevermore EP Launch @ The Velvet Lounge

18/12

Them Sharks Return To The Lower Fourth Dimension Album

Sanzu | Pic: Jayden Walker

Turnstyle Time Equals Function Album Launch @

8/1

Graphic Fiction Heroes Digital Single Launch

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.

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Rosemount Hotel @ Velvet Lounge 10/1

Gold Suns Single Launch @ Mojos

Gear and tech reviews

by CHRIS GIBBS

EVH 5150 Overdrive

EVH 5150 OVERDRIVE PEDAL The MXR design team has collaborated with Eddie Van Halen to deliver his signature sound in a regular stompbox. The resulting EVH 5150 Overdrive joins hand-adjusted multistage MOSFETs with a full complement of controls to deliver overdriven tube-like tones and exceptional sonic flexibility through a wide variety of amps and speaker cabinets.

Whether on stage or in the studio, the EVH 5150 Overdrive’s controls dial up the whole spectrum - from Eddie’s groundbreaking early classic tones to the high gain, superarticulate sound he uses today. Output and Gain controls set the volume and distortion levels, while the 3-band passive tone stack EQ section shapes your sound to taste. Ultimately the tones are all there, and dialing up classic EVH sounds is a breeze. Even played through a Fender Deluxe Reverb with a Fender Shawbucker Stratocaster (two pieces of equipment not readily associated with Eddie Van Halen’s sound or style) the tone is authentic, useable and largely believable.

The Boost switch kicks the 5150 Overdrive into high gear with extra gain and compression, but unfortunately it is only available as a small knob on the pedal rather than as a stand-alone switch, which surely would have been more useable and useful in a live setting.

The Gate control - powered by the Smart Gate circuit - removes unwanted noise to an impressive level, especially when running the pedal at high gain, but results do vary in attempting to emulate some of the guitarist’s lighter

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Launch @ Amplifier 19/12

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moments, as rolling of the guitar volume even a touch will tend to engage the noise gate if it has been set for high gain, making for a bit of a balancing act to get everything to sit where it’s required in a performance setting.

The EVH 5150 Overdrive features true bypass switching and comes in a road-worthy housing emblazoned with custom EVH artwork. The pedal will be available in Australian stores from mid-January, check with your local EVH dealer for stock arrival dates and final Australian RRP pricing.

ERNIE BALL POLYLOCK LOCKING STRAP Another product that offers the safety of a locking strap option (similar to the Dunlop LokStrap, reviewed a number of issues back) without the need for adding or removing existing strap pins is the Ernie Ball Polylock Locking Strap for electric guitar and bass.

An innovative design makes it easy to securely attach the strap to your electric guitar or bass, without the need for modification or bulky hardware. Simply fasten the PolyLock to the existing strap buttons on most electric guitars or basses and the strap locks onto the strap pins securely.

The patent-pending unique design 2” Polyweb Strap also features an adjustable length from 30-67 inches, although certain players should be aware that the Polylock is not compatible with every instrument, including Danelectro guitars and more-recent models of SGstyled guitars.

Check with your local Ernie Ball dealer for pricing and availability.

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 A N A LO G M A S T E R I N G V I N TAG E TA P E , T U B E S & TRANSFORMERS with the latest state of the art digital converters. Clients include: Melody’s Echo Chamber, Pond, Gossling, Knife Party, Felicity Groom, The Floors, Jeff Martin & The Panics. World class facility, World class results. www.poonshead.com. 9339 4791 ANDY’S STUDIO International multi award winning songwriter / producer. No band required. Broadcast quality. A songwriter’s paradise. Ph 9364 3178 GOLDDUST Production Mixing, recording and composition.

Leederville $80 p/h. 0408 097 407 RECORDING MIXING MASTERING PRODUCING Fremantle location. Call Pete Kitchen Cooked Records. Ph 0407 363 764 / 9336 3764 R E V O LV E R S O U N D S T U D I O P h 9 2 7 2 7 5 0 5 . www.revolverstudio.com.au REHEARSAL STUDIOS

BIBRA LAKE REHEARSAL STUDIO Air Conditioned Room.

Great Facilities. Superior sound to hear yourself and your band.

10 mins from Freo. Phone Nick: 0410 485 588.

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Online bookings. Cliff Lynton Guitar Institute. Mt Lawley 9342 3484/ www.clifflynton.com

Ernie Ball Polylock Locking Strap

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UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA Nicholas Allbrook Astor Theatre Thursday, December 3, 2015 The third (albeit rainy) night of summer brought acclaimed New Zealand-bred, Portland, Oregon-founded Unknown Mortal Orchestra to Perth on their Australian tour in support of their brilliant third effort MultiLove. Adding a new keys/synth player to the live line-up the now four piece played at the esteemed Astor Theatre with Nicholas Allbrook in support.

The weird and eerily beautiful styling of the Pond frontman was met with warm and wealthy reception from the sizeable crowd. Mostly showcasing his debut album Ganough, Wallis And Fatuna, he disappointingly didn’t perform much if any of his new material off the Walrus EP, but over the screeching guitar wailing and drum machine produced effects, it would’ve been hard to distinguish much at the wrong angle. I get that Nick Allbrook’s material is strictly solo material, but a live band to back him would be greatly beneficial especially concerning the new tracks.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra came on to a sold-out crowd and adoring applause and wasted no time jumping straight into Like Acid Rain the all danceable second track from Multi Love followed by album highlights

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Ur Life One Night, The World Is Crowded and Stage Or Screen. The new material was performed with good spirits and energy by the group, although danceable, the sound mixing rendered it into a bassy, muddy sludge. The guitar and vocals were far too low, as the keys and bass were deafeningly high and made it extremely difficult to enjoy sober. Nielson’s showmanship was Jacksonesque at moments and offered the very stiff crowd something to get excited about apart from the formal cheer at songs’ end. UMO then chugged through their array of hits like,

MONO Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving, Mt. Mountain Rosemount Hotel Friday, December 4, 2015

It’s been several years since Japan’s Mono journeyed to Perth, and with a number of albums added to their catalogue since, punters bore witness to a handful of live versions of tracks for the first time, as well as some older favourites, in what was a massive evening for instrumental rock music. Locals Mt. Mountain had ears ringing from the get go with throbbing, drawn out guitar riffs, but the most notable element of the set was the ferocity by which drummer Thomas Cahill attacked his set – it was great to see.

How Can You Luv Me, Ffunny Ffrends, So Good Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving played two monstrous tracks over the course At Being In Trouble, From The Sun and Swim of 45 minutes, and both weaved their way And Sleep (Like A Shark), again the poor through a number of different styles including sound mixing took its toll, but did not stop elements of math rock, doom, jazz and more, the crowd from singing along. The encore with each member’s instruments seemingly brought the highlight of the night smashing taking turns in being the prime focus of a out bangers Multi-Love and Necessary Evil particular section. showing off their skill set in drawn out Mono casually made their way onto psychedelic jams. the stage as a dramatic orchestral soundtrack An overall disappointing night as the awkward collection of bodies shuffled and played through the speakers, thoroughly building the anticipation. Then the opening chatted through the sets, shout out to the notes of Recoil, Ignite – the opener from select few who actually danced, and shout the band’s recent record Rays Of Darkness out to the band for giving it their all despite – began to play, and the whole room was the lacklustre sound mixing. I don’t know, immediately transfixed. The band members maybe it was the rain. eased themselves into the performance at the JAMES ENDERBY same pace as the music, building themselves

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up before the band’s signature climaxes would peak and each individual member would launch full throttle into their instruments. Pure As Snow, from arguably the band’s most popular album – 2009’s Hymn To The Immortal Wind – was as beautiful as the band get: The echoed guitar melody pairing was absolutely stunning in the opening minutes, before the soft tap of the snare kicked in and the song began to build into this hugely triumphant piece that could bring the hardest of people to tears. Closer Mono | Pic: Tanya Voltchanskaya

Requiem For Hell was a monster of a track, but the highlight was probably the penultimate song, Ashes In The Snow, also from Immortal Wind – an almost paralyzing experience thanks to fuzzy droning and crescendo-driven guitars that encapsulates the band’s mastery of composition and build ups. There’s a reason Mono are at the forefront of their field, and that they’ve managed to completely spellbound audiences around the world for over 15 years is a true testament to just how powerful and compelling instrumental rock can be.

KANE SUTTON

AMPLIFIER’S ‘NOT SO SWEET’ 16TH Amplifier Bar Friday, December 4, 2015 Amplifier Bar is a staple of Perth’s live music scene, and the large crowd that turned out early to celebrate its 16th birthday is proof that people feel a real connection to the venue.

Amps has seen some of the best acts from around the world, but it’s also a homeground for some of WA’s most cherished acts, with a select few taking part in the night.

The large front room of Amplifier is normally home to seating and the occasional merchandise table but instead had been set up with a small temporary stage. The Ghost

The Ghost Hotel

The Meanies Pic: Michael Wylie

Headlining the night were Melbourne punk rock legends, The Meanies.

The crowd exploded into chaos as The Meanies smashed out a twenty-odd song set of favourites including Darkside Of My Mind, Scum and Sorry ‘Bout The Violence. Fans were crashing into each other and throwing half-glasses of beer into their air. Vocalist Link Meanie lived up to his reputation for crazy on-stage antics throughout the set, but none more than during their final song, Keep A Balance, with Link launching into the crowd, wrestling with fans and screaming in their faces.

Hotel kicked things off, serenading the crowd with a mellow set of alternative rock. Ending a lengthy hiatus, UMPIRE took the first slot on the larger, inside stage.

The sense of peace and ambience was quickly destroyed as Leeches took to the outside stage.

While fans danced and moshed with their music, others climbed on tables and chairs to try and get a good look at what was going on.

Sugar Army took to the inside stage Leeches! next, treating fans to the uplifting melodies and driving rhythms that The Meanies were a perfect finale for a wellhave made them so popular in the Perth earned celebration, and in the words of Wally music scene.

Meanie “Happy fucking birthday.”

DAVE MULLINS

Sugar Army

Once again the outside stage was sent into chaos with Chainsaw Hookers kicking things up a notch. They played a number of fan-favourites including Make Them Die Slowly, Party Man and a cover of Love Gun – originally by Kiss.

They closed out their set in true Chainsaw Hookers style with beers being skulled, thrown and poured on drummer Nathan Sproule’s head.

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X-press guide FLIGHT FACILITIES, DECEMBER 12 @ DISCONNECT FESTIVAL

TO UR S THIS FORNIGHT CHRIS CORNELL 9 Perth Concert Hall TIM & ERIC 9 Astor Theatre NEVER SHOUT NEVER 10 Rosemount Hotel MY DISCO 11 Rosemount Hotel 12 Mojos Bar YELAWOLF with B WISE 11 Villa KARISE EDEN 11 Ravenswood Hotel 12 Charles Hotel 13 Friends Restaurant DISCONNECT FESTIVAL ft. FLIGHT FACILITIES, FATHER JOHN MISTY, MERCURY REV & more 11 – 13 Fairbridge Village UNWRITTEN LAW with GRENADIERS 12 Capitol LITTLE SEA 12 Astor Theatre WILLOW BEATS 12 Rosemount Hotel THE VANNS 12 Jack Rabbit Slim’s 13 White Star Hotel A DAY ON THE GREEN ft.

PAUL KELLY, LUCINDA WILLIAMS, MARLON WILLIAMS & more 13 Kings Park & Botanic Garden MISFITS 13 Rosemount Hotel SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM 13 Gloucester Park HAU 13 The Aviary THE DELTA RIGGS 13 Perth Urban Orchard THE AMITY AFFLICTION & A DAY TO REMEMBER 14 Perth Arena THE EXPLOITED 14 Amplifier DECEMBER 2015 MODELS 16 Astor Theatre KIM SALMON 17 Mojo’s Bar DREAM ON DREAMER 18 Rosemount Hotel KATY STEELE 18 Jack Rabbit Slim’s BEN ELY 19 Four5Nine Bar NEVER SAY DIE RECORDS 18 Metro City JEBEDIAH 24 Four5Nine Bar BREAKFEST 2015 ft.

STANTON WARRIORS, DANNY BYRD, STICKYBUDS, SPENDA C, HYDRAULIX & more 26 Belvoir Amphitheatre ORIGIN NYE ft. PUSHA T, ANDY C, MAC MILLER, SABLE, KOVE, SKEPTA & more 31 Claremont Showgrounds JANUARY 2016 AGENT ORANGE 1 Amplifier NECK DEEP & STATE CHAMPS 6 YMCA HQ & Rosemount Hotel COURTNEY BARNETT 7 Astor Theatre 8 Southbound Festival ICEHOUSE 8 Castelli Estate, Denmark 10 Hotel Rottnest SOUTHBOUND ft. ALPINE, BIRDS OF TOKYO, BLOC PARTY. GARY CLARK JR., HILLTOP HOODS, JARRYD JAMES, SETH SENTRY, MEG MAC & more 8 – 10 Sir Stewart Bovell Park TROYE SIVAN 11 Astor Theatre 30

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LOU DOILLON 12 Rosemount Hotel NIGHTWISH 15 Metropolis Fremantle SHORT STACK 16 Astor Theatre THE FRANKLIN ELECTRIC 19 Fly By Night 20 Indi Bar 21 Rosemount Hotel WALK THE MOON 21 Astor Theatre HOLY HOLY 21 Rosemount Hotel FAT BOY SLIM 22 Red Hill Auditorium THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS 22 Northside Tavern 23 Rosemount Hotel 24 Dunsborough Tavern 25 Railway Hotel JOHN BUTLER TRIO 22 Belvoir Amphitheatre 23 Leeuwin Estate 24 Quindanning Tavern THE 1975 23 HBF Stadium THE OH SEES 23 Mojo’s Bar THE WAIFS 24 Fremantle Arts Centre OPIUO 25 Villa HOODIE ALLEN 28 Rosemount Hotel BOY & BEAR 30 Red Hill Auditorium JAMES BAY 30 Fremantle Arts Centre LOU BARLOW 30 Mojo’s Bar FEBRUARY 2016 NICK OFFERMAN & MEGAN MULLALLY 2 & 3 Astor Theatre SOILWORK 2 Rosemount Hotel KEVIN HART 3 Perth Arena JIMMY CARR 3 Riverside Theatre JOHN MELLENCAMP with JEWEL 6 Sandalford Estate TEX PERKINS 6 Fremantle Prison NATHAN HAWES 7 Astor Lounge SIMPLY RED with NATALIE IMBRUGLIA 9 & 10 Kings Park & Botanic Garden SOILWORK 10 Rosemount Hotel MAXI PRIEST 10 Astor Theatre WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE 11 Octagon Theatre, UWA NIGHTMARES ON WAX 11 Chevron Festival Gardens JOSE GONZALEZ 12 Chevron Festival Gardens SPIDERBAIT 12 Metropolis Fremantle DIANA KRALL 13 Kings Park & Botanic Garden ILLY 13 Capitol FAT FREDDY’S DROP 13 Red Hill Auditorium 14 Clancy’s Dunsborough THIEVERY CORPORATION 13 Chevron Festival Gardens LANEWAY FESTIVAL ft.

THE SMITH STREET BAND, GRIMES, HERMITUDE, FLUME, CHVRCHES, DIIV & more 14 Esplanade Reserve, Fremantle WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS 14 Chevron Festival Gardens THE TRIFFIDS 15 Chevron Festival Gardens WAXAHATCHEE 16 Chevron Festival Gardens

STANTON WARRIORS, DECEMEBR 26 @ BREAKFEST 2016 HIGH ON FIRE 17 Rosemount Hotel DUB PISTOLS 17 Chevron Festival Gardens KEV CARMODY 18 Chevron Festival Gardens BANANARAMA with WANG CHUNG 19 Astor Theatre BAND OF BROTHERS 19 & 20 Chevron Festival Gardens JOSE JAMES 20 Chevron Festival Gardens DIESEL 20 Rosemount Hotel JOSH PYKE 20 Astor Theatre GORDAN BREGOVIC 21 Chevron Festival Gardens DARK MIRROR WHITE NOISE 22 Chevron Festival Gardens THE CHAOS RAIDS 23 Amplifier LEFTFIELD 23 Chevron Festival Gardens GBH 24 Rosemount Hotel THE NECKS & HAUSCHKA 24 Chevron Festival Gardens MARU TARANG 25 Chevron Festival Gardens BETWEEN THE BURIED & ME 25 Rosemount Hotel TINA ARENA 26 Perth Concert Hall LITTLE SIMZ 26 Chevron Festival Gardens EFFIE 26 & 27 Astor Theatre OCEAN COLOUR SCENE 27 Capitol TIM ROGERS & THE BAMBOOS 27 Chevron Festival Gardens A$AP ROCKY 28 Metro City MARLON WILLIAMS & THE YARRA BENDERS 28 Chevron Festival Gardens JOHANN JOHANNSSON 29 Chevron Festival Gardens MARCH 2016 BELINDA CARLISLE with PSEUDO ECHO 1 Astor Theatre NATALIE PRASS 1 Chevron Festival Gardens DAWN FRENCH 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 Riverside Theatre SUFJAN STEVENS 2 Red Hill Auditorium SLEATER-KINNEY 2 Chevron Festival Gardens ROB THOMAS with PETE MURRAY 2 Kings Park & Botanic Gardens WE THE KINGS 3 Rosemount Hotel SEUN KUTI & EGYPT 80 3 Chevron Festival Gardens IBEYI 4 Chevron Festival Gardens JHENE AIKO 5 Metro City G-EAZY 5 Villa HOUSE GOSPEL CHOIR 5 & 6 Chevron Festival Gardens ADAM BRAND & THE OUTLAWS 6 Ravenswood Hotel ACTION BRONSON 7 Villa BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS 8 Kings Park & Botanic Gardens

SONGHOY BLUES 9 Astor Theatre THE BEARDS 11 Bar Indigo 12 Rosemount Hotel 13 Wintersun Hotel STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES 11 Astor Theatre TOM JONES 13 Kings Park & Botanic Gardens SEVENDUST 13 Capitol CALEXICO 16 Fremantle Arts Centre THE CHARLATANS 16 Capitol ASH 19 Rosemount Hotel IAN MOSS 19 Astor Theatre A DAY ON THE GREEN ft. HOODOO GURUS, SUNNYBOYS, VIOLENT FEMMES, DIED PRETTY & RATCAT 19 Kings Park & Botanic Garden COLD WAR KIDS 20 Metropolis Fremantle THE WAILERS 21 Astor Theare BRYAN ADAMS 21 Kings Park & Botanic Gardens THE SELECTOR 22 Rosemount Hotel WILEY 22 Capitol BUZZCOCKS 23 Rosemount Hotel DON MCLEAN 30 Riverside Theatre APRIL 2016 NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS 1 Crown Theatre TAJ MAHAL 3 Astor Theatre GRAHAM BONNET 6 Amplifier BRIAN WILSON 7 Riverside Theatre JAMIE LAWSON 9 Astor Theatre NICO & VINZ 13 Villa ASKING ALEXANDRIA 13 Astor Theatre BLACK SABBATH with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH 15 Perth Arena DAMIEN LEITH 15 Astor Theatre GANG OF YOUTHS 16 Astor Theatre THE STRANGLERS 23 Metropolis Fremantle TOMMY TIERNAN 25 Riverside Theatre SARAH BLASKO 30 Astor Theatre HILLTOP HOODS 30 Perth Arena MAY 2016 IRON MAIDEN 14 Perth Arena JUNE 2016 WES CARR 30 Albany Entertainment Centre JULY 2016 WES CARR 2 Heath Ledger Theatre RUSSELL HOWARD 15 Riverside Theatre SEPTEMBER 2016 FROM THE JAM 17 Capitol

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DREAM RIMMY, WEDNESDAY 9

W E E K LY WEDNESDAY 9/12 CHRIS CORNELL 9 Perth Concert Hall TIM & ERIC 9 Astor Theatre NEVER SHOUT NEVER 10 Rosemount Hotel WEDNESDAY 9/12 ASTOR THEATRE Tim & Eric BABUSHKA Bex’s Open Mic THE BIRD Leftover Lovers vol. 5 ft.

Dream Rimmy The Spunloves Aborted Tortoise CLANCY’S FREMANTLE The Writer’s Block with Dave Hyams ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB AViiDA Mr Undercover FLY BY NIGHT Gaslight Club THE GOOD SHEPHERD HERD Christmas Party ft.

Big Jesus Rough Daddy Action The Methamphetaqueens Cool Band Shit Narnia INDI BAR Club Acoustica “Fruit Loops” Showcase ft.

Carl Wockner Kurt Carrera Trojan John Little Bird LUNA LEEDERVILLE RTRFM 92.1 presents Gimme Some Truth MOJO’S BAR Michael Triscari Scared Rattler Ricky Green THE MOON CAFE Eva Niollet Rabbit Island MUSTANG BAR Envy DJ Giles NEWPORT HOTEL Boston Switch TZB 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Hunting Birds Declan Florez Alex Brittan Little Death ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Rock ’n Roll Karaoke with Magnus Danger Magnus ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) Student Night ft.

DJ Anton Maz SETTLERS TAVERN Open Mic UNIVERSAL BAR What’s The Fuss THURSDAY 10/12 AMPLIFIER Last Night – Bring Me The Horizon ft.

Finders Empire of Angels The Worst BABUSHKA Laurel Fixation Pool Boy Phocal Lewis Ryan THE BIRD Hip Hop Kara”Yo!”Ke — Ballin’ on Xmas CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Infusion Dance Party ft.

Dubarray The Barefeet Sojourns Pimps of Sound DEFECTORS BAR Songwriters Club ft.

Paul McCarthy Wayward Johnson Ivan Gian The Jayco Brothers ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB All Our Exes Live in Texas FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE Sonic Sessions ft.

Mick Thomas INDI BAR Open Mic

MOJO’S BAR Darren Hanlon Benedict Moleta MUSTANG BAR The All Stars DJ James Mac NEWPORT HOTEL Rough Cuts Video Release PRINCE OF WALES The Milkmen 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Mining Tax Golden String Simone & Girlfunkle Hayley Beth ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Never Shout Never (USA) Life Is A Glass House SETTLERS TAVERN Simon Phillips UNIVERSAL BAR Off The Record X-WRAY CAFE Rupert Guenther FRIDAY 11/12 AMBAR AlleyOUT - Night Garden ft.

Taiki Nulight AMPLIFIER Sanzu Lo! Forstora Bayou Deadspace BABUSHKA Lionizer The Caballeros A New Agenda Lina Sleeps BAR INDIGO Marksman Lloyd Z Jesse Andre Mikey Walsh Skinny Pete BASSENDEAN HOTEL Basso Fridays ft.

The Volcanics Legs Electric The New Invincibles Thee Loose Hounds THE BIRD Diger Rokwell The Leafy Suburbs The Boost Hero Man CLANCY’S CANNING BRIDGE Steve Parkin CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Steve Hensby CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Princess May Christmas Markets ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Andrew Farrell a.k.a “The Wizard” Kallan Phillips’ Soulful Xmas Party FAIRBRIDGE VILLAGE Disconnect Festival ft.

Neon Indian Meg Mac Jungle Giants Optimo FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE Sonic Sessions ft.

Archie Roach Lucky Oceans GAME SPORTS BAR Animal House - Xmas INDI BAR Teischa Wanderlust Little Bird MALT SUPPER CLUB OZeating White Christmas Sundowner MARKET & CO, CROWN DJ Zel DJ Rob MOJO’S BAR Hussle Hussle ft.

Silvertongue Macshane Beckon Empty MUSTANG BAR Adam Hall & The Velvet Playboys Swing DJ Frenzy DJ James Mac

CASINO SUNRISE, SATURDAY 12

MEI SARASWATI, SATURDAY 13

DAY OF THE DEAD, FRIDAY 18

PAT CHOW, SATURDAY 19

PERTH CULTURAL CENTRE TruckStop Verge Collection Jacob Diamond Wisdom 2th Tani Walker Miki Brown Noah Young Izzy PRINCE OF WALES Still Frame Mind 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Dazz K DJ Devo Mark Solo ROSEMOUNT HOTEL My Disco Sabre Tooth Tigers Alzabo Self Harm SETTLERS TAVERN Kallidad Si Mullumby STATE THEATRE CENTRE OF WA Courtyard Club ft.

Tourist Kid DJ Will Bixler UNIVERSAL BAR Nightmoves VILLA Yelawolf B Wise WHITE STAR HOTEL DJ Hau Kash Kryzma Wasteland Boy YMCA HQ Godzealot Redgate When Autumn Falls Sneaky Jackal Clever Dead

BABUSHKA Sneaky Jackal Sounduh The Limbs One Tiger Down The Silent Deeds The Caballeros S. Wyse escue ballshard CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Limelights Jazz DJ Boogie The Salt Shaker Selectors CLANCY’S DUNSBOROUGH The Justin Walshe Folk Machine CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Junkadelic Brass Band ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Garry Lee 4tet FAIRBRIDGE VILLAGE Disconnect Festival ft.

Touch Sensitive Father John Misty Julia Holter Bully FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE Kallidad GLOUCESTER PARK 2015 Perth InterDominion Grand Final ft.

Sneaky Sound System INDI BAR Kallidad Ben Catley KINGS PARK & BOTANIC GARDENS Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions ft.

Lucinda Williams Kasey Chambers Marlon Williams MATISSE BEACH CLUB Summer Sunday Club ft.

Chuck Love (USA) MOJO’S BAR Lalić Peter Bibby Dream Rimmy Cool Band PERTH URBAN URCHARD Live At The Orchard ft.

The Delta Riggs ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Misfits (USA) Scalphunter Hope Street ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) Get Down ft.

Aslan Klean Kicks Pawel Good Company DJs Sleepyhead Beni Chill Jo Lettenmaier Tim King SETTLERS TAVERN Damian Denyer Trio Michelle Spriggs Trio SWALLOW BAR Voudou Zazou SWAN HOTEL Hair of the Dog Fest ft.

Sail On! Sail On! Kastiell Slick Monks Mung Dahl Odlaw The Shops Furniture A New Agenda The Keeblers The Devil In Miss Jones Treehouses Enemy Minds Lina Sleeps Zyklus Agamous Betty Magic Chicken Fudgetoe SWANBROOK WINERY Chris Gibbs UNIVERSAL BAR Retrofit WHITE STAR HOTEL The Vanns

DEFECTORS BAR Christmas Special Songwriters Club ft.

Benny Mayhem Noah Shilkin Mark Neal Kat Wilson ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Tal Cohen (USA) INDI BAR Open Mic MOJO’S BAR Kim Salmon Kitchen People Maurice Flavel’s Intensive Care MUSTANG BAR Blue Gene DJ James Mac PRINCE OF WALES The Love Junkies Psychedelic Porn Crumpets 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Limbs Giant Dwarf Small Batch Audio Mindboy The Gizzards Zac Inglis ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Marley Wynn Villain Bri Clark duo SETTLERS TAVERN Blue Child SWALLOW BAR Peta Lee Almore James UNIVERSAL BAR Off The Record X-WRAY CAFE Ricky Ponting & the Gentleman’s XI

JIMMY’S DEN Showcase 01 ft.

LC McKenzie Gryff DJ Silence JCAL Black Moses Wolfe Grey Dellity Hyclass Pteradigm LANGLEY PARK Wonderland ft.

Alison Wonderland Broods SAFIA Sweater Beats The Kite String Tangle Dune Rats Koi Child LLAMA BAR TILT LOST SOCIETY CHALK METROPOLIS FREMANTLE A Very Metropolis Xmas Party ft.

Some Blonde DJ MINT A Very Merry MintMass MOJO’S BAR Hideous Sun Demon Peter Bibby Lalić Shit Narnia The Darling Rangers MUSTANG BAR Bang Bang Betty & The H-Bombs DJ Holly Doll Milhouse DJ James Mac PERTH URBAN URCHARD Live At The Orchard ft.

Andy Bull PRINCE OF WALES Pieter T. Lion Rezz DJ Antikz ROSEMOUNT HOTEL A Not So Silent Night ft.

The Love Junkies Turnstyle Ben Ely Pat Chow PUCK Rag ’n Bone The Long Lost Brothers Segue Safari The Drools Gold Suns Benny Mayhem ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) DJ Jo Lettenmaier DJ Andrew Sinclair SETTLERS TAVERN Xmas Party ft.

Syllabolix SWALLOW BAR Nick Sheppard SWAN BASEMENT Turtle Beats ft.

Staccato Selekt Few Electribe Esma Project UNIVERSAL BAR Soul Corporation WESTGATE MALL, FREMANTLE Rinse Out Laneway Party ft.

Sub Zero WHITE STAR HOTEL Tai Fighters Red Wire

INDI BAR Rasta Blasta ft.

Manaaki Zarm duo DJ Conscious One MOJO’S BAR Hillbilly Christmas ft.

King of the Travellers The Southern River Band Dirtwater Bloom Dan Howler Tom Fisher Duo Katie J White Lincoln Mackinnon Racoo Charles THE MOON CAFE Golden String & guests ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Scorcher Fest ft.

1hunnidrecordz 4 Months In A New Agenda Altty Baby Kool Alaska Blackjack Dead Famous DONNSUBI Freebird Declan Florez Friends of Enemies Gamirez Harrow Lodge Iron Cypher James Emery Moth OPUS The Artfuls The Durongs The Entertainers & more ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) Get Down ft.

Aslan Klean Kicks Pawel Good Company DJs Sleepyhead Beni Chill Jo Lettenmaier Tim King SETTLERS TAVERN The Brothers Thin SWALLOW BAR Damian Drac Denyer THE VELVET LOUNGE Liquid Lounge Xmas Party ft.

Spikey Tee Greg Packer WHITE STAR HOTEL Simon & Tammy London

SUNDAY 20/12 THE AVIARY Klean Kicks Bez NDorse BABUSHKA At The Space Jam Two for Flinching Being Beta Lost For Reason CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Limelights Jazz DJ Boogie The Salt Shaker Selectors CLANCY’S DUNSBOROUGH Grace Barbe CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Old Blood ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB The Jamie Oehlers Quartet Tal Cohen (USA) FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE AJ Wigwams Jacob Diamond Candlelight Carols

TUESDAY 22/12 ASTOR THEATRE #NOFILTER ft.

Grace Helbig Hannah Hart Mamrie Hart THE BIRD Barefaced Stories CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Quiz Night ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB The PJS Big Band Xmas Migratory Patterned Secular Show INDI BAR Poker Night MOJO’S BAR Maslow Saidso Merle Fyshwick Eduardo Cossio Trio Stuart Orchard MUSTANG BAR Danza Loca Salsa SWINGS TAPHOUSE Jaimi Faulkner Derrin Nauendorf X-WRAY CAFE James Dolin Jason Snook Duncan Strachan

SATURDAY 12/12 AMBAR Japan 4 ft.

Jordan Scott Tee El Philly Blunt Bezwun Mo’Fly AMPLIFIER Ne Obliviscaris Plini ASTOR THEATRE Little Sea BABUSHKA El Capitan Idle Eyes Alex The Kid Wear Me Out Push Me Under BAR INDIGO Mooditj Brothers The Milkmen Moa THE BIRD Red Bull Music Academy presents Golden Rules THE BOSTON The Silent Deeds The Volcanics Casino Sunrise Little Death CAPITOL Unwritten Law Grenadiers I Love 80s90s00s CLANCY’S CANNING BRIDGE Steve Hensby CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Danny Moss Jnr. CLANCY’S DUNSBOROUGH Blue Shaddy CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Sealamb The Durongs Jay Wol Johnson & The Humblebees Divorce Party CONSERVATORY ROOFTOP BAR Infinity Ink (DJ set) DELICIOUS White Christmas Party ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Sinatra 100 with James Flynn Neapolitan FAIRBRIDGE VILLAGE Disconnect Festival ft.

Flight Facilities Mercury Rev TKAY MAIDZA Goat HERDSMAN LAKE TAVERN Houses of the Holy True Spirit INDI BAR Katie J. White Band The Barefeet Sojourns

JACK RABBIT SLIM’S The Vanns Custom Royal The Southern River Band JIMMY’S DEN Foxton Kings Graphic Characters Ray Finkle Like a Thief Mossy Fogg KINGS PARK & BOTANIC GARDENS A Day on the Green ft.

John Farnham Daryl Braithwaite Ross Wilson & The Peaceniks The Black Sorrows LLAMA BAR TILT LOST SOCIETY CHALK’s 3rd Birthday MECHANICS INSTITUTE HALL Folk & Roots ft.

Aminah Hughes Twisted Herring John McNair & Keith Anthonisz duet MOJO’S BAR My Disco Erasers Mei Saraswati Malgnolias Late Night Live MUSTANG BAR Bang Bang Betty & The H-Bombs DJ Holly Doll Milhouse DJ James Mac NORTH FREMANTLE BOWLING CLUB The Big Dave Out ft.

Dave Johnson David Pensa Jamie David Justin Walshe THE ODD FELLOW Slum Sociable & guests PERTH URBAN URCHARD Live At The Orchard ft.

The Brow The Nodes RAILWAY HOTEL 80s Christmas Party Spectacular ft.

Oats Supply 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL A Mad Planet Showcase ft.

Penny Purr Bluntfield Soma Wisdom 2th Cable Beechey Bowzer Destroyer of Worlds Suburban Diversity Richo Kidd Adam Crook ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Willow Beats Leon Osborn Jamyang DJ Spresso Martinez ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) DJ Jo Lettenmaier DJ Andrew Sinclair SETTLERS TAVERN Dubarray SOUTH BEACH HOTEL Jook Joint Band SWALLOW BAR DJ T-King SWAN BASEMENT Bayview Suspect Roses for Ghosts Remission After Mist SWAN LOUNGE Scarlet Wave & guests UNIVERSAL BAR Soul Corporation VILLA TC Ekko Sidetrack WHITE STAR HOTEL Kallidad SUNDAY 13/12 AMPLIFIER Perth Vegan Festival 2015 THE AVIARY Aviary Rooftop Sessions ft.

HAU Marksman Lloyd Alex Ford NDorse

MONDAY 14/12 AMPLIFIER The Exploited Beerfridge Scalphunter THE BIRD Mundane Matters CLANCY’S CANNING BRIDGE Scotty’s Quiz Night

ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Noah’s Ark THE FLYING SCOTSMAN Infinite Jest MOJO’S BAR Open Mic 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL FRIENDS Steve Paraskos Henry Neil McMagic Max Juniper Sage ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Quiz Night TUESDAY 15/12 CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Quiz Night ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Jodrell Vanderwal Windsor Florisson INDI BAR Poker Night MOJO’S BAR The Methamphetaqueens The Fuzz Toads Scott Aitken & The Deloreans MUSTANG BAR Danza Loca Salsa X-WRAY CAFE Racoo Charles & the Moke Folk WEDNESDAY 16/12 AMPLIFIER Madchild Mastacraft & guests ASTOR LOUNGE Models BABUSHKA Bex’s Open Mic THE BIRD Semi Soft ft.

Blue Crush Willy Slade ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Prita Grealy China Doll FLY BY NIGHT Gaslight Club INDI BAR Club Acoustica ft.

Rob Walker Matt Angel Polly Medlen Darren Guthrie MOJO’S BAR Red Engine Caves Edie Green The Durongs The Drools Good Night Moon THE MOON CAFE David Craft Simon Bazeley MUSTANG BAR Madam Montage DJ Giles ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Rock ’n Roll Karaoke with Magnus Danger Magnus ROSEMOUNT HOTEL (BEER GARDEN) Student Night ft.

DJ Anton Maz SETTLERS TAVERN Open Mic UNIVERSAL BAR Elephants in Paris THURSDAY 17/12 AMPLIFIER Last Night Xmas Party ft.

Patient Sixty Seven Moments The Second Alternation BABUSHKA Eduardo Cossio Quartet Pope Joan & The Mysticals Stella Donnelly THE BIRD Drone Zone ft.

Dylan Michel Atripat Chris Cobilis & L.S. Rosenberg Britt Day & Tourist Kid CIVIC HOTEL The Strays CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Speed Dating ‘Summer of Love’

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FRIDAY 18/12 ADMIRAL HOTEL Kiwi Xmas in the Pub ft.

Sammy J Pieter T Natalie Mae DJ Antikz AMBAR HILINE ft.

Jordan Scott Rivers Axen Shobu AMPLIFIER Them Sharks Chainsaw Hookers Blackwitch Blindspot At Depths Holly Doll Claire Hodgson ASTOR THEATRE 100 Year Anniversary Show ft.

Regurgitator Sugar Army Boys Boys Boys Day of the Dead THE AVIARY Sam Spencer NDorse BABUSHKA VYBZ BASSENDEAN HOTEL Kim Salmon The Painkillers Cigars of the Pharaoh THE BIRD Dancehall Party CIVIC HOTEL Greylands 2ndGradeRenegade Owed To Damnation Drown The Faith Dawn of Leviathan Tusk CLANCY’S CANNING BRIDGE Steve Parkin CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Steve Hensby CLANCY’S FREMANTLE The Fling THE COURT Naughty Xmas Party ft.

DJ Mickey ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Bringing Back Bacharach R ‘n B Party ft.

Elise Lynelle & guests THE GARAGE The Love Junkies Sly Withers Figurehead Fuzz Toads GEISHA tINI THE GOOD SHEPHERD Verge Collection & guests

INDI BAR Morgan Bain Ricky Green Band JACK RABBIT SLIM’S Katy Steele Benjamin Witt The Kitchen People METRO CITY Must Die! Skism Laxx BadKlaat MOJO’S BAR Spinning Top Summer Showcase MUSTANG BAR Adam Hall & The Velvet Playboys Swing DJ Flash Nat & The Action Men PERTH URBAN ORCHARD Moodymann Floating Points PRINCE OF WALES Third Time ‘Round Blue Child 459 ROSEMOUNT HOTEL The Lake The River Kites Sail On! Sail On! Ready To Fire Just Numbers ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Dream on Dreamer Polaris FINDERS SETTLERS TAVERN Brufield STATE THEATRE CENTRE OF WA Courtyard Club ft.

Odette Mercy & Her Soul Atomics DJ Toni Yotzi DJ Bill Frank SWAN BASEMENT Saramona Said Crusoe Scarlet Wave UNIVERSAL BAR Nightmoves WHITE STAR HOTEL Rastatrix YMCA HQ Sweet Oblivion ft.

Scarlet Wave J.A.G. Sorry About Your Vinyl SATURDAY 19/12 AMBAR Japan 4 ft.

Invoker Parakord Pussymittens DNGRFLD Meet Mark AMPLIFIER Miles Away The (BR)Others Cursed Earth Ratking Unravel ASTOR LOUNGE Stretch & Bobbito Documentary THE AVIARY Zel NDorse BABUSHKA Helta Skelta Kitchen’s Floor The Darling Rangers Cold Meat Human Nothing THE BIRD The High Learys HYLA These Winter Nights Vivian Marlowe CLANCY’S CANNING BRIDGE Steve Hensby CLANCY’S CITY BEACH Danny Moss Jnr. CLANCY’S FREMANTLE Carus Thompson & band ELECTRIFIED Christmas Party ft.

4 Strings ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Bringing Back Bacharach Ladywood GEISHA Kinky Malinki GOV’S BAR, ROTTNEST ISLAND Crap Music Rave Party INDI BAR Old Blood Red Engine Caves

MONDAY 21/12 AMPLIFIER Hopsin Dizzy Wright Jarren Benton DJ Hoppa CLANCY’S CANNING BRIDGE Scotty’s Quiz Night ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB Twang ft.

Lucky Oceans Marcio Mendes THE FLYING SCOTSMAN Infinite Jest MOJO’S BAR Open Mic ROSEMOUNT HOTEL Quiz Night

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