Blank Gold Coast issue #30 – February 16

Feb ‘16

AQUILA YOUNG

OUT OF THE WOODS

issue #030

MUSIC

LIFESTYLE

CULTURE

FOOD

MUSIC

Electric Zebra Dallas Crane David Bowie Ed Kuepper 2016 music highlights

Australia Day Awards Single Fin comp Yoga / Pilates Up, up and away

The Last Blast Sand Safari Indo Pop Luke Zwolsman Archibald prize

Grindhouse Coffee Iron & Resin Garage Baracca Pigs & Pints Six summer tipples

Napoleonic Wars Earth Frequency Battles GC at Woodford

FRI 5 FEB

Sons of East $15+BF / $18 at the door SUN 13 MAR

Saskwatch $15+BF / $20 at the door FRI 18 MAR

Big Daddy Wilson $25+BF / $30 at the door FRI 25 MAR

Shane Howard & Dave Gunning $20+BF / $25 at the door THU 16 JUN Farewell Tour

The Beards $30+BF / $35 at the door

soundlounge.com.au

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#030 FEB 2016

Acting editor: Natalie O'Driscoll Culture + Lifestyle Editor: Natalie O’Driscoll Editorial Intern: Doris Prodanovic Design: Chloe Popa, Blunt Pencil Studio & Dusk Stone Design Advertising: Amanda Gorman

Support for GC creatives If you’re a local artist, creative business or organisation, City of Gold Coast has a bunch of grants available to help bring your big idea to life. Applications are now open for Power Up Your Arts Mentorships (closing 19 February), RADF Round Two (closing 11 March) and Generate Program (closing 1 March). RADF is a partnership between Queensland Government and City of Gold Coast to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland. Get all the details at cultural.goldcoast.qld.gov.au.

Queensland Music Awards judging underway Over 50 judges from around Australia, including Blank’s editor, Samantha Morris, plus a few guests from the USA, are currently listening to hundreds of songs entered in the 2016 Queensland Music Awards. Finalists are announced on Monday 8 February with full details of the awards event to be held at Brisbane Powerhouse on 21 March, 2016.

Money Coordinator: Phillippa Wright Photographer: Leisen Standen, Lamp Photography Contributors: Anthony Gebhardt, Kyle Butcher, Jake Wilton, Tiffany Mitchell, Glenn Tozer, Samantha Morris, Kylie Cobb, Nev Pearce, Doris Prodanovic, Eden Tokatly, Sarah Loughlin, Erin Bourne, Terry “Tappa” Teece, Anna Itkonen, Natalie O'Driscoll, Pip Andreas, Jodie Bellchambers, Nathan James, Emily Russell, Marj Osborne, Catherine Coburn.

COVER: Aquila Young courtesy of Lamp Photography

Mojo Burning final lineup If you’ve got a thing for blues rock, then Mojo Burning is for you. With a lineup that includes Bob Log III as well as Gold Coast legends Mason Rack, the event takes place on Saturday 12 March at Hamilton Hotel in Brisbane.

Also on the lineup are Jackson Firebird, Shaun Kirk, The Fumes, Transvaal Diamond Syndicate, The Ugly Kings, Born Lion and more. More at www.mojoburning.com.

GC metal bands score Sevendust support Quite the score for local metal legends Darkc3ll and AZREAL. They’ve scored the support slots for Sevendust, who blow into the Cooly Hotel on 16 March. You don't wanna miss this ear-bending extravaganza.

See you front and centre, Gold Coast. Tickets via oztix.

Jupiters’ new Sunday sessions showcases local talent Mojo Burning will fire up for its third They’ve opened their newest restaurant to rave reviews, and now Jupiters is adding to the general awesomeness of their Garden Kitchen & Bar with a fantastic lineup of local musicians to boot. Josh Lovegrove kicks things off for February on Sunday 7th, with Michael Eotvos, Nyssa Berger and Ondre Davis on the bill for following Sundays. Live music is on from 2.00 – 6.00pm. So if you were looking for a reason to check out one of the GC’s newest dining spaces, you now have it.

NightQuarter’s big Feb lineup They’ve been dropping hints about their first ticketed act to be announced after March, which experts say will DEFINITELY sell out, but in the meantime NightQuarter continues to serve up not only delicious food and local fashion, but serious local musical talent as well. On the bill for February is Big Strong Brute – the solo project of 26yo Paul Donoughue who’s shared stages across Australia and Europe with the likes of Jens Lekman, First Aid Kit and Holly Throsby since 2006. He hits the Paddock stage on 5 February, followed by The Unusual Suspects – a massive 25 piece Balkan Gypsy Brass band from Maleny who will appear on 13 February. They’re bringing eight drummers, six saxes, two trumptes, clarinet, tenor horn, two trombones, a sousaphone, bass guitar, cittern, cumbus and their trusty ipod.

Kingfisha hits the stage on 19 February, Banff on 26 February and GC Music Awards People’s Choice winner Casey Barnes (with full band) on 27 February. More at nightquarter.com.au.

Millencollin brew new tracks With eight timeless punk rock albums and over 20 years of high intensity touring under their belt, Millencolin has come to help shape the skate punk sound that inspired them from the start. They’re touring here this April with a promise to play an arsenal of hits from across their massive catalogue as well as tracks from their new album True Brew. They’re at the Cooly Hotel on Saturday 30 April and with a history of sold-out Australian shows, don’t say you weren’t given plenty of notice. Tickets are onsale now.

Acknowledgement of Country We show our respect and sincerely acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this land and their elders past, present and emerging.

Editorial: news@blankgc.com.au Advertising: advertising@blankgc.com.au Gigs: gigs@blankgc.com.au About us: Blank GC is independently owned and published by Samantha Morris and Chloe Popa. Most of our writers contribute their time pro-bono to boost the cultural scene on the Gold Coast. Founded in 2013 we are the Gold Coast’s independent cultural voice, relying on advertising to keep us in the fray. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editor, publishers or the writing team.

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Gold Coast’s first big collaboration of 2016 She hinted as much when we spoke to her at the end of 2015, so we shouldn’t be surprised.

Felicity Lawless has teamed up with Black Rabbit George (AKA Paul George) to produce beautiful music in the form of Rabbit Hole – the first in a series they’re calling Moonlight Sessions. We think it’s pretty special and if you missed them playing live together last week at Soundlounge, you can listen to the track via Felicity’s Soundcloud page now.

McClymonts at Twin Towns The McClymonts will hit the road this July and August for ten very special live dates celebrating ten years of hits, and Twin Towns is on the tour. They’ve just performed at Tamworth Country Music Festival and since releasing their self-titled debut EP in 2006 have been making serious inroads in the Australian country music scene. Brooke, Sam and Mollie amassed nineteen charting singles, gold albums, multiple awards and sold out shows across Australia. They’re at Twin Towns, Tweed Heads on Friday 26 August. More at themcclymonts.net.au.

Yes Sir Noceur kick off 2016 with NightQuarter show After some time off the Yes Sir Noceur camp has refuelled its jets and only have one week until their Mermanian guitarist El returns from a two-month long Scandinavian journey.

They’ve wrapped up two tracks, soon to be released on Triple J Unearthed, and have

also announced their first gig of 2016 at NightQuarter. “We’re coming at you like spider monkeys in heat,” they say of their upcoming shows. You can catch them at NightQuarter on Friday 5 February.

Osaka Punch uppercut their way to the GC With brand new single Stonk and a big east coast tour for February and March, Osaka Punch are going large for 2016. The four-piece powerhouse out of the Queensland capital are unveiling the track, a smashing 3:52 of powergroove hard rock - and dates in Melbourne, Sydney, Byron Bay, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Gladstone and of course, Brisbane. They hit Studio 56 on Thursday 25 February with Electrik Lemonade and Jackson Dunn in support. Tickets $10 pre-sale via Oztix or $15 on the door.

Gold Coast’s tribute to Bowie An all-star local line-up of musicians will be celebrating the life and works of David Bowie in a unique live performance on Wednesday 3 February with proceeds from the night going to cancer research. With music direction from Aria awarded Nick Stewart and creative production from APRA Art Music award winner Nadia Sunde, the night will cover Bowie's career, taking in classics and oddities from his seminal albums including Hunky Dory, Heroes, Ziggy Stardust, Young Americans and more.

The show will feature a monster ten-piece band with members from Taylor, Cheap Fakes, French Butler Called Smith and The Rooftops with performances by Nadia Sunde, Hayden Andrews, David Taylor, Scott French and Brennan Smith. The event takes place 3 February at Miami Marketta’s Studio 56.

Tickets available now through Oztix, but get in early.

Veronicas’ long-awaited Gold Coast return Following sold out performances across the USA, Asia, Europe and Australia, twin sister duo The Veronicas will make their long

awaited return to the Gold Coast this May when they perform at Jupiters Hotel & Casino.

One of Australia’s premiere live acts and the hit-makers behind ARIA award winning songs You Ruin Me, Untouched and 4ever, The Veronicas return to the stage off the back of the release of their ARIA award winning selftitled third album. They hit Jupiters on Friday 27 May and tickets are available now through Ticketek.

Lagerstein announce Australian tour With a new album All for Rum and Rum for All due this month, this seven-piece all drinking, all rocking, all pirating rock/folk/ metal powerhouse from Brisbane will launch an enormous national tour through Feb/ March. The release, featuring ‘eleven sea shanties’ follows 2012’s Drink ’Til We Die and continues their journey as Australia’s one and only kings of pirate-metal. They’ll hit Cooly Hotel on Friday 11 March.

Katrina and the Waves (Walking on Sunshine) and Men Without Hats (Safety Dance) amongst others. It absolutely is an eighty’s celebration like no other and it hits Jupiters Theatre on Thursday 14 July.

Lastlings’ unreality Gold Coast based brother / sister duo Lastlings take their listeners to a place that is non-existent and surreal, yet somehow familiar. They say their track Iriguchi (Japanese for entrance) mimics the sound of a thunderstorm. Their debut EP Unreality recounts love, longing, disdain and escape and sees the duo expressing elements of their own production and self-recording process.

To celebrate the release of the EP, which is available now, they’ll support The Cairos at NightQuarter on Friday 29 January.

First single off new album for City Over Sand Recorded at Blindboy Studios, Good Grief is the new album from City Over Sand, with the first track off the record, Look For Me, due for release on 26 February. The Gold Coast band has spent 18 months producing the new record and along with the track, will release a film-clip produced by Desert Island Media and shot at Mermaid Beach institution, Alfred’s Apartment. Adding to the local artists involved in its production, the single’s artwork was created by Anika Kirk and is titled Mountainous 2. The album is due for release (including in vinyl format) in May but for now the single will be released digitally through iTunes and Bandcamp.

The eighties are back Don’t freak out. Not the fashion. Just the music. Starring a lineup of 80’s chart-toppers, this event at Jupiters will be sure to bring out the fashion-tragics as well as those whose ears are still in the 80s. We’re talking Martika (Toy Soldiers), Berlin (Take My Breath Away),

SUMME RTIM E IN THE VILL AGE

Summertime Sessions is back Not that it ever went away, but Mudgeeraba is continuing its new tradition of summertime songs under the stars with another great lineup of artists running Friday 29 January through Friday 18 March. Featuring the likes of Taylor, City over Sand, Marshall O’Kell, Benny D Williams, Phil Barlow, BigFellaLinc, Gas Grooves and a heap of amazing local ladies who we mentioned last edition, this summertime soiree just keeps getting better and better. It’s on every Friday from 5.30pm right in the middle of Mudgeeraba’s Cuddihy Park and the markets are on nearby too.

#SSitV # Mudgeeraba #creativegold

music art event s

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Image: Lamp Photography

AQUILA YOUNG:

OUT OF THE WOODS Aquila Young: the name evokes mystique, tranquility. Yet this young Gold Coast singer / songwriter is capable of searing souls with her particular brand of fearless poetry: I fought and feared, and staggered through the distance to live another day. Establishing a local following by captivating audiences with a live dynamic energy and alluring presence, the past year has seen Aquila Young share stages with Bob Evans, MT Warning and TSUN as well as play Bleach* Festival and Glow Festival. Blank GC spoke with Aquila about her most recent musical experiences and what is next on the agenda.

2015 was a huge year. In addition to graduating from Griffith's Bachelor of Popular Music and a trip to the US where she was able to record in Nashville, Aquila released her debut EP, Distant Echoes.

“It had been over 3 years in the making so quite a long time coming,” she explains. “It marked the end of a long reign of sleepless nights and mania and transitioned into a festive tour season.”

The tour itself brought its own set of rewards. “The shows themselves highlighted some great moments. It was incredibly fun and such an honour getting to take the show across the border and connect with so many others.”

An experienced soloist, Aquila has been playing more and more with band members with whom she was placed in a group project during her studies at Griffith.

“When I first started I was doing a bit of a solo electronic hybrid thing, but now I'm pretty much only playing with the band, carrying across that original sound. Which is always going to change depending on who is on your lineup so I'm trying to keep it consistent with creating that experience.”

“I prefer playing with the backing band I guess because I really enjoy that kind of interaction. Live I feel like there's a whole lot more energy that comes off that as opposed to having just myself playing everything. Maybe I get lonely up there, and I need to get some people to hang out with me,” she laughs.

Even as a solo artist, Aquila was no stranger to collaboration.

“There's a lot of potential for creative energy to be gained in meeting others and over time I've become invested in playing with a few other bands. I'm currently playing keys for Ella Fence and mucking around making some noise with a few other friends.”

“I'm more of a solo writer but I'm working on more of the collaborative side because I can get lost in my bubble sometimes - and I do love it there - but finding time for that kind of interaction I find keeps everything evolving and moving.”

Following the success of her performance at last year's Picnic In Your Patch event, Aquila returns to Bleach* Festival this year for Out Of The Woods, an eclectic mix of music and dance on Currumbin RSL's new outdoor deck. She will be working alongside some of the best talent that the Gold Coast has to offer, including crazy dance collective The Farm.

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“I am very much looking forward to that,” she declares.

“Last year I got to play alongside a couple of other female artists and in an all-female lineup which was really cool.”

Finishing studies is always a major life-changing event. We asked about some of the things that Aquila will take out of her time at university.

“There's a lot that the course has to offer. It's quite a broad course so there are a lot of vocalists that come on board and producers that come on board and even session drummers and you find people that you need to work with to make the stuff that you want to do.”

“I found my band there, I recorded my first record there, and that was always such a big deal for me. I had this idea and vision that I wanted to create without knowing how to execute it. It was great to be able to find like minded people.

Even to find people who challenged my ideas to change the way I approached things and find new creative practices.”

Graduating does come with its own set of benefits, however.

“Now that I've finished up everything from last year I've been able to get back to basics and get a normal routine happening. There's also more time to invest into other things so I've started exploring some new sounds for the next collection of songs.”

“There's some cool shows lining up for the year so far. I've got some plans to step up the show and take it to some new places. There will be plenty of new sounds for 2016 and some more collaboration across various forms of visual and sonic media.

“I'm currently working on the next batch of material so who knows? Maybe there'll be a new release.”

We hope so!

Interviews by Samantha Morris and Natalie O'Driscoll Story by Natalie O'Driscoll

UPCOMING SHOWS JAN 29 | Platform Show | Southport Sharks | Gold Coast FEB 05 | City Sounds | Brisbane FEB 27 | Stone & Wood Brewery | Byron Bay MAR 06 | Bleach* Festival | Gold Coast MAR 26 | City Sounds | Brisbane

WOWING WOODFORD: HANLON BROTHERS X TIJUANA CARTEL On a warm evening during Woodford Folk Festival’s second day, a bunch of Gold Coasters gathered to shoot the breeze. Glenn Tozer, writing for Blank GC, caught up with Paul George and Adam Irama from Tijuana Cartel as well as the Hanlon Brothers – Omar and Saia Hanlon.

It was a mixed bag of a chat. Paul George was celebrating his eighth Woodford, the Hanlon Brothers only their first.

Tijuana Cartel at Woodford ©Tim Roberts

“Yeah, I’ve been here quite a few times,” Paul said. “I guess I came here before I had gigs and then played with Tijuana Cartel and Wild Marmalade.”

“It’s a good range of music,” Paul said. “I reckon you will go away with one band you really love that you didn’t know.

There is always a good mix. We just watched Jeff Lang with Bobby Singh and the Kabbalah Indian sort of classical music with a blues mix. It was cool. It was awesome.”

Glenn: The funk?

Omar: Its like these guys (Tijuana Cartel) as well you know, the energy. The vibe draws them in.

Glenn: That energy, when a room is empty, is really hard.

How do you get that energy when you are feeling a bit…..

“Yeah, like we have the guy from Wild Marmalade getting up with us and one of the guys from Dubmarine. He is going to get up and rap. The sound is a bit shitty, we managed to get like six lines and for maybe a 10 minute set up,” he said before asking the Hanlons how they go with so many people in their band.

Saia: Just play. It’s a good question; when you are new to a place you are kind of a bit reluctant to play your set - like should we tame it down and then build it up? We don’t want to scare everyone. We always have that conversation and by the end we are like, stuff it, we will do what we want to do.

We will just play hard. It seems to work.

“Its pretty hectic,” Saia said. “We have it pretty down pat now. Everyone has their jobs. Straight in and get it done.”

Glenn: Man it worked last night. You guys went from, 0 – 100kph like a high performance vehicle in about six seconds.

It was very nice. Very nice.

“Gold Coast Music Awards,” he said.

It was a coup for the GC Music Awards to have Chloe Goodyear, who directs programming for Woodford Folk Festival come along as a guest. She loved what she heard in the Hanlon Brothers and cut a deal for their attendance at the event. So will it be an ongoing thing?

“Hopefully a couple of years,” Omar said. “Don’t know, don’t know where we are going to be next year.”

The Hanlon Brothers popped their Woodford cherry the night before this chat and they reflect on how it went.

“Last night? It was magical,” Omar said.

“When we got there, there was like no one in the tent and we thought, ah, is this how it rolls here. Like, what’s going on?”

“Yeah, its like, you know, we are new to the scene. We just thought we will just get through it. By the end of the night, you couldn’t find a place that was empty. It was packed,” Saia said.

Glenn: People were loving it man. We saw the parade come past about eight minutes into the gig and then people were just filling in after that parade and you were like drawing people from the parade, like a magnet.

Saia: It’s the Gold Coast.

Glenn: Is that what it was .. Gold Coast?

Saia:Yep. www.blankgc.com.au

Omar: The funk, the energy

Glenn believes one of the things people particularly love about Woodford are the collaborations that happen between artists. Paul agrees.

Glenn knows full well how the Hanlon Brothers ended up playing at Woodford, but he asks Saia anyway.

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Glenn: What is that makes people add themselves to your crowd? What are the ingredients of a band that is doing that?

Saia: All these quiet people when we played at the start, then full swingers, kind of like everyone goes, holy shit, is this where people are?

Paul: You guys were set up really properly. Getting the place pumping. It’s the same with Tijuana Cartel. Everything is built around groove, it’s groove based.

Glenn: I gotta say Tijuana Cartel, I hadn’t seen you guys live before. I had heard some stuff online and on records and stuff and my first experience was on the second night of Woodford, or was it the first night? It must have been 1.30 in the morning and Adam: Yeah it was 1.30 in the morning on the grand stage …

The conversation continues for some time. The Hanlon Brothers recount their long musical association with the Gold Coast and Tijuana Cartel talk collaborations with artists like Felicity Lawless and Paul’s new project – Black Rabbit George. Both bands find out things about each other, which is always cool and Adam talked about his love of drumming and surfing and how both are connected to rhythm. They all agree about the general awesomeness of Woodford Folk Festival before finishing off with Glenn proposing the mother of all collaborations! Hanlon Brothers x Tijuana Cartel.

“That’d be so sick,” Saia says, to consensus from the group.

So eyes and ears peeled, Gold Coast. How you’d get all of them on stage is anyone’s guess, but it’d be one hell of a feast for the senses, that’s for sure.

Interview: Glenn Tozer Story: Samantha Morris

HANG FIVE

Simon Moulden is no stranger to the food industry with 30 years experience. He is an astute small business owner who thrived in his former role of Executive Chef for the De Olivira establishments in Melbourne before relocating to the Gold Coast.

Living in Currumbin Valley, Simon sources his produce as much as possible locally. Offering value, quality and uniqueness within their food and beverage selection, The Yard Café located in the burgeoning Nobby Beach strip, ignites the palate with sensory delights. We caught up with Simon for a quick Hang Five.

Simon Moulden – The Yard Cafe First band you ever saw live?

I saw AC/DC at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne when I was just 5 years old. My Brother won tickets on a radio show and we got to hang out with a security guard in the front. I think he actually took a liking to my mum so he took us in and put us in the lighting rails right above Angus Young. I will never forget it.

What motivated you to start booking local, original acts for your cafe?

I have always wanted to provide a space for artists to express themselves whether it be music or art and I love music. We have been selective about working with great talent who I feel will appeal to our guests. I can’t wait for all music lovers on the GC to start coming down on a Saturday and Sunday afternoons to enjoy listening to who is playing while enjoying a fantastic dining experience or simply a casual drink.

Who’s your favourite Gold Coast band?

My favourite would be the Jesse Morris because he is such an awesome musician brilliant guy too. Also Matthew is something pretty special. Triple unearthed him mid last year so we to have him booked to play with most of February and March!

Band and Armitage J actually What’s your earliest musical memory? are privileged us throughout As a child growing up I remember ABBA because it’s all my mum played in the 70’s. As a kid with 2 older brothers, my taste got influenced and I started following Australian bands such as Chisel, Aussie Crawl, AC/DC and The Angels and my favorite Radio Birdman.

Live MUSIC

If you could go to any festival anywhere in the world, which one would you choose?

The Roskile Festival in Denmark.

Samantha Morris

February @theyardcafe

Sun 7th Mathew Armitage Sat 13th Dave Murray Sun 14th Mathew Armitage Sat 20th Special Guest Sun 21st Dave Murray Sat 27th Scott Dalton Sun 28th Mathew Armitage

Happy hour 3 to 4 every weekend & all day dining 17 Lavarack Rd, Nobby Beach.

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MUSIC MAKETH THE CITY

2016’s major musical highlights

2016 is going to be a big year for music on the Gold Coast. We know. Because we are working HARD to make it so. As the city gets closer to d-day for hosting the Commonwealth Games and both money and energy are directed to cultural growth, it’s a unique time for people working in creative industries – including music – and that means it’s a fantastic time for music lovers.

Can I hear a f*ck yeah! We already know about some big names coming to places like NightQuarter (but we’re sworn to secrecy) and the number and frequency of touring acts stopping here is growing steadily (though we admit, we’ve still a way to go). We’re working closely with organisations like Q Music to make sure local, original artists and the venues that support them have a voice, and of course, we’ve got the Gold Coast Music Awards ramping up for 2016 as well.

For two years now, Blank GC has been the number one gig guide for the Gold Coast (according to Doctor Google, anyway) and we work hard to keep the guide maintained and focused on local, original artists. But what about the major music events to keep your eyes and ears peeled for over this coming year? We’ve got the goods there, too.

Image: Spill Photography Bleach Festival | 4 – 20 March

Gold Coast Music Awards | 16 June 2016

One of the things we love about Bleach* is the incredibly high volume of local talent included in a program that is undoubtedly world-class. Spanning three weekends and taking place in some of the Gold Coast’s most beautiful outdoor and indoor spaces, Bleach has released its 2016 program which includes headliner and international guest Ben Lee as well as a wealth of local talent such as Ella Fence, Cheap Fakes, Black Rabbit George, Casey Barnes, The Vernons, Hanlon Brothers, The Reversals, Electrik Lemonade, Robbie Miller and Ivey. Get the full program at bleachfestival.com.au.

With Burleigh Brewing Co jumping on board as Presenting Partner for 2016 before the 2015 event had even finished, we knew this year’s event would have big shoes to fill.

But we’ve already laid eyes at Burleigh brewing Co’s new facilities (which are due to open in March) and we’re pretty sure 2016 is going to be a massive year for the GC Music Awards. With nominations opening in March and a heap of sponsors already on board for announcement in the next edition of Blank – we are well on our way to unearthing and celebrating the very best of the Gold Coast’s music scene.

Stay tuned for more info or visit gcmusicawards.com.au for the latest news.

Surfers Paradise Live | 6 – 8 May Music is front and centre when Surfers Paradise LIVE comes to town in May. The event showcases a heap of diverse musical genres over stages located throughout the precinct.

If you haven’t been in to Surfers Paradise for a while, I guarantee you’ll be surprised at how it’s changed. As well as fantastic live music venues and late-night DJ / party options, there’s a heap of family-friendly dining and playtime options as well. Surfers Paradise LIVE is a good reason to quell your live music craving while visiting Surfers for old time’s sake.

More at surfersparadise.com.

Blues on Broadbeach | 19 – 22 May It may be chilly, come May, but there’s no need to be blue.

Blues on Broadbeah, which celebrates its 14th year in 2016, has already announced an incredible lineup – and there’s still more to come. Eric Burdon and the Animals lead the charge for this free, family-friendly, four-day event. Also announced are The Bamboos, Cookin’ on 3 Burners with Tex Perkins and Stella Angelico, Diesel, Bondi Cigars, Free Soul Collective, Felicity Lawless, Big Daddy Wilson, The Lachy Doley Group, The James Street Preachers and more. And that’s only the beginning. More artists are expected to be announced shortly.

Get all the details at bluesonbroadbeach.com.

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Broadbeach Country Music Festival | 17 – 19 June It’s grown every year and with an early lineup announcement for 2016, there’s no doubt the Broadbeach Country Music Festival will be another boot-scooting success! Adam Brand and the Outlaws headline the event with The Sunny Cowgirls and Jasmin Rae also on the lineup – with many more to be announced. Visit bluesonbroadbeach.com for all the details about the three-day event which brings the country to the city through music.

SWELL Sculpture Festival | 9 - 18 September Yes, it’s a sculpture festival, but everyone knows you can’t really have a festival without music, right? The team behind SWELL as passionate supporters of the local music scene and always work hard to include local and original talent in their festival program. In 2015 that included a showcase of ladies who were profiled through the Gold Coast Music Awards – so who knows what 2016 will have in store. Get all the details at swellsculpturefestival.com.au.

different. The event will tour to Melbourne and Sydney in June, before returning to Byron (16 September) and Gold Coast (17 September). Headliners are expected to be announced very soon, but Smoking Martha has already been confirmed on the bill. No surprises there. They blew people some new earholes last year.

Gold Coast Folk Festival | September (TBC) Paradise Country Parklands is the venue for the Gold Coast’s very own celebration of folk music, come September.

Last year’s event drew more than a thousand guests who participated in free and ticketed events as well as open mic sessions and concerts. The dates for 2016 haven’t been announced yet, but you can keep up to date with that and the lineup announcement at goldcoastolkfestival.com.au.

Buskers by the Creek | 15 – 16 October There’s a reason this home-grown event has been winning awards left, right and centre. The brainchild of Cindy Jensen, Buskers by the Creek offers up an incredible number of musicians and performers all vying for busking glory. Taking place on the southern bank of Currumbin Creek, tens of thousands of people attended in 2015 and the event is only expected to grow in the future. As well as the free and very family-friendly daytime event, the nighttime sees the Battle of the Buskers take place with the winner scoring a heap of gigs and marketing support as well as a recording package.

This event showcases everything that’s great about the Gold Coast – its can-do spirit, its landscape, beaches and creeks, its talented performers, its talented creators and its laid-back vibe. Put it in your diary RIGHT NOW and stay tuned for artist invitations via buskersbythecreek.com.au.

Samantha Morris

Wallapalooza | 17 September With a focus on heavier music genres, Wallapalooza will again bring serious music lovers a smorgasbord of talent – with a themed event. Last year Wallapalooza went national with shows up and down the east coast and 2016 is no

Did we miss something? Let us know via our website | blankgc.com.au.

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saturday 13 feb

unusual suspects 25 PIECE BALKEN STREET BAND WITH SHEHERAZADE BELLY DANCERS

06 feb

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the strides

yes sir noceur BIG STRONG BRUTE

12 feb

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the lyrical

ivey

HAILEY CALVERT

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26 feb

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saturday 27 feb

casey

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nightquarter.com.au

19 feb

ella fence

20 feb

the weather men

IVORI

1800 264 448

banff

casey barnes

GAS GROOVES

DEVIL’S KISOK

1 town centre drive, helensvale

THE SCOUNDRELS ARE BACK: DALLAS CRANE If you were a live music fan of the rock ‘n’ roll variety in the early 2000s, chances are you saw Melbourne four-piece Dallas Crane at a pub somewhere. Likely as a support act for Aussie rock royalty like You Am I or Regurgitator, even claiming the title of “best band in the country,” according to Tim Rogers. In 2004, with supports slots for The Church, Nick Cave and The Black Keys and shows at Homebake and Big Day Out under the belt, they released their self-titled album to critical acclaim. It debuted in the Australian ARIA Top 40 charts and was nominated for three ARIA Awards.

And now they’re back, doing what they do best. Dallas Crane are on the road this summer to support their first studio album in nine years, Scoundrels. Blank’s editor Samantha Morris had the chance to fire off a few questions to none other than Dave Larkin.

Where on earth have you been for nine years?

Well, we just had to take a little break I guess. We needed to get away from the same old and try some different things to get the music and the fun side ticking over again.

Best thing we ever did! This album has been incredibly joyous to put together.

It seems fitting that 20 years after forming, you’re on the road again, with a new studio album under your belt. I’m sure a lot has changed during those two decades.

The industry is a very different place now from when we started. In a way the death of the record industry has yielded an even battleground, but getting things off the ground takes an enormous effort from artists now. I’m not sure it’s any better or worse than it was when we started. It’s always been a shit fight one way or another. Lack of support and opportunity is certainly teaching young musos to get their act together on a business front. We’re lucky we don’t have any stupid expectations with Dallas Crane. We’re just doing it because we love it. As long as folks buy tickets, we’ll be there for them.

How have you guys changed over that 20 year period? And how has this impacted on your songwriting / recording processes?

We’ve matured like anyone matures through time I guess. We made some pretty average decisions along the way leading into our time off, but we’ve only brought back the things that matter in making bands a good thing. We don’t give a stuff about ARIAs or getting played on Triple j or anything like that. That stuff will destroy you. We’re just trying to impress each other with our songs and hopefully pass it on to our fans. The universe can sort out the rest.

Tell me about the band’s record label, Nylon Sounds? Any awesome new acts we should keep an ear out for?

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Nah! Nylon Sounds is really nothing more than a logo at this stage.

In time we will add more to the catalogue but it was our opportunity to come out and do things exactly how we wanted to do them. We went through that whole corporate machine with the last couple of records and at times got caught up in all the wrong conversations about furthering the band. It was all crap. The only way to further your band is to get really good at what you do and let the rest of the world decide what’s next for you. Once the baby’s on the steps of the orphanage, all you’ve got is prayers.

You’ve seen the inside of hundreds of surburban and regional pubs and clubs in Australia. What are some of your favourites?

Any memorable Gold Coast gigs?

Australia’s full of great pubs – I wouldn’t know where to start.

Goldy always threw up good times for us.

We used to play the Cooly Hotel a fair bit and had some raucous affairs there. Tim Rogers and band joined Dallas Crane on a national tour once and we’d routinely sit back stage every night watching the MC5 live on video totally penting ourselves up for the show. It was great! We’d both go out there and try and blow each other off stage. Good times indeed!

Dallas Crane hit Miami Tavern Shark Bar on Friday 12 February.

TORREN FOOT [LTM CREW / MEL]

FRI 5.2 HOLY GHOST!

[DJ SET / DFA RECORDS / NYC]

FRI 19.2 HOMESHAKE W / SPECIAL GUESTS

FRI 26.2 CASSIAN

6 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

SAT 27.2

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THERE’S GOLD IN THEM THERE WOODFORD FOLK FESTIVAL HILLS As the reputation of Gold Coast's cultural scene breaks out of the confines of the city, a partnership between the well-established Woodford Folk Festival and the City of Gold Coast has evolved. At the 2015/16 Woodford Folk Festival, over ten acts with strong links to the Gold Coast performed, resulting in a move some described - tongue firmly in cheek - as a Gold Rush.

Hanlon Brothers, the reigning Emerging Artist of the Year at the Gold Coast Music Awards, got people moving on the Woodford dance floors over three evenings with their hip-hop and funk tunes, after picking up the gig when Woodford festival programmers attended the Burleigh Brewing hosted awards ceremony back in June and liked what they heard. Beyond the Hanlon boys, whose links to the Gold Coast span a generation or two via their father’s local and touring performances and the music teaching they still offer at the Burleigh Arcade, Gold Coaster Nadia Sunde performed 19 times in a variety of acts including the Inaugural Annual Dance Affair, children’s festival favourite “The Treasure of Captain Curlylocks” and with calypso-flavoured babes “The Bella Fontes”. Ten years a reggae performer, Claire Cottone (known as CC the Cat), lit up late nights along with the Tijuana Cartel. The Gold Coast’s Tijuana Cartel are led by Paul George, whose Middle-eastern and Spanish inspired beats are layered over guitar riffs. Late evenings also featured the Cheap Fakes, whose guitarist is none other than Currumbin’s Love Street Studio boss Scotty French.

Even the volunteers weren’t spared Gold Coast leadership with vocal-looping acoustic musician Josh Lovegrove steering a group of 30 gate volunteers, and then popping up on stage for a workshop hosted by Mr Percival, with 400 or so Woodfordians singing about not wanting to go home yet.

The diversity of Gold Coast talent was unique. Adding to the musicians were Kristy Seymour, an accomplished circus trapeze artist, whose work documenting the impact circus training is having on the lives of certain children on the autism spectrum is transforming the lives of families across the city, and further afield. Her PhD addressing the history of circus in Australia will also be quite an interesting read. Michael Aird, local indigenous historian on the Gold Coast, spoke as part of a panel discussing currency, indigenous trade and the future of economics and barter in Australia, which was quite pertinent as Woodford introduced their own currency for the first year, the Fordia (trades at about $2.50AU:1) The Swell Sculpture girls Natasha, Ruth and Kate had a hand in the fit-out of the famous Bill’s Bar, where the secret Passenger gig was hosted by Mr Hauritz, the festival director himself. That partnership has been one of mentoring for some time and seen mutual success, and the beautiful face at night seen smiling from across the gully was quite the drawcard to Bill’s Bar. Finally, Kate McDonald’s Inaugural Annual Dance Affair, commissioned at our very own Bleach Festival 2015, made its Woodford debut and the participatory dance theatre experience met rave reviews from visitors keen to cut a rug and observe the best the ballroom has to offer our local communities.

It is hoped that as the Commonwealth Games approaches in 2018, the partnership can continue to develop for mutual benefit of both the Queensland Folk Federation, creators of the Woodford Folk Festival, and the Gold Coast cultural scene. Next year, we hope that Gold Rush can continue.

Glenn Tozer

Tijuana Cartel at Woodford ©Tim Roberts

Blue King Brown to play Earth Frequency Festival © Gina Martin

FIND YOUR FREQUENCY THIS FEBRUARY Look, I won’t lie, when I see photos come in every year from Earth Frequency Festival, I have serious FOMO. It just looks stunning.

Earth Frequency Festival is a four-day immersion in music, art, performance, community, food, market stalls and a beautiful natural environment.

Offering up an eclectic mix of live music, DJs and serious earth vibes with a fantastic array of camping options (did someone say bell tents), it’s a unique event, held at Ivory’s Rock near Peak Crossing in the Scenic Rim and in 2016 it celebrates its eleventh anniversary.

Festival Director Paul Abad says he’s honoured and overjoyed to be returning to the incredible venue.

“It has to be one of the best set up event venues in Australia and it's loved by our audience,” Paul told Blank GC. But as with many festivals, it’s a sensitive process to host live music events in special places.

“It has been a more drawn out process this year with some community feedback,” Paul said. “So I urge everyone to read the venue information on the website and to help us maintain a respectful presence for the local hosting community.”

Paul said that up until this year’s event, the festival has grown organically and at its own pace but there has been some directed evolution with the EFF team wanting to see the event reach its full potential.

“This year we are capping numbers at 5000 and we think this is a perfect level for an event of this kind,” Paul explained. “So now it's a matter of maintaining the special vibe it's known for, perfecting our systems around

a fixed number of people, and getting the most out of it in terms of creative potential for future years.”

“There will be some changes to the flow of music and the running times, but all the essential parts of the festival that make Earth Frequency what it is will be there, bigger and better,” Paul said.

It’s a challenge for any festival director to pore through their own program and pick highlights, but Paul does so for Blank readers.

“Blue King Brown is an act we're very happy to hosting - one of Australia's stand out roots/reggae bands, with a very conscious message and great vibe, they are sure to be a highlight,” he said.

“Chali 2na and the Funk Hunters will be a great set too - modern glitch-hop and drum and bass beats with the legendary rapper from Jurassic 5 up there on stage!”

“I'm also really looking forward to Day. Din and Boris Brejcha who are both from Germany, and are world class acts in the genres of progressive trance and minimal techno.”

Samantha Morris

Earth Frequency Festival 2016 takes place at Ivory’s Rock 12 – 15 February. More at earthfrequency. com.au.

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San Cisco Art vs Science

Saskwatch

Images: Lamp Photography

A new year for some consists of resolutions but for Electric Zebra, kicking off 2016 means dropping their new five-track EP, Ambition.

The four piece alt-rockers consisting of Keelan Sanders, Adam Sharman, Daniel Lim and Richard Lu, formed in high school three years ago.

Since releasing their first EP, Modern Living, towards the end of 2014, Electric Zebra didn’t take a moment to rest as they produced Ambition within three days at Brisbane’s Empire Studios.

“Drums, bass and rhythm guitar were all recorded live in under two days, and then vocals and lead guitar were recorded on day three and we were done,” said Keelan.

“We recorded in a proper studio instead of a basement, with Konstantin Kersting instead of myself and the songs have a more consistent theme this time around too.”

“It was good to work with a professional producer to get another perspective on the songs and to keep us focused.”

The momentum of producing Ambition did not stop in the studio for Electric Zebra, as they had the opportunity to work with California based artist Bret Brown for their album artwork.

“We had debated for a long time what the artwork should be, and even decided to commission a

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portrait of Matthew Mcconaughey (a sort of continuation from our last EP, which featured Steve Buscemi),” explained Adam.

“That idea fell through for various reasons, and we instead contacted Bret Brown, whose artwork we also really admired and felt fit well with the EP.” “There’s no real story behind [the artwork], just an appreciation for the surreal design and characters.”

The release of a new EP also called for new photos, with the boys working alongside Luke Henery, an artist much closer to home and happens to be a member from Brisbane band Violent Soho.

“We’d admired his work as a photographer for a while and when it came time for some new press images, he was an obvious choice,” said Adam.

“We spent a day in Brisbane with him, first getting shots at an antiques place in Woolloongabba, before heading out to an old quarry for more, where we all ended up in the water being nibbled by fish, and I lost my glasses.”

Although Electric Zebra may play most of their gigs across the endless pubs, bars and venues of Brisbane, the release of Ambition on February 5 will see them play a show at home on the Gold Coast at Currumbin Creek Tavern.

“We’ll play the new EP in full as well as a couple of new tracks we’ve been working on in the meantime,” Keelan said.

“Richard and Adam will probably end up fighting on the floor, the way a lot of our sets seem to finish.”

As for the rest of 2016, Keelan says they will see where it takes them.

“Hopefully a few shows at some new venues, and eventually it would be nice to head back to the studio for another EP… but we never really know what we’re doing until we do it,” he said.

“For now I’m happy to keep playing Ambition EP until everyone gets sick of it.”

By Doris Prodanovic

Electric Zebra’s latest EP Ambition will be

available from February 5 at

www.electriczebra.bandcamp.com.

To see them play their new songs live, make sure to

head to Currumbin Creek Tavern the day of its release

from 8.00pm.

NB. The writer Doris Prodanovic and the members of

Electric Zebra have a personal relationship.

THE MATHS BEHIND REPETITION Previously kings of ushering in a new generation to the math rock genre, New York three-piece Battles now continue to push the instrumental-electronic-math ordinance even further with their latest effort, La Di Da Di. Built on its expanding resonance of looping electricity, the group announced via video documentary their passion for the art of repetition. Now on tour and en route to Australia as part of the Laneway Festival circuit, Jake Wilton had the pleasure of speaking to bassist / guitarist Dave Konopka about the band’s intrinsic love affair with musical recurrence and their approach to marrying that with the analogue and digital worlds.

In contemporary music, repetition is often affiliated with negative connotations. Why choose to announce Battles’ love in the art of repetition?

Viewing repetition negatively is only one way of seeing it but there are many other musicians who use repetition as an element that can be very interesting. Steve Reich, for example, is one of my favourites; he’s a real perfectionist. As far as Battles is concerned, the interest lies in not making that repetition boring. Working with that element in trying to manipulate it in a way that it doesn’t seem like it’s repetitive; that’s the challenge for us.

Your bandmate Ian [Williams, guitar / keyboards] has spoken about the process of making music with pedals and looping and marrying it with what can be achieved through the digital world. Three albums in now, has this process changed much for Battles?

It’s forever evolving. John [Stanier, drums] has been the biggest constant with Ian and I being the variables. John’s setup hasn’t changed since the first incarnation of the band thirteen years ago. Although for Ian and I we’ve been adding new technology to explore new possibilities. Between the two of us, Ian is the one who changes his setup between every album whereas I still remain in the analogue world with a very large, and stagnant, array of pedals.

John comes from a punk background and has previously described his instrumental technique to Battles as being punk. Do you see Battles coming from more of a punk rather than an electronic orientation?

No, not necessarily. I think our strengths as a band are that we have the ability to combine genres or alter the definition of categorisation. I really respect punk ideals in the way that rock bands formed. Personally, I came from the indie rock world of the ‘90s which was very subscribed to the punk mentality maybe on a more evolved level. I also respect the… [laughs] precision of the electronic approach so I think it’s the marriage of the two which is important.

John was playing steel drum; but he never played steel drum on that record it all came from the effects he was using that lent that impression.

Now thirteen years into the band’s life, is it still as enjoyable experimenting and playing with the possibility of infinite guitar tones from pedals and effects?

For sure! Every time we go back to the drawing board, literally, and start writing new music, there’s always new additions to Ian and mine setups that encourage exploration and keep us intrigued and captivated with the process of learning while writing.

You’ve been on tour for some time now and still being added to festival bills whereby Battles looks a little out of place compared the other bands on the poster. Is it interesting seeing how people react to your music who don’t necessarily want to hear your music?

That’s always really fun. I don’t think you can deny seeing a good rock band doing something unconventional. Of course there’re people who say, “Oh my God, there’s guys are so obnoxious and suck.” But they leave go watch Soundgarden.

Part of the challenge of being in such an unconventional band is trying to win people over and when you achieve that it’s pretty awesome.

Jake Wilton

Battles play St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival across the country with a stop in Brisbane on February 6th.

FLEETWOOD MAC ALL NIGHT LONG

Lets face it, tribute bands aren’t anything that new or exciting. They don’t offer a whole lot to the world of entertainment. Fleetmac Wood, thats right Fleetmac Wood, are not a tribute band, to the surprise of many. In fact they are a party collective who DJ mostly around the UK and America.

Eden Tokatly caught up with DJ’s Lisa Jelliffe and Alex Oxley - also know as Roxanne Roll and Smooth Sailing - who were in town recently for their White Winged Love disco and Falls Festival.

Lisa and Alex first linked up around three years ago, remixing the iconic tunes of Fleetwood Mac in such a way that the project soon broke out from the parties and club nights in London where they first started, to taking them around the world.

“We started off in London as it has the biggest Mac crowd, it’s probably our favourite place as well. America is good too though. Stevie in the US is more of a gay icon, so we get some fabulous people dressing up and taking inspiration from the band.”

“It’s a real celebration of the music and part of the remix culture with various contributors. It’s also a party which we tour around the world a real festival environment.

Fleetwood Mac is known all around the world. People are emotional, excited and passionate, it is a great relief for people wanting to live and come together” Fleetmac Wood have played at Glastonbury, Burning Man and Secret Garden Party.

“Burning Man was like being in another planet for a week. It was really cool this year and the year before. It was great to go everywhere feel the energy, the amazing vibe.” “[Fleetwood Mac had] incredible musicianship, so many members over the years - all big contributors - its not just one songwriter. There’s such a range; big pop classic from Christie, more dreamy melancholy from Stevie, incredible guitar from Buckingham and much more intense rock, rhythm and textures.”

A huge part of how we write our music is not to rely on one thing too much. At the end of the day, there’s a dichotomy of man versus machine. With each album, we’ve never thought, “this is going to be our acoustic song,” or, “this is going to be our electronic song.” It depends, there are variations and gradients of the electronic involvement but, in the end, it’s coming through the eyes of a rock band.

The duo DJ for up to six hours a night. At any standard club night it takes a number of DJs playing a whole host of artists to maintain the energy level and take the crowd on that "dancefloor journey" – these guys are doing it themselves, with only one band at their disposal.

Part of the challenge, and the appeal, of me enjoying Battles’ music is the investigative process of deciphering where and what the sounds are coming from.

There’s no big headliner, line-up or dress code and their nights have only one rule – they will only play Fleetwood Mac remixes or originals, no covers.

I think that comes from the exploratory process of playing with sound and not being so direct or literal when it comes to adding the “man” element of the man versus machine equation. For example, on Gloss Drop, everybody thought 18

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“We’ve been doing this for a long time so we expose our audiences to tracks they don’t know and tracks they do know as well as edits.”

“There's enough Mac to sustain a whole night and we haven’t really heard a cover that is nearly as good as the original!”

What did they think about Falls? “We are romantics and I think Falls is the perfect place. Most people knew the tracks, but heard them in a slightly different way which makes it more pumped up. Its just really great to play this music on a loud surround system.” Lisa continues, “Falls festival was only one hour so we pulled out all the big tracks.”

NAPOLEONIC WARS: YOU DISGUST ME They made a pretty big impact when they launched their debut single and video last year and now Napoleonic Wars are back with a new EP You Disgust Me, But I Can Relate, which they’ve dubbed a “personal, post-hardcore embrace.” We’re not going to pretend to know what that means, but we did chat to one half of the band to try and find out.

Musically, Napoleonic Wars draws on a rich variety of influences from Japanese rock bands like Tricot and Ling Tosite Sigure and then add the chaos of western post-hardcore acts like At The Drive In and Emery. “We wanted to create something unique and nostalgic. Which is reflected heavily in the sound of the EP,” they told me. “Hopefully people enjoy the wild ride.”

Tell me about your new six-track EP? Richard: At its a heart the songs act as my lyrical diary through a time of my life where I felt depression, disillusionment within society and lived through broken relationships. Through my experiences I’ve learnt that these emotions are felt universally and I tried very hard to express this on the new record through some very real topics and themes. I hope when people listen to this EP they are reassured that it’s okay to experience such things and that they aren’t “broken” or “damaged” for it, as I have felt about myself in the past.

You had a feature in Blank last year - what impact did that have on the band?

Richard: The feature Blank printed about our last music video for the single Screw You Jurel was a massive boost for an emerging act like us. It was really great to see fresh faces at shows as a result of their article and we’ve made a lot of close friends, new fans and helpful partnerships thanks to that. Because of Blank we’ve got a lot of kindling at our

fan base, which we plan to ignite with our EP release this February.

Tell me about your national tour?

Jake: The tour will start with an EP launch show on the Gold Coast in late February and from there we’ll travel south in March for the first show in Sydney. Then we’ll be heading up the East Coast to Brisbane, stopping in at Newcastle, Lismore and our hometown the Gold Coast. As emerging artists it’s actually a dream come true to be performing in Sydney with awesome bands like Basil’s Kite and SEIMS. I’m counting the days ‘til we leave. It’s our first national tour so it should be refreshing to perform in new places and make new friends.

Any highlights since we last spoke?

Jake: Making the video for Die Joe Boo was too much fun.

The entire video was filmed at a house party we hosted last year. We invited all our friends to a house show and

organised a whole heap of creepy and quirky events to surprise our guests. It was great to have all of our friends get involved with our music this way and the video turned out really great because of all their support. I’m not allowed to host parties anymore but it was totally worth it!

Samantha Morris

Napoleonic Wars hit Griffith Drama Theatre 26 February for an all-ages show before dates in Sydney, Newcastle, Lismore (11 March), Brisban (17 March) and then a homecoming of epic proportions at Currumbin Creek Tavern on 18 March. Their EP You Disgust Me But I Can Relate is available now for pre-order via the band’s Bandcamp page and after its release will be found via iTunes, Apple Music and Spotify.

Image: Lamp Photography www.blankgc.com.au 19

album reviews

ELECTRIC ZEBRA

VIOLENT FEMMES

SARAH SHAH

THE FRANKLIN ELECTRIC

Ambition

Memory (single)

Into the Sun (EP)

This Is How I Let You Down

Electric Zebra are set to be one of the frontrunners on the Gold Coast for rock with their new EP Ambition. The eponymous opening track captures lead singer Keelan Sanders' raw vocals in a way that they have never been recorded before, thanks to the producing powerhouse that is Konstantin Kersting. The main lick swerves through the track tying each piece of the sonic journey together, all the while floating over a wall of distortion that pushes the song along. Ambition builds to a killer chorus that features Sanders almost sarcastically claiming to be "so happy" before the hook takes over. This track is brilliant, and puts Electric Zebra in the same sentences around the office as Violent Soho and The Smith Street Band, a reputation that the band truly deserve.

The Violent Femmes hold a special place for many as THE quintessential 'rites of passage' act, as a result of their debut self titled album from 1983. It's full of tales of forlorn teenage angst, one of those truly special records with nary a dud track to be heard on it.

I walked into my local record shop recently amidst the Christmas craziness in search of some soothing Eva Cassidy sounds the Songbird album fixed on my mind.

After flipping through pre-loved CD’s and vinyl LP’s I walked out armed to tackle December, striking gold with the Songbird album and another little gem, Sarah Shah’s Into the Sun EP, unaware I had found a musical diptych of beauty.

"He ain't superstitious, but he's making a wish tonight

The following four tracks lack the punch that Ambition packs, but they make it up in other ways. Twenty starts as an 80's Sunnyboys-vibed track before it pulls a tight 180 and the crunch kicks in, cutting through the twinkling guitar notes preceding it. EP closer Momentum rounds out what will be one of the Gold Coast's best rock releases for 2016, offering a piece of sonic brilliance that references the 1990's incredible bands that emerged from Chicago. There's no doubt that we'll be seeing Electric Zebra at the Gold Coast Music Awards later this year.

Kyle Butcher

Fast forward to 2016 and the band of exbuskers from Milwaukee that soundtracked many an adolescence return with their first new material in 15 years in the form of Memory, a precursor to pending new album We Can Do Anything, which is due to hit the shelves in early March.

So how does Memory stack up against the impressive spectre of their much lauded back catalogue? Well not too shabbily in fact, and it is perhaps unsurprising to learn that the track has been fleshed out from a long lost unfinished demo that singer/songwriter Gordon Gano recently unearthed.

Kicking off with the classic Femmes template of ballsy acoustic guitar, robust rhythm section and the distinctive nasally emoting of Gano, Memory finds the band somewhat wiser and a touch more jaded, but with their acerbic world view still firmly to the fore. The track rollicks along on the back of Gano's middle aged frustrations: "Come back so I can tell you how I'm annoyed by the fact that I can't remember your smile or your frown", before the track breaks open with a group singalong chorus and a dash of electric guitar.

In barely three minutes it's done and dusted, and while it may not quite reach the emotively spellbinding peaks of yore, if Memory is anything to go by then the upcoming new record and tour of these parts (also in March) will be something to keenly embrace and celebrate!

Anthony Gebhardt

With only three tracks, Into the Sun may be sparse on songs but it contains fifteen minutes of lush thoughtful compositions mixed and mastered by Govinda Doyle, who co-produced Angus and Julia Stones’ Big Jet Plane. The first track All Me begins with a gentle strumming guitar which crescendos in emotion, while a second acoustic guitar provides a melodic interplay that weaves in and out of Sarah’s verses. The lyrics are comforting and earnest; “I say what’s on my mind /When I’m sad I often cry…. you can trust me with your life… that’s all me.”

What makes the feel of this song and the other tracks immediately interesting is that it is free of band formula sounds - you know, those ‘look at me’ instruments that can often override a delicate voice. Into the Sun shares it’s notations with white spaces, vocal pauses, humble guitar, tumbling piano notes and Sarah’s incredible voice – it is all fabulous.

Over five minutes in length, Time in the Sun is accompanied by Sarah’s acoustic guitar arpeggios and tinkling piano embellishments. What’s mesmerising is that Sarah Shah’s voice sounds uncannily like Eva Cassidy, her delicately soaring vocals give this song a generosity of spirit that you can’t help but keep playing over and over again. The radio friendly Matty’s Song is juxtaposed with a Megan Washington-like melancholy. The only instruments are acoustic guitar and an emotive lilting violin played with composed coolness by Keira Hazen. Into The Sun contains music that silences a carload of kids on their way to the beach and pacifies parents on road trips.

Sarah Shah’s 2015 EP release is available at Rare Groove, Nobby Beach and at sarahshah.org.

Tiffany Mitchell

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He knows what it means to see heaven inside his mind Oh, to hell with it, he's drinking again...."

I love melancholy lyricists. Particularly the ones who manage to bring some musical expertise to their minor keys. The Franklin Electric's debut This Is How I Let You Down, orchestrated by frontman Jon Matte, delivers that pretty perfectly.

Even after a few listens the album remains addictive, and is a sterling first offering from the fresh-faced Montreal folk-rockers.

"Strongest Man Alive" and "Unsatisfied" start the album off strongly with a momentum-building drum beat that gets your feet tapping while you contemplate frustrated love. A quieter moment follows with the album's slower title track, showcasing Matte's striking vocals. It's an excellent start. The model continues, with a couple of faster songs before one of my fave slower pieces Show Me the Quiet Air reminds me of relationship truth.

"Show me an honest friend, who tells me all the truths I need to learn about giving in" Matte is pretty versatile during his band's live sets, augmented by a few solid musos and a drummer who looked suspiciously like Napoleon Dynamite, and his skills are on show in the album as well, switching between vocals, guitar, keys and trumpet. The album showcases his versatility well, and the iTunes album sneaks in a few orchestral remixes on the caboose which I love.

Track 9 Watching From A Rooftop is a highlight for me. Its catchy percussive vibe is layered with a thoughtful trumpet-led hook which kinda sums up the album pretty nicely. The Franklin Electric will be a great support for Holy Holy, with whom they are currently touring across Australia, and the album is a sharp buy and well worth the listen for those who like their melancholy musical interests to maintain an easy shuffle without that introspective drag.

Glenn Tozer

ED KUEPPER

DAVID BOWIE

Lost Cities

Blackstar

For serious music aficionados the name Ed Kuepper requires scant introduction. From his highly respected and seminal back catalogue ouvre with The Saints, The Laughing Clowns and The Aints through to his sprawling body of solo work, Kuepper is often defined as a restless creative spirit operating outside of musical fads and commercial trends. And it is this sense of adventure and subtle reinvention that colours his latest release, Lost Cities.

David Bowie is a chameleon. We’ve seen him as a bisexual, polyamorous alien rock star, a morphed approximation of a Disney favourite, a Reflektor, a husband, a father. On Blackstar, Bowie appears unknowably frightful, experimental and human.

The album finds Kuepper presenting a stylistically consistent sonic palate. Moody and evocative, the songs exist by and large as simply Ed and guitar, floating by on a fever-dream haze of subtle atmospherics and stinging six string workouts. Many of these numbers would no doubt work exceedingly well within a film-score setting. Pleasingly Kuepper doesn't fall into the trap of letting the songs outstay their welcome, with nothing approaching prog-rock territory length wise. Wowing 'em and moving on serves these vignettes well..

Pavane presents a wistful, celestial opening, Ed's voice at the forefront coming across as naked and vulnerable, accompanied by ethereal guitar washes.."the light of the moon, casting it's shadows into my room." While Friends With The Leader is an echoey, ragabluesey slow burner which flickers and smoulders, before fading hazily into the distance.

Free Passage to Mars (some prophetic Bowie insight maybe!?) delivers a sonically ominous vibe, rattling drums appearing briefly somewhere in the distance, the song underpinned by an eerily insistent guitar motif, lending a sense of both impending dread and enlightenment as a telling Ed narrative brings this initial listen's first bout of goose bumps. Definitely one of the album's highlights..

What Can I Leave You is a one man ragged-glory machine, showcasing Ed's in turns hypnotic and raging guitar stylings as well as his superb way with an understated yet memorable melody. No doubt this track would assume epically transcendental proportions within a live setting.

Fever Dream presents itself as a woozy, blues inflected workout, evoking images of vast desert landscapes and endless skies, crows circling in an overhead heat haze. Some Said, while sonically consistent with the rest of the record, delivers a stately yet catchy melody to go with the evocatively urgent guitar accompaniment and stands as another of the records high water marks.

And final track Queen of the Vale delivers a moody, film-score like intro before steadily building with an epic wash of Crazy Horse style guitar...rains soaking parched earth to cleanse and commence anew before subsiding into the distance as the album fades into the horizon.."And you know, it's the end of our season, precious lady of the fair."

A fantastic body of stylistically consistent tracks to accompany late night ruminations or long car journeys..

Anthony Gebhardt

I pressed play on Blackstar on the day of its release - the day of Bowie’s 69th year on this Earth - thinking, believing, that he was in a state of exhaled passiveness of accomplishment, fit and healthy. I play this album now in a dire restraint to withdraw my connotations of his death.

‘Lazarus’. It was merely a rugged edged jigsaw piece that unnervingly fit in the Bowie puzzle.

The film clip, embodied with the lyrics, is an eerily prophetic relic into the artist’s own passing. There’s now an unfortunate uncomfortability with ‘Lazarus’ as if Bowie himself knew this video would be his final appearance on camera. Bowie, in the most Bowie fashion possible, allegorically foreshadowed his death to the world before the star took to his black apostate. Tied to a hospital bed, terminally poisoned and flailing beneath his weight and peeving, “I’ll be free / Just like that bluebird.”

Posthumously poignant, Bowie’s lyrics on Blackstar show signs of a breaking man. This album – now being chronicled as a final parting document to fans – concludes many of Bowie’s testaments while circling back on his alien life. The mammoth 10-minute title track details the synchronised passing of his vampish visages and characters. “Something happened on the day he died / Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside / Somebody took his place and bravely cried / I’m a blackstar, I’m a blackstar.”

It somehow seems improbable, but David Bowie has left us with a dear departing gift: his most resolute and ambidextrous. Experimental and “Kendrick Lamar” inspired jazz cues with the crass infusion of malice and dramatically unpredictable story-telling.

‘Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)’ pulsates his last goodbyes to the mysterious Sue. Bowie seems so infinitely human on ‘Dollar Days’, much alike ‘Blackstar’, as he profusely confesses.

The daringly full circle composition of ‘I Can’t Give Everything Away’ reveals itself to be the remaining glam moment to Blackstar.

Never giving us the full story and being brave as hell: the unfortunate produce of Bowie’s later years during the past two albums cycles. His refusal to tour and his reprisal of the more experimental musical aspects re-contextualises not only his early passing but the rock star’s galactic career.

The world looks upon his art very differently from this day. He now leaves this planet an altered resemblance of itself thanks to his work. We now live in his culturally impacted shadow.

Jake Wilton

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JANUARY

GOLD COAST GIG GUIDE

FRIDAY 29 JANUARY The Cairos + Neighbour | NightQuarter, Helensvale Oz Latin Brothers | Live Music Lakeside, Gold Coast Arts Centre Mescalito Blues | Burleigh Brewery CC The Cat + Leopold’s Treat | Summertime Sessions in the Village, Cuddihy Park Mudgeeraba from 5.30pm Off the Grid | Coolangatta Sands Platform at Southport Sharks | Aquila Young Baltimore Gun Club + Handful of Helmet + Cornerstone + Kobrakai | Currumbin Creek Tavern (upstairs) Smooth Groove | Chevron Renaissance (6.30pm) Little Georgia album launch | Miami Marketta

SATURDAY 30 JANUARY Leigh James | Coolangatta Sands Amanda Kind | Live Music Lakeside, Gold Coast Arts Centre Wandering Eyes + Phil Barlow | NightQuarter Brett Gannon | Chevron Renaissance (6.30pm) The Living Room | Miami Marketta

WEDNESDAY 3 FEBRUARY Baltic Bar Mitzvah | Phoenix Rising Cafe, Nimbin Bowie: a tribute to the man who fell to Earth (ticketed) | Miami Marketta

THURSDAY 4 FEBRUARY Lay of the Land ft Cleaver, Kinloch, Six Shooter and more | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise Zookeepers | Southport Sharks (covers) Josh Pyke | Studio 56 at Miami Marketta Hanlon Brothers | Atrium Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino

FRIDAY 5 FEBRUARY Hayley Calvert + Taylor | Summertime Sessions in the Village, Cuddihy Park Mudgeeraba from 5.30pm The Brave + Tapestry + King Hit the Queen + Wildheart + Particles in Motion | Miami Shark Bar The Moonlight Society + The Ether + Electric Zebra + Josiah Gaborit | Currumbin Creek Tavern (upstairs) Felicity Lawless | Mandala Organic Arts Cafe, Mermaid Beach

SUNDAY 31 JANUARY

Torren Foot + Audun | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise

Felicity Lawless | Palmy SLSC (2.00pm) Dan Irwin + Nina Ward | Currumbin Creek Tavern (1.004.00pm) Ben Amor | Coolangatta Sands (4.00-7.00pm) Gavin Doniger & his Mescaline Blues | Sunhouse Coolangatta

FEBRUARY MONDAY 1 FEBRUARY Lloyd Saniel | Southport Sharks | Piano/vocals ‘70s to Top 40

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Voice & Congas | Southport Sharks

Snake Bite Whisky + The Green Whistle + Deja Vudu + The Fireclays | Currubin Creek Tavern (upstairs)

Danyak | Institution Ale House, Surfers Paradise

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TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY

Gabrielle Lambe + Mark Alpen | Institution Ale House, Surfers Paradise

Jock Barnes | Cafe Dbar (5.30 – 8.30pm)

Matty Rogers Band | Miami Marketta Big Strong Brute + Yes Sir Noceur | NightQuarter, Helensvale Sitory Groove | Southport Sharks | Smooth Jazz for Waitangi Day Celebrations Chris Hutchison + Paul Kiren | J Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino Sons of East | Soundlounge, Currumbin

Benny D Williams | Cooly Hotel, downstairs

Voice & Congas | Southport SharksSmooth Groove | Chevron

Julie Hayes | Mandala Organic Arts Cafe, Mermaid Beach

THURSDAY 11 FEBRUARY

Neil Pike | Phoenix Rising Cafe, Nimbin (1.00pm) Matt Frear | Cafe Dbar (5.30 – 8.30pm) The Funksters & Kapa Haka Group | Southport Sharks | New Zealand inspired funk for Waitangi Day Celebrations Taylor | Miami Marketta Akova | The Haven Bar Michael Eotvos + Mouse | J Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino The Strides | NightQuarter, Helensvale Alice Lost Her Way + Desmantra + Kaosphere + Kold Creature + Dark Decorum | Currumbin Creek Tavern

SUNDAY 7 FEBRUARY Palmy Sunday Fun Day: Hanlon Brothers + Ella Fence | Palm Beach Parklands pirate park (4.00 – 6.30pm) Josh Lovegrove | Garden Kitchen & Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino (2.00 – 6.00pm) James Street Preachers | Institution Ale House, Surfers Paradise Felicity Lawless | The Boatshed, Currumbin

Lay of the Land ft. Cleaver, Kinloch, Six Shooter & more | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise Zookeepers | Southport Sharks | Covers

FRIDAY 12 FEBRUARY Dallas Crane | Miami Tavern Crown the Humble + The Elliotts + Doglegs + Indigo Parade | Currumbin Creek Tavern (upstairs) The Lyrical + Hayley Calvert| NightQuarter, Helensvale Felicity Lawless, Beaches on Kirra Mattie Barker + City Over Sand | Summertime Sessions in the Village, Cuddihy Park Mudgeeraba from 5.30pm Jax Haze | Cafe Dbar (5.30 – 8.30pm) Boogie Show ft. Audun & Grivs | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise Slap Backers feat. Brandi | Southport Sharks Andrea Kirwin Band | Miami Marketta Peter Thornley + Russ Walker | J Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino

Matthew Armitage | The Yard Cafe, Nobby Beach (2.00pm)

12 – 15 FEBRUARY 2016

Akova | 3 Blue Ducks (2.00pm) Stephen Dorrington | Currumbin Creek Tavern (downstairs, free entry, 1.00 – 4.00pm) Sonic Bliss (10.00am) + Elena B Williams (1.00pm) | Phoenix Rising Cafe, Nimbin Royale Sundays ft. BoyBlewe, Jimmy D + Stretch | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise Dean Gray | Cabana Bar & Lounge

MONDAY 8 FEBRUARY Lloyd Saniel | Southport Sharks

Jack Love + Latour & Giv | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise

TUESDAY 9 FEBRUARY

Mattie Barker | The Yard Cafe, Nobby Beach (2.00pm)

Hanlon Brothers | Atrium Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino

Benny D Williams | Sunhouse Coolangatta

SATURDAY 6 FEBRUARY Raku + Tay Oskee | Sheoak Shack, Fingal

Steel Pulse | Cooly Hotel

Free The Genie | Institution Ale Downtown Secret Society | Institution Ale House, Surfers Paradise

Earth Frequency Festival: Blue King Brown + Funk Hunters and Chali 2na, Boris Brejcha, Opiuo, Stickybuds, Mindex, Fabio Leal, D-sens, Merkaba with Eve Olution, Vinja, Hugo & Treats, Ryanosaurus, Interpulse, Staunch, Ruby Blue and Positive Thought.

SATURDAY 13 FEBRUARY Ivey + The Unusual Suspects | NightQuarter, Helensvale Third World (legendary reggae ambassadors outta Jamaica) | Parkwood Tavern Tom Avery + Blackboi | Sheoak Shack, Fingal Dave Murray | The Yard Cafe, Nobby Beach (2.00pm) Kingfisha | Miami Shark Bar Steve Manoa | Mandala Organic Arts Cafe, Mermaid Beach

Bella Maree | Cafe Dbar (5.30 – 8.30pm)

Hailey Calvert | Atrium Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino

Constantine | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise

Siobhan Corcoran | Mandala Organic Arts Cafe, Mermaid Beach

Vertigo | Southport Sharks (covers)

Wendy Matthews | Mermaid Waters Hotel (dinner and show tickets $55.00, show only $30)

Ras Jahknow Band | Miami Marketta Jason Delphin + Stephen Green | J Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino Valhalla Mist + Uverseu + Ravens Lair + Parametres | Currumbin Creek Tavern

SUNDAY 14 FEBRUARY Brad Kennedy + Lucy Taylor | Currumbin Creek Tavern (downstairs, free entry, 1.00 – 4.00pm) Matthew Armitage | The Yard Cafe, Nobby Beach (2.00pm) Free The Genie | Institution Ale House, Surfers Paradise Barkersvale Brothers | Phoenix Rising Cafe, Nimbin (1.00pm) Felicity Lawless | Breadnbutter, Kirra Royale Sundays ft. BoyBlewe, Jimmy D & Stretch | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise

Benny D Williams | Hardrock, Surfers Paradise Ethan Smaling | Cafe Dbar (5.30 – 8.30pm) The Lyrical | Miami Marketta Holy Ghost! (DJ set) + Audun, Giv & Grivs | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise

Sounds of Sunday: Benny D Williams | Broadbeach Tavern Liars Bar

Casey Barnes (with full band) + Devil's Kiosk | NightQuarter, Helensvale

Sonic Bliss (10.00am) + Minus One (1.00pm) | Phoenix Rising Cafe, Nimbin

Wendybird | Sheoak Shack, Fingal

Royale Sundays ft. BoyBlewe, Jimmy D & Stretch | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise Josh Boyd | Cabana Bar & Lounge End Of Summer Party: The High Grade + Sunset City + Special guest, All Star DJs | Surfers Paradise Beer Garden (3.00pm)

MONDAY 22 FEBRUARY

Late for Woodstock | Southport Sharks

Lloyd Saniel | Southport Sharks

Jason McGregor + Russ Walker | J Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino

TUESDAY 23 FEBRUARY

Eternalist + Afterlight + Condemned to Atrophy + Alerion + Oceans to Geneva | Currumbin Creek Tavern

SATURDAY 20 FEBRUARY Nick Saxon + Mettaphor | Sheoak Shack, Fingal Julie Hayes | Mandala Organic Arts Cafe, Mermaid Beach

Simon Meola | Cabana Bar & Lounge

Special guest | The Yard Cafe, Nobby Beach (2.00pm)

Acoustic Soup Duo | Southport Sharks

Liza Jane | Cafe Dbar (5.30 – 8.30pm)

Michael Eotvos | Garden Kitchen & Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino (2.00 – 6.00pm)

Saturday night ft. Latour + Giv | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise

Benny D Williams | Institution Ale House, Surfers Paradise Voice & Congas | Southport Sharks

Lay of the Land ft. Cleaver, Kinloch, Six Shooter & more | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise

A Tribe Called Frank + Little Red Robin Horse | Institution Ale House, Surfers Paradise

The Weather Men | NightQuarter, Helensvale

Voice & Congas | Southport Sharks

SUNDAY 21 FEBRUARY

THURSDAY 18 FEBRUARY

Soul Stripes | Institution Ale House, Surfers Paradise

Ella Fence + Ivori | NightQuarter, Helensvale

Lee Navarro + Josh King | Currumbin Creek Tavern (downstairs, free entry, 1.00 – 4.00pm)

The Jive Cats | Southport Sharks

Mark Bono + Mick Danby | J Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino

SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY

Danyak | Institution Ale House, Surfers Paradise

Matlock, Phanton and Slick: Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols) + Earl Slick (Bowie/Lennon) + Slim Jim (Stray Cats) | Surfers Beergarden

Nicky Convine + Marshall O’Kell | Summertime Sessions in the Village, Cuddihy Park Mudgeeraba from 5.30pm

Cassian 6 year anniversary + Giv | elsewhere, Surfers Paradise

FRIDAY 26 FEBRUARY

Blake Miles + Michael Eotvos | J Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino

Nyssa Berger | Garden Kitchen & Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino (2.00 – 6.00pm)

Osaka Punch + Antimata + A Little Province | Great Northern, Byron Bay

Under Davis | Garden Kitchen & Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino (2.00 – 6.00pm)

TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY

FRIDAY 19 FEBRUARY

Matt Armitage | Cafe Dbar (5.30 – 8.30pm)

Zookeepers | Southport Sharks (covers)

Napoleonic Wars | Griffith Drama Theatre (all-ages)

Felicity Lawless | Snobby’s Restaurant, Nobby Beach

Dave Davies | Phoenix Rising Cafe, Nimbin (1.00pm)

Akova | Slater & Waldorf

Zambabem Samba Rock | Miami Marketta

Zookeepers | Southport Sharks (covers)

Scott Dalton | The Yard Cafe, Nobby Beach (2.00pm)

Osaka Punch + Electrik Lemonade + Jackson Dunn | Studio 56 at Miami Marketta

Marco | Southport Sharks (covers)

Dave Murray | The Yard Cafe, Nobby Beach (2.00pm)

Aquila Young | Stone & Wood Brewery, Byron Bay

Mescalito Blues | Miami Marketta

Viva Coldplay | Southport Sharks (Coldplay Tribute)

Common Kings | Cooly Hotel

Illy + Dylan Joel + Citizen King | Cooly Hotel

THURSDAY 25 FEBRUARY

Ginger and the Ghost + Benny D Williams | Summertime Sessions in the Village, Cuddihy Park Mudgeeraba from 5.30pm

MONDAY 15 FEBRUARY

Benny D Williams | Cooly Hotel (downstairs)

Felicity Lawless | Beaches on Kirra Eilish Ellen | Cafe Dbar (5.30 – 8.30pm) Banff + Gas Grooves| NightQuarter, Helensvale Homeshake (live) + special guests | elsewhere Surfers Paradise

Two questions: Who’s playing?

What’s pouring?

Sonic Bliss (10.00am) + Monkey & The Fish (1.00pm) | Phoenix Rising Cafe, Nimbin Felicity Lawless | Snobbys Restaurant, Nobby Beach Matthew Armitage | The Yard Cafe, Nobby Beach (2.00pm) Jake Fox + Jennifer Sjaan | Currumbin Creek Tavern (downstairs, free entry, 1.00 – 4.00pm) Royale Sundays ft. BoyBlewe, Jimmy D & Stretch | elsewhere Surfers Paradise Ben Hanna | Cabana Bar & Lounge

Velvet Martini | Miami Marketta Akova | The Cardigan Bar James D’khan + Lamb Boulevard + Julie Hayes + Brooke Lambert | Currumbin Creek Tavern (upstairs) Chris Hutchison + Russ Walker | J Bar, Jupiters Hotel & Casino

SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY www.blankgc.com.au

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LITTLE BITES The event, which will coincide with the opening of the Gainsborough Greens Display Village, is part of the Mirvac Summer Festival, and designed to deliver delicious flavours to the doorstep of northern Gold Coast residents and visitors.

The festival will run each Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 3pm during the month of February, and be accompanied by live entertainment.

Embracing the Gold Coast’s enviable climate and luxurious laidback lifestyle, Garden Kitchen & Bar showcases some of the best the region has to offer, inviting guests to experience the freshest, seasonal produce and world-class design.

On 20th January a glittering launch was held, full of exciting food and famous faces. Attendees Tim Robards and Anna Heinrich from The Bachelor, Matt Prince and Jess Dunbar (X Factor), and Tash Sefton and Elle Ferguson (They All Hate Us) were just a few of the stars who attended the party along with the who's who of the Gold Coast.

ALOHA BAR AND DINING TO OPEN LATE JANUARY If fabulous cocktails and delish food are your thing, you’ve only got a couple of weeks to wait! Aloha Bar and Dining will be opening its doors in late January. A popup Tiki-themed restaurant and bar, it’s all complete save the dancing girls, waiting for the big bosses to rubber stamp the paperwork.

Aloha is the first in what’s hoped will be a series of popup venues for startup company Exotic Pets Presents, with well known restaurateurs Nerissa and Mitch McCluskey of Etsu and Commune teaming up with mixologist extraordinaire Tim Glasson for this first venture.

When we popped in off the Broadbeach laneway for a visit they were busy concocting new cocktails for the menu. We took a look around the series of themed rooms and found some other lurkers in the stalls.

“Aloha, sailor! We’ll be waiting!” call the sexy pin-up girls from the walls.

“You talking about me?” asks ‘Tripod’, standing naked against one wall. I try not to smirk.

We can’t wait to see the venue live and kicking. Hurry up Tom, and get that paperwork signed! We’re thirsty!

FOOD TRUCKS ROLL INTO GAINSBOROUGH GREENS A collection of the Gold Coast and Brisbane's best food trucks boasting tastes from around the world will converge on Pimpama in February for the Gainsborough Greens Food Truck Festival.

25,000 REASONS TO CELEBRATE Jupiters Hotel & Casino’s own Italian restaurant Cucina Vivo has ticked off two milestones this month with the famed wood fired pizza oven churning out its 25,000th pizza coinciding with the venue’s first birthday.

“Having our own pizzaiolo creating the pizzas plus the combination of fresh ingredients with the signature smoky flavour of the wood fired oven is often hard to go past on the menu,” said Jupiters’ Executive Chef Dustin Osuch.

“The Prosciutto e Arugula has proven to be the most popular with our guests, with the Ciccia, or ‘meat-lovers’ coming in close behind. Our Nutella pizza has made a real impact selling 1,736 to guests looking to finish their meal with a sweet treat.”

Alongside the pizzas are more traditional meals and inspired interpretations of classic Italian dishes including the Tortelloni Ripieni and the Cioccolato Rosso Ferrari, which will both feature on the ‘il Preferiti’ (the Favourites) fivecourse menu available for the entire month of January 2016 in celebration of the venue’s first birthday.

KITCHEN GARDEN AND BAR LAUNCHES Garden Kitchen & Bar is Jupiters’ freshest new restaurant and the third to open as part of the property’s $345 million transformation.

NOMA: MY PERFECT STORM & Q&A WITH BEN DEVLIN A documentary about the world's most celebrated resturant.

Noma: my perfect storm is a creative journey into the unique mind of René Redzepi. How did Redzepi manage to revolutionize the entire world of gastronomy, inventing the alphabet and vocabulary that would infuse newfound pedigree to Nordic cuisine and establish a new edible world while radically changing the image of the modern chef? His story has the feel of a classic fairy tale: the ugly duckling transformed into a majestic swan, who now reigns over the realm of modern gourmet cuisine. But beneath the polished surface, cracks appear in the form of old wounds. 2013 stands as the worst year in René Redzepi’s career. We follow him as he fights his way back to the top, reinventing NOMA and reclaiming the title of best restaurant in the world in 2014 for the fourth time.

Screening at the Arts Centre on Monday 8 February. For more informationa go to www.theartscentregc.com.au.

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25

Food & Drink

BARRACA PORTUGUESE STREET GRILL facebook.com/Barraca-461831107353147/

When Christian and Sandra Vaughan first met, working for Emirates, they could not have imagined their life together sharing Portuguese food with Gold Coast diners through their food truck Barraca. But there’s been a lot of life experience in between: twenty-five years in the hospitality and wine industries for Christian, a lot of time spent travelling, living in Europe and Africa, moving back to Australia to live, and having a family.

Of Portuguese heritage, Sandra spent much of her early life in Mozambique, taking Christian back there after they met.

Sandra’s mother ran some of South Africa’s best Portuguese restaurants, so food was part of her heritage.

“Mozambique is one of the most underrated tourist destinations of the world,” Christian tells us. (To be frank, it had not made it anywhere near my ‘Foodie Bucket List!’)

“That’s where Piri Piri comes from. All those shacks on the beach grilling seafood and meat – the food is amazing!”

Now the pair run one of the most kitted out food trucks we’ve seen, ‘freewheeling’ on private property between Burleigh and Southport, as well as catering for functions, private celebrations and events. With their lit up menu and huge TV screen, film of free riding bikes and surfers looping through, there’s ample entertainment during our short wait for food.

Meanwhile, we discuss the logistics of food trucks, their certification (not too much different from that of restaurants).

“Four sinks? Yes, we believe you!”

It’s a mark of dedication to meet permit requirements, but then they trade from private property by arrangement, beside logistical considerations, rent being one of the main

points of difference between restaurants and food trucks, hence restaurants’ objections.

(Council regulations stating that “…stationary roadside vending must not be within a five kilometre radius of a retail shop or other commercial premises which sells or provides the same or similar products or services…” do not apply to footpath vending, which is presently not legal. Permits to sell food in Pratten Park, Broadbeach and Macintosh Island, Main Beach are presently being trialled.

With only one authentic Portuguese restaurant on the Gold Coast, most of us know little about the cuisine. So, what are the key ingredients of Portuguese food? Good sea salt, lemon, garlic, oregano, smoky paprika, olive oil and chilli, the pair tell us.

“We’re trying to create a different culture around food,” Sandra says, “…food from the heart. Christian is always making this food at home, so we said ‘Why not?’ We even make all our own sauces,” which they’ve toned down a bit for the dining public. Personally, I’d like it hotter, or at least to be offered that option!

Advertising their locations on Facebook, Barraca parks on properties from Currumbin to Labrador, generator in tow providing great food, good times, and a little taste of Sandra’s heritage to a locale near you.

Follow Barraca on Facebook to get locations and times. It’s our own Portuguese treasure hunt!

Marj Osborne Read more of Marj’s reviews on Good Food Gold Coast www.foodgoldcoast.com.au

NØRD 1/5 Northview Street, Mermaid Waters 4218 It’s probably one of the least likely places to find a coffee shop, let alone this coffee shop – a little popup set in the light industrial area of Mermaid Waters amongst mechanical repairers and furniture makers.

Nørd, a collaboration between K-Bar and Meze and SW Studio Workshop is both a working coffee shop, coffee roastery for Kiva Han and a showcase for the amazing designs created by Studio Workshop.

We’ve got to tell you a little about the design, as it’s the sort of artwork you’d travel to see, and indeed that is what we recommend you do! Built into the front of the building with fold out timber awnings providing shade from the elements, the interior of the box-shaped coffee shop is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. 4,700 dowels, built to spec by a local business, have been drilled into the inside roof and walls on different angles using a 5 axis router, we’re told by Rory, one of the SW designers. The effect is much like a sea anemone waving in the current, its arms of birch rod reaching down towards Toby, who serves the coffee. Let’s get deep and meaningful here and say it’s part of the ‘north view’ ocean – the Scandi element of super-refined design in Norwegian birch meeting our own coral reef cavern. It’s pretty out there – a design triumph.

As we pull up a seat in the sun in which to enjoy our coffees, Bobby the bulldog, Nørd’s unofficial mascot, ambles over from his home at the adjacent panel beaters to engage in a discussion about what a good boy he is as he is lavished with pats. Our coffees are made swiftly, something that is definitely appreciated by the many workers who stop by to grab their morning brew.

The house blend is a mixture of beans from Papua New Guinea, Nicaragua and Mexico roasted by Kiva Han. The espresso has a big salted caramel scent with the saltiness carrying through to the coffee making for an intriguing and satisfyingly jammy drink. Surprisingly the long black of the blend offers more of the juicy fruit and chocolate flavours that the blend is known for. The pick of the day is without a doubt the piccolo with its beautiful butter caramel scent and rich flavours this was like a salted caramel banoffee pie in a cup, absolutely delicious!

So drop along there for a Kiva Han coffee and food to go, but with K-Bar and Meze now only open from 11am, Nørd aims to shortly be taking up the breakfast trade, says part-owner Toby Diamandopoulos. You could leave your VW across the road and have lunch ‘in the ocean’!

Marj Osborne and Catherine Coburn

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PIGS & PINTS, SURFERS PARADISE 9 Hamilton Avenue, Surfers Paradise

Even in the midst of a big city, it’s possible to find a place where you walk in the door, sit down and an ‘Ahhh!’ escapes your lips. Many of you know places like that, where the lighting is dim or subdued, couch seating comfortable, music doesn’t interfere with your headspace, and an enveloping ambience invites you in off the street, away from the glare of cars and neon, to enjoy a bite to eat and relaxing drink.

It’s a formula that’s worked well in Pigs & Pints restaurants.

The first opened on Chevron Island three years ago before moving to Burleigh Heads, the second opened this year directly opposite the Surfers Paradise Q: Link station.

While Pigs and Pints Burleigh is a rustic country-style pub bar, Surfers Paradise carries the sophistication of a city bar with high ceilings, warm colours of brick and timber panelling, a choice of seating (casual couches, tables or bar stools), and a wall of vintage stained glass from an old Queenslander.

It’s both a comfortable setting and comfort food, but that does not mean downmarket. Quite the contrary!

This is food from one of our best chefs, UK-born owner/chef James Brady. Trained at the prestigious Westminster College before working throughout Europe and in some of London’s most luxurious hotels including The Lanesborough under Chef Paul Gayler, since coming to Australia over ten years ago, James’ positions include Sous Chef at Vue de Monde, Head Chef at Melbourne’s 3 Station Pier and Head Chef at Poseidon Restaurant on the Gold Coast where he achieved 2 AGFG Chef ’s Hats. This feat was repeated in 2012 in his own restaurant, Samphire Bites, set to reopen in Q1 behind Pigs and Pints within the next few weeks.

For James, each day begins in the same way, with the baking of the bread. It’s a routine that he’s loathe to give up, even as he expands his restaurant portfolio.

“There’s something grounding about making bread – the same routine every day, kneading, baking… When the bread comes out of the oven and it’s perfect, you know that the day’s going to be fantastic,” he tells us.

The little brioche buns (AKA pigs) are the foundation stone of the eatery’s menu. Pigs & Pints started with sliders, an item so popular in Samphire Bites, where ‘three little pigs’ were served on hay in a Grange box with a side of housesmoked chips, that they earned their own restaurant!

The ‘pigs’ are also indicative of the devotion James and his team put into the menu. There’s a choice of ten fillings, with all meat having felt the love of several hours’ marination before being braised overnight. Some of our favourites include Pork belly BLT with 12 hour confit pork belly, fresh tomato and aioli; Sobrasada and pickled chilli; Crispy beef, red pepper and watercress; Crumbed camembert with crème de cassis; and Cheeseburger (filled with haloumi, pickled lemon and a red pepper puree). At $5 per slider (or three for $10 as a Wednesday special), they’re a great option for a meal.

But who could pass up on the small plates and belly fillers?

They’re some of my favourite menu items: Sobrasada poppers made from Guindilla chillies that hold more spicy acid than heat, the perfect match for one of the local Burleigh beers on tap; Chickpea chips and Horseradish Gems which beg to be eaten, or James’ famous smoked chips - once tasted, never forgotten Feeling hungrier? Then choose one of the grazing boards to share with a friend or two ($45 - $60 per platter) of BBQ pork ribs, Roast pork, Lamb shanks, Arancini, or Brisket smoked and braised with pomegranate molasses and sides – plenty for two (or more, if you add a few pigs and belly fillers).

As you sit in a lounge, apart from the passing foot and tram traffic, you can slow down with one of the smart boutique pints on tap, have a chat to the friendly barman, enjoying food that’s flexible enough to suit the mood. The world may pass you by, but that’s the point, isn’t it?

Marj Osborne Read more of Marj’s reviews on Good Food Gold Coast www. foodgoldcoast.com.au

“We want to encourage people to slow down,” James tells us, “to enjoy the moment and the experience. It’s all about the company – who you’re spending time with. We just facilitate.”

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23

Food & Drink

IRON & RESIN GARAGE 6 Stewart Road, Currumbin

Mixed business is not a newcomer to the southern end of the coast, with several opening in the past couple of years: Café 28 Coolie at Boardriders (surf shop, café and music venue), JR’s Smokehouse at Sunhouse (BBQ restaurant, surf shop and espresso bar) and Espresso Moto (espresso bar, café and bike shop) and now Iron & Resin Garage.

In a space once occupied by a car yard, two PBC local guys, Luke Young and Bruce Robson, have opened the first Iron & Resin concept outlet in Australia. It’s a store offering something different – clothing and industrial homewares by local craftsman ‘Frankly all by hand’ – the ultimate gift shop for bike-loving guys.

To extend the idea of concept outlet to ‘social destination’, the guys opened an espresso bar serving Will & Co Beans coffee, the latest hip brand from Bondi Beach. Stepping out once more from the crowd, they’re the only Gold Coast distributors of this smooth, easy-drinking but full-bodied brew, served from their own custom-made Faema espresso machine. It’s a steampunk wonder!

Trying out a few of the coffees made on the Will & Co signature “Eight-o-Eight” (808) blend of carefully sourced beans from Guatemala and Brazil, we were pleasantly surprised at its unique taste. An espresso of the blend had a beautifully rich floral scent, with a complex flavour of sour cherry with ribbons of caramel weaving through the savoury notes of the coffee. Translating well into a piccolo the milk added depth, enhancing the sweeter flavours and leaving a big mouthfeel of the savoury notes. The addition of more milk in a cappuccino heightened the caramel flavours of the coffee whilst still maintaining the crisp acidity seen in the espresso and piccolo.

“This place is turning into its own monster,” Luke tells us, adding that they’re taking things slowly, testing the market, evaluating as the place evolves.

The push to sell food has been appeased for now by a rotation of food trucks on Sundays, feeding the crowd who come to enjoy the live music Sunday session. On the day we visited, Jerry Wilks was there with his truck The Dapper and

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Chic, selling Cajun-inspired street food. The po’boy beerbattered king prawns were something else, served on a bun with pear slaw and mousseline.

“This place is really all about bikes,” Luke tells us. “The garage opened with a gentleman’s ride for prostate cancer – about 220 bikes with their riders dressed in suits!”

Don’t think ‘bikies’, though! It’s home to classic touring, vintage bikes and Mad Max classics. Luke adds that the garage has become a hangout for young families and hipster riders and families with young children who take pride in their bikes and community lifestyle.

GRINDHOUSE COFFEE

So, why choose Currumbin as the locale?

66 Bundall Road, Bundall

“This is a thoroughfare for bikes going into the valley for a weekend ride,” Luke tells us.

At first it’s merely a blip on my radar; a little horse trailer plonked in a carpark beside Ferry Road. The sun has not long risen as I wend my way to work, hands rubbing away the cold, wipers scratching the heavy night dew from the windscreen.

“Out the back we’re planning a community garage where guys can come and work on their bikes. It’s all about having a place to drop in and stay for a while.”

“We’re also hosting events: an art show in December 2015 of Richard Harvey’s ‘70s surfing photographs. Then, in January there’s the launch of Geoff Wilson’s book. He’s the World Record holder for the fastest crossing of Antarctica coast to coast on a wind-powered sled to raise money for the McGrath Foundation. In the pipeline is the team’s upcoming flight of a pink hot air balloon to the highest free-range height in Australia.” (Luke is talking about the Pink Apollo Project, where Wilson and his 5th Element Expedition team will fly a 13-storey high pink hot air balloon to 40,000 ft to attempt to raise $1 million for the McGrath Foundation’s 10th anniversary.

Look here! A tiny coffee van with a difference! Coffee! It’s enough to jolt my foggy brain awake! I stop. Greeted by two cheerful faces, I’m abundantly thankful that the brew is mine, let alone the biscuit.

With the Iron & Resin Garage such a great little location, we’re sure that the venue will also become home to many more community-minded events. In the meantime, we must check out the Sunday sesh…

On the weekends, you’ll find the van at The Southport School (TSS) supporting sports/music/arts and donating funds back to the school, or at Masters. Apart from that, you can hire them for events and functions (but only if they’re back on Monday for my early morning drive past)! Toodle-oo!

Marj Osborne and Catherine Coburn

Owners Zoe and Glen use Supreme Coffee Roasters Honeycomb blend, a dark roast to help you kickstart your day, especially for the 5am starters! Running a gas-operated Fracino Retro Lever Machine, the trailer runs off an inverter with batteries, meaning there’s no thumping generator noise or pollution. Along with coffee, they also serve a delicious hot chocolate which is sourced from a chocolate specialist in Burleigh, a selection of 100% fruit juice, and assorted bakery items.

Marj Osborne

Environment Pictured: Pacha Light winning u/14 Rip Curl GromSearch final on Sunshine Coast.

Photo courtesy of Dev Lahey Surfing Qld.

PACHA LIGHT BECOMES SURFRIDER FOUNDATION’S SURFING AMBASSADOR One of the Gold Coast’s most exciting junior surfers, Pacha Light, has accepted an offer to become Surfrider Foundation Gold Coast Tweed branch’s surfing ambassador.

President Greg Howell said Surfrider GCT was proud to have an association with a quality young person like Pacha, who was an excellent fit with Surfrider’s ethos and activities.

The honorary role recognises Pacha’s love of the Gold Coast surfing and coastal environment, and her ‘have-a-go’ attitude. This passion was highlighted by Pacha’s idea to promote the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve campaign, an issue Surfrider Foundation has also be committed to. Last year Pacha and some friends paddled from Snapper Rocks to Currumbin Alley to promote the concept of a World Surfing Reserve for the Gold Coast, which was later approved by council.

“We feel Pacha embodies much of the spirit and purpose of what Surfrider is about, as well as being a very talented young surfer”, Greg said.

Being a Surfrider Foundation ambassador will provide Pacha with the opportunity to represent one of the world’s highest profile and most respected environmental surfing organisations.

Greg said although Surfrider Foundation appealed to people of all ages and backgrounds, it was especially important for other young people to follow Pacha’s example and get involved in environmental issues and activities. “Ultimately they will ‘inherit’ their local beaches and coastline, so it makes sense to start taking on responsibility for protecting them as soon as possible”.

“While the Gold Coast beaches may look clean and healthy on the surface, there is still a lot to be done in terms of reducing and cleaning up plastic and other pollution, maintaining dune health, protecting the coast from

inappropriate development, and a number of other issues”, Greg said.

As a relatively late starter to the sport, Pacha’s surfing has shown rapid development to the point where she placed second in the U/16 girls final at the national Australian junior surfing titles held in December last year. This means Pacha qualified for the world junior titles to be held in Portugal later this year.

More recently Pacha was runner up in the national Rip Curl Gromsearch 14 years and under final, and scored a wild card entry into the Australian Open of Surfing under 16 girls division to be held in Manly from on 27 February.

Pacha said “I am so happy to be a part of the Surfrider Foundation! Now I can talk about our future world and what we can do to protect it for my generation and generations to come! I love the work Surfrider do and what they believe in”.

CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA

UNDER WATER AND ON THE BEACHES Imogen Potts has been involved in Clean Up Australia Day as an ambassador and has joined in local clean ups ever since she was a toddler. Nowadays, she directs her focus underwater by founding Responsible Divers and doing regular clean ups in Gold Coast waterways.

Briody Fahey is one of the founders of Youth 4 Beaches, an environmental organisation that inspires youth to become active environmental citizens and fight for litter-free future.

Both Imogen and Briody have been widely recognised for their inspirational work. And now they’re calling on fellow Gold Coasters to join them for Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday 6 March.

“Gold Coast is known for its beautiful beaches,” Briody said, adding that the consequences of litter reaches much farther than most realise. “Plastic alone is responsible for killing 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals each year.” Briody “The problem actually starts when we decide to make a purchase. It is not simply a matter of recycling and disposing

responsibly, but of reducing and rethinking our habits in the first place.”

Imogen said that most litter ends up in waterways and presents a real threat to marine life and ecosystems “In one underwater clean up alone we collected 44 sinkers, 47 swivels, 37 hooks, one torch and 1.6km of fishing line,” Imogen said.

Anna Itkonen is another Gold Coast woman leading the call for locals to register for a clean up site. She’s the event coordinator (as well as an arts writer for Blank GC).

“Last year the Gold Coast community collected approximately 228.8 tonnes of rubbish at 107 registered sites,” Anna said. “This year we are challenging businesses to come on board by getting their employees and teams together and registering their own site.”

To facilitate greater business involvement, a new dedicated business clean up day is being held on Tuesday 1 March.

That takes place in addition to the community day on Sunday 6 March as well as a day dedicated to schools on Friday 4 March.

Site registrations for Gold Coast close on Sunday 15 February but volunteer registrations remain open up until Sunday 1 March.

Samantha Morris

Clean Up Australia Day on the Gold Coast is hosted by City of Gold Coast and coordinated

by Gecko – Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council. Both the City and Gecko are committed to working towards a litter-free Gold Coast.

Register at cleanupaustraliaday.org.au. www.blankgc.com.au

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Books FLAVOURS OF QUEENSLAND

The title doesn't just refer to food. This latest offering

by Smudge Publishing gives readers a taste of all things Queensland, with beautiful photography capturing the essence of the Sunshine State from the Jacaranda lined streets of its river-carved capital to the blinding white sand of its northern beaches. This painstakingly collated and edited tome contains a synopsis, maps, produce buying guidelines and historical timelines while also managing to include Farmers' Markets and the Granite Belt wine region alongside its featured restaurants and cafes.

M TRAIN PATTI SMITH Patti Smith’s latest book is not a novel; there is no storyline.

While it is full of memories written in piecemeal fashion, it is not an autobiography. In fact, in the opening chapter, she lets the reader know that she will be writing about nothing.

The ‘M’ in the book’s title could be referring to memories, meditations, memoir, the Japanese writer Murakami, Bulgakov’s novel Master and Margarita, or even mundane musings about a melancholy malaise. The ‘Train’ in the title could be referring to trains of thought beginning and ending at each chapter like the stations where it stops.

M Train is a book of stories and thoughts, but it is also about the writing process as Smith sits at the same table everyday at Cafe ‘Ino in Greenwich Village, New York City where she lives. She shares her acute clarity in her thoughts and emotions as only the great American poet and punk musician can. Polaroid photographs are interspersed throughout the book to accompany Smith’s memories. The fragmented yet honest stories from her life include being with her late husband, Fred Sonic Smith in French Guiana, her love of television detective shows, her incongruous membership of the Continental Drift Club, singing with Bobby Fischer in a hotel room in Iceland, sleeping in Diego Rivera’s bed at Frida Kahlo’s house in Mexico, and other extraordinary stories from her life centred around poetic thoughts and mundane physical details.

She pays homage to Sylvia Plath, and writes of her gratitude to the Beat poets, particularly William Burroughs, for laying the foundations for her unconventional melancholic style.

Yet a deadpan sense of humour shines through occasionally.

There is a wonderful irony when she writes “Personally, I’m not so much for symbolism. I never get it. Why can’t things be just as they are?”

The omnipresence of Smith’s grief for Fred throughout the book is heartbreaking. There is a beautiful ode to her husband and their life together: “Looking back, our way of life was a miracle, one that could only be achieved by the silent synchronization of the jewels and gears of a common mind.”

M Train is a book of musings, but written with such honesty and beauty it is hard to put down. The ‘M’ may well stand for Masterpiece.

Pip Andreas 20

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The book uncovers the state's haunts, nooks and crannies – from the hidden laneway bars to the rooftop fine dining restaurants, and provides hungry readers with chef 's own signature recipes that showcase the most extraodinary, fresh local produce, accompanied by photography that makes the mouth water. Designed with tourists in mind, the book's jacket folds out to an illustrated map of the featured establishments.

SLADE HOUSE DAVID MITCHELL “Tonight feels like a board game co-designed by M.C Escher on a bender and Stephen King in a fever.”

This line, spoken by a cameo character in Slade House, is a cheeky way for author David Mitchell to draw attention to his own wacky imagination. Reading Mitchell’s latest novel is like falling down a dark rabbit hole and arriving, not in wonderland, but in a haunted fun house from which there is no escape.

Slade House is an obvious departure from Mitchell’s previous works. Cloud Atlas and Bone Clocks are longer and increasingly difficult to grasp. They are hard work for readers, and in comparison, Slade House has a simpler and more discerning storyline. It’s a quick read with a compelling plot, leaning on familiar themes from both the fantasy and horror genres.

Every nine years, Nick and Norah Greyer handpick victims and seduce them into Slade House, a large London estate that was supposedly hit by a German bomb and destroyed in 1940. Their victims do not always come willingly and so the house must alter in order to suit their needs. In one chapter the house is a raging teen party, in another it is a grand estate with a summer garden in full bloom.

Mitchell has created an assortment of oddball characters; from plump teen Sally Timms who is trying futilely to impress a boy in her university paranormal society, to the chauvinistic Detective Inspector Edmunds who is halfheartedly investigating Slade House, and then there is single mother Rita and her son Nathan Bishop who disappear in 1979. Seemingly with nothing in common, all possess a special and rare quality, unseen and unknown to them, which makes them valuable pawns in Norah and Jonah’s dark plans.

Despite a brilliant beginning the story suffers towards the finish from over-explanation to prop it up. Mitchell works overtime to ensure each loose end is tied, thus breaking his own spell and the reader becomes aware that they are reading a story rather than becoming lost in it.

Emily Russell

This 471 page behemoth is so comprehensive and packed with delicious fare that it made selecting a favourite few extremely difficult. In the end I went with both appeal and something that I may one day be able to cook successfully myself (to be fair this last criteria thins the list considerably).

From Brisbane city, it's hard to look past the Strawberries and Cream Pizza at Cowch Dessert and Cocktail Bar, slathered in melted Belgian chocolate and finished with white chocolate crisp pearls. As a seafood lover I definitely took a minute to pause and drool over the Sand Crab Lasagne at Il Centro, and at the risk of overindulging my sweet tooth, the House Made Honey Cinnamon Labna from the Gunshop Cafe deserves a special mention for almost making me lick the page.

RockSalt on the Gold Coast presents a complicated and element-laden recipe for its crispy skin Barramundi with the slow roasted lamb shoulder from Social Eating House probably being more up a home cook's alley. There is a reason we go out for these kind of meals! Given how the foodie scene has exploded on the Gold Coast in recent years, I was slightly disappointed to see the relatively limited size of its section.

The Sunshine Coast served up some healthy fare such as Hervey Bay Scallop Ceviche from Coast Restaurant and Bar and some not-so-healthy treats such as the deep fried Cauliflower Croquettes, topped with grilled haloumi from the Hungry Feel Eating House.

Finally, North Queensland was proudly represented by On The Inlet and its Chargrilled Yellowfin Tuna Steak, and NQ Mungalli Quark and Yoghurt Lemon Cheesecake from Jam, a recipe that both looks and feels, typically Northern Queensland.

I could continue, but hours could be lost in careful perusal of this book. While I feel that many of the photographs would have benefited from a glossy finish as opposed to matte, the overall product is one of high quality and great interest, particularly for afficianados of fine dining. Let me simply say that it deserves a place on every food lover's coffee table.

Natalie O'Driscoll

SIX TOP TIPPLES FOR SUMMER House of Brews, recently voted best craft beer venue by Gold Coast Bulletin readers, has revealed its top picks of beers to drink in the summer of 2016. Chosen for their overall quality and palatability, with an emphasis on fun and fruity flavour to suit the summer season, the six ales and lagers epitomise what people are drinking on the GC right now.

Here are their choices (3 local and 3 from further afield), all available at House of Brews throughout summer: Pale Lager by Fortitude Brewing Company – made with natural ingredients, 100% malt, no sugar, and truckloads of fresh hops.

Pictured: Damien Kanaghines (centre, from House of Brews) discusses beer with local brewers Michael McGovern (Black Hops Brewery) and Ged Connors (Fortitude Brewing).

Gold Coast Pale Ale by Black Hops Brewery – a flavoursome pale ale with notes of apricot and stone fruit.

Indian Summer Pale Ale by 4 Pines – light bodied with aromas of passionfruit and honeydew.

Stoned Mango Ale by Pickled Pig Brewery – a mango flavoured delicious brew built for hot summer days.

The Mayne Thing Golden Ale by Newstead Brewing – smooth, rich and creamy this pale ale delivers a face full of fruit salad.

Marj Osborne

We here at Blank enjoy a drink as much as the next person, but all in moderation of course! Please drink responsibly.

Collingwood Draught Lager by Thunder Road – with its malty aroma and subtle toasty palate, this lager is refreshing with a clean finish.

‘One of the most sparkling wits in the world’ THE MONTREAL GAZETTE

‘His routines have the mark of those which are quoted from, for years to come’ THE HERALD UK TOUR 2015

FRIDAY 18 MARCH THE ARTS CENTRE GOLD COAST BOOK AT THE ARTS CENTRE GOLD COAST BOX OFFICE 5588 4000 OR THEARTSCENTREGC.COM.AU ABPRESENTS.COM.AU | DANNYBHOY.COM

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19

Lifestyle

DETRASHED: LIVING A LIFE LESS WASTEFUL Katie Patrick is one of those Facebook friends I have no recollection of first connecting with. I know we both worked in conservation, we share similar philosophies on life, climate change, sustainability work and health and particularly how they’re all inter-related. And now, later in life we’re both single mums. I also know she’s a go-getter.

In 2006 she started a print and digital media publishing company that grew to employ 20 people with 1000 paying customers. She grew up in Brisbane but calls California home these days.

She now designs games and web apps for changing behaviour, with a specific focus on using environmental data for motivational design. But her most recent project is an e-book focused on living a life with zero waste. And the good news is, you can own it for less than ten bucks.

The HUGE zero waste manual includes tips, data and revelations and is the world’s most comprehensive manual about how to live without making any trash whatsoever.

Coming in at a whopping 215 pages and with 148 'zero waste actions' complete with detailed explanations, DIYs, tips, recipes, home hacks and product recommendations the book will transform you into a sustainability superstar.

While I’m swanning about Thailand and Katie Patrick is in California, we exchange emails about her new project.

Tell me about winning 2008 Cosmopolitan Woman of the Year?

It was fun! It’s pretty much just a media popularity contest, so I didn’t take it too seriously at the time, but I got to have very involved photo shoot and a fun celebrity party and red carpet photo, which is rare in the environmental change game!

You’ve been involved in a heap of entrepreneurial projects – tell me about some of them?

It’s pretty much been mainly Green Pages that changed form through the years. I built a green directory in print and online, a magazine and a community portal with geolocation tagged content. I was lucky enough to raise venture capital finance back in 2007. But it’s pretty different in Silicon Valley. You have to be 1000x more talented than in Australia - it’s quite overwhelming and intimidating. Recently I’ve been working on my new start up Hello World from which I’ve been writing a book on data-driven social change, I’ve designed a zero waste behavior-change game and been working on my youtube channel for teaching zero waste.

I hope to work on some pretty innovative stuff with the gamification of environmental data, but it’s a nascent field so I’m still pulling it together.

You’ve said before that living with zero waste will change people’s lives. How so?

For starters you save LOADS of money. If you quit buying disposable stuff, you quit spending the money on all that stuff that you throw away. It’s also dramatically healthier. It kind of demands a whole foods diet as all junk food comes wrapped in plastic. It sparks creativity because you need 18

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to make and fix things. It also has a kind of spiritual dimension that makes people feel freed up from clutter and mentally clearer. The psychological effect can be quite profound. It’s like getting rid of a ball and chain of plastic waste that has been following you everywhere. Hard to explain until you have experienced it, but it’s real!

What are some of the environmental and social impacts of waste?

An area I’m very passionate about is emphasising the embodied energy in items we throw away. That means that every item, recyclable or not, required coal, natural gas, crude oil and chemicals invested in it to be made. I think these environmental inputs could easily make up one third of a person’s whole environmental impact. Then there are tremendous issues with ocean pollution. There is six times as much plastic as zooplankton in the Pacific Gyre. I love to read life cycle analysis reports and then creatively show the data in ways that will resonate with people.

We’ve been taught to focus on recycling after the thing was used, but I like to ask ‘what impact did this thing have before it got to you?'

What made you decide to write the book?

I have actually been trying to develop a behaviour change game that taught zero waste, kind of like those habit apps and biometrics apps that are in vogue now, but it was taking so long, I just put all the information into a PDF so people could access it. But I started on this project because I wanted to pursue an environmental issue that was clearly measurable, where I could set clear metric goals. Landfill seemed like a great place to start that had not been given as much attention as other areas of sustainability.

You’re a single mum with a gorgeous little girl. What was your strategy for getting shit done with a baby underfoot?

I have a great thing going where I have between two and four half days of home day care which is quite affordable, then I have a gym that has wifi and childcare, and a grandma who takes the baby for a walk nearly every day. Babies also go to sleep early so I get time between 8.00pm – 11.00pm.

With focus, I can get at least four, if not eight hours a day of work, with eight hours for baby/life things, then eight hour for sleep = 24 hours. Sometimes I stay up all night when the baby is asleep. I’m severely ruthless about my productivity when I have these slivers of time, I don’t f*ck around. The areas of my life that slip are things like cooking, cleaning, grooming, friends, exercise, TV, reading and eating which are squished to their absolute minimum. I am quite productive, but at a personal cost.

I also eat a low fat vegan diet made up mostly of fruit and veggies which I blame all my good fortune on!

You really love your work, don’t you?

I’m focusing on making content and building a community / movement for zero waste and LOVING this style of work!

I can work on my own without employees or clients and really focus on the meaning of the work. Since I took a turn towards measurement based environmental change, figuring out a ‘number’ I wanted to change in the world, my creativity just exploded and I’ve loved the creative process much more than anything else I’ve done. It’s working too - people are messaging me all the time saying they’ve made these eco behavior changes and stopped doing this or that thing. This has never happened to me before! I want to share with the people the power of finding your master metric in what you do.

Samantha Morris

Detrash Your Life in 90 Days is a wonderful and comprehensive guide and sets out clear strategies for making a massive impact on your personal plastic and waste footprint. It’s just $6.99 USD via gumroad. com/xFDWs. You can also subscribe to Katie’s youtube channel (Detrashed Zero Waste Living).

SINGLE FIN GOES OFF!!

IN THE WATER AND ON THE POINT Everyone’s favourite weekend did not disappoint with the 19th annual Burleigh Boardriders Single Fin Festival happening recently on our shores. Some of the country’s top surfers ripped Burleigh Point apart on antique surfboards made before 1981, with thousand on hand to watch. There was a giant teepee, give-aways, live music, artwork and surf culture displays, making it an all generation family fun event.

The music was awesome as well. The Hanlon Brothers grooved Burleigh Point with families staking out the best vantage points to dance to the dubstep rhythms on the

Saturday afternoon, and then on Sunday the Babe Rainbow belted out their tunes with special guest, free surfer and Eco-warrior Dave Rastovich on percussion.

The whole weekend was fantastic! All had fun, and everyone is keen for next year. By the way Creed McTagget - a free surfer now residing in Byron Bay - won the Opens, and Burleigh grommet Liam O’Brien won the juniors. Bring the next one we all say!!

Terry “Tappa” Teece

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Lifestyle

UP, UP AND AWAY

Sarah Loughlin looks at the coast from a new perspective with a hot-air-balloon trip to remember.

It isn't until you are about two meters off the ground that you notice you have started to move. There is something very relaxing about the way a balloon glides through the air, silently being pushed along by the breeze. Floating gently up into the hazy morning sun with nothing but the occasional sound of the gas heaters to break the silence.

YOGA/PILATES….

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? I’m not going to lie, a certain light goes on in my eyes when a student rocks up to my pilates class expecting it to be ‘like yoga’…….no, not a chance sorry.

First let me be very clear that I am talking about the style of yoga and pilates I teach, vinyasa yoga, mat & barre pilates.

While there is reformer pilates which is less dynamic, requires reformer equipment, is exceptional for rehabbing injuries and will still give you a very tidy butt kicking, it’s not what I’m about.

So why is pilates not like yoga? What is the difference?

Yoga is an ancient tradition of mind, body and soul wellbeing. The physical aspect of the practice, while definitely creating strength and flexibility, is a means to the spiritual goal of yoga. It is an 8 limbed tradition with the physical practice being just one aspect or limb. The desired outcome of the practice is to create the ability to calm the mind and develop a deep sense of peace, among many other benefits.

The focus during the physical practice is on the breath (in through the nose, out through the nose). Movement is coordinated and flows to the rhythm of the breath.

Pilates was created a mere hundred odd years ago during World War 1. Originally it was a reformer system to rehabilitate injured soldiers and has morphed over the years incorporating the strength and flexibility training of ballerinas.

The practice focuses on strength and toning, in particular the core or 'powerhouse' of the body. The powerhouse consists of abdominals, back, hips and butt. The premise is every movement we make comes from our core and when this is strong the rest of the body is stronger and less prone to injury.

In a mat or a barre class the intention is to work each part of the powerhouse through dynamic movements. Generally it will be to the point of fatigue (read: pain/inability to continue) and then move onto the next part. The breath is in through the nose and out through the mouth, with a forced exhale to engage the core. It is unashamedly about creating a strong, toned and flexible body. The sense of peace may happen after class, knowing it is done!

There it is, in a nutshell, the difference between yoga and pilates. Both are amazing and, of course, I do recommend both as they compliment each other beautifully.

To learn more come over to aloka.com.au.

Erin Bourne 16

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The views over Lamington National Park, tucked in neatly between the mountains and the sea, are spectacular.

From the balloon you can see for miles across the Eastern Scenic Rim and out to the ocean. Pako, our friendly captain, points out some landmarks as we make our journey across the park. This area of land, he tells us, was created by the ancient Tweed Volcano and the lava that erupted from it. Over the years the weather has eroded the landscape to create the plateaus, mountains and cliffs.

Home to many animal and plant species, the National Park was established in 1915, and named after Lord Lamington, a previous Governor of Queensland.

It takes roughly thirty minutes for us to reach our destination, which is dictated by wind direction and

changes with each flight. We land gently in a nearby field and everyone helps pack away the balloon before jumping onto the back of the trailer for the short ride to our bus. We finish off the morning at O'Reilly’s Vineyard for breakfast and are handed complimentary bubbles on arrival. In normal circumstances pre-breakfast alcohol would be frowned upon, but there is something decadent about ballooning across the hinterland that makes drinking in the morning seem appropriate. As we sit on the sundeck of the beautiful historic guesthouse, surrounded by rows of vines, we help ourselves to the buffet and eat looking out over the small stream and the turtles sunning themselves on the bank.

O'Reillys vineyard produces a range of different of wines, from a Moscato to a sparkling red. We took advantage of the complimentary post-breakfast wine tasting, and picked up a bottle or two to take home.

Visit www.hotair.com.au for more information.

Sarah Loughlin To see more from Sarah visit www.itsonlyaplanerideaway.com

THE REVENANT LEONARDO DICAPRIO, TOM HARDY

Chills… spine-tingling icy chills run up your back, through your neck and into that pulp called a brain as you sit shivering in the coldest film you’re ever likely see!

Backing up last year’s Oscar-winning Birdman, Alejandro G. Iñárritu comes out swinging once again with a heart-wrenching true story that’ll leave you breathless with all its beauty.

Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), alongside his halfPawnee son, Hawk, are 1823 frontiersmen leading a company of seasoned fur trappers in the desolate snow-covered wilderness of Montana and South Dakota.

Ruthlessly attacked by Arikara natives, the company is decimated with only a handful of men surviving to traverse the treacherous wilderness landscapes in order to reach faroff safety of a fortified base camp.

For Glass, emotion drips raw with rage, as the savagery of the human condition growls in his struggle to survive.

For others, treachery and moral decay take deep root, with the race for survival hinging not only on escape from foreign dangers, but escape from Glass himself - hell bent on revenge for betrayals inescapable of forgiveness.

THE HATEFUL 99 HOMES MICHAEL SHANNON, ANDREW EIGHT GARFIELD, LAURA DERN The Revenant is visceral and thought provoking in all its sensory perceptions, as sound and sight seamlessly converge into one. You’ll wince, squirm, and clutch the arms of your chair as you vividly transport to faraway lands filled with grave danger and ice-laden horror.

Iñárritu’s unique camera sorcery encapsulates that rare glimpse into second person narrative as you too traverse frigid landscapes, becoming entangled in all the thrills and horrors of onscreen happenings.

If this film is any indication of the calibre to expect this year, I cannot wait to be wowed and dazzled time and time again.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, you certainly warmed my hearth with this chilling true tale of frozen adventure!

Nathan James

SAMUEL L. JACKSON, KURT RUSSELL, TIM ROTH

They say it takes three westerns to be considered a western director, so with that in mind, it appears Quentin Tarantino certainly has his eye on the prize with his second gold medal, guns-a-blazing triumph of western film making.

Almost three years since Django Unchained wowed audiences with a fresh new spin on the spaghetti western genre, The Hateful Eight draws similar tricks from the same ol’ dirty sack, with belly busting hilarity and shock antics we’ve grown to love from the movie master of disaster.

Helplessly caught wham-smack in the middle of a Wyoming blizzard, notorious bounty hunter, John ‘The Hangman’ Ruth and his captured bounty seek succor in a secluded log cabin just short of Red Rock, where his prize female fugitive is destined to be hanged.

Six more unlikely misfits join the stranded pair, seemingly to wait out the gusty storm for a couple of harrowing days. Before long, tensions rise and mysteries fall, as a gripping ‘whodunnit’ crime thriller unravels.

Tarantino’s strength truly lies in his expert use of dialogue, and with a setting as restrictive as a log cabin, what transpires for almost three hours of claustrophobic tension, is exactly that – Brilliant dialogue!

With characters as diverse as the old west itself, The Hateful Eight stitches seamlessly like a stage-play of the highest caliber.

Familiar faces from past Tarantino films deliver equally superb performances deserving of a standing ovation at the final curtain call.

Shot on super rare 70mm film stock, The Hateful Eight is designed for maximum widescreen viewing, allowing setting itself to become a pivotal character, with each rolling frame delivering healthy doses of tension and misplaced hilarity.

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Now a Tarantino film wouldn’t be complete without a memorable soundtrack, cue – Ennio Morricone, famous Italian composer responsible for much of Hollywood’s most iconic western scores. With a recent Golden Globe win, it’s easy to see why he was certainly the right man for the job.

Nathan James

The opening scene in this film - the suicide of a man faced with eviction from his home - is upsetting and stressful. Set in Florida in 2010 the movie tells the story of the millions of people who lost their homes in the post GFC crisis in America. The main character, Real Estate agent Rick Carver (Michael Shannon) is the man charged with these evictions. He has the full force of the law behind him. The evictions are brutal and leave the families little time to seek assistance or even arrange for a removal truck: “You have two minutes, pack whatever you need”.

A short time later young Dennis Nash (Andrew Garfield) an employed but unpaid construction worker struggling to support his mother (Laura Dern) and young son, is evicted after the bank forecloses on the family home. Nash soon finds himself signing a deal with the devil as he agrees to work for Carver at first as a jack-of-alltrades repair man then the enforcer of the very same pain of eviction he and his family felt.

The film is directed by Iranian-American Ramin Bahrani who explores the plight of marginalised Americans. The message here is loud and clear as callously stated by Carver: “America was built by bailing out winners not losers”.

Bahrani shows the deep flaws in this housing system where there is no world of limitation.

The banking system and government devalued reality in favour of greed which caused many to lose their homes. The finer details of what happened in the American Housing crisis were complex. What this movie shows through Bahrani’s extensive research is that the powerful and wealthy who orchestrated this system did not go to jail but the most vulnerable (lower income earners) lost their livelihoods, homes and tragically in some cases their lives.

The acting performances of the main characters are brilliant and the musical score composed by Australians Antony Partos and Matteo Zingales pulses in the background to a beat that adds to the tension. For the first time, for me, whilst watching a film I felt to upset, tense and angry to eat my choc top. I highly recommend this compelling story to anyone especially those thinking of investing in real estate.

Jodie Bellchambers www.blankgc.com.au

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Lifestyle

FORMER MAYOR WINS MAJOR AUSTRALIA DAY AWARD 2016 A former city Mayor and chairman of several local boards has been announced 2016 Gold Coast Citizen of the Year.

Gary Baildon was recognised for his outstanding community input and dedication to civic pursuits at the annual Australia Day Awards.

Mr Baildon served 14 years as a local Councillor, including three terms as Gold Coast Mayor. He has served as Chairman of the Gold Coast Waterways Authority, Chairman of the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation and President of the Gold Coast Show Society.

Mayor Tom Tate said Mr Baildon was an exemplary role model for the community and well-deserving of the accolade.

“The locals nominated for these awards are unsung heroes but we want them to know their time and efforts are appreciated,” said Cr Tate.

“All the nominees are an inspiration and should feel extremely proud of their achievements.”

Several other locals were recognised at the ceremony tonight at Q1 in Surfers Paradise.

NOW OPEN We stock a great variety of organic, healthy, eco friendly and biodegradable products for your day to day needs.

Shop 1, 2364 Gold Coast Hwy Mermaid Beach gcessentialorganics

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Tanya Diessel took out Young Citizen of the Year for her legal work, which includes providing free legal advice to the city’s disadvantaged.

The Gold FM Community Service Award was won by the Animal Welfare League Queensland, founded more than 50 years ago by Gold Coast community members concerned about the city’s homeless animals. From humble beginnings, the organisation now cares for up to 15,000 animals each year.

For information about the winners of each of the six categories, visit cityofgoldcoast.com.au/australiadayawards Winners: Citizen of the Year – Gary Baildon Young Citizen of the Year - Tanya Diessel Gold FM Community Service Award - Animal Welfare League Sports Achievement Award - Luke Douglas Environmental Achievement Award - Wal and Heather Mayr Cultural Achievement Award - Polly Snowden

DAVID KELLOW POPS INTO ONE ARTS The genre of Pop Art may conjure up images of Andy Warhol, but ONE Arts Gallery on the Isle of Capri is hosting an exhibition in February that is more Mambo than Warhol.

Pip Andreas caught up with David Kellow, the artist behind the vibrant ‘Dark Pop’ images.

Why have you chosen to paint in the 2D, Pop-Art, comic style?

I always had a humorous wing to my work. It flew side by side with another serious wing.

You have described your work as 'Dark Pop-Art'. What do you mean by that?

I think "Dark POP" refers to a very black comedy of life. The Journey of "EVERYTOON".

Your early work was influenced by 'spiritual energy'. Do you have a particular spiritual influence in your life and work anymore?

Early 90's I was heavily influenced by the Goddess Movement. Somehow I received a lot of information somehow like a antenna receiver. A lot of other artists, mostly women had similar experiences. I am more a free thinking Buddhist now.

What is the significance of the electronic screens in your exhibition next month at ONE Arts?

It is a comment on our loss of connection to the real world.

A sign of the times in the Age of Tyranny of Material Things. A good example is people walking down the beach in paradise on the Gold Coast yet staring at their "smart phone".

Why the move from the cultural hub of Melbourne to the Gold Coast?

I came up here originally to do a PHD at UQ on the Goddess Movement. Loved the Surf and stayed.

Where will your creative journey go from here? Any new art formats or styles you are keen to pursue?

I think I will use a lot more words in my art but still with some humour.

Pip Andreas

ONE Arts is on the corner of Verona St and Via Roma St, Isle of Capri. Phone 0400 139 889 for more details. www.blankgc.com.au

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Arts & Culture

INTRODUCING CLOSED CAPTION TECHNOLOGY New technology to greatly improve the lives of visual and hearing impaired Gold Coasters has been installed at the Arts Centre Cinema.

KINGS AND QUEENS OF THE CASTLE Surfers Paradise will host Australia’s most whimsical artistic celebration this summer, as Sand Safari 2016 transforms the foreshore into a fantasy sandscape featuring favourite DreamWorks film characters from February 5 to 28, 2016.

The popular free event features the Australian Sand Sculpting Championships, drawing thousands of spectators to admire the talents of 12 Australian and international sculptors as they carve magnificent sculptures of Kung Fu Panda and his DreamWorks friends over three days from February 12 to 14.

Visitors can vote for their favourite creation between February 12 to 14, with winners to be announced at 4pm on February 14. The completed imaginative masterpieces – each carved from 10 tonnes of sand – will then remain on display on the iconic foreshore until Sunday February 28.

Families can also see sculptors live at work from February 17 to 21 as they collaborate to craft three separate interactive works including a 20-tonne and two 15 tonne works depicting characters from

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Madagascar Madness, Shrek’s Faire Faire Away and Kung Fu Panda, with the sculptures able to be explored once complete. The interactive sculptures will be on display from February 22 to 27.

For the first time in its five-year history, Sand Safari partners with SWELL Sculpture to present a breathtaking open-air exhibit of inflatable art interventions, created by internationally renowned UK artist, Filthy Luker.

Best known locally for creating an enormous inflatable octopus positioned on Currumbin’s Elephant Rock in 2014, Luker has produced hundreds of innovative sculptures, among them giant squids attacking cities, diversions around huge banana skins and trees accented with oversized googly eyeballs.

Also new this year, will be a pop-up gallery featuring the works of professional and amateur artists as well as those of Surfers Paradise State School students as part of sand-and-sea themed photography competitions.

For more information, please visit www. surfersparadise.com

With thousands of residents impacted by poor eyesight and hearing, the technology is already proving a winner for cinema goers.

Closed Captions are now available so people can read what they can’t hear and enjoy the latest movies. Captions are delivered via a personal device, with a privacy screen, so only you can see the captions.

General Manager of The Arts Centre Destry Puia is glad that impaired guests can access their favourite movies.

“This means that our loyal guests can sit in any seat in the cinema, use the receivers and enjoy themselves.”

Cinema 1 and 2 at The Arts Centre Gold Coast has 3 types of equipment available to assist our guests upon request. The variety of equipment available, are as follows – •

Closed Caption Headset Receiver - to assist hearing impaired guests

•

Glasses with captions that receive caption via Infrared energy

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Closed Caption Receiver

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Gooseneck held caption box that receives captions via infrared energy.

Rests in the chair cup holder

•

Listening assistive headset

For our visually impaired guests, now you can listen to audio described movies so you

can hear things you might have difficulty seeing with a spoken commentary and enjoy all the parts of a movie, including visual jokes, visual scenes, settings and body language.

These headsets can also be used to assist hearing impaired guests with audio enhancement. The audio is delivered through a personal headset with individual left and right volume controls. You can sit in any seat in the cinema and enjoy!

City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate will be at The Arts Centre to endorse the latest products.

“I congratulate the Arts Centre for investing in this equipment and know it will greatly enhance the experience many residents enjoy when attending the theatre here at Evandale.

“This is our City’s Accessible and Inclusive Action Plan at work. As Mayor, I am determined to ensure our community’s most vulnerable residents have equitable access to the services and facilities our City offers,” said Mayor Tom Tate.

These sessions are listed on The Arts Centre website with CC inserted beside. These products are compatible with films that have been encrypted with this technology.

This new technology at the Arts Cinema is subject to availability. Be sure to check session times or ask one of the friendly Box Office staff for information on enabled access sessions.

INDO POP!

Indo Pop: Indonesian Art from APT7 is an exhibition that celebrates the 8th Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (or APT8 for short) which is now at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane. Indo Pop: Indonesian Art form APT7 consists of nine important works from APT7 held in 2012-2013.

“APT7 featured the Triennial’s largest representation to date of artists from Indonesia. Now some of the outstanding pieces acquired for the Gallery’s contemporary Asian art collection will tour as part of our commitment to regional Queensland,” Chris Saines, Director of QAGOMA said.

QAGOMA Associate Curator, Asian Art, Tarun Nagesh, said the exhibition captured the vibrancy and humour of an emerging generation of contemporary Indonesian artists.

“Drawing on one of the focus areas of APT7 (2012-13), ‘Indo Pop’ showcases a diverse group of works including the explosively coloured painting The Journey 2011 by Uji Handoko Eko Saputro (aka Hahan). These works in a variety

of styles and media represent the exciting approaches that are earning these artists widespread international attention,” he continued.

Over the past decade, a new generation of Indonesian contemporary artists have forged careers in the wake of the Suharto era, contributing to the nation's new status as a major centre for international art. Since the 1970s, groups of contemporary artists in Indonesia have banded together to challenge social, political and economic structures as well as the arts establishment, creating a powerful voice of protest and criticism in their works. Armed with the rebellious spirit of their predecessors, changing media platforms and a recently booming art market, this exciting group of artists tend to look to urban and popular culture for new styles to express themselves. With a fun, witty and collaborative approach, they explore issues such as colonialism, migration and multiculturalism.

Anna Itkonen

Indo Pop: Indonesian Art from APT7 will visit Gold Coast City Gallery 6 February – 20 March 2016.

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ARCHIBALD PRIZE FINALISTS TOURING TO TWEED

Pictured: Nigel Milsom's Judo house pt 6 (the white bird)

This February a number of local playwrights will be showcasing their work through a series of free play readings in The Space.

Often the precursors to larger productions, these readings are the perfect opportunity for the playwright to engage with the audience and test their material in an intimate setting. Only a limited number of seats are available so bookings are essential.

The three play readings during February are The Game, The Turn of Winston Haggle and Allen.

The annual Archibald Prize is one of the most widely known art prizes in Australia and eagerly anticipated by artists and audiences alike. First awarded in 1921, it is amongst Australia’s oldest and most prestigious art awards. The Archibald Prize is awarded annually to the best portrait, "preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Politics, painted by an artist resident in Australia.” The 2015 prize was announced in July and the prize awarded to Nigel Milsom for his work Judo house pt 6 (the white bird).

The Game – Sat 6 Feb

Nigel Milsom’s subject is barrister Charles Waterstreet.

Having recently performed his cabaret Lucky Country, award-winning performer, composer, playwright, actor and singer/songwriter Bradley McCaw invites you to a free play reading of The Game, which follows two bored siblings who are sucked into a fantasy world while playing a video game.

Potentially ridiculous and very funny, this is the perfect opportunity to bring the whole family together.

“I’ve known Charlie indirectly and directly since birth. …

My relationship with Charlie took on more significance a few years ago when he represented me and in the pursuit of justice stood up to what seemed an unfair, impenetrable brick wall. He put his head on the chopping block and restored my faith in the legal system.”

DATE Saturday 6 February, 2016

Milsom describes the portrait and the man in it.

TIME 2.00pm Reading to Commence

“Charlie is a very complex person. He isn’t just a law man.

He’s a writer, a social environmentalist and is involved in film, photography and theatre too. … My portrait is an attempt to depict him as a giant: part-man, part-mythical creature with hands that appear otherworldly, as though the anatomy of his hands has been designed to grasp unnatural disasters, naturally.”

There are altogether 48 finalist pieces in the exhibition including the People’s Choice prize and Packing Room prize winner Bruno Jean Graswill’s portrait of Michael Caton, Juan Ford’s A bungled clairvoyance… and Shaun Gladwell’s Mark Donaldson VC (member of the avant-garde).

Tweed Regional Gallery is delighted to be part of the Archibald Prize Regional Tour. Gallery Director Susi Muddiman said the Gallery was thrilled to host the exhibition.

"It's great to see and hear the Gallery buzzing with keen visitors and sharing their opinions on the finalists," Ms Muddiman said.

"This is a wonderful show to host over the holiday period and start the New Year with; we are definitely expecting crowds."

This art prize is as intriguing as it is excellent and there is an eclectic yet significant trail of facts and incidents to vouch for it.

For example, the Archibald prize is one of the few art prizes in which the artist's signature is covered up so as not to be seen by the judges during initial selection for the final. Given the small size of Australia's art community, this is intended to discourage nepotism on the part of judges. The prize is no stranger to controversy either. The prize as well as the organisers have been taken to court, the winning pieces contested on various grounds, numerous protests have been organized and there have been 10

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PLAY READINGS TAKE OVER THE SPACE

The Turn of Winston Haggle – Sat 13 Feb RK Musgrave is a local writer who produces works across the creative spectrum. His work consistently delves into themes of loss, death and guilt with a dark sense of humour and irony found in the works of Roald Dahl and Chuck Palahniuk. His upcoming week-long residency in February at The Arts Centre for his one-act play, ‘The Turn of Winston Haggle’ is no exception. This sees us follow one man’s quest to develop a friendship under the most deathly of circumstances. portraits of all sorts entered; Bananas in Pyjamas, artists dressed up as monstrous dictators, prime ministers, sporting heroes, if you can think of it, it has probably been entered. In my view, this prize is anticipated and loved because of its artistic credentials and the undisputed talent of the entries but also because it does wrap the media around its little finger and capture the interest of the wider audience in a way that only a few art prizes can.

This touring exhibition is an opportunity to see all the finalists in the Archibald Prize 2015. In addition to viewing the finalists, the visitors to the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre can enjoy a range of programs associated with the exhibition. Visitors can vote for their People’s Choice, view finalists of the regional Young Archie competition and participate in the Children’s Trail activity.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales also provides a host of online resources for visitors, including a mobile exhibition guide and education resources.

Anna Itkonen

The exhibition is open in Tweed Regional Gallery in Murwillumbah until 28 February.

DATE Saturday 13 Feb, 2016 TIME 2.00pm Reading to Commence

Allen – Sun 21 Feb Stewart McMillan is a Gold Coast playwright who has developed and staged two black comedies at The Arts Centre Gold Coast, including Beautifully Dead and Un Natural Selection. Allen is a play about a psychiatrist seeing his psychiatrist. If you like black comedy and having a laugh, then Allen ticks all the right boxes.

DATE Sunday 21 February, 2016 TIME 2.00pm Reading to Commence

Play readings take place in The Space venue.

Participation is free however bookings are essential. Visit www.theartscentregc.com. au/whats-on/whats-on-items for more information.

COMEDY SPECTACULAR PERFORMANCE MAY CONTAIN ADULT CONTENT AND COARSE LANGUAGE. Subject to availability, change and cancellation. All guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult or guardian at all times. *A $6.90 service/delivery fee and 1.95% credit/debit card payment processing fee applies to all internet and telephone bookings through Ticketek.

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Food & Drink

THE NICEST GUY AND THE HARDEST STONE Luke was born in The Netherlands but grew up in sunny Queensland. After finishing school, he fell into a mundane and unsatisfying job. Feeling as though the world had more in store for him, Luke returned to his birth country to seek new adventures. Once there, he needed to work and a friend of the family knew a well known stone sculptor and master stonemason. This mentor worked predominantly in granite - the hardest of the stones - and Luke fell in love and found his match made in stone heaven. Under expert guidance Luke learned both the skills to work with this very hard stone and also how to develop the creative part of himself that he had not yet explored. After 5 years in the Netherlands, the cold, wet weather took its toll and Luke decided to come back to sunny Queensland. The Netherland’s loss became our gain.

Fast forward about 15 years and Luke has established his place as an acclaimed Australian stone sculptor. In 2015, he travelled the world extensively participating in stone symposium and art projects in Turkey, Germany, The Netherlands, France, Italy and Cyprus as well as various sculpture exhibitions and events all over Australia. He is still on the path he started all those years ago, practicing his art, ever evolving as an artist and a stonemason and finetuning his skills and vision. He is also still very much in love with that hardest of stones.

“I was immediately taken by the visual energy of granite. It is much, much harder than marble and sandstone and different tools and skills are required for granite. If one can work granite, one can work in any stone.” Luke describes his love affair with granite.

“The most challenging part is how to technically work the stone. Once one knows how to do that then there is far fewer limitations on what can be done artistically.

I have worked in marble and sandstone many times and although they are nice materials and comparatively easy to work, I much prefer the hardness and visual strength of granite. It has much more depth, 8

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many more contrasting textures and finishes are attainable than with other stones.”

After a whirlwind of a year in 2015, this year Luke is focusing his mind and art on the two largest sculpture symposiums in Australia; Adelaide Hills International Sculpture Symposium and the 2016 Griffith International Centenary Sculpture symposium. He will once again participate and manage the Adelaide Hills International Sculpture Festival, this year for the third and last time. The Sculpture Symposium in Griffith is the flagship event of the towns Centenary celebrations and Luke was appointed to oversee and manage the event.

“Luke is an impressive young sculptor with a diverse and broad background in the field and we are delighted to have him aboard this,” the Griffith Mayor John Dal Broi had to say of our local talent.

“This is the first time the city has embarked on an Arts Sculpture project of this scale … and with a sculptor of Luke’s calibre leading the way, we are set for success.”

So the world and the rest of the country gets to enjoy Luke's work, but there is plenty of Luke Zwolsman’s art closer to home as well.

The sculptor has regularly participated in Swell Sculpture Festival as well as sculpted numerous commissioned pieces around the city.

“Many of my works have been commissioned and purchased privately so [they] stand in private residences or in the foyers of high rise apartments… However I have public works at the Southport Broadwater Parklands, in Nerang , the Radisson International Hotel and a piece in the Griffith University Hospital.”

Take yourself for a sculpture trail around the city and spot a Luke Zwolsman original.

Be amazed by the local talent, mesmerized by the city’s public art and be a proud supporter of the local culture!

Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) If you’re a local artist, creative business or organisation, grants are available to bring your big idea to life.

Applications are now open.

Power Up Your Arts Mentorship

Submissions close 19 February 2016.

RADF Round Two

Submissions close 11 March 2016.

Generate Program

Submissions close 11 March 2016.

Anna Itkonen

For more information and to apply: P 07 5581 6075 E cultural@goldcoast.qld.gov.au W cultural.goldcoast.qld.gov.au RADF is a partnership between the Queensland Government and the City of Gold Coast to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

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Luke Zwolsman is a young Gold Coast based stone sculptor with a high profile in Australian art. He is a father, husband, self-proclaimed recluse and an all-around good guy. He is also doing what many artists only dream of; he is on top of his game and travelling the world with his art, and this is just the beginning.

The Farm Heads Back to the Beach for Bleach* If you decided to pop down to Currumbin Estuary for a swim during Bleach* Festival in 2015, you may have noticed a couple of soaking wet madmen, decked out in corporate gear, dancing around in a makeshift office on a sandbar. This quirky piece of contemporary art known as Tide was presented by none other than Gold Coast collective The Farm. Already an established international troupe, this talented band of like-minded artists has quickly developed a reputation for humourous, thoughtful pieces that think outside the box. For Bleach* Festival 2016, the group has decided to go even bigger and better with their apocalyptic piece The Last Blast. Natalie O'Driscoll spoke with collaborators Gavin Webber and Grayson Millwood about just why it is they feel like celebrating the end of the world.

“There was something about the idea of partying yourself into oblivion – going down with the ship while the band is still playing,” explains Gavin.

“You see these photos from the first World War of soldiers using their best china to have tea in the trenches... it's a celebration while disaster is looming, a denial of what is in front of your face that we find kind of fascinating.”

Much like Tide, The Last Blast makes strong use of the city's natural landscapes, this time at Surfers Paradise beach. The performers will once again be pushing the extreme limits of their physicality in order to immerse both themselves and their audience in this very real experience, an approach that was tested from the get go. Grayson elaborates.

“I was living in Berlin and my first time coming out to the Gold Coast I found it hard to sit down and work particularly at Gavin's house. You have this incredible force outside and it's very difficult to ignore it. So we started a small rehearsal period that we called Inside Out and we didn't have a studio yet so we used the beach as a studio. We worked with the sand, burying ourselves, falling into the sand and [working out] how you could use it as a surface.”

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Gavin continues. “You're at the mercy of the environment when you're working outside: The sun is too strong, or the tide comes in, the impact of the enviroment on you physically is something that you can't ignore.”

“The show itself is a big visual kind of dance work. It really interacts strongly with the environment which is the beach and the water. Being on the coast and working on the beach you have the environment looming all the time, and your creativity gets informed by that. We really wanted to work on a piece that shows the Gold Coast what The Farm does physically.”

As well as producing a spectacular sensory experience, the creators connect their pieces to a larger message: in the case of their Bleach* offerings, climate change.

“There will be a message in it but we're not pushing it on anyone,” says Grayson.

“We want the audience to be able to enjoy it and be reflective of it afterwards. [This is] something I think we try to do in a lot of our work. There is entertainment and there is accessibility and we want to reach people, and there are

underlying themes and people have the ability to digest things on more than one level at the time. There will be things to go home and chew over.”

Gavin refers to Tide as an example of the same message.

“Working on the beach you have all this feeling about climate change... and we had this sense of a civilsation going under and these people trying to continue a job in an office while they're going underwater... we played it in a humourous way. We're not trying to lecture people, we do see a lot of humour in it.”

Tide really brought The Farm to the attention of the greater Gold Coast audience, with hundreds of people interacting with Gavin and co-creator Josh Thomson during their exhausting 48 hour performance. I wondered about how the whole experience matched with their expectations. Gavin explains.

“I discovered a slight hydrophobia for a week or so afterwards. I found it hard to shower, even though you would think a warm shower would be the first thing you want. The thing with that performance, was we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. We knew it was going

to be intense. We tried to evaluate all the possible dangers.

The thing we took away the most was the way that the Gold Coast looked after us. The generosity was a beautiful thing... they were making food and fresh juices and swimming them out to us. We got adopted by the people in that area and they took charge of making sure that we were okay and that feeling was definitely something that we took away with us.”

The Last Blast will be more of a traditional performance, if that word can be used to describe anything created by The Farm.

“It will be less interactive”, asserts Grayson.

“It's a piece that you watch but you are involved because you're on the sand and you're with us. We're still working out ways that the piece happens, we don't know yet if we're moving the audience around, or staying in one place. It's a big beach and people will have the choice to see it from lots of angles and vantage points so in a way you shape the piece by where you view it.”

The largest piece performed by The Farm to date, The Last Blast will feature at least eight dancers, and potentially

nine, given that aspects of the piece are still partially in development. Gavin explains the process.

“We've got some big ideas visually we're trying to realise but actually they're just ideas at the moment and we don't want to give them away. We know there's this huge opportunity and we want to make it a bt of a magic show in some ways.

It has some stunning visuals in it. Part of it is you will be watching a dance show in an environment where you have a backdrop that goes off to infinity. The lights they're only hitting bodies, not the theatre or the props.”

Finally, in a piece that is being performed out in the open and needs to be rehearsed at least a few times in the environment where it is going to be held, I have to know: How are they going to keep rehearsals a secret?

The Last Blast will be showing at Surfers Paradise Beach (Trickett St) from the 18th - 20th March

“Umm, good question!” says Gavin.

45 minute duration

Grayson laughs. “We wear sand coloured body suits.”

Given the unorthodox approach adopted by The Farm, we wouldn't be at all surprised.

7.00pm performance, site opens from 6.30pm Tickets and further information: www. bleachfestival.com.au

Man Tea… Very manly. Not much tea.

I know what you’re thinking. What’s a Man Tea? And does it involve beer? Bloody good questions.

It’s a High Tea for chaps. It’s a casual sit-down with your mates. How else to put it… it’s having a banter with the boys over some good grub, beers and bourbons. So round up the lads and bring them down to Stingray Lounge, it’s time to turn one on in style.

This isn’t your usual meet up, it’s a Man Tea.

a e T n a M

$39 per person Man Tea. $55 per person Man Tea with your choice of 2 select beers, bourbons, whiskies or rums.

Available at Stingray 7 days from 12-6pm.

Please order at the bar. For further details or bookings please email stingray_goldcoast@qthotels.com.au

the gent’s high tea

7 Staghorn Ave, Gold Coast qtgoldcoast.com.au

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Casting Call For Mary Poppins at The Arts Centre Gold Coast The Arts Centre Gold Coast is seeking experienced musical theatre performers for the production of Mary Poppins in June.

All performers must have both a HighIntermediate singing and dancing ability.

Further information regarding roles and requirements can be found at www. theartscentregc.com.au/opportunities/marypoppins-auditions.

Registrations close on Sunday 21 February, 2016, so get in now!

Local Artist Honours our Earth Warriors Gold Coast artist and photographer Jeska Valk will be running an exhibit at the Hinge Gallery, Dust Temple in Currumbin from 6 February – 6 March. She has used her skills to honour those people who have dedicated their lives to preserving our natural heritage.

She describes the show:

Over 2,400 entries were received for Flickerfest 2016, and only the top 110 shorts are selected in official competition, all handpicked to represent the most innovative, creative and cutting edge short films being produced in the world today.

Flickerfest is Australia’s largest touring film festival, visiting 50 locations around the country.

More info: Box Office 07 5588 4000 or www. theartscentregc.com.au/whats-on/whats-onitems/flickerfest-2016

One of Gold Coasts best surfing photographers, Simon “Swilly” Williams, will be displaying prints of his photographs of local World Champions Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning, Steph Gilmore and others at The Strand at Coolangatta throughout February 2016.

The Strand will be home to the 10 prints in the exhibition until they are auctioned off to raise funds for the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve Inc. The southern Gold Coast has been designated as the 8th World Surfing Reserve, with the official dedication ceremony to be held at Snapper Rocks on 9 March 2016, recognising the area globally for its iconic point breaks.

The Strand Marketing Manager, Sarah Clasen, said The Strand was honoured to be involved in this historic occasion for surfing.

“It will be fantastic to see these well-known local faces up around the Atrium. Everyone can view the public exhibition for free, and we even hope to see some of the stars of the prints join us at The Strand to view this larger-than-life exhibition themselves throughout February.”

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But there is hope. There are those who dedicate their lives to the preservation of our environment.They strive to preserve our natural world. They fight to protect this vital part of our identity. Not just for us, but for all those who come after us.

Celebrating 25 years of short film excellence Flickerfest remains Australia’s leading Academy® Accredited and BAFTA recognised short film festival, ensuring that we continue to present A-list short film programs recognised amongst the best in the world.

Delicious Australian themed dining options are available pre-screening as well as the usual candy bar treats!

DATE Friday 19 February, 7.00pm VENUE Arts Theatre (cinema mode) COST $14.00

Acclaimed Surf Photographer Exhibits Prints at The Strand

We are defined by our environment. It shapes us. It nurtures us. It sustains us. It provides us sanctuary, with beauty, with challenges. It gives us life. Our natural heritage is a part of who we are. And it is under threat.

FLiCKERFEST 2016 Flickerfest brings its finest selection of Australian short films to the Gold Coast, on Friday 19 February, 2016. Audiences will experience a smorgasbord of Australian short films selected form over 2,400 submissions.

Storytime Ballet for Children presents Sleeping Beauty A dreamy kingdom full of magical fairies, a beautiful sleeping princess and a prince searching for his true love…

Everyone’s favourite fairytale ballet comes to life on stage in a brand-new production of The Sleeping Beauty for children aged 3 and up. Join the wedding party with Aurora, follow her Prince through the woods and meet their friends Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf, Puss in Boots and Bluebird.

Packed with dazzling dancing, sparkling tutus and enchanting Tchaikovsky music, this is the perfect first ballet experience for boys and girls.

Be a part of the magic at this live, interactive and narrated ballet that will cast its spell in under an hour – and have your little ones dancing down the hallway when they get home! Don’t forget to dress up in your favourite ballet-inspired outfit.

Showing 29 and 30 March. Visit www. theartscentregc.com.au to book.

They are idealists, dreamers and visionaries.

They are our Earth Warriors.

Cove Hosts Cracking Chinese New Year Celebration The tranquil waters of Sanctuary Cove are set to take on a crimson glow as the Gold Coast’s premier lifestyle destination erupts with traditional festivities including lion dancing, entertainment and lively drumming to herald the Chinese New Year 2016.

From Friday February 12, to Sunday February 14, 2016, families are invited to join in the free spectacle of live entertainment taking place in the precinct, alongside authentic cuisine and Asian-inspired workshops for all ages.

A program of cultural-rich events will include daily lion dancing and Chinese entertainment, along with traditional Chinese activities presented by the Tourism Confucius Institute at Griffith University.

Large crowds are expected to descend on The Marine Village during the event, which also features free kids’ activities.

Andy Baker Exhibits at D'Bar Andy Baker returns to the Cafe D'Bar Gallery with two new exhibitions this month. The first, entitled Urban Salt, is a beach series.

The second, Helmets Are So In Right Now, is inspired by Star Wars.

The exhibitions run from 27th January to 24th March 2016.

Call out for the 14th annual SWELL Swell Sculpture Festival will entice our senses again from 9 September until 18 September at Currumbin foreshore and the entries are open now. Local, national and international artists of all levels working in all mediums are being invited to submit for selection in the 14th annual sculpture festival.

Accepted artists will vie for awards worth over $25,000 but this of course isn’t the whole appeal; exhibiting in SWELL offers artists unparalleled opportunities such as media profiles, the chance to establish new industry contacts, professional development, and the potential to sell and commission works.

Are you a sculptor or ever fancied yourself as one? Do you think you have a winning concept and the skills to make it happen? This is your chance. Entries for the 2015 SWELL Sculpture Festival close on Monday 7 March.

For more information visit www.swellsculpture.com.au.

New Festival announced for Byron Bay The first ever Taste of Love Festival featuring an international, national and local line up of presenters on the topics of sex, love and consciousness is scheduled to debut in Byron Bay on 19 Feb 2016.

Building on the momentum created by the ‘Sex & Consciousness Conferences’ held in Byron Bay over the last 7 years, Byron locals Marion Ellyard and Russell Collins are joining forces to create something not done before in Australia.

Gold Coast Film Festival Seeks Volunteers Keen to get involved?

The festival will run from Thursday 31 March until Sunday 10 April 2016. The main festival venue is at the Gold Coast Arts Centre, and also other locations around the Gold Coast.

You can register to volunteer at www.gcfilmfestival.com/ volunteer-registration/

They are bringing together the ingredients for an event that aims to appeal to a wide cross section of the community, including a range of presenters from around the world offering sessions exploring various aspects of sexuality, love, relating, consciousness, sacredness and a diverse range of related topics.

For the full program and tickets go to: www.tasteoflove.com.au

Gold Coasters Make a Date With Cupid for Valentine's Day Fun Run The Gold Coast is gearing up to make a scene this Valentine’s Day at the 2016 Cupid’s Undie Run. Running enthusiasts and fancy dress aficionados alike will take to the streets and strip down to their bedroom-best for charity in the event dedicated to raising funds for the Children’s Tumour Foundation. The annual event aims to raise $180,000 this year in support of research into neurofibromatosis (NF), a genetic disorder affecting 1 in 3,000 Australians that causes tumours to grow on nerves throughout the body.

The condition can lead to a range of complications; there is currently no cure.

The 2016 Cupid’s Undie Run will be held on Valentine’s Day, Sunday 14 February, at Burleigh Heads.

Register online at: www.registration.everydayhero.com/ps/ event/CupidsUndieRun2016GoldCoast/

Professional Affordable Video Production www.theeditsuite.com.au Find us

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Saturday 19th March With the emphasis on fun, audiences can expect to become involved in the show, but not to be embarrassed.

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4–20 MARCH WWW.BLEACHFESTIVAL.COM.AU

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Issue #30 FEBRUARY 2016

The Farm Heads Back to the Beach for Bleach* coffee | food | culture | art | theatre | enviro | life