Blank Gold Coast issue #71 - September 2019 by Blank Street Press

Indigenous culture the focus of

NORTHERLY SWELL

ach year, SWELL Sculpture Festival branches out from its Currumbin home in the form of Northerly SWELL, a concurrent art installation at the Helensvale Culture Centre. This year’s offering is by none other than celebrated local artist Ivan Lovatt, whose wire sculptures have seen him win many People’s Choice Awards over the years of SWELL’s main event. This year, he chose local Indigenous elder, artist and educator Luther Cora as his subject. We sat down with Luther, Ivan and SWELL Sculpture Festival’s Natasha Edwards at the unveiling of the portrait. “I was honoured that they chose to approach me to do something like this,” says Luther. “SWELL is such a big event, and I’m always trying to think of new ways to expose Indigenous culture to Australia.” The piece, entitled ‘Totem’, is a bust of Luther in traditional face paint with trademark black cockatoo feathers in his headpiece, representing the animal spirit, or ‘totem’ given to him by his family. The technique involved in creating realistic portraits from chicken wire is nothing short of astounding, especially when it comes to “soft” detail like the feathers. “Each piece demands its own techniques so if you don’t have those techniques you have to invent them,” Ivan explains. “I like the idea that creativity is an inventive art. Trial and error. Things don’t always work but you end up going back to the drawing board, like the mad professor! If I want to make feathers I’ll find a way, and then I’ll find a better way if I can.” Natasha is utterly impressed by Ivan’s attention to detail. “With the paint, it’s actually quite a tricky technique to apply paint to chicken wire and you only get one chance to do that as well, and he was able to capture that beautifully,” she says. “The feathers were obviously a challenge to make chicken wire to look so soft, and Luther has a lot of hair and a beard, so to take that and capture the cheekbones and the gaze in the eyes, it’s quite a challenge.”

And it’s the eyes that have it, as far as Ivan is concerned. “That’s the most important part, the eyes,” he says. “With eyes you’re looking at millimetre differences to change the entire feel of the work. With the eyes mostly what I wanted to create was a feeling of pride and maybe an inner strength.” As far as Luther’s concerned, Ivan has done a bang up job. I ask him what he wants audiences to take away from the piece. “Firstly just that it’s great piece of art,” he says. “And hopefully they take the story from it as well, just knowing that we’re still here and we are the oldest living continuous culture in the world and we’re still practicing that today through the body paints and the style of dress we wear when we’re doing dance and culture. “I’m only one person but I try to get out there and be an ambassador for all my people.” Ivan feels grateful to have the opportunity to be part of that representation. “I’m happy to work with Luther in a good spirit going forward,” he says. “I really like our First Nations culture and I think it’s an asset to the country, I think we should all realise more how lucky we are to have that. I’m happy to be a part of helping that to happen.” Natalie O’Driscoll

SWELL Sculpture Festival has been running for 17 years and has grown into a beloved celebration of all things innovative, gobsmacking, heart-wrenching and downright strange, offering national media coverage and a major award of $15,000, with a further $12,500 on offer for the smaller awards and over $25,000 in artist subsidies. SWELL will connect people, art and place at Currumbin Beach from 13 to 22 September, and the Northerly SWELL installation is available for viewing now at the Helensvale Cultural Centre. Visit swellsculpture.com.au for more. www.blankgc.com.au

Music

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Managing Editor: Natalie O’Driscoll Creative Director: Chloe Popa

Photo by Fatfish Photography

Partnerships Manager: Amanda Gorman

GOLD COAST OPEN HOUSE

Partnerships: Simone Gorman-Clark

Gold Coast Open House celebrates the evolution of architecture in a city where glittering towers soar by a glistening Surfers Paradise and parklands meet the sea. Here, modern design celebrates the humble line of the 1950s beach shack and locals love of patio living finds new ingenious ways to bring the outside indoors. The event turns five this year with about 60 buildings, places and spaces set to open to the public on 19 October alongside a program of walks, talks, tours and fringe events. Most will be so popular you’ll need to book. Tour registrations open on 6 September at goldcoastpenhouse.com.au

Intern: Amaya Coburn

Contributors (print and online): Natalie O’Driscoll, Anthony Gebhardt, Samantha Morris, Marj Osborne, Zac Fahey, Simone Gorman-Clark, Anna Itkonen, Terry ‘Tappa’ Teece, Nicole Browne, Amaya Coburn, Erin Taylor, Prudence Clark, Gio Siregar, Tiffany Mitchell, Jodie Bellchambers.

Editorial: news@blankgc.com.au Advertising: advertising@blankgc.com.au Gigs: gigs@blankgc.com.au

KIDS TAKE OVER HOTA, WITH DAN SULTAN’S HELP From 3-5 October, HOTA will host their bi-annual Kids Take Over school holiday program, featuring a range of adventurefilled activities where kids can create, explore and let their imaginations go wild. This year’s theme of ‘Into the Wild’ will encourage kids to don their explorer’s hats and be inspired during a fierce and fun mini-fest daily from 10am to 2pm. This year, Dan Sultan will present his latest show ‘Nali and Friends’, based of his kids’ album of the same name. Nali & Friends is a tale about unconventional, oddball animals from different parts of the world. Co-written with longtime friend and collaborator, filmmaker Rhys Graham, the stories were inspired by the pair’s journey through Uganda and Kenya working with The Thin Green Line Foundation. Catch Dan on 5 October at 11am. Full program and tix at hota.com.au.

STORYFEST NATIONAL NOVELLA COMPETITION NOW OPEN The Storyfest National Novella Writing Competition is open to all Australian high school students. It is a wonderful opportunity for serious student writers, encouraging them in their literary growth and there are also some fantastic prizes on offer, including $2,500 cash. Students need to write a novella of between 8,000 and 20,000 words and submit it by 6 December 2019 in order to have it judged by an expert panel. Visit storyfest.com.au for more.

Front Cover: ‘Totem’ by artist Ivan Lovatt, depicting Luther Cora. Supplied by SWELL Sculpture Festival Reverse Cover: IVEY by Mitch Lowe

Acknowledgement of Country We genuinely respect and acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and play. We honour their elders past, present and emerging as well as the rich contribution that continues to be made to society through art, story and music.

About us: Blank GC is independently owned and published by Samantha Morris and Chloe Popa. Founded in 2013 we are the Gold Coast’s independent cultural voice and we rely on advertising as well as our generous contributors 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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LOCAL ART WORKSHOPS TAKE THE CAKE If you have never tried oils before, want a refresher on the basics or just want to paint and eat cake, this afternoon tea party workshop is for you. Run by local artist Seabastion Toast, ‘Small and Sweet: Introduction to oil painting workshop’ teaches how to paint “all prima” (wet on wet) with oils, how to model a likeness using color and tone, and how to use loose gestural strokes to create energetic lively paintings. With cake. Lots and lots of cake. The workshop runs on 22 September at Gecko House, 139 Duringan St, Currumbin. To book, email theartoftoast@gmail.com

Photo by Fotomedia

GET READY FOR SWELLSNAPS PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

GODDESSES OF COMEDY RAISE MONEY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION

This year, visitors to SWELL Sculpture Festival are invited to take SWELLsnaps that visually depict PEOPLE, ART & PLACE at SWELL Sculpture Festival 2019 and upload them to Instagram from 12am on Friday 13 September to 11.59pm on Sunday 22 September, mentioning @swellsculpture and #SWELLsnap2019. Renowned Australian photographer Sean Scott is the official judge of the #SWELLsnap2019 Photography Competition, and the winner, announced by SWELL on 23 September, will receive a $1000 Sean Scott Gift Voucher.

Comedy Queens ‘Women Like Us’ are coming to Seagulls Club to raise money for Special Education Facilities in Tweed Region High Schools. ‘Women Like Us’ are middle aged mouthy mamas of mirth, Mandy Nolan and Ellen Briggs, and they have been smashing it across the country with their raucous, hilarious truth bombs about parenting, beauty, weight, surgery, obsessions, housework and other daily frustrations. Now they’re heading to Seagulls Club on 7 September for a good cause. Support it through womenlikeus.com.au or seagullsclub.com.au.

Powderfinger at Riverstage by Stephen Boo

BRISBANE MUSIC NOSTALGIA AT THE MUSEUM Get a backstage pass to three epic decades of Brisbane’s incredible music scene, as Museum of Brisbane’s High Rotation exhibition takes centre stage from 30 August 2019 – 19 April 2020. Showcasing some of Brisbane’s most memorable musicians, High Rotation is set to take music lovers down memory lane, while introducing a new generation to this iconic musical era through film clips, photographs, instruments, souvenirs, and ephemera, as well as an immersive digital component to elevate audience experience. Tune in to the musical prowess of more than 80 artists, including pop and rock heavyweights Keith Urban, The Veronicas, Sheppard, George, and Kate Miller-Heidke, as well as indie darlings The Grates, Violent Soho, Emma Louise, and Ball Park Music. High Rotation also pays homage to heritage legends, including Kev Carmody, Powderfinger, Custard, Regurgitator and Savage Garden as well as rising stars including WAAX, Thelma Plum, and Confidence Man.

QSO CELEBRATES POWER OF WATER South East Queensland’s own ARIA awardwinning guitar superstar, Karin Schaupp will return in September to perform in ‘Sounds from the Deep’ with Queensland Symphony Orchestra at HOTA, Home of the Arts. Conducted by the much loved Guy Noble, and featuring a moving and powerful program including Handel’s Water Music, Westlake’s contemporary Antarctica Suite and Strauss Jnr’s iconic waltz On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Sounds from the Deep will transport concert-goers into the turbulent and ever-changing world of water. Sounds of the deep comes to HOTA on Friday 27 September. Tix at hota.com.au.

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE NIGHTINGALE MUSIC CONCERT OF THE YEAR This special event will feature solo, duo and trio performances from the Nightingale Music School students. Expect to be entertained by students' performances of songs old and new including the Jackson 5, Cyndi Lauper and your favourite Disney sing-alongs. It will also include a debut performance from upcoming singersongwriter Jenna Cogzell. The event will be held at the Helensvale Cultural Centre on Saturday 14 September from 5pm. Grab your tickets for the event today from nightingalegc.com.

Photo by Lamp Photography

MULLUM MUSIC FESTIVAL DROPS FULL LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT Now in its 12th year, everyone’s favourite little festival is getting ready to roll out the green carpet for the extraordinary mix of artist who’ll be hitting up Mullum Music Festival this year. Organisers have hooked us with their international lineup announcement which includes Chilean social justice champion Nano Stern, acoustic guitar master KwalZulu, Aria nominated Mojo Juju, and returning fave Lucie Thorne. Also on the bill are acclaimed indigenous vocalist Emma Donovan and Melbourne rhythm combo The PutBacks who will come together to perform a concert of hard hitting and heartfelt soul. Allensworth, Wagons, Harry James Angus, Hussy Hicks, Z-Star Trinity, Joe Pug, Thando, Ruby Boots, The Wilson Pickers and Alysha Brilla all make an appearance, plus many more, of course. Mullum Music Festival is held from 14-17 November. More at mullummusicfestival.com.

INAUGURAL ONE LOVE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES SHAGGY AND SEAN PAUL AS HEADLINERS The temperature is officially set to rise in Australia this coming February, as one of New Zealand’s largest music festivals ‘One Love Festival’ announces plans to head across the ditch for the first time in 2020. Headlined by Jamaican dancehall legend Sean Paul and Mr. Boombastic himself, Shaggy, the iconic reggae and dancehall festival will bring together OGs of reggae Toots and the Maytals, Polynesian legends FIJI and New Zealand headliners Sons of Zion for the first time for Australian audiences. 1814, Third World, Lion Rezz, PAUA and One Love DJ’s will also provide support, as the festival lands at Broadwater Parklands on the Gold Coast on Saturday 1 February, 2020. Tickets for One Love Festival go on sale on Wednesday 04 September via oneloveaustralia.com.

CASEY BARNES SIGNS TO CHUGG MUSIC AND SELECT MUSIC Chugg Music has just announced the signing of Gold Coast Country Rock music legend Casey Barnes to its growing management and recording roster. Also recently announced, is that the Golden Guitar finalist has joined Select Music for live representation in a move which will help him manage his already hectic touring schedule. One of our most beloved musicians, Casey has slogged it out as an independent artist for years, becoming a country festival “musthave”, earning top iTunes spots, and winning much acclaim. The Chugg signing means that Casey can concentrate on his first loves creating and performing, while a professional outfit takes care of the music business side of things. Congrats Casey!

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BLUESFEST announces first lineup of legends for 2020

of the same ie. A tent full of happy, dancing Bluesfesters.

Fresh off their mammoth 30th anniversary in 2019, Bluesfest has decided to go one better in 2020, with a mouthwatering first lineup announcement that is set to get fans of the beloved Byron event rushing to grab their tickets in droves.

“Dave Matthews Band are one of the top grossing, most in demand bands in the world – and finally they are coming back to Bluesfest. This is going to be magical and unmissable,” Peter continued.

luesfest first lineup announce for 2020 includes Dave Matthews Band, Crowded House, Patti Smith and more.

The 31st annual Byron Bay Bluesfest is taking place from 9 – 13 April 2020 and is set to be the best festival yet. This first of many line up announcements also includes the legend George Benson and Brandi Carlile, both making their Bluesfest debuts, alongside veterans John Butler, Xavier Rudd, The Cat Empire, Morcheeba and John Prine. “I was so pleased to hear all the positive feedback from our 30th Anniversary in 2019 and hope to take that to the next level in 2020,” said Festival Director Peter Noble. This will be Dave Matthews Band’s third visit to Bluesfest and if the two earlier visits are anything to go by, it’s going to be more

Crowded House return to headline Bluesfest with an exclusive Australian performance. Formed in Melbourne Australia in 1985 out the ashes of New Zealand’s Split Enz by Neil Finn, Paul Hester and Nick Seymour, 30 + years later, Neil and Nick have been energised and inspired to begin a new chapter in the Crowded House story.

And that’s before we even get to George Benson, one of the world’s greatest guitarists, three time Grammy Award winning singer/ songwriter Brandi Carlile, Bluesfest family member John Butler, the captivating Xavier Rudd and the blissful sounds of Morcheeba! Phew! Check out the full first lineup announcement below.

Patti Smith and her Band conquered Bluesfest in 2017, and went on to win the Helpmann Award that year for Best International Contemporary Concert, so when she called to say she was keen to go again, it was open arms all around.

Bluesfest 2020 is being held from 9 – 13 April 2020. Tickets are on sale now via Moshtix. Natalie O’Driscoll

The Bluesfest 2020 First Artist Lineup: DAVE MATTHEWS BAND – CROWDED ClaireBAND Dalton HOUSE – PATTI SMITH Image ANDbyHER – GEORGE BENSON – BRANDI CARLILE – JOHN BUTLER – XAVIER RUDD – THE CAT EMPIRE – MORCHEEBA – JOHN PRINE – JENNY LEWIS – FRANK TURNER – JOHN MAYALL – BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE – THE MARCUS KING BAND – WALTER TROUT – CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM – GREENSKY BLUEGRASS – LARKIN POE – THE WAR & TREATY.

PERFORMING A HORSE WITH NO NAME VENTURA HIGHWAY AND ALL OF THEIR HITS!

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Rebecca Cunningham

TAKES HOME DEAN COGLE PORTRAIT PRIZE

he Dean Cogle Portrait Prize was founded in 2015 and the inaugural exhibition was held the same year in The Dust Temple in Currumbin. Ever since that first year, Rebecca Cunningham has entered the portrait prize and this year, she took home the major prize with her portrait of Joni Mitchell.

The Dean Cogle Portrait Prize, as the name implies, is the brainchild of the late Gold Coast artist and cultural figure, Dean Cogle. After his passing earlier this year, Gold Coast art community has felt the loss but at the same time, has embraced the legacy he left behind. Samantha Morris wrote about him in Blank GC earlier this year. “Dean has been described as a “stalwart” of the Gold Coast creative community… Dean Cogle made a phenomenal impression on the city’s cultural landscape, working as an artist here for some 40 years, moving to the Gold Coast in 1979 to take on airbrushing work at Hot Stuff Surfboards. Since that time, Dean had a hand in graphic design, art directing, illustration and print production. He’s painted silos and naked bodies alike, designed advertisements, hung exhibitions, founded art prizes and produced murals as well as marketing material.” For Rebecca Cunningham, Dean Cogle was a friend, mentor, fellow artist and a source of inspiration. The two shared a work space in The Dust Temple and worked closely together. After the initial hesitation,

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participating in this year’s portrait prize seemed like a natural thing for Rebecca to do for herself as well for the friendship she shared with Dean and his family.

“I wasn’t going to enter but I did it for Dean and Sharon and I’m so glad I did…. I’ve admittedly never won an art prize in my life. I’m still in shock but so, so humbled and stoked, so many phenomenal artists are displaying in this show,” Rebecca wrote on her social media account. Rebecca described her friend “For me Dean was a true artist. No matter what he did, he always practiced art. He taught me that no matter how hard [something] is, if that is what you want to do, you need to persevere. If you are passionate about something, you can make it work.” Rebecca paints portraits of people she has a strong connection with, of people she knows. “To paint someone’s face, I have to feel I really know them. I have painted Joni Mitchell and Frida Kahlo for example. They have given me so much. For me to sit and study their face, it gives me a new way of knowing them. I can capture a mood in someone’s face that another person can then feel. And the piece of Joni Mitchell is so very moody. “I love [Joni Mitchell] and all she has inspired in me, the endless hours of listening to her music and her words that resonate so deeply with me. I’m so glad that all that I love that I put into my painting of her was felt by someone else enough to see and feel

it too. That’s all we can ever ask for with our artwork, right?” The Dean Cogle Portrait Prize will continue to bring artists together and contribute to the cultural scene of the Gold Coast. “Every time there is one of these kinds of opportunities, it is a positive thing for artists and community alike. It is an opportunity to showcase your art, to come together with your peers and to take your art a step further again,” Rebecca said about the Portrait Prize and what it means to the Gold Coast art community.

“There are so many Image by Claire Dalton different ways of doing one thing. There are 40 different portraits in one room and it is interesting to see how everyone did it, approached the subject and brought their piece to life.” The Dean Cogle Portrait Prize is proudly supported by Michelle Neumann with a $5000 first prize. The 2019 Prize was judged by Brian Adlington, the Director of Lismore Gallery. Anna Itkonen

The Dean Cogle Portrait Prize exhibition will run through to 4 September 2019 at Dust Temple, Currumbin.

HAIR lets the sunshine in this October

AIR was a revolutionary rock musical that broke all the rules, and 2019 marks 50 years since its 1969 Australian opening night at the Metro Theatre in Kings Cross. To celebrate this milestone, a talented tribe of Australian musical theatre stars have joined a new production of the groundbreaking show, which is touring nationally now, and finishing up with two epic shows at HOTA, Home of the Arts in October.

Four-time Logie award winning TV and theatre star, Hugh Sheridan, two time ARIA award winning Paulini, the sensational star of The Voice, Prinnie Stevens (pictured), South East Queensland’s own Angelique Cassamatis and newcomer Matthew Manahan have all donned bell-bottoms for the brand new Australian production of HAIR, which centres on a collective of young friends named ‘The Tribe’, who are passionate about issues like the environment, free-love and peace, and who are rebelling against the conservative mainstream. Directed by multi-talented, award-winning director Cameron Menzies, HAIR the musical is ready to push to the boundaries once more. We caught up with Cameron himself and star Prinnie Stevens just prior to the national tour kick off, and found out how they were feeling about opening night being just around the corner.

“I feel great!” Prinnie exclaims. “This is the crazy part, this is when it gets hectic, we’re putting everything together and we’ll be on the stage soon! It’s fun and scary,” she laughs.

and prolific drug use, which culminates in an infamous trip scene that I assume must’ve be a whole lot fun to create and perform.

“The scene is great because there are no rules,” admits Cameron. “There’s no logic in it at all. We actually tried to put logic in it, and it didn’t work. It’s just a crazy array of historical characters coming through and getting wilder and wilder. It’s been a lot of fun to put on and have that sense of absolute freedom.” Prinnie jumps in. “I’ve done so much commercial theatre and tv and all sorts of things, but I’ve never done something like this where there are no-holds-barred. There’s no limit, there’s nothing too crazy it’s really exciting and this cast is really willing to go all the way and push our limits, and Cameron is just letting us be crazy,” she laughs. Letting them let their hair down, you might even say. Jokes aside, HAIR gets pretty serious, too. Cameron reflects on a moment that shook him during rehearsals. “The song ‘Three-Five-Zero-Zero’. What people bring to those individual moments is just the greatest. I mean it’s a song about bodies being ripped apart in war, it’s horrific, and what every cast member brings to it is very special and will have a massive impact. It humanises war, all these kids going off with their hopes and dreams.” For Prinnie, the relatable nature of the piece has been one of the more intense aspects.

GOLD COAST 19 OCT

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“Cameron’s done an amazing job in allowing us to stand up for what we individually believe in. HAIR is set in the sixties but Cameron’s been adamant about relating it to something that means something to us, whether that’s female power, or racism or whatever it is for the individuals in that moment, you really do see it all pouring out from all of us. “The thing that really shocked me is how vulnerable it is,” she continues. “How much heart it has. Every day as a cast we find new things. Yesterday during ‘Let The Sunshine In’ I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house. Paulini just took it to church, all of us were in tears.” Cameron agrees. “Paulini was born to sing that song.” If the trip scene in HAIR is infamous, then the nude scene is downright notorious, particularly, I imagine, to the unsuspecting sixties crowds. I can’t let the opportunity to ask about it slip past. Are they really going for it? Cameron chuckles. “You’ll just have to wait and see!” Dammit. Knowing when I’m beaten, I move on, and ask him what he hopes audiences will take away from the show. “From a directorial point of view, I want people to actually just walk in someone else’s shoes even for a few steps. I feel like the world’s empathy is very lacking at the moment. I feel like if people walk away and just for a moment stand in someone else’s shoes, then I think we’ve done something to make the world a better place.”

Cameron agrees. “It’s the thin edge of the wedge!” They both sounds incredibly pumped, and they should be. HAIR is one of the most talked about musicals of all time, and contains much to challenge and inspire an audience. Set in 1967 America during the Vietnam War, HAIR explores the anti-war sentiment of America’s youth and everything counter-culture of the time stood for, including free love

Well. What a hippie. Natalie O’Driscoll

Join hands with the cast of HAIR when they hit HOTA, Home of the Arts on 11 and 12 October 2019. Tickets via hota.com.au. www.blankgc.com.au

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GLOBAL #CLIMATESTRIKE NEEDS YOU, GOLD COAST

ustralia is already on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Prolonged drought. Flash flooding. Catastrophic bushfires, severe cyclones and heatwaves. But just at the time when we need to ramp up climate solutions, we have elected a Government that wants to open the floodgates to new coal, oil and gas projects that put all of us at risk.

Enter the Global #ClimateStrike, a worldwide student-led initiative which is calling on all concerned citizens to take some time off school, work and study on 20 September, in order to send a serious message to the powers that be. One of Gold Coast event organisers and unofficial group leader Matt Ross is a social worker and passionate surfer who has been involved in climate action for many years. Over the last few years he has worked on on establishing a broad climate movement in the city and helping Gold Coast community members to have a way in which they can channel their concern for climate change into action. “I have a passion for working in regional areas and on the Gold Coast as it is a city

with a great community and a lot of potential to have a real impact,” he says. It’s no mistake the Global #ClimateStrike is set for three days prior to the UN Emergency Climate Summit. Matt hopes the worldwide message will get through. “In terms of the UN I think we really need concrete targets for each country that are ambitious and ideally much more than what we have now,” he says. “And we need detailed commitments on how to get there. “I'd love to see dollar figures for communities and industries that need to transition and binding commitments to transition away from fossil fuels and to renewables from the biggest polluters.” Of course, growing the movement at ground level is also crucial to the cause. “[We want to build] a people-powered movement at local levels throughout the world that has the power to win major outcomes to solve the climate crisis. “And critical to this is building a movement that is centred on justice and doesn't leave anyone behind. We know that the people who have contributed the least to the climate crisis are the ones who will be impacted the hardest.”

Students are a key driving force behind these movements currently sweeping the world. Fifteen year old Gold Coast student Narii Hamill Salmon recognised from a young age that climate change was the most urgent issue for this generation.

incredibly effective in achieving major social change. If we all down tools and refuse to cooperate until the climate crisis is addressed, the government and major corporations will be forced to do something about the issue.

“This strike will let these world leaders and our own Government know that young people are still demanding the climate action we so desperately need and that they cannot ignore us.”

“I genuinely believe this is a very powerful event that can have a huge impact and on the outcome of the UN Emergency Climate Image by Claire Dalton Summit.”

And as for naysayers, who tell the kids to stay in school instead of striking, Narii has a simple message. “We go to school to build ourselves and improve on the things we may find difficult, and I believe being a part of this movement does the exact same. Through striking, I’ve improved my organising, leadership and public speaking skills. I’ve also learnt so much about how politics works and the science behind climate change. “My schooling would be useless if we weren’t on the streets demanding a safe climate future.” Matt Ross believes strongly in the power of the collective voice of the people. “Throughout history tactics such as boycotts, strikes and refusal to participate have been

So please, head along to Victoria Park on 20 September from 12pm to 2pm, and add your voice to the peaceful, all-ages rally and march. Visit the Facebook page for updates. Interviews by Amaya Coburn and Zac Fahey Story by Natalie O’Driscoll

This event will be taking place on the land of the Kombumerri people of the Yugambeh language-group. Organisers pay respect to their elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded. They stand alongside Indigenous people in their fight for climate justice, and are grateful for the huge contributions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to make to protect our shared climate, land and water.

GLOBAL WAVE CONFERENCE HITS OUR SHORES IN 2020

he Global Wave Conference is an international Ocean Conservation event, and in 2020 it’s going to be held for the first time in Australia – specifically on the Southern Gold Coast.

Gold Coasters will want to get in early for this mammoth event, which is expected to draw over 400 participants and cover a diverse range of issues spanning environmental, sustainable, health and fitness, industry, innovation, social and cultural topics. All presented by some of the most articulate minds within academia, conservation, activism, surfing, writing, and photography.

Paddle out ceremonies, association meetings, workshops, forums, fitness sessions, movie festivals, live music by Mason Rack Band and much more are all on the agenda for this epic five day event. The sixth biennial Global Wave Conference will be held from Monday 10 to Friday 14 February 2020 at Gold Coast Campus, Southern Cross University next to Gold Coast airport. It is being hosted by Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve. Watch this space for details on speakers and other events. Early bird discounts are available by registering at globalwaveconference2020.com.au Tickets are half price for Students and pensioners. Natalie O’Driscoll

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SEPTEMBER 13 - 15 WALLAPALOOZA, THE WALLABY HOTEL, RAILWAY STREET, MUDGEERABA FREE EVENT - this top quality, hard rocking festival now in its 11th year! facebook.com/wallapalooza. com.au SEPTEMBER ADVANCETOWN HOTEL, NERANG-MURWILLUMBAH ROAD, ADVANCETOWN FREE LIVE MUSIC 8 Sept - Transvaal Diamond Syndicate 15 Sept - Hell & Whiskey (10am) / Jason Kafoa (12.30pm) / Jessie Redwing Band (2.30pm) 22 Sept - Inversion 29 Sept - Colt Seavers Band facebook.com/pg/ advancetownhotel/events SPETEMBER 15 BIG BOYZ TOYZZZ CUSTOM CAR & BIKE SHOW, ADVANCETOWN HOTEL FREE ENTRY – presented by Variety The Children’s Charity & The Car Craft Group. All makes and models welcome. facebook.com/ advancetownhotelbigboyztoyzz

SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 3 UNISPORT NATIONALS DIV1 CYCLE RACE, HINZE DAM, ADVANCETOWN unisport.com.au/cycling-div1 OCTOBER 5 DOGTOBER 2019, HINTERLAND REGIONAL PARK, HARDYS ROAD, MUDGEERABA from 9am / gold coin donation Organised by Golden Retriever Meetup Gold Coast. If you have a Golden Retriever come along to be part of a play date with 100+ Golden Retrievers. goldcoast.qld.gov.au/ dogtober-2019-47973.html OCTOBER 11 MUSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN, CANYON PARADE LOOKOUT, SPRINGBROOK 7pm - booking required Strings under an October Full Moon with Adiamus String Quartet bookings: eventfinda.com.au

OCTOBER 12 SOMERSET GIFT, SOMERSET COLLEGE, SOMERSET DRIVE, MUDGEERABA Held in conjunction with the Queensland Athletics League. An opportunity to compete for large prize pool. somerset.qld.edu.au/somersetgift/ ACTIVE & HEALTHY PROGRAM ‘I CAN be Active & Healthy’ Whether you are looking to have fun or challenge yourself, Council offers this new program of free and low cost activities to keep you active and healthy. Yoga, Group Fitness, Kids Fitness, Tai Chi, Aqua, Deep Water Running, Staying Strong for Seniors and Parkrun are all on offer in Division 9. Check out the website for locations and times or pick up a guide at a library near you NATURALLY GC / LANDCARE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Austinville - Last Sunday of the month BonoginValley - First Saturday of the month Mudgeeraba - First Saturday of the month cityofgoldcoast.com.au/ bushcare

PALM BEACH SURF CLUB NABS ‘OCEAN FRIENDLY’ TITLE AHEAD OF SEAWEEK

he Palm Beach Surf Club Supporters Club has been certified as ‘Ocean Friendly’ by Surfrider Foundation, carving out a number of initiatives to support the Club, the wider community and the environment.

The Club has become the first Surf Club in Australia to be officially accredited as ‘Ocean Friendly’ in recognition of their efforts to have no Styrofoam, no plastic straws, reusable tableware, no drinks sold in single use plastic and introducing new innovative recycling methods. It’s part of a wave of new initiatives that have been introduced by incoming Executive Manager, Daragh Murphy and Operations Manager Lisa Lynch, in cooperation with the Committees. Daragh Murphy describes the club’s path to certification. “As part of our refreshed commitment to protecting our environment, we have made changes across the Club to ensure we have partnered with not for profit groups such as Ocean Connect, Gold Coast Catchment Association, PBC State High School Sustainability team and most recently, the Surfrider Foundation – following their guidelines to become an ‘Ocean Friendly’ venue.” To celebrate its ‘Ocean Friendly’ status, Palm Beach Surf Club and Surfrider Foundation will be joined by Balter Brewing – another local Ocean Friendly Certified business – to launch an event during SeaWeek this September. SeaWeek is Australia's major national public awareness campaign to focus community awareness, provide information and encourage an appreciation of the sea, held from 2 – 8 September, 2019. The free community event will be held at the Club on Saturday 7 September from 2pm. The event will include giveaways, raffles, food and drink specials, live music, beach activities with Rocket Ace Eco Surfboards and Smart Fin plus education sessions by Surfrider Foundation about the sea-roots organisation dedicated to the protection of Australia’s waves and beaches. It will also include a presentation of Palm Beach Surf Club’s accreditation certification as the first Surf Club in Australia to be certified as an ‘Ocean Friendly’ venue. To find out more, visit palmbeachsurfclub.com.au 20

www.blankgc.com.au

‘LIMITLESS’ POSSIBILITIES FOR GOLD COAST SCULPTOR IAN HAGGERTY

WOMEN, MEN AND THE WHOLE DAMN THING

an Haggerty is the artist behind the wellpublicised installation at Bond University marking the institution’s 30th anniversary. It’s a 6.5m sculpture in stainless steel that features the names of every Bond graduate since inception.

Ian says the ‘Limitless’ installation is the highlight of his career. “I am very honoured to have been chosen from a number of other very worthy sculptors,” he said. “The idea for me was to physically represent / demonstrate the limitless possibilities created by education and the Bond community, by showing that there is no age, gender, race or religious barrier to the educated human mind.” Ian says that’s why the sculpture has a world globe at its centre with four wings representing the four pillars of learning. It also has all the past students’ names engraved on the wings… over 26,000 of them. “Each past student sharing in the Bond community, but also reflecting their name and achievements on to the world and sharing in the responsibility that they have to the world and each other,” Ian said. Not surprisingly, the response from students and the public has been “overwhelming” with people telling Ian the sculpture looks stunning during the day but really comes to life at night, with underwater lights and reflections dancing all around the university’s arch. Where to see Ian’s sculptures on the Gold Coast: Don McSween Park, Miami Beach. ‘Sealion and Pup (Sealed with a Kiss)’ Pimpama State Secondary College. ‘Endless Shadows’ marathon runners for new gym building plus Department of Veteran Affairs Commission ANZAC sculptures. Oxenford State School. Depart of Veteran Affairs Commission for three ANZAC commemorative sculptures. Bond University | 30th anniversary sculpture ‘Limitless’. Elsie Laver Park, Mudgeeraba | ’100’ ANZAC 100th year anniversary sculpture for Mudgeeraba and Robina RSL. Samantha Morris

This piece was originally published in Art NewsFlash July 2019. To read the full interview, visit blankgc.com.au.

DAVID LESER

n February 2018, the Good Weekend cover story by author and journalist David Leser, 'Women, men and the whole damn thing', received an extraordinary response. David gathered hundreds of personal messages from readers around the world - both women and men - urging him to expand his story. This is that book: an impassioned, unflinching account of the firestorm of #MeToo, how we got there and where we must now go.

In this incisive investigation, Leser unearths the roots of misogyny, its inextricable links to the patriarchy, and how history brought us to the #MeToo movement and the wave of incandescent female rage that is sweeping the world. It’s an insightful text, ambitious not only in its breadth and depth, but also in what I perceive to be the central conflict at the heart of its existence: Can a man really write compassionately about the manifold injustices faced by women? Apparently yes, they can. Women, Men and the Whole Damn Thing is a thorough journalistic investigation into the roots of patriarchy and its misogynistic consequences, but where it shines is in its ability to demonstrate that men really are capable of identifying and unpacking their own privilege. It also exhibits a genuine depth of understanding of the feelings and positions of women today, from someone who, for all intents and purposes, has been watching everything unfold from over the other side of the fence. Frankly, it’s a relief. The book takes a close look at the culture that men around the world are growing up in, this tendency towards toxic masculinity; the idea of men as superior, the burying of anything tender, empathetic and compassionate in men under a blanket of macho hardness and contempt, and how it negatively impacts the world – and especially women. It also suggests ways in which we can create a more empathetic, less violent society for everyone. It’s a must read for everyone in this day and age, but I would suggest particularly so for men and especially young men. It’s out now with Allen & Unwin, through all the usual channels. Natalie O’Driscoll

AUGUST THURSDAY 29 AUGUST Kristie Roberts | House of Brews

Brooke Supple (4.00pm) | Currumbin RSL

The Bostocks & Daisy Dukes (2.00pm) | Fishermans Wharf Tavern

Adam Harpaz Band + Jack Botts | Miami Marketta

Free The Genie | The Cambus Wallace

Augusta + The Lonesomes + Die For Mushies + Shivvs | Coolangatta Hotel (Ticketed)

The How Dare You’s | The Scottish Prince

Ordio Chief (2.00pm) | Sheoak Shack

Benny D Williams (1.00pm) | Brothers, Kingscliff

Coast to Country | Southport Sharks

Devils Kiosk + Ash Riske | Miami Marketta

Lecia Louise | Hope And Anchor, Brisbane

FRIDAY 30 AUGUST

Marea Lambert-Barker | Aviary Rooftop Bar

MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER

Deck Acoustics: Mark Divola (5.00pm) | Currumbin RSL

Lloyd Saniel (Covers) | Southport Sharks

Miss T & The Anchormen (Covers) | Southport Sharks

TUESDAY 3 – FRIDAY 6 SEPTEMBER

SATURDAY 7 SEPTEMBER

Super Nudist + From The Well + Commonside + Dawn of Dusk | The Rompa Room, Nerang

James D’Khan Trio | Last Night on Earth

Shredfest | Vinnies Dive (Ticketed)

Les Divas | HOTA (Ticketed)

Shimmydisco | The Cambus Wallace

DVNA | Burleigh Brewing Co.

Brazillian Trio + Budjerah | Miami Marketta

Ella Fence | Basement, HOTA The Waves | Southport Sharks

Blood of the Lannisters | Vinnies Dive

Fergo & The Burden | Eddies Grub House

Little J | Aviary Rooftop Bar

The Hillbilly Goats | Seagulls Club

Ben Amor | Burleigh Brewing Co.

Rockin 4 the Homeless: You Am I + The Superjesus + Diana Anaid + Team Utopia + Colt Seavers Band + Tokyo Beef | Redcliffe, Brisbane (Ticketed)

Jon Stevens | Studio 56, Miami Marketta (Ticketed) Jason Delphin | Balter Taproom Rockin 4 the Homeless: You Am I + The Superjesus + Diana Anaid + Team Utopia + Colt Seavers Band + Tokyo Beef | RSL Club Southport (Ticketed) Chloe Behrens | Cabana Bar & Lounge Peter Asher & Albert Lee | Soundlounge (Ticketed) AlphaStomp | Canungra Hotel Deck Acoustics: Rob Edwards (5.00pm) | Currumbin RSL Brown Suga (Covers) | Southport Sharks

The Pinheads | The Northern, Byron Bay Jon Stevens | Kingscliff Beach Hotel, Kingscliff (Ticketed) The Lyrical Duo | Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads

SEPTEMBER

BIGSOUND Festival | Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

TUESDAY 3 SEPTEMBER Roots & Reggae w/ Selecta Vzion | The Cambus Wallace Live & Original: Amber Mic Productions | The Scottish Prince

WEDNESDAY 4 SEPTEMBER The Soul Men | Lakeside Room, HOTA (Ticketed) Katie Who | The Cambus Wallace The Yams | The Scottish Prince

THURSDAY 5 – SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER Blanc de Blanc Encore | The Courier Mail Spiegeltent, Brisbane

THURSDAY 5 SEPTEMBER

SUNDAY 1 SEPTEMBER

BIGSOUND Gold Coast Showcase (12.30pm-2.00pm): DVNA + Ivey + Donny Love | BIGSOUND Social Hub @ X Cargo

Casey Barnes + The Bostocks | Nobby’s Beach Surf Club

Tyson Colman Band | Southport Sharks

Joshy Dredz | The Cambus Wallace

Free the Genie | The Cambus Wallace

The Pinheads | The Foundry, Brisbane

Tyler Vivian | The Scottish Prince

Ella Fence | Heya Bar, Brisbane

Tomi Gray | Cafe Catalina

Jordan McRobbie | Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads

Tyler Vivian | The Scottish Prince

SATURDAY 31 AUGUST

Spring Sounds: Hayley Grace | Aviary Rooftop Bar

Brad Palmer | The Bearded Dragon, Mt Tamborine

Easy Browns | Vinnies Dive (Ticketed)

Sunday Sessions: Matty Rogers (12noon) | Seagulls Club

Hollea Boggian | Ground N Sound

Deck Acoustics: Sarah Grant (1.00pm) + Jordan Pineda (4.00pm) | Currumbin RSL

DJ Antimatter | The Cambus Wallace The Point O Five + Kobrakai + The Goldhearts + Vallies | The Romper Room, Nerang Steve Logan | Ground N Sound

Benny D Williams (3.00pm) | The Avenue

MONDAY 9 SEPTEMBER Lloyd Saniel | Southport Sharks

TUESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER

Super Massive | Last Night on Earth

Live & Original: Amber Mic Productions | The Scottish Prince

The Steele Syndicate + Wildflower Music | Miami Marketta

WEDNESDAY 11 SEPTEMBER

Bondi Cigars | Seagulls Club

James Street Preachers | The Cambus Wallace

We All Drive + Coastal Lights + Hurricanes & Echos + Verum | Coolangatta Hotel (Ticketed) Crafted Beer & Cider Festival: The Delta Riggs + Concrete Surfers + WHARVES | Kurrawa Park, Broadbeach (Ticketed)

Mel Scarlett | The Cambus Wallace

The Yams | The Scottish Prince

THURSDAY 12 SEPTEMBER Free the Genie | The Cambus Wallace

Olive & Vine | Ground N Sound

Matthew Armitage | The Scottish Prince

Deck Acoustics: Russ Walker (4.00pm) | Currumbin RSL

Benny D Williams | Caracara, Tugun

Beth Hamilton (2.30pm) | The Bearded Dragon, Mt Tamborine

CJ Ramone | Coolangatta Hotel (Ticketed)

Rockks (Covers) | Southport Sharks

Kristie Roberts | House of Brews

Saturday Sessions: Espressivo Duo (3.00pm) + Phil & Tilley (4.15pm) | Rowan Robinson Park, Kingscliff

Sally Sa | The Scottish Prince

FRIDAY 6 SEPTEMBER

SUNDAY 8 SEPTEMBER

Fridays on the Lawn: Pat Tierney (4.30pm) | HOTA

Pig Day Out: Tuka + Cakes + Chiggz & Kyle Shilling + Eliza & The Delusionals + Gratis Minds + Great Gable + Karl S Williams + L33Ze + Oxfords Collar + The Vanns | BBQ Bazaar (Ticketed)

Z-Star Trinity | The Scottish Prince (Ticketed)

Jax Haze | The Scottish Prince

Amber Rose (2.00pm) + Sofiella & the Handsome Husbands (7.00pm) | Sheoak Shack

Private Function + Boing Boing + Dicklord | The Northern, Byron Bay

Jerome Williams | Eddie’s Grub House

Jackson Smith | Cafe Catalina

Sunday Sessions: Nicky Convine (12noon) | Seagulls Club

Memphis Cowboys | Southport Sharks

Mish Songsmith | Ground N Sound

James d’Khan | Cafe Catalina

Deck Acoustics: Sarah Archer (5.00pm) | Currumbin RSL

The Superlove + IansKing + Lazy Ghost | Snookerworld (Ticketed)

Round Mountain Girls | Southport Sharks

Deck Acoustics: Jason McGregor (1.00pm) + Strings Attached (4.00pm) | Currumbin RSL

Lazy Ghost + Squidlickers & The Bonnie Doons | The Northern, Byron Bay AlphaStomp | Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads

SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER Benny D Williams | BBQ Bazaar Wallapalooza: The Wrath + Awake In Time + Humality + Captives + A Breach Of Silence + Ebonivory + Being Jane Lane and MORE | Wallaby Hotel Sunny Coast Rude Boys + Humblet | Miami Marketta Sky Eater | Eddie’s Grub House Yhan Leal | Harrigan’s Symphonic Adiemus | HOTA (Ticketed) Jesse Morris (2.00pm) + Skyeater (7.00pm) | Sheoak Shack James D’Khan Trio | Last Night on Earth

Spring Sounds: Paulie | Aviary Rooftop Bar Hell & Whiskey (10.00am) + Jason Kafoa (12.30pm) + Jesse Redwing Band (2.30pm) | Advancetown Hotel Mama Kin Spender | Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads

MONDAY 16 SEPTEMBER Lloyd Saniel (Covers) | Southport Sharks

Beer InCider: Thundamentals + Briggs + Jesswar | Brisbane Showgrounds (Ticketed)

SUNDAY 22 SEPTEMBER

THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER

Benny D Williams | The Avenue

Kristie Roberts | House of Brews

SAFIA + Boo Seeka | The Beach Hotel, Byron Bay (Ticketed)

James Morrison + Hein Cooper | HOTA (Ticketed)

Mescalito Blues | Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads

Angelo Pash | The Cambus Wallace

The Gastons + Gutterfire + MOF and The Screaming Platypuses | Vinnies Dive

SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER

Stephen Lovelight | The Scottish Prince

Benny D Williams | Jacobs Well Tavern

Deck Acoustics: Rob Edwards (4.00pm) | Currumbin RSL

Tim Stokes | Cafe Catalina

Atticus Chimps + Just Mondays + James Bondage + Thefatbastards | The Rompa Room, Nerang

Spring Sounds: Naomi Connell | Aviary Rooftop Bar

Benny D Williams (4.00pm) | Balter Brewery Co. Fridays on the Lawn: ELSKA (4.30pm) | HOTA

Live & Original: Amber Mic Productions | The Scottish Prince

Dr Colossus | Vinnies Dive (Ticketed)

Deck Acoustics: RAKU (1.00pm) + Jackson James Smith (4.00pm) | Currumbin RSL

WEDNESDAY 18 SEPTEMBER

High Life + Sali Bracewell | Miami Marketta

Sliding Doors (12.30pm) | The Bearded Dragon, Mt Tamborine

James Street Preachers | The Cambus Wallace

Jason Delphin (2.00pm) + Elena B Williams & String (7.00pm) | Sheoak Shack

Eagles No. 1 Show (2.00pm) (Covers) | Fishermans Wharf Tavern

Kasey Chambers + Charlie Collins | RSL Club Southport (Ticketed)

Inversion | Advancetown Hotel

Tyson Colman Band | Southport Sharks Free the Genie | The Cambus Wallace

Disco Disciples (Covers) | Southport Sharks

Nathan Ortado | Ground N Sound

James Street Preachers | The Scottish Prince

Kenny Slide + Greer Sullivan Duo | Tadici Cucina e Ba, Coomera

Deck Acoustics: Phil & Tiley (4.00pm) | Currumbin RSL

FRIDAY 20 SEPTEMBER

David Rastrick (2.30pm) | The Bearded Dragon, Mt Tamborine

Bligh + Foxymoron + Filthy Minds + Dodge | The Rompa Room, Nerang

The Ultimate 80’s Fluro Party: Brian Mannix + Dale Ryder + Scott Carne + Ally Folwer | Twin Towns Services Club (Ticketed)

The Soul Men (Covers) | Southport Sharks

Fridays on the Lawn: Loki Liddle (4.30pm) | HOTA

SUNDAY 15 SEPTEMBER

Tim Vince and the Night Caps + Liam Johnston | Miami Marketta

Billy Joel Tribute | RSL Club Southport (Ticketed)

Palmy Fest | Rotary Park, Palm Beach

TUESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER

THURSDAY 19 SEPTEMBER

Little Fritter | The Cambus Wallace Rhythm X | Eddie’s Grub House Deck Acoustics: Chris Palmer (5.00pm) | Currumbin RSL Creedence (Tribute) | Southport Shark

James Street Preachers | The Scottish Prince

Sunday Sessions: Scott Dayvee (12noon) | Seagulls Club

LA DISPUTE | Coolangatta Hotel (Ticketed)

They Yams | The Scottish Prince

Free the Genie | The Cambus Wallace

Beyond Thunderdome: Astrodeath + The Balls + The Black Armada + Boing Boing + Cactus + Doolie + Hammers + Hobo Magic + More | Mo’s Desert Clubhouse (Ticketed)

Free The Genie | Last Night on Earth

You Got It – Roy Orbison Tribute | The STAR (Ticketed)

Raw Deep | Tallebudgera Surf Club

Memphis Cowboys | Southport Sharks

Caravana Sun | Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads

MONDAY 23 SEPTEMBER Lloyd Saniel (Covers) | Southport Sharks

TUESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER Jammin with Who: Katie Who + Guests | The Avenue

Saint Barae | The Milk Factory, Brisbane (Ticketed)

Jade Soul | The Cambus Wallace

Beer InCider: Hockey Dad + Ruby Fields + Dear Seattle + Charlie Collins + Bris182 + VOIID | Brisbane Showgrounds (Ticketed)

Live & Original: Amber Mic Productions | The Scottish Prince

Emma Louise + Emerson Snowe + Greta Stanley | Byron Bay Brewery, Byron Bay (Ticketed) Beddy Rays + Walken + Perve Endings & The Strippers | The Northern, Byron Bay

WEDNESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER James Street Preachers | The Cambus Wallace Matthew Armitage| The Scottish Prince

FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER

TOKYO BEEF Stitched Up Old school rockers Tokyo Beef are one of the gnarliest propositions on the local live music scene, recalling the glory days of suburban and inner city beer barn rock, performed by such esteemed Oz luminaries as The Celibate Rifles, Radio Birdman and The Lime Spiders. Tokyo Beef mainstay Graeme Treanor (lead vocals and guitar) has been kicking out the jams under the band's Beefy moniker for over 12 years now, and together with amped-up cohorts Johnny, Rusty and Punk, their pedigree and classic lineage (forged on the blazing twin guitar attack of classic 70's Detroit garage rock), is on full display on their newest release, 'Stitched Up', which was recorded and mixed by the talented and versatile Scotty French at Love Street Studios and mastered by another local legend in the form of Paul Blakey. 'Stitched Up' sees the band bust out a rambunctious ruckus across its seven amped-up numbers. As well as hitting hard the band play things melodic and tight, bursting straight out of the blocks with blazing rocker 'The Way We Like It', setting the bar high from the get-go. 'Kamikaze Man' is one of the albums highlights, powering along off the back of an anthemic, hard rocking riff while delivering the memorable tale of a hard living, hard rocking 'rock and roll Godzilla'. In addition to the aforementioned Oz garage/ punk influences, the heady air of Nordic heavy rocks (hello The Hellacopters and Turbonegro) also infiltrate these grooves, as evidenced in the tough as teak title track and the in-your-face fist pumper, 'Midnight Train', which unwinds impressively across its five minute duration. 'Black Dog River' recalls latter period Celibate Rifles (rip Damo), with front man Treanor's upfront, gutsy vocals a pronounced and pleasing feature pervading across the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entirety. And final number, 'Bad Seed' delivers a curtain call of sorts, the band ebbing and flowing with the lay it down proclamations of Treanor as he spotlights each band member, approximating an onstage rock and roll farewell as they burn and blaze out of the building. With their latest release Tokyo Beef have delivered a solid state dose of seminal rawk - getting Stitched Up never sounded so good! Anthony Gebhardt

GOLD COASTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BIGGEST PARTY JUST GOT BIGGER, WITH TWO HUGE NIGHTS ACROSS TWO NEW STAGES! FRIDAY CLUB 600 STAGE

SATURDAY CLUB 600 STAGE

PRESENTED BY

SATURDAY HILL STAGE

MO'S IS BACK

urviving the creative apocalypse was a two year battle, but finally Burleigh venue Mo's Desert Clubhouse was approved for operation and has now created a new 'Creative Industry' zone that will pave the way for other creative industry business on the Gold Coast.

Building has commenced and the relaunch date is set. Saturday 21 September will see 13 bands + DJs activate Mo's Desert Clubhouse and car park. Mo's is currently undergoing renovations that will see an overhaul of the bathrooms, the warehouse space (250 cap) and most excitingly The Snake Pit, a fully licensed bar within the Clubhouse.

Beyond Thunderdome is a Mad Maxinspired themed event that will see an assortment of local and touring talent take to two stages over 9 hours of power. The full and epic lineup is Stingin Rogers, Loose Leaf, The Balls (VIC) Thee End Less, Cactus, Astrodeath (SYD), Hammers, The Black Armada, Rinser, Doolie, Tree, Boing Boing, Hobo Magic + 8 Mile Yacht Club DJs. In true Mo's style there will be extra activities for attendees, food available, themed events and it has been promised to be a ripper afternoon, celebrating two years of survival. Mo's Desert Clubhouse Director, Kimberly Ferguson say "The Mo's Family is huge, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a community of creatively inspired individuals, the diverse community that has kept Mo's alive over the past two years during the DA period. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Beyond Thunderdome is truly a celebration of creative enterprise finally being allowed to exist on the Gold Coast, a grass roots force that backed themselves and backed Mo's. If you dig art, music, creative enterprise and want to see it thrive locally, then Mo's is your jam." Beyond Thunderdome will kick off at 3pm til midnight on Saturday 21 September at Mo's Desert Clubhouse. Tickets are limited and are available via Mo's website mosdesertclubhouse.com. Mo's renovations will see a fully licensed bar, coffee service, rehearsal studio, all access bathrooms and car parks, improved stage and production, hot desks and co-working spaces. For further information on the space please contact info@ mosdesertclubhouse.com

www.blankgc.com.au

NEW TEEN PROJECT CELEBRATES COMMUNITY

WHAT IF HITLER HAD A DAUGHTER?

M 100 teens paint 100 portraits of South East Queensland’s oldest residents, in new exhibition 100: A centenarian project by teenagers.

hey say a picture paints a thousand words but there is a lot more to the story behind this moving exhibition. 100: A centenarian project by teenagers is a community arts project which celebrates the elders of our community, promotes inter-generational friendships and collaborations, and fights loneliness and ageism through art and storytelling.

After being drafted into the war Bob refused to pick up arms. Bob was a conscientious objector and whilst he was happy to serve in the army, this created issues with where he could work. He was made a head cook at a hospital in Australia, which is where he spent the rest of his working life alongside the love of his life, his wife Muriel.

The project selects 100 artists aged 14-19 years and matches them with 100 centenarians (people aged 100 years or over) in their area. After an initial introduction, the artists visit their partnered centenarians often over a period of time during which conversations are had, sketches are created, photos are shot, and stories are shared. The artist then turns these moments into a portrait accompanied by a written piece sharing stories of their subjects and their approach to life at 100 and beyond. The finale is an exhibition of 100 portraits celebrating the centenarians of our community, after which each centenarian is gifted their portrait. This month’s exhibition will mark the first time the initiative has been launched in Queensland, coinciding perfectly with the start of Queensland Seniors Week.

This project succeeds in not only providing a space where these stories can be heard, but in also instigating connections between people whom may never have had the opportunity to meet, to become friends, regardless of age.

Rose Connors Dance from not-for-profit arts organisation Embraced Inc. is the driving force behind the project. “The initiative has been successful in Melbourne and Sydney, and it’s exciting to uncover the artistry and stories from South East Queensland,” she says. One of the centenarians who participated in the project was a man named Bob, partnered with Gold Coast artist Katura Halleday (14). Katura would go over to Bob’s house and have a glass of milk with a cookie and listen to how his life had changed over time. He was born in Adelaide and proudly says he grew up without electricity. He comes from a big family and recalls the memory of he and his brother’s unicycling adventures.

“These are the stories we often forget to ask the older generation, those who helped shape Australia into the place it is today,“ says Rose.

Katura has certainly learned valuable lesson from her time on the project. “Bob has taught me to look at the bigger picture in life, to ‘roll with the punches’ a bit more, and to make sure that I am happy with the life that I live, and to always stay true to my values. “I enjoyed connecting with another generation, one that I miss since my grandparents passed away,” she continues. “It was lovely to sit and chat. Time seems to be so plentiful when I was in Bob’s presence, like he had a calming effect on the universe around him… He makes my life richer.” Nicole Browne

100: A Celebration of Queensland’s Oldest Residents will be open to the public from 17 August to 1 September at Seven Hills Hub, 28 Tallowwood Street, Seven Hills. The exhibition is free and wheelchair accessible. It is sponsored by key partners sponsored by key partners Estia Health, the Queensland Government and supported by the Australian Human Rights Commission.

onkey Baa Theatre Company will return to HOTA this September with a unique stage adaption of ‘Hitler’s Daughter’, the iconic book written by award-winning Australian author, Jackie French.

Set in the Australian countryside, Hitler’s Daughter sees Anna telling her friends a story at the bus shelter about Hitler who, caught in the turmoil of war, hid his daughter away. Anna’s friend Mark becomes so engrossed in Anna’s story, he begins to wonder how it would feel to be the child of someone as evil as Hitler. As the play evolves, Mark’s search for truth in a world of half-truths becomes clearer and the story culminates in the bombing of Berlin, the fall of the Third Reich and the end of Heidi’s innocence. HOTA CEO, Criena Gehrke, said this play poses powerful questions and examines moral issues in relation to society’s fears and prejudices in a fresh, compelling light. “Kids will be introduced to some pretty big moral and social issues in this extraordinary play about searching for truth in a world of half-truths,” said Criena. “This is a fantastic piece of theatre from award-winning Monkey Baa Theatre Company that entertains but also provokes discussion and critical thinking.” Adapted for the stage by Monkey Baa’s Eva Di Cesare, Sandra Eldridge and Tim McGarry, Hitler’s Daughter has toured Australia and the United States, receiving many prestigious awards including a Robert Helpmann Award, the APACA Drover Award and a Drover Special Panel Award. HOTA is the second stop on Monkey Baa’s Queensland tour where special guest, Jackie French, will take part in a Q&A session following the performance on Friday 13th September. Having written over 140 books and winning more than 60 national and international awards, Jackie French’s Hitler’s Daughter is one of her most critically acclaimed books, winning the UK Wow! Award, a semi Grand Prix Japan Award and being listed as a blue-ribbon book in the USA. Hitler’s Daughter will take place at Home of the Arts on Thursday 12 September at 7.30pm and Friday 13 September at 11am. For more information, visit hota.com.au.

www.blankgc.com.au

FROM LAB SIMULATIONS

TO PATIENT EXAMINATIONS ATTEND A NURSING WEBINAR Monday 16 September 7pm Friday 20 September 10am REGISTER

tafeqld.edu.au/online-nursing

PAUL ENROLLED NURSE

DIPLOMA OF NURSING | HLT54115

1300 308 233 tafeqld.edu.au RTO NO. 0275 | CRICOS NO. 03020E | TEQSA PRV13003

BELVEDERE STONEMILL

RABBATH

1a/1638 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads Ph: 07 5576 3764

2 The Esplanade, Burleigh Heads Ph: 07 5535 4141

he shores of Burleigh Heads are awash with masterchefs, our latest additions being husband and wife team Chef Fabio Rocco Ricciardo and his wife Federica Scalambra, a former pharmicist. Former chef to Ferrari’s Formula 1 team for three years, Fabio left the circuit to move to our shores, opening Belvedere Stonemill on the ground level of the Swell building.

Hailing from Modena and Ferrara in Italy, the couple have opened a trattoria with a difference, as epitomised by its name. Belvedere Stonemill is all about tradition: the tradition of doing things from scratch and doing them well. ‘Belvedere’ is the historical home of Fabio’s family where his grandfather has ground his own wheat since 1959. Even today, his family still operate a restaurant in Modena, begun when Fabio was a baby. The ‘Stonemill’ refers not only to Fabio’s grandfather, but also to the stone mill, on order from Italy, with which the couple will grind organic flour to be used for all their breads, pizzas and pasta in the restaurant. Focussed on inspiring healthier living through healthy choices, the couple talk flour like a sommelier talks wine. They emphasise how much better Central Queensland’s ancient organic grain KAMUT® khorasan is than processed product. Unchanged through modern plant breeding programs, when stoneground to flour khorasan remains unbleached by chemical processes, contains higher fibre and nutrients, higher protein and lower carbohydrate and gluten which is more digestible than other flours, the grain remaining cold during the grind so it doesn’t burn. Drawing on the methods, traditions and recipes of generations, the couple make everything in house. While pizza and pasta are commonplace to us, some of the dishes on this menu are rarely seen on the Gold

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Coast, such as gnocconi, passatelli and focaccia barese cooked in an oven dish. There’s nothing more rustic than food handmade from scratch, and no more important lesson to be learned in a world where sustainability is an imperative. Making food is a sign of love and endurance, as well as a spectacle. Although the volcanic rock stone mill is still on its way from Italy, when you enter the restaurant, you’ll see Federico painstakingly handmaking pasta on a table. It’s that same pasta we eat in our meal: Gnocchi made to a secret recipe with a sauce of truffled porcini mushrooms and parmigiano, flamed in a baby wheel of pecorino; Giant gnocchi (Gnocconi ripieni) filled with fresh goats’ cheese and chive served with slow-cooked house-made chunky veal ragu; Passatelli alle melanzane (a traditional quick but very tasty pasta made using a potato ricer, for children to eat on Sundays) served with eggplant, anchovies, olives and capers in a napolitana sauce; Calamari ripieni – whole squid stuffed with Italian chorizo, mussels and olives – and dessert of Cannoli with fresh ricotta custard and White chocolate Crème brûlée for a perfect finish! We’ll be back to try more of the main course dishes as well as the pizza, which is available gluten-free with vegan cheese. With Italian prosecco and Veneto merlo on tap, Peroni or Menabrea beer and $15 Aperol spritz, there’s plenty of fuel to keep a party going. Of course, you can take away, but for us there’s too much going on in the restaurant to leave. We’re as wrapped up in the action as we would be in Nonna’s kitchen! Specials: Tues pasta night $20, Wed pizza night $20, Tapas + beer/wine/cocktails from $13.95 Marj Osborne

Read more of Marj’s reviews on foodgoldcoast.com.au

ou know when you’ve reached a place of the heart. There’s an intimacy that reminds you of velvet – soft to the touch, the coolness of loss felt as we move away. It’s this mixture of emotions I feel looking back on a night’s dining experience at Rabbath.

Owned by Patrick and Pascal Rabbath, and named in honour of their family, this tiny eatery brings us a taste of Lebanon. Through the family’s hospitality, cuisine and conversation, with each dish artfully explained as we progress from course to course, we are guided along a bespoke food journey. The brothers, engineers by profession, present their restaurant as a tribute to their parents. They are renowned for the authenticity of their food and the attention to detail of their food preparation, bringing Lebanese food to a new audience. Seating only 22 people, we’re fortunate to be seated at the chef ’s bar looking into the kitchen, able to converse and question, the conversation veering through food experiences to the cultural significance of dishes. Patrick is joined in the kitchen by his nephew Adriaan and Chef Joe Davis. It’s a quiet, orderly kitchen where precision is key. “I wanted … to explore something akin to the intimate experience of being in someone’s home having dinner,” Patrick tells us, “a place where you can taste the love.” That’s exactly what we feel as we dine. With an ‘a la carte’ menu, you can choose your favourite dishes to share, vegetarians and vegans easily catered for. However, ‘Dinner by Rabbath’ ($79 for four courses) is a great choice, presenting a chef ’s selection from the menu in four stages, a mix of share plates and individual dishes. Our starter is a dish of warm olives and smoked almonds served with the aniseedflavoured Arak sagi and Sharab el-toot, a non-alcoholic mulberry syrup drink. Next,

Mezyah is an array of several dips such as labneh (freshly made yoghurt cheese), Ban’jan (a smoked tomato and eggplant ragu), za’atar, EVO and black olive powder, together with a house-baked unleavened Lebanese mountain bread, Khoubiz, for dipping. For Main course, we’re provided with a feast of dishes: Costalleta, delicious lamb cutlets coated in seven spice presented with pommes frites; a 220g grass-fed yearling eye fillet or Biftek delivered from the grill to stand before being plated up in a rich clarified butter sauce; Tabouleh and Fatoush salads; and my favourite, M’loukhieh, ‘The king’s dish’, crispy skin grilled chicken in a coriander and m’loukhieh leaf rich chicken broth on a bed of rice. For dessert, Baklawa, the restaurant’s signature nut pastry dessert infused with orange blossom (served from Patrick’s mother’s tray) is the best we’ve tasted. We finish the journey satiated with food, wine, conversation and an evening experiencing the theatre of food. We leave the table filled with thanks for an evening enriched with culture, the power of family hospitality in its most generic yet intimate sense. Francis Loughran, from Future Food recently said: “…successful food and beverage businesses have never been just about the food. Good food, even great food, is just the starting point and by itself is not enough to make a sustainable venue: hospitality, in the true sense of the word, is the ‘special sauce’.” If that is so, there’s a lot of ‘special sauce’ in Rabbath. Marj Osborne

Read more of Marj’s reviews on foodgoldcoast.com.au

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With a voice both soulful and soothing, she masterfully channels the glossy pop smarts of established mega stars such as Demi Lovato and Ariane Grande, which she infuses with enough of her own style and outlook to establish her own unique presence within the pop music landscape.

GETTING IN TOUCH WITH SELVE

sychedelic art rock is the probably best way to describe Gold CoastBrisbane duo Selve. Their new single ‘Snake of Light’ follows a young descendent of the stolen generation travelling around the country in a beat up red Corolla re-learning the old stories, coming into contact with the Dreamtime and developing a connection to the living spirit of the land - a snake made of light. Selve really transcend genres, incorporating Indigenous culture into current neo-psychedelic styles. Singer and co-collaborator Loki Liddle got a little deep with us recently.

When you write your songs, which I believed are derived from your stories, does the music find the story, or does the story inspire the music? For the ‘Snake of Light’ EP it is definitely the story that inspired the music. ‘Snake of Light’ is a theme that has been weaving its way through my life for the last few years. The content of the EP is directly inspired by a prose novel by the same title that I wrote in 2018 and am still adding episodes to presently. It is also the title of the spoken word poetry production I am taking down to Melbourne Fringe. One might say that I am somewhat obsessed…or possessed perhaps? Who knows? But it is through the overarching idea of ‘Snake of Light’ that I have been able to explore my own definition of what it is to be an Indigenous person today while also creating and discovering my own dreaming. 30

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Her sassy single, 'Know Me', is currently garnering attention and airplay on triple jand community radio stations around the country. India is currently holed up back in Los Angeles for more writing and recording and recently took time out from her busy overseas schedule to answer a few questions.

The songs may have already had a skeleton but it is Harry who brought them to life and provided them an extra juicy dimension. Harry was directly responsible for writing the drum, bass, lead guitar, synth, keyboard and electronic parts for the songs. He also produced the whole EP. Where do you see your music expanding and in the future, will you be incorporating some of your dreamings into the songs? Over time I’d like to incorporate more dreamings into my songs. But personally I’m still in my journey of rediscovery and reconnection to Indigenous culture. And I will never over step or over represent my understanding of Indigenous culture and law. I suppose as I discover more myself, I will naturally weave it into my art practise more and it’s something I’m very much looking forward to. But I wouldn’t have a clue what that might look like now. What I do know is we are going to keep pushing ourselves musically. We had a lot of fun with ‘Lucid Leaves’ as an experimental psych-rock EDM track. And both feel like there’s a lot of room to play with that style and a lot of room in the current music scene for it. Selve is still always going to be very narrative driven, so I suppose the direction will depend on which character decides it wants to grab my life by the back of its head next. Terry “Tappa” Teece

‘Snake Of Light’ is available on all the usual channels. To read the full interview, pop over to blankgc.com.au.

Congratulations on your debut single, 'Know Me'. Can you tell us a bit about the genesis of the song and where it was recorded?

MEET INDIA DUPRIEZ

merging pop starlet India Dupriez is a talented young lass from Burleigh Heads, who, on the strength of her first up single, 'Know Me', is sure to be making waves both close to home and further afield very shortly. In a few short years she's progressed from open mic nights, busking on the streets and honing her craft wherever she was able (from live venues through to parties and weddings), to working in Los Angeles with noted industry figures and shooting a video clip for her debut single. She also spent time at the famous Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, where music legends such as Neil Young, REM, Willie Nelson and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers have all recorded.

Know me was the first song I wrote in LA with a duo group called The Wavys. It touches on our societies lack of communication, regarding relationships with technology getting in the way. We as a society are losing communication and connection. What's it been like writing and recording in LA - pretty mind blowing I'd imagine!? Working with my team in LA is amazing! I work mostly in Hollywood and Marina Del Rey. Getting to sit down and be a student, watching how different people work, is incredible and I am very thankful. Do you enjoy performing live and do you perform solo or with a band? I love performing live and interacting with an audience, I think it's important to give a show, it is the entertainment industry after all! Even though I self accompany, I am a solo singer who enjoys performing with bands and having my hands free to feel the music. What does 2020 have in store for you? You will have to wait and see! I have a lot of songs in the vault that I can't wait to share with the world. Anthony Gebhardt

‘Know Me’ is available through all the usual channels. Check outindiadupriez.com for

The MOLOTOV

DETONATION BOULEVARD

ard hitting Gold Coast five piece The MOLOTOV are a mixed gender (two female, three male) heavy-hybrid juggernaut, detonating a powerful amalgamation of prog and industrial tinged metal, politically charged rap and punk fuelled angst to deliver their own, swirlingly unique sonic stew.

Their latest single, 'BREAK', is a memorable, up-tempo rock number resplendent with impassioned vocals, gut churning power chords, subtle lashings of synth and a fist pumping guitar riff, that masterfully encapsulates the multi-faceted explosive force that is The MOLOTOV. The track serves as a precursor to the band's upcoming new album, 'RESISTENTIA', scheduled for release in October, which lays out their eclectically heavy manifesto across its twelve dynamic sonic bullets. In the lead up to the album’s release, as well as their upcoming performance at the 11th annual Wallapalooza Festival, on 14 September, we fired off some questions to founding member, Scart. Being that your drummer, Paul, has a recording studio (Rock City Studios), is this where the current single and upcoming new album were recorded? And can you tell us a bit about the genesis of the new material? Yeah, the entire RESISTENTIA Album was recorded and mixed at Rock City Studios by Rian Cavaye, and the music video for (our new single) ‘BREAK’ was actually filmed there by Ady of AD8 films. Rock City is basically our Band Home and where this line-up came together, so getting to record there in a professional studio was perfect for us and very handy for Paul, as he could keep an eye on things at the same time. Musically, the newer works on RESISTENTIA take all of our combined influences, from old school punk and grunge through to electro, prog & metal, and pulls them all together. Whether it's creating in the studio or working on existing pieces that are brought in, everyone brings their

own style into each song. We also all have similar views on social, political and world issues, which is essentially the core that The MOLOTOV was formed around. This means, lyrically and thematically, every song means something to us, says what we think and expresses our views on issues that affect our lives. The fact that we vary so widely in age (the dates of birth of the band members span four decades), gender and life experiences also mean our ideas and influences are, I feel, more diverse than most bands. I think that's reflected in the songs on the album. What's been your most memorable concert experience to date? I think, for myself, getting to support the mighty MAMMAL at The Zoo in Brisbane when they toured was definitely a highlight. Their sound, social and political views and overall vibe has always been one I've had respect for. So getting the offer to play with them was an early Christmas present and was a ‘gotta pinch myself ’ moment. But The MOLOTOV has played so many live music venues in Brisbane, on the Coast and beyond, with some great bands. We've played everywhere from the Coolangatta Hotel and Shark Bar on the coast to the Crowbar, Rics and Brightside in Brisbane, as well as places like Frankies in Sydney. For us, whether it's a small or large crowd, it's always a blast to play our music to people, wherever they are, and to be able to connect with them. It's why we do it. Anthony Gebhardt.

‘Break’ is available now through the usual channels, and keep your eye on the band’s socials for news of the album release. Be sure to catch them at this year’s Wallapalooza in September. To read the interview in full, head over to the Blank GC website.

GETTING ROMANTIC WITH KIRSTY ABRAHAMS

old Coast artist Kirsty Abrahams burst onto the scene a few years ago via the SEED program at Griffith, releasing three singles before focusing her studies and efforts on the business side of the music industry, and working in management and promotions with local bands. Following a three year recording hiatus, Kirsty is back with the release of her fourth studio single, the dreamy and romantic ‘Without You’, and its stunning video set in Fingal Heads. We recently premiered the video here at Blank, and took the opportunity to chat with Kirsty about her return to the scene.

How is ‘Without You’ a departure, or evolution, from your previous releases? Without You is a solid representation of what is to come of my music. Although all my songs are extremely unique in style this track is one of my favourites as it incorporates a bit of my personality in it. Can you tell us a bit about what inspired ‘Without You’? I love the beach. Being a Gold Coast girl I spend the time I am not music-ing; surfing, chilling or skating by the beach soaking up the sunshine and listening to the waves. This has played a massive influence in this track both audibly in the single with beautiful production by the Batman of producers Jared Adlam and visually in the yet to be released music video by Isaac Lawler.

Do you have a favourite lyric in it?

“Will you come for a walk, reminisce the life that’s passed, as we turn from that chapter of our lives.” - This lyric is basically calling for reflection on past mistakes and heartbreaks and saying that is in the past, it’s time to move forward. Who are some Gold Coast artists that you’re really loving right now? There are so many great Gold Coast artists popping up everywhere! Elska, Peach Fur, Loose Leaf, DVNA, Athena Joy are some of my faves but I am a total EL (Electrik Lemonade) fan-girl. Tell us a bit about the choice of Fingal Heads for your video. After discussing with Isaac, we wanted to capture the sunshine, water, sand and a bit of greenery in the video which marries up nicely with the song. We actually started filming the clip down at Burleigh, however when we decided on Fingal we were able to catch a whole lot more light and use different parts of the landscape to film a variety of locations. What does the rest of your year look like? I have been writing heaps the past couple of years, so hopefully I will be able to release a few of those tracks soon. I am planning on releasing a new song by the end of 2019. Natalie O’Driscoll

‘Without You’ is available now, through all the usual channels.

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LI V E & FR E E E N TE R TAI N M E N T E V E RY SU N DAY

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Wallapalooza 2019 ELEVEN YEARS LOUD

We All Drive

FROM KINGSCLIFF TO COOLY P ower packed duo We All Drive have recently set about turning heads on the local music scene with their amphetamised take on the twopiece rock format.

The band consists of high school pals Joel Sims (bass and vocals) and Thomas Hayes (drums). Joel describes their evolution as a band. "Well Tom and I have been jamming since we were fifteen, during high school. From there we tried putting something together with a couple of our other friends but nothing really came of it in the end. It wasn't until I wrapped my head around live music and performing when I went to Coomera TAFE for a year that I started to narrow down some ideas that would eventually turn into the band." And as for their decision to forge ahead as a lean, mean two piece rock machine: "It was always pretty much a two piece from the start. I started to become a fan of the duo band concept after I figured out a bit of Royal Blood's style of playing. But down the road a bit I started listening to more DZ Deathrays, Reignwolf and Cleopatrick to try and switch it up a bit in terms of sound and tone and all that,” he says. “And I think listening to QOTSA, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets and Jack White really helped to turn it into our own sound in the end. But yeah, a two piece was pretty much the easiest and best plan I thought of at the time, just the two of us playing music onstage, doing what we love best. Maybe in a couple of years we'll see about getting another guitarist onstage, but for now we're just keen to see where the two of us being the two of us will take us."

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Their latest track, 'Kingscliff ', is an epic, brooding chugger with a swelling chorus, delivering a monster sound belying their stripped-back set up. Joel discussed the inspiration behind the track.

"The song was us jamming out random stuff and putting it together and writing lyrics over the top of it. The idea was that I always wanted to write a song about my friends and my gratitude towards them for always being there for us and each other. So it pretty much turned into a tribute to them, hence the title ‘Kingscliff ', because we attended the high school in the area." The guys are playing at the Cooly Hotel early this month, and Joel says we can expect some hi-jinx.

"I do like jumping off the drum kits. It's one of my personal favourite hobbies so you'll be seeing a bit of that. You'll probably hear loud music coming out of big speakers and good vibes and alcohol going around. And a few other great bands are playing with us." Anthony Gebhardt

In celebration of the launch of 'Kingscliff', the band will be playing a headline show at the Cooly Hotel on 7 September alongside Verum, who are also doing a single launch. Hurricanes & Echoes + Coastal Lights are special guests.

his year marks the 11th anniversary of one of the Gold Coast's most loved suburban grassroots festivals, the iconically punned Wallapalooza. Taking place annually at landmark Mudgeeraba venue The Wallaby Hotel, the festival is the brain child (and love child, for that matter) of local music identity Andy Clark, with the tireless support of a network of helpers and volunteers, aka the 'Wallanteers'.

For a festival to reach 'decade plus' status is a monumental achievement, requiring endless dedication fuelled by a pure passion for music, which is something that Andy has in spades. Not that he had any idea of its impact and longevity back in the festival's early days. "I never thought Wallapalooza would be as big as it is, but I knew the Gold Coast needed something. When I started 'Walla' I wanted to create an event that would foster upcoming original musicians. But to sit back now, eleven years in, and see what it’s become is very special." Over the course of its journey, Wallapalooza's format has been fluid and evolving, including some years where Andy would take the show on the road and put the festival on in venues along the East Coast across a month. This year sees Wallapalooza return to its grassroots beginnings, with The Wallaby Hotel playing exclusive host across Friday 13 and Saturday 14 September. Says Andy on the 2019 version; "I’d made more of a conscious decision in recent times to make the Gold Coast shows the absolute best they can be rather than run myself too thin and burning out." Wallapalooza is particularly renowned for the quality of its heavier acts, with various permutations of rock and metal featuring on the dedicated metal stage. Andy tells us who to watch out for in particular on this year’s bill.

"The return of Humality to the stage is going to be a set that people will talk about for a long time to come. Massic are nothing short of beautiful brutality and the growth and maturity in performance of Diskust has impressed me a lot. They have become a real force in the local music scene and are a must-see live. And the headliners Circles (pictured) and Captives are just unstoppable. I could go on and on though, as everyone on the line up has earned their spot. That’s why I never announce set times - the bands start at 12 and each and every one is worth your time. We are very blessed with a very healthy original music scene in South East Queensland at the moment." As far as who’s chalked up most performances across the 11 years of Wallapalooza, that honour belongs to local heavy juggernaut The MOLOTOV (who also feature in this month’s edition of Blank GC). "The Tov are as much a part of Walla as I am I think.", says Andy. Other highly rated acts who've played often across the Walla journey include Azreal, These 4 Walls and Smoking Martha. As to how long Andy can maintain the passion and keep the Wallapalooza flag flying; "Every year I ask myself that question. But I really think Wallapalooza has become a part of who I am, more-so than what I do. And as long as the local acts keeps writing such killer songs and delivering mind blowing live performances it’s really hard to think of turning my back on the industry. So I guess you’re all stuck with me for a while yet." Anthony Gebhardt

If you've yet to experience the jam packed banger-action that is Wallapalooza, be sure to get along to the Wallaby Hotel for this year’s instalment. The warm up event is on the night of Friday 13 September and features The Wayward Suns, Madison Kat, Baltimore Gun Club and Chavez Cartel. While Saturday 14 September features a jam packed 42 band line up across four stages, including Melbourne progressive metal behemoths Circles, who are headlining this years event. And best of all, it's totally free!

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The Gold Coast’s most exciting new music, on the road this year. With a recent signing to American booking company United Talent Agency after impressing them at SXSW, it doesn’t seem like the touring will be slowing down any time soon. You can catch her playing at Vinnies Dive on 29 September.

JAKE CARMODY CONTINUES HIS FLOW WITH NEW SINGLE ‘MAMACITA’ HABA HOPE

MASTERFUL NEW SINGLE FOR ELIZA AND THE DELUSIONALS Eliza And The Delusionals’ new track ‘Pull Apart Heart’ hits hard with a meaty opening riff and doesn’t let up until the very last note. It’s a masterfully written song that effortlessly transitions between changes of pace and intensity, matching musical and lyrical emotion to a tee. There was plenty of emotion during the writing process as Eliza explains - “I was going through a really rough time. I was experiencing feelings that were new to me and I wasn’t sure how to handle them - I felt like my emotions were in pieces and that’s where the concept came from”. Through slick production and excellent contributions from her band mates, it’s safe to say that ‘Pull Apart Heart’ has reached its full potential.

‘Hope’ is the first single from Haba Dudes’ eigth studio album - yes that’s right, these Gold Coast legends of the scene have released twice as many albums as the average band and don’t seem to be losing any of their knack. ‘Hope’ is a charming progressive roots jam that dances a fine line between familiarity and originality. It’s one of those songs that you think you’ve heard before but you just can’t put your finger on where. The track mixes raw acoustic sounds with electronic elements in ways that shouldn’t work, but just do. ‘Hope’ is an enigma, a one of a kind track, clearly the result of a band who knows exactly what they’re doing.

THE SHAMBOLICS PAVE THEIR OWN WAY

SAN MEI’S SINGLE IS SOMETHING GOOD Two time 2019 Gold Coast Music Award winner and recent South By South West (SXSW) showcase artist San Mei is continuing her stellar year with the release of a beautifully polished indie-pop gem ‘Something Good’. Testing new waters by replacing guitars with layered synths, San Mei’s captivating vocals maintain the track’s originality. It’s certainly her most upbeat offering to date, which is no doubt a reflection of the amount of time she’s spent 36

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Pioneers of their own ‘surf country’ genre, The Shambolics are making a point of paving their own way. The band brings punk sensibilities to country/folk music, telling honest, sometimes brutal stories, marveling on their own imperfections. Despite what the band’s name suggests, these middle-aged fathers from Tallebudgera Valley are deadly serious about what they do and it shows among the depth and attention to detail on their debut album titled ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’. The record crosses genres and every track seems to have its own distinct personality. Generally albums with this much diversity tend to seem disjointed but ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ is gelled tightly together by Graham Ashton’s unique and commanding vocals. You’ll be lucky to hear another record quite like this.

Opening with a vintage Latin horn sample, Jake Carmody’s single ‘Mamacita’ draws you in for an unexpected ride. Mixing elements of RnB, trap, soul and even a splash of dubstep, the track is a testament to Carmody’s diversity, setting him apart from other young Gold Coast producers. His unique style and world-class production skills seem to have caught the attention of Australian tastemakers, enjoying hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify and plenty of triple j rotation over the past 12 months. ‘Mamacita’ features fellow Queensland goal kicker Xavier Mayne and is set to add bucket loads of streams to both of their Spotify profiles.

WOODSTOCK CALLING To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival, Lecia Louise has released a fitting, riff-heavy tribute to the legendary gathering. The lyrics describe legends of the stage while soaring guitar solos and a classic blues rhythm section take you right back to the summer of ‘69. The track channels a vintage sound but has the polish of a modern rock song, a trick that Lecia Louise has managed to master over the years. Gaining accolades the from the likes of Alice Cooper’s band member Nita Strauss and Australian music industry heavyweights alike, Louise has solidified herself as one of the Gold Coast’s top guitar shredders. You can see her performing on September 1 at Hope And Anchor in Brisbane.

KIRSTY ABRAHAMS’ ANTHEMIC POP SINGLE After a 3-year hiatus, Kirsty Abrahams is back with the release of her fourth studio single 'Without You'. Working with ARIA award winning producer Jared Adlam, Kirsty has evolved her sound into what could be by Claire Dalton described as anthemic pop.Image Starting mellow, ’Without You’ adds layer upon layer of musical elements, reaching full-flight around the halfway mark. Kirsty’s vocals build beautifully with the music, making for a truly intense listening experience. ‘Without You' is yet another world class track from our vibrant city.

THE OOGARS HAVE POWER Fresh off the back of a Spanish tour alongside Danish Surf rock band Pacific Swell, Gold Coast rising stars The Oogars have just dropped their second single ‘Power’. Written during a time of pain caused by an aggressive detachment from a toxic relationship, ‘Power’ has a darker approach than their previous work. With its slow brooding feel, the track moves into shoegaze territory and even has hints of psychedelic folk, channeling the likes of Jess Riberio and Jen Cloher. Keep an eye on their socials for upcoming Gold Coast shows.

GENRE FLUID SELVE RELEASE DEBUT SINGLE Selve is the ambitious brainchild of Indigenous lead singer/songwriter Loki Liddle and lead musical composer Harry Edwards. Separately the two have broad

curated by Zac Fahey musical tastes and have played in various bands throughout their careers. Drawing from past experiences their debut single ‘Snake Of Light’ blends a plethora of styles and could be described as a mix between Foals, Nick Cave and Tame Impala. The story of ‘Snake Of Light’ follows a young descendent of the stolen generation travelling around the country in a beat-up red corolla re-learning old stories, coming into contact with the Dreamtime and developing a connection to the living spirit of the land. Considering themselves a genre-fluid band, Selve integrate themes of Indigenous culture into current neo-psychedelic styles. We can’t wait to hear what’s next.

from a larger body of work set for release later this year. Keep an eye on Mariconte’s socials for more news and upcoming shows.

DANCEABLE ALT-POP FROM FRIENDS OF FRIENDS

THE MOLOTOV HIT HARD WITH ‘BREAK’

MORE NEW MUSIC FROM SALLY SA Sally Sa has graced our ears yet again this month with the toe tapping, jazz infused, reggae track ‘Hourglass’. A true local affair, ‘Hourglass’ saw Gold Coast musical identity Benny D Williams on mixing duties, Paul Blakey on mastering and Sally’s musical sidekick Glenn Bloomfield playing all instruments. ‘Hourglass’ was written about becoming everything you want to be, and after 15 years of recording music, Sally Sa seems to be doing exactly that.

Hard hitting heavy rockers The Molotov are gearing up for a massive end to 2019 with the release of their new single ‘Break’ as well as a prime spot on this year’s Wallapalooza lineup and a new full-length album set for release in October. A fast paced track featuring complex guitar riffs, heavy drums and a defiant chorus provides a small taste of what’s to come for the much loved band. Wallapalooza is held at The Wallaby Hotel on 14 September.

Anyone who names their main influences as The Police, INXS and The Cure have to be good right? In the case of Friends Of Friends the answer is yes and the proof is in the new single ‘Lie’. The project’s mastermind Barnaby Baker seems to have taken notes from these legendary artists rather than mimic them completely, creating his own take on danceable alt-pop. If you want to hear something a little different press play on ‘Lie’.

LABEL’S IMPRESSIVE DEBUT SINGLE ‘I’ll Pretend’ by Label is cool as hell, it’s as simple as that. Tasteful production and smooth effortless vocals mix with glistening guitar parts and sparsely programmed drums to create a slow burning beauty. It’s the kind of song you could put on after coming down from a night out or listen to while winding up at the beginning of big one. This debut is said to mark the first of many tracks to come from Label over the next twelve months. Keep an eye on Label’s socials to see what’s next.

RYAN MUNRO FINDS FAME BY THE WATER Ryan Munro broke a ten-year hiatus from music by playing at last year’s Buskers By The Creek. His stunning performance in the middle of a torrential downpour during the event captured the attention of festival director Cindy Jensen. Now a year later, with the support of his biggest fan Cindy, Ryan Munro has released his debut single ‘By The Water’ capturing a glimpse of what was seen on that fateful rainy weekend by the creek.

THE WAY SUPER NUDIST MAKES US FEEL Gold Coast indie rock quartet, Super Nudist, have opted for a brooding, power-rock song for their latest single, ‘The Way She Makes Me Feel’, a number that has frequented the band’s setlist for a while. “It’s a great song to break the set up, people don’t expect it, especially when the chorus hits,” says lead singer Brendan. The song displays a moderate tempo, and plaintive, reverb-laden vocals, and could be deemed as an unusual release for a single, but it whatever it is, it works. It’s out officially on 30 August, with a celebratory launch party at the Rompa Room.

SYCLONER RELEASE FANTASTICALLY DIVERSE EP 'IN AND OF ITSELF'

A LOW-KEY BANGER BY MARICONTE Mariconte’s ‘Buzz It’ is yet another fantastic debut release from a new Gold Coast artist. This low-key banger blends distorted moody synths and hard-hitting trap style drums over smooth RnB vocals. Produced and performed by Luke Mariconte, the track really hits its stride after the half way mark, taking an unsuspected but surprisingly beautiful turn. ‘Buzz It’ displays some serious potential and is said to be the first single

Sycloner are gearing up to release their third EP since forming in 2018. 'In And Of Itself ' sees members Peter Greasley (Vocals) and Daniel Cunnington (Guitar) channel a vintage indie-pop sound while offering something more modern and progressive. According the band, the EP journeys deeper into familiar themes of self-unawareness, vanity and the challenges of living well. ‘Lean On Me’ is the EP highlight track, showcasing a heavier and more experimental side while the very next track ’Down The River’ is a stripped back indie ballad. 'In And Of Itself ' is a fantastically diverse EP and well worth a listen.

SEND YOUR PRESS KIT WITH A LINK TO LISTEN TO THE MUSIC, A BIT ABOUT YOU AND A HIGH RES PIC TO... NEWMUSIC@BLANKGC.COM.AU

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BLANK'S BEST PICKS AT

t’s BIGSOUND time again, which means the crème de la crème of Australia’s music scene is all set to descend on Fortitude Valley for four epic days and nights of music. Of course, we’re not going to be able to catch all of the hundreds of artists on the lineup (boo!). But we thought we’d list some of our ‘must-sees’, so you don’t miss out on the pick of the bunch. You’re welcome.

Away’ and ‘Dance Monkey’. Now that she’s gone national and has ARIA certified gold status, she’s a festival lineup must-have. See her on 4 September at Famous, and also on the Unified Showcase on the 5th.

ELECTRIC FIELDS Multi-award winning Electric Fields create a striking and haunting merging of traditional culture with electronic music, bringing breathtaking beauty and power to the stage. Featuring the extraordinary voice of Zaachariaha Fielding, and the brilliance of producer Micheal Ross, their music ranges from soulful pop to epic-scale electronic works. Catch them at the official BIGSOUND welcome party on 3 September as well as other gigs on 3 and 5 September.

MOJO JUJU This one’s a bit of a no-brainer. Mojo Juju has been the name on everyone’s lips since the release of her defiant epic ‘Native Tongue’ album and its title-track, telling a story of loss, anger and yearning for connection to traditional culture and language. She’s been taking home awards left right and centre, and will be a tough show to beat. Don’t miss out on seeing her at The Zoo on 5 September.

FUTURE HAUNTS

SAINT LANE

by Claire Dalton Melding the cosmic studioImage journeying of The War on Drugs with the melodic immediacy of The Stone Roses, Future Haunts are a group that exist on the blurry edges of rock music. Their songs are malleable, tonal excursions where textured guitar-scapes dissolve into fuzzy freakouts above always driving backbones. 4 Sept at the Foundry, 5 Sept at Heya Bar.

Saint Lane is the cheeky, stylish Gold Coast hip hop artist you never knew you needed. Fresh off the back of recording his new stuff with Kanye’s team in the US, Saint brings a professional swagger to his live shows that has to be seen to be believed. Become a believer on 3 September at The Elephant and The Wickham on 4 September.

CRY CLUB Emerging as one of Australia’s most energetic, riled-up noise-pop acts, Cry Club are for anyone who’s ever been called too emotional, too sensitive, too much. Their frenetic and endearingly excitable live show has gained them a die-hard cult following. Catch them at Famous Nightclub on 5 September.

AQUILA YOUNG DULCIE

Inspired by vast landscapes reflective of her travels and thirst for adventure, Aquila’s otherwordly sound can be described as ambient, swept up in rolling drums, resonant vocals and dreamlike synths. This motif of power and strength emulates throughout her persona and songwriting. She’s playing Famous on 3 September and Heya Bar on the 4th.

Dulcie are a four-piece indie-pop girl band from Perth, Western Australia. With two singles, 'Fall' and 'Own Ground' released in 2019, triple j full rotation on their debut track, an appearance at GTM in Bunbury and main support slots on two national tours, Dulcie have had a busy first year. They’re playing both the Levi’s showcase and at Famous on 4 September, and at Family on the 5th.

SEASIDE Emerging from the sparkling waters of Byron Bay, Seaside are four friends making indie music with a punchy, dream pop sound. With two EPs and several successful singles released, Seaside's hypnotising live show has seen them share stages with such acts as Angus & Julia Stone, The Jungle Giants and Last Dinosaurs. They’re playing 3 and 4 September at The Outpost and Empire respectively.

BEING JANE LANE Being Jane Lane are hard-hitting punk goddesses that take no prisoners in their live shows. Five friends from Gold Coast and Brisbane, these rocking chicks have been gaining momentum with festival spots, gigs galore and a soon-to-be-released debut album. Watch this space, and don’t miss their Crowbar sets on 3 and 4 September. 38

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TONES AND I This inspiring Byron Bay sensation honed her craft busking on the streets, building up a loyal following that has lapped up her first two Nordic pop-inspired singles ‘Johnny Run

NOAH DILLON Singer-songwriter Noah Dillon blends elements of indie rock and alternative folk in a cathartic concoction that looks to juxtapose the mundanities of life with some of its deepest questions. Known for his raw emotion and euphoric soundscapes expect to dance, laugh and cry all the same time. Emote with Noah at the Black Bear Lodge on 4 September and then the next day at Empire.

PULLING APART ELIZA & THE DELUSIONALS

REDHOOK

BOBBY ALU

RedHook are screaming rap, rock, electro pop mutants from Sydney. 2019 has seen them play national tours with Hands Like Houses, Sevendust and The Faim. They've also toured internationally in the UK and EU with Bad Wolves and Three Days Grace, culminating in an invitation to play at Download Festival UK and Sydney. Now BIGSOUND has them on Tues 3 at Woolly Mammoth and Thursday 5 at Crowbar.

Byron Bay singer, ukulele-strummer and drummer Bobby Alu delivers smooth harmonies, Pacific rhythms, and island grooves. Though it’s not all palm trees and daydreams – there’s a robust energy in Alu’s mastery of Samoan log drums, and songwriting that nods to world, roots and pop intelligence. He’s playing The Zoo on 4 September.

ften described as one of the most exciting groups to emerge from the Gold Coast, Eliza & The Delusionals have been making waves since their inception in early 2015 and quickly building momentum since the release of their debut EP ‘The Deeper End’ in 2017. They have featured on the Bluesfest and Falls Festival line up and have supported a number of artists including Nothing But Thieves, City Calm Down, Luca Brasi, Dear Seattle and Tiny Little Houses. Since we last spoke with the rising indie rockers they have been immersed in writing and recording and have just announced the release of their new track ‘Pull Apart Heart’ and single tour. We caught up with Frontwoman Eliza Klatt ahead of the tour for a quick chat about all things Eliza & The Delusionals.

Congratulations on signing with Cooking With Vinyl. How has this been so far for you guys? Thank you! We are very stoked – They’re an amazing team of people and we couldn’t be happier. So many little dreams have become realities since we’ve been working with them. You have just released your new single ‘Pull Apart Heart’, could you tell us a little bit about it?

RELIQA Reliqa are an outrageous, femalefronted alt metal outfit from NSW Central Coast that set out to scratch an itch for passionate and flavoursome heavy music. Wielding a unique blend of aggressive riffage and powerful vocal character, the band have come out swinging with their monstrous sophomore release, 'EVENTIDE'. Tuesday 3 sees them at Crowbar, Thursday 5 at The Elephant.

FLOSSY Flossy is an alt rock/pop band from Perth fronted by sisters Lauren and Sinead O’Hara. Known for their energetic live shows, punchy, bass driven melodies and perfectly synced harmonies, this band has a knack for writing ear worms with just the right amount of attitude. Catch them at Crowbar on 3 September and Thursday 5 at The Outpost.

GOLD COAST SHOWCASE Well, of course we included this one! Come along to X Cargo McLachlan Street on Thursday 5 September at 12.30pm and revel in three of the best up-and-coming acts our fair city has to offer. DVNA is a colourful, bold and intriguing project born within the depths of a Gold Coast bedroom in early 2017. She’s a talented vocalist who messes around with a warm fusion between new age soul and electronica. Indie pop band Ivey have hustled their way through adolescence and into the music industry. Ivey showcase a collaborative song writing approach, often lyrically delving into themes of love, sex and the mind. Donny Love are nocturnal icons of the sunshine state and natural outsiders. They've spent several years now brooding and maturing, diligently studying their craft and carving out their own oddball sound which incorporates carnal elements of rock, jazz, new wave, pop and soul among other things. Don’t miss them.

I wrote Pull Apart Heart while I was going through a lot of personal changes – with myself and my relationships. I felt really emotionally exhausted and fragile and at times I guess I literally felt like my heart and emotions were being pulled apart from different places. How did it feel writing it, was it cathartic for you? I guess I felt a little relieved – I was able to come up with a bit of a metaphor that kind of explains exactly how I was feeling. It was nice to let emotions and feelings that had been sitting in me for a while out. What was it like working on the single with Kon Kersting who has also produced tracks for Kingswood, WAAX and Mallrat? Kon is great! We’ve worked with him on our debut EP. It’s always such a fun time in the studio with him, and I think having a fun vibe really helps everyone feel good in the studio. ‘Pull Apart Heart’ got a spin on triple J’s Good Nights, what has the response been to the track?

We were stoked to be played on Good Nights – We were all listening in and it was so nice to hear Bridget Husthwait’s kind words and so much love on the textline at the time. The dates for your single tour have been announced and things are kicking off in October with Yours and Owls Festival. Are there any dates you are particularly looking forward to? What can people expect with this tour? Definitely Yours & Owls festival will be a highlight. We’ve been hoping to get onto the lineup of that one for a while. I think one of the shows we’re most keen for is definitely Black Bear Lodge in Brisbane. It’s close to a home show for us, and it’s such a great venue. Brisbane always turns it up whenever we play there as well, so we’re super excited for that. You can definitely expect to hear a lot of new songs! So what is in store for Eliza & The Delusionsals for the rest of the year and beyond? Without ruining any surprises, definitely new music. We’ve got a lot in the works at the moment along with heading overseas for some writing, so definitely stay tuned. Simone Gorman-Clark

Eliza and The Delusionals will be performing at Black Bear Lodge in Brisbane on Friday 1 November and tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite. ‘Pull Apart Heart’ is out now and you can listen via all of the usual channels.

Natalie O’Driscoll

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HERE COME THE VANNS

up with ideas as a band and can always pursue a full song as the four of us. What do you enjoy most, touring or recording and why? I'm hanging to get back out on the road as it's been so long since our last shows. Pretty much when we're on tour I get pretty inspired to write and can't wait to get back into the studio and vice versa whilst being in the studio. What is the story behind the band’s name? Our first live gig as a band was a band comp and we didn't have a name. They wouldn't let us play otherwise and we had nothing in terms of names. So we just did the last name thing for each member in the band and 'Vann' had a nice ring to it. We planned to scratch the name not long after but everyone supporting the band loved it and the name stuck from there. If you could pick any dead or alive artist to work with, who would it be and why? Right now I'd say John Mayer. He's pushing the boundaries of being an artist and he's featuring on so many different styles of music lately. He doesn't sit in any certain genre of music, every album he has released is so different and that excites me if I had the opportunity to work with someone like him.

he Vanns have been impressing crowds around Australia for years, gaining loyal followers everywhere they go. They’ve played countless memorable shows on The Gold Coast and we’ve almost come to consider them as locals. With their heavily anticipated debut album set for release sometime this year, The Vanns are hitting our coastline once again for Pig Day Out on 8 September to showcase some fresh tunes and hopefully sneak in a surf or two. We had a quick chat with Jimmy Vann ahead of the show.

The Gold Coast loves you guys, what do you love about the Gold Coast? Kirra Point! If someone has a spare board to lend us when we're up we'll shout you a beer.

Who is your favourite Gold Coast act right now?

Do you have a pre-show ritual before you go on stage?

San Mei. I saw her play when she opened for Holy Holy in Sydney. Amazing...

Nothing too exciting... The four of us group hug like the old footy days, make sure we've all got a beer and get out there and do what we do.

Your current single “Mother” sounds fantastic and feels more stripped back and mellow. Is this what we can expect from the album?

What can we expect from the Pig Day Out live set? Many tunes from the new album?

'Mother' is a very small taste of what's to come. We explored some new areas musically the band has never touched upon before so we're hanging to get the whole record out. But yes, there is plenty of big guitar songs on the way in the same vein as 'Mother'.

We've been sitting on this album for a while now and can't help but whip new songs out live. So yes at least half the album will be played!

Could you describe the band’s songwriting process?

The Vanns play Pig Day Out at BBQ Bazaar on Junction Rd, Burleigh Heads on 8 September alongside Tuka & The Thundamentals, Cakes, CHIGGZ & Kylie Shilling, Eliza & The Delusionals, Gratis Minds, Great Gable, Karl S Williams, L33ZE and Oxford’s Collar. The mini festival kicks off at 1pm and tix are available through Oztix.

There's no real set way we write. It might be lyrics first or a melodic riff idea. Myself and Cam are constantly writing and we will work a song to a certain point and take it to the other lads. Whenever we rehearse we are constantly coming

Zac Fahey

GOLD COAST MUSIC INDUSTRY MINGLE Tuesday 1 October, 6.00 – 8.15pm Southern Cross University Terminal Dr, Bilinga

MAKING CENTS OF IT ALL

Of course, it’s all about the music. Except when it’s about the money. How do Gold Coast musicians create full-time careers out of music and what are the strategies you can apply to your own music practice? We talk to slashies cobbling together a full-time wage from their music and music-related income.

Gold Coast The Gold Coast Music Industry Mingle is proudly delivered by Blank GC in collaboration with the City of Gold Coast’s Music Action Plan 2021.

BIGSOUND GOLD COAST SHOWCASE SHINING A LIGHT ON IVEY, DVNA AND DONNY LOVE

n the tradition of the iconic South By Southwest and officially recognised as Australia's biggest showcase of up and coming musical talent, BIGSOUND is set to once again detonate upon the Brisbane musical landscape from 3 to 6 September. This year’s lineup features over 150 on-the-rise acts performing across 18 stages in the Fortitude Valley Live Music Precinct, including Byron Bay's next big thing Tones And I, Adelaide garage-pub miscreants Bad//Dreems, chilled Gold Coaster Bobby Alu and roots trail blazer Mojo Juju. This year also sees the fourth instalment of the official Gold Coast Showcase, which features three of this City’s finest musical acts and is happening on Thursday 4 September from 12:30pm to 2:00pm at the BIGSOUND Social Hub. Representing the Gold Coast this year are way-cool indie kids IVEY, electro-soul siren DVNA and catchy genre-blenders Donny Love. To celebrate their pending appearances on the much feted line up, we had a chat with all three Showcase artists to get their take on what it means to represent the Gold Coast at this year’s event.

IVEY

DVNA

DONNY LOVE

Precociously talented indie-pop collective IVEY announced their arrival on the music scene via triple J's Unearthed High competition in 2015. Since then, the youthful five-piece have been on a rapid upwards trajectory, dropping a pair of EPs and picking up some prestigious support slots as well as playing plenty of their own headlining shows.

Sassy electro-soul siren DVNA has certainly made her mark on the local music scene over the past 12 months, spring boarding into public consciousness as a result of her two rapturously received singles, 'Girl On The Move' and 'Looking Like A Snack'. DVNA is making her performance debut at this years BIGSOUND, something that she is utterly over the moon about.

Local icons of the new weird underground, eclectic fivepiece Donny Love display a pleasing penchant for being both quirkily off-kilter without sacrificing the inherent catchiness of their genre blending sound ouvre. Their cracking debut album, 'Sensation', was released in 2018, channelling a captivating and unique soul-garage amalgamation which created quite a buzz on the local indie scene.

"I get butterflies every time I think about it. I’ve been to and experienced the festival for the last two years and always wanted to be the one on stage, the one with my own showcase. To not only be accepted, but to have multiple slots is truly incredible. A big goal ticked off!! And I’m really excited to see Milan Ring. What a powerhouse woman!"

Although having attended BIGSOUND before as punters, this is the first time that Donny Love will be up there on stage, a fact that the band’s Andy Hodges is rather chuffed about.

IVEY have already had a taste of the BIGSOUND experience, playing there in 2017, which was an invaluable exercise in increasing their profile. "The experience was really cool, it was on a beautiful big stage at the back of the Brightside! There were quite a few industry people there and it was just exciting times all round for us. I think it put us on the map a lot more. It allowed the industry to finally put a face to a name and a show to the band, which delivered us a lot more industry connections going forward." And this year presents the band with further exciting opportunities to both network and simply have a good time amongst fans and colleagues. "We're all really keen to get amongst it again. Millie only turned 18 at the end of last year, so we can all finally hang out after shows and meet other bands properly! A few favourites we won't miss are First Beige, Towns, Seaside, DVNA and Approachable Members Of Your Local Community!" As far as what it means to be representing the festival as Gold Coast artists; "It feels really good. The Gold Coast is growing and there's so much potential in the music that's coming from where we live. We have lived here our whole lives, it's kinda shaped who we are as people, so to be showcasing on behalf of the city is quite nice to be honest." As well as their BIGSOUND performances, IVEY have also slotted in a hometown show on the Gold Coast, at Elsewhere, on 13 September. 42

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The coming six months is looking jam-packed for this girl on the move. "There'll be LOTS of work but I’m ready for it all. I’ll be going on my very first tour whilst writing and finalising an EP for next year. So, a lot of coffee drinking and late nights I assume. Some collaborations in the pipeline and of course, celebrating 2019 wins". As to what it means to DVNA to be flying the flag for Gold Coast music at this years BIGSOUND, "This is BIG for me! The Gold Coast has always been and always will be home, so I’m going to fly that flag hard for all my insanely talented musician friends and the future of Gold Coast music. Hopefully do you all proud!"

"We're probably most excited to be representing as a voice for the more 'underground' or lesser heard artists of the Gold Cost scene. We're the feral gig-pigs from outer space!" They'll also be taking in plenty of other artists across the four days of BIGSOUND, with Andy's tips for other 'must see' acts on the bill including Chakra Efendi, Dianas and GAUCI. As far as what's happening in the oddball world of Donny Love over the coming six months, Andy informs that the band are currently putting the finishing touches to their about to be released second album. "It's a very exciting time for us. I think we've really found ourselves and our sound and expanded on this world we've been building with previous video clips and our last album. We've gone through our development phase and I feel that our next album is a big step up - the Donny universe is expanding!" Anthony Gebhardt

For those looking to expand their musical universe, the BIGSOUND Gold Coast Showcase performance, on Thursday 4 September from 12:30pm to 2:00pm at the BIGSOUND Social Hub, is the place to be.